Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.
A/N: Ivan is the main character; I can't remember how to spell the name everybody else calls him.
000OOO000
I woke up, my heart pounding, 'Tonight's Moonlit Eve. Will he ask me?'
The usual sounds of Tabatha moving around soon came to my ears; hopefully, she was choosing one of my lesser dresses. If Ivan was true, he wouldn't care much about what I was wearing. On the other hand, if he did ask me, I would dress into one of my best dresses for tonight, I do like looking nice.
"Mornin' Miss Bianca," Tabatha greeted me, her country drawl fully raising me from my half-consciousness and telling me I should get up now.
Slowly, I sat up, mumbling something similar to, "good morning, Tabatha" to my maid. Before Ivan came, I never said 'good morning' to her, in fact, I treated her worse than dirt. No, I'm not talking about the guy who comes around every holiday and sells stuff, no, I'm talking about our new local farmer. The guy Mist found half dead outside her house one day, and gave her farm to in the end. Ivan, the guy I had been oddly curious about, and insisted that Father take me to visit the next morning. Farmer Ivan, who inspired me to go looking in my basement to find the old, cheap axe, and give it to him when he acme by the following day after we visited him.
That was most likely the nicest thing I had done in a long time, and it had felt nice to do.
Every day after that, rain or shine, holiday or event or normal days, he came and visited me. The only two days he couldn't were the two days last season when typhoons were raging. But the day after each, the day he should have spent only clearing his farm and repairing any damage, he came once again for a visit. Every time he visited, he talked to me like I was a normal human being instead of a prop, just a pretty face to look at.
It was the day after the first typhoon after Ivan came to visit and told me about the damage on his farm, that I realized how much I took for granted. I'm not quite sure why or how I realized it, I knew things got damaged during typhoons, I just realized. Maybe it was because it had hit closer to home, and I finally acknowledged the fact. The next morning, and every morning after that, I made sure to say 'good morning' to Tabatha, or, try to at least. Who knows when she'll be taken away from me.
"Will this dress work?" she asked, pulling one out of my closet.
I rubbed sleep away from my eyes, and swung my legs over the side of the bed. As soon as my vision cleared enough for my sight to focus, I studied the dress she was holding up. It was my oldest one, a very ugly green color that completely clashed with my hair color.
"Yes, I do believe that will work." I replied, my feet hitting the warm rug covering my floor. Personally, I found it much better than cold wood when waking up in the morning.
Tabatha walked over to my dressing screen, continuing on with her ideas, "And I think the one with the pink jacket will be perfect for tonight."
I searched my memory for the image of the dress with the pink jacket. Within moments I found it, it was one of my favorite dresses, and perfect for a cool autumn evening. Nodding, I padded over to my dressing screen where Tabatha was waiting for me. My feet did hit the cold wood for a few moments, helping to wake me further. A thought hit me, and I slowed my steps for a few moments. Peering around the edge of the dressing screen, I saw that Tabatha was ready for me.
Her eyes met mine, "Why so hesitant this morning?"
I went around the corner of the screen, trying to think of a way to put my question into words without sounding stupid. Tabatha stood, silent, waiting for me to speak. It would take a big blow to my pride to ask this, but some things had to be sacrificed, and how could she say no?
"Uh, Tabatha?" I began, still hesitantly, my eyes downcast in embarrassment.
"Yes?" she asked, her tone gentle and encouraging me to ask the question I was going to ask rather than backing out.
"If Ivan comes for me today," I went on, slowly, "I'm going to need help learning how to dress myself."
Tabatha's face broke into a large smile and I felt so very relieved the second I saw it, "I would love to help you, Bianca."
"And about my hair…" I suggested, allowing Tabatha to now come to me and she only assisted me with undressing myself.
Tabatha was so confident that Ivan would come, she figured we would start now rather than later with step one: undressing.
000OOO000
The top of our grand staircase, my favorite spot. I could see outside through all the windows, but I could not be seen through the windows unless somebody knew exactly where to look inside to find me. Not like most people in this village had an interest in me anyway, I was just the daughter of the richest man in this place. Before Ivan came, I had wanted to leave, wanted to move to a big city where I could regularly go out and spend. I had always tried to capture what everybody else seemed to have with shopping, but it never quenched that need within me for something, something I didn't have when I had the money to buy anything I wished.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew what it was that I needed. I had always been jealous of shy Tori and the slow, gentle way Russel had made her feel comfortable around him, and now it was just natural to see them together. Everybody in town knew they would eventually marry; only they knew when though.
Another couple I had always been jealous of was Camus and Melody. Those two had always been happily in love, I could not remember a time when they were not in love, and you could see them together at every festival. Last I had heard, Camus was planning on proposing soon. But that was what Tabatha had heard, and she was not very close to Camus, so I did not know for sure.
The person I had always been most envious of, was Mist. Xavier was always trying so hard to please her, be brave to impress her. Nobody ever wanted to go out of his way to impress me. And when Father talked about how Mist and Xavier reminded him of himself and Mother when they were younger, only backwards, it made me want to rage and weep for the thing I did not seem to deserve.
But that was before my Ivan came.
He did not try to openly impress me, but he had been through caves only Sharron had been through before, and that was before the restrictions were placed on them when the monsters appeared, and I got the full account of what happened, and he never lied to me, he told me of mistakes he made in there, of close encounters with death, and all of the good things, like defeating the large monster at the bottom of every cave so far. His farm was very successful, and I had snuck over to his house a few days earlier to watch him work. Monster houses lined the fence, the "monsters" themselves playing in the yard. I could see the "monster" our village had dubbed Woolly (actually, more like around five of them) playing out as well, and I could feel my nose begin to itch. My allergies would have to be tamed, but it was possible. I would just have to talk to our village's local doctor, Edward.
The door on the ground floor below opened, and it broke me from my thoughts. I could not see the door due to the waist height fence/handrail that lined the staircase, and I always liked to raise the suspicion within me before I indulged in satisfying my curiosity. Father greeted whoever it was with his usual hearty, "Good-morning!" and followed it up by saying something about today being Moonlit Eve. I did not pay close attention to what was being said, it was hard to hear around my heart pounding in my ears, and it was pounding so very quickly.
Footsteps toward the stairs and Tabatha greeting whoever it was, also saying something about it being Moonlit Eve. They may have been closer to me, but that didn't mean it was any easier to hear around the loud pounding of my heart. Steps on the stairs now, and an excited blush crept up onto my cheeks. As he came around the bend in the staircase my heart seemed to explode, he had come to ask me to Moonlit Eve!
We locked eyes and my face turned beet-red. He smiled, but his ears matched the color my face felt. In his hands was a flower, despite the fact that I had no particular favorite object with the dilemma that I could buy anything I wanted. It was still nice to receive gifts, and he insisted on bringing them to me.
"Morning, Bianca." He greeted me, the sound of his voice sending lovely bolts of electricity through my veins.
He extended the flower toward me, "Good morning, Ivan." I smiled, and took the flower from him, feeling his hand take mine.
This was a nice, new experience for me, and I wanted nothing more. I had found what I was missing in life. Never before had I felt so alive.
"Going to Moonlit Eve tonight?" he asked, squeezing my hand.
I blushed even deeper, if it was possible, but was smiling so wide I knew my cheeks would hurt soon. He had passed the first test; he did not just care about my looks.
"I have not been asked yet." I replied, dropping the hint and flirting a bit with him as I looked at him through my eyelashes.
"Well then," now he took my hand in both of his, "will you grace me with your presence tonight?"
My ears matched my face, "Of course I will! Meet me at the top of the mountain at 6 tonight. Now, I need to go prepare."
With that, I gave one of his hands a squeeze, and pulled my hand from his. He watched as I walked down the stairs; flower still in my hand, and into the kitchen where Tabatha was waiting for me. Her smile was huge, and that didn't help my blushes fade.
"Told ya," She flaunted with a giggle, "Now, you need food for tonight and a change of apparel…"
000OOO000
Two hours later, after helping (or trying to help) Tabatha make dinner for Ivan and I and changing into more appropriate clothing for tonight, I was off. My goal was the mountain summit, my basket of food in the crook of my arm. The only way out of town was through Ivan's farm; he was like our towns first defense. It was not so bad, the monsters kept to the caves usually. One had appeared on the farm when Ivan first arrived, but no others but Ivan's were seen outside since.
I strolled down through town, seeing Tori emerge from her home equipped with similar assents as I, but her destination was the beach from the looks of it. Moments later, I emerged out on Ivan's farm. He wasn't there, but his monsters were all out playing outside, going in and out of various cabins. Out of all, three were tending to his fields; one watering, one harvesting, and one heading back and forth to either the shipping bin or the watering hole. I smiled to myself; they all looked so cute and happy. Maybe, just maybe, they would accept me when I came to live here.
A lone monster who had just exited one of the cabins looked over at me as I passed the fields. From what I could tell, his expression was one of curiosity; he had never seen me before. I smiled at him; he really was cute, in a monster-y kind of way. His expression seemed to lighten, and he wandered over to me.
Seeing this, I paused, and kneeled down next to him. He was such like a little kid, I instantly loved him. People usually identified me as the type of person who hated kids, but I had always loved them, they had an innocence I missed. His eyes were wide and innocent, and filled with unending curiosity. My smile had not left my face, and I extended a tentative hand toward him. He took it with one of his hands and inspected it, kind of awkwardly seeing as he was so tiny. After a few moments, he looked back up at me, holding my pinky in his hand. With my other hand, I reached into the basket, and pulled out a small sweet. For a moment I wondered if it was okay for him to have it, but it was basically hardened sugar. Sugars were in everything, right?
It was staring at the sweet with an excited look. I smiled again, and handed the sweet to him. A large grin spread across his face, and he popped it into his mouth. A series of crunching noises ensued, and he looked up at me with pleading eyes. I chuckled, savoring the feeling. Before Ivan came, I never laughed. Now I loved the feeling, I never wanted to let it go.
I felt a tug on my finger, he was asking for more candies. I smiled and told it, "No, you cannot have any more, one is enough. Besides, Ivan and I need some too."
He pouted, and tried once more with the begging. Now, I had never spent long around kids, so I did not know much about them, but if they were mainly like this, I wouldn't mind having one or two. All these monsters were acting like children, except for the fact that they knew how to fight. The bruises and cuts that decorated Ivan's skin every once in awhile proved that fact.
"Oh, Orcan," Ivan called, coming across his fields with a watering can in his hand, "leave Bianca be, she has to head up to the mountain."
Orcan let go of my pinky, and headed over to Ivan, a slight pout on his face. Ivan kneeled next to him, and it took his free pinky.
"She gave you a candy, didn't she?" Ivan asked him, a kind, loving, and knowing look on his face, matching the tone of his voice.
Orcan nodded, and tugged on Ivan's pinky. Ivan grinned in response, and gently pulled his pinky from his grasp.
He smiled and made a shooing motion, "You're spoiled, and you know it. Off with you, you know plenty well that Mist will stop and give you all candy when she passes to go meet Xavier, if she hasn't already."
He sighed his defeat, and began to walk off. At a last minute choice, he turned back toward me, and came back. With a smile, he hugged my waist, and I patted it on the back. Two seasons ago I would not have been even kneeling on the ground, least I get my dress dirty. Now here I was, kneeling on the ground, letting a monster hug me, and liking it.
Now more than ever I wanted to be a part of this world, to be a part of Ivan's world, a necessity of his.
Orcan let me go, and ran off to the rest of the monsters, some of which were now staring at me in curiosity.
Ivan got to his feet, and offered me a hand, "You might want to be on your way, before they all swarm you, asking for candies. Mist learned that he hard way, and now she gets swarmed every day, if she has candies or not."
I smiled and took his hand, replying as he helped me to my feet, "Well, I'll be off then. Remember, 6 tonight."
With a smile from and to Ivan, and a wave toward the monsters, I was off once more, toward the mountain summit.
000OOO000
Everything was prepared, and the sun was low in the sky. Half and hour until 6. It was so beautiful up here, calming and relaxing to the mind. I peered down the mountain, down to the end of the only trail up here. There Ivan stood, or rather paced, at the base of the mountain. He looked just as nervous as I felt.
Was that a good or bad thing?
Slowly, oh, so slowly, the time crept past, my heart pounding louder with every passing moment. Yes, he had asked me, but would tonight work? With my whole heart and soul, with every fiber of my being, I hoped and prayed that it would work. It was then that I finally and completely realized it. I was in love with Ivan. Finally I had found what everybody else had that I had searched desperately for, but could never find.
Until now. Now I had found what I was searching for.
The clocks turned toward 6, the small silver one around my wrist chiming quietly. Once again I peered down the trail and saw Ivan check his own wrist-clock. He was too far away for me to see his expression, but I was never too good at reading expressions anyway. All I knew was how I felt.
I felt nervous, excited, confused, all jumbled together. It felt mainly… good, like my heart was swelling with an emotion I was not quite familiar with. But the nervousness and confusion confused me further, causing me to retreat back the way I had come, not too sure what I was doing and deathly afraid to do wrong.
"Hey Bianca," Ivan greeted, breaking me from my thoughts, "Smells great, making me hungrier than I already am."
I smiled, a blush creeping into my cheeks, "Well, come sit on the blanket with me so we can eat, silly."
He smiled as well, sitting next to me on the blanket, as I had indicated, "One thing first."
"Hmm?" I asked, looking over at him.
Now he held a flower in his hand, a Blue Magic Bell flower, the beauty of fall. It was smaller than usual, but one of the most beautiful I had ever seen. Ivan made no move to give it to me, so I made no move to take it from him.
He held it up at eye level, "Two of the most beautiful things in the world."
A blush of pleasure crept into my cheeks and I smiled. His ears matched my face again, and he smiled back at me. He tucked the flower into my hair, over one of my ears. It felt strange sitting there, but I felt so lovely.
"Thank you," I told him quietly, but then didn't know what else to do, "Want some sandwiches?"
His stomach growled, breaking the slight tension that was between us, accenting my words.
"Does that answer your question?" was his answer and I laughed.
000OOO000
The meal had passed by blissfully. We ate together as the sun continued to lower in the sky. By the time the sun was about to set, we had finished eating and were starting to clean up.
"Thank you, Bianca, it was a delicious meal." Ivan thanked me, kissing me on the forehead and causing me to blush with pleasure once again.
I hoped that he hadn't assumed that I made it all by myself, "You do know I only helped Tabatha make this, and she did most of the work, I just learned a bit."
He smiled, and tucked the last plate into the basket for me, "I figured that would be the most likely scenario, but you're learning to cook from her and your father wouldn't hire anybody but the best, so you're going to be relatively good at it by the time she's done with you."
It took me a moment to completely think that over and figure it out. He was right. And if I ended up not being good at cooking, well, at least I knew how to do it. At the very least, I could fix the average stuff for Ivan and myself.
I smiled, and we turned toward the sunset, or rather, the one that hadn't started quite yet. Half of me was hoping he would take my hand again, that contact had made me feel like I found the connection to the other half of my soul. The other half of me didn't know what to think, only confusing me all the more.
Was it me, or was he scooting closer to me?
Within moments, our arms were touching. Another blush erupted across my cheeks; he had been scooting closer to me. Another moment later he wrapped his arm around my waist, and I felt my whole body erupt into a bolt of electric fire of aliveness. I could not help myself, I leaned into his embrace. His free hand reached over, and lifted its counterpart from my lap, our fingers lacing together. It was like we were two pieces of a puzzle and we fit perfectly together. There was nowhere else in the world I would rather be than with Ivan. I felt complete with him.
"Bianca," he whispered as the sun began to set, "I love you."
I sighed happily and sank further into his embrace, "I love you too, Ivan. Never leave me."
"I won't, I promise."