Sorry for the delayed update, I had a busy work week last week and I've been going back and forth between updating this story and another story of mine. But here we are, and I hope you enjoy! Thank you everyone for your support so far, it's much appreciated! :D
Kira hurriedly made it to Mary's place, panting a bit. She tried to fix herself up as best as possible to look presentable as she headed inside.
"Oh, Kira dear! I was just about to close! What can I get you?" Mary chirped. "Is your father around?"
"No, he's at home... I came to get a pie for Felix. He loves your apple crumb." Kira said.
"I just made some fresh ones! I'll wrap it in a towel so it stays warm. It's a shame the boy's lactose intolerant, at least he can fulfill his sweet tooth somehow!" Mary said as she prepared it in a basket, handing it to Kira. She noticed a leaf sticking out of her hair, reaching over to pluck it out. "Now is someone wandering around the woods again?"
Kira gasped lightly." Mary... please, don't tell father... he-"
Mary chuckled. "I won't, I won't... I know your father can be extra protective of you sometimes... you're the center of his universe! No wonder, you look so much like your mother, she was so young when she passed, the poor dear... but you've grown into a wonderful young lady, and I know she'd be so proud of you."
"Thank you, Mary. That means a lot." Kira nodded.
"It's no trouble at all! Come anytime, dear. You must be so excited to be marrying Felix!"
"Y- Yes... it's going to be a wonderful day when it comes. I'm going to head home now, he'll be expecting me."
"Of course! Don't keep him waiting, now..." She giggled, waving Kira off. She smiled lightly, cleaning off the counter and looking over at a picture, smiling as she held it. In it was a picture of herself, Gene, his wife, and a few of their friends when they were younger, the photo a bit worn. She sighed lightly, smiling as she placed it back down.
Felix was listening to the radio and rearranging some things around his room when he heard a knock at the door. He turned, opening the door and beaming when he saw Kira there. "Kira, I... please, come in!"
"W- Well, I just came to drop this off actually, I-" Kira started, but Felix gently took her hand and led her inside, shutting the door. "Felix, I should really be getting back home..."
"But there's so much to talk about Kira!" He exclaimed, a ray of sunshine. "Is that pie? Oh, you didn't have to go through the trouble... I'll cut us each a piece to share, and we can catch up."
Kira sighed lightly as he gave her a slice of pie. "Felix, I... this is all a bit much for me. I am... I am happy that you feel so devoted to me. But... this was not something I entered into with equal enthusiasm. Not because you are lacking, but because..."
Felix's smile slowly melted into a frown. "Kira... I... I just want us to be happy together... what I said to you that night, it was all what I truly feel in my heart."
"I know this... and... I hate to cause you any pain, because I care deeply for you. But I loved us as we were. Unbound. Like two deer prancing in a meadow. But now father has penned us and expects us to-"
"Kira, nothing has to change... marrying... it doesn't have to change anything!"
"Everything will change when we are married!" Kira exclaimed. "We will be expected to act like a proper married couple, always remain poised! Father will have every excuse to intervene in our lives and how we are to present ourselves to protect his assets!" She shook her head. "Why can you not see that, you silly man!" Her voice shook.
Felix furrowed his brow deeply, taking her hands into his. "Kira... I... I don't intend for our lives to be fated that way..."
"But that is what it shall be." Kira sniffled a bit, taking out a handkerchief and dabbing her eyes.
Felix had no idea how to comfort her, placing his plate aside and doing the one thing his heart told him. When they were upset about something, he would always draw her into a hug, and he would hold her for hours and just let her cry. He closed his eyes as Kira held him back, sobbing into his shoulder as he gently pet her hair. "Kira, I promise you... we will find a way through this. It may seem like we're stuck now... but there's always a way to get past our troubles."
Kira looked up at him after some time, nodding a bit. "Felix... you must promise me something. Promise me... and then I will happily plan our marriage."
Felix raised a brow. "Of course... what is it?"
"Promise me to keep something secret. You must keep it a secret, especially from father. You must promise me first before I tell you what it is." Kira said.
"Yes, Kira, I promise... you know I won't tell a soul." He smiled lightly. "Now tell me, I cannot bear the suspense..."
Kira took a deep breath. "I..." She started, but she found herself unable to speak. She remembered how Ralph had told her she was the first human he had revealed himself to, and that was something so special, so precious to her, that she suddenly realized that she couldn't reveal her deepest secret. Throughout the years she would tell Felix anything, everything, but now she could not.
"Kira?" Felix frowned. "Are you alright?"
She cleared her throat, refocusing on him. "I... have been taking strolls in the forest. Do not be alarmed... it is an escape for me. Please help me to maintain the one pastime that I am still able to enjoy."
Felix bit his lip. It wasn't lying to Gene that was a guaranteed death sentence, but Gene finding out he was lying that was. And he even had to admit, when it came to lying, well, he was terrible at it. But Kira was trying to reconnect and open herself up, and he couldn't turn her away, not now. "I'll do whatever I can." He said, nodding.
Kira smiled lightly at him. "Thank you, Felix." She exhaled lightly, sitting up. "I should be heading upstairs now..."
"Can't you stay a bit longer? Maybe... have dinner?" Felix asked.
"Actually..." Kira smiled a bit more. "I think that sounds like a swell idea."
That night, Kira closed and locked her door as she rested in bed. Her brain was most active this time of day, because with nothing else to distract her, she had the opportunity to think. She rolled over, gazing out her window and resting her eyes on the tree tops just on the outskirts of the clearing, illuminated by moonlight. She replayed her experience with Ralph in her head, remembering the wonderful feeling of the wind blowing through her hair as he speedily carried her through the trees. It was refreshing, exhilarating. She sat up, a thoughtful smile gracing her features as she formed an idea. She went into her closet, rummaging through it quietly as she searched for something. She found a rope, nodding. She took it, opening her window and going out to the small balcony on the west side of the building. She tied it to one of the railings, and descended down one level to where Felix's apartment was, directly below hers. She quietly approached his window, tapping it.
Felix was jostled awake by a sound, shaking his head as he looked to his window, seeing Kira there. He opened it, sleepily helping her inside. "Jimminy jamminy, Kira! What on Earth are you doing this early in the morning?"
Kira looked around. "Felix, I need to go through your apartment to get to the central stairwell. We don't have the fire escape on this side of the building so I couldn't make my way down to the bottom of the building without leaaving my apartment through the door... I didn't want to wake father."
"But where are you trying to sneak off to at this hour?" Felix frowned.
"I want to take a stroll around the forest... it's such a warm, beautiful night, I-"
"Are you insane? This is no time to be doing that, it's dangerous in sunlight let alone in moonlight!" Felix exclaimed.
Kira furrowed her brow, glancing aside. "You promised me."
"I-... Kira, I-..." He sighed, realizing that he should have seen this coming.
"I can't do it freely while father is awake... please, just for a few hours."
Felix nodded. "Alright... but if you aren't back by sunrise I'm coming after you. I'd never forgive myself if you were hurt."
Kira beamed, hugging him tightly. "Thank you!"
"Can't I at least... go with you? We can stay together so I don't have to worry."
Kira frowned lightly, clearing her throat. "But you have a project to start in the morning... you must get at least some rest. Don't fret over me, I'll be alright. Just help me get to the bottom, and I will figure out how to get back inside when I return."
"Alright... if you insist." Felix nodded, a bit upset that she didn't want him around. He went with her to the main door of the building, letting her out and watching her stroll off into the night before locking the door again. He hurriedly went back to his room on tiptoe, watching her from his bedroom window as she wandered dreamily into the forest.
Kira squinted her eyes as she searched through the darkness, wandering around for some time. "Ralph...?" She called out. "Ralph, are you here?" After wandering about for a bit, she heard a thud behind her, turning to see Ralph had come down from a tree. "Ah, I've found you." She smiled.
"I think I found you first." Ralph replied, making another thud as he plopped down on the ground. "Don't humans normally sleep in moonlight?"
"Well, yes, that's why I was able to sneak out here. I think this is a better time to come, when no one else is awake."
"Hm..." Ralph thought. "But if any discover you are missing?"
"I could always say I was sleepwalking, I suppose..." She shrugs. "I feel so much better when I'm here... like I haven't a single trouble in the world!"
Ralph tilted his head curiously. Though the animals of the forest were his companions, they were not the same as the young woman looking up at the stars through the tree tops. He nudged her lightly with his hand, gaining her attention. "I want to show you something." Before she could reply, he scooped her up, and he carried her swiftly, deeper into the forest, miles from the clearing. When they slowed to a stop, he placed her down, and her eyes widened. The moonlight shone directly on a pool of water, so crystal clear one could see to the bottom. Behind a small waterfall, was a small cavern, about six feet deep, and it glowed with various crystals. Green, gnarled trees grew all around the small pond to give it a more enclosed, intamate setting. Ralph picked some fruit from the trees, handing them to her. She nodded lightly in thanks, biting into one as she looked around in awe.
"This is beautiful..." Kira breathed.
"The forest has a lot of beautiful things... but because you can't venture deep enough on your own, I'll show you all you're missing out on." Ralph smiled lightly at her.
Kira looked up at him, studying his face. "Please, excuse me..." She muttered as she reached a hand forth, brushing some of Ralph's hair out of his eyes. She smiled, seeing that his eyes were like the color of honey, a golden brown. She studied his face for some time, not realizing she was drawing closer to it. When she noticed how close she was, she cleared her throat, taking a step back. "Pardon me... I um... you see, I am an artist... I would like to do a drawing of you so I need to remember the details of your face."
Ralph tilted his head. "I don't understand."
"Well... an artist is someone who draws or paints things, for instance... makes pictures." Kira explained. "When I return tomorrow night, I shall show you."
Kira and Ralph talked for a while, and he walked around, showing her things and giving her more fruit to try. As the hours marched on, she grew tired, and Ralph noticed she was asleep in his arm, needing only one to carry her. He took his time, so he had more of an opportunity to watch her sleep. He smiled, admiring her outer beauty almost as much as her inner beauty.
Birds chirped as daylight broke through Kira's bedroom window. She was fast asleep, curled up under her blankets as she slowly opened her eyes, rubbing them as she sat up. She yawned, stretching her arms before looking around the room. Realization dawned on her then, and she lightly furrowed a brow. How did she get here? Had she not been in the forest with Ralph when she was awake last? Had it all just been a dream? She flipped her blankets off, and it was then that she saw something that answered her questions. She smiled lightly, picking up a small piece of fruit that had been left by her side. She bit into it, savoring its sweet taste. Almost as soon as she finished it, she heard a knock at her bedroom door, snapping her out of her dream like state and dragging her back to reality.
"Kira! Get out of bed, Felix is here looking for you!" Gene shouted from the other side of the door.
"Felix... oh!" Kira exclaimed, moving quickly to get into proper dress and make herself decent. Sheb hurried out of her room, nearly bumping into Felix who was pacing around her door.
"Kira!" He exclaimed, not able to say much more because Gene was around. "Shall we take a stroll into town?"
"Yes... let me grab a few things." She smiled lightly, going back into her room to grab her sketchbook and a few art supplies before joining him.
"You two should spend some time making some wedding arrangements... I can call the Church to schedule a date." Gene said, sipping a morning martini.
"Oh... yes, that would help. Thank you, father." Kira said politely. "We'll be going now."
"Yes, yes, go ahead." Gene said as he sat in his recliner, reading the business section of the paper.
The pair sat on a bench on the boardwalk, enjoying the cool, breezy summer afternoon. They'd just had some lunch, and were talking a bit.
"Hm... here's an idea, how about some ice cream?" Felix smiled. "I can't have any of course, but I know you love it."
"Well, what will you have, then?" Kira asked.
"Mary's place isn't too far, I can ask her to give me a nice baked pastry." He replied. "Wait here, I'll be back soon."
Kira was a bit surprised when Felix leaned in, giving her a quick cheek kiss. She looked up at him and he grinned bashfully, chuckling a bit before heading off. Kira cleared her throat and blushed a bit, taking out her sketchbook a few moments later. She looked around, trying to find something interesting to draw, when she suddenly remembered something. She smiled, picking up her pencil and sketching away. She lost track of time, exhaling with satisfaction when she added the last few pencil lines. She admired the linework she had done of someone very dear, gently tracing her hand over the subject's face.
"Ralph..." Kira said quietly to herself, closing the book. She sat in deep thought, and suddenly had an idea as soon as Felix returned with an ice cream cone for her.
"Hurry, it's already melting a bit." Felix smiled as he sat next to her, eating a slice of pie. Kira thanked him for the ice cream and started eating it. "So... draw anything good? W- Well, anything you draw is good, really."
Kira chuckled lightly. "Nothing much..." She dabbed her mouth before eating some more ice cream. "Felix, do you mind if we stop by the print shop?"
"Oh, are you going to make something?" He asked.
"I was thinking of purchasing a wood block. Maybe I can carve it in your apartment, being father hates when I do anything in mine. He always complains that my art supplies are too messy." She sighs.
"Sure, you haven't done one of those in a while. I imagine it's very thereputic."
"Indeed, it is..." She finished her ice cream, dabbing her mouth once more before the two headed back towards the road to the print shop. She went inside, taking out her wallet and purchasing some cured wood for carving, and some watercolor inks. She took the things back with her when she walked back home with Felix, placing them in his apartment.
"So, Kira..." Felix started. "How did you get back in your room last night? I secured the rope to the roof for you to climb like you asked, but that wasn't until you had already come back. Also, the front doors were locked."
Kira bit her lip, scrambling to come up with an excuse. "Oh... I just... I used the emergency stairwell to come in through the roof... then I came back through your room and climbed up through your window to my balcony into mine."
Felix knew this had to be impossible, he had locked his apartment door. It all seemed a bit suspicious, but he decided not to question her further, fearing he may upset her. "Ah, I see. Well, it should be easier for you to get in and out at night, now."
"Thank you, Felix... I appreciate you doing this for me." She takes his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry I was so standoffish when you proposed to me." She frowned. "I... I didn't mean for it to hurt you, I... it's just-"
"I understand, Kira. And I love what we have too, but I will do whatever I can to make sure you are still happy after we're married."
Kira sat down at Felix's work bench in his bedroom, preparing her wood block before she began to carve it. After some time, her hands became a bit sore, so she cleaned up the area and called it a day. "I should head home for dinner."
"Alright... being we had it together yesterday, your father probably won't want to spend too many nights alone. Or without your cooking." Felix chuckled.
Kira rolled her eyes, and he leaned in to give her another quick peck on her cheek. She headed up to her apartment, making dinner for herself and Gene before sitting down.
"So... how was your day with Felix?" Gene asked.
"Very pleasant." She smiled lightly, taking a bite of her food.
"You should start planning as soon as possible. If you wait too long, others will begin to wonder if there's a problem."
Kira sighed lightly. Already, he was controlling their actions together. "Yes, father."
"Hm..." He took a sip of wine. "You seemed a bit tired this morning. Did you not sleep well?"
Kira looked up at him, and she realized something. If she was to spend most of the night with Ralph, how would she explain her fatigue to her father when she was supposedly sleeping all night? She suddenly thought of something, smiling lightly. "Ah, you noticed that." She smiled. "Now father, I know you don't like me working on my paintings in the house... but I'm working on a special surprise for you. I know the engagement party is still a few weeks away, but I want to make sure it's perfect. Something to give to you for all your hard work and dedication to my happiness." Internally, Kira wanted to gag, but she knew that brown nosing her father for now would pay off later.
Gene grinned, chuckling. "Well, then! That sounds just fine! Just don't make a mess out of everything and I'll be more than happy to see what you've got on the day of the engagement party."
After dinner, Kira washed up before telling her father she was going to bed a bit early to catch some sleep. Once in her bedroom, she locked her door and figured she may as well at least not completely lie, setting up a canvas on her easel and getting out some supplies. She separated the canvas into quarters, and began to sketch out her father's face, one in each quarter, identical. As much as she disliked her father, doing anything artistic brought her comfort. She finished sketching before doing a bit of painting. When she ganced over at the time, she saw it was getting close to midnight, and called it a day. She cleaned up, grabbing her sketchbook and a couple things before opening her window, climbing onto the balcony. She climbed up the rope to the roof, going over to the emergency stairwell on the other side and descending it quietly. She then went past the back of the building and into the forest to seek out Ralph. Each night, she anticipated this time of day more and more, and what she did not realize is, as he watched her approaching the forest from the high tree branches, so did he.
Aww, look at all the bonding going on! Everything seems to be going well for now, but how long will it last? Find out more next chapter and thanks for reading! Please keep those reviews coming! :D