Disclaimer & Author's Note: I own nothing! This is it, people, final chapter! I hope you have all enjoyed the ride and thank you so much everyone who has read it and special thanks to those of you who left reviews (Juno's Peacock, tie-dye-flag and, as always, Titanicspaz). You are the best.

8.

There was a moment of silence after his knock and Swaine wondered if the familiar tamer had already gone to sleep. Should I knock again or…?. His thoughts were interrupted by a trembling voice coming from the inside of the room.

- Who's there? – he heard her asking.

- Uh.. uh… I-It's me. – the thief answered. Great start, not stupid at all. – Open up, will you? Are… are you decent?

- Wait a sec.

And he heard the sound of the tumblers being turned and there she was. Her hair was unbraided and she had a shy smile on her face. They stood there for a moment before he cleared his throat.

- I'll… I'll sleep on the floor. Uh.. there wasn't… uh… space, on the barn. – Swaine clarified and she took a step back to let him through.

The room was dimly lit and it wasn't really big. A single bed stood in the corner and Esther was still silent when she went to it. The girl watched him carefully as he took off his coat and neatly fold it to make a pillow.

- Aren't you going to be cold? – she suddenly asked him and he startled at the sound of her voice.

- I've grown used to it by now. – he answered her truthfully and lied down, not knowing what to say next.

They stared at the ceiling for a long time in silence. Esther wished she could know what was in the thief's mind and the thief wished he could do the same. Eventually, Swaine got tired of listening to his own heart pounding fast and turned to the side facing the door. His eyelids were heavy and he was quickly sucked to sleep.

It was almost dark and he was in the middle of the desert. A lizard stood still in a rock right next to him. There was a shadow passing over the sun and Swaine knew exactly what it meant. He had had this dream over and over again.

Esther tossed and turned, but couldn't get to sleep. Her mind was on the edge ever since the party, but tonight, with him being right beside her, she felt on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

The girl sat on the bed trying to regain her calm. She couldn't help peeking at him in his sleep. The thief always seemed so vulnerable and it reminded her of the distant beach day they had together when she found him snoring softly, using her stuff for a pillow.

It was the first time she ever thought about kissing him. The blond girl remembered exactly what she had said to herself: "This is Swaine we're talking about!". She even admitted finding him cute, but kissing Swaine? Not a chance. Oh, how the tides turn.

But the first time she realized she had a crush on him was at the party, when she got very upset because he decided to dance with a oh so very pretty girl. "Who would have thought, huh?", the girl had said to herself, a sting hurting her without warning. A moment before she had been so excited to dance with his brother and Esther couldn't figure out where that excitement had gone.

She didn't even realize she was walking towards him until she was already there. At first she didn't connected the things, but it was when they were talking so heatedly at the corner of that party, so distant from everything, that she noticed what was really happening: she had gone there in hopes that he would ask her to dance too.

The girl felt so silly about it that she purposely entered in a discussion with Swaine, who was being very obtuse about the whole subject… until he did ask her to dance, in the most stupid of ways, of course, because this is Swaine we're talking about.

It really was something special, though. Not only the way they danced, which was already enough to make her blush when she thought about it, but the way he got very angry with Marcassin for leaving her alone. If he only knew that it wasn't Marcassin who ordered me to wait with him, but that I actually went there on my own…

But even as they danced, the damn thief hadn't noticed what happened to her, even if she felt her feelings were written on her face. Even Marcassin guessed it! Esther blushed furiously remembering the words the Prince had whispered in her ear, so true that they made her leave the party immediately.

After the party, she had decided to fight the butterflies at whatever cost. We do have a mission, here. I can't let this get to me!, she kept thinking to herself, hoping that going back to their normal ways was going to set things right. Swaine is Swaine, after all. But the damn butterflies were strong and had continued to torment her the following nights.

The girl felt a desire to be closer to him that was almost impossible to contain. She felt afraid that talking to him would give away some clue of the state of her heart. And her heart couldn't be more messed up than in that moment, after the whole ordeal with the Queen and Kublai.

She had witnessed what she thought was the most romantic love story ever being played out right in front of her eyes.

… and even he thought it was romantic too.

Her flux of thoughts was interrupted when Swaine suddenly started to groan and shake violently. Esther got out of the bed and cautiously touched him:

- Swaine? – she asked and started to push him slightly. When he didn't respond, the girl scooted closer to him and started to hush him, running her hand through his hair.

That seemed to do the trick, because his eyes were suddenly open and he jolted up.

- What happened? – he asked her and looking embarrassed, he added – Did… Did I do something?

- What? No. You… were having a nightmare, that's all. – she answered, her face twisted with concern – Are you all right?

The thief sat down again next to her on the floor, shirt full of sweat, and massaged his temples.

- Yeah. I'm sorry to wake you up. – he said, closing his eyes, trying to rub away the pain of the nightmare.

- It's okay. – she said timidly, a smile beginning to tug her lips, before adding. – What were you dreaming about?

Swaine looked up at her and saw her genuine concern. There was a curiosity in her eyes too.

- Seeing the Queen like that… fighting that Nightmare… well… it triggers some memories. – he said, hoping not to have to explain.

- Oh… I understand. – she whispered and moved to her bed, looking away from him. – I.. I don't remember… how it happened to me…

- Yeah, well, you're lucky then. – Swaine interrupted her. – Shadar's not really a pretty sight.

- But I do have nightmares too. – the girl finished, not minding the interruption and the thief looked at her with a mix of wprry and pity.

A minute of silence passed between them, him sitting on the floor, hugging his own knees and Esther, on the bed, with her head turned to the left, avoiding eye contact.

- I'm sorry. – Swaine said sincerely, his voice shaken. – I didn't mean to imply…

- It's okay. – she answered earnestly and turned to him. Surprise came over her when she noticed a gleam in his eyes that made him look like he was about to cry. She pretended not to see it and quickly thought of something to say.

- Do you think you can go back to sleep? – she asked.

- Don't know. – the thief hugged his knees closer. – I can try, but…

- What do you usually do when you have nightmares like that? – she asked, trying to think of something to do that would soothe him.

- Stay awake until the sun is up. – he answered bitterly, not looking at her.

- No wonder you have bags under your eyes. – her voice seemed troubled and the thief couldn't help noticing it. He stole a glance at her and saw her face frowned, her brows knit together.

- Don't have to tell me about it. – Swaine said and another moment passed before he asked, trying to change the focus – What do you do when you have nightmares about it?

Esther stood in silence, staring at the thief's eyes. Her heart was beating fast and she decided in that split second to be honest with him, even if it was embarrassing.

- I… I don't usually get them when… I sleep with other people near. – she fidgeted with her hair nervously and continued in one breath. – It's just the way I am. Ever since I was little, whenever I had a nightmare, my dad would come over and he'd wake me up by singing or touching my hair. And then he'd hold my hand until I was asleep again. And when we started travelling together… I always asked Oliver to do it when I couldn't sleep.

- Oh. – Swaine was dumbfolded at the revelation. He remembered all the times they slept near each other, Oliver always in the middle of the two. He wondered how many times the pair held hands while he was just nearby. The thief felt a spur of jealousy. He wished she had asked him to hold her hand. She… she probably thought I would have laughed at her.

Esther stared at the man lost in thoughts and closed her eyes for a moment. This is a bad idea, her mind kept repeating to her, but the blond girl didn't want to listen and before her courage vanished, her mouth acted on her own:

- Do you think that would work for you?

- What? - Swaine snapped out of his reverie and carefully looked at the girl who seemed to wait for an answer. His mouth felt dry when he gazed at her. She seemed so vulnerable and at the same time, so strong. – H-holding hands, you mean?

She nodded and tried to keep her face calm while a turmoil passed through her mind.

- I-I.. wouldn't know. It's not like I could ask anyone, heh. – he laughed nervously and avoided her eyes. He knew what he was baiting on. She averted her eyes too, looking at the door and there was a minute of silence and they both could feel the anticipation in the air. The girl took a deep breath.

- I… think... that… if you wanted to try, we could… fit in that bed. I mean… you're just bones and I'm not exactly big. – Esther said quietly, still not making any eye contact. I did it. He's going to laugh and we're going to fight and…

Swaine swore he felt his heart stop for a moment. He had honestly thought she'd offer to hold his hand, but what she proposed was… Sharing a bed! She… doesn't know.. what she's asking of me… He didn't answer her, his mind frantically searching for the appropriate way to respond.

Esther could see the panic in his eyes and her mind was already calling her stupid non-stop.

- S-sorry! It was a stupid idea, never mind! – she said quickly and laid down again, turning herself to face the wall. Why did I ask him that? Am I stupid? Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!

Swaine watched the girl's reaction and felt his heart beating faster and faster as if it was about to explode. His body acted on his own and when he realized, he had already gotten up and sat down on the edge of her bed.

Esther felt a weight on the bed and heard Swaine clearing his throat, fighting with the words as they stumbled out of his mouth.

- I would very much like to try, if you don't mind.

None of them moved for a moment and Esther could hear them both breathing loudly. He's nervous. He's nervous. I'm nervous too. This… this… this can be it. Her mind raced and slowly, she made space on the bed to accommodate him, turning her back to the wall and facing him again.

He laid down on his side carefully, almost falling out of the bed. Swaine had never felt so nervous before in his life. He could see dimly that her eyes were fixated on his, anxious, and he did not know what to do now. There was a brief tentative motion and Swaine noticed she was offering her hand. He grabbed it quickly, fearing she would change her mind. They both felt a chill in their spines, as if sparks had been released upon the contact.

Her hand fits mine. It's just so small and soft. Swaine was amazed by the feeling of the touch. It had been a long time since he held hands with anyone, particularly a girl.

His grip is firm, but gentle. His hand so bony, though. Esther thought to herself and neither could speak for a moment.

- Thank you for waking me up. – Swaine said without thinking. – Sorry to have waked you up though.

- I wasn't sleeping anyway. – she confessed and closed her eyes for a second. Swaine felt her hand tremble slightly and he wondered what she was thinking about. She opened them up again and decided to make a casual comment – You didn't want to wake up, on the other hand.

- I'm not usually a heavy sleeper. – he commented nervously. – Only when I have these nightmares…

- I had to ruffle your hair for you to wake up! – she chuckled lightly and Swaine stared at her in shock.

- You… what? – he asked her and she suddenly felt embarrassed for doing that.

- I tried to call you and push you and then I remembered what my dad used to do with me… it seems like you have a sensitive spot there. – she said, blushing.

- I don't.. it's just… - Swaine felt out of words.

They both fell silent. Esther felt her arm going numb and adjusted herself so that she would be with facing up, a movement that had made the space even tighter, leaving Swaine much closer. She could feel his breath erratically in her hair, reaching her ear and he was now with his hand on her hand, resting on her stomach.

The thief on the other hand, thought he had died and gone to paradise. He never dreamed they would be so close. I want to be with her like this forever.

- I like your hair. – she said quietly, almost whispering, after a moment of silence had passed.

- Sorry, you what? – he asked her, a new shock overcoming him and his grip of her hand tightened.

- Yeah, I like your hair. It's scruffy. – she repeated, encouraged by his reaction.

- But that's the worst part about it. – he babbled. – It wasn't supposed to be like that. My hair was a lot like Marcassin's when I was a kid.

- What happened to it, then?

- Well… I didn't have a familiar. Or a sword. Or anything, actually, to defend myself with, when I left home. So I got in a lot of trouble with the wild beasts… a lot of them with thunder spells. – he explained and he felt Esther squeezing his hand. – My hair's never been the same after I left Hamelin.

She paused for a second and smiled in the dark, which was not a reaction Swaine expected.

- I like it all the more now that I know of this. – she concluded and he heard a light note of joy in her voice.

She likes my hair. She prefers my scruffy hair over his. That… that…

- W-Why? – he couldn't help himself asking, the question that was going on in his mind. Am I going crazy? Is she saying what I think she is?

- It has a story! And… it's definitely… yours... which is… nice… – she said, her voice lowering till it wasn't more than a murmur. Swaine felt his heart thump so fast he couldn't breathe. He struggled to get out the words in his chest.

- You… truly… like…? – and Esther understood that they weren't talking anymore about hair. She nodded slightly and Swaine felt his heart explode with happiness.

He propped himself up in one elbow and faced her, looking for a sign that he was misinterpreting what they had just shared, but instead, he found her eyes glistening in the night, her lips semi-parted and an overall look of expectation. A strand of her hair was in her face and he knew that this was it: he calmly moved it out of the way and tugged it behind her ear. Esther shivered when he did this and bit her lower lips, so gently and inviting that Swaine couldn't mistake her anymore. She wants me to kiss her.

And before he could doubt himself anymore, he acted on his wishes and closed the distance between them. In his mind, when he imagined the moment, he always thought that he would go easy, testing the waters, giving a light kiss; but as soon as their lips met, the thief felt himself on fire, and, by the way Esther grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him closer, he figured she must have felt it too.

Their kiss was long, desperate and not at all gentle or chaste. They explored each other's mouth thoroughly, her hand running through his hair, one of his hands cupping her face and the other pulling her waist closer. She felt the stubble of his beard that was growing up roughly against her face and for some reason that only made her feel warmer.

When they finally broke off, they were both panting and they had rummaged the bed so much that somehow Esther was on top of Swaine.

- Wow. – he just said, looking at her face, brimming over with smiles. – Am I dreaming?

- No. – she giggled and kissed him lightly before resting her head on his chest. The feel of her weight on top of him, so close, breathing excitedly because they had just kissed, felt surreal to Swaine. They stayed like that for a minute, when the thief finally decided to speak again.

- I thought you liked your princes more royal and whatnot. – he said, smiling smugly to himself.

- I do. – the girl decided to bite the bait, lifting up her head to face him and see that smugly grin be wiped off his face.

- What, I suddenly qualify, then? – he asked her, a frown beginning to form.

- Nope. – she said, popping the "p" and with a smile that made his heart flutter, she continued. – Marcassin's still way better at it than you.

Swaine felt a pang of rejection in his chest and jealousy taking over him. His hands let go of her waist and she laughed at seeing his reaction.

- Jealous much? – she teased him, one of her hands playing with his curls.

- If Marcassin is way better than me, why are you even doing this? – he asked her, sullen, averting her eyes. – Kissing a man and then telling that you prefer his brother over him? Definitely not ladylike, Esther.

- Oh, I never said I preferred Marcassin over you. – she said, her eyes shining with a mischievous gleam.

Swaine looked at her in confusion and the girl came closer, until he could feel her breath in his face.

- No? Because you pretty much said he is better than me. – he protested, his eyes fixated on her lips, his heart aching to know her explanation.

- Marcassin is a much better a prince than you: that is true. – Esther whispered in his ear, her voice with a teasing tone - But it seems you can't wrap your pretty little head around the fact that sometimes, girls can prefer a thief over a prince.

Swaine felt his entire body shiver when she bit lightly at his lobe and his hands flew to her body again, grasping her and pulling her against him firmly.

- Then you'll just have to prove me wrong, won't you? – the thief murmured to her, pulling her face to his and closing the distance between them, kissing her.

When they met with the rest of the group the morning after, Swaine didn't need to say a thing before the fairy punched the air with happiness, for the complete confusion of Oliver. The couple decided they should keep their relationship… as private as they could and they didn't bother telling the wizard boy.

They managed to maintain the appearances in front of everyone, even Esther's father, which Swaine had classified as a trouble he would deal only when he really had to. The only one who noticed something was, of course, the prince of Hamelin, who when they were rushed to see upon completing the Clarion, was very much pleased with the news. He'd still pull Esther to the side and talk to her and made a very good job of maintaining Swaine's jealousy, which he found delightful.

When he joined the group later on, he laughed at his brother's protests and bad attitude.

- It truly is like I said to her once, brother. – he said one day, after everyone had gone to sleep and they were on board of the Iron Wyvern, his smile open and heart full of affection towards the thief, who had his arms crossed. – If I wanted her to be mine, I wouldn't have let you dance with her at that party. After all, even a Prince can't compete with a thief when it comes to stealing hearts.

- It was more like "Thank you for the dance, Miss Esther, even though your heart weren't into it. I would kiss you, but I suppose that even a prince's kiss can't compete with a thief when he sets out to steal one's heart. And he does seem sufficiently jealous for now…" – they heard a female's voice approaching and Marcassin laughed when Esther appeared at their side.

- Yes, I suppose it was. – the ruler of Hamelin answered. – Have you been taking lessons with my brother, dear Esther? You've become quite good at sneaking.

But before the subject could be actually changed, Swaine interfered:

- Wait, back up, you were really planning to kiss her, even though you knew I liked her? - Swaine asked Marcassin furiously and it was Esther's turn to laugh.

- Only if you remained a fool, like I did warn you. I was prepared to be stubborn. – Marcassin answered him and Esther interrupted them.

- Really, you talk about kissing me like it were a tremendous sacrifice! – she said indignantly and nudged the prince on the shoulder. He turned to her and gave her his best smile.

- Oh, believe me, Miss Esther, it would have been my pleasure. – he said gallantly and took one of her hands and placing a gentle kiss on it.

- OY, don't act like I'm not here! – Swaine exploded and pulled Esther to him, who was busy laughing with the prince.

- Do you mean that I could have been the Queen of Hamelin if I hadn't fallen in love with this thief here? – she said to him, still teasing.

- Dear Esther, if you wanted to, you could have had it all. – Marcassin winked at her and added. – And if he doesn't take good care of you, you still can.

- Oooh, I'll remember that. – she laughed and Marcassin bid them goodnight, calmly strolling towards his cabin with his magic hair flowing on the wind. The couple remained there side by side and watched the prince disappear behind a door. Swaine mumbled something that sounded like "royal pain in the ass" under his breath.

Only then, Esther turned to Swaine, who had a frown on his face, and hugged him. The girl smiled and, getting on the tip of her toes, she went forward and kissed him on the lips. The thief tried to act cold at first, but as she bit lightly his lower lip, he warmed up to her and embraced her fully. Soon, he had accosted her to a pillar and pressed his body against her.

- Don't you wanna be the Queen of Hamelin? – he asked her smugly when they broke off.

- Don't worry, I still like princes better than thieves. – she said and realized the mistake she had made, promptly corrected herself. – Thieves better than princes.

- I hope so, because I seriously doubt that a prince can kiss you like that. – he said and Esther smiled mischievously.

- Do you want me to call Marcassin again and test him? – she teased him again.

- Over my dead body. – and he kissed her roughly against the pillar.

All was well.