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It was a moment of silence and panic when Ella mentioned that she'd been nursing a crush since last year. Lyric seemed confused and she worried she should've told him sooner. She wondered if he would be upset that she hadn't vocalized her feelings like Alice suggested, but she had been nervous! Alice had it easy. Everyone had already thought she and Sebastian were dating! But now Ella was spilling her feelings, a definite note of worry in her expression.

When she let her hair curtain around her, Ella was surprised by Lyric's reaction. He called her little mouse, then tucked her hair behind her ear before cradling her cheek. Why did that motion send a zillion butterflies into her tummy? Oh boy. But he teased about her recognizing her feelings, which earned another little giggle. "To no one's surprise, it was Alice who recognized them." Because of course their dear friend had been emotionally intelligent enough to catch on to Ella's butterflies.

As Lyric continued, saying that it wasn't fair that she felt she had to constantly put everyone's needs above her own, she felt a soft pang of guilt. But he said he'd have to be selfish for her, before gently stroking her cheeks. "I think I can accept those terms." she tried to sound serious, but she was struggling with the grin on her face. She snuggled in against his side, feeling surprisingly at ease in his warmth. "So if you're feeling selfish... what are your feelings telling you? I-I would be happy if we tried to see where the tummy butterflies lead us." How incredible would it be if she was able to act on those feelings that had been causing her cheeks to warm anytime Lyric was nearby?

Ella laughed brightly when Lyric expressed his lack of surprise about Alice helping with her feelings. It was very true that their friend was more vocal about emotions than either of them. It seemed like Lyric was being dramatic, but it always made Ella giggle. He was just so theatric! Though she was a little surprised that he hadn't noticed Alice (and sometimes Sebastian) trying their best to make sure Lyric and Ella spent time together. Then again, she and Lyric had seemed to gravitate toward each other since the spring dance. What were the odds he'd find her in a random empty classroom so he could help with sewing?! It was just.... fate.

She sipped her cocoa while Lyric did, wondering how he felt about her inclination to maybe start an official relationship. Something about it made her feel really excited, even if she was worried that it might be a mess. Then again, all her friends had found love, even when it seemed a little messy. Maybe it was just part of life? After she agreed to let Lyric be the stubborn one, he said his feelings were leading to ask her on a real, official date. Ella nodded, a smile on her face as he noted they should take their first official date after Linsey's wedding, since Ella was ever busy until then. "My un-selfishness says that sounds lovely. I really can't wait to go out on a real date." She didn't know what being pampered entailed, but she was keen to find out. With a bit of courage, Ella slipped a hand out of her mitten, instead moving it to entwine fingers with Lyric. It somehow felt so right, like his hands were the perfect size to hold hers.

"But I like to think of this as a lovely way to have a first date."

When she said that the Black Lake was more a wading lake rather than a swimming lake, Matty offered a little frown. He supposed they weren't here in the summer so it was very possible that they could swim in the lake. After all, the lakes in the mountains of Bavaria were usually pretty cold in spring and fall, but perfect in the summer. He might see if they were going camping this summer somewhere in the UK and if he could invite her. Their conversation moved on to favorite colors though and she said that her favorite color was purple, but more a plum than an indigo color. "Ah, vell that makes sense. Ze royal purple is a deeper blue than ze plum color. I zink I vould like ze plum color too because it is closer to red." He grinned a little, hoping to keep their conversation going. He wasn't a big fan of awkward silences. "Um, vat is your favorite kind of food? Oh, and do you have any food allergies?" He was becoming a decent cook and if he ever decided to cook for her, he didn't want to accidentally poison her.

Ella recounted the several times that the Grey family had tried to teach her to bake things. It usually resulted in someone else having to quickly take over, but lately she'd been able to mix up the batter, then just let someone else handle the baking. Usually it was Linsey, and Ella had to wonder if Linsey would still be there. Of course, her sister loved the baking marathon and Ella knew she'd be there, but she'd also be freshly married. Nope. Ella had to push those feelings back down deep inside. Linsey and Serghei would both be there, and probably Radovan as well. Their family was odd, but they were hers. She looked over when Lyric mentioned his successes with baking. "Last year I managed a batch of cupcakes that were somehow burnt and raw. I'm still not sure how." She laughed, glad that Lyric seemed to always help buoy her feelings.

As the conversation shifted to Lyric's family holiday traditions. It sounded fun to watch musicals and spend time with family. It was also really interesting to see how different families celebrated. She was happy with anything now since she'd grown up excluded from any celebrations. Not that the Antonovs celebrated, per se, but they did host a giant winter formal ball. Lyric mentioned that he hadn't known much of their traditions until he was brought in, but he had fun now. "Oh there's waffles? Now I've got to come! I can make some jam for it. I've gotten pretty good at making jams." If she couldn't cook, at least that would be a good contribution... probably.

And then came Ella's moment of bravery. She had kissed him! Her cheeks filled with a vivid blush, making her eyes seem ever brighter. He seemed a little flustered too, leaving her to wonder if she'd perhaps made a terrible mistake. Of course, she didn't have a time-turner to spare herself this moment. If she messed up, it was just messed up! But he nervously giggled, seeming flustered over it. Maybe she shouldn't have listened to all of Alice's romance advice. A smooch on the first date worked for her and Sebastian, but what if it had ruined everything here?! Ella looked away, letting her hair obscure her flushed cheeks once more.