A/N: LAST CHAPTER! I'm so relieved I got this out before I get to be choked by finals with school. ;( Anyway, thank you so much to all of you who have read this story. Your support really means a lot! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the final chapter. There's an epilogue to this, by the way. ;) I'll see you in the next fan fiction! (Hopefully with the continuation of "To Love A Beast") Enjoy!
"Draw me closer, as if we are two magnets,
That even if we separate,we will reunite again.
Let's become one; it's okay not to be able to turn back.
That's fine, for you are my one and only love."
Chapter 10: To Break Free
The days that came and went were painfully arduous for Rin. Ever since the incident at the Kagamine estate, her father treated her like she was some distasteful stranger. Before, Earl Kagami had at least recognized her as his daughter despite his harshness and bias toward her. Now it was as if she was merely someone that was a freeloader living in his mansion that he was steadily growing more annoyed with. Rin had even heard rumors that he had begun to hasten the wedding plans to have her marriage sooner with the knowledge of the child.
However, that was not what plagued Rin. She had suddenly left the Kagamine estate after seeing Len mortally struck. The image of his frail body being carried out of the room and of his blood dripping on the ground was as vivid as if it had happened just then. She had heard from her servant that she had begged to that his wound had been treated and properly stitched. However, Rin knew that the moment that he would be able to walk, he would be banished away from his house. Then how would they see each other again? Fate had played a cruel hand against her. Where would he go? How would he live? Rin's mind was swirling with unanswered questions and uncertainty, but she knew one thing:
She wanted to see him again.
One morning, Rin had returned to her chamber from breakfast, from the stranger that had become her father, from the unwelcoming aura that now lingered along with him. She still felt a bit nauseous from earlier that morning, but her mind only stayed in one place along with her heart. She sat in a plush chair next to her window, pausing for a moment before looking out to the sky and getting lost in her daydreams.
Then a rapping came at her door, and with a jolt Rin turned away from the window.
"Come in." Rin murmured.
Her servant peeked her head through the door before cautiously stepping in after a glance down the hallway.
"Pardon me, my Lady, but... about Lord—er... Len..."
Rin's heart beat more rapidly now, anxiously awaiting the coming news. The servant paused for a moment, waiting for some sort of spoken word from Rin, but instead was prompted by the wide look in her eyes.
"Word has it in the market that Len is to be leaving the Kagamine estate today."
Only five days after he was wounded?
"What time is he leaving?" Rin leaned herself forward.
"I don't know, my Lady... Apparently it is to be around the late morning. So around now, I'd presume."
Rin hastily stood up from her chair and approached her servant.
"I need to see him..." Rin breathed, "Please..."
The servant was speechless at the look of fierce passion behind Rin's face. She immediately knew of Rin's intentions by the desperate sound in her voice. Never had she heard such amorous love painting someone's voice when speaking of another.
"Can you keep this a secret from my father? I need to go and see him... I don't care if I must tread on foot, I need to hear his voice one more time..." Tears had begun to well up in Rin's eyes.
"I... I understand..." The servant responded, not being able to withstand Rin any longer.
She had turned away as Rin had rushed past her, quickly uttering a thanks before dashing out the chamber door. Rin hurried down the hallways, hiding whenever someone was lurking and rushing whenever the space was clear. Eventually, she had made her way out of the manor, bursting out into the bright day. Rin reminisced for a moment as she quickly moved, how the sky so clear and vivid seemed careless, as if it knew nothing of what happened below. Then without much thinking, Rin begun to move on the path towards the Kagamine estate.
Gradually more trees had begun to tower over Rin until all at once she found herself in a wood. Rin could feel herself becoming quickly exhausted as she traveled on a newly found path. Streaks of light leaked through the trees onto the ground as Rin searched with desperate eyes, trying to find something-anything-that would resemble a figure. Eventually she had found it a ways down the path at a fork in the gravel road. Just as he was about to turn and go the other way, Rin called out,
"Len!"
The figure, gradually becoming more familiar and into plain sight, turned and stopped. Rin went from a quick walk to a run, despite her exhaustion, and rushed toward the man. First, his small frame became clear, then his blonde hair shone in the sunlight, then finally Rin could see Len's bright blue eyes staring down at her. His expression was that of surprise, but he took her into his arms nonetheless.
"What are you doing here?" Len's voice was shaken with emotion.
"Len, I'm so sorry!" Rin couldn't hold back her tears, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I just—"
Rin was silenced when Len gently fingered her chin and softly brushed his lips against hers. After a moment, he broke the kiss with Rin still leaning forward towards him, but then drew herself back to get a look at him. He wore a simple black waistcoat over a white shirt and black trousers while his sun-kissed hair was still tied back, though not in the black ribbon it usually was. Over his shoulder was a satchel of things that were presumably the few belongings he decided to bring with him. Then suddenly, Len gripped his side and flinched at something. Rin set her hands on either of his cheeks.
"How is your wound? Are you all right?" She moved a hand to brush back the bangs on his forehead, "You're too warm! How could they do this to you—"
"Shhh..." Len touched a finger to her lips, "I'm all right."
"But—"
"Rin..." Len whispered so tenderly that it put tears on Rin's face, "I'm so glad I got to see you."
He was leaning his head on her shoulder now.
"But after this moment, I won't be able to see you again..." Rin's fingers traced their way through Len's hair.
"No..." Len gently kissed her cheek and brought her closer, "This will not be the last time we meet."
Rin stared up at him with tear-filled eyes, "How can you be so sure?"
With that Len covered her mouth with his, caressing her with a velvet-like touch that Rin knew she would always long for. His hands moved their way to the small of her back as Rin found herself being drawn deeper into the kiss. Unlike the others before it, Rin could feel a deep love and deep passion that could not compare to any time prior, even if they expressed his undying feelings so vividly. Here and now, what she felt was so perfect and so pure that it seemed Len was taking her to a place from from any trouble or turmoil. All that seemed to exist was him and her and the absolute surety that Len loved her and only her more than anything.
He parted himself from her, his lips lingering close to hers as he whispered,
"Even if we are separated, we're bound to be drawn to each other again because you are my one and only love." He smiled, "I'll come back for you, I promise. And soon, you will be free."
"Len, I'll run away with you."
"Rin, there would be no where for us to live but on the streets right now. Until I can find a place for us to live in the nearby town, you need to stay somewhere where the baby can be safe. They've promised not to harm you, so please wait for me."
"Len..."
"No matter what winds may blow or what waters may flood," Len moved his hands to Rin's shoulders, staring directly at her, "No matter what happens, we'll always be together somehow. And no matter how long it takes, everything will find that joyful end. We just need to have faith, right?"
Rin couldn't help but smile at his use of her words. She briefly kissed him once more before Len spoke again,
"Until I come back for you, please..." Len embraced Rin tightly, moving her so close to his body, she could feel the soft flutter of his heart, "Be safe, all right?"
It was then that Len slowly parted from Rin, gradually releasing her body until he held only her hand.
"I love you..."
Len had to turn his head away then, fearing that he would reach his ruin having to look at Rin's expression any longer. He tried his best to muster a smile before doing so and one by one his fingers uncurled from hers. He adjusted the satchel on his shoulder and turned to the fork of the road.
Rin stared after Len growing more and more distant, watching him walk slowly, gripping the wound at his side. The farther he drifted away, the more her knees buckled until they eventually gave out. Rin knelt on the gravel road, her body shaking with tears. Touching her hands to her face, she inhaled sharply, beginning to weep heavily now.
Nothing broke her to the way that she was now, watching Len walk away from her with the fear that he may never return again. She knew that this man was forever engraved in her heart. Rin mourned with the fear that she would have to marry a man she didn't love and that her child would be born without a father. But she also wept for another reason; she cried because she was so grateful for a man that loved her so much. With every touch of his hands, with every spoken word, with every action, Rin knew with every fiber of her being that he loved her. And for the sake of that love, she was willing to endure anything and believe in him—believe that she and he would be free to a new life with their baby. She would give all she had just as he was.
Miku lay motionless on her bed, her limbs limp and her hair tangled and sprawled everywhere. The drapes in her chamber were drawn even though she could see a crack of sunlight leaking through the windows that were covered. Her eyes were open, however they were glazed over with a certain lifelessness. It seemed she was staring intently at something, but in reality she was staring at nothing. Everything had been drained from her, for her soul was a lifeless and pathetic thing now. The only thing that she thought of over and over in her mind was her last meeting with Kaito.
His words repeated themselves endlessly in her mind and each time she was shattered just as much as the first moment it occurred.
After reliving through the memory once more, a tear finally fell from her blank eye. Miku felt as if she had poured her heart out to nothing. She felt as if the man she handed it to threw it on the ground and shattered it like it was some old toy.
Kaito had taken her essence and thought nothing of it—only a moment of pleasure for his enjoyment. Now he had abandoned her to take that awful woman, Rin, for his bride. If that girl meant more to him than she did, then how much was she worth? Not even Len loved her—he had his eyes set far from her since the beginning. What was Miku supposed to turn to now? Miku had truly loved Kaito with all her heart. Or had she really? Was it an empty feeling from the start? What was the purpose of her life then, if she could not find her heart?
It was then that Miku finally moved her legs. She very slowly climbed out of her bed, lingering in the shadows of her chamber. Stepping in front of her dresser, with shaky fingers, Miku produced a small rectangular box from it. She lifted the lid to find a gleam that caught her eye—the blade of a dagger. Her frail, fatigued fingers fumbled around the handle until she finally grasped it. Little by little, Miku lifted the dagger until the point of the dagger was level with her eyes.
Then she had turned the tip of the blade so that it faced her chest...
Rin woke when a stream of sunlight touched her face. Her blue eyes cracked open, being blinded by the bright ray that illuminated her. Groaning, she turned and wrapped herself tighter in her bed covers shielding herself from the thing that had drawn her from her sleep. Rin lay there a moment in stillness until she ralized that there was no way for her to return to sleep.
Sighing, Rin pushed the covers from off of her and touched her bare feet onto the plush carpet on the floor of her chamber. She made her way to the covered meadow and drew the drapes back so that she was completely covered in the sunlight. Squinting, Rin stared at the outside world, watching the birds fly by with longing and dreaming that one day, she too would join them.
Rin then walked farther back into her chamber and approached the mirror close to her bed side. Gazing at her reflection, Rin traced her fingers through her tossled hair, smoothing it down. Her eyes then fell lower onto her stomach where her hands now drifted. Turning to the side, Rin glanced at herself in the mirror, seeing the slightly rounded contour of her abdomen. Her fingers gently traced over it, feeling the silk of her nightgown against her skin. Each morning, she would do this, noting that each day, her body would become more and more swollen. Then suddenly, Rin quietly gasped when she felt a small fluttering inside of her. Rin couldn't help but smile at this, knowing that she carried a small life that she and Len had created.
It had been a bit over a month since Len had left. True to herself, Rin had endured and waited, caring for the little life inside of her. There were days when she was thrown into despair and days where she reached for the highest hopes. Each day Rin wondered if she'd see Len emerging from the wood or perhaps throwing a pebble to her window to catch her attention.
However, gradually more and more doubt lurked in the corner of her mind. The days steadily moved by, careless of the situation Rin was in. Len was wounded and weak when he left. Had he made it to the nearby town safely? Or perhaps was he...?
Rin shook her head, silently scolding herself for thinking such a thought. Len believed and had faith, so she would too. Yet she could not deny that the passing days brought her closer to something that had become inevitable.
Hearing the doorknob jiggle, Rin was snapped out of her thoughts, and turned to face the opening door from which her servant came through.
"Ah, my Lady, you're awake." She stepped farther in, closing the door behind her, "It's time to prepare for the wedding now."
Yes, the day of the wedding had arrived. True to his word, Earl Kagami had hastened the wedding plans, accomplishing what was to be done in three months in only one. Rin had feared the day of her wedding would come before Len could return. Yet, when the servant had entered the room, she remained calm, mentally bracing herself and cradling her stomach after feeling another flutter. She refused to show emotion as the servant brought out a bundle of white, lavish fabric that unfolded into a grand wedding dress.
Not a word was uttered as the servant slowly assisted Rin in getting dressed in the exuberant gown. There was layer after layer in the skirt, presumably there to hide Rin's ever growing body and the bodice was lined and adorned with beads of crystal. Patterns of flowers and lace covered her from head to toe. After the last string had been laced, Rin looked in the mirror once more. She saw the long train that trailed behind her and the beautiful dress that fit her so perfectly. Without knowing, a tear had streamed down the side of Rin's cheek. She had hoped that the day she would look like this would be the day that Len would take her hand at the end of the isle, but it was simply not to be.
"My Lady, what is the matter?"
"I don't want to do this..." Rin murmured, "I can't do this... not unless it's with the one I love."
"Well, it can't be helped." The servant answered back, spreading the train out behind her, "Len was banished. And even if he was still here, marriage is an arranged business and you know how your father feels about the Kagamine estate."
Rin lowered her head, fighting not to break. Her servant cooed her and lifted her chin with a finger, to see perfect, blue orbs staring back at her.
"What I mean, my Lady, is that you must make do with what you have. Everything is for the best." She then took Rin's hand and gently pushed on her back, turning her into another direction, "Now let's do something with your hair."
The servant sat her down at a dresser, where Rin faced another reflection of herself, where she could see that past her expression, she was still fighting the tears that threatened her. She felt fingers that gently ran through her hair and was reminded of the nights where Len would caress her head while in her chamber. Then as she looked in the reflection before her, she could see herself being slowly transformed into something she was not. Her hair was brushed to perfection, and sparkling, ivory clips adorned her locks. Something fell lower in her chest when her servant crowned a veil on her head.
Rin's eyes were torn away from her reflection, however, when the chamber door was ripped open once more. The servant, finished with her work, gathered her things and scurried out of the room, quickly rushing past the glowering man that now stood in the door frame. Rin stood up from her seat and hardened her gaze as Earl Kagami stood before her. He eyed her from the top of her head to the bottom hem of her dress with a firm frown on his face. It was then when he decided to take a few steps closer, but he still held the same expression of seriousness.
"Finally, you have reached the day where you will honor the Kagami household despite your whoredoms."
"I have never wanted to honor a household that preys upon the weak and hides behind its title of nobility."
Rin flinched when her father had drawn his hand back, ready to strike. Rin did not feel any sting of pain, however. Instead what she saw was that same hand clenching into a fist with a shaking finger pointing towards her.
"That was a warning. Be grateful that I did not beat you and lash you for what you did, viper. Don't ruin what little dignity you have today by speaking out against me." He lowered his hand, "Now come, we must leave for the church now."
With that, Rin's journey to the church had begun. With the servants attending her by lifting the train of her wedding dress, it seemed that her father was ushering her out anxiously. She climbed into the deathly black carriage waiting for her in the front of the mansion as her parents got in another and felt a gloom as it lurched forward. As it drove away, Rin peeked out the window to get a look at the wood one last time. She hoped she would see a man appearing in the distance, ready to rush to her side and stop the carriage from going any further. But there was nothing that appeared on the path, only an emptiness that loomed between the trees. The carriage pressed onward and Rin retreated back into it where the tears finally took her.
She couldn't deny her fate anymore. Tears dripped onto the fabric of her dress and hung from her long eyelashes, brushing the tops of her cheeks. Inhaling sharply, Rin touched her fingers to her face, brushing away cold droplets from her skin. Gradually, her sobs softened ash she realized the carriage was nearing their destination. She told herself that she had to be strong. She had to at least face what was coming at her with bravery rather than cowardice. She had to be the strong mother for her child when it was to be born. However, within Rin's heart, she knew it was rapidly breaking despite the strong front she now built to mask her tears.
The carriage had stopped. The guests had already gathered. The carriage door had opened for her.
Rin stepped out, with her knees slightly shaking, train flowing behind her. She appeared as an angel, but an angel falling from Heaven, caged in a gathering darkness.
"As we rehearsed, Rin." Earl Kagami commanded, holding out his arm as her mother entered the chapel.
Rin's gaze followed her mother for a moment, trying to peer inside to see if it really was a church that was arranged for a wedding. She was caught in a daze for a moment, wondering if this was some nightmare that she was caught in and that she would soon wake up. But it was her father that dragged her back and impatiently set her hand on his arm when the sound of an organ began to come from the chapel. They began to walk forward, Rin's attendants spreading out her train to make her look the part of nobility. She was now covered by the darkness of the church, shielded by the sunlight that was outside. At first, Rin couldn't see a thing, but as her eyes adjusted she saw a flood of people, rising at her entrance. Her eyes scanned the room, seeing nothing but judging looks on their faces. Some whispered to each other, and some stared with an expression of indifference. Then Rin's eyes fell on what remained at the end of the isle: an altar decorated with sacred emblems with an old priest standing behind it and of course Kaito was at its side. Rin heard the doors close behind her as she walked in farther, trapping her inside like a bird in a cage. This place seemed like hell to her and she wanted to laugh at the irony of it all. When she could make out the features of Kaito's face, drawing closer, she couldn't help but feel a rush of anger flow through her. Rin could easily recall their last conversation together—the day of Miku's funeral.
-:-
Rin watched the priest speak solemnly, reading something out of what she presumed to be a bible, standing over a coffin with two figures standing next to it. A man standing straight and tall with a stoic face, but behind his eyes she could sense deep regret in a way. And there was a woman kneeling on the steps leading up to the altar with long teal hair leaning up against her husband, sniffling into a handkerchief. Rin couldn't help but feel sorry for them, and the woman that lay in eternal sleep in the open coffin. Even though Miku was cold towards her, she had never imagined her to deserve death.
It was then that Rin remembered something. The day that Len was... banished... Kaito had exchanged peculiar conversation with him. He had said that Len had stolen the only woman he ever loved from him and that was Miku. She took note of the man that stood at her side and slowly looked up at him, expecting to see a similar expression to that of the parents that remained in morning. Rin was surprised, however, to see a slight smirk on his face. Appalled, Rin hissed at him under her breath,
"Why do you laugh in such a place like this?"
Kaito didn't answer. The small smirk merely disappeared from his face and he stared down at Rin in annoyance.
"Did you not you love this woman?" Rin insisted. If he had loved Miku like Len had loved her, then why would he be smiling at a time like this?
After a moment, Kaito finally replied, "I laugh because I can't believe myself for falling for such a weak woman."
Rin glared at him, "How dare you say that! Especially when you say that you loved her! She'll never know what love you had to offer her and now you laugh."
"I didn't say that was so."
"What?"
"Do you honestly think I would have let Len marry Miku without me having her first?"
"Then where were you when she was ill? Where were you when she was at her death?"
"I simply exhausted of her, so I didn't need her anymore. If she needs my existence to survive, and fell to death just because of my doing, then she was not the woman I had imagined in the first place."...
"You disgusting man." Rin murmured to herself and finishing her memory, now approaching Kaito at the end of the isle.
Rin's father removed his arm from under her and moved her toward Kaito. She couldn't help but notice that there was no hesitation in this movement, and in the next moment, she found herself handling Kaito's arm. She cringed at the touch and was sure to give him the most menacing look she could muster. Kaito, however, simply brushed it off, nearly snickering at her. However, even though Rin could not suppress her feelings of anger, she never wanted to cry so much in her being until that moment.
"We gather here together to celebrate the union..." The priest's voice sounded once the organ was silenced.
Rin couldn't help but bite her lip, trying her very hardest to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. She attempted strongly to imagine that the man standing next to her was Len, that the hand she held was that of her love's. However, his touch wasn't as perfect and neither was his presence as comforting as the man that she yearned for. To this, she shuttered, knowing that the hand she held was that of a scoundrel. Rin was not listening to a word the priest was saying as she was trying to imagine her future with this man and having to raise her baby in his household. What would she tell her child? Would she tell them of their real father? Would she allow them to succumb to the cruelty of their world of nobility? Even though Rin had all these questions swirling in her mind, she knew the answer to each and every one of them.
"Kaito, do you..."
Rin knew she would never know happiness if she went through with this. She knew that her child would be forever living a lie if she allowed it to be born in this world of nobility. As a mother, she would not allow that for something she already loved so dearly. Even if Len was not coming for her, she had to be true to her heart because there was only one man she loved. It was at that moment that Rin realized that she did not have to submit to her father's will—to Kaito's will. If she wanted the best for her child, then she was going to fight for it.
"...And Rin Kagami, do you take Kaito Shion to be your husband?"
Rin was brought back to reality with those words. She paused, staring between the priest and Kaito before slowly moving her lips, "No..."
"Pardon?" The priest questioned, wondering if his hearing was failing.
"What?" Kaito responded shortly after, sure of what he heard, but questioning Rin's behavior.
"No, I will not marry you!"
"Do you realize what you're doing?" Kaito ground his teeth together, gripping her hand tigther.
Rin slapped his hand away and threw it down with such force that Kaito was cradling it shortly after. Rin backed away from him, leaning forward, mustering all her strength and raised her voice so loudly that all in the church would be able to hear her,
"Yes, I do know what I'm doing! I will not stand by any longer! I will not do this to my child! And I will not marry you because I love Len Kagamine!"
The moment she uttered his name, a loud, thundering sound burst throughout the chapel and light from the day leaked in. All heads turned toward the doors that had been ripped open. At first the thing that came through appeared to be merely a silhouette, but as the light adjusted, Rin could hardly believe her eyes. There stood a man with golden, sun-kissed hair and eyes blue as a cerulean paradise. He was dressed the way that he left—a black waistcoat and trousers with a white shirt underneath, but this time he brandished a rapier in his hand. The moment Rin's eyes met with his, something within her stirred alive and her heart began to pound.
"Len..." She whispered sweetly.
Len looked up at her next to the alter atop the steps and smiled, his heart fluttering with excitement in his chest. His smile vanished briefly when he heard Rin's shriek and the sound of armor rustling towards him—guards hired by the nobility. Without hesitation, Len threw his sword at them, and sent them crashing to the ground, writhing in their own pain. Without anyone in his way, he turned toward Rin once again and began to walk toward her, reaching his hand out. Rin tore herself away from Kaito and bounded towards Len, flying towards him and wrapping her arms around his neck all the while conversation quickly rising from the congregation. Len held her closely, resting his lips on a lock of her hair.
"Rin... Oh, Rin, I'm so sorry I had to make you wait."
"I've missed you, Len." Rin didn't wait another moment to kiss him.
Soon, their lips were locked together, having been thirsty for the warmth that they longed for. Rin melted into Len, moving her lips desperately around his mouth, reminding herself of what she had missed for all that time. It was not the gasps from the crowd that had torn them apart, but the voice of a man Len found very familiar.
"Len! What in blazes are you doing here?" Earl Kagamine pushed himself to the isle, face red with fury.
"I've come to set us free from here. So we can fly away to where we were meant to be."
"Have you forgotten everything that I've told you, imbecile? Without me you have nothing!"
"QUIET!" Len shouted, pointing his rapier at Earl Kagamine, "Without you I have everything! I'm able to have a life that you would never be able to give me! A life with her! A life that I'm able to live free..."
Len looked at Rin's eyes, briefly getting lost in them before looking back at his father, "So 'father', I will create my own path."
"At the expense of mine?" Kaito was bounding toward them now, face wrecked and stupefied.
The moment Kaito was in arms length of them, Len held the point of his rapier at his chin. Kaito stopped, sweating at the closeness of the sharp blade and gulped, staring at Len who returned him with a merciless gaze.
"You have no right to speak, friend. You, who destroyed my life for a moment. You, who was about to take Rin as your bride out of complete selfishness at my expense. You, who, without hesitation, was about to shatter the life of an innocent child not yet born?"
Len drew the point ever closer, "I think you deserve a punishment worse than anything I was to suffer. For you, who tried to tear apart a love that was pure and true. I want you to live with the knowledge that you will never experience anything that is sweet as this because of your black heart."
Len removed his blade and sheathed it before gently taking Rin's hand and tightly grasping it. "Now if you'll excuse us."
With that the two of them paced out of the church, all eyes on them and all words silenced and not a question was asked. Len didn't look back, he only grasped Rin's hand tighter and tighter, his heart beating faster and faster. Rin's feet were becoming lighter and lighter as the light gradually enveloped her. All at once, both of them burst out into the day, freeing themselves from the prison behind them. Rin did not have a moment to think, because Len had quickly brought her to a horse that stood by for them and helped her mount it. She sheepishly laughed at herself for having such a ridiculously log dress draping over the animal, but Len paid it no mind as he mounted the steed after her.
"Hold on." He said to her, and without question, she wrapped her arms around his waist.
Rin closed her eyes when she suddenly felt the wind rush against her face and she felt the veil crowned on her head fly away. She felt so warm and relieved, resting against Len's back, feeling his muscles flex and work as they rode on. He was actually there in her arms and not in some dream she imagined. Once Rin felt them gradually slowing down, she opened her eyes, finding themselves in an unfamiliar place. There were no buildings in sight, not even a wood. There were grassy meadows as far as the eye could see, and a clear sky flying over them. The horse eventually stopped and Len began to move forward. Once Rin released him from her arms, he dismounted and walked a ways without looking back at her. Then all of the sudden he fell backward onto the grass.
"Len?" Rin cried out a bit worried, and dismounted after him, stumbling when her feet touched the ground.
She rushed to his side and knelt next to him, ready to treat any wound that may have been plaguing him. But what she saw was him peacefully closing his eyes and a broad smile on his face, breathing heavily with what seemed to be contentment. Suddenly Rin felt herself fall forward when Len wrapped his arms around her, and she found herself laying on top of him. She shrieked at this and gasped at his spontaneity. Len brought his hands up and squeezed a little tighter, breathing into her neck. Then for the first time in what seemed to be years, he laughed. Rin's heart fluttered as she blushed at this, loving the sound of his voice so perfectly settling in her ears. She laughed in response and then rolled next to him, her back laying against the grassy ground. With their hands tightly interlocked with each other, Rin and Len both admired the clear sky above them.
"You're very beautiful." Len suddenly said, his face turning red with a blush.
Rin smiled and lifted her hand to his face, tracing her finger from his cheek down to his chin then to the shape of his lips, becoming mesmerized for a moment.
"Where were you?" She whispered.
Len paused for a moment, then his eyes widened in excitement and he suddenly sat up.
"I made it to the nearby town... and I took on an apprenticeship with a blacksmith! He's been so generous to me, Rin. He's even lent me his horse to get you today, and he's even found us a place to live! I've been earning and saving money this whole time, working so... we could...be together..." Len trailed off, his face getting red once again, a little embarrassed at his sudden enthusiasm.
Rin chuckled at this and sat up after him, holding both of his hands.
"It's not much..." Len began, "But I promise to work hard..."
"It doesn't matter to me, Len." Rin added, "We're... free."
She wanted to breath a sigh of relief at that word. The smile that crossed her face brightened and she kissed Len on the cheek, who peacefully closed his eyes for a moment, relishing the touch that he had been waiting for. He looked down at their entwined hands and rubbed his thumbs against Rin's skin, feeling butterflies leap everywhere within him. Then nervously rolling his lips inward, he stared up at Rin through his eyelashes.
"Rin..."
"Hmm?"
"Being with you, I... I've learned what love truly is, finding something within you. Love isn't merely a feeling, but an action." He rested his head on her shoulder, "And maybe my actions didn't speak for love the way it should have at first, but..." He was looking at her again, "But now, I feel my heart telling me to give you everything. And I want to show you how much I love you for every day of the rest of my life. I should have asked you this before anything else..."
Len began to fumble around for something in his pocket, nervously fingering his belongings until he pulled out a small box. Shaking, he moved it towards Rin, his cheeks fiercely growing redder and redder by the second.
"Nothing would make me happier, Rin, if you... if you would...b-be my wife." He slowly flipped open the lid, revealing the small, simple ring he had kept away for so many months.
Rin covered her mouth with both her hands, staring down at the ring with tear-filled eyes and her heart beating fast. Moisture streamed down her cheeks as she looked between Len and the ring, musing to herself how all the happiness in her life could be contained in such a tiny box. She could not speak, and so she settled with only a nod, anxiously shaking her head as more tears fell from her eyes. Len grinned and carefully removed the ring from its box and gently took her left hand. Rin softly gasped when she felt the ring slip softly onto her finger and moved her other hand to her belly when she felt that same fluttering again.
When the ring sat around her finger, she grinned and began to laugh, throwing her arms around Len and embracing him tightly. She kissed him from his neck to his jaw until she finally found his lips and cupped his cheeks in her hands. Giving them a moment to breathe, Rin drew herself back and found that she couldn't stop smiling and Len couldn't help but grin back.
"I am to be married!" She mused, breathing deeply in satisfaction.
"And I am to be a father..." Len smiled, brushing his hand across her cheek.
"Yes!" Rin excitedly replied, touching her nose against his.
She shrieked in laughter when Len lifted the both of them up to their feet. He drew Rin up in his arms, her hands pressing down on his shoulder, and lifted her into the air, circling her round and round. He did this until he had fallen backward back onto the grass, taking Rin with him. And as he wrapped his arms around her a little tighter, the two of them laughed together like a perfect duet.
A/N: I always get nervous writing last chapters... because it's a make it or break it thing. Did this turn out well? Are you guys satisfied? Please leave a review! I'd like to hear your thoughts! And stay tuned for the EPILOGUE! It's pretty much all written out, and ideally should be up by next weekend. :)