"...Florence."

Huh?

Amelia blinked in confusion and tilted her head slightly to look up at him.

"Who?"

’FUCKKK!’

He screamed internally, and panic flashed through his mind for a second.

He whispered it without thinking, lost in the warmth of the moment and the resemblance that still haunted him.

But he couldn’t let Amelia see that.

Keeping his expression calm, Brandon forced a gentle, teasing smile and recovered as smoothly as he could.

"It’s a good name, don’t you think? For our daughter..."

H-Huh? Amelia’s eyes widened in absolute shock.

The blush that had already been coloring her cheeks deepened instantly into a vivid crimson that spread all the way to her ears.

Her mouth opened and closed several times before any sound came out.

"W-What are you saying? D-D-Daughter?"

Brandon almost laughed at how adorably panicked she looked, but he kept his composure, maintaining the playful smile.

"I’m just saying... it’s a beautiful name. Florence. Soft, elegant... suits a little girl with your eyes."

Amelia’s brain seemed to short-circuit.

She stood there frozen for another second, then let out a tiny, embarrassed squeak.

"You- You idiot!" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

In her overwhelming embarrassment, she suddenly pulled away from his arms, turned on her heel, and bolted out from under the awning and into the pouring rain.

Brandon chuckled warmly "Wait- Amelia!"

He hurried after her, stepping out into the heavy downpour without hesitation.

Rain instantly soaked him again, but he didn’t care.

"The rain!" he called out with a laugh, easily catching up to her in a few long strides. "You’re going to get completely drenched!"

Amelia didn’t slow down.

She kept running through the alley and back toward the main streets, her face burning with embarrassment even as cold rain pelted her skin.

"I know that!" she shouted back. "But you can’t just say things like that after... after kissing me!"

Brandon grinned, reaching out to gently catch her wrist and slow her down so she wouldn’t slip on the slick stones.

"I was teasing."

Amelia finally slowed to a walk as rain streamed down her face and plastered her hair to her cheeks and neck.

She turned to look at him "Teasing? You said ’our daughter’! That’s not teasing, that’s- t-that’s-"

She couldn’t even finish the sentence. Instead, she covered her face with both hands, groaning in embarassment as they continued walking through the rain together.

Brandon chuckled again, keeping pace beside her.

He gently pulled one of her hands away from her face so he could see her expression.

"Hey, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to fluster you that much."

Amelia peeked at him through her fingers, "You are an idiot!" she muttered, but her lips were curving into a reluctant smile despite everything.

"First you kiss me under the rain, then you talk about naming our future daughter... What kind of person does that?"

"A person who enjoyed the kiss very much," Brandon replied softly with a teasing voice.

"And who thinks you’ll make a wonderful mother one day."

Amelia made another embarrassed sound and lightly swatted his arm, though there was no force behind it.

"Stop it! My heart can’t take any more tonight."

"Hahahaha..."

They continued walking through the rain together, side by side.

The downpour had lessened slightly into a steady shower, but both of them were already thoroughly soaked.

Water dripped from their hair and clothes, yet neither seemed to mind anymore.

Amelia eventually lowered her hands completely and glanced at him shyly.

"...Florence really is a pretty name," she muttered quietly, almost too softly to hear over the rain. "If I ever have a daughter... I might consider it."

Brandon only smiled gently and nodded "Hmm."

They walked the rest of the way back toward the castle in comfortable silence, occasionally stealing glances at each other.

Amelia’s cheeks stayed pink the entire time, and every now and then she would let out a tiny, embarrassed laugh when she remembered his words.

By the time they reached the side gate and slipped back onto the palace grounds, the rain had softened into a light drizzle.

They were both dripping wet but their faces carried matching soft smiles.

Amelia stopped just inside the garden path and turned to him one last time, "Thank you for tonight, Sir Kael. Even with the sudden rain... and everything else... it was the best night I have had."

Brandon reached out and gently brushed a wet strand of hair away from her face.

"Anytime you want to sneak out again, just say the word."

She nodded, biting her lip to hide her smile, then turned and hurried toward her own balcony before anyone could spot them.

Brandon watched her go for a moment, then let out a long, quiet sigh as he looked up at the sky.

’Close one...’ he thought, rubbing the back of his neck.

The night had been full of unexpected beauty.

"S-Sir Kael."

Huh? He glanced down from the sky and saw the fear in Amelia’s face. "What happened?"

Pointing at the walls, she muttered "Because of the rain, the walls should be very slippery. I can’t climb it... I will surely fall. What to do?"

Upon hearing this, Brandon frowned slightly and the stones were indeed glistening with water ’True...’

A soft sigh escaped his lips ’Guess I have no other choice.’

Without another word, Brandon stepped forward and gently scooped Amelia up into his arms, carrying her in a classic princess hold.

Amelia let out a startled gasp as she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck for balance.

"S-Sir Kael... this is not the time for-"

"Keep this a secret between us, Amelia."

Before she could protest further, Brandon shot upward into the air.

Amelia’s eyes widened in utter shock as the ground fell away beneath them at dizzying speed.

’W-W-W-What is happening?! WHAT IS HAPPENING?’

The castle’s warm glow grew smaller and smaller below them.

Wind and rain whipped past thier faces, but Brandon moved with effortless control, rising smoothly through the night sky.

Amelia clung tighter to his neck as her heart hammered wildly against her ribs.

She turned her head to stare at him and her pupils shrank in realization "Y-You are like Lady Rheanne..."

In the last two and a half years of fighting alongside Rheanne, clearing so many dungeons and towers, and constantly pushing his limits while conserving ether, he reached SS rank some time ago.

Flight... once something he could only achieve with ether discs, now came naturally, powered by his strengthened body and refined control.

They shot higher, breaking through the thick layer of rain clouds.

The moment they emerged above the storm, the heavy downpour vanished.

The sky was clear, dominated by a brilliant full moon that bathed everything in soft silver light with sparkling stars.

Far below, the storm clouds stretched out like a rolling sea of gray fog as occasional flashes of lightning illuminated their undersides.

Amelia barely had time to process everything.

Her mouth fell open in pure wonder as she stared at the moon and the star-filled sky.

"...Woah."

Brandon slowed their trajectory and hovered gently in place, holding her securely in his arms.

The wind up here was cool but gentle, playing with loose strands of her damp hair.

"See?" he murmured softly against her ear. "There’s no rain here."

Amelia’s gaze shifted from the moon to the breathtaking view of the cloud layer below, then back to Brandon’s face.

"It’s... beautiful," she whispered in awe. "I’ve never seen anything like this. The moon looks so close... and the stars... everything is so clear."

She tightened her hold around his neck unconsciously, not out of fear this time, but simply to steady herself in this surreal moment.

Brandon watched her reaction with a quiet smile.

He adjusted his grip slightly to make sure she was comfortable and began moving forward slowly, gliding through the clear night sky above the clouds.

Amelia finally turned her eyes away from the stars and looked at him again, "How... how are you doing this? Lady Rheanne can fly too, but... you said you were her companion. I thought you were just a skilled fighter. I never imagined..."

Brandon chuckled lightly, "Let’s just say I am also quite like her."

Amelia nodded slowly, though her mind was clearly spinning with questions.

She rested her head lightly against his shoulder, still clinging to him as they soared gently through the sky.

The cold night air brushed against their damp clothes, but being held so securely in Brandon’s arms kept Amelia warm.

She watched the moon and stars with quiet fascination, occasionally letting out soft sounds of amazement.

Eventually, Brandon glided smoothly back toward the castle.

As they neared the ground, Amelia lifted her head and looked at him once more, "Thank you... for tonight. I’ll never forget it."

---------

After many suggestions, I created a discord server

https://discord.gg/9uvfcnfTCK