20 First Kisses

When the Smoke Clears

Simon

I don't want to set off Baz, so I stop pushing my magic into him and just let him take what he needs. I keep my hand on his shoulder as I watch the dragon take off into the air and fly away. Soon, it's just a distant red spot in the sky.

Baz, not dazed by what just happened like I am, points his wand at the school and shouts, "As you were!" Then, he pulls away from my grip and turns to face me. He has one eyebrow raised so high it's almost hidden in the hair that has fallen out of its slicked back state.

I just stare at him for a moment, glad that he's safe. When he floated so beautifully down from the wall and over the moat, I had been worried about him getting hurt. I shouted his name and tried to tell him not to come closer because he's flammable, but he wouldn't listen. He's so stubborn like that. He's much more flammable than everything else, and he was willing to risk his life to protect the dragon that I was ready to kill.

Then, he started reciting that nursery rhyme, and I fell into a trance listening to his voice that sounded like sweet honey. If it wasn't weird, I would record that sound so that I could listen to it whenever I was feeling down. I could sleep better at night if this voice was reading stories to me every night before I went to bed.

When his arm started to shake, I wanted to help him somehow, but I knew that any spell I tried to cast would have probably made things worse. I moved closer to him instead and gently rested my hand on his shoulder. I began to push my own magic into Baz, allowing him to take some of the magic that is always bursting to get out of me.

His voice boomed louder, resonating out over the lawn. It was like music as he spoke the next words of the rhyme. When he finished, the sudden silence pounded in my ears as the sudden loss of the sound of his voice.

Now, he's looking at me like I'm a freak, but all I can think about is the fact that the danger's gone and Baz is safe. Relief floods my body as my eyes rake over him, looking for any sign of injury. Once I'm sure he's fine, I close the distance between us, grasping the sides of his face between my hands and pressing our lips together.

I feel Baz freeze against me and realize I've probably made a grave mistake. I start to pull away, preparing myself to either be punched or hit with a spell. (Probably both.) But as my hands begin to leave Baz' face, I feel his hands come to rest on my shoulders, and he starts kissing me back. I move my hands to tangle in his hair, pushing my lips more desperately into his.

I hear a few gasps come from nearby and remember where we are. Baz must hear them too because he quickly jerks his face away from mine. Turning towards where I heard the sounds come from, I'm met with the surprised faces of Miss Possibelf and the third years she had been trying to protect only moments ago. One kid is staring with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. Their friend reaches out and gently pushes their chin up until they close their mouth. I smile, remembering Penny doing this to me a few times when we were younger.

I tug my hands free of Baz' hair and take a step away back, putting some distance between us. Miss Possibelf seems to compose herself after this shocking show Baz and I just put on and starts to usher the other students back towards the school.

Penny is standing on the other side of us. Her face is lit like a Christmas tree as her eyes flicker between me and Baz. I wait for her to say something, but she just gives us a smile as she walks away. She'll probably still want some sort of explanation, but I'm glad she's just leaving it alone for the moment.

I turn to look back at the castle and see that Agatha is the only one still standing where most of the school had just been. Her blond hair flies around her in the breeze, and her expression is unreadable. But maybe I've never really been able to read her emotions. Not the way I've always been able to read Baz'. I watch as she turns and walks away before turning around to face Baz.

His eyebrow is arched again but not as high as it was before. He runs a hand through his hair, trying to get it under control, but there's no fixing it right now. I'm glad because it looks nice when it falls around his face.

I want to reach out and kiss him again, but I'm not sure if he wants me to. Instead, I say, "why did you help me?"

"Truce," he says simply with a shrug. Then, he smirks at me before saying, "why did you kiss me?"

I feel my cheeks warm, and I step towards him until our faces are inches apart. "Because I wanted to," I whisper. His hands move to grasp my sides, and I tangle my fingers into his hair again, messing it up even more. Neither of us moves so I ask him why he kissed me back.

He responds by pulling me to him and pressing his lips hard into mine. After a few short seconds, he pulls away. "Does that answer your question?" I nod before continuing the kiss. This time, the kiss is slow and gentle as we explore each other's mouths. Baz' lips are so soft, and a growl nearly escapes my throat when he pulls away again.

"Perhaps we should go back to our room," he says breathlessly. I nod again and grab his hand, threading my fingers through his as we walk towards Mummers House.