Through it all, Satou kept thinking about the evening ahead. About Jessica, who was apparently so nervous she'd called in another healer to cover her usual rounds, claiming she needed to "prepare."

As the sun began its descent toward the horizon, Satou returned to his quarters to change. He'd been wearing his usual practical clothing—the kind of outfit suitable for training or meetings or general leadership duties.

For tonight, he wanted something different.

He settled on simple but clean clothes—a dark tunic that complemented his iridescent scales rather than clashing with them, comfortable pants, boots that were worn but well-maintained. Nothing fancy, but presentable. Respectful.

A knock on his door made him turn.

"Come in," Satou called.

Lyra entered, and she was grinning in a way that immediately made Satou suspicious.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Lyra said, her grin widening. "Just wanted to see if you were ready. Jessica is currently in her quarters having a minor breakdown about whether the blue dress is too formal or not formal enough. I've reassured her three times, but she's not listening to me anymore. Too nervous."

"Should I be worried?" Satou asked.

"No. She'll pull herself together. She always does." Lyra walked over and adjusted Satou's collar, which had been slightly crooked. "There. You look good. Not too formal, not too casual. Perfect for a romantic evening without being intimidating."

"You're enjoying this," Satou observed.

"Immensely," Lyra confirmed without shame. "I spent weeks watching you two dance around your feelings for each other. Now I get to watch you actually navigate a relationship. It's entertaining."

"I'm glad my romantic life amuses you."

"It does." She patted his chest. "Now go. Jessica's waiting at the healing hall. She wanted to meet there rather than have you pick her up from her quarters—something about needing the walk to calm her nerves. Don't keep her waiting too long, or she'll convince herself you've changed your mind."

"I won't," Satou promised.

He left his quarters and made his way through the settlement. Evening was settling over everything, the last rays of sunlight painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. People were finishing their day's work, heading home or to the communal dining area.

Several people noticed Satou walking and smiled knowingly—word had clearly spread that tonight was his date with Jessica. A few called out good-natured encouragement that made Satou shake his head with amusement.

When he reached the healing hall, Jessica was standing outside, and Satou's breath caught slightly.

Lyra had been right about the blue dress. It was simple but elegant—a flowing garment that reached to mid-calf, with long sleeves and a neckline that was modest but flattering. The color brought out the warm brown of Jessica's eyes and complemented her skin tone beautifully.

But more than the dress, it was Jessica herself that made Satou pause.

She'd clearly taken time with her appearance. Her hair, usually pulled back in a practical braid for healing work, was loose and flowing around her shoulders. She'd added a small flower—one of the wildflowers that grew near the settlement—tucked behind her ear. She wore no makeup because the settlement didn't really have any, but her face was glowing with nervous excitement.

She saw Satou approaching and her hand immediately went to her hair, checking it anxiously.

"Hi," Jessica said, her voice slightly breathless. "You... you came. I mean, of course you came, you promised, but I was worried that maybe something came up, or you forgot, or—"

"Jessica," Satou interrupted gently. "Breathe."

She took a visible breath, then laughed at herself. "Sorry. I'm nervous. I've never... I mean, I've been on dates before, back in my old settlement, but they were all arranged by the elders and they were awful and this is completely different and I want it to be perfect and I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"A little," Satou admitted with a smile. "But it's cute."

Jessica's blush returned full force. "Cute. Right. I'm being cute. That's... good?"

"Very good." Satou extended his hand. "Ready to go?"

"Where are we going?" Jessica asked, taking his hand. Her fingers were trembling slightly, but her grip was firm.

"Somewhere I think you'll like," Satou said. "Trust me?"

"Always," Jessica replied immediately.

They walked together through the settlement, hand in hand. The casual contact seemed to help Jessica relax—having something physical to focus on rather than just her nervous thoughts.

Satou led her toward the southern edge of the settlement, past the last of the residential buildings, into the forest that surrounded their home. It wasn't far, maybe a ten-minute walk, but it was enough to leave the noise and activity of the settlement behind.

"Where—" Jessica started to ask, but then they emerged from the trees into a small clearing, and her words died.

Satou had spent part of the afternoon preparing this. The clearing was natural, a gap in the forest canopy that let in moonlight and starlight. But he'd added touches.

Floating lights, small magical constructs he'd learned from one of the creatures in the dungeon, drifted through the air like fireflies, providing gentle illumination. A blanket was spread on the ground with cushions for comfort. And on the blanket was food—nothing elaborate, but nice. Fresh fruit, bread, cheese and wine.

"You did all this?" Jessica asked, her voice hushed with wonder.

"Lyra helped with the food," Satou admitted. "But the location and setup were my idea. I wanted somewhere private. Somewhere you could just be yourself without worrying about anyone watching or gossiping or expecting anything from you."

Jessica turned to look at him, and her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "This is perfect. Absolutely perfect."

"We haven't even started yet," Satou said with a slight laugh.

"I don't care. You put thought into this. You made it special." She squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Satou."

There it was again—his name, said with that careful pronunciation that showed she was still working on making it natural. But also said with genuine emotion that made the slight awkwardness endearing rather than strange.

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