I stood in the doorway, trying not to watch Finn with a dopey smile as he taught new Guardians how to punch. His lesson was inside with the newest students, and I was going to meet him here in the gym before our date.

The new guardians watched him with attentive eyes as he mimicked the hand motions, offering them a single nod of encouragement before turning stone faced again. He rebuked the two in the corner as they tried to whisper under their breaths. Little did they know he had sharp ears and was very used to being whispered about. The thought made a smile form on my face before I hid it all over again.

I'd only been standing for nearly a minute before his body seemed to stiffen, spine straightening as he turned to face me. Our eyes met, neither of us moving a muscle.

The air seemed to freeze as the guardians around us noticed my presence, watching Finn's alert posture as we stared at one another. They glanced back and forth between us, uncomfortably shuffling their feet and whispering softly to each other.

"Class dismissed." He growled, his voice fluctuating through the room in a harsh snap that made them all shudder.

In a whirlwind, they dispersed, slithering by me as far away as they could maneuver. Some eyed me with suspicion and even sympathy; they'd seen how Finn had been treating me the past few days with relentless hostility. After hearing about my adventure in the Mimic, I was sure they knew very well why Finn and I were waging our war. No one wanted to be in my shoes.

"Close the door, Stratton." Finn barked at me as the last student rushed from the room. I pulled it harshly, letting it slam behind me as I hardened my face into a vicious glare. Then, there was silence between us.

I broke into a smile instantly. "Did you see that one girl's face?"

Finn's once stormy expression lightened tenfold as he grinned from ear to ear. He began to chuckle as he walked closer to me. "I think I scared them decently enough so they won't think of lurking around after class. Now, I have you all to myself."

His words only made me beam before I remembered what I was really excited about. I glanced down to the long, black cloak draped around my body, similar to the ones the guardians wore outside when it was cold. My eyes flickered up to Finn as he paused in front of me, watching as I pulled back both flaps to reveal the outfit inside.

It was a lovely dress that Cybele had found for me: a deep green dress that was off the shoulder and lacy while being tight in the waist. My shoes didn't quite match as I had to wear my training shoes, and anyone who had seen me in nice flats or heels would have guessed that something was off. I basically lived in sneakers.

Taking a final glance, I looked back up to Finn. "You told me to dress how I wanted, and I wanted to look nice. I hope this works..." My voice faded off when his blue eyes bore into mine.

"Green's my new favorite color." His voice was deep and rolling, making butterflies rise in my stomach as the corner of his lip curled upward. "You look beautiful."

His words made heat rise on my cheeks as I let the cloak hang on either side of my body. My heart had started to beat faster in my chest at the way he stared at me, appreciative but never overbearing.

He wasn't staring at me like I was a prize just as many men had before. Instead he took in every detail like a stargazer: full of wonder for a beauty that had decided to shine down upon him, one that he never thought to own. His expression shone like the stars, and it made me want to kiss him all over again and a thousand times more. He was everything I needed.

Finn cleared his throat before snapping his eyes from me. "I am underdressed, but I would be questioned intensely if I weren't in the usual uniform." He turned, swinging his bag over his shoulder as I studied him now. He was in his day to day attire: black long sleeve and black pants with matching black shoes. When he turned to face me, I visibly could make out every curve of muscle in his arms as he zipped up his jacket. "Let me check outside and see if we have any loiters."

"I don't know who would want to stay around to face your fury, Commander." I mused, those crystal blue eyes flashing up to meet mine in a way that made excitement flare inside me.

"Don't call me that." He protested, stepping forward with amusement in his voice. "I want to be just Finn, especially after the shit I pulled with the name calling. If you call me that again..."

"What are you going to do about it?" I said with a wide grin, our closeness hinting exactly what I wanted. His expression darkened, a heat rising in the air around us as he leaned down closer to me.

His warm fingers grazed my chin, sending chills down my spine as I met his strong gaze. His soft lips nearly skimmed against my own as he drew in a soft breath, "we haven't even started our date, and we won't get very far if you keep talking like that."

"That's fine with me." I replied, the way his fingers danced across my skin making it hard to remember what we were talking about. All I knew was I wanted his lips on me. Everywhere.

A sweet smile rose on Finn's lips before his fingers released their hold on my chin. "I promised you a date, and I follow through with my promises. But this... we'll come back to this." His alluring expression with hungry eyes and a clenched jaw warned me that his words were indeed a vow, and I had no doubt that he would keep his word. The future ahead made my skin itch as I swallowed, nodding my head because I couldn't think hard enough to reply in any other way.

Finn walked towards the door, cracking it open as he stepped into the hall with watchful eyes before he seemed satisfied. A flicker of joy filled his face as he looked to me.

"Wait one second." Then he closed the door. What was happening? I stood still in confusion before stepping forward as a loud knock echoed against the wood. I opened the door, Finn standing in front of me with a big smile and bouquet of flowers. My eyes widened in surprise as he cleared his throat, "good evening, Kate. You look wonderful. I promise to have you back by 10 and we will be on time..."

"You are such a dork." I giggled as I took the flowers from his hands, admiring each of the fluffy, pink peonies. "Where did these even come from?"

Finn gave me a small smile, one that made me feel warm inside from his sweet expression. "I want to go through all the steps, hopefully to make this more... normal." He said softly. "You've endured so much change and been on a path you never imagined, a whole different life than you expected. I just hoped that we, even if we can't be public because of Secta, could be content and steady outside of this wild experience. I know this isn't normal and neither am I," his wings folded across his back, making my heart swell.

I took his hand in mine, our fingers lacing together as I stepped in closer. "This was so sweet, and so are you, but you don't have to feel like you need to be more 'normal' for me. You're exactly who I want, wings and all. I understand what you mean, but this is far better than normal ever could have been for me."

My words made the most brilliant grin rise on his lips as he came close before cupping my cheeks in his hands, giving me a kiss on the forehead. "Kate Stratton, you make me feel like the luckiest man. Tonight I hope I can return the favor." He took a step back, the crunching noise between us now audible with the space between us. "And hopefully not crush the flowers."

Our date destination was inside Secta's home, making my nerves swirl inside my chest. We'd both agreed to keep our relationship in the dark until we could either figure out a way to convince Secta that we would be at our bests when together. I hoped that he would come to the recollection that I could be with whoever I wanted, that I wasn't a threat to his guardians or had any chance whatsoever of becoming the second Penelope.

Even with Karmen's words of encouragement towards my light, Secta was still cautious, never fully trusting. He'd had Karmen's input on Penelope before it seemed and she'd practically been his second daughter. She'd still turned to the darkness anyways. It made sense that he would be watching me very carefully before letting me off the leash with the guardians in all forms, relationships included.

Finn had assured me that no one would be in our space that evening; he seemed to know all the schedules and the whereabouts of most guardians in Gabrian, which didn't surprise me after how long he'd been here. He knew his way around and the usual customs of the guardians; I trusted in his words and let my tension sink away.

We were in a wing of Secta's manor that I hadn't stumbled upon yet, deep down twisting hallways covered in paintings of faces I'd seen across multitudes of other walls. Ahead laid a thick double door illuminated by glimmering gemstones in the ceiling. Finn stopped in front of the door, turning to face me with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you ready? This is one of the Sectian house highlights so awe and applause would be much appreciated." He gave me a wink which made me laugh.

"I'll clap and look around in utter wonder." I promised, earning another of Finn's pearly white smiles that made my heart skip beats.

"I hope you're a good actress." He said before pushing down on the door knobs and letting them swing open. As I stepped inside in front of him, I sucked in a breath in amazement.

"Oh my Fates..." I uttered, taking in the vibrant rainbow of color all around me. The room was longer than it was wide, a giant skylight allowing the glimmer of the moons to speckle into the room. Huge aquariums lined the walls and made rows down the center of the space, the stars dancing along the waters that each glowed and glittered in a hue of teal fluorescent light.

With the lamps off, the entire room was lit up by the halos of turquoise like a vivid aurora that twinkled back and forth as the waters lapped the edges of the glass. Fish swam back and forth among rich coral similar to that of a flower garden, each scale and fin emulating its own rich flag of tints and tones unmatched in its dynamic dance of color.

I couldn't find the words to express my love for the utter beauty around me as I found my feet guiding me forward until I stood close to one of the tanks. Watching as voluminous, lavender butterflyfish waltz aimlessly in circles, pufferfish in regal yellows or royal blues bounced about as golden seahorses galloped across their tanks.

Fish with vibrant coats of hot pink and aquamarine slid along the glass as I spotted starfish of every color. I couldn't help but gaze in awe at the sleek stingrays that graced the bottoms of their larger aquariums before gliding out of sight around the coral.

"You are a wonderful actress." Finn's soft words brought me out of the underwater world as I turned to look up at him. His blue eyes were only illuminated by the fluorescent sparkle in the water, their depth and color an aquarium in their own right. His face in this light only looked more handsome as I found myself coming closer to him.

"I don't need to pretend. This is so amazing, so unbelievably beautiful." I looked back through the glass, watching a little goldfish putter around the edge of its tank. "I've never seen fish like this in my life."

"This is my favorite room." Finn whispered as he gazed into the fish tank, his fingers by his side brushing against my own. He took my fingers in his as I slid closer to his side, both of us watching the fish while our minds lingered on how near we stood together. I rested my head against his shoulder, earning a quick glance from Finn as he gave my hand a light squeeze.

"Thank you for sharing it with me." I replied with a satisfied smile, my eyes flickering up to take in his profile illuminated by the light of the moon and its reflection off the water.

"There's no one else I'd rather choose." Finn said before glancing down at me. "You haven't even seen the best part."

I turned my head, resting my chin now on his shoulder to meet his eyes. "The best part?"

His eyes lit up as he began to guide me down the line of fish tanks, the world glittering like a spring of radiant sunbeams before we turned. An oddly shaped tank in the form of an upside-down U sat before us, Finn resting his bag and my flowers against the wall before retrieving a blanket from it.

He knelt in front of the tank, sliding the blanket along the floor until it covered up most of the tile underneath the U, my brain making the connections. We could lie down underneath the tank and look up into the underwater world from below.

A smile formed on my lips instantly before Finn had even finished with the blanket. He had pulled a few other items from his bag, hiding them behind his back as he turned on his knees to look up at me.

"Guess." He said with a cheeky smile.

"What?"

"Guess what else I brought. I'll bet you a kiss you won't."

I bit my lip as I looked down at Finn, whose face glimmered with joy at his delightful game only making me more determined to win. Raising my hand up to my chin, I hummed as I thought. "How many things? And how many do I have to get right to win?"

"I have three things, but I'll be merciful and let you win if you can guess just one." Finn raised an eyebrow, that competitive zeal dancing in his eyes.

"And if I guess more than just one correct?"

"Another kiss."

"What if I get the jackpot and guess all three?" I asked, stepping closer to him as I rested my hands on his shoulders.

He only chuckled. "Then we can resume what we started in the training room."

A hot desire ran through my bones, that craving I'd been feeling before now springing to life again like wildfire. I needed to get all three.

"If I can't guess a single one?" I said with interest.

"You'll have to come running with me three mornings if you can't guess any."

I couldn't help but giggle as I ran my fingers along his strong shoulder blades. "Is that really a loss? I still get to see you, get alone time with you."

"It isn't a total loss." He hinted, and I nodded my head, biting my lip.

"I accept your terms. Now, let me think." I mused, tracing along the muscle in his arms. What I was doing wasn't truly helping me focus, but Finn and I both didn't want it to stop from the look we exchanged. "First guess: chocolate-covered strawberries. A cliche and you said you wanted to do this dating thing the right way. Do you plan on feeding them to me?"

This only made him laugh deeply, a resonating sound that made my core tighten. "That sounds wonderful, but you are incorrect. I don't have chocolate strawberries, so now you have two more guesses."

"Two more?" He nodded with a smug smile and I rolled my eyes playfully. "Fine, fine. Ok, my second guess is..." I paused. "A teddy bear? Some stuffed animal?"

I tilted my chin as I waited for him to answer, feeling my nose wrinkle up as I held my breath.

"Incorrect. One more guess." Finn warned. I let out a soft groan in annoyance, making us both laugh. "That was a very cute noise."

"I try." I replied with a smile before licking my lips as I thought. What could this man have behind his back that he'd bring to our first date? An idea sprung into my head as I looked down at Finn. "Orange juice. It has to be."

I stared into Finn's eyes as he brought his right hand around, two little jugs of orange juice clasped between his fingers. He shook his head, "I cannot believe you guessed orange juice out of all the possible things in this universe."

I let out a giggle of delight before resting my hands on either side of Finn's face. "I believe there is a prize with my name on it."

"I want to show you the other two first." Finn said, shifting them in his hands before bringing them around towards me. In one hand was a bottle of fish food and in the second rested a white ball. I realized what it was in the next instant as I looked up into Finn's eyes.

"A cue ball?"

"You gave me an 8 ball to remind me of you," Finn replied with a small smile. "I figured that I should have a place on the pool table as well. Considering I'm the one that got hit with the pool stick, I figured the cue ball was my best form of representation."

I took it in my hands, my fingers brushing against Finn's as I held the clean, white ball, My eyes flashed up to his. "This will be my most prized possession." I shook my head, "thank you, Finn. This... this..."

"I understand." Finn told me, the look in his eyes drawing me in close as his arms wrapped around my waist. "Do you want to claim your prize now or later?"

Clenching the cue ball in my fist, I leaned forward to put my hands on his shoulders. "Is that even a question, Finn?" Coming closer, I whispered, "I'm not a patient woman."

"Then I won't keep you waiting."

Our lips crashed together, the fish tanks around me already seeming to shine with more vibrant color than I'd seen before. My fingers were in his hair as Finn held me at the waist, and before I even realized it I was straddling Finn's waist on the blanket while kissing him relentlessly.

The evening passed with handfuls of kisses, just the one turning into more than I could count as we fed the fish and drank orange juice before making out all over again. It was a cycle I never wanted to break, a pair of lips I never wanted to stop worshipping, but our date came to an end in what felt like seconds.

In the next moment we were stopped in front of my door, speaking in low voices with our fingers laced together as I turned to face Finn. Just taking in his handsome features made my stomach swirl as I giggled, shaking my head.

I couldn't stop smiling as I whispered, holding up my cue ball. "I'll hold onto this very tightly."

"My 8 ball is sitting right by my bed. I keep it close." Finn replied, making my heart beat faster as I looked at my feet.

"Thank you, Finn. I had so much fun with you." I glanced back up into his eyes with a soft smile. "This was such a great date."

"And I'd like to take you on plenty more because I had a wonderful time with you tonight."

"I would love that." I smiled. "But I want to pick this time."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, you do?"

I nodded my head, "oh yes. I'm picking next and you will follow my schedule."

Finn chuckled deeply, "alright. I look forward to it." He stepped forward, leaning down before giving me a soft kiss on the cheek that made the world become brighter. He whispered in my ear, "anything you plan will be perfect to me. You'll be there, and I might be able to sneak in a few kisses too."

I felt a vicious blush rise on my cheeks when he pulled away, those blue eyes keeping me mesmerized. "I think I can guarantee that, Finn."

His smile made my stomach twist. "Goodnight, Kate. I'll be waiting for the second date."

"Goodnight, Finn." I replied, feeling breathless. He turned to walk away, but the need was too great. I rushed after him, grabbing his arm. He looked back at me as I cupped his face in my hands. "I can guarantee one of those kisses now."

He leaned into me at the same time I did, his arms around my waist as our lips crashed together. I dug my fingers into Finn's hair as he pulled me tight against him.

The kiss set my bones on fire and made the air leave my lungs, my desire for him only intensifying as I allowed his tongue entrance to seduce my own. I couldn't be close enough to him as we kissed for all we were worth, shivers rolling up and down my spine as I lost all ability to think.

We pulled apart panting for breath as Finn left a lingering kiss on the curve of my neck that made goosebumps explode along my skin.

I pulled back with a smile. "Something to remind you of me until the second date."

"It's doing its job already." Finn's words made me smile as I stepped backwards. He gave me a cute wink before turning to walk down the hallway as I slipped into my bedroom, letting out a squeal of excitement as I collapsed onto my bed.

What a lucky girl I am. So very lucky.