Hey everyone!! Thank you so much for 4.3k reads!! I honestly can't believe it! Everyone's support for this story has been amazing and deeply appreciated. It's time for another update! I actually had time to work on it this week, and I got about 3500 words in and ready for you to read. I drew Keefe up there. Also... can anyone find the reference in this chapter???? Hehehe... good luck! Please enjoy Chapter 13! (It's an exciting one...)

Chapter 13

Linh held her breath as they rematerialized in a pine forest. Dark green swirls of color surrounded them. A mixture of misses and rocks littered the forest floor. Leafs floated around, slowly falling to the ground. Wylie's hand tightened its grip on Linh's as she walked forward.

"Wylie, what is this place?" Linh asked in wonder. "It's amazing."

Wylie grinned. "Fallmine Forest. My family and I have come here for as long as I can remember," he answered, walking forward with her.

Linh gasped. "You brought me to a place sacred to your family?"

"Well... yeah. You're special to me," Wylie said, leading her between some of the pine trees. They came out on a cliff overlooking a glassy lake. Animals chittered and chattered in the nearby trees and forest.

Linh looked into Wylie's light blue eyes. They were similar to Keefe's, but Wylie's were unique. His eyes had a certain sparkle to them that made her leap with joy. Linh walked forward and wrapped her arms around Wylie. "I... I don't know what to say to that," Linh whispered. "But I do feel really special now."

Her head rested against Wylie's rapidly beating heart. Wylie held her close to him as he replied, "You don't have to say anything. The hug said it all."

Linh sighed happily as Wylie pulled back and linked their hands together. "Okay," Linh told Wylie as a deep blush spread across her cheeks.

Wylie led Linh to the other side of the cliff. He occasionally glanced at her. "I have something for you," Wylie whispered.

Linh gasped. "Really? Because coming to this place has been by far the best date I've ever been on."

It was Wylie's turn to blush this time. "Yeah really," he said with a large grin. "You'll like it."

Soon, a red blanket came into view. A basket sat on the corner of the blanket. Linh gaped at it. "A picnic?" Linh said excitedly.

Wylie nodded as he walked her to the blanket. Linh didn't know how to thank him, so she gave him another hug. Wylie hugged her back and picked her up slightly. He set her down on the blanket and then sat down beside her.

"Food?" Wylie asked with a wink.

Linh blushed. "What type of food?"

"Dessert," Wylie told her as he pulled out a tray of mallowmelt.

Linh looked at the mallowmelt and then back at Wylie. Her eyes widened. "Mallowmelt?" Linh exclaimed.

Wylie nodded as a wide grin spread across his face. Two plates floated out of the basket and settled down in front of them. Wylie took the cover off the tray and put one piece on each plate. Linh watched as two forks floated from the basket. She took her fork out of the air and put a bite of mallowmelt in her mouth. It was the best mallowmelt that she had ever tasted. Linh noticed Wylie's gaze on her as she ate. Wylie hurriedly ate some of his when Linh caught him staring at her.

Linh blushed and began to eat more of her mallowmelt. It melted in her mouth as the gooey piece entered. Linh grinned happily. "This is so good," she mumbled.

"That is good to hear. I made this mallowmelt especially for you," Wylie told her as his gaze never left her.

Linh's blush deepened as she heard those words. "Thank you, Wylie. I don't know how I will ever be able to repay you for all of this," Linh said with a grateful look.

Wylie's cheeks reddened as he responded, "Your welcome, Linh. You don't have to repay me. Just having you come on this date with me was payment enough. Those hugs too." He looked down at his unfinished mallowmelt when he stopped talking.

"You're so sweet, Wylie," Linh told him as she smiled gratefully at him. Wylie smiled back at her as he looked up again.

Linh helped herself to a couple more pieces of mallowmelt as Wylie continued to eat his first piece. Wylie reached over to Linh suddenly and slipped his hand into hers. His gaze turned intense as Linh held his gaze.

"Linh..." Wylie started. "Thank you, but you are the one that is truly sweet. You are my sunshine... my beautiful raindrop." He held her gaze as he waited for Linh to say something.

Linh couldn't say anything. She was too choked up with emotion. What Wylie had said was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. "I'm your raindrop?" Linh managed to say.

Wylie nodded. "You are. You'll always be my raindrop. You've done so much for me," he told her.

Linh squeezed his hand in gratitude and joy. "Then, you'll be my flash of light... the one person that flashed into existence and made my whole world brighten," she whispered.

Wylie's face lit up with happiness. "I would love to be your flash of light," he answered, pulling her closer to him. "I'll gladly be your flash of light any day."

Linh snuggled into his side as Wylie wrapped his arm around her. Wylie leaned his head against hers and whispered, "Now imagine how you're going to tell Dex you went on a date with me."

Linh shook her head softly. "No, telling Tam might be worse. That's going to be on my mind for a while. I can just imagine the look on his face."

Wylie chuckled. "I suppose you're going to want me there with you when you tell him?" he inquired, feeling the warmth radiating from Linh.

"You bet," Linh responded with a laugh. "There is no way I am telling Tam that alone. Plus if I'm there, Tam won't choke you with his shadows."

Wylie groaned. "Okay, but if that twin brother of yours tries to beat me up, you owe me."

Linh smiled mischievously and said, "And what exactly would I owe you?"

Wylie laughed slowly. "I haven't decided yet. When the time comes, I will tell you."

Linh smiled normally this time. "Okay. I'm counting on that then," she agreed.

"Well, should we stay here? Look at clouds?" Wylie suggested. "Or maybe walk around a little?"

Linh thought about the options. "That lake looks beautiful, but I haven't done cloud-watching for a long time. Cloud-watching would be fun or walking by the lake."

"Let's do both," Wylie offered, his eyes gently sparkled.

Linh let a grin appear on her face as she said, "Good 'cause I couldn't choose."

Sending a grin back at Linh, Wylie said, "Both will fly by if I'm with you."

Linh smiled at the cheesy line. "I'm sure they will," she replied with a little smirk.

Wylie smiled gently. "What should we do first?"

Linh laid back on the blanket, showing Wylie her answer. "Cloud-watching," she said shortly after.

Wylie settled down beside her. The two studied the clouds for a few minutes. Finally, Wylie spoke up, "That cloud reminds me of a tree... my mother's wanderling."

Linh looked over Wylie. His expression was downcast, and his smile had turned into a sad frown. Linh gently took his right hand in her left hand. She gave it a little squeeze and whispered, "Your mom is so proud of you, Wylie. I know she is."

Wylie smiled slightly. He turned his head, so he could see Linh's face. "Linh... I... thank you for helping me believe that," he stammered. His eyes reflected his immense gratitude.

Linh smiled at him and squeezed his hand again. "I'll gladly help you believe that any day," she told him.

Wylie blinked a couple tears out of his eyes. "Thank you, Linh," he said with gratefulness in his teary eyes.

Linh nodded as she lifted a hand to his face and held it to his cheek. Wylie covered her hand with his and smiled. They silently stayed in the same position for a while, occasionally glancing up at the clouds and murmuring thoughts to each other.

Linh let out a sigh as she closed her eyes for a second. Having Wylie next to her seemed unreal. The fact that Wylie has asked her out on a date stunned her, but she felt she was the one that should be grateful for him. Linh needed Wylie as her friend more than anything. Perhaps more than a friend one day.

Wylie's hand tightened on the hand of Linh's on his cheek. He smiled warmly at her. "How does that walk sound now?" Wylie whispered.

Linh didn't respond for a moment as she gathered her thoughts and came out of her state of mind. "A walk... sounds good... also very relaxing," she said, looking into Wylie's ocean-like eyes, full of color and life. There was so much vibrance to them. Linh felt herself drowning for a minute. Not the drowning that she used to experience with her abilities. It was... the love kind. The falling kind. The one that made someone question everyone and everything they were attached. The one they might change their whole life for.

Wylie's eyes twinkled as they watched Linh fall into a trance. His grin widened as he smoothly said, "Relaxing, eh? Like this right now? Putting your hand to my face?"

Linh blushed deeply. "More like staring into your gorgeous eyes... I could gaze at them for hours and never blink once," she said, suddenly gasping at what had come out of her mouth.

The corners of Wylie's mouth were upturned. His whole face was brightened and lively. "Linh, your eyes are so entrancing. I could definitely do the same," he whispered.

Linh blushed at his reply, but she decided to respond back. "Maybe one day we will," Linh told him.

Wylie smirked a little. "A promise for the future? Does this mean there's going to be more dates?" he said slyly.

Linh smirked back at him. "If your heart desires it," she said quietly. The tendrils of her whispers stretched out and reached Wylie. His ears perked at the sentence.

Wylie moved closer to her as he pulled himself up. Linh grasped Wylie's hands as she stood up. Wylie quickly let go to pack up the picnic. Stuffing everything back into the basket, he took Linh's hand in his and held the basket with his other hand. Wylie gingerly started walking forward, and his eyes stared ahead to the grassy cliffside. Linh looked to the side as a small smile formed on her face. They strolled slowly down the cliffside to the beach surrounding the pearly lake.

Wylie took careful steps making sure Linh didn't trip or fall. Linh noticed Wylie's gestures as she gripped his hand tightly. The cliff slanted downward, and the path became steeper. Linh gasped as she started to slip. Frantically, Linh grabbed Wylie and clung to him. Her eyes swung over the path, surveying the trickiness. Wylie didn't say a word. Linh could tell he was blushing though. Wylie didn't let Linh slip. Carefully, he guided Linh down the steep section of the cliff. He whispered encouraging remarks to Linh as she gave off a shriek.

Suddenly, Linh's footing gave out. She stumbled into Wylie, and he slipped backward. "Wylie!" Linh screamed as she clutched his shirt.

Wylie tried not to show that he was terrified, but Linh saw straight through it. "Linh?" he whispered shakily. "I think we're falling down a cliff. I can't save us. We're going to get hurt."

Linh held his horror-ridden gaze for a second. "We won't," she promised as she closed her eyes. Linh carefully felt the water in the air and nearby them. Drawing water from the lake, she used the many tendrils to curl around them tightly and alleviate their fall. Ribbons surrounded them, encasing them in a giant bubble. Wylie let out a relieved sigh. His eyes showed a mixture of emotion as he sprung his arms around Linh. Linh concentrated on landing softly on the ground as the strength and warm of Wylie's embrace comforted her. Linh faltered slightly as they almost reached the ground. The bubble rolled into the shallows of the lake.

 Linh held her breath as the water dissipated around them. Linh screamed as they dropped into the shallows. The water soaked their clothes as Linh clung even more tightly to Wylie. Linh's breaths came in and out heavily. Wylie's did the same. Linh gasped all of a sudden, realizing she was on top of Wylie. Linh stared at him in shock as she tried to scramble off him. Wylie didn't let her though. He pulled them both up and gazed into Linh's stricken eyes. Shakily, Linh tried to pull away... but she couldn't. Her soaked clothes stuck to her like a magnet. Wylie's were doing the same. Wylie pulled her closer to him and rested his forehead against hers.

"I don't know if I've ever felt this way about a person this quickly," Wylie whispered roughly. The jagged, quick and sharp words came quickly between ragged breaths. He leaned his forehead against Linh's as they gazed breathlessly into each other's eyes. Linh gasped as she felt his forehead against hers. Linh grasped his sides, trying not to fall. Focusing on the water, she pulled the water away from their clothes. They weren't drenched in the lake water anymore. Wylie let out a little sigh as they both relaxed in their dry clothes.

Linh didn't know what to say to him as they stood there. "I... you described it perfectly..." Linh whispered back to him. Wylie was so close to her that it was a little unnerving. Linh forced herself to calm down. She realized that she couldn't calm down her frantically beating heart though.

Wylie shifted a little as he held her tightly. He opened his mouth slightly to say something in reply, but found that he couldn't. Finally, Wylie found the one word that he was actually able to say. Linh. "Linh..." Wylie breathed.

"Yeah..." Linh responded as she moved one hand to his neck. Her heart pounded even quicker as Wylie pressed her closer to him.

"Tam's going to kill me if I kiss you now," Wylie said raggedly. A touch of fear was evident in his voice. "We didn't even tell him about this date."

Linh thought about it for a moment. She kept her position and didn't move her head away. Linh was struggling to keep her head clear with the closeness to Wylie. "That's true," Linh whispered as her voice shook a little. She wasn't sure what her heart wanted. Linh didn't know if she wanted Wylie or Dex. She was leaning towards Wylie though. Linh had a strong connection with Wylie. She could feel it between them. It attracted them to each other. Ever since Linh had helped Wylie to heal and gotten to know him better, the connection had developed a stronger bond. It was... similar to Fitz and Sophie's cognate bond... similar to their connection, but the thought of Tam and his shadows immensely scared her. Linh didn't know what Tam would do to Wylie if he found out they had kissed.

Suddenly, Linh stepped back and whispered with a nervous smile. "I... we need to get back. Tam is probably wondering where I am. He's going to kill the both of us if we don't go back soon," she told Wylie.

Wylie's expression seemed a little downcast as she moved away from him. He didn't let her hand go though. Wylie kept a tight, firm grip on her delicate hand. "He probably will kill us anyway," Wylie said with a sigh. "Might as well get it done with."

Linh laughed gently as she gripped his hand to keep herself from falling into the water again. Not that she wouldn't be okay with it. Linh could take care of herself in the water, but the thought of Wylie rescuing her was something else.

Wylie glanced at her and laughed too. "I'm taking you on another date. I promise. Then, one day... maybe we'll be able to share a kiss. A good one," he added.

Linh grinned. "I am definitely counting on your promise now," she responded. "I hope you're having no regrets."

Wylie chuckled. "I'll never have regrets about this," he answered, and then his face turned extremely serious. "Never."

Linh gasped lightly as she heard the word 'never.' That was a huge commitment for Wylie to make. He seemed to know what he was getting into, or he wouldn't have said it. Linh's mind tried to wrap around his words as they walked down the beach to a spot where they could leap back to Linh's house. Linh leaned on Wylie as they walked, feeling exhausted from the many events that had happened recently. Wylie's arm slipped around her shoulder as they reached a good light-leaping spot. He supported her and helped her to rest a little. Linh pulled out her pathfinder quickly and twisted the facets to the correct coordinates for her home. She held it up to the light and the two of them walked into the path of light.

The two appeared in front of the majestic home in a bright flash of light. Wylie and Linh stared straight ahead at the house, afraid to look at each other... afraid of what Tam might do. Linh realized she couldn't not look at Wylie. It was in a way... impossible. She glanced over at him as they walked up the stone pathway, leading to the elegant front porch. Linh still felt his arm wrapped around her shoulder.

Wylie had been holding his breath, but he released it as Linh looked over at him. "Linh?" Wylie started. "If Tam is okay with it, I want to take you out on another date soon. If... it's not okay, we'll do it secretly. I promise that it will happen no matter what." Wylie held a hopeful question in his ocean-like, blue eyes.

His eyes captured Linh's gaze as they stepped onto the porch. Wylie took the opportunity to step in front of her, so they could talk more easily. She took a deep breath in and exhaled it slowly. "I... sounds good... then..." Linh told him as she stammered a little. Her voice trailed off at the end as she became extremely embarrassed by her answer.

Wylie grinned as he said, "Thank you for coming on this date with me. Even if it wasn't exactly official. At least with Tam... and Dex."

"I consider it official. It's the first real date I've been on with you," Linh replied with a wide smile.

Wylie was extremely happy. His eyes lit up with joy. "Official in our view..." Wylie said excitedly.

Linh nodded sheepishly as she quietly agreed with a "Yeah." Official was good. She had never dreamed of Wylie even asking her out. This was even better than that. It was official. That meant a whole lot to Linh.

Wylie stopped and stared at Linh. He didn't know what to do before he left. "Are we telling Tam now?" Wylie questioned. His eyes never left Linh's.

Linh shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe we should wait a little and tell him when we're ready," she decided.

"Yeah. I'll tell him with you. We'll do this together. I promised, and I'm not forgetting that," Wylie said stepping closer to Linh.

Linh smiled as she told him, "I was going to need you there for support any way. Having you tell him is... well... a relief and a joy... the way that you are willing to stand up for me and with me already fills my heart with happiness."

Wylie's grin became wild as his heart exploded with happiness too. He leaned in close to Linh and rested his hand on the back of her neck. "Goodbye, Linh," Wylie whispered right before he pressed a kiss to Linh's cheek.

Linh blushed and stared back at him. She was stunned and had absolutely no idea what to say to him. But... the words never had a chance to come out. The door had swung wide open during Wylie's kiss on her cheek. Tam was standing with his mouth gaping wide open. His expression was full of so much shock that Linh didn't think was even possible for Tam to attain. An angry-looking Dex stood by Tam's side. His hands were clenched in fists. Linh gasped as she realized Dex looked ready to sucker punch Wylie. Dex didn't have an opportunity to swing his fist though. Tam had gotten over the shock of seeing Linh and Wylie together, and he looked angry with a large hint of frustration.

"Neither of you are going anywhere," Tam growled folding his arms over his chest. He held his stern stance effectively. "I want an explanation now, or I will let Dex take a swing at Wylie."

Cliffhanger... heheh... sorry but the chapter needed a cliffhanger. Writing cliffhangers makes everything better. 😂 

Here are a few things I would like to know:

What are your thoughts on this chapter??

What are your feelings about Lylie? Do you ship it? Do you like Dinh better? Are you being converted to Lylie at all?

What are your preferred ships for Linh? Dex? Tam? 

Did anyone find the reference? (Hint: it's from 3 Below)

I need a name for Linh and Tam's house. Does anyone have any good suggestions? I sort of want it to, in a way, relate to their abilities, but anything is good. I'll pick one and tag the winner the next chapter. 

Chapterly GIFs: 

Thank you for reading!! This chapter was 3791 words long! Also, this fanfiction is over 35,000 words long 😂 it's hard to believe.