Homebound

Chapter 7: Love at Last

On Saturday morning, Kitsune awoke in her bed. She sat up, yawning as she checked the time. 9:00 a.m.. She wasn't surprised, as sleeping in on the weekend. She stretched, getting out of bed and fixing the blankets before getting changed.

It had been a week since she started living with Chris, and now her room was a bit more decorated. Chris had given her a few of the antiques from the shop as gifts- some of which decorated the room. An antique doll sat on the dresser, which Kitsune had started lovingly refer to it as 'Molly'. Sketches and other drawings were on the walls.

The redhead sighed contently, smiling to herself. Chris had been nothing but kind and considerate towards her. She didn't know what she'd do without him. Speaking of which, today would be the day that she would -hopefully- confess her feelings.

With that thought in mind, she finished getting dressed and began walking downstairs. She figured Chris would probably be awake by now, as he was never the type to sleep in. But seeing how quiet the house was, she assumed that he must've went out to doing something. Walking into the kitchen, she saw a note on the counter. She could basically see Chris's elegant handwriting from the entrance. Walking over, she picked it up and began reading.

"I'll be back momentarily. I apologize for not telling you ahead of time- but we needed a few things from the store, and I didn't want to disturb you. As you know, you're more than welcome to help yourself to anything. See you soon. -Christopher"

"Ah, so that's where he went." Kitsune mumbled to herself, setting the note back then. "Guess that gives me more times to think about how I can tell him... But what should I do?" She asked, folding her arms and tapping her foot against the hard floor.

"I wanna do something special, but... nothing too fancy. Maybeee... A cake? Yeah, that sounds good!" She nodded to herself, getting all the ingredients out. After getting all the ingredients out, she turned on the oven and tied her hair into a ponytail so it wouldn't fall in her face.

She had some baking to do.

---

Approximately an hour later, Chris came back. A few grocery bags were in his hands. "I'm home!" He called, prompting Kitsune to enter the room. "Welcome back!" She greeted, holding her hands out as though silently offering to take some of the bags for him.

Chris silently nodded at her offer, handing her a few bags. "Thanks, dear." He said, as he and his friend started walking into the kitchen. "I do apologize for taking so long traffic was a nightmare. I swear, you'd think more people would be sleeping in." He stated, setting the bags in his hands on the counter island- Kitsune doing the same.

Chris looked up, noticing something on the stove. "Oh, did you make something? I was wondering what that smell was- it smells amazing." He commented. Kitsune nodded, moving her hair out of her face. "Yeah, I did. It's for you." She responded.

"For me?" Chris repeated, the redhead nodding. "Oh, darling, you didn't have to do that! What on earth is it for- you know my birthday isn't for another six months." He stated.

Kitsune stuttered a bit, fidgeting with her hands. "Ah, nothing really! I just- wanted to show you that I appreciate you. And, also... tell you something." She replied. "Tell me something? What is it?" Chris asked.

With a deep breath, Kitsune looked up at him. "S-So... Ah... I wanted to tell you that... For a really long time, I... O-Ok, let me start again... I've felt like this for a while, a-and..." She shook her head, blush spreading across her cheeks. Chris walked over, patting her shoulders.

"Deep breaths, Kitsune. Don't worry too much about it. Just think about what you want to say, and say it." He told her. With a nod, Kitsune took a deep breath and said what she'd been wanting to say for god knows how long. "I..." She hesitated.

"I really like you. Like, in love with you, like you."

Her heart was beating at a very fast pace, nervous about Chris's reaction. She tensed up more when she felt Chris tilt her chin up- making her heart feel as though it was a wild bird thrashing against her ribcage. Before she could say anything, Chris gave her a small kiss on the forehead. "The feeling is mutual, Kitsune. No need to be stressed." He told her.

Kitsune blinked, processing. Once his words set in, she smiled brightly. She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. Chris laughed a bit, patting her head with one hand as he hugged with the other. Kitsune nuzzled into him, happier than she had ever been. She smiled to herself.

This was exactly what she wanted, and she was beyond happy about it.