I've been struggling to figure out where this was going for the past few days... I have an ending in mind, of course. It's just about getting there. Thankfully inspiration came in the form of my friend Krista, who is not only a fantastic friend but a fantastic writer. So you all have her to thank!
She had appeared on the other side of his fence a few days after their most recent escapade, her hands bracing on her hips. "Well? Come on then."
He look up at her blearily as he bent to handle a chicken, trying to figure out what she was hinting at. As far as he could remember they hadn't made any plans, especially considering that it wasn't his day off. "What are you going on about?"
"We're going to the other village. It's ridiculous how cold it's getting, I need warmer clothes."
"What's that got to do with me?"
"Considering you destroyed my best dress last spring I'd say it has quite a lot to do with you. Especially given the fact that you're going to be paying for it."
He could see it was pointless to argue, but started to nonetheless. "I have to work, Lillian. I can't just leave to climb a mountain."
"You're in better shape than I am; Come on, we'll be back by noon I'm sure. Besides, aren't you a little curious to see what the other village looks like?"
He opened his mouth and had half a mind to mutter some excuse, but stopped himself short. He never did anything impulsive, never blew off work... And what would happen, if he had a few hours delay to his chores? It wasn't like the animals would starve. Allowing himself a quick glance over his shoulder to ensure that neither his mother nor Cheryl were watching, he hopped the fence, landing a little roughly beside her. "Fine. You know, you're lucky you're so stubborn. The only reason people offer to do anything for you is so you'll stop being so annoying."
"Sweet of you." She grinned up at him cheekily as they made their way past the orchard. "You know, I'm actually surprised people from around here don't go to visit more often. It's healthy to leave home every once in a while."
They were walking the familiar path to the top of the mountain, the gradual incline beginning to make itself felt about his knees. "There are a few people that go back and forth, to be fair. And I went there a few summers ago, when I broke my arm."
"Medical emergencies don't count, stupid." She had fallen a few paces behind him and fell silent for a moment. When she spoke again her voice was much quieter, all traces of teasing having left it. "You know, I think it would be good if you got out of here, even if it's just for a year or two. You wouldn't have to sell the farm or anything, and I'll keep an eye on your mother and Cheryl for you. And Cam will be around too, it's not like we'd abandon them."
He could feel a knot working itself in his stomach as she spoke, and each step he took without replying seeming to echo on the mountain. He had been fighting thinking about it for a while now, knowing full well that given his present situation with Lillian it could complicate things but... The more time he spent with her, the more he realized how attached he was becoming to her. Any feelings of resentment or entrapment he felt growing up had simply faded... And the more he thought of it, the more he couldn't bear the thought of being without her, even if it was only for a year.
He cleared his throat and brought himself out of his own head. "Is that so?"
She caught up to him, her hand slipping in his as they approached the top of the mountain. "It is so. Look, Ash... I care about you. On top of what we have... You're my best friend." He wasn't aware of stopping but noticed suddenly they were both very still, Lillian's cheeks going their usual pink when she was embarrassed. "And if getting out of here is something important to you, I want to help you... And just think of the things you'll see, Ash. There's whole islands to explore, great rolling plains. You can even visit Mineral Town, Forget-Me-Not Valley..."
"Mineral Town." He repeated, the idea sounding incredibly enticing coming from her lips.
"I'm serious, Ash." It was incredible; he had never seen her light up the way she did in this moment, the breeze catching her hair and sending waves of lavender over them, her eyes focused on an image he couldn't see. "You should do it. I only spent a few months from home, and it was the most exhilarating thing I've ever done, absolutely nothing like the unknown... Big, never-ending oceans... Sleepy towns, mountains, even bigger than this one." He reached up to push her hair off her face, his fingers tucking the airborne strands behind her ears, his thumbs brushing against her pink cheeks.
Before he could stop himself he leant in and kissed her. It was nothing like all the passionate kisses they had had before; while the others had send a strike of lightening through his veins, this one sent a ripple of emotion through his core. Up on the mountain, they didn't have to hide from the prying eyes of others, and it was this sense of honesty more than anything that struck a chord with him. For the first time, he kissed her with a sense of unsaid feelings; emotions that had stirred inside him for a while and that were threatening the burst out.
When he pulled back she was gasping slightly, his presence on her mouth so fierce that she had evidently forgotten to breathe. He could feel her knees wobbling slightly, moving his hands to her waist to help keep her upright. "What about you, then?" He asked, watching as her eyes came into focus once more.
"Me?" She said a little breathlessly, her fingers pressing into his shoulders.
He bit his lip. Now more than ever was the time for honesty. "I know you want me to go and have this amazing adventure but... What if I said I didn't want to have an adventure? Unless it's with you?"
Some of the feeling seemed to have gone back to her legs, because she suddenly seemed much steadier in his arms, looking up at him awkwardly as she let out a nervous laugh. "I'd say you're out of luck then. This is kind of a one or the other deal. I mean, we can't both go. Someone needs to stay behind... look after things..."
He could feel the knot in his stomach throb as she took a step back, the two of them no longer touching. Somewhere in the back of his mind, her heard her voice echo in an old memory accompanied by the phantom feeling of her boot knocking against his. Honesty, remember? He swallowed thickly. "What if... What if the adventure wasn't in the place? But rather in who you experience it with?" She had dropped her gaze to her feet and he took her hand, trying to pull her from whatever thoughts were distracting her and back into the moment with him. "I... Lillian, I don't want to leave this place. Not as long as you're here."
"Don't say that."
It wasn't the response he was expecting, and felt the sensation of being punched in the stomach as she glanced up at him through saddened eyes. "What?"
"Don't say things like that to me, Ash." She seemed to steal herself for a moment, turning to face the valley and the endless orchard of coloured, leaving trees. "We both know... I mean, things can't stay like this forever. Something has to give. And I'm not a betting woman, but..." He felt a pang run through him as her voice broke slightly, but she didn't cry- one of the many wonderful things about Lillian was that she never cried. "It's just easier, okay? For me to think that if you do leave it's because you're happy. Not because of something I did or because..."
She fell silent and he knew what she wanted to say without her saying it: Or because you turn out exactly like your father. He watched her for a moment as she blinked a few times into the rising sun. She was afraid, and he knew it; afraid of what he was feeling, afraid of her own feelings, surely- and most importantly, afraid of following the same path his parents had.
When she spoke again her voice was a little thicker than usual, shoving her hands into her pockets. "We'd better go. Nori is expecting us within the hour."
She turned and got a few paces head start on him. He had been wrong; as he turned to follow, he saw her wipe rather ruthlessly at her wet cheeks.
Bam! Another chapter up. I'm going to try to update ASAP because this was originally going to be a partner with the next chapter, but together they would have been too long to be a single upload. Read and Review!