The leaf was very small and fragile, flying through the icy air and landing without a sound on the old British snow of Westbury. The traffic lights shone in different colors, changing from green to yellow to red as Maron and I ran over the road, hand in hand.

Her pink, fur coated boots made a low stomping sound as the dirty snow was being stepped on, and footprints were left behind.

I didn't like those boots.

"Chiaki?" Maron whispered, sending a white cloud of her usual warm breath out into the cold air.

I smiled at her, brushing a string of her brown hair out of her eyes.

"Yes, what is it darling?"

A car drove by, disrupting the unusual silence in little 'ol Westbury County. Her hair fell back on its place at her face, only to be brushed away again by her own hands.

"Walk me home?"

I couldn't help but smile as she said that, her face red as she turned away blushing.

She waited for response.

"Sure..." I smiled, only happy to spend a couple of minutes more with this lovely being called Maron Kusakabe.

A car drove by as we were getting closer and closer to her house, walking slower with every step, to make it last longer. She held my hand, the firm grip telling me about how nervous she was, and kept her eyes on her home. She never told me much about her home, but it's not like I haven't asked, I've asked several times.

Only to get the same answer over and over.

My gaze drifted downwards, toward my shoes, so much larger than her boots. She was so small, walking next to him.

All he wanted was to put his arms around her, and squeeze her breathless.

DIIIING DOOOONG!

She rang the doorbell.

"So, this means goodbye, right?" I asked, expecting her to say yes and turn away.

Instead, she kisses me and says;

"Let's go inside."

I was startled, no argument about that. Didn't she want to wait about sleeping with me? Or did she change her mind? I thought, my hope shining like gold.

"I want you to meet my dad!" She added with a cheeky smile on her lips.

I just got my hopes crushed, stomped at and thrown into the garbage bin.

"Sure..." I sighed, disappointed.

"Why don't you have a key to your own house anyway?" I asked.

"Dad is very overprotective. Just kidding, I lost it. " she laughed, making an awful grimace at her embarrassment about being a klutz.

The door opened by it self, inviting us in with an amazingly real robotic voice.

"Dad's invention," she sighed, directed at my amazement over the robotic thingy. I followed her inside, gaping at the warm and light atmosphere that seemed to live on it's own in the room. Maron smiled at me, took off her gloves and mine, held my hand in hers and led me into the living room. The people on paintings that hung on the wall smiled smugly at me, seeming to be amused at something. It kinda freaked me out. In the middle of the room, a large and plushy chair made its place. In front of it, a large fireplace and a glass of red wine. Maron let go of my hand and walked briskly over to the inviting chair, grinning loudly.

"DAD!"