I´m sorry all you who wanted to read more and I did not update in a while.
Being fourteen and half mom could FINALLY be proud of me in a serious manner. Not as for ,oh, what a cute little girl we have home´ but ,oh, what a nice young lady we have home...´
Nice young lady. Aterulmen almost fell over laughing hearing this but when I glared on him he raised up claws and apologized, though still with that face on.
But seriousness had to be in place when I dealt with my family, you-could-say friends or simply people from the village. It was expected from me, after all...
Although I was in a stage where I indeed DID all my chores well (I had a hard time learning everything, but now I did it well), behaved (except for the night trips out to the forest, but that's a detail...), was all mature, but the adults just didn´t trust me enough yet to ensure me with a task, secret, or the simple trust that involved leaving me alone during daytime, believing that I did everything I should have without checking on it after.
But looking closely on my lifestyle- my personality it wasn´t hard to guess why. Mom often joked I probably got it because of my hair of their color.
,,Their wildness, their lifestyle, always out like a forest minx.´´
Always except for this damned winter.
Well, winter... It was a strange time where it SHOULD have been winter, but it was only as cold that it was uncomfortable, but snow nowhere. Just rain...
It poured down for a week now, parents getting concerned for our backyard where a nice pool stayed, sometimes frozen on the top. Although I must say my little brother enjoyed it very much, he always tried just how far could he go to not get completely wet.
I envied him.
Of course, I couldn´t go out. Not that they locked me inside, but... I couldn´t go further than our roof could reach. And seeing my dreamy looks out my parents we´re suspicious of course, so they didn´t leave me alone. And if, then with the younger kid, so I had to watch over him.
I only was left alone at night. Who would be so crazy to go out at such low temperatures, not dressed, when it´s wet outside? Even I wasn´t. I just stand under the roof, as far as I could, as close to the forest as I could.
I liked this kind of loneliness, when I didn´t have to deal with being mature and didn´t need to hide the longing looks towards the forest. There wasn´t much to see, only the darkness, dripping water, some ice (it really was some chill out there) and trees. All was in dark shades of green and blue as far as I could see, and the mud was a mixture of brown and green.
Not until a week and half did I see something other stir behind the trees.
A bright, warm, forbidden color.
At first my heart jumped up to my throat, seeing that. I couldn´t see just what it was, WHICH it was. I admit, I was quite scared. They didn´t come near in a good while... just what could they possibly-
,,Gwen, chill, it´s only me.´´
When I saw the familiar predatory face I almost collapsed with relief.
,,You jerk, you scared me,´´I exhaled, laughing slightly. How could I think otherwise? Of course it´s him.
,,Sorry. Where are you? You weren´t in in a while,´´ he made a grin.
I pointed up to the sky, then on my head.
,,Color trouble.´´
,,Oh, it´s red now,´´ he noticed.
,,I figured that since I won´t go out anyway I might as well keep it like this...´´
,,Ah, I missed that color.´´ He looked around nervously, stings up, cape pulled over face. For a while I swear I couldn´t make a difference between him and the others I´ve seen.
,,Can I come closer?´´
,,The whole house is asleep, so just like the old times,´´ I smirked, motioning for him to come there.
He swiftly jumped through the mud and under the roof in a few seconds, stopping by me.
,,Hello, missus,´´ he made a little bow which caused a burst of giggles from me.
,,Oh, cut that,´´ I then hugged him, although finding out he´s all wet I immediately pulled back.
,,Where we´re you? Did you stand out in the rain or something?´´
,,Actually, yes. While waiting for YOU!´´ he scorned, pointing on my chest with a claw. ,,Letting your dearest friend wait like this. Is that nice?´´
,,Oh pleeease, kitty,´´ I rolled eyes, crossing arms. ,,I´m a grown woman, I have my obligations. Does that little wait kill you?´´
,,Ohoh, not like a grown predator does not. I don´t even need to come here, darling. You stand out here waiting as if for a lover a week something and now that I come you say you have obligations. Ooh, dear God. What did I do to deserve this treatment?´´ he wailed.
,,Now you´re just being over-dramatic, Ater,´´ my lips curled up at the show.
Grown predator business, okay. He was a adult hunter among his own.
But that I stand out waiting as for a lover, well HEY. I would have to know something about that if I did so. He overdid it at this point.
,,Hell, I´m out here on human territory, my tail freezing off, gone all the way from home at this hour at night just to see you, and you tell me I´m being over-dramatic.´´
,,You did it again,´´ I laughed this time.
Okay, he was right at this.
,,Well, miss red-haired beauty, at least invite me inside for a while,´´ he rolled eyes, clasping claws together.
I couldn´t hide the smile that crept up as he called me a beauty. Good thing it was so dark out.
,,Well, mister must-not-be-speak-of,´´ I decided to play along, he smirked at it. ,,the only place I can invite you to is my bedroom, since the rest of the house is occupé. Won´t you feel, you know, a bit scandalous like this?´´
Joke. It´s not like he wasn´t in my room before, he was near my bed as well. But I was curious about his reaction.
,,Oh pleeease, I don´t care where as long as I´m in,´´ he stated quite innocently, on which I turned to open the door, blushing slightly.
I knew him all too well. When he had this tone of voice, he wasn´t AT ALL thinking innocently. That was a double-meaning statement. He knew very well, and he knew I got it, since I heard the dark chuckling behind my back.
,,ATER, you´re really creeping me out now!´´ I snapped, hugging myself on instinct.
,,I won´t anymore,´´ he said in a apologetic voice, although it still had a layer underneath I couldn´t quite put my finger on. Nevertheless he pulled back, straightening, and I quickly led us through the corridor to my room and shut the door.
,,Home, sweet home,´´ he commented, sitting on the ground and exhaling.
,,I´m gonna have a puddle here by the time you leave,´´ I eyed the situation critically.
,,Not like I can help it,´´ he replied with a sour grin. ,,I did say I was out a lot and it is either snow, rain, mud or puddl-´´
He shut only when I covered his head with a towel and started rubbing it gently.
,,Wha...?´´
,,Drying you off, dummy.´´
He stayed completely speechless, probably since I never did this kind of treatment before.
It wasn´t all that hard, it was like rubbing Scarlet. He struggled like that too at first, then when I was more careful he relaxed, lying onto my hand, stings lying flat as well.
,,Nothing to be afraid of,´´ I stated with a slight grin.
,,You´re a moment ruiner, Gwen,´´ he growled.
,,My apologies. It´s kind of my nature.´´
Now that he warmed up, the fever was back in full blow. Okay, personal warming up device...
,,I´m hot again, aren´t I?´´ he murmured.
,,You feel it?´´
,,I do feel... when it comes.´´
I stopped rubbing his head.
,,What?´´
,,Er, nevermind. Keep up,´´ he tried to wave it off.
,,Not until you explain.´´
,,It´s out maturing thiiing... nothing you should be worried about.´´
,,Well, I am.´´
,,Other time, Gwen.´´
,,WHAT other time? It´s gonna be wet outside for a while and I doubt you will come here every night. I don´t want to wait that long.´´
,,Who says I won´t come every night?´´ he looked on me mischievously, pulling the towel off his eyes.
,,It´s dangerous!´´ I argued, crossing arms.
,,So is you coming over to us.´´
,,But, err... they´re used to me, aren´t they?´´ I grinned nervously, not sure if it was true.
,,They tolerate you as long as you´re always with me, so don´t do anything reckless,´´ he sat straight up now, all playfulness gone.
,,And what if I wasn´t?´´ I titled head to the side curiously.
He lowered sight.
,,Don´t try it.´´
,,Well what if I DID? By accident?´´
,,Don´t try it.´´ This time it was a bit of a threat with panic underneath. ,,You´re smart, Gwen. It´s a deal for a reason...´´
I sighed.
,,Yes, don´t worry.´´
And what about all those times I went to wait for him and he wasn´t there? That probably doesn´t count... I did want to be with him.
,,Oh, thank you.´´
All of a sudden I was in a bit wet embrace, but either way warm.
,,I don´t know what I´d do without you.´´
Silence.
An awkward silence stayed.
,,I... eh...´´
,,Um...´´
Still silence.
Then he was up on, standing straight.
,,If you have no news, then I´ll just be going,´´ he blabbered so he almost choked on his own words, wrapping his cape more tightly around him, then opening my window quickly.
,,Good night,´´ he shot back.
,,Good night then... hey, HEY, wait.´´
,,What?´´ he turned around, finding me in front of his face.
,,You come all the way here and then go off with nothing?´´
I pulled his head closer, placing a small kiss on his mouth.
Again, he stayed speechless for a while, staring back at me.
,,Well... I did not expect anything. Although, thank you.´´
He lowered sight, then jumped out the window, disappearing in the forest in a matter of seconds.
…...
The rain was still there the next day, but it was considerably colder. It could turn into snow anytime so parents decided we will be all staying indoors for now.
,,I want to go out,´´ my baby brother whined, hugging mom´s waist.
,,No, dear, not today, there´s ice everywhere, you can slip,´´ she said gently, but firmly, patting his head.
Dad came storming in with hands full of wood, dropping it beside our fireplace then going to close all doors.
,,It´s bad even at the edge, those there must be freezing asses off. I do not envy anyone who is in the forest now.´´
I started to laugh such so I had to place my sewing to the ground in order to not pinch myself.
,,Please, Theo,´´ mom said reproachfully. ,,don't speak of them in such a manner.´´
,,I still think it is true.´´
,,Seconded!´´ I lifted hand, grinning.
,,You´re both the same,´´ she rolled eyes. ,,and if she grows to be alike you were when young then God protects us.´´
Dad lifted up both hands, playing with the fire.
,,It is nothing bad to flirt a little. What do you say, Gwen?´´
I shrugged, continuing to sew. Well well, dad and flirty? I couldn´t imagine.
,,Oh, come on. There must be at least someone you´re keen on by now!´´
,,NO!´´ I defended myself, blushing.
,,Oh come on, she has a lot of time for that yet,´´ mom stand by me. ,,at least until she´s eighteen.´´
I sighed gratefully.
,,Thanks, mom.´´
,,I wouldn´t say so,´´ dad shrugged as well, throwing another piece of wood inside. ,,you know how it goes- holding hands, walking around... you don´t even know and you´re leaving the house.´´
,,DAD!´´ I shrieked in embarrassment, while mom went and gave him a slight slap behind the ear.
,,Behave!´´ she snorted. My parents sure had a playful side when having nothing to do.
,,Are you leaving us, Gwen?´´ brother looked at me from the ground innocently.
,,Of course not,´´ I smiled, petting his head. ,,even if I am married or something I´ll be sure to visit you. So don´t worry, you´re not losing your big sis anytime soon.´´
He hugged my waist, giggling.
,,That´s good to hear, Gwen. And I´m sure I can trust you in picking your future spouse,´´ mom stated.
For some reason I lowered sight to the sewing at this.
