"Sounds like I can just make a sandwich." I take a seat beside her and look around to check what's what. "Or do you think the plates are going to be magic that will stop me from having a sandwich?"
"I don't see what the point of that would be," she says. "You're an adult, you're perfectly capable of deciding that you don't like salad."
"Salad is fine so long as it's in a sandwich."
A confused, but amused, expression crosses her face. "What's wrong with it when it's not between bread?"
"It's the lettuce ratio," I say as I start loading up the slices of bread that I've put on my plate.
"Fair enough." She doesn't seem to have the same issue if her plate is anything to go by. "So, ready for our study date?" she asks.
I raise an eyebrow. "I've been looking forward to our study date," I respond with a grin.
The moment I say the words, she looks a little flustered.
"I didn't mean it like that. I know that it's just us studying." Her words come out so fast that it takes me a moment to recognise them.
"You can call it whatever you want," I assure her, secretly pleased that she's been thinking of studying with me as a study date, even if that wasn't what we suggested.
She clears her throat. "I didn't mean it like a date, I know that this isn't a date."
Her words make my heart constrict, especially combined with the way she's looking at me.
"Today isn't a date," I say. "But what about tomorrow?"
Surprise shows on Lottie's face. "Are you asking me on an actual date?"
"Yes. Will you go on a date with me?" We've said the word date a lot, but I don't want there to be any confusion about what I'm asking.
"You're serious?"
I clear my throat, realising that this is getting a lot more serious than I intended it to. While I've been thinking of asking her on a date, I intended to have more of a plan when I did it, rather than just blurting it out when we're supposed to be having lunch and then studying. "I like spending time with you, and you could be my..." I trail off, not wanting to say the word mate out loud and put more pressure on her than there needs to be. It's not like a mate bond is undeniable, though it does make some things harder to resist, but it comes with expectations that are hard to ignore.
She swallows hard. "I know," she whispers.
Surprise shoots through me, and I completely forget about the food in front of me, turning so that I'm facing her instead. "You do?"
She meets my gaze. "I feel it whenever we're close enough."
I take a shaky breath, trying to think straight and not let myself get too affected by how close she is to me. "I didn't know if fairies could tell."
"I didn't know if demons could," she responds. "But I think the answer is that not all fairies can. But I've heard enough about it to know what it means when I think the word when I'm around you."
"Are we really not saying the word?" I ask.
"No. Not yet. Not until we know if it's something we want to be true."
It takes everything I have in order not to tell her that I need it to be true. I know that's not the point she's trying to make, and it's exactly why she's not saying mate, and why I should respect her wishes and not say it out loud either, even if every part of me wants to.
"So, a date?" she asks. "What do you have in mind?"
"That depends. Do you want something like a meal? Something fun? Something chill?"
"Do you really have suggestions for all of those?" she asks curiously.
"No, but I can think of something with enough time," I promise. "So? What kind of date do you want?"
"Maybe the fun kind?"
