you are in love: a judecardan novella

don't you see the starlight?

small talk, he drives

coffee at midnight

the light reflects

the chain on your neck

"Lets go for a drive" Cardan says sitting up straight from the bed.

I prop myself on the bed and squint to see Cardan. "It's 4am. You want to go now?" I'm not sure if I said the words in my head or out loud, but the look Cardan gives me seems to indicate my mouth did its job. *a/n: please don't make this dirty, thanks*

"Yes. Now. The sky's awake so I'm awake," Cardan says. Vivi and Oak made him watch Frozen recently and he won't shut up about it.

"Still on with the Frozen references???" I roll my eyes at him, but what I don't say is that I love when he talks about anything related to the mortal world. Even if the mortal world isn't really my home. 

I sit up, still in my sweats and look at Cardan. "Okay. Let's go. But don't you dare make me change out of my pyjamas." I'm surprised to hear that come out almost like a threat. Cardan's eyebrows go up and he looks positively scandalized. 

"Of course not my sweet villain, I would never" he says in mock seriousness. I roll my eyes at him for what feels like the 100th time in the past 5 minutes. i get out of bed, and try to shake off the tiredness in my body and yawn. Cardan takes my hand and we walk toward the parking lot.

"I'm driving," I say, I don't know what it is about driving, I like to think I'm a natural driver.

"You drive with the utmost irresponsibility, love" Cardan replies.

"Bullshit."

"Fine, but you're paying if anything happens to this jaw dropping masterpiece," He points to his face and he flashes me one of his crooked smiles, the ones I used to hate but now can't get enough of. I have to physically stop myself from bursting into laughter, instead I stick my tongue out and get into the driver's seat.

I drive out of the parking lot and step on the accelerator, hard. We zip through the empty road and the rush of adrenaline hits me. I whoop so loud i'm afraid I've woken up someone. I put one hand up in the air to feel the breeze, to which i feel someone yanking it back down.

I stomp the breaks and turn sideways to look at Cardan, both of our chests heaving. his eyes are alight with adrenaline, yet also with something that takes me a few seconds to place.

 Fear.

"You're. Gonna. Kill. Us."  He says between pants. "No way in hell are you driving anymore, Jude" Cardan's reckless with a lot of things, but not driving. He saw Oak's grade school manual about car and airplane safety, and took it very seriously, unlike Oak.

Once we've exchanged places and are back on the road, I suggest we go for coffee. Cardan swerves toward the local 24/7 cafe. We grab our coffees and  head to an open ground.

Cardan parks the car smack dab in the middle of the grass and he gestures for me to look up. 

Stars.

God, the stars. I can only imagine what Cardan must be seeing, not for the first time, I wish I had the Fae's eyesight. Cardan looks at my gaping face and grins so wide that I feel my entire face go hot. 

He's studying me studying the stars and he asks, "Remember when we had to count the shooting stars in school?"

"I always failed 'cause of my stupid mortal eyesight, it was smudge city man, smudge city."

Cardan lets out a small chuckle, "Yeah, you really did flunk that class"

I give him a withering stare and he laughs harder, I can't help but laugh too.

I can't help but notice his ring glinting in the moonlight. My ring. The one he stole from me.

"The light reflects the ring on your hand," I say, almost whispering. Cardan looks down at the ring. The ruby shines bright under the moon's light. 

His eyes travel to my face.

I suddenly kiss him. I kiss him and kiss him and kiss him. 

I don't want this moment to ever end.