Private Finished Been A While

Life had been going by quickly and quietly for Anna. She'd been focusing hard on her studies and her work, which had given her little time to try and process what had happened with James. He'd taken her first kiss, and she had mixed feelings about it. She wasn't sure what to do. She hadn't been wearing her bracelet much, which meant that most of the time they were both grey, inactive...she didn't want him to worry about her. Some days she just forgot about it altogether.

With no additional school work to do, and no desire for extra studies, Anna found herself in the school's large, empty ballroom, sitting at the grand piano and letting her fingers drift over the keys. This was her safe place, where she could find solace in the music that she pulled from the instrument. The notes and chords wrapped around her like a warm blanket, comforting her while she played a compilation of classical pieces, stringing one into the other effortlessly. She had finally put her bracelet back on today...and its partner was likely glowing a peaceful blue, matching her calm mood.

Tags;; @Saber​

She'd been so focused in on her music that she hadn't noticed him at first. She'd closed her eyes for several moments while her fingers danced with their usual grace and dexterity across the black and white keys. It took a bit for her to realize that someone was watching her and she looked up, her hands pausing for a moment while her heart skipped a beat. She stared at him for a second before slowly rolling back into the piece she was playing.

"Hey," she told him after a moment, unable to take her eyes away from him. She could see his bracelet flash between blue and purple and swallowed. She'd had a lot of time to think about things. Her reaction to his presence only confirmed her suspected feelings towards the boy who'd been her first friend since she'd come to this place...​

She smiled a little in response to his first set of words. He kind of had the same effect on her that her music had on him, making the rest of the world fade away...Anna had always enjoyed her time with James. He was a relaxing person to be around. Time sort of slipped away from her when he was around. They'd spent countless days together, hanging out around the museum or around town or just around campus. She'd missed him terribly. She was honestly glad to see him in this moment.

At his apology, she looked at him. His eyes were like a cloudy day, both in color and mood. Her smile dropped away and she gave him a chiding look, tilting her head a little at him. "It's okay," she told him as she pulled her hands from the piano keys. "I'm not going to pretend that I know what you're going through, because I don't, but...part of being friends is knowing how to forgive each other."

She rose from the piano bench and stepped around the instrument to put her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to do so as she set her chin on his shoulder and hugged him tight. "There's nothing you could do that you could not get my forgiveness for," she murmured to him in gentle tones. "Even if you did take my first kiss." She pulled away from him and gave him a teasing sort of look. With time, she'd found that she was actually sort of delighted that it had been him.​

She didn't know what to say, or how to respond. Anna wanted to help James. She wanted to get everything sorted out between them, because they both were...confused. At times like this, Anna always turned to her music. She felt the siren's song stirring inside of her as she stood there listening to him until it was ready to burst out of her.

There was a silence between them for a moment as she looked at him, obviously struggling to come up with something to say. Instead, it came in song, like the feelings she'd been holding inside of her were too much to express just by words alone.

Wise men say, 'only fools rush in',
But I can't help falling in love with you.

Her music filled the space between them and wrapped around their bodies like a warm blanket. Steady, strong, safe...and sure. The magic in the tune that sprung from her lips was stronger than it had ever been before. It called to him, for it was meant for him alone.

Shall I stay? Would it be a sin?
For I can't help falling in love with you.

She looked down at the bracelet on his wrist, now glowing a deep purple, responding to her love for her dear friend...she didn't want him to just be her friend anymore. She wanted him to be hers.

Like the river flows surely to the sea,
Darling so it goes...some things are meant to be.

Take my hand,

Reaching out, she picked up his hand and laced her fingers with his.

Take my whole life, too.
For I can't help falling in love with you.

Anna found herself kissing James before she even realized it. She'd stepped closer and touched her lips to his...pulling back for a moment, she searched his eyes, wondering what he would do now. It was his move.​

Her heart felt so full that it may have burst when he put his arms around her. She smiled at him as he took her hands in his, gently squeezing his fingers with her own. "You've been my best friend since we met," she told him. "I...want you to be happy, always." Her best friend was back, and what's more, he was hers now.

"I didn't understand for a long time why I couldn't stand seeing you with Mari. It made my skin crawl. Now I know why," she admitted after a moment, glancing away sheepishly. She'd been jealous, seeing James with another girl when it should have been herself instead. "I love you. I've loved you for a while now." She'd never felt like this for another person before in her life. It was like there was this void in her that she hadn't known about was being filled.​