The long awaited, belated 10th chapter in Forgotten Promise is finally here! I'm sorry for the long wait! I've been doing driver's ed classes, and of course I also had to attend a robotics competition, (which was a lot of fun), this weekend, not to mention I had no idea where I wanted the story to go, (I still don't). Anyway, I've been kind of going through this Peter Pan phase recently, (really random, I know), so I might be writing a fanfiction about that soon.
!
"Claire?"
"Hmm?" Claire responded distractedly. She had been gazing out the window of Lumina's room, drowning in her own thoughts. It was a tad bit difficult to look out from all the flowers that crowded Lumina's room.
"You seem quite distracted…is everything alright?" Lumina studied Claire with concern. Claire nervously swiped one of her grayish-brown strands of hair out of her eyes.
"Could I…talk to you about something important for a moment?" Claire requested quietly.
"Of course! Is that even a question?" Lumina exclaimed. Claire smiled shyly. Of course she would listen. Lumina was that type of person, which Claire would be forever grateful for.
"Alright…" Claire began. She was unsure of what to say. Her feelings have become quite muddy as of late. She had no way of distinguishing her feelings anymore. Claire would lay awake late at night, trying to discern the exact meaning of her feelings, never able to find an answer.
"I've been really confused lately. My feelings are…they have…it's just…" Claire became frustrated. It was proving to be extremely difficult to put to words how she felt.
"You are in love with someone?" Lumina finished gently, touching Claire's arm. Claire's face grew crimson, confirming Lumina's suspicions. She smiled encouragingly.
"I guess you could say that," Claire said finally.
Lumina took Claire's hand carefully. "I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'm not."
Claire's eyes widened, and her head snapped in Lumina's direction in a flash. "Am I that obvious?" Claire asked, alarmed. Lumina giggled melodically.
"No, at least not to someone who doesn't know you." Claire thought for a moment, before it began to sink in. "Unfortunately for you, the entire town knows you very well."
"Oh my god," Claire put her hands to her head in absolute terror. Lumina stroked her hair kindly.
"You don't have anything to worry about. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Rick felt the same way. You two spend so much time together, it's almost a mystery how the both of you aren't a couple yet." Claire's eyes drifted in Lumina's direction, relaxing at the sight of her encouraging smile. "There's no shame in liking someone. It's a natural part of life."
"I know but…I don't like the thought that everyone in town knows that, with the exception of Rick," Claire replied slowly.
"Claire, you have to remember that we live in such a small, close-knit town, it's almost impossible for everyone not to notice these things." Lumina gazed at a bright red rose that sat in one of the many vases in her room. Her eyes lit up with affection and joy. Claire studied Lumina's expression before looking at the rose, sudden realization dawning upon her.
"You like him!" Claire jumped up and pointed her finger accusingly. Lumina snapped out of her daze, and quickly shushed Claire.
"It is not like that Claire. It's just…" Claire shook her head, not listening to a word Lumina said.
"Don't be feeding me the bull, Lumina. I know that expression. You love him," Claire stated, smiling wide. Lumina opened her mouth to object, before finally bowing her head in embarrassment. Her face began turning pink, and she shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Yes, I do," Lumina admitted. Claire clapped her hands, and began to squeal.
"Oh my gosh, Lumina! You have to tell him!" Lumina began to shake her head rapidly.
"I can't, it's not a good time to do so…" Claire folded her hands.
"I'm not taking a no for an answer on this one, Lumina. My brother has been going here every day for that past 4 years to give you flowers, even when you were gone. It's time that you finally reciprocate his feelings." Lumina shook her head again stubbornly. "I'm serious about this Lumina. If you won't tell him, then I will."
"You wouldn't."
"You know I will. I always follow through with my promises. This is not an exception."
Lumina pondered for a moment. "That is extremely childish of you."
"I like to think that blackmail is a lot more sophisticated than that."
Lumina began to toss the idea in her head. She didn't want to do it, but at this point there was no reason in not doing it. She sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll do it."
Claire smiled, triumphant. She grabbed Lumina's arm and began dragging her out of the mansion. "Claire! What are you doing?"
"You're going to confess your feelings to my brother. Now."
!
Mark was leaning against the outside wall of the inn, in the shade of the upstairs balcony, conversing with Takakura. Claire and Lumina sat at the well next to the Blue Bar, waiting for Takakura to leave before Lumina confessed her feelings.
After a couple of minutes, Takakura finally left Mark outside alone, walking into the inn for who-knows-why. Claire gently pushed Lumina out into the open, catching the attention of Mark, who immediately straightened up, and pushed himself away from the support of the wall.
"Lumina! I thought you were hanging out with Claire at the mansion?" He asked, cocking his eyebrow curiously. Lumina nervously tucked a rebellious strand of hair behind her ear, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Mark.
"Umm, we were, but I-I wanted to quickly say something to you," Lumina stuttered. Mark stared into Lumina's eyes deeply, all of his attention focused solely on her. She took a deep breath of courage. "I think that at this point…it's pretty obvious that you have feelings for me." Mark nodded, though not confirming nor denying her statement. "I've never really given you an answer on how I feel, and I think it's been long overdue that I tell you." Lumina paused for a moment, almost unable to speak further. "Mark, I love you."
Mark's face immediately broke into a wide grin. He picked up Lumina by the waist and twirled her around, the both of them laughing. Then, Lumina bowed her head to catch her lips with his. Meanwhile, Claire watched the entire scene ecstatically, doing a small dance when the two began kissing. Mark carefully placed Lumina back down on the ground, not breaking contact with her for another couple of seconds. When the two pulled away, Claire ran up to Lumina to hug her tightly. Mark stared at his sister inquisitively, and gave a questioning look to Lumina, almost to ask, "How long had she been there?" Lumina just smiled, giving him the, "I'll tell you about it later," look.
"Congratulations!" She whispered in Lumina's ear. Lumina smiled gratefully. Mark walked up to Lumina's side. "I think this calls for a little celebration. How about a visit to the best place in dining and entertainment?" Mark asked, smiling mischievously. Lumina rolled her eyes. "Alright." Mark carefully hooked her arm with his. Claire quickly waved goodbye to the new couple, and the two walked away arm-in-arm with each other towards the Blue Bar.
When Claire turned around, she saw Rick studying her quietly from the bridge. She blushed slightly unsure of how to react. Finally, she ran into the inn to tell Ruby the good news.