Chapter Text
Callum sighed and pressed his head against the front of the oak tree in his school yard. For the past few days he had been training with magic extra hard. Having seen Rayla best three skilled fighters in front of a crowd of people had made Callum wanna practice his magic even more. He kept thinking of that letter Rayla sent, saying she would love to go on a picnic with him, and he had said in another one if she would like to see his magic, she said yes to that too.
Callum pulled an apple out from his bag, took a bit of it and chewed, thinking. Of school and home life and picnics and Rayla, always of Rayla. The way her hair glowed like moonlight and how her eyes sparkled like stars. The way she laughed, how it wasn't pretty and perfect, but real with a snort. Which somehow made it all the more endearing. She had looked so strong in the arena, like she could take on the world. And then some.
Callum reached for his sketchbook and pen. He brought the pen to paper, and drew his thoughts.
How beautiful Rayla looked even on paper.
/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\
Rayla
Rayla tapped her foot rapidly against the stone floor, looking at the ticking clock. It droned out the sound of her teacher and filled the room. Her mind drifted back to Callum's latest letter.
"Meet me at the castle entrance. It's a surprise."
It filled her with excitement and wonder. What could Callum be up to? She pondered for the hundredth time.
Her language teacher sighed, "Princess, your mind is clearly elsewhere. We'll go over what we did today tomorrow, I expect you to pay attention next time, understand?"
"Understood." The ticking of the clock stopped, only to be replaced with the thundered beats of Rayla's excited heart.
"Very well, you may go." Rayla almost ran out the room.
Passing her lady's maid on the way to her room Rayla remembered she needed to tell someone she was going out.
"For how long Princess?" Her maid asked.
"I don't know, and no its fine I don't need you help today, Thank you."
She ran into her room and stripped off the dress she was wearing for a more comfortable train shirt and pants. Slipping on her boots she made her way down to the kitchen and out the castle as fast as she could.
/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\
"Callum where are we going?" asked Rayla, again.
"Somewhere." Callum replied, again.
Rayla and him had been walking for ages, trying to find a "special spot" -as Callum called it- for him to show her "something important." Rayla was quite convinced they were lost. Callum on the other hand, was not.
"Are you sure you remember the way?"
"Yes I'm sure ,and I'm sure we're almost there." he said a tint annoyed.
Rayla closed her mouth, admiring the little furrow in Callum's brows. She looked around her. The landscape was beautiful, trees all around and a body of water to her right and a small clearing to her left, filled with wildflowers and weeds so beautiful they might as well have been flowers. The air was warm. Filled with
early summer scents, the afternoon sky gleamed rich hues of gold and red. Rayla breathed in deep. Fresh air filled her lungs.
"Is this the place?" She asked.
Callum looked around, his eyes locked on the small clearing. "This is the place." He confirmed. He grabbed for Rayla's wrist.
"C'mon!" He said when they found a patch of grass free of flowers. "Help me set up the blanket."
"Okay, okay." Rayla mock grumbled. Which quickly turned to breathy giggles and fits of laughter. A smile had set in her features and she didn't know when it was leaving, if ever.
They made quick work of setting up their little picnic spread. Just as Rayla asked all that time ago in one of her letters, the spread bore no healthy meals. Just baked goods and sweets and chocolates. Red haopiness bloomed in her chest.
"You remembered."
Callum looked at the food and then her, "Oh course I remembered, I kept all the letters."
"You did?"
He looked back at the spread on the checkered blanket, "Yeah, I did." He paused, "did you?"
"Yeah, I did too." Rayla felt more than saw Callum smile. The happiness in her chest leached out into the physical world, it turned the warm and the made the sun glow brighter.
Finding a spot on the blanket Rayla plopped down and sat cross-legged on the checkered fabric. Reaching for a jelly tart and stuffing half it into her mouth, she asked "So what was it you wanted to show me?"
"Um, well.." Callum trailed off.
"If you wanted to have a picnic with me, you could have just asked." teased Rayla.
"No no, I wanted to show you something. It's just well… When you were at the tournament, I felt so proud of how good you had gotten that I wanted to show you something in return. "
Rayla blushed at his praise, "Callum what are you saying."
"I've been practicing really hard and doing my best at my magic, and well I just passed my class ahead of time and felt like I had earned the right to show you."
“Callum-”
“Hey listen, you impressed me so much at the tournament, so let me try and do the same?”
She gave him a sigh and nodded. Callum bit his lip and gave a little excited flutter of his wings. That action locked itself in Rayla's mind. The little things always did. Like a personal library of flashes of memory to keep her happy.
“Okay, okay. Let’s do this.” He muttered, and Rayla just shook her head.
Callum stood up and walked over a little ways away from the blanket and food, he shook himself out, raised his hand, parted his lips and said.
“Fulmenis!”
/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\
Callum got cocky towards the end of his magic show and almost blew a tree top off. That’s when Rayla called him over.
“Come here! Flies are getting in the food!” She shouted over a mouthful of chocolate cake.
“Okay! I’m coming!” He jogged over and plopped next to her. Plucking the remainder of her chocolate cake from her hand.
Rayla stuck of her tongue at him, “I really liked your magic Callum, your really good.” She reached for another piece of cake. The plates Callum had brought were so delicate. With scalloped edges and lacy blue paints on the rims.
Callum blushed and stuffed some cake into his mouth, all signs of cockiness gone. Rayla thought it was kinda cute. The way a confused smile had formed on his lips, and in his brows and eyes. How could one person make her heart flutter so damn hard.
“Thanks.” He muttered around the food.
“And you know,” Rayla said, moving closer, “I would have liked it if you were the worst mage in all of Xadia and the human kingdoms put together.” She finished, pressing a kiss to his cheek and laying her head on his shoulder. Rayla felt his wing wrap around her a little and smiled.
“Thanks.” He muttered again.
/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\
Callum
Callum and Rayla walked home hand in hand. The picnic basket hung from one of his arms and Rayla's looped through the other. His cheeks hurt from the smile, which had apparently decided it would never leave his face, not while he could still see Rayla anyway.
"Alright, we're at the halfway point." Rayla un-looped their arms.
"It's time to part ways." said Callum
"This was wonderful. Thank you. "
He blushed and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah I liked today too."
The setting sun had put a golden filter on the world, lighting it up in magical ways, but Rayla most of all. The way the beams illuminated her face was beautiful. Callum blushed deeper just looking at her. His mind wandered back to the picnic, when her head was on his shoulder and his wings wrapped around her. How-
"Callum? What are you looking at?" Rayla asked, rubbing the cold from her fingers. She had complained about bad circulation once, how her hands and feet were always cold despite the weather.
"Oh nothing. Here let me help you." He took a step closer and clasped his hands with hers.
Even though Callum only had four fingers his hands still dwarfed Rayla's. His gloved hands covered all of hers. He heard her suck in air. Callum brought her hands to his mouth and breathed on them, trying his best to rub warmth into them. Her hands were calloused but delicate with long tapered fingers and oval nails.
"C-Callum." Rayla stuttered, pink all over her face.
He looked up from his work and into her eyes. Hands still on hers.
"I like this." She shook their clasped hands a little.
"I do too." He said. Callum hesitated a little before bringing his lips to her fingertips, "I like it a lot." He breathed into her hands. He placed a tender kiss to them.
"Me too." Rayla breathed.
She lifted a hand and pressed it to his cheek. He leaned into the touch, with one hand he held hers there, against his face. Callum looked into her eyes for a while, or a little. He didn't know. He lost time when he was around her, minutes seemed like seconds and hours like minutes. They stayed like that for a time.
Finally his senses came back. "We should probably go."
The spell was broken and Rayla distanced herself from him, "Yeah, your right."
Rayla took a few more steps back from Callum. "Well..."
Callum laughed weakly, "Bye, Sad Princess."
"Bye Strange Elf Boy."
/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\
Rayla
"What? Why now?" Rayla asked Runaan, her breakfast sitting hard in her stomach. Twisting and turning to form a ball that sat like a rock at the bottom.
"Because the Xadian government holds this kind monthly banquet every year, this time it's Katolis's turn to come."
"Yes but why do I have to come?"
"Because you are the heir to this kingdom's throne and you need to learn to socialize with people like this." Runaan sighed through his nose, "now, I'm done talking about this. Your going, end of discussion. " He finished.
"But-but-" she started to whine.
"No buts Rayla, sorry. " Azurka said with an apologetic shrug.
In reality Rayla had no reason to decline, no reason not to want to go. She was the princess and this kind of thing was expected of her. To travel and meet officials, and socialize with higher ups and all that. Before she wouldn't have opposed the idea, but now, she had reasons, good reasons.
Reasons such as a dorky mage who made her heart race like a horse on a track.
Rayla stilled remembered the feel of his rose petal soft lips on her fingertips. It wasn't the first time he had kissed her hands, but her heart had not beat like that on the balcony.
Well, not that fast and for that long anyway.
She'd wondered then if he were to move his mouth upward, closer to hers, what the feel of his lips on hers would be like. Would it be nice? Surely so, no matter how inexperienced they both were at such things.
She blushed at the thought, but was immediately disappointed when she remembered she now wouldn't be seeing him for a month.
Rayla pouted and pushed her bowl of food away.
/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\
Callum
Callum heard a knock on the door. Three quick raps to the wood. Ezran grumbled, "It's probably your girlfriend come to propose her undying love."
"Well, I don't feel like getting up, and in the event that Ez is right, you should go answer the door Callum." Harrow said, lazing in his plush chair, Sarai cuddled next to him.
"Uhh, fine." Callum crumpled a scrap piece of paper and flicked it at Ezran. "And she's not my girlfriend." He stood and moved towards the door.
Through the peephole, Callum saw a flash of white. He opened the door, and by the front steps of the cottage, stood Rayla, chewing her lower lip.
Callum immediately moved to her. "Ohh! It is his girlfrin-" He shut the door before Ezran could be heard fully.
"Sorry about him." Callum rubbed the back of his neck. "So what brings you here? In need of another 'not princess' day?"
"I'm leaving." said Rayla.
"Wha-what?"
"I'm leaving Katolis." Rayla explained. She moved towards Callum and took his hand. "But only for a month. I just thought I should tell you."
"Oh." Callum said, looking at their locked hands, "That's a relief. I thought you were going off to war or something."
Rayla wrapped him in a hug. "What war?" she laughed. The air was getting rapidly warming.
Callum snapped his arms around her waist. "I dunno? The secret war between Xadia and the Human Kingdoms?" Callum just felt Rayla smiled against his neck in reply.
"Come on." He said, loosening his hold on her. "I was in the middle of making coco."
/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\
Callum and Rayla downed the cocoa. And gobbled up the cookies Sarai made.
"Got the recipe from my sister. " She said with a wink. She strode to Harrow and plopped next to him on the couch, handing him cookies.
"And does your aunt love cookies? " asked Rayla.
"So, so, so, very much." Callum replied, his body slumping with each 'so'. Rayla remembered again what an animated person he was, she was beginning to think she liked it, alot.
"Oh," Sarai chewed around a mouthful of cookie. "Did you do your tattoos for tomorrow?"
Callum shook his head in reply. Rayla spit out the lock of hair she had been sucking on, "'Do your tattoos'?"
"Well, yeah. I wasn't born with these." He said it like it was obvious. Rayla glowed bright red.
Callum gave a lopsided grin. "They really put care into teaching you humans about elf culture huh."
Her back straightened, "Hey now I-" Callum moved and pressed a finger to her lips, his grin full now. "I'm kidding. Now c'mon Imma need help."
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Rayla
Rayla waited patiently as Callum mixed the dying powder and liquid. The paste was impossibly white. Like glowing light. It must have been magic to get the henna that bright.
She watched as he funneled the paste into a piping bag. The henna shone through the transparent brown paper.
"Now," said Callum, handing her a dampened towel. "Just rinse off the old tattoos, and put on the new ones. It's that simple."
"Oh…" She looked at the towel, than at Callum. She took a breath and scooted closer to him on the bed. She brought the towel up his to face. The tattoos looked so faded up close, and they almost crumbled right off. Rayla brushed his hair aside, and dabbed away at the henna near his temple. She traced the fabric from his brow, and down to his chin, where the two lines met. She wiped it all away.
She sucked in air.
Rayla turned Callum's head by his chin, so she could clean the other side. She wiped away the white tattoos, holding her breath.
"Oh!" said Callum, he hopped up to get something from his desk and returned with a headband. He slid it on, his hair stuck up in tufts where the headband disrupted its nature flow. Rayla snorted and flicked at the tufts.
"Hey!" He shooed her away with his hands. Embarrassment filled his face, turning it pink.
"No, its cute." She laughed, his face turned pinker. Rayla picked up the piping bag. She inspected Callum's face, it was bright red and very warm. She started to blow on it.
"Why are you doing that." he asked.
"To cool your face down, it's so warm and red. " Rayla was rewarded with more redness in his cheeks. She laughed. "Hey stop it!" And he laughed too.
When the bubbly giggles had stopped and the redness had disappeared, Rayla picked up the bag. And then stopped.
"Callum, I've forgotten where the tattoos went."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Rayla lied.
"Okay." Callum picked up her hand, and formed it in a way so that her index finger out, while her others stayed curled up and closed.
"From my temple," he guided her hand, starting at the temple, "and the edge of my brow, the two lines go down to my chin, and join there." Callum mapped out where the tattoos should be with her hand.
"Oh, I remember now." Rayla's heart was beating fast. An absence filled it when Callum dropped her hand. She picked up the bag, and began to paint on the henna. She was tempted to lie again and ask him to repeat the pattern of his tattoos.
She tilted Callum's head this way and that. Getting just the right angle to put on the white paste on. She was quite happy with her work when she had finished it.
"All done." Rayla said proudly.
"Ohh, let me see." Callum hopped up from the bed and looked in the mirror in the corner of the room. "It looks wonderful Rayla! Better than I could've done."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." A grin had set in his mouth. "Hey, there's still more henna left if you wanna put some on."
"Can I? I mean like culturally speaking?"
"You can if an elf lets you."
Rayla cocked her head. Still confused. "Are you sure?"
"I'm an elf, aren't I?" said Callum. "Now c'mon, I've got the perfect idea for you."
"Okay, what is it?"
"I'm not gonna tell you."
"Callum, I'm not going to let you put a semi-permanent tattoo on my face without you telling me what it is."
Callum placed a hand on his chest in mock surprise. "You really don't trust me?"
"No, I don't." she deadpanned.
"Fine, I wouldn't either. But I promise it'll be good."
Rayla put a finger to her lips, pretending to think it over. "Okay, fiiine "
Callum picked up the bag, brushed a few strands of hair out of her forehead, and began to tattoo it.
When he was done, Rayla squealed in front of the mirror. She gazed at the half moon tattoo on her forehead. The henna was already starting to set. She turned and tackled Callum in a hug, bringing them both to the ground. He let out a soft 'oof' on the carpet. He wrapped his arms around her waist.
"So, I take it you like it?" he asked, looking up at her.
"Oh Callum I love it." she said, looking down at him. "Callum, am I hurting her wings?"
"A little, could you get off?"
Rayla moved off Callum, stood up, and extended a hand to him, pulling him up.
"Now, let's go show the family our tattoos." He said with a smile. And Rayla couldn't help smiling either.
/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\
Callum
Callum stared at the ceiling in his room. He lay on the floor near his bed to do so. He could not stop thinking about Rayla.
She had been home from her Xadia trip for almost four days now, and he had not come to see her.
Is she mad at me? Does she think I didn't remember?
She hadn't come to see him at his school, or home.
His heart ached to know. Callum stared at his bedroom ceiling, wondering. His wings felt uncomfortable under the weight of his body. He almost never lay on them, but staring at the ceiling in wonder felt like the right thing to do, so his wings would have to suffer.
"Ugh!" Callum almost shouted, abruptly sitting up on the carpeted floor.
"Callum.." said Ezran.
"Sorry." He whispered back.
He was driving himself made with worry. Rayla probably wasn't mad at him for not seeing her when she came home. But probably was the key word, he didn't know, and he needed to. He looked to Ezran, arm curled around Bait. Callum stood as quietly as he could. The wooden chair gave a squeak as he sat down in it. He picked up a pen, and put words to paper.
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Rayla
Rayla heard a loud thunk. The night was inky black, and the stars shone bright.
What the hell?! She thought. The sound had come from her balcony.
Rayla ripped off her sheets and raced towards it. Around the corner, she spotted him. His wings and hair wind-blown.
"Callum!" She shouted. Maybe a little too loudly.
Her elf boy jumped back in surprise, his leg up and arms in a defensive position over his face. "Oh it's you."
Rayla laughed, "Yeah you did you think it was?"
"I dunno I. . ." He trailed off, looking at her, features set in the softest of ways. "Rayla." He breathed.
She walked towards him before she even willed herself to do so. Callum readily accepted her hug and wrapped her up in his arms. She buried her face in his neck, breathing in the fresh scents of night sky that clung to his red scarf. She felt herself smile.
"Rayla." He whispered again, his breath brushed against her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
"Callum." Rayla whispered back. It was they said to each other.
It was enough.
The simplicity in just their names was enough.
"Are you mad at me?" asked Callum.
"For what?"
"For not being there when you came home from Xadia."
"Of course not. I didn't think about it. I was to busy worrying about if you were mad at me for not coming to see you sooner. I'm sorry. "
"Don't be. Callum squeezed her tighter. "Oh Rayla I missed you." Rayla squeezed back.
"I missed you too." she said.
Callum distanced himself from her a little, but not enough for them to break apart. He looked at her. His green eyes bright in the full moon. How had Rayla not noticed he was now taller than her. She almost had to look up at him.
"Rayla." He said, like he was just remembering something. "I want to show you something."
"Okay show me."
Callum's eyes grew surprised at her ready agreement, but his features became even softer, and he smiled a happy smile. "Let's go then, it's not far."
/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\
He was right, it wasn't far. And the place really was beautiful, it was a clearing with a well sized pond right before a big, lush oak tree. The place was filled with fireflies and flowers. Moonlight was bright and lit the water silver with it's reflection.
"Oh Callum it's beautiful." Rayla strode to the pond and dipped her hand in. The cold water puckered her with goosebumps.
"You like it?" Callum knelt beside her.
"I love it." she said, standing up. "How did you find it?"
"Found it while you were in Xadia, I was looking for a quiet place to draw and think. My wings brought me here."
"I'm glad they did." Rayla spun around and took a deep breath of air. It smelled fresh like rain. "And the view is wonderful, I can see the whole kingdom."
"You know, the view from up top is better." Callum said a little sheepishly.
"Up top where?"
As way of an answer he pointed up in the inky sky.
"Oh."
"Its fine I don't have to take you up there if you don't want to I just thought-"
"Callum I wanna go."
"Oh." His lips curved in a slightly surprised smile. "Oh, okay." His face grew teasing, "You still want me to carry you princess style like you said before?"
Rayla resisted to urge to swat his arm, "No dummy. Just carry me like normal. "
"Okay, okay."
She trotted to his side, he slipped a hand around her waist, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sucked in fresh air, waiting.
"Ready?" Callum asked.
"Ready." Rayla confirmed.
She felt the wind shift as he spread out his wings. He braced his legs, held Rayla closer and took off. Rayla gave a little squeak as she felt the ground disappear from under her, she closed her eyes and pushed her head into Callum's chest.
"Rayla you can open your eyes, I'm not gonna drop you."
"How do you know that."
"I'm not, trust me."
Rayla scoffed at that, but slowly she opened her eyes and her breath was taken away. The view was like a dream, she could see everything, trees and towers and lakes and rivers and a little black dot what must have been the Duran castle.
"Oh wow." She whispered. "Is what you see every time you fly?"
Callum nodded.
"Oh Callum it's beautiful!" she looked at him, and he looked at her.
His eyes were searching her face, like he could not believe them. He was looking at her like he was seeing her for the first time.
"Callum?"
He immediately realized what he was doing and blushed. "Rayla I'm sorry I didn't mean to-- I don't-- do you wanna go down now?" He would not meet her eyes.
"No, I don't."
His gaze snapped up met hers, those wondrous green eyes, searching her face, tracing every mole and light freckles. He brought his free hand up to her face, rubbing the backs of his knuckles against her cheek.
"Are you sure." He asked, his eyes flicked down to her lips and stayed there for a second.
"I'm sure."
"Rayla… " He said her name like a question, she answered by closing the distance between them. Kissing him
And kissing him.
And kissing him.
And kissing him.
Callum's pulled her ever closer, and he shifted his hand on her cheek to cup it. Rayla let her fingers lace themselves in his hair and she deepened the kiss.
As the kiss went on, it became clear that both had never done this before. But neither cared. Because they here. In each others arms. The kiss was a light breeze, a sweet rain shower, a flower blooming. A thing so soft and gentle, so filled with love.
A thing both of them had wanted for a long time.
Finally after some time she broke away for air. Rayla pressed her forehead against his. She didn't know how long they stayed like that. She didn't care.
Rayla felt the rush of wind, Callum was taking them back to the ground. She didn't want this night to end. So she led Callum to the oak and together they sat in the warm summer air. Her head on his shoulder. Callum rested his cheek atop her skull. She felt herself dozing. And she fell asleep.
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Rayla woke to the sounds of the birds singing their happy morning song.
"Hey Sad Princess." said Callum. He extended a hand to her.
Rayla smiled, and let him pull her up.