Where He Belongs

~Two~

~Age: Fifteen~

"And where are you running off to?"

I turned and couldn't help the bashful smile that crept across my face. Liam, or my...suitor...I suppose you could call him was smiling coyly at me. He was two years older than me, with dark brown hair, warm hazel eyes, a chiseled jaw, and one of the best up and coming hunters here. "Home," I admitted, wrapping my much smaller hand in his. "I promised Dad I'd be back for lunch. Come with me."

We'd been watching the clouds, as silly as it sounds. Pointing out animals and shapes we found just floating above us. Liam got to his feet, pulling me up with him. I caught my balance on his chest, brushing my bothersome bangs from my blue eyes. Liam lifted my chin with a playful smirk "Ooh and run into the terrifying James Sanders? I don't know, hon..." He led off, pretending to look unsure and afraid. But we both knew that my father liked Liam.

"Please," I pled, tugging on his arm not wanting to play this game any longer than necessary. "I'll do anything!"

"Anything hm?" Liam asked, that playful smile on his face. "A kiss then, my dearest. Right in my lips."

I rolled my eyes at him. I'd kissed him for the first time ages ago! It wasn't still all that fun for him was it? But I was still more than happy too. I rested my small hands, palms down, on the tanned, toned expanse of his bare chest. My lips went up, pressing against his. He quickly took over the kiss, one hand settling on my lower back, the other on the back of my head, in my platinum tresses. His lips were on mine with a nearly bruising force. He pulled back suddenly, resting his forehead on my shoulder, breathing funny that funny smell coming from him.

The smell came around a lot lately. It wasn't bad of course. It was just...sort of different. But good in way that I didn't quite understand completely. But whenever I inquired about the strange smell he just shrugged it off. Today was no different of course. I pressed my nose a bit closer to him, inhaling the strange, though oddly appealing smell that was coming off him. "Are you okay?"

He took a moment, just standing there like a statue before he straightened up and smiled. The smell grew fainter and fainter until it was just gone, disappearing in the wind. "Fine, hon." He looked into my eyes then ran his fingertips through my hair. "Your hair's getting longer."

"I know," I sighed, running my fingers through the strands that got in my eyes and tickled the nape of my neck. Usually I kept up with it well-er, my mother did at least, but with Thomas' wedding and his new house building and Jeffery's new engagement and their upcoming wedding, she'd been occupied as of late and me and my hair had been taking the backseat. "I've got to cut it."

"Don't," Liam ran his fingers through it lovingly, a smile quirking his handsome face.. "I like it."

Blushing I heard my mother calling. I grabbed his hand, tugging him along behind me as I shouted back. Liam, had he chose to fight me, could have stayed stationary with no trouble at all, but he let me pull him along. We were in the woods some, but my father allowed it as long as I was within shouting distance and Liam was by my side the entire time. That was how I knew my father liked Liam. He trusted him to watch me while I was in the woods. A big deal for him.

Back in the cabin, the table that was once huge to me was cramped by the presence of my mother, father, Jeffery who was now eighteen with his fiancee Xena and Thomas who was twenty now who was seated beside his new wife Denisse. "Thomas go grab a chair from out back," my father ordered after seeing the two of us come in.

Thomas did so without complaint to my surprise. Usually he would complain the whole time about Liam being able to get his own damned chair. It was nice change. "Hello Liam," my father greeted with a nod his head.