The Blade Wielders: Light And Dark (UNDERGOING EDITING)

Chapter 26: One Way to Go

It isn't hard to see.

Layla; the happy glow on her cheeks. Lewis; the embarrassed, sheepish glow on his.

So when Layla nods at Lewis and Lewis sighs, Jens isn't surprised when they announce the news.

Heidi looks to Jens but he only shakes his head. A simple 'No.' He wouldn't buy into it. Not in a million years. Not after the way he caught Layla looking at Castor.

He grabs Layla's shoulder and pulls her to the side. "So what's really going on?"

Layla frowns. "What do you mean?"

"You aren't genuinely being serious about this, are you?" Jens says softly.

"Of course I am," Layla says, a bit too defensively for Jens' liking.

"You don't have to lie to me, Layla," Jens pushes.

Layla flips. "Get your hand off my shoulder," she warns. Jens' hand drops to his side. "I'm not the liar here, uncle Jens. I'm not even close to being as bad as the biggest liar around."

Jens snorts. "You can't insult me if I don't know what you mean."

Layla shakes her head sadly. "No. And you never will, unless you decide to change things."

She turns on her heel and walks back to Lewis, grinning at him. He gives her a small smile back.

No. This is wrong.

Jens approaches Lewis and Layla instantly backs off. Lewis smiles at him and Jens feels himself smiling back. "Hey," Lewis says.

Jens drinks him in. His composure; the way he holds himself; the heavy glaze of confusion layering his eyes. "Come take a walk with me," Jens says.

Lewis nods and Jens finds himself to be thankful that Lewis did not turn the offer down.

They walk through the trees, Lewis mindlessly kicking a rock, his hands casually stuffed into his pockets. To Jens' utter surprise, he realises that Lewis seems happy.

He must have been wrong about him. He obviously likes Layla a lot.

They stop by the river Jens carried Lewis away from just hours ago, and they look forwards together, refusing to meet the other's eye.

"I have my next question," Lewis says, cutting through the silence without looking at Jens.

"Question?" Jens turns to him.

"You said I had ten, and that I didn't have to use them all up at once," Lewis reminds him.

"Oh," Jens says. "Okay, go for it."

Lewis looks him in the eye now. "Are you and Heidi Lucindel... You know..."

Jens snorts. "I don't like where this is going."

"Are you a thing?" Lewis blurts.

Trying to fight his smile, Jens pats himself down and pinches himself. "The last time I checked, I was a number of things."

Lewis laughs and rocks back and forth on his heels. "You know what I mean," he scolds Jens good-naturedly.

"No, I am not in a relationship with Heidi Lucindel, you nosy little rat," Jens says, shoving Lewis gently.

Lewis shoves him back, but he does it just a little too hard.

And they go down.

Jens grabs Lewis' forearms and holds on as they go tumbling to the ground. He completely cracks up when Lewis just calmly blows his brown fringe out of his eyes.