Mature We Can Burn Brighter Than The Sun

[Willow Iris Hazelwood]

June 2022

Willow and Killian had been 'dating' for months now. In that short time, things had gone relatively smoothly. Killian had been a man of his word. He never pushed for more than she was willing to give and he never made her feel bad for only being willing to go so far as to kiss him. It was with that exact thought in mind that Willow realized that she owed him a gesture of faith and appreciation. Not because he demanded one--no he hadn't asked for anything--but because she felt like he had more than earned it.

Her idea had simply been to have a picnic beneath the stars on the side of the lake at camp. Little did she know where that night would end up...

Sitting on the edge of the lake, Willow had spread out the blanket on the ground as she listened to the waves lapping against the shore. She wore the sundress that she had heard him compliment her on, on several occasions--though admittedly he was fairly free with his compliments in her direction, still she got the feeling he had preferred this dress. It was yellow with sunflowers on it. It hugged at her waist and lifted her chest, but was loose around the hips. It laced down the front to the midriff, giving the illusion of being a corset. It was incredibly comfortable and seemed to embody her personality well. She supposed that was perhaps a factor.

Beside her, on the sand of the shore sat her guitar. The blanket held a picnic basket that held an array of sandwiches and a couple bottles of mead that she had managed to purchase off of Killian's sister Aislynn. It was supposed to be pretty strong, but Willow trusted Aislynn wouldn't poison Killian so that was good enough for her. Now there was nothing to do but sit and wait for him to join her under the stars.

[Killian O'Connor]

Killian had been eagerly looking forward to this night with Willow. He felt a deep connection with her, something he hadn't experienced in a long time. Her kindness, her acceptance, and the genuine friendship they had built over the past few months were more precious to him than he could have thought. As he made his way toward the lakeside, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation and excitement. He had seen Willow in many beautiful dresses, but tonight's choice, the yellow sundress with sunflowers, struck a chord with him. It was as if she had dressed in sunshine and happiness, and he couldn't wait to see her in it.

As Killian approached the lakeshore, he saw Willow sitting there, the blanket spread out with a picnic basket beside her and her guitar nearby. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. She looked even more enchanting than he had imagined. He took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of gratitude and affection welling up inside him. "Hey, Willow," he said, his voice warm with genuine delight as he approached her. "You look absolutely stunning tonight. This dress suits you perfectly." He meant every word. He could feel the sincerity of her gesture, and it touched his heart deeply. Killian couldn't wait to spend this special evening under the stars with her, sharing stories, laughter, and maybe even a song or two.

[Willow Iris Hazelwood]

Willow had been lost in her thoughts when Killian stepped up, so she jumped slightly as he spoke. Then, realizing who it was she chuckled lightly in embarrassment. "Sorry, was looking up at the stars." Standing up from the blanket, Willow wrapped her arms behind Killian's neck before giving him a soft kiss. "Hello, handsome." Disentangling herself from him, she gestured down to the blanket. "I don't know if I've gotten any better about about telling you how I feel. But I hope I'm doing better about showing it at least." She said with a giggle.

Everything about tonight from wearing a dress she knew he liked, to the sandwiches she made, to the romantic evening under the stars had been carefully curated to show Killian that he meant the world to her. Even the mead had been procured to help loosen her up so she would maybe be able to verbalize herself better by not overthinking. She wasn't sure if that would backfire on her or not, but she hoped that if she took it slowly that she could keep a clear head. Aislynn was known for brewing things strong though.

Sitting back on the blanket, Willow patted the seat next to her. "You've been so good to me Killybear that I just wanted to do something nice for you." She grabbed a couple of cups and began to pour a bit of mead for the both of them. As she handed him his cup, she took the first sip from hers. Willow couldn't really taste the alcohol all that much. This made it incredibly dangerous though. Willow didn't drink often enough to recognize the signs that she was nearing her limits. Usually she relied on the taste. Tonight there were going to be no warnings, and she was too naive to know that not tasting the alcohol was the very thing that made it dangerous.