Merriweather's shop bell chimed brightly as Jax and Zee stepped inside.
The fairy immediately zipped out from the back room like an excited comet.
"Zeeee!" Merriweather sang dramatically. "My adorable little healer returns!"
Then her eyes landed on Jax.
"And Dragon Mystery Boy too!"
She clasped both hands against her cheeks.
"Oh no."
Jax blinked.
"…Oh no what?"
"You're doing separate outings now," Merriweather said gravely. "This is how romances begin."
Zee turned pink instantly.
Jax laughed softly.
"I think we're safe."
"Those are the famous last words of handsome idiots everywhere."
Nyxian and Merriweather would probably get along WAY too well, Jax realized.
Honestly, that thought terrified him slightly.
Merriweather floated closer curiously.
"So! Why are we here today?"
Jax smiled politely.
"I was hoping to ask a favor."
The fairy narrowed her eyes immediately.
"That sounds suspiciously responsible."
"I recently learned Transmutation."
Her wings froze midair.
"…You what?"
Jax shrugged lightly.
"I think my system adapts to things I encounter."
"That sentence should not exist."
He nodded toward the enchanted displays around the shop.
"I'd like to eventually combine enchantment and transmutation properly. Which means I need experts."
Merriweather crossed her tiny arms.
"You want me to work with Brannic."
"Eventually."
"Absolutely not."
"That was very fast."
"That man has the emotional range of a burnt potato."
Jax looked thoughtful.
"…That feels unnecessarily specific."
"I invited him to the theater once. He stared at the stage for three hours like the performers owed him money."
Zee giggled softly.
Jax nodded seriously.
"A terrible crime."
"Exactly."
He smiled slightly.
"Then I'll ask again another day."
Merriweather blinked.
"That's it?"
"I can't force people to work together."
The fairy stared at him suspiciously.
"…You're annoyingly reasonable."
"I've heard that today."
Merriweather pointed at him dramatically.
"That's because you're dangerous."
Then she looked toward Zee.
"Also he's cute. That's how they get you."
Zee made a tiny distressed sound.
Jax laughed despite himself.
A few minutes later they stepped back outside into the warm afternoon sunlight.
Solmere bustled around them as festival preparations slowly increased throughout town.
Colorful banners had started appearing overhead while food vendors prepared temporary stalls along the roads.
The atmosphere felt lighter than before.
Hopeful.
Jax glanced toward Zee.
"Well," he said, "we still have most of the afternoon."
Zee nodded softly.
"…We do."
There was a small pause.
Then:
"You called this an outing earlier," Jax said carefully.
Zee looked away immediately.
"…I might've called it a date in my head."
Jax smiled.
"…I don't mind that."
That earned him a shy glance before she quickly looked forward again.
Adorable.
Together they wandered through Solmere's streets picking up food from small vendors along the way.
Fresh bread.
Roasted vegetables.
Fruit.
A small honey pastry Bunny would absolutely have stolen if she were present.
Eventually they left town through the northern gate and followed a quiet path into the nearby hills.
The farther they walked, the quieter the world became.
Birdsong replaced conversation.
Wind replaced crowds.
Eventually they found a small clearing overlooking rolling hills covered in warm summer grass.
Zee spread the blanket carefully while Jax unpacked their food.
For a while—
they simply ate together.
No pressure.
No danger.
No chaos.
Just peace.
And Jax slowly realized something.
Zee liked silence.
Not awkward silence.
Comfortable silence.
The kind where simply existing beside someone felt enough.
Interesting.
Jax leaned back against the tree behind them.
"You really care about helping people, don't you?"
Zee looked toward him.
"…Of course."
"No," Jax said gently. "I mean REALLY."
She hesitated slightly.
"My healing magic… it's what gives me purpose."
Then she smiled softly.
"When someone's hurting and I can help them… it feels right."
Jax nodded slowly.
"But what about you?"
Zee blinked.
"…Me?"
"When do you rest?"
She opened her mouth.
Then paused.
"I…"
The answer never came.
Because honestly?
She didn't know.
Jax noticed immediately.
"That's not good."
Zee looked down at her hands quietly.
"Healers aren't supposed to think about themselves first."
"Sure they are."
She looked genuinely startled.
Jax sat up slightly.
"If the healer collapses, everybody loses."
The words hit harder than he intended.
Zee's fingers tightened together in her lap.
"I just…"
She struggled for the right words.
"…I always thought helping others mattered more."
"It does matter."
Jax's voice softened.
"But you matter too."
The clearing became very quiet.
Zee stared down at the grass for several long seconds.
Nobody had ever really said that to her before.
Not directly.
Not simply.
Not like it was obvious.
Jax leaned back again.
"You know," he admitted casually, "I think people who spend their whole lives helping others deserve someone helping them sometimes too."
Zee slowly looked toward him again.
And for the first time that day—
something warm settled quietly in her chest.
Not excitement.
Not embarrassment.
Safety.
The breeze shifted gently around them.
Jax eventually smiled slightly.
"So," he said, "serious question."
Zee blinked.
"…Okay?"
"Hypothetically speaking."
"That sounds dangerous already."
"It probably is."
He pointed toward the pastry bag.
"If Bunny were here right now… how many seconds do you think that pastry would survive?"
Zee laughed immediately.
"Amazing," Jax said. "You laughed."
Zee covered her mouth slightly.
"…Sorry."
"Why are you apologizing for laughing?"
"…I don't know."
"That feels like a problem."
Another small laugh escaped her before she could stop it.
There it is, Jax thought.
Much better.
The rest of the afternoon passed easily after that.
They talked about:
healing magic
Solmere
books Zee liked reading
terrible cooking
strange customers at the guild
and Nyxian's ongoing campaign to emotionally torment Llandra
Apparently that was a full-time hobby.
As the sun slowly began setting, golden light rolled across the hills around them.
Zee watched the horizon quietly.
"…Thank you," she said softly.
Jax looked toward her.
"For what?"
"This."
She gestured lightly around them.
"The quiet."
Then after a small pause:
"…For treating me like a person instead of just a healer."
Jax's expression softened.
"Well," he said gently, "you are one."
Zee's heart betrayed her immediately.
Without fully thinking about it—
she leaned closer.
Carefully.
Nervously.
And kissed him.
Soft.
Warm.
Tentative.
Nothing like Llandra's impulsive emotional collision.
This felt quieter.
More vulnerable.
When she pulled back, her face turned pink instantly.
"I-I'm sorry."
Jax blinked.
"…Why does everyone keep apologizing after kissing me?"
Zee stared at him.
Then burst into laughter.
Real laughter.
Bright laughter.
The kind that escaped before she could suppress it.
Jax smiled.
There it is again.
As they packed their things and started back toward Solmere beneath the orange glow of sunset, Zee walked slightly closer beside him than before.
Not enough to draw attention.
Just enough to matter.
And somewhere deep inside her chest—
for the first time in years—
Zephrial realized she was looking forward to tomorrow.