Callum

As we ate our picnic  in the fields of fuzzballs (I didn't know what those fuzzy ball thingys that Rayla showed Callum in Xadia, so we're going with fuzzballs now), I stared at her. At Rayla. At my Rayla. She was mine, my love, my other half, my-my everything. We sat, holding hands, eating the peanut butter sandwiches (I know, peanut butter was with Claudia, but I couldn't think of any other food and, like, I couldn't help myself) and supervising Ezran and Ellis while they played with Ava and Bait. We both knew that Ezran liked Ellis, but we weren't sure about Ellis liking Ez as more than a friend. Anyway, they were laughing and playing and pushing each other over into the soft landing of the magical grass, when I realised we had to go. 

"Hey, it's getting dark." I whispered to Rayla. "We should go back to our house." She nodded in response, so I got up and held out my hand to lift her up. When she was on her feet, I gently rubbed her slightly bumped belly, not believing that in just 6 months I was going to be a father. 

"Ellis! Ezran! Get Ava and Bait and let's go home!" I yelled at the kids (even though they're teenagers, they will always be kids to me).

"Please, just 5 more minutes!" They yelled back in sync.

I shook my head, smiling as they came back towards us. "No, we need to go. Rayla needs some sleep, and I need to go and take care of her, so come on, let's go." They groaned in response but obliged.

As we started the walk back home, I saw Ellis whisper something in Rayla's ear, something about advice, and Rayla nodded, then they both (as well as Ava) went on a different route home that separated us. I wasn't worried, of course, but Ez looked stressed. 

"What'cha worried about Ez?" I asked him. He just shrugged. "Ez, tell me. I know you know that I know something's wrong, and as your older step-brother, I demand you to tell me."

"Well, first off, I'm gonna be the King in two weeks, so you can't talk to me like that. And, second... I... I like Ellis, but I don't know if she likes me..."

"Woah, I didn't know you like Ellis, it's not like it wasn't obvious or anything." I thought to myself, but didn't say that out loud. "Sooo is there anything else you wanted to say or is it just 'I like her but I dunno if she likes me' and nothing you need to ask me or anything?"

"Um... well I'm nearly the age that you were when you fell in love with Rayla-"

"Pffft what? No, it wasn't that early I didn't like her that soon... was it that obvious?" 

He gave me a look. "No. Not at all." I breathed a sigh of relief. 

I breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "Okay PHEW!" while he still gave me the same look. "Oh... that was sarcasm. Right. Anyway, back to what you were saying."

Then it was his turn to sigh, not of relief but of exasperation. "I don't know, just, I like her, and, *sigh* I want her to like me, you know?" 

"Uhm, well, I'm not the best person for this sort of advice. Okay, here we go, just, um try and get to know her better, let her get to know you better in the two weeks you have off before your Kingly duties, and, after a while, make a move, I guess. But if it ends up wrong or something or she kills you, don't blame me, it was your fault for looking to me for help."

"Wow, what great help.