Candies and Sticks

Part Four

 [Grown up Kellan on the right! (--->)

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PART FOUR

I was scared. I was unprepared. It felt like my heart stopped beating, my brain stopped functioning, and the earth stopped rotating.

I abruptly stood up, with my hands visibly shaking. I took a deep breath, and looked up with my eyes still closed. Another sob escaped before I opened my eyes. That stray sob turned to consecutive cries until I was, again, wailing like how I did ten years ago.

“What's with that face, princess? I did say I’d come back for you, didn’t I? I was kinda sad though, that you didn’t recognize me back at the bus, and still didn’t earlier at the cafeteria even after I gave you a hint. But it’s fine—“

I didn’t let him finish. I literally jumped and threw myself to him, in which he caught me effortlessly, just making him take a step back. I might be small, but I wasn’t completely weightless.

A huge shadow fell upon us that only clouds could provide, protecting us from the harsh heat coming from the sun. I kept crying, as he hugged me tightly, brushing his fingers through my waist-length black hair. I never cut it, ever since he told me before that long hair suited me better. He was right at that.

I fisted the back of his shirt, not caring that it would leave wrinkles after. “I missed you…”

“I know. I missed you, too, princess.”

“I hate you… you made me wait for so long…”

“I know, and I'm sorry. I didn’t expect you would move places. It’s kind of hard to track you down, you know?”

I buried my face in his chest more. “Kai…”

“I know, princess. I know.”

We stayed like that, until I finally calmed down. I pulled away and quickly turned around, wiping my face with the sleeve of my top. Those, until he caught my wrist and made me face him again.

I felt another batch of tears welling up my eyes when I saw that familiar lazy smirk. He sighed, took out a clean white handkerchief, and used it to wipe my face. All the time I was just staring at him, almost disbelieved that that arrogant guy in the bus I didn’t like, was actually my Kai. That that annoyingly persistent guy who kept following me even in my classes ever since this morning, was really my Kai. That he was really back.

My Kai was really here.

“I'm very sorry for making you wait for so long, Riley. I was very stupid to believe my parents that all you wanted from me was our wealth.”

“You want me to shove your money up your asses?”

Kai grinned. “I'm afraid you can't do that. I prefer to be the one shoving.”

I felt myself blushing, so I kicked his shin. “Quit it, Fido.”

He chuckled again, and then his face suddenly turned solemn; sad, but not regretful. “You can't do that to my parents, too. I cut all my ties from them. They couldn’t take me away anymore. I can stay for good, princess.”

I stayed silent, while he smiled as he continued cleaning my face. He did something like that for me, even if he didn’t have to. I knew that if I pointed that out to him, he would just say that it was the only choice left. At some point he was right, but I didn’t want him to feel the pain of not having your parents when you needed them.

“I may not be an Emperor anymore, but that didn’t mean I don’t need a princess any longer. I still do, and that would still be you,” he continued, looking at me with those caring eyes I recognized by heart. “I don’t need people who cared for money and reputation more than their own flesh and blood.”

He put back his handkerchief in his pocket after he was done. As he took out his hand, it was replaced with a small thing that made him chuckle, and made me scowl.

I looked at him sternly. “I'm fifteen. I'm in the age when every tooth I lose wouldn’t grow back anymore.”

“You don’t want my candy.” He was about to put it back his pocket, but I quickly grabbed it, making him smile so wide and bright it defeated the sun. “Now, tell me why my princess was crying.”

“I’d rather not tell you,” I told him as I unwrapped the little ball of sweetness, and ate it.

“I want to know. No one makes my princess cry and expect themselves to get away unscathed.”

“You'll get mad, and again do something behind my back.”

He chortled. “Fine. I’ll just find another way to know it.”

“I really worry about you sometimes.”

“You don’t have to. I'm strong. I have to be so I could protect you and take care of you. So I could love you without anyone hindering me.”

“You're so corny.” I looked away as I felt that familiar heat creeping up my face again, earning me another amused laugh. “Greg… he… he confessed to me he likes me. And then,” I looked back at him, unsure of how he would react. “…he kissed me.” When I saw those deep blue eyes turned darker, his eyelids narrowing, I panicked. “It was nothing though! Our lips just connected! I didn’t let himmmph—!”

Kai leaned down and kissed me, cutting whatever I was about to say. Well, I myself forgot what I wanted to say anyway. This was different in every aspect. I mean, this time, it was Kai who was doing it. It was Kai, the person who took my heart with him ten years ago.

I closed my eyes and responded the best I could, despite my lack of experience, letting him in as he asked for entrance. Behind that act, letting him in back to my life. He explored my mouth, silently showing me how a kiss should feel like. It wasn’t enough that two pairs of lips were making contact. The persons doing it should also be willing, enjoying, loving every second of it.

My first kiss.

I pulled away as I felt I was running out of breath. Kai was smiling down at me, his face painted in happiness. I was sure I was mirroring that look he was giving me. However, he was still the Kai that I knew.

“How weird. I ate a piece of this candy earlier, and it wasn’t this sweet.”

He truly didn’t change. It was a good thing, if only he wasn’t using it to make me flustered for his satisfaction.

I fought the urge to slap that teasing grin off his face as he kept saying embarrassing things, rolling the candy he stole from me around his mouth. I could only blush though, seeing that I could do nothing else.

“Wait, princess, you haven’t told me you love me yet.”

I gawked at him, horrified. Oh wait, MORTIFIED.

“In your dreams, you prick! Do you really have to ask that?! It goes without saying!” He ran away from me as I lifted a hand to implant a new set of bumps on his head. And he still had the nerve to laugh as if he did nothing wrong! “WHEN I CATCH YOU, YOU'RE DEAD!”

“But you love me, princess!”

I stopped chasing him, making him stop a few meters away from me as well. I was panting, but it was because of how mad he was making me. “How many times should I tell you…” I grumbled, my voice leaking out venom with my shoulders shaking.

“Uhh… relax? Okay… I’ll stop teasing, prin—“

“STOP CALLING ME PRINCESS!”

Ooh… bet you that echoed. And with that, the chasing continued.

I knew my life now would be more chaotic than ever. But it was more than okay, as long as I have that stupid Kellan again.

Someday, in the future, when Kai and I had those little kids running around our own house, I could tell them this… pretty simple story.

That, once upon a time, there were two kids. And let’s not forget the candies. Sometimes they were in wrappers, sometimes they were in boxes. Some were gummies, while some were in sticks.

Its sweetness might cost the other a tooth or more, but they would be replaced with stronger, prettier and whiter ones when they grew back. It also served as a reminder, that a promise would not be broken, as long as it was made by two innocent, sincere and pure hearts.