Hey there! It's been quite a while. In case you're wondering, I took a break from writing to study for an exam. The good news is that I passed and after computing the average score, the result was high enough for me to take level 4 of basic Japanese. I'm so excited to continue learning once classes start hopefully in January. While I'm waiting, I used my free time to write this chapter. Happy reading!
Snow Much Fun!
Four days have passed since I stumbled upon the theatre and met Balan. I have adjusted well to life in Wonderworld and felt a whole lot better after opening up to him about my feelings and vulnerabilities. Balan, Tori, and I enjoyed traveling to different worlds such as the forest, the valley, and a theme park. They were all enormous and beautiful; it made me want to explore more of what Wonderworld has to offer. We were lying down on the grass, looking at the sky and seeing different shapes of clouds.
"Where do you want to visit next, Peyton?", Balan asked.
"Hmm... I always wanted to go somewhere full of snow. Winter is my all-time favourite season", I replied.
"If that's what you choose, then let's go!", he said as he got up from the grass.
"Sweet!", I happily exclaimed as I got up as well.
"But before that, we need to wear a different set of clothes to keep us warm", Balan suggested.
"Oh, okay. No problem with that", I complied.
With a snap of the finger, our attire changed instantly. I wore a beige coat with a grey T-shirt underneath, a bright red scarf around my neck, white gloves, blue denim jeans, and black boots. Balan wore a red top hat, a red coat with white faux fur around the collar and cuffs, navy blue trousers, black gloves, and brown boots.
"You look great, dear!", Balan complimented me.
"Thanks! So do you!", I complimented him in return.
"Timu timu!", Tori chirped delightfully.
"I'm just as excited as you, Tori", I said whilst nuzzling them on the cheek.
Balan snapped his finger once again, teleporting the three of us from the Isle of Tims to the winter-themed world. Once we arrived, I was in awe as I looked at the trees that were covered in snow and decorated with yellow, red, and orange lighted ornaments. Moving my head up, I smiled as I saw snowflakes gently falling from the sky.
"Wow! This place looks beautiful", I blissfully said.
"I'm glad you think so", Balan responded.
"Oh no! I forgot something!", I alarmingly stated.
"What's wrong, dear?", he queried.
"My lips are going to get chapped from the cold weather", I panicked.
"Ah! Not to worry", he said as he snapped his finger, causing a lip balm to appear on my hands.
"Oh, thank you!", I expressed with relief as I immediately applied it to my lips.
"Are you ready to explore the wonders of winter?", he asked whilst laying his hand in front of me.
"Ready as I'll ever be", I answered as I placed my hand on his, letting him carry me bridal-style and put Tori on his back.
Balan started soaring as I held on to him with my arms around his neck. Looking from above, I gasped in astonishment to see mountains, hills, and rooves of houses that were also covered in snow. Additionally, there were large candle-shaped lamps that illuminate the area and big golden bells with ribbon bows on top.
"Hang tight, Peyton. Get ready for the fastest ride of your life", Balan boldly stated.
"O-Okay. Just please don't let me go", I nervously responded.
"Trust me. I won't", he reassured.
With that, Balan flew through the clouds at great speed, causing me to shout for joy and Tori to chirp in a loud and lively manner.
"How does it feel?", Balan enquired.
"This is just like the ride that we took at the theme park", I gleefully replied.
"Do you want me to show you some breathtaking moves?", he enquired further.
"Surprise me!", I excitingly responded.
Balan began performing twirls, somersaults, and aerial acrobatics. We both laughed, having the most awesome time of our lives, as his flying spree lasted for an hour. Afterwards, he landed on the snowy ground, putting me and Tori down gently.
"That was a lot of fun, Balan. Thank you very much", I gratefully expressed whilst hugging him.
"You're certainly welcome, Peyton", he said as he hugged me back.
"Would you like to help me build a snowman?", I offered.
"Of course!", he accepted.
Balan and I took the time rolling up snowballs of three different sizes. He placed a medium ball on top of the large while I placed a small ball on top of the medium. Snapping his finger, our snowman was complete with a black top hat on its head, a red-and-green scarf around its neck, branches for arms, coal for eyes and a smiley face, buttons on its chest and belly, and a carrot for its nose.
"I think we did well with this one", Balan stated with a thumbs up.
"I couldn't agree more. It looks pretty charming", I responded whilst finger framing with one eye open.
"But not as charming as you", he teased with a smirk and winked at me.
"Aww shucks, Balan. You have a way with words", I said as I chuckled whilst blushing.
"Any other activities that you want to do?", he asked.
"How about we engage in a snowball fight?", I suggested.
"Hmm... I don't know. I think you're no match for someone like me", he humorously bragged until I threw a snowball that hit him directly in the face.
"Are you sure about that?", I stated with a smirk and my arms crossed.
"Quite a determination, I see. Well, you're going to get it", he playfully said, wiping the snow off his face, as he scooped a snowball and threw it at me but I managed to dodge it.
The competitive battle commenced as Balan and I threw snowballs at each other. We ran around in circles, laughing as we were having a blast once more. He was impressed with my aims and dodges until suddenly, an idea popped up in his mind. He stopped throwing snowballs as he levitated up in the sky, catching my attention.
"Hey, no fair! I can't aim at you that high", I whined.
"Didn't I tell you that you're no match for me?", Balan boasted as he used his magic to create a ton of snowballs.
"Oh boy", I uttered to myself.
Pointing his fingers, he aimed the snowballs towards me as I picked Tori up and made a run for it, narrowly missing them as I hid behind a tree. I breathed heavily, assuming that he has taken this way too seriously.
"You have nowhere to run and hide, Peyton. Come out, come out wherever you are", he spoke loudly whilst flying to search for me.
After catching my breath, I ran in a straight direction without looking back. At that moment, it didn't matter to me that Balan persuaded me as snowballs started falling from the sky and I heard his boisterous laughter. I managed to avoid obstacles such as branches and rocks as I kept sprinting. Unfortunately, I tripped on something and fell on the snow, inadvertently letting go of Tori. Not having the energy anymore to run, I was ready to accept defeat as I sensed Balan coming closer. I turned around and saw him slowly walking towards me.
"I finally got you right where I want you", Balan said in a menacingly joking manner whilst holding a snowball.
Once he threw it, Tori hopped high enough to protect me, taking the hit and collapsing on the snow.
"TORI!", we shouted in unison as we checked to see if they were hurt.
"Why did you do that, Tori? That wasn't meant for you", Balan regretfully said.
"Please, speak to us", I worriedly expressed.
We noticed that their eyes were spiraling, implying that they got dizzy from the impact of the snowball. Seconds later, Tori rapidly shook their head and chirped adorably, making us sigh in relief.
"How about you, Peyton? Are you alright?", Balan asked with concern.
"Yes, I'm fine. There's something that caused me to trip and fall", I explained.
"I wonder what that is", he said while we moved closer to the object that was covered in snow.
As Balan removed the snow, it turned out to be a treasure chest containing a bunch of colourful Drops. Tori hopped quickly, plunged into the chest, and started chowing down. Balan and I smiled at each other as he put his hand on my shoulder, watching Tori enjoy their meal. Once all the Drops were gone, they let out a burp, making us laugh at how cute it sounded. Afterwards, both of us took a leisurely walk as I carried Tori in my arms. Later, we sat on the seat of a frozen fountain.
"(sigh) Finally, somewhere to sit after all the running and walking. My feet are killing me!", I whined.
"Tell me about it. Today was an exhausting but fulfilling trip", Balan said.
"You can say that again. Did you see me running for my life? I thought I was a goner", I stated.
"What makes you think that?", he queried.
"You were hurling multiple snowballs at me with your magic. How the hell was I supposed to compete with that?", I complained.
"Dear, I merely elevated the challenge. It would be less exciting if I didn't", he defended.
"I suppose so. Come to think of it, that gave me an adrenaline rush in preparation for a serious situation", I speculated.
"You see? That's a great takeaway", he remarked.
"Nevertheless, I enjoyed spending a lot of time with you", I frankly said.
"So did I. Believe it or not, you've helped me fill the void of loneliness in my heart", he admitted.
"Really?", I wondered.
"Yes. Whenever I see my friends return to the real world after helping them heal their hearts, I'm happy for them, knowing that I did a worthwhile job. However, deep down, I'm sad that they may not remember me for a long time", he opened up whilst frowning.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I know how hard it is to not see someone for so many years", I empathized as I placed my hand on his shoulder.
"I appreciate it, Peyton. As a matter of fact, there's something I want to tell you", he said.
"What is it?", I asked.
"Seeing you happy brings a wonderful feeling in my chest. Every time you're around me, I can't help but have feelings for you. I honestly don't know how to convey these in the best way, but it would mean so much if you would spend your whole life with me", Balan confessed whilst holding my hands.
"Oh, Balan. You don't know how touched I am to hear those words. Because I have feelings for you, too. You've been nothing but understanding and compassionate towards me. Whenever I feel upset and need someone to vent to, you're always there to comfort me and listen to me, making me feel validated. Words can't describe how grateful I am to have a kind, caring, and gentle being like you in my life. I'm more than delighted to go out with you", I reciprocated as tears streamed down my cheeks.
My words brought Balan a genuine smile to his face, making him feel overjoyed and shed tears of happiness while we shared a warm and heartfelt embrace. His tears fell on the snow, instantly turning into Drops. As we were face to face, we closed our eyes and blushed as our lips met, sharing a romantic kiss for the first time.
"I love you, Balan", I sincerely told him.
"I love you too, Peyton", he replied with an affectionate grin.
"Timu timu!", Tori chirped as they hopped on my lap, wanting to join our special moment.
"Of course, we love you, Tori. How could we ever forget you?", Balan reassured as he petted their head.
I rested my head on Balan's lap as he placed his hand on my chest, making tender eye contact with me. He brushed my hair gently while I caressed his arm, savouring our lovely moment as time passed by.
It was an absolute blessing to be in a meaningful relationship with Balan. Conveying our feelings to one another was totally worth the wait. Whatever situation or obstacle that would come our way, we will overcome it together.
End of Chapter 2
Whew! That was a fun and challenging chapter to write. It took me exactly a week to complete this. Just a heads up, the next chapter will be the highly-awaited hot and steamy love scene. Only readers who are above 18 are allowed to read it.
Take care, stay safe, and may you have a wonderful day.