Air Touched - A Dragon Tribe Origin

Chapter Thirty-Five - Ijn

"When am I going to see one of your paintings," Jae pressed as they walked hand in hand through the Great Gardens.

Ijn stopped to admire the colors on a pink lily. Now that she had the opportunity to see them up close, she could pinpoint every shade present, and she regretted not bringing her painting kit with on the date. Letting Jae watch her paint felt too intimate for her comfort. Painting left her vulnerable, he'd see sides of her she didn't want him too—not yet. Outside of her family, she didn't let anyone see her work. If they hated it, they might as well have hated her since her soul was swept all across the canvas. Soon. Not today.

She flashed him a smile. "When I have one finished to show you. I've been trying to put one together as a gift. It seems my heart has a lot of things it wants to communicate with you."

"Show me an old one," he pressed.

Shaking her head, she moved on to the next cluster of lilies, white ones with small golden specks in their center. "Those will be so boring in comparison. Most of my work is landscapes and flowers. This one is so much more mystical and enchanting."

"Which is why when I see the new one, it'll be that more awesome," he countered. "Come on, I'm going to have to see what you do eventually. You can't hide it from me forever."

"You like to be difficult, don't you?"

He smirked. "Is there a problem with that? Being difficult can be a lot of fun. Break the rules once, and I promise you won't regret it."

Break the rules. Ijn had already broken rules when it came to her relationship with him. Letting her sister impersonate her was one rule, another was their kiss. Both instances had worked out in her favor. What she was afraid of was getting carried away. If she allowed him to, Jae could persuade her into doing anything.

She gave his hand a squeeze. "I think you want me to be obedient. It helps keep you in line."

"What?" He rolled his eyes. "Sorry, but if I wanted to marry my dad—"

Ijn pressed a finger to his lips to keep him quiet. His body tensed a little, but the smirk he wore proved he liked it. "If I decided to be a rebel like you, I don't think you'd love me as much. You enjoy that I challenge you. There is less fun in the act of rebellion if there is no challenge present. Actually, I'm positive it would no longer be an act of rebellion if you were allowed to do whatever you wanted. I will fight with you when I feel the need to, and on occasion I will allow myself to be a partner in crime. The fun part will be the mystery of which role I'm going to play."

For a long moment Jae was quiet. She hoped he processed what she said in a positive way. The last thing she wanted was for them to have another fight, not after everything was going so fantastic. They seemed to be connecting in a whole new way, and her anxiety no longer stopped her from expressing herself freely.

"You might be right." He leaned in closer to her so he could place a soft kiss on her neck. "There's something sexy about a good fight."

She felt her cheeks flush with heat, and she risked a glance his way. Their faces were so close. It'd be easy for her to kiss him right then and there. "See how well I know you?"

Jae did kiss her. Slow, like he was savoring her lips. When they parted, he smiled. "Not gonna lie, it's taking a lot for me to get used to."

Unsure of how to interpret his statement, she leaned into him and laid her head on his shoulder hoping to distract him in another way. "It means a lot to me that you're willing to do activities with me that you might not otherwise enjoy. I don't think I've thanked you for coming out here yet. We both know it's not your favorite place on the planet."

"When I come it's for some kind of diplomatic event," he said quietly. "Can't say I've ever taken a good look at anything inside. Flowers aren't exactly my type of thing, but...with you...they're a lot more interesting. I like seeing the world the way you do. Full of color, compassion, mystery. I'm a lot more excited about what I might find hiding right under my nose."

Her smile widened at how much he opened up to her. Whatever she'd done to make their relationship click to such a degree, she needed to keep it going. Then he continued to talk, and her heart started to sink.

"Like, I haven't thought much about traveling before. Then you told me how you wanted to experience the world a little bit at a time." His voice was quiet. "And I know I was teasing you about going to the zoo, making it sound like a lame date, but I seriously think it'd be a lot of fun. Plus, I need to know what your favorite animal is. I'm going to guess it's a bird of some kind."

We never talked about traveling or going to the zoo. That means Min... Ijn let out a weak laugh, wanting to delay her response as long as possible. "My favorite animal does fly, but it's not a bird. It's a dragon."

"R-really?" It was the first time Jae ever faltered in her presence. "Second favorite then. Everyone knows dragons are the best, so they don't count."

"If I have to." She pouted, keeping the exchange playful despite her curiosity bubbling up inside. Why did the dragons have him on edge? I have a new clue! "Then yes, it is a bird. I have a fondness for ducks actually. Ducks and swans."

He raised an eyebrow. "Ducks, huh? Ya know, I was thinking it'd be a hummingbird."

"They're nice, too." She tapped his chest. "Every animal is beautiful in so many ways, but I like to watch the ducks on the water. Listen to them talk. Feed them. And the chicks are adorable!" She gazed up at his face. "So what about you? Do you have a favorite?"

"I don't have a favorite anything," he said.

"Why not?"

"Because one day I might be feeling one way, and the next another. Favorite means I can only pick one all the time." He paused and glanced down at her. "Except for you. You're my favorite. There's only one woman, and I'll never pick anyone else."

Ijn felt tears welling up in her eyes. She knew he'd assume they were happy tears. In reality, they were fearful. Min had pretended to be her—again—right under her nose. What if he liked the version of her Min presented more? Ijn wouldn't be his favorite then.

She swallowed, determined to not react to her sister's betrayal further. There would be plenty of time for that later. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's come over me."

"Hey now, one of the things I like is how transparent you are." He gave her a weak smile. "It might frustrate me to no end every so often, but honesty, the fact you're not afraid to show your emotions anymore...it all makes me feel less weird. Because I do that too." He scoffed. "Usually doesn't end well."

"You're quite sassy," she admitted.

"It's the way God made me. Why mess with perfection?" He gave her a full on grin. She assumed he was joking. In truth, he didn't realize just how close to perfect he was for her. A fact that amazed and frightened her all at once. He wrapped his arms around her. "Zoo?"

"Yes," she said, managing a nod.

She tried to relax in his embrace, to just let him hold her and absorb his strength and confidence. Tried. The stab of Min's deception still left her on edge. I thought she loved me. I guess I was wrong. Like always, she's the self-serving one. Somehow, I have to make this right, and without driving him away forever.