Ari POV (Lore book sneak peek) (Patreon)

She was beautiful.

The first time he had that thought, he was taken aback. He'd never really thought something like that before about another person.

He knew, objectively, when someone was attractive. Van was objectively attractive. Caleb also was attractive. It wasn't as if Ari didn't have eyes. He could compare features for symmetry or appeal. But Morgan was the first person he had seen where a slightly wistful thought about her beauty lodged in his mind and wouldn't leave.

Eyes that reminded him of the Infinity Sea…

A smile that was somehow unlike other smiles. It wasn't just an expression - it felt…somehow warm. And that made no sense because logically speaking, smiles were just facial expressions.

It was their third week of training when he realised his eyes would follow her even when the two of them weren't interacting. All the time. Even when he wasn't trying to do it.

He would pull his gaze from her only to find it tracing her familiar form seconds later.

It bothered him.

He didn't know why he couldn't look away.

She was attractive and pleasant to talk to. She was a team mate. But she was, in many ways, unremarkable. He knew plenty of people that were attractive and pleasant enough to talk to. Who were intelligent and amiable.

So why was it that she captured his attention this way?

Why…did he want to spend more time with her?

The more he puzzled over it, the more he found himself caught in an endless web of thinking about her, then thinking about why he was thinking about her.

The circular logic was maddening.

Caleb was the first to notice he was distracted. Because of course he did.

He only asked about it once, eyebrows shooting up when Ari answered in a tone that was far more curt than he intended. Anyone else might not have noticed. But Caleb did.

And Ari did.

Caleb didn't ask again. Not for a few days.

It was, in fact, Ari who brought it up to him instead.

After the devastating mistake he'd made teleporting himself straight to Morgan during a moment of what could only be described as a daydream. A pleasant one.

She had kissed him. Or, well, they had kissed. He had…kissed her.

It was such a strange sensation. Lips against lips. The way it affected him was absolutely beyond his ability to understand. He'd fled because he couldn't quite manage to understand what had happened or why. But then found himself in his flat, back to the wall, two fingers pressed to his lips as he recounted the sensation. Every part of it.

Her breath, her hair, the soft curves of he body pressed against him. His eyes fluttered shut as he sank into replaying that moment and the unfamiliar and alarming warmth it stirred in his stomach. Then she crystallised in his mind and before he realised it, she was there in front of him. It was so abrupt, so startling, that he got an unfortunate and very long look at her before he came to his senses.

His mind completely blanked at the sight of her in front of him all soft curves and concave valleys. And then his eyes met hers - that beautiful stormy blue. And the shock hit him like a bucket of icy water. He fled for the second time, mortified and agonising over the image of her that was burned into his mind.

Avoiding her was childish. Asking Caleb for a volitant match to clear his head was equally childish. But it seemed to work for Caleb. For the first time in his life Ari found himself wondering if a concussion would be preferable to remembering what happened.

At the end of their match, he was still wondering it as he laid on the floor of the court staring up at the ceiling, having lost miserably. As expected.

Caleb gave him a sympathetic smile and asked if he was finally willing to talk.

He was.

Because it was either talk or get 'his ass handed to him' again, to use Caleb's words.

Caleb was…one of the first people his own age that Ari had met. That was already years ago but it didn't change that they had known each other a long time and that, at Endgame, there was no one who knew him as well as Caleb. So as Ari haltingly found the words to explain his dilemma, he wasn't surprised Caleb merely leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest, listening. He didn't interrupt or even ask questions.

Ari liked that about talking to him about difficult things. Caleb always gave him time to find the words to explain himself. And when he was finished and looking up at Caleb with helpless frustration, Caleb just smiled slightly, flopped down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You have to talk to her. Just like you did to me. That's all."

Of course, Ari had known that already. But in his mind it seemed like an insurmountable wall. When Caleb said it, it suddenly seemed so simple and obvious. And Ari was grateful that was all he'd said. 

Until, of course, Caleb had to open his mouth again.

"Of course, if it doesn't go well, I'll kick your ass in here as many times as it takes to make you feel better, so don't worry about it."

Ari sighed. The usual smile came to his lips, this time with a rare, quiet laugh. "I appreciate the offer but I'll do my best to ensure it goes well."

"It will. Because the two of you are mature adults and because you're a good guy. And she's...not bad."

Ari's eyebrow went up and Caleb shrugged. "Didn't like her at first but she's grown on me a little. I guess I..." He frowned slightly and it was his turn to struggle to find words. "Look, I just think she's a good match for you, that's all. If you're going to fall for someone, it's good to fall for someone who's decent."

Fall for someone. It was strange to hear it worded that way. 

He had...fallen for her. How it had happened, he wasn't sure. He had always tried so hard to...

He didn't get to finish the thought because Caleb stood and slapped his shoulder. "Come on. Let's go for walk, get something to drink and cool your head for a while."

He offered his hand and Ari used it to pull himself to his feet, a tacit acceptance.

And then...he would go talk to Morgan as Caleb suggested. As always, talking to Caleb was the right thing to do.

Hopefully the talk really did go well because he was going to be too sore for another match after this one, though.

END