✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"Steve what's a mall?"

Asling asked as she ran a wooden brush through her hair. She had taken it out of it's tight french braids and her blonde curls now flowed loosely around her face.

"It's a place with a lot of stores."

Steve replied. The others had all left and he was putting pillows back on the couch for her to sleep.

"What is a store?"

She asked.

"A place where you buy things."

He said.

"Oh like a market?"

Asling asked and a smile tugged at her lips as she looked to him.

"I guess."

Steve replied.

"What can you buy at this market?"

"Mall."

"What can you buy at this mall?"

Asling asked.

"A lot of things. Clothes, shoes, food."

"Amazing."

Asling said with a sparkle in her green eyes. Steve couldn't help but grin softly at her and her amazement at things that he thought to be simple, normal parts of life.

"You're smiling."

Asling said softly and Steve stopped what he was doing to turn and look at her.

"What?"

He asked.

"You're smiling."

She said.

"You should smile more often, Steve Harrington."

She noted, her brush disappearing into thin air, for she had finished using it.

"It looks nice on you."

She added, smiling back at him. Steve didn't know what to make of this comment. Sure he was used to some compliments on his appearance from when he was the popular guy in high school. I mean he heard all sorts of comments about his appearance roll off of peoples tongues. But they weren't pure and simple compliments like this.

"Thanks-?"

He said, not sure exactly how one should respond to such a simple compliment. Asling's smile brightened.

"You're welcome Steven."

"Steve."

"You're welcome, Steve."

✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

The next day was saturday. The day that Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, and Asling were all supposed to go to the mall. Steve sat up in his bed. He had no idea how that would go or if it would even go well at all. He ran his fingers through his hair as he got up out of bed. It was ten o'clock in the morning. He assumed Asling was probably awake by now. He decided to check on her before making them breakfast. He yawned as he stepped out of his room and began walking down the stairs. He was correct, Asling was well awake, still wearing his clothes from the night before and she sat on the floor, A book he didn't recognize that was bound in leather was levitated before her and suspended in wispy white tendrils that looked like a foggy smoke. Asling's eyes glowed white as she studied the pages of the book.

"Allie?"

He called. She didn't move.

"Allie."

He said again a little louder and her eyes stopped glowing, the white fog vanished, and the leather book dropped with a loud thud on the ground which visibly startled her for she flinched when the heavy spine of the book made contact with the ground.

"Steve."

She said, noticing him and a smile bloomed on her lips.

"You startled me,"

She noted,

"I was busy studying magick I didn't hear you come downstairs."

She added and Steve smiled at her once more. Asling stood, scooped the book up in her hands and walked over to him.

"Good morning."

She said with a smile.

"Good morning Allie."

He replied and with a wave of her hands the book vanished into thin air.

✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

Steve wedged the metal spatula under the finished pancake and slipped it onto a plate with at least three more pancakes. With this new addition to the stack of pancakes, Steve turned the stove eye off and brought the plate to the table where Asling sat and waited for him. He used the same spatula to place one pancake on her plate and one on his. He set the plate of excess pancakes down on the table next to a plate of bacon.

"Want to see what I was studying before you woke up?"

Asling asked and Steve looked up at her, his eyes moving from their hungry gaze at his pancake to her mischievous green eyes.

"Uh-"

He began.

"I'll just show you."

She said and took out two small buttons from her pocket and placed them on the table. One by Steve's plate and one by hers. Her eyes began to glow with that familiar white glow and the wispy white smoke swirled around her fingers as she outstretched her hand over the buttons.

"Mutatio."

She whispered and in a flash of white light the two shirt buttons had now become to tall glasses of cold orange juice.

"Wow that's uh-"

Steve wasn't quite sure what to say. Complimenting someone preforming a spell was not something he had done before.

"That's great Allie."

He said and Asling smiled brighter. His words of affirmation seemed to lift her spirits significantly.

"Thank you!"

She said, beaming like the sun.

"Go ahead and eat your pancake though before it gets cold. We can see more magic tricks later."

✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

Steve's plate and Asling's were both empty now. Nothing but a few crumbs and the residue of syrup was left. Steve stood to take the plates and wash them but Asling stopped him.

"Watch this."

She said and turned to preform another spell. Her eyes glowed again but instead of outstretching her hand she snapped her fingers.

"Mundare"

she said simply and with another flash of light all the dishes were cleaned before his eyes. Even the pans steve used to make the pancakes.

"Wow."

He was obviously impressed again.

"Did you learn to do that one this morning too?"

He asked.

"No,"

Asling replied.

"I've always known how to do a cleaning spell."

She said with a smile.

"I made it my business to learn it as soon as possible when I first became a mage."

She said.

"It's the most useful bit of Magick I have ever known."

She added.

"Speaking of magick."

Steve began as he started to stack the plates to put them away.

"Do you think you'll be able to open that portal back to your home?"

He asked. Asling's expression seemed to drop at this question.

"I don't know."

She replied.

"With enough training I will eventually be able to."

She said.

"But I have no idea how long that could take."

She added. Asling looked down at her hands. They weren't glowing or surrounded in little whisps of white fog. They looked like normal hands.

"It could take me years, days, or a month."

She said.

"I have no idea."

Steve sighed but placed a kind and encouraging hand on her shoulder and the apprentice looked up at him and his chocolate brown eyes.

"You can do it."

He said.

"No matter how long it takes, I know you can do it Allie."