Teddy
Ilost track of how long we danced. The enchanted punch made time stretch and contract strangely. All I knew was the music, the lights, and Neptune’s body against mine. When the band finally took a break, we were both breathing heavily, a thin sheen of sweat making his skin glow even more.
“I need some air,” I said, suddenly feeling the effects of both the dancing and the punch.
“Follow me,” Neptune replied, taking my hand. “I know the perfect spot.”
He led me away from the quad, toward one of the smaller courtyards that dotted the campus. This one was enclosed by ancient stone walls covered in ivy, with a small fountain at its center. Floating lanterns provided just enough light to see by, casting everything in a soft golden glow.
“Better?” he asked as we sat on the edge of the fountain.
“Much,” I admitted, grateful for the relative quiet. “The party was getting a bit...”
“Overwhelming?”
I nodded, studying him more closely now that we were alone. There was something hauntingly familiar about him, something I couldn’t quite place.
“So, Neptune,” I said, testing the obviously fake name on my tongue. “What’s your actual major at Widdershins?”
He laughed. “Art. Painting, specifically. And you?”
“Spellcraft,” I answered truthfully. “With a focus on elemental applications.”
“Impressive,” he said, trailing his fingers through the fountain water. “You must be pretty smart.”
“I work hard,” I corrected, watching the ripples his fingers created. “It’s not always the same thing.”
Neptune tilted his head, regarding me curiously. “Maybe you don’t give yourself enough credit.”
“Maybe,” I nodded. “But I don’t want to talk about that.”
“What do you want to talk about then?”
I moved closer to him, still emboldened by the punch and the heat I felt between us. “I want… to talk about your lips,” I said with a grin. He couldn’t see me blushing up a storm under the mask. “And how perfect they look for kissing.”
“Is that so?” Even with his mask on, I knew he was raising an eyebrow. He reached down, sliding his fingers over his hips and up under the netting draped over his torso. “Anything else you’d like to put your mouth on?”
My heart hammered in my chest as I watched his fingers trace up his body, outlining his ribs, pecs, and nipples. The enchanted punch had lowered my inhibitions completely, making me bolder than I’d ever been.
“I can think of several places,” I admitted, my voice husky and filled with hunger. I reached out hesitantly, then grew braver, placing my palm against his bare stomach. His skin was impossibly smooth beneath my touch, with a strange coolness that contrasted with the heat between us. “You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met.”
“I could say the same about you,” Neptune replied, catching my hand and guiding it higher across his chest. “Most people don’t approach me so directly. I like it.”
The fountain bubbled quietly beside us, its gentle splashing providing perfect cover for our increasingly heavy breathing. In the soft glow of the floating lanterns, Neptune looked otherworldly, like he’d stepped straight out of some ancient myth.
“Have we met before?” I asked again, the nagging familiarity still tugging at my mind. “Outside of school, maybe?”
Neptune leaned closer, his lips just inches from mine. “Does it matter?”
“I guess not,” I whispered, closing the distance between us.
The moment our lips connected, a jolt of electricity seemed to run through my entire body. His mouth was cool at first contact but quickly warmed against mine. I’d kissed exactly three people in my life before this moment, all awkward experimental pecks at magical summer camp years ago. This was different. This was…intentional.
Neptune’s hand slid to the back of my neck, holding me firmly as he deepened the kiss. His tongue traced the seam of my lips, requesting entry that I eagerly granted. The taste of enchanted punch lingered on his tongue, sweeter somehow than my own had been.
I moaned softly as his other hand found its way under my shirt, his fingers exploring the muscles I’d developed from years of swimming. When we finally broke apart for air, I was dizzy with want.
“You’re good at that,” I breathed, resting my forehead against his.