3RD PERSON'S POV
The night after the battle, her father returned safely—though injuries were visible on his body. In the end, she wasn't able to stop herself from getting mad at him for what happened especially after knowing the possibility of him dying if she wasn't able to contact the Bartleys. However surprisingly enough, her father did not even dare to say a word against her nagging as if he already prepared himself to hear those words from her and even apologized to her for some reason.
Remembering that night, she could only sigh at the stubbornness of her own father. Though, she would admit that their interaction at that time somehow lessened the burden that's been weighing on her chest for a long time now. As if she finally witnessed again the father that she used to look up to in her younger years.
"Hm?" Her brows shot up when she once again felt a strong kick from the inside of her womb.
"Hey..." She laid her palm on her bump and spoke. "Aren't you being too energetic this late at night?" She caressed it and smiled at it, somehow finding this feeling lovely.
"Your kicks are getting really strong lately." She commented and a thought popped into her mind. "Just like your father, I see." She chuckled at her own words. Indeed, she knew Waka because of his skills before. And to think that she's about to give birth to his child, it seems to her that their unborn child has already inherited his strong kicks.
"I'm glad." She muttered softly with a smile. She knows she has no face to see him again. For their child to have the same characteristic as him, it would be nice to carry a memory of him with her. "I hope you'll grow into a healthy child once you're born." She said, wondering how the child would look like once it's born.
Would the baby also have Wakasa's looks?
Deciding to push those thoughts away, Y/N quickly shook her head from side to side, not wanting to get herself immersed in that small glimpse of hope in being able to meet the man again. It might not be
good for her to cage herself in those thoughts again or she'll end up in a worse state again. She looked up and released a breath.
"I wonder what Dad wanted me to wait for tonight. It's already getting late. What time is he even gonna show up?" It's been days since that day. The sun has already set as Y/N kept waiting for her father's return. For some unknown reason, her father insisted that she should wait for him today but he didn't even mention at what time. She thought it'll just be for some simple dinner or something but it's already late and he still hasn't come yet.
Wanting to get some fresh air, she made her way towards the opening of the garden but the scenery in front made her stop in an instant.
"What..?" Petals of flowers are scattered on the pathway towards the garden seating, located in the middle of the garden. This could not be just a coincidence as the maids always do a good job in maintaining the tidiness of the garden. So why all of a sudden are the petals scattered everywhere?
"What's going on here?" She slowly made her way towards the seating in her wheelchair. At this time, she would have Katherine assist her but her personal maid doesn't seem to be found anywhere. So she made sure to be extra careful in her state at the moment.
"So pretty..." She couldn't hide her awe at the beauty of her surroundings. The moon shined so brightly and beautifully in the sky while the warm lit lamps light up the garden around her. The plants of different kinds swayed at the direction of the wind as she paced through the path with petals. If anything, Y/N could only think it's like a scene from a romantic genre movie or novel. It was something she never expected to witness in reality.
Her surrounding is silent and she took in the fresh air before coming into a full stop once she reached the garden seating. In the middle where the table is located, she noticed something lying on top of it. Approaching it slowly, her eyes grew wide when she realized what it is.
"This—!!" Her heart started to beat rapidly in her chest as goosebumps followed. The thing on the table... she knows it all too well for her to remember. No matter how long it has been, she could never forget something that she held so precious to her. "How... did these get here?" Her trembling hand slowly reached for the familiar-looking box and pulled the ribbon from locking it. The moment she saw what's inside the box, she released a shaky breath.
'What is this doing here..?' She thought to herself while looking at the glass bottle filled with papers to which she was so sure she had written and handly made for a certain someone.
She can feel the tears forming in her eyes, remembering the past and she clenched her fist. She couldn't think of any valuable reason for it to be in such place. Because she was sure, she had lost this gift before she could even give it to the guy and leave.
So why?
Why did it suddenly appear out of nowhere?
Is this what her father wanted for her to wait for all day?
"Y/N." She flinched when she heard a familiar voice. She gritted her teeth, trying her best to stop her tears from falling as a lump formed in her throat. The moment she parted her lips, another shaky breath escaped and she chuckled lowly to herself, placing a hand on the side of her forehead.
"I'm hearing things again, aren't I?" She laughed to herself, almost seemingly going crazy while slightly pulling her hair. All she could think of is 'why?'. Why now of all times? She was sure she was starting to do alright but then now... she can feel her heart getting heavier and the painful feeling from before came back in an instant.
That voice of the man she loved for so so long.
She couldn't even bear hearing it in her mind any longer, knowing she can't see him anymore.
"Y/N, it's me." Again. This time his tone seemed to be in pain. Y/N was quick to cover her ears, fearing that it may escalate to something worse and trigger something in her again.
"Stop. Stop it." She cried out, closing her eyes shut and hoping the voice in her head would go away. "I don't want to hear it anymore. Stop." Every single time she recalls the past, she can only feel deep regrets and suffering. She can deal with that dreadful feeling but not this time. No. She doesn't want anything to cause her to lose her mind and risk another life that's important to her.
"Please... Wakasa is—?!" gone. Was what she wanted to say but she didn't get to finish her words when suddenly, muscular arms wrapped around her shoulder from behind and caged her in a warm and tight embrace.
"Y/N, it's me." His voice is so calm and yet she could swear that she can hear pain behind it. The familiar scent of someone that never fails to calm her nerves. And the blond locks of hair flowing visibly from her peripheral vision as the person buried their face on her shoulder. She can tell exactly who this man is.
"W-Waka..?" Her trembling voice broke as she slowly turned to see the face of the man hugging her. And slowly he raised his head to meet her gaze. Then finally this time, the eyes that longed to see each other once again have eventually fulfilled their desires.
"Is this... is this really you?" She couldn't believe it. For some reason, a part of her mind still thinks it's a hallucination out of her pure longing for the man. So slowly, she raised her hands and cupped his face to make sure as a tear escaped from the corner of her eye.
Wakasa on the other hand, leaned towards the warmth of her palm, cupping her hand in his as well as he landed a soft kiss on her palm. Oh how he longed to touch her again. This is the moment that he has been waiting for. To see her again. To be able to feel her warmth once more. To be able to hear her talk again and call his name. The feeling is somehow overwhelming that he's trying to sort things out in his mind before he speaks up.
"I-I'm not dreaming, am I?" She asked once again and this time, tears are no longer in control as it rushed down her cheeks continuously. If this was a dream... Y/N thought she might not be able to recover from it if she wakes up.
Seeing her face glisten in tears under the moonlight, Wakasa felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. Seeing her cry this way felt as painful as the day he lost her in that forest. He reached for her cheek and wiped the tears with his thumb.
"No." He shook his head before pulling her towards him from the side. "You're not dreaming, princess... you're not." He spoke in a shushed voice as he buried her face on his chest, soothing the back of her head repeatedly.
At his response, Y/N could no longer hold it in. She closed her eyes and cried out loud as she gripped on his shirt tightly as if begging for him to never go away again while continuously chanting his name over and over again.
She had so many questions to ask him.
How?
How did he know that she's in this place hiding?
How did he get here?
What really happened while she's away?
But she couldn't even bring herself to ask that and instead...
"W-Why..?" 'Why did you come here?' "I told you to not come and look for me if I disappear..." For Wakasa to come and find her, she could only dream of it. But to think it really happened then how come? What could be the reason when they already had that deal? "W-Why are you h-here?" It felt rude for her to ask him that question but she couldn't help it. As much as how happy she is right now is just how confused she's feeling. Afterall, this isn't what she expected of him.
But his answer made her freeze in shock.
"Well, I don't remember ever agreeing to not go look for you when you're gone." He pulled back and lifted her face by her chin. Looking at her in the eyes, he spoke again. "I wanted to see you again." Y/N felt her heart jump at his words as she continued to stare at him in daze. "I promised to myself that I'll do whatever it takes just so I could face you again." The expression he's wearing on his face made her feel something. It was as if Wakasa was suffering all this time too as much as she did. His gaze tells her so.
"I have so many things that I wished to tell you before but couldn't. So, I endured those months so I can come here for you. So I can tell you lots of those that I failed to say before." He continued while caressing her cheek. "Because I was a coward."
His words caused her heart to tighten. It looked like Wakasa was keeping something to himself all this time. Something heavy. And she hoped that she could understand it because the way he's acting currently is breaking her heart for some reason.
"I missed you so much." Finally. Finally he was able to say it to her directly. He waited for this moment to come. To be able to express his real feelings for her as he pulled her into his arms once again. "So so bad."
At his words, Y/N tried to stifle her cry as she spoke.
"That doesn't sound like you at all. Are you possessed or something? Are you sure you're Wakasa?" Wakasa chuckled at her question. In his mind, he can tell that she's still the same as ever despite going through a lot. "But... I missed you so much, too." She sniffed while wiping her tears away, still in disbelief of what is now happening to her. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer to her, not ever wanting let go.
"I'm so glad. I'm so glad I get to see you again. I thought I wouldn't be able to." She cried out, hoping that this moment wouldn't go away. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't go back. The doctors said my pregnancy is crucial and I can't take risks." She bit her bottom lip and her grip on the back of Wakasa's shirt tightened as she remembered about her body's condition right now. "And—and... my legs... I—" she choked on her own words and couldn't find the right words to say anymore. She felt like a disappointment for being weak in times when she was supposed to be strong.
But as she was just about to start another wave of tears, Wakasa pulled back and cupped her face in his warm hands, looking at her with gaze full of warmth and affection.
"Shh. It's okay. Your father told me. I know everything now. You did the right thing. So don't cry now." His thumb continued to caress her cheek and he leaned in, landing a kiss on her exposed forehead.
His sudden action made Y/N's tears stop in an instant. She couldn't recall a time that Wakasa treated her this delicately and affectionate. It was almost as if he's a whole different person. But for some reason, it didn't bother her because she knew all too well that it's still him who's with her right at this moment... even if his actions exceeds her expectations out of the blue.
As they pull back from each other, Wakasa walked closer to the table and tapped the bottle filled with papers.
"I finally received the gift that you got for me years ago..."
Turning back to her, he kneeled down on one knee to be on the same level as her while pulling something from the inner pocket of his outwear.
"I got you something too. Sorry, it took quite a long time for me to give it to you." He said, lending out something towards the female. With both hands, Y/N accepted the thing that he presented to her and her eyes widened once she unravel the neatly folded soft cloth with a ribbon.
The sight that she didn't expect to see once again.
"This..."