"Al, do you remember when we were kids and I was complaining about...gosh, I don't even remember what it was actually. Anyway, I was unhappy, and you drew a bunch of planets and stars on a piece of paper and gave it to me. Do you remember that?" Addy asked. She stopped walking and looked at him.

Al smiled. "Of course, I remember," he replied.

"And do you remember what you said to me?" She clutched her hands tightly behind her back, waiting for his reply.

"I said something about giving you the universe," Al said. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and grinned. It felt a little embarrassing now. He felt like telling someone they could have the universe and giving them a piece of paper was kind of silly. Then again, maybe it wasn't silly if the other person was a child. Perhaps the real problem was that he didn't think of Addy as a child any longer.

"Something like that..." Addy said. Her voice trailed off. They were walking in the woods behind the Pack Mansion. Nobody was around. Al had initially been worried about running into a patrol, but the longer they walked together the more his worry faded. He started to just enjoy the fresh air and the time he got to spend with Addy.

Although, somewhere in the back of his mind was an echo of the suspicion he'd felt only a couple hours ago. He could still feel the telling buzz on his lips. "Your dad always calls you his stars, so I thought it'd cheer you up," Al continued.

Addy smiled. For a moment, she glowed. In a heartbeat of a second, the sun pierced through the trees just right, illuminating Addy's smile like she was an angel. Then it disappeared as she kept walking. "It did cheer me up. It wasn't because of my dad, though," Addy said.

"What, then?" Al asked, following her. He struggled to step over a fallen tree that was covered in spongy moss.

Addy didn't look back as she answered. "I've always thought the answer to that question was really obvious, but I guess you never have."

Al paused, his hand resting on a tree branch beside him. He clutched it tightly. The bark dug into his skin. There was something about how she said that...it made his stomach twist and his heart beat faster. He had no idea why. Or maybe he was in denial.

He jogged to catch up with Addy, following her through the trees. It seemed strangely easy for her. She wove between the trunks and leaped over the underbrush, her feet never catching on a stray root and her skin untouched by biting branches. Al had almost fallen multiple times and definitely had some stinging cuts.

But he had always known that Addy belonged in nature. It was like she was born here, from a different world than he was. To be honest, Al preferred staying in the Mansion where his family was. It felt safer, easier for him. But then, from his comfortable window seat, he'd look outside and see Addy beckoning to him from a field of flowers, grinning widely. There was nothing he could do; he'd always follow her outside.

"Come on, slowpoke," Addy called over her shoulder, "We're almost there!"

"Where?" Al yelled back. She was some ways in front of him now. He remembered the days when she was the one to struggle to catch up to him. What had happened? When?

"Just trust me," Addy said, "I found it yesterday." Al caught up to where she was waiting for him. He heard the little stream before he saw it.

"We have to cross. Come on," she said. He frowned. "The rocks are slippery, so be careful."

Al sighed. "You know I'm going to fall in, right?"

She grinned at him from the other side of the brook. She'd sprung over it like an agile deer in two quick bounds. "If you do, it's not like you'll die. What's a little water going to do?" 

But Al didn't trust himself. He never did, really. Whether it was crossing a stream or skipping lessons, he didn't think he could do it. And yet here he was with Addy, wondering how he got here and where she would whisk him off to next. Al didn't trust himself, but he trusted Addy.

Addy had to steady him once, but he ended up making it across the stream relatively dry. He wasn't very coordinated compared to her, but he didn't have to be. She was always there to catch him.

"You ok?" she asked.

Al nodded, his heart light. "Thanks to you."

"Ok, then. Come on. It's just over this hill." They continued through the forest. It started to get a little bit thinner, easier to maneuver. Addy almost immediately burst into a sprint when light poured down over the huge hill that appeared in front of them. Al stopped and stared after her, wondering where all her energy came from.

When he made it to the top of the hill, panting a little bit, Addy had disappeared. His heart sped up. "Addy!"

She didn't answer. Something caught his attention. Al's heart dropped when he bent over and picked it up. It was Addy's sneaker. "Addy! Where did you go!"

The Accords. The Treaties. The world was peaceful, or so Al had thought. But...he'd always dreaded the future. He had felt since he was a child that the peaceful, happy life he had always had would come to an end eventually. Heaven on earth can't last forever. The universe is too balanced for that.

He just hadn't thought that the inevitable tragedy would happen to Addy.

"Adelaide!" Al shouted. He clutched her shoe tightly, jogging through the woods. The stream had become wider now, looping around the large hill. A little waterfall violated the silence of the forest. A pool sparkled, feeding the stream, and Al was strangely furious at it for being so calm when the world was falling apart.

"Holy shit, holy shit," Al gasped, his breath leaving him. He was getting dizzy. Al had always been the one to look after Addy. He had always kept her safe, looked after her, cared for her. He was going to go back to the Pack Mansion a broken man and have to tell Kaia and Kaleb that he'd lost her. Al clutched Addy's shoe. 

"Al?"

He whirled around. There she was, bobbing up and down in the pool like nothing had happened.

"Addy!" He fell to his knees beside the pool, dropping her shoe and leaning over the water. He looked down at her angrily. "What the hell were you thinking? I had no idea where you were!"

She swam to the rock Al kneeled on and half pulled herself out of the water. "Calm down, Al," she said. She met his eyes, trying to soothe him.

That only made him angrier. "Are you kidding me? I thought someone had abducted you, or worse. You know how important you are. Come on." Al collapsed in exhaustion. He took a deep breath.

"I know, I know." It was Addy's turn to be frustrated. "I'm the Alpha's daughter, which mean I'll inherit the Pack. I get it. If anything happened to me-"

"That's not what I meant, Addy," Al interrupted. There was something in his eyes that gave Addy hope. She kept doubting him, unsure what thoughts were going through his head. He was such a puzzle, so terribly different from who she was. But she still loved him and would never stop. If Addy was anything, she was determined. 

"I'm sorry," Addy apologized. Those words didn't often grace her lips. It was probably only Al who'd ever even heard them from her. Everyone else just accepted that she was a free spirit. If she did something wrong, they understood she was sorry without her having to say the words. That, or she was never sorry in the first place.

With Al, though, it was different. She always wanted him to be happy and genuinely regretted making him worried. "I didn't mean to scare you, Al." 

He sighed. "I know. It's not your fault that you're much faster at running up hills than I am."

She smirked. "Yeah, sorry I'm so in shape. Gosh."

Al shook his head. "Is this what you wanted to show me?"

Addy nodded and pushed away from the rock, sinking back into the pool blissfully. "It's great, isn't it? It's where the stream comes from. I was just wandering around when I found it. I figured this was the best way to spend a free day."

"Mhm," Al mumbled. He didn't look convinced. "Did you just jump in with your clothes on?"

Addy nodded, smiling. "I mean, I took my shoes and shirt off, though."

Al sighed again. "You're crazy."

She beamed. "I know."

"I guess I should have been expecting something like this."

"You weren't?"

Al shifted where he sat so that he could take his shoes off. He peeled his socks off and dipped his feet into the water. It was pleasantly cool in the summer heat. "Honestly, no. I had no idea this was here."

"I don't think anyone does," Addy said. Her head disappeared under the water again for a second before she came up again. Al watched a water droplet drip off of her chin as she tilted her head back.

"It's nice, though," Al said. He looked around. The forest parted around them just enough to let sunlight in. The light illuminated the water, making it sparkle like it had a life of its own. It warmed his skin and somehow made him sleepy. He closed his eyes and tilted his head towards the sky, soaking in the babble of the water and the tranquility that surrounded them like a warm embrace.

Addy swam back beside him, treading water and watching him enjoy himself. It was nice to see him relax for once. That had been her goal, bringing him here. The sunlight illuminated Al's golden, wavy hair. He'd unbuttoned the top couple of buttons on his shirt and rolled up his sleeves. She smiled and swam up to him.

"Hey, Al?" she said.

He opened his eyes and looked down at her, a slight smile playing at his lips. "What's up?"

"Don't hate me," she said. She looked up at him, a vulnerable spark in her eyes; Al was too late to process the devious expression that lurked behind it. She'd already grabbed his ankles and pulled with all her might before Al had even been able to grab the rock to steady himself.

His body slid into the water despite his attempts to catch himself. Al's head burst from the surface, gasping for air. "Addy, are you serious? I'm still in all my clothes!"

"Remember when you were worried about getting wet in the stream?" Addy said. "Guess you won't have to worry about it on the way back." 

For a second, the frustration remained. But Al could never stay mad at Addy for very long. "I can't believe you," he said, his anger melting into a soft chuckle. He swam towards the edge of the pool again. 

"You're getting out?" she asked, "But isn't it nice in here?" 

Al hesitated. "I just need to take my shirt off." The truth was that he had been making for an escape. He realized that he tended to do that a lot these days. There was something about being close to Addy that he found incredibly terrifying now. He sort of hated it. It didn't make sense. Something was pushing them closer than they ever had been before, but it was also tearing them apart. 

If something changes and takes on a new shape, does it also somehow die? 

Al stood in the shallows and started to undo his buttons. "You're crazy," Al said. Addy smiled and watched him. She loved hearing that from him. Being crazy meant being alive, and if the person she loved the most saw how alive she was...she couldn't be happier. 

She sighed and watched him peel the wet fabric from his back. She didn't quite understand how Al could look so good without ever working out or ever going outside. But he did. She felt her cheeks heat up and ducked under the water, staying there for a long moment. Her hair drifted around her, tickling her cheeks. She felt weightless for the first time in a long time. 

Addy forced her eyes open underwater, looking up to see a shaky version of Al. He looked strange from beneath the surface. It was like a reverse reflection, still undeniably Al, but distorted and odd. He held his hand out to her. She took it. 

Al pulled Addy out of the water and she stood beside him. The water came up to her shoulders, but not even close to Al's. She still envied how much taller than her he was. "So you just wanted to come here to relax?" Al asked. 

She nodded. "Well, I wanted to come here so that you'd relax." 

Al scoffed. "You know I'm not one to do that." 

"That's what I'm here for." She laughed a little and then sighed. "Listen, I get why you're such a stickler for the rules, but don't you think that sometimes the only thing that makes sense is breaking them?" 

Al shook his head, his eyelashes almost touching his cheeks. He had to take this conversation seriously. Maybe this was a chance to teach Addy something. "I've never thought that. Maybe it's because I'm young, maybe it's because I've been in charge of looking after you since we were children...but I've always put my trust in the rules." 

"There's never been anything worth breaking them for, is what you mean," Addy said. She took his hand and he let her. 

"That's not what I-"

"It is. You've never thought about it, that's your real problem. You didn't want to skip lessons today because the thought had never occurred to you. And yet here you are, enjoying yourself for once. How can you say that this is wrong? Every once in a while, I think it's healthy to rattle the bars on your cage a little bit." Addy's eyes seemed almost hopeful. 

"But who am I to say that what I think is more important than what Ben thinks, what Lionel or Cole think, what your parents think?" Al said. He lifted her hand between them and played with her fingers, watching their hands mingle. "I'm not-" 

"You're Al," Addy interrupted. "You're the person who knows me best in the world. You never let yourself relax, and yet you seem to understand life so much better than I do. You always hang around inside, go to lessons on time, do everything my dad says...and yet despite this, I still love you a lot." Al laughed. Addy watched his stupidly blue eyes light up. His wet hair stuck to the sides of his head, making him look so different from the bouncy-headed Al she was used to. But she loved it. She loved him. 

"I would think that someone who's spent his entire life following the rules would know wrong from right pretty well, maybe even better than someone who's spent her entire life breaking them," Addy pointed out. 

She was starting to sound dangerously convincing. "You're right, Addy," Al said. He met her eyes and held her hand tighter. "I do know you better than anyone. And that's why I know that there's something you want to say right now, but you're worried about what I'll think. You're just talking to fill space." 

"I'm not," she replied. A second passed. "Ok, I am." 

"So what is it you want to say?" Al asked. 

Addy sighed and splashed the water a little bit with her leg. She had no idea where to go from here. Just tell him the truth? Should she work up to it or blurt it out and get it over with? And how do you say something that's this important?

The problem with words is that they're somehow both surprisingly complicated and staggeringly insufficient. Addy wished she could just communicate without words, kind of like her mom did. 

But there was only one way she could speak without words. 

Her pulse thundered in her veins as she leaned forward. She had no idea what she was doing and probably seemed insane. She did it anyway. She could feel the promise rippling in the very air around them. She wasn't an idiot. She knew what that small spark had been and she knew what it could become. As soon as she'd felt it, she'd almost cried. She'd loved Al for years; it was a dream come true to discover that he was her mate. 

Her heart was on fire. And then...

Ice. Al's hand clapped over her mouth. He'd dodged her, leaning back almost as soon as she'd leaned forward. There was an agonizingly long moment during which they simply stared at each other, wide-eyed and pulses hammering, his hand unmoving. 

There was a truth that had to come out. They could both feel it rippling beneath the surface of the water around their knees. 

She ripped his hand away, "Are you serious!?" 

Al blinked and raised his hands in defense, "Addy, what are you-" 

"Al, for once you have got to tell me what the hell is happening in your head I swear to-" Al's hands were on hers in an instant. 

"You first. Is this you messing around? Is this just one of your Addy moments where you do what you want because it suits your fancy?" Al asked. 

She could barely breathe. "Wha-"

"Come on, Addy. We both know you do that. It's not something new to-"

"Not around you, Al! And not about this," Addy shouted. She was breathing hard, furious. "I know you think I'm a child, but I'm not. I haven't been for a long time. And I'm not stupid enough not to realize what I felt this morning." 

"What you felt?" Al said, but she could see in his eyes that he knew what she meant. His question was a frugal attempt to deny reality. 

"Al, you're the one messing around now," Addy said, crossing her arms. "Tell the truth. I think I deserve as much." 

Al scrambled to avoid this situation for a moment. He glanced around him, looking for a way out. He was terrified. If he told her the truth, everything would change. It would all change. But he felt more than just a fear of what they would become: he feared the future. What's more terrifying than a dream coming true? 

He took a shaky breath and lowered himself into the water, sitting so that it came up to his stomach. Addy stayed standing. He stared at his hands beneath the surface, remembering the sparks on his skin, both promises and omens. 

"Yeah." Al sighed. "Yeah, you deserve the truth. You deserve so much more than that...everything. The universe, right?" He looked up at her, squinting into the sun. He was glad to see that she was smiling. Addy sat beside him. He stared at her for a second. She was...definitely not a child any longer. And neither was Al. He didn't know how to separate those parts of him, though. 

He didn't want to forfeit the love that they already had in order to pursue a new one. He wanted both. Somehow. 

But this new love...it was very tempting. Addy sat beside him dripping wet, not wearing a shirt. Somehow, he was suddenly aware of that fact where before he hadn't thought twice about it. And then he was very aware that he wasn't wearing a shirt either. And god they were so close. What was he doing? 

But it felt good. It made him feel alive, maybe more than he ever had. He somehow felt peaceful and excited simultaneously. She leaned a little closer to Al, expectant, and his body came alive. He gripped a handful of the sand that rested at the bottom of the pool to distract himself. 

"You're..." Al tried to gather himself. "You're right. I felt it, too." He took another deep breath and reached out to her. The second their skin touched, a wave of energy flowed into him. It felt like Addy, and it made him want to pull her closer. But he didn't, just held her hand tightly. "This," Al said, staring at their hands, "I think we're mates, Addy, and it scares the shit out of me." 

"Scares you?" Addy asked. He could tell that their closeness was affecting her, as well. Her breath was coming a heartbeat faster than usual. 

"Think about it, Addy," Al said, "Our families...and you're going to be Alpha someday." 

"So what?" Addy said as if Al was being an idiot. 

"So...don't you think it's a little naive to think we can do this?" Al said, "I know that we feel something for each other, but I think for the good of the Pack we have to-" 

"Albert, I'm going to stop you right there for two reasons," she said. In one swift motion, she was sitting on Al's lap, her arms circled around his neck. His eyes went wide, but she pressed a finger over his mouth again. Addy was all confidence now. It was a wonder that not even for a second had that confidence wavered; she'd been shut down but only responded with frustration. She was so much stronger than Al was. She'd just...never realized it. Maybe neither had he. 

"First, the Pack doesn't have anything to do with this. Well, it sort of does...partly. It has a little to do with it. But there isn't any reason for us to run away from this like cowards. I, for one, am ready to try it out," she said. A devious smile spread across her lips and she leaned forward again, pressing her body against Al's bare chest. 

His breath hitched and he grabbed her waist, "Addy, stop." He was starting to feel something he'd never felt before, like a possessive growl rising in the back of his throat. He didn't like the lack of control he had over himself. He knew if she pushed him, she would win this fight. 

But Addy wasn't one to neglect any of her weapons. She was competitive as hell, and there was no way she was walking away from this without what she wanted. "Second," she continued. She reached up and brushed his damp hair from his face, looking into his eyes. "Don't think I didn't hear you say 'we feel something.'"

Al's face turned bright red. She chuckled. "I get it. I'm always the one that has to convince you to go out on a limb. I'm used to it. I did it this morning and I'll do it again. So come on, Al. Make this easier for both of us," she whispered. 

Her lips were so close. Al could just...give in. He could. It was almost impossible not to with Addy's skin on his. He had no idea where the feeble string of self-control was coming from, but he clung to it for dear life. 

"Your parents...my brother," Al said. But he wasn't really listening to his own words any longer. 

"Don't control us," Addy finished. "It's scary, Al. I know. But be brave."

Al shook his head and pressed his hand tightly to his lips. He knew what the first kiss was supposed to feel like. He wanted to more than anything. But there was something else he had to worry about. 

"I'm going to kill you, Al," Addy said, trying to pry his hand away. "Al, let me kiss you!" 

"No," Al said through his hand. "Addy, you're going to be Alpha! You can't just kiss me!" 

"What?" Addy asked. "Come on, Al! I know you want to." She smiled like the devil. She was beautiful and dangerous. Al felt their childhood slipping away. "Aaaaaaaaal."

"There has to be a Lunar Ceremony, Addy. An Alpha can't have the first kiss without a ceremony,"  Al insisted, pressed down harder on his lips. Addy was practically hanging off of him now. He had to close his eyes for a second so as not to let his gaze linger on the tempting view of her. 

"I'm not an Alpha yet, Al," she argued. 

"That's not how it works," he said. 

"It is." 

"It isn't." 

She frowned and stared at him. "I will tickle you," she said. 

Al's heart started beating quicker. He cracked a smile. "You wouldn't. You know this is serious, Addy." 

She started wriggling her fingers in the air between them. "Don't think I won't." Al reached out with one of his hands and disarmed one of the threats, but she still had a free hand. "You'll have to take that hand off of your mouth if you don't want to get tickled, Al." 

Her hand started getting closer, and Al panicked. "Hold on, hold on, Addy," he said, his other hand reached out and snatching hers. His lips were vulnerable now, and Addy had a triumphant expression on her face. She laughed and Al was about to argue with her more when he realized something that shut him up. 

Addy realized quickly that his mood had changed. She stared at him. "What?" 

"You're threatening to tickle me so that you can kiss me," Al said. 

Addy nodded and smirked. "Indeed. A girl's got to do what she's got to do." 

"I don't know, it just feels like something that would happen before," Al said. 

Addy smiled. "Just because we might become more doesn't mean we have to stop being friends who act like idiots sometimes, eat way too much food, bring each other flowers, and piggyback ride through the Mansion halls."

Al felt some of the fear in him defuse. "This still can't happen right now, Addy. You know that. I know you do," Al said. Addy splashed the water a little. 

"I guess," Addy said. 

"But I..." Al took a deep breath, not believing what he was about to say. "I'll talk to Kaleb." 

Addy beamed. "Yeah?" 

"Yeah," Al nodded. 

Addy pulled him into a hug and he relaxed into it. It felt sort of different now, maybe even better. But she was still Addy. Al wanted to give this a chance, no matter how difficult it was going to be.

"Al, when you gave me that piece of paper with the planets on it I remember laughing. I laughed not because I thought it was silly but because, when I thought about it, I realized that you're my universe. You have been for as long as I can remember. I love you." 

The words seemed new now. They were the first step towards something Al wasn't sure he was ready for. But he had to be brave. For Addy. 

"I love you, too." 

Part two done. Remember this one will be short, so soak it in! Will be a while until the next update, but hang in there. Leave me your love and I'll send you off with mine! ~M