Chapter 5 What Now?!?
The summer was flying by, and now it seemed to be almost over. It was now or never, I had to break the subject with Jack, what happens when I'm supposed to leave?
I woke up the morning of the 24th and prodded Jack in the back. I had left the inn after the drunk Cliff incident and it was pure luck that nobody had figured out I had been living with Jack yet.
He sat up and looked at me groggily. I got out of the bed as he woke up a little more. Finally he spoke, saying, "What did you wake me up for, Kai?"
I took a deep breath before speaking again. "Jack, what are we going to do at the end of summer when I'm supposed to leave?" Jack seemed to only ponder for a second before responding, "I'll come with you." I sighed, "Jack, you can't just leave the farm. And besides, if you came with me, it would mean we could never come back here."
Jack looked at me and took my hands in his. "Kai," he started, "you are the most important thing to me right now, ok? None of this other stuff with the farm or Mineral Town matters to me anymore." I took in a deep breath before saying, "Jack, I feel the same about you, except for, I do care about this village. You've only been here for almost half a year, I come once a year every year, and have been for a long time now, and have a lot of memories attached to this place."
"Yeah," he muttered, "like Popuri." I started at him in disbelief. "What are you trying to say to me, Jack?" He looked at me hard, "You just don't want me to come with you. Well, the only other option would be you staying here, and you know as well as I do that wouldn't work." I looked down. He had me beat. He let go of my hands and looked at me, the coldness gone from his voice. "Just think about it, okay?" I nodded.
He smiled at me, and then said, "Tonight is the fireworks festival. Where are we going to watch from?" I was going to say the beach like usual, but there would be too many people around, somebody would see us together. So I finally spoke saying, "How about the mountain?" he nodded, "OK, deal."
I was on my way to the beach shack when I saw Gray coming my way. He saw me too, and he came over to me, saying, "Hey, Kai, where've you been?" he didn't ask this in a friendly way though, rather a menacing or suspicious one.
I thought quickly. "Well, I've been staying in the mountains. You know, I made myself a nice little camp and everything!" he nodded and said, "I see. . . but didn't look convinced. "Well, I have to get to the beach now, bye, Gray!" I said walking off. I hope he couldn't tell how nervous I had been, but when I turned around and saw him staring daggers at me, I knew he thought I was up to something.
The rest of the day was pretty normal. I closed up shop a little early since the festival would soon be starting. I made my way to the farm and saw Jack had been waiting for me. "Ready?" he asked. I nodded.
We began walking and he said to me, "Have you made a decision yet?" I turned to him, confused. "A decision about what?", "What we were talking about this morning," he said, sounding serious. I shook my head. I had completely forgotten about the issue I had brought up earlier today.
He sighed and shook his head, "No use thinking about it now. We should enjoy the night!" I smiled, he was right. I suddenly heard a large explosion and looked up. The show had just started, "Come on," I said to him, "let's hurry up there!" we sprinted the rest of the way up the mountain and were panting when we got to the top.
We found a great spot where we could overlook the whole village and sat down. I was looking up and I suddenly felt something on my neck. I looked down and realized it was Jack, his head in the crook of my neck, kissing me. I smiled and finally pulled away, "Quit it! That tickles!" I said, laughing.
He laughed too, and just knocked me backwards. I looked up and saw his face. His eyes were sparkling in the glare from the fireworks, and it made him look even better than he had before, if that was possible. One of the strands of hair, he had sticking out of his hat fell down in his face, and I reached up to move it off.
He let me do that, and then he came down on me even more, so our lips could be satisfied. We continued to kiss for a few minutes, and the fireworks show had just ended. However, it felt like the fireworks between us were just starting.
Jack reached down and had his hands on my waist when I suddenly herd a noise from nearby. I quickly sat up, causing him to tumble backwards. He obviously hadn't heard the noise, so he thought I had just pushed him off.
"Sorry--" he began, but I put my finger to his lips and stood up, sprinting over to the other side of the mountain. He followed and we looked down. Sure enough I saw Gray's figure hurrying down the mountain, no doubt to tell the whole village what he had just witnessed.
I looked at Jack, horror clearly showing, and he took me in his strong arms. "Listen," he said to me, "no matter what you thought this morning, there's no other choice now." I nodded. He was right.
I looked into his cocoa eyes, and nodded. He then asked, "How long will it take you to get your boat ready to leave? " I shrugged, "Whenever we're ready, it'll be ready." Jack nodded.
"You have to help me with the farm. I have to get the animals to Barley tonight, before Gray has a chance to tell anybody about us. We'll leave before dawn if that's alright with you." I nodded; my face was emotionless as I realized for the first time that this would be the last chance I had to see Mineral Town. Jack kissed my forehead and said softly into my ear, "And no matter what happens--I'll always love you."
The rest of the night went by fast. I helped Jack get everything on the farm cleaned up and packed. We took his lone cow and put it in Barley's barn and left a note that said:
Barley—
I am sorry that I have had to leave the village on such short notice. Please take care of Bessie for me. --Jack
We also put the chickens back in the poultry farm and a note very much like that one. We left a note on the mayor's door saying that he had to leave because of a very sudden and secret cause that he was not allowed to tell anybody. I decided not to leave an explanation on the beach shack's door though.
We climbed into the boat and I looked back at the lights of the town. Jack put his arm around my waist and gave me a squeeze. I looked at him and smiled as he then started the boat. And as I watched Mineral Town's lights fade away in the distance, I looked to Jack and realized that,
Whatever happens—I'll always have him.
FIN
(A/N) So, how'd you like it? Sorry if you're a bit bummed about the ending! Anyway, my next fic is going to be a next gen one, you know with the kids of the HM characters. It will be set in Flower Bud village, and the pairings will be Jack/Elli--Ann/Cliff--Popuri/Gray--Maria/Harris—and Karen/Kai! Please read that when I get it up!
The summer was flying by, and now it seemed to be almost over. It was now or never, I had to break the subject with Jack, what happens when I'm supposed to leave?
I woke up the morning of the 24th and prodded Jack in the back. I had left the inn after the drunk Cliff incident and it was pure luck that nobody had figured out I had been living with Jack yet.
He sat up and looked at me groggily. I got out of the bed as he woke up a little more. Finally he spoke, saying, "What did you wake me up for, Kai?"
I took a deep breath before speaking again. "Jack, what are we going to do at the end of summer when I'm supposed to leave?" Jack seemed to only ponder for a second before responding, "I'll come with you." I sighed, "Jack, you can't just leave the farm. And besides, if you came with me, it would mean we could never come back here."
Jack looked at me and took my hands in his. "Kai," he started, "you are the most important thing to me right now, ok? None of this other stuff with the farm or Mineral Town matters to me anymore." I took in a deep breath before saying, "Jack, I feel the same about you, except for, I do care about this village. You've only been here for almost half a year, I come once a year every year, and have been for a long time now, and have a lot of memories attached to this place."
"Yeah," he muttered, "like Popuri." I started at him in disbelief. "What are you trying to say to me, Jack?" He looked at me hard, "You just don't want me to come with you. Well, the only other option would be you staying here, and you know as well as I do that wouldn't work." I looked down. He had me beat. He let go of my hands and looked at me, the coldness gone from his voice. "Just think about it, okay?" I nodded.
He smiled at me, and then said, "Tonight is the fireworks festival. Where are we going to watch from?" I was going to say the beach like usual, but there would be too many people around, somebody would see us together. So I finally spoke saying, "How about the mountain?" he nodded, "OK, deal."
I was on my way to the beach shack when I saw Gray coming my way. He saw me too, and he came over to me, saying, "Hey, Kai, where've you been?" he didn't ask this in a friendly way though, rather a menacing or suspicious one.
I thought quickly. "Well, I've been staying in the mountains. You know, I made myself a nice little camp and everything!" he nodded and said, "I see. . . but didn't look convinced. "Well, I have to get to the beach now, bye, Gray!" I said walking off. I hope he couldn't tell how nervous I had been, but when I turned around and saw him staring daggers at me, I knew he thought I was up to something.
The rest of the day was pretty normal. I closed up shop a little early since the festival would soon be starting. I made my way to the farm and saw Jack had been waiting for me. "Ready?" he asked. I nodded.
We began walking and he said to me, "Have you made a decision yet?" I turned to him, confused. "A decision about what?", "What we were talking about this morning," he said, sounding serious. I shook my head. I had completely forgotten about the issue I had brought up earlier today.
He sighed and shook his head, "No use thinking about it now. We should enjoy the night!" I smiled, he was right. I suddenly heard a large explosion and looked up. The show had just started, "Come on," I said to him, "let's hurry up there!" we sprinted the rest of the way up the mountain and were panting when we got to the top.
We found a great spot where we could overlook the whole village and sat down. I was looking up and I suddenly felt something on my neck. I looked down and realized it was Jack, his head in the crook of my neck, kissing me. I smiled and finally pulled away, "Quit it! That tickles!" I said, laughing.
He laughed too, and just knocked me backwards. I looked up and saw his face. His eyes were sparkling in the glare from the fireworks, and it made him look even better than he had before, if that was possible. One of the strands of hair, he had sticking out of his hat fell down in his face, and I reached up to move it off.
He let me do that, and then he came down on me even more, so our lips could be satisfied. We continued to kiss for a few minutes, and the fireworks show had just ended. However, it felt like the fireworks between us were just starting.
Jack reached down and had his hands on my waist when I suddenly herd a noise from nearby. I quickly sat up, causing him to tumble backwards. He obviously hadn't heard the noise, so he thought I had just pushed him off.
"Sorry--" he began, but I put my finger to his lips and stood up, sprinting over to the other side of the mountain. He followed and we looked down. Sure enough I saw Gray's figure hurrying down the mountain, no doubt to tell the whole village what he had just witnessed.
I looked at Jack, horror clearly showing, and he took me in his strong arms. "Listen," he said to me, "no matter what you thought this morning, there's no other choice now." I nodded. He was right.
I looked into his cocoa eyes, and nodded. He then asked, "How long will it take you to get your boat ready to leave? " I shrugged, "Whenever we're ready, it'll be ready." Jack nodded.
"You have to help me with the farm. I have to get the animals to Barley tonight, before Gray has a chance to tell anybody about us. We'll leave before dawn if that's alright with you." I nodded; my face was emotionless as I realized for the first time that this would be the last chance I had to see Mineral Town. Jack kissed my forehead and said softly into my ear, "And no matter what happens--I'll always love you."
The rest of the night went by fast. I helped Jack get everything on the farm cleaned up and packed. We took his lone cow and put it in Barley's barn and left a note that said:
Barley—
I am sorry that I have had to leave the village on such short notice. Please take care of Bessie for me. --Jack
We also put the chickens back in the poultry farm and a note very much like that one. We left a note on the mayor's door saying that he had to leave because of a very sudden and secret cause that he was not allowed to tell anybody. I decided not to leave an explanation on the beach shack's door though.
We climbed into the boat and I looked back at the lights of the town. Jack put his arm around my waist and gave me a squeeze. I looked at him and smiled as he then started the boat. And as I watched Mineral Town's lights fade away in the distance, I looked to Jack and realized that,
Whatever happens—I'll always have him.
FIN
(A/N) So, how'd you like it? Sorry if you're a bit bummed about the ending! Anyway, my next fic is going to be a next gen one, you know with the kids of the HM characters. It will be set in Flower Bud village, and the pairings will be Jack/Elli--Ann/Cliff--Popuri/Gray--Maria/Harris—and Karen/Kai! Please read that when I get it up!