• σиє ωєєк •
I was fully packed and ready to go, and before I left I ran to say goodbye to Aaron.
I found him just outside the inn, and I laughed through my mask. "I was just coming to look for you."
He smiled sadly to me as I trotted over to him. "You really are leaving I guess?"
I nodded and whispered sadly: "Bet you can guess why."
His smile twitched, on the verge of slipping into a frown. "Maybe I can."
I breathed deep. "Gotta say, though. This place is definitely great. If I weren't a loner I would visit more." I smirked and he chuckled. Good, I got him to smile.
"Can I have one more hug?" His face was flirty and his finger made a motion of 'small.' But his eyes said he really did want one.
I rolled my eyes, dropping my bag and wrapping my arms around his neck with a fake irritated sigh.
He held me slightly tighter and I readjusted my chin's position. The hug lasted longer than I thought it would but secretly, I wasn't complaining.
We pulled away - too soon in my opinion - and I gave him a look, before grabbing my bag and standing in front of him again.
"Well I have to go," I smiled kindly and began to go around him, but turned as he spoke.
"You might have a fan club. Just warning you," he winked and walked back to the castle.
What? I shook it off and made my way to the market place - where sure enough a crowd of people came running over to hug me, nearly knocking me over, as well as my hood which I hastily put back in place before my skin burned.
"Woah," I said. Of course it hadn't frightened me, and so I just wobbled with the weight.
Everyone let go and I counted who was here.
Emmalyn, Cadenza, Laurence, Garroth, Zoey, Dante, and Travis - which I presumed were Laurence and Garroth's doing, seeing as I had only met them last night for about 15 minutes. I also saw a few I didn't recognize.
"Sorry, Aphmau! It kinda got out that you were leaving and we all wanted to come say bye! Even if we don't know you well." Zoey winked to me out of view of the others and I rolled my eyes.
"Well thanks, but I'm not accepting a going away party. I gotta get back on the 'road.'"
"On the road where?"
I shrugged, making a few people laugh.
"I hope you like the book!" Emmalyn said giving me a tight bear hug, which I returned by a pat on her back.
"Aphmau~Senpai?" I turned to the voice, popping up just behind Zoey to the side a bit. She had black cat ears, a tail swaying behind her, and pale pink hair down just as long as mine.
She wore a black dress with white and pink, and her yellow eyes shined as she held a small basket out to me.
"Yes?" I didn't bother asking about how she addressed me, it seemed comfortable for her and the others so I'll adopt it as well - at least for the while I'm here.
"Kawaii~Chan made Aphmau~Senpai a pie! It's small but Kawaii~Chan hopes she likes it!" She smiled and as she held it out to me, her tail wagged a bit. It was pretty. . . Kawaii.
Ah. Third person. "Well thank you, Kawaii~Chan," I smiled and took the basket, accepting her hug afterwards. Why do I smile if nobody can see it?
She lit up as we pulled away and I saw a few others shocked.
"A-Aphmau~Senpai d-didn't ask Kawaii~Chan who K-Kawaii~Chan was or why she talks like this?" Tears welled up in her eyes and I giggled lightly.
"I could tell it was third person, and I'm not ever one to judge. It's actually really adorable, Kawaii~Chan so don't be ashamed of it." I winked.
"You say that like you had something to be ashamed of - and from what I can tell, you don't." Cadenza sasses and I laughed. "Show everyone underneath the mask!"
I rolled my eyes and unhooked it from one ear, bringing it so everyone could see my face. Once they did, I put it back on.
"She makes a good point Aph. What are you ashamed of?" Zoey asked and I suppressed a glare at her when she smirked.
"I'm not going to answer that." I walked through the crowd and started wandering a bit before something attached itself to my leg.
I lifted my arm and glanced down, seeing a small baby, seeming to have barely learned to walk.
Making a small squeal, I dropped my bags and sat beside it.
The child giggled and reached for me, splaying and clenching their fingers. I giggled and put my hands to theirs. They had a nice grip.
"You're a strong one, aren't ya? Aren't ya!" I cooed and tapped their nose, making them giggle.
I heard a few snickers and giggles and looked over to see Zoey with a hand over her mouth, and a few just laughing at me playing with a baby.
"What! I'm soft too, you know! And who doesn't love babies?" I shrugged and looked back at them as they waddled back to a blanket with other babies and a brown-haired woman with green eyes and a white-and-grey shirt.
"You like making 'em?" I heard and looked over just in time to see Dante elbow Travis in the gut.
I rolled my eyes, and as I stood up I concealed my fangs' withdrawal noise with my weapons clinking in my movement. I also removed my mask and put it safely in my pocket.
"I'll say it right away, I'm a virgin. Most of you probably think I'm not based on how I look, right?" I saw a few guilty gazes but it didn't affect me. "Don't feel bad, I get it a lot," I shrugged.
Travis stared at me. "You. A virgin? No way."
I put a hand on my hip and motioned my other arm carelessly. "Yeah, I am."
"Okay, I gotta say even I'm shocked by that," Zoey said.
Rolling my eyes, I commented: "I'm shocked we're talking about this, period. I also thought I'd be gone by now."
"In a rush?"
"No. Just thought I would be."
Zoey smirked lightly but tried to hide it. "Okay, well before you do, any other goodbyes you want to make?"
I bit my lip slightly, but on the inside so nobody took notice to it. "I didn't say bye to Aaron." Lie. Maybe I just want to see him again. Nothing to be ashamed of right. . .
She stopped trying to hide the smirk. "Then go on, before you leave!"
I rolled my eyes. "In a minute. I wanna talk to the babies more!" Everyone laughed as I practically skipped to the blanket.
"Hi, I'm Aphmau."
"Donna, nice to meet you! I see you like kids," she chuckled and to which I laughed in return.
A little baby girl was banging a sippy-cup on the ground and giggling, and overall I just wanted to hug them all.
But after a minute, I looked over at everyone with a smile. They were all laughing and talking, possibly gossiping over stuff I didn't know - stuff I wanted to know so I could relate and contribute. My smile twitched.
I think I need to see Aaron. Like right now.
I stood up and grabbed my bag, as well as the small pie basket and walked to the stone stairs.
"Where ya goin'?" Zoey called.
I turned around and smiled. "To see Aaron." And started walking again, putting on my mask and freeing my fangs.
Don't run, don't run, don't run - you're running.
Sprinting, I tore off for the castle grounds and was only stopped when I was looking around for somewhere he could be, standing near the water fountain in the bustling square of the castle courtyard.
"Ma'am? Do you need anything."
Turning to my left, I saw a guard who'd spoken through his helmet. "Yes, I'm, Uhm. I'm looking for the prince. Aaron?"
He hesitated. "Are you friends?"
I nodded. "I'm new to town and he's been helping me out. I just wanted to talk to him."
He looked to my hand, which was nervously fidgeting, and back to my face. He looked above my mask and into my eyes - which I think he saw my poorly disguised distraught.
Somehow it convinced him, and he told me to follow him. Which I did.
He brought me to a stop in front of a door after many twists and turns. "He should be out there."
The guard returned to his post and I felt some eyes of the guards on me. An assassin-looking girl in a mask, visiting a prince alone? Not suspicious at all.
I hesitated before pushing the door open and a full beautiful scene stood at my feet.
It was a large garden, with a glass dome above nature, and pillars and columns to support the building around it, with a small stone pathway circling it beneath. It didn't seem like a centerpiece, but like something small to replace something possibly bigger, maybe for nighttime activities.
In the center of it, there were small stones in the grass and dirt, making a loose flooring. A small white wooden or metal arch sat with two matching chairs and a table.
And Aaron was reading a book.
I walked toward him, trying my best to ignore the beautiful flora as the doors closed behind me.
Walking faster, almost running now, I steeped only on the stones as to not damage the grass.
He peeked up quickly, dismissing me before really seeing me.
"I don't want to leave!" I stopped in front of him, emotionally out of breath and my eyes were probably wild. (Not like - insane - but something.)
He saved his page and set it down, standing up to face me fully. "You don't have to, you can stay!"
I took off my mask quickly, dismissing the fact that guards could be watching. At the moment, I don't care.
"But I have to! You know what I am - what others will be scared of! I can hurt people - I will hurt people! Just me being here. . . It can hurt people. . . You don't even know the extent." I sighed and rubbed my face, dropping my hands afterwards.
"I haven't lived in any sort of civilization in so long! I won't know how to live - I'm not good at socialization, interaction, any of it, and there's always the possibility of people finding out about me, and then I refuse to fight - hurting me, or them or-" I moaned in frustration and pulled at my hair a bit. "I don't know, I don't know, I don't-"
Somehow I didn't even see him stepping closer or know how close he was at the beginning. Or that I had been ranting - my heart nonetheless. I rant about some things, but rarely my feelings.
Realizing this shocked me -
As well as the fact that he leaned down slightly to my height and kissed me to shut me up.
My heart fluttered, and I forgot everything, everyone, and every worry. My nerves stood on end and my blood boiled - not in anger, of course.
He put his hand under my chin and I breathed in his scent, stepping closer and putting one hand on his shoulder.
He pulled away and looked me in the eye. I looked right back, my breathing ragged from shock and the surge I had gotten from the kiss.
"I'll help you. We're in this together now."
I nodded and put my other hand on his chest, calming my breathing as he did his.
It affected him just the same as me.
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ву тнє тιмє ινє fιиιѕнє∂ ωяιтιиg тнιѕ ¢нαρтєя, ιℓℓ вє ωσякιиg σи тαкιиg иσтєѕ fσя ¢нαρтєя 19. ι ℓσνє тнιѕ вσσк.
Word count: 2019
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