★ WILDEST DREAMS ★
A DATE

»have i ever told you how handsome you are?« Neuvillette glanced over at her with raised brows. She leaned slightly against the doorway to his office, body slumping and lazy smile on her face. He watched silently, eyes catching every movement as she pushed herself up and take one, two, three shaky steps towards him. A smile begins to tug up on his lips. Fleur hum, »a face like yours is far too pretty to sit behind a desk all day!«

He shook his head. But the tiny smile was still visible. He had lost the battle to suppress it in her presence a long time ago. Fleur still remembered the beginning of her as his assistant. He had never looked at her, spoked to her and certainly not smiled. Every now and then she'd gotten a grumpy answer, and once when she'd brought cookies he'd stared at her like she was completely crazy.

But! Of course the tables had turned. She was charming. Yes, you shouldn't say that about yourself, but it was true. How else could one explain that a grumpy man could even smile now and then? Of course never for too long. But even that tiny smile was enough for her. So she talked a lot. And probably the most stubborn person on earth would listen to this chatter at some point.

At least that was how it was at Neuvillette. At some point his facade had to fall. And this was happening more and more every month. And that made Fleur happy. Not because she necessarily liked her boss, but she wanted to be liked. She wanted a good working environment.

»Alright, what do you want?«

Fleur laughed. Of course he knew immediately that she wanted something from him. After all, they had been working together for two years now. Besides, she always flattered him with sweet words when she wanted something. And she didn't care that he didn't admit it, but she could clearly see that he liked it. »I see.. I can't fool you.«

»I ask again, what do you want?« Did she say his barrel fell a little? Yes, that was still true! But he didn't really enjoy talking to her. Fleur had no idea whether it was because he was simply grumpy and didn't feel like it or whether he didn't want to be with her. But she couldn't really ask him that. And since Fleur knew this, she no longer made any effort to try.

»A day off and I prefer it not to rain.«

Neuvillette nodded. »Family emergency or more of a Fleur emergency?« She couldn't help but grin. Yes, he didn't talk to her much, but he always listened to her. He never showed it. But that very answer proved it. He knew what a drama queen she could be. But before she could answer he added: »You can have a day off, but i can't control the weather.« He then looked again at his Papers.

»Oh we both know that you surely can.« Because Fleur knew that he was not only the Chief Justice of the Court of Fontaine, no, she also knew that he was the Hydro Dragon. And the legends were true. When he was sad, it rained. And Fleur, even if it was selfish, didn't need rain on her day off.

Now his smile disappeared. He looked up from his paperwork. »Excuse me, what did you say?« He understood her. He just didn't like it when Fleur hinted at his true identity. And it wasn't like she spent nights researching and found it out that way. No! She didn't find her boss that interesting! It happened more by chance. If you spent day after day with the same person, you would eventually notice certain things.

Fleur could still remember when she had confronted him about it and Neuvillette? He hadn't even tried to cover it up. He had simply accepted that she now knew. Strange. »Just don't be sad on my day off.«

Neuvillette snorted. »What is so important that rain could destroy it?« Actually quite a lot! But of course he couldn't imagine that rain was a bad thing. He loved water. Probably the only thing he has ever loved. Although! Even if he was always cold and dismissive, Fleur was sure that even he had feelings. Yes, she knew he wasn't human, but surely there was something besides water that he at least liked.

Fleur crossed her arms. »Well, a date.« No reaction in his facial expressions. Not that she expected anything, but everyone had some sort of reaction to an answer like that. Right? »A picnic, outside.«

»Who is it?« A surprising question. He had never shown any interest in her private life. He always seemed quite happy when she didn't talk about herself. So why did he care who it was?

»A nice Man.«

»That's all you know about someone you go on a date with?« Of course not! She knew more about him! But that was probably none of his business. Neuvillette stacked his paperwork and closed his high-quality pen. »I know more about you than you do about your future spouses.«

No! Honestly, that made Fleur really angry. What did he want to hear from her now? And there was no way Neuvillette knew more about her! What was he actually imagining? »He is not my future spouses.«

Neuvillette stood up from his chair, a thick folder in his hands. »Hmm, then why did you go on a picnic with him?« Because he was a nice man! Because he asked her and she said yes! Because why not! Why should she not have fun with a kind guy?

»Why don't you go with a pretty lady on a picnic?»

He looked over at her from the shelf on which he placed the folder. »I don't do picnics.«

»Is that so?« Hydro dragon or not. He had feelings, any. Why shouldn't he also have the urge to find his love?

»If i go on such a human.. thing , then not because that chosen Lady was just nice.« Neuvillette walked back to his desk. »It would be because i like spending time with her, because i would like her, because i could imagine a life with her, a future.«

Fleur had no idea what kind of answer she had imagined, but it wasn't this! He had never spoken so much. He had never talked about people like that before. He had feelings! If he thought like that, then he must have feelings. And somehow that made her happy.

»So my question : why do you go on a picnic with him?«

Not because she liked spending time with that guy. Well, actually she didn't know him for that long to say something like that. Not because she could imagine a life with him or her future. No for that she knew far too little about him. But Fleur didn't think she owed Neuvillette an answer either. »Because I can.«

It didn't seem like he liked the answer. But what did he want to hear from her? That she was madly in love and that's why she went to a picnic? Because she couldn't say that. She wasn't even remotely in love with this man. She lived by the motto love builds. Something like that took time.

»Well then have you day off.«

Strange. This whole conversation was strange. Why did he ask so many questions? He had never asked her so many questions about any topic. And that's why she didn't think about leaving just yet. Yes, she didn't want to ask him anymore because she knew it wouldn't help. But Fleur wouldn't be Fleur if she didn't try.

»Does anything about it bother you?«

Neuvillette snorted. »You're still here.« He didn't look up from his desk. He was concentrating on looking at some document. »Anything else you want to discuss with me?«

Fleur rolled her eyes. Why was he like this? And why couldn't she just accept it? She walked the last few steps over to his desk. She supported herself on the table with her arms. Then she looked at him, but he didn't react. Of course not. »Why are you so talkative today?«

»Am I?« That was it. He didn't said more. And of course he didn't looked at her. Gosh, he drove her crazy!

»You never talk to me more than you have to, you show no interest in my life and now all of a sudden you're doing this.« She listed. And somehow she felt good about it. She had proof. He couldn't deny that. »Think I'm crazy but I find this suspicious.«

He still didn't lift his head. He signed a few documents and.. was that a tiny little smile? He smiled at that? »That were a lot of words.«

Fleur snorted. It frustrated her. She couldn't quite put her finger on why, but his manner frustrated her. How nice it would be if they had a simpler, more relaxed relationship with each other! »Fine, but don't you dare and let it rain!«

»I asked because I wanted to know if my assistant is able to concentrate in the next weeks for her job.« Neuvillette raised his head and his purple gray eyes met hers directly. Fleur didn't like that eye contact. He had very striking eyes and she got goosebumps every time he looked at her like that. It didn't happen often, but when it did, a shiver ran down her spine. »Or whether she's too in love for it.«

She couldn't explain why, but she felt like she had to answer him. She felt like she had to tell him that she wasn't in love with this man. »She's not too in love for her job.«

Neuvillette tilted his head to the side. The strand of white hair that always hung directly in front of his face flew to the side. He didn't break eye contact. And Fleur had no intention of interrupting it either. »Not even a bit?« His eye contact was unusual, but somehow not unpleasant. But why did he ask?

Why did he want to know? Why had he suddenly stopped signing his documents? Why was he looking at her like that, why was he paying attention to her now? Fleur's head hurt. And his bright purple-gray eyes didn't make it any better.

»Fleur?« Neuvillette didn't say her name often. Actually never. He always introduced her as Miss or as his assistant. Sometimes she thought he had never bothered to remember her name. But now he had said it. Very quiet and almost gentle. In an unusually close moment.

»No. No not even a bit.« She finally answered him. She wasn't in love with this man. My goodness, she didn't even know him. Neuvillette was right. They knew more about each other than she knew about her date. She didn't like that he was right, but that's how it was.

Neuvillette nodded ever so slightly. He rather just hinted at it. And there it was again! A tiny little smile. He was still looking into her eyes and she could tell his features had never been so gentle. His eyes still sparkled, but not harshly. Almost... happy.

»I won't let it rain on your big day.« She didn't know he could speak so softly. That he knew other words than yes or no. That he know other sentences than what do you want again or don't talk so loud.

Fleur was taken aback. She was like in a trance. And she couldn't think of anything better than a quiet »Thank you.« A moment later she jumped at the knock on the door and Neuvillette sat upright. He looked over at the door.

»Yes, please come in.« The door opened and one of the Melusine padded in. Oh, Fleur liked them! They were cute and helpful. But all she could see was Neuvillette. What had just happened? They had been so close. Had a real conversation.

»Monsieur Neuvillette! Oh Miss Fleur! I Didn't know you were here today.« Yes, actually she had just wanted to quickly ask for a day off and shortly afterwards ended up in this fever dream. »Well, your guest is here,« she announced

He gave her a friendly smile. »Great, thank you. Tell him i be there in a minute.«

»Of course, of course! I inform the guest that he has to wait a few more minutes.« The Melusine said quickly, but still friendly, and closed the door behind her again.

»I have to go now.« Fleur said as soon as the door was closed. She walked backwards away from his desk. »Monsieur Neuvillette.« She added politely and almost curtsied before she went out.