[ti]Invite[/ti]But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own

Matthias Vian Jensen was happy. No, it wasn't because his family had welcomed him into their home or come to live with him - their strain would probably never end. No, it wasn't because people were finally seeing him as a person and not as either a victor or that kid who used to be deaf - he still didn't have any real friends, except one. No, it wasn't because he finally understood his place in District 10 - because that felt just as foreign as it was before his Games. He was happy because of Lux Crownguard, because he had finally found someone his own age who could see him for who he was and not what he was.

It was safe to say, though, that Matthias was still bad at this dating thing. He had no idea if he was doing it right. He'd been out with Lux a few times now, each time better than the last. They were becoming pretty good friends, and the main difference between that and being more was that they sometimes held hands and the way in which he thought of her. He thought about her a lot, so much so that he'd actually broken down and talked to Jackson about it. Surprisingly, his older brother listened, although he had a laugh or two at just how naive Matthias was. That was okay - someone else knew, and cared, so that was something.

Although Matthias had been motivated before to become stronger, smarter, and better, he felt even more motivated now. He ventured out more into the public gym instead of his own private gym in his house. He'd enjoyed reading before, but he tried to do so more now when he watched over his sheep. He had a good sized flock now, and tending to them took a fair amount of time. By the time he was set to meet Lux today, he'd been up at dawn and let his sheep out to graze for a few hours. Then he'd gone back home and gone through a mild workout routine before getting cleaned and ready. He'd arrived at their meeting spot - outside the cafe where they'd had their first forced date - too early, but that was okay. Some people greeted him as they passed, which he responded nicely even though perhaps half of them weren't genuine. Some whispered or purposefully avoided eye contact, but he'd decided a while ago that he was not going to let that bother him.

Matthias finally saw a blonde girl round the corner and stop in front of him. Her cheeks were pink from exertion and the wind played with her blonde hair. For a second, all he saw was Basil Emmerson, her face exactly the same but in a dress and place he'd never be able to see her in. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second to dismiss the vision. No. Basil is dead. She has been for four years. Then he opened his eyes and smiled at her, Lux, hoping she wouldn't notice the reaction too much. The fact that both Basil and Lux had blonde hair was really most of their similarity. Basil was almost a mythical creature, full of energy and light. Lux, while she had her own beautiful light, was more down to earth. Basil was almost untouchable even when she was alive, and he was definitely aware of how close Lux was, how easy it was to be near her. They wer so different, and yet it had to be something beyond just the hair that could tie them together so sharply like that.

He'd missed being able to say anything to her first words, but her question made him smile. If I told you, it wouldn't be a mystery," he replied, stepping closer to her. He wasn't sure entirely how to greet her yet either, so for now, that acknowledgement would have to work. She was beautiful, as always, and he might have commented so - Jackson told him that kind of compliment would never get old - but then he noticed her split lip. He raised a hand as if to touch it, but his fingers never got more than halfway there. "What happened to your lip? Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. She looked okay otherwise, as far as he could see, but maybe there was more he didn't see.

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WC: 729
Tag: @lux