Back again! Second last chapter you guys! *sniffle* Again, these last two chapters aren't one right after the other; they're still in linear chronological order, but there are time jumps in between.
This one takes place about a season or two after Maya's parents left.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Bamboo, For Luck
"I wish I could've spent more time with your parents," Raeger sighed, toying with a delicate sterling silver chain in his left hand. "I barely got to embarrass you."
Maya rolled her eyes, looking up from her book to see that Raeger had stopped working again. "You know, you're never going to get that finished in time if you keep taking 'breaks' like this." She commented, ignoring his melancholy.
The copper haired chef eyed her grumpily, puffing enough air from his lips to push his wild bangs out of his face.
"Don't huff at me," Maya scolded, nonchalantly turning the page. "You're the one who wanted to make one instead of buying it."
Iris and Raeger's anniversary was fast approaching- a full year together for the two of them. Raeger had absolutely insisted on getting her something special, something that he could be proud to hand to her and claim he'd thought it up all on his own. After a lot of painful deliberation, he'd settled on a ruby necklace, but simply buying one was out of the question.
"I didn't think it was going to be this hard," Raeger groaned, turning back to the needle nose pliers he'd abandoned. Maya had offered to lend him her jewelry making equipment, but as payment she demanded he let her watch him struggle. Raeger had agreed quickly, thinking he would have little trouble assembling the piece, but now he was regretting his thinking.
"Of course it's hard!" Maya laughed, this time closing her book and putting it next to her on Raeger's couch. The restaurant was closed today, and Raeger had invited her over for lunch. She barely got to read anymore, between her work and her social life, but she often tried to find the time. "Why do you think it takes me so long?"
A Sewing Room was the next Maker Shed Maya had built on Eda's property. She barely used it, mostly because of the time it took, but after some practise she was fairly good at making little trinkets. She mostly made them for gifts, but she did manage to sell the odd one or two.
"You're busy," Raeger shrugged, cursing as he again dropped the piece of wire he was shaping. "I figured it was an availability thing."
"Try holding it differently," Maya offered less than helpfully. Raeger ignored her, much to her amusement.
It was a beautiful Fall day, the sun shining brightly through Raeger's living room window. Maya almost felt it a shame to be inside, but the wind was gathering a chill and it was wonderfully warm wrapped in her sweater, curled comfortably on the plush sofa across from Raeger's makeshift desk. Going outside was the last thing she wanted to do.
"So what was your bright idea, then?" Raeger snipped, dropping the ruby again out of frustration. "Little Miss Know It All?"
Maya tilted her head, her eyebrows knitting together and making her nose scrunch.
"What do you mean?" She asked, pointing at the unfinished necklace. "You want me to come up with something?"
"No," Raeger rolled his eyes, turning around in his chair for the sole purpose of flicking Maya's forehead. "It's yours and Klaus's anniversary too, isn't it?"
Raeger was correct; Maya and Klaus had gotten together only a few hours after Raeger and Iris, so it was technically their anniversary as well. Maya laughed, realising what he was asking her.
"I've got it covered," Maya assured him with a wink, reaching for her backpack and fumbling with the strap. Once her hands wrapped firmly around the rough fabric she pulled, dragging the heavy pack into her lap.
"And I suppose it's perfect for him," Raeger mumbled bitterly, more of a statement than a question.
"Would you relax?" Maya chided, rummaging in her bag for Klaus's anniversary gift. It had taken her weeks to find, and she'd nearly cried when she finally did. The shopkeeper offered her a discount at the sight of her, just thrilled to be able to sell her something she'd clearly wanted so badly. "Iris is going to love whatever you end up getting her, even if it is a mangled mess of wire and string."
"Not helping," Raeger sniffed; still he was interested in what Maya had just produced from her backpack. She hadn't bothered wrapping it, the shape would've given it away.
"I know it doesn't look like much, but he's going to love it."
In her hands she held an antique pocket watch, tarnished with age and marked in a few places, but even through the damage Raeger could tell it was beautiful. It looked to be brass, but he wasn't sure. The intricate pattern on the cover resembled a medieval masterpiece, and when she clicked it open the beauty only magnified.
"I had to get the gears and everything replaced, because it was stopped when the pawn shop got it in." Maya explained, running her thumb over the glass. "It's really old, and only about 12 of these were ever made."
Raeger was busy examining the face of the watch, the colour of pale parchment and the letters looking like they were inked by hand. And, just as Maya said, the little watch ticked along in time, never missing a beat despite the way that it showed its age.
"It's definitely… interesting?" Raeger tried, wondering at why she would get such a thing for Klaus.
Maya shoved him, wrapping the pocket watch back up and placing it gently in her bag for safekeeping.
"Klaus told me his dad used to carry one just like it," She explained, gathering her things as she spoke. "He gave it to Klaus before he left, but the big oaf lost it years ago. He never thought he'd see it again."
"How did you find one?" Raeger asked, the reality of only 12 of these watches existing in the world was beginning to sink in. "Seriously, how?"
Maya winked knowingly. "The owner of the Pawn Shop in Flower Bud owes me a favor or two. When I told him what I was looking for he asked around and found someone who was willing to sell, but he backed out at the last minute. Saul managed to convince him in the end, but I was pretty scared there for a bit."
"How much did you pay for that?" Raeger asked, afraid of the answer.
"If I told you, you'd shit yourself." Maya straightened, leaving it at that. "Anyway, I've gotta get going. Klaus told me to meet him at the farm in about half an hour, so I better move if I don't want to be late."
"Want me to walk you up?" Raeger offered, looking a little too excited at the prospect of taking a longer break from his misery.
"I'll be fine," Maya assured him, laughing at his disappointment. "I don't know what Klaus has planned, but I almost certainly don't want you to be there for it."
.
Klaus took a deep breath, glancing at his watch. Maya would be here at any moment, and he was getting nervous. Everything that moved made him jump; he was terrified the next thing would be Maya, her head bobbing happily along the mountain trail.
He took another deep breath to steady himself, placing his hand reassuringly over his breast pocket. Maya's gift pushed back almost accusingly against his palm, making him sweat.
It'll be alright
Klaus wanted to believe that. He really did, but an inexplicable fear had gripped him when he left his house this morning. Even with the premature blessing from Maya's parents on his side, the prospect of what he was facing loomed on the horizon.
There was no use for him to panic, even though he was quite sure he'd continue to. Klaus began to shuffle his feet, waiting for his girlfriend to appear before him, and then the hard part would begin.
.
When Maya arrived at her farm, she was ambushed.
Klaus was waiting for her at the entrance, barely giving her time to greet him before he presented her with a choice: blindfold, or don't look. Maya had chosen the latter, giggling as he began leading her to the West side of her farm.
He was abnormally quiet, a soft buzzing filling the air that Maya wasn't sure if she was imagining. They walked a few paces, path giving away to plush grass and eventually to a squishy mud-like ground. Maya knew they were near the river that ran by her farm, but she couldn't quite figure out why.
Just as she was beginning to think hard about it, Klaus stopped and instructed her to wait there.
"Why does this seem so familiar?" Maya joked, keeping her hands held firmly over her eyes. She could sense Klaus moving behind her, and the rustling combined with the sound of the waves that she couldn't see was making her dizzy.
"Oh hush," Klaus chuckled, coming to stand before Maya as she squirmed with excitement. Looking at her, even without meeting her eyes, made his heart hammer in his chest. Klaus never considered himself a nervous sort, but he was beginning to change that mindset now. Maya made his stomach flip more times than he was able to count. "You can open your eyes now."
Excitedly, Maya dropped her hands. They hadn't gone far, only to the river on Eda's old farm. Klaus had wanted to ensure they had their privacy. Maya looked around, taking note of anything that would clue her in to what was happening.
Klaus was standing in front of her, holding back laughter as she looked everywhere but where she was supposed to. Eventually, her bright eyes turned to the small, hand-crafted, bamboo boat cupped loosely in Klaus's hands.
"What's this?" She asked curiously, poking the thick leaves with her index finger. It was a charming little boat, crafted with care. Klaus cleared his throat, gesturing for her to take the boat from him while he removed something from his coat pocket.
Maya took the boat gently, watching as Klaus rummaged through his jacket for two small pieces of parchment paper and a fountain pen.
"What are those for?" Maya prompted, only just realising that he hadn't answered her first question either. Klaus winked, holding out one of the pieces for her.
"The Star Festival is this month in Flower Bud," Klaus admitted, nodding to the sky where clouds peppered the night. "It's not a large gathering like the Firefly Festival, in fact, it's not even today, but I thought we'd just have our own here."
In truth, he couldn't wait any longer. The actual festival seemed lightyears away- as a matter of fact, he wasn't even sure if it was this month, but Maya didn't know that.
Maya smirked, quirking an eyebrow at him.
"So Flower Bud Festivals are just your go-to for dates, hm?" She teased, scrunching her nose at him. "Couldn't come up with any original ideas?"
Klaus gave her an amused look, ignoring her playful jabs. "We can go back inside, if you prefer," He hinted, pulling the parchment back slowly.
"Oh, stop it," Maya tutted, though for a moment her face registered panic. Klaus couldn't hold back his hearty laugh. "What's this festival about, then? If it's a star festival, why do we need the boat?"
Klaus nodded to the river behind him, and then to the boat still cradled in Maya's hands.
"The Star Festival is essentially a wish festival," He explained, trying to keep his voice from wavering. "You write down a wish on these pieces of parchment paper, attach them to the boat, and place the boat in the water."
"And the wishes are supposed to come true in the following year?" Maya guessed, examining the boat again. It had just enough room for two pieces of folded paper.
"Generally, one wishes for luck, good fortune, health, things like that." Klaus explained, taking the boat from Maya so her hands were free to write. "So, go ahead, write something down."
"Wait!" Maya exclaimed, laughing. "Give me a second! I haven't had time to think about this!"
Klaus groaned teasingly, rolling his eyes. Maya glared at him, sinking to the dry grass and holding the pen between her teeth as she thought. Now Klaus really did groan, shaking his head at her. Maya shushed him again, and he saw no point in arguing with her. Instead, he sank to the ground beside her, being sure not to catch a glimpse of what she was writing.
After an obscenely long time, Maya finally finished her note with a flourish of the pen. Klaus raised his eyebrow at her, waiting for her to change her mind. The sound of the river and a distant owl filled the air, Maya remaining completely silent as she folded the wish into a tiny, perfect square.
"Done," She announced triumphantly, handing the pen to Klaus. He was chuckling again, even as he wrote down his own wish. Klaus didn't have to think about his, he'd been planning it for nearly a week.
"That was pretty fast," Maya pouted, examining his paper as he folded it into a square just as neat and perfect as hers. "Are you sure you don't want to think about it more? What if you send the boat off and then regret your wish?"
"I won't regret it," Klaus whispered sincerely, standing with the bamboo boat in hand. He extended his arm to Maya, pulling her to her feet. She shook her head, muttering something about how quickly he'd decided on his wish, and followed him to the water's edge.
"Is there some sort of ceremony to this?" She questioned, leaning over the softly churning water. "Or do we just sort of drop it in?"
Klaus barked out a quick laugh.
"Gently, but yes." He confirmed, placing the boat in her hands. "You just drop it in. I'll give you the honours, of course."
Maya smiled. Carefully, she stretched her arms out over the small waves lapping at the shore. As they crashed onto the rocks below her, she could feel chilly droplets speckling the backs of her hands.
The boat was a lot easier to steady than she expected it to be. Nearly as soon as she'd placed it on the surface, the current took it smoothly from her grasp. A brusque thrill ran down her spine as she watched the little boat speed away from them, carrying their wishes with it.
Maya hadn't expected to feel quite the way she did. It was almost sad, watching the bamboo boat disappear, but it was also exciting. Not knowing where it would eventually end up, it was easy to picture that their wishes would eventually reach someone- or something- that could make them come true.
"So, what did you wish for?" Maya grinned, straightening as the boat left her line of sight. "Or is this like a birthday wish thing where you can't tell me or it won't come true-?"
Spinning, Maya couldn't see Klaus. She looked around in confusion for a moment, about to call out to him, when suddenly she got the unexplainable urge to look down.
Klaus was there, just as he'd always been, one knee on the ground before her.
"What…?" Maya worked her mouth, her entire brain failing at once. She stared at him, at the nervous smile on his face, at the closed fist he held out to her.
"Maya Deorlo," Klaus began, clearing his throat against the nerves. Immediately Maya lost the ability to speak properly. She continued to stare at him, mouth slightly agape. "There's something I need to ask you."
Maya waited, heart pounding frantically in her chest, as Klaus spoke.
"It would be impossible for me to say everything I want to say," Klaus admitted, shifting uncomfortably. "You've affected my life so wholly we would be here all night, so I'll just say this: Maya, I love you. I love you more than I thought I'd ever be able to love anyone. I've said it before and I'll say it as many times as I need to."
Maya's knees had begun to shake.
"You're the most important thing in this world to me," Klaus continued, feeling his own anticipation ballooning in his chest. "I want to spend every day of the rest of my life making you the happiest woman in the world. And as a start, I'd like nothing more than to make you my wife."
Klaus's finger unfurled. Nestled snuggly in his palm, on a bed of a single, plump, blue feather, was a gorgeous diamond ring.
"Maya Deorlo," Klaus repeated, now beginning to feel the weight of his proposal in his stomach. "Will you marry-?"
The words weren't out of Klaus's mouth before he was falling backwards, his arms wrapping tightly around Maya's torso as she squealed and tackled him. They tumbled onto the grass, Klaus protecting her from striking the dirt too harshly, the ring and feather tucked safely in his hand.
"Yes!" Maya exclaimed happily, squeezing him. "Yes, yes, definitely yes!"
"I didn't even finish the question!" Klaus laughed, although his own happiness bubbled over and he couldn't stop himself from burying his nose in her hair as she hugged him. "Will you marry me?"
"Yes!" Maya answered again, leaning up to look him in the eye. "Yes, I absolutely will marry you, Klaus."
His hand slipped to the back of her neck, pulling her down so that he may kiss her. He was relieved, though he sincerely doubted she'd say no. Still, Klaus had been scared. He wasn't sure what he would've done if she'd turned him down. Luckily, she didn't.
Maya moaned softly in her throat, tangling her fingers in Klaus's hair as he claimed her mouth, wrapping his arms around her and rolling them so that he could pin her.
"What a way to ask," Maya breathed, already shimmying out of her jeans. Klaus thought of stopping her, but as she arched her back and brushed against him, he thought better of it. He didn't particularly care if they were outside or not.
"Would you have preferred I ask another way?" Klaus smirked, trailing kisses along her neck.
"No," Maya answered quickly. "I was just noting how incredibly 'you' it was."
Klaus laughed. "I suppose I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should. I meant it as one."
Stopping her before she completely derailed him, Klaus pulled away from Maya's skin. She pouted, reaching up to drag him back to her, when she realised what he was doing. Klaus unfurled his fist once again, revealing the ring to her.
"I don't suppose you'd like to put this on?" He smirked, his golden eyes sparkling in the blue light of the moon. Maya blushed, but nodded fervently. She would like nothing more, as a matter of fact.
Shifting so that she could support herself on one arm, Maya offered her left hand to Klaus's outstretched fingers. For some reason, watching him slip the ring onto her finger was far too much and Maya had to squeeze her eyes shut until she felt the cool metal resting comfortably against her skin.
Blinking, she observed her hand. It looked so much better with the ring, like something had been missing there before. Suddenly she realised she hadn't given him the pocket watch yet, but it seemed almost inappropriate to do it now. She would give it to him tomorrow, when they were laying together in her bed, sun reflecting in the through the window. Inexplicably, tears began to well in her eyes.
"Are you alright Maya?" Klaus whispered, pushing a stray lock of hair away from Maya's face. She nodded, blinking away the wetness from her cheeks.
"I'm just really happy," She laughed, wrapping her arms around Klaus's neck and pulling him to her. He gladly obliged, sinking into her embrace just as tears began to prick the back of his own eyes.
"I know love," He tightened his hold on her, pressing her small body into his as close as he possibly could. "I am too."
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