“Well, don’t you like it?” Frey asked.

Suhara looked all around her, at the restaurant they were currently in. In all respects, it was very high class. All of the windows showed it was night outside, but in reality it was daytime and the restaurant was using illusory magic for atmospheric purposes. Beyond that, there wasn’t a speck of dirt or dust anywhere on the floor, the ceiling was filled with complex floral patterns that were never too overbearing or distracting, and beautiful chandeliers were hanging all over. How Frey was able to afford such a luxurious place, Suhara would never know.

Suhara shifted in her seat. Frey had encouraged her to dress up for this occasion, to which she did. She was wearing the violet dress that Frey had bought for her in Orouna. Her roommates had believed it would go nice with her violet eyes, and when she put it on, they all said it was a “perfect match”.

Wearing a dress for the first time was weird, to say the least. A few weeks ago she would have adamantly refused, and now, well she didn’t know how to feel about it at all. Even with her acceptance of her female self, dresses still felt like a bit much.

She did like seeing Frey in one though.

“It’s umm…” Suhara was unsure of what to say, or even what to think for that matter. She had never gone to a restaurant before, much less one that was so prestigious. She was truthfully a bit intimidated.

And that wasn’t to mention she had only just begun processing that Frey had basically asked her out on a date. She set aside a day for them to have a meal in a fancy restaurant, they were both dressed up, and they were alone with each other. It was a date. And Suhara had never been on a date before.

Seeing Suhara’s questioning face, Frey began to become worried, wondering if she had done something wrong, or maybe pushed Suhara into an uncomfortable situation. She had taken a lot of time to convince Wenlia to let them go here for the day, and she wanted to make sure that everything was absolutely perfect. She was about to apologize when Suhara spoke up.

“It’s wonderful. I love it.”

Frey smiled before a waiter came by to take their orders. He assured them that their food would arrive shortly before leaving them alone again.

“So…” Frey started. “You doing alright? We’ve all been really worried about you…”

“You have?”

“Of course! You’ve gone through so much since you got here.”

“I mean… a lot of it was my fault…”

“No, stop it!” Frey demanded. “We’ve gone over this multiple times. None of this was your fault.”

“But… but I’m the reason the event happened. So many people would have lived if I had just stayed in my town. But I didn’t…”

Suhara’s head began turning down, and there was a silence that hung about the table for a brief moment.

“You’re not the first person to sneak into the Lyceum, you know.”

Suhara’s face shot back up. “But I assaulted someone to get here!”

Frey shook her head. “Not the first one to do that either. Suhara, I know your history isn’t the best, but some people have KILLED to sneak into that place. And some of them were successful. You’re not a unique case.”

“But that still makes me a criminal, right?” Suhara asked rhetorically. “Why does that stuff even matter?”

“It means that if you hadn’t snuck in, someone else eventually would have.” Frey explained. “Someone else would have bonded with Theema. This all would have happened, with or without you.”

Suhara took in the words that were remarkably similar to the ones the late Raycern had told her. They seemed to be convincing, but every time she heard them she’d slowly start spiraling back into that self-hating and self-blaming state of mind afterward. Would she ever stop?

“We all really wish you’d stop doing this.” Frey said. “Blaming yourself. It’s making you miserable. Everyone can see it.”

“It’s not easy when so many other people are blaming you too.” Suhara said back. “I just wish there was a way to turn back time to prevent this all from happening.”

“There isn’t though, so no point in thinking about it.” Frey told her.

Suhara’s eyes began to water. “What can I do?” She asked.

“Accept it isn’t your fault.” Frey said. “You’re such an amazing person, Suhara.”

“I’m not sure I can… how do I even start?”

Frey stood up and walked toward Suhara’s seat. “How about with a kiss?”

Before she could react, the red haired girl planted a slow, deep kiss on Suhara’s forehead, ending her tears and making her blush wildly.

“Thank you.” Suhara said.

=+=+=

When the food finally came and Suhara sank her teeth into it, she learned what “fine dining” truly was. The food was rich, full of flavor, and exactly the right temperature. She didn’t know how much Frey had paid for all this, but whatever that amount was, it was well worth it.

It was also nice to have some lighter conversations with Frey. Things had been so heavy between the four roommates for a while, and Suhara couldn’t even avoid it at the beginning of the date. But, slowly but surely, they were beginning to lighten up again. Going back to more innocent times. Suhara welcomed it with open arms.

“Okay.” Frey said. “I know this might be a bit of a personal question, but… what was it like being a boy?”

“Huh?” Suhara asked, a bit taken back by the question.

“I know you heard me.” Frey giggled. “Come on, tell me! I’d really like to know.”

“Oh, well, it was…” It took some time for Suhara to search through her mind. “I mean, it felt different… mainly… you know, down there, and… up here”

Frey’s eyes widened once she saw Suhara point to her groin and chest. “Ah… I can imagine that’d be quite the adjustment.”

“Yeah…” Suhara said a bit awkwardly. “Umm, I’m sorry for lying. I kind of thought nobody would ever find out I used to be a boy. I guess I was wrong… I know you wouldn’t like sleeping with a former boy. I should’ve told the truth and not try to trick you.”

“Really Suhara, we’re not mad at you. We understand.” Frey responded. “I mean, if I was turned into a boy and got put in a male dorm room, I wouldn’t have told my roommates I was a girl. Besides, we didn’t have any problems sleeping with you, right?”

“Well, yeah… but-”

“No buts!” Frey declared. “If there was a spell to prevent people from using that word, I’d use it on you in a heartbeat.”

Suhara giggled.

“See? Look at yourself, laughing, having fun, and no self blaming.” Frey said. “Why can’t you be like this more often?”

“I’ll try.” Suhara said.

Frey smiled before asking another question. “Do you like being a girl better?”

“You know what?” Suhara said. “I think I do, but that may just be because my life is a lot better now.”

“Well, whatever the case, at least we can now prove women are the superior gender.” Frey said with a grin.

Suhara rolled her eyes.

=+=+=

Suhara wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Gods, I’ve never had a full coarse meal before. I’m stuffed. How much did that cost?”

“A lot.” Frey sighed. “But don’t worry, I’ve got everything covered. And it was all worth it. You know, you’re really cute when you eat, has anyone ever told you that?”

“Uh… no…” Suhara answered. 'Cute when you eat?' She thought, 'What does that even look like?' Despite her confusion, the comment had hit her deep and her face began the familiar process of blushing.

“Aww, you just don’t stop being cute.” Frey smiled. “I love that about you.”

“Th- thanks.” Suhara said. “You’re very cute yourself. And beautiful. I- I really love your hair. It looks so nice.”

"You're so sweet." Frey happily replied. "And thank you, I do a lot of work on my hair." She laughed.

Suhara gave out a light laugh of her own and then went quiet. For the next few seconds, the two girls stared into each other's eyes, completely in a trance. It wasn't an awkward or uncomfortable stare, but rather a beautiful and thrilling one. A stare that occurs only when something very special is about to happen.

Eventually, Frey stood up from her seat and slowly approached Suhara. She sat down and put her hand on the violet eyed girl's face.

I take it you liked today?"

Suhara silently nodded.

Frey smiled sweetly. "Just so you know, we can't go to these fancy restaurants all the time, too expensive. But whenever we get the chance, would you like to do this again?"

Once again, Suhara nodded without saying a word.

"Suhara, I don't know how to say this so I'm just going to be straight up."

Suhara's heart raced as she waited.

"I love you… Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

Suhara's mouth opened wide in shock. Intellectually she knew that Frey would ask something like this at some point, but she still wasn't prepared to actually hear it.

"So adorable." Frey giggled. "Well… what is it?"

'Is this really happening?' Suhara thought through her blushing. Frey had actually done it. She had asked Suhara if she wanted to be her girlfriend. Was Suhara ready for a commitment like that? To be in a romantic relationship?

A part of her felt like this was all moving too fast. It had only been a few weeks earlier when she first met Frey. And now she was going to be her girlfriend? Suhara wasn't even a girl a few months ago! What if they were making a mistake? What if the romance goes wrong or doesn't work and they were left being sworn enemies?

Suhara looked up to Frey's face. That same beautiful and flawless face she had seen so many times. Looking at it had reassured her. There was no reason to feel worried or anxious. Frey had always been a great friend, even in the relatively short time they had both known each other. She was always sure to have her back. If this romance didn't work out, then their friendship wouldn't be ruined. No matter what their futures held, things would work out.

Suhara knew what her answer would be. She already knew the answer as soon as she agreed to go on this date.

"Yes, I love you."

Frey smiled. It was a beautiful smile. One that brought all her facial features to perfection and could charm even the worst demons. Suhara gave a beautiful smile of her own back at her.

The two girls took each other’s hands, and then embraced each other in a deep kiss, mouth to mouth.

=+=+=

The recently made couple entered the wagon in the beautiful dusk sky.

They did not stop kissing for a long time.

=+=+=

As Suhara walked around the halls of the Lyceum the next day, she looked to the walls, to the teachers, and to the other students. And all over she sensed a great atmosphere of not just magic, but companionship and learning. Everyone was there because of a passion for the world of magic. Sure some, such as herself, had been forced into it a bit, but that beauty still remained.

She couldn’t believe that when she first arrived here, she believed it to be a prison. How could she ever think that about such a large and diverse building? It was chock-full of riches, resources, and artifacts. There was so much to learn. So much to see. You could be in that building for years and still not feel like you’ve explored it enough.

As Suhara walked into Sellwall’s classroom and saw Frey smiling at her, she felt something that she hadn’t felt in a long time.

She felt at home.