The Treasure of the Village

Chapter 17: Elytrian in Love

The next evening, Jesse sat by the pond where he discovered Kitsune's secret. He was quietly observing her, watching as she flew around the starry sky with her angel-like wings. The way she laughed really spoke volumes about how happy she was, like there wasn't a single thing wrong with the world. This along with the serene feel of their surroundings made the scene feel even more surreal, like something straight out of a dream.

As Jesse watched in silence, he was stuck in his own thoughts. There was no denying at this point that he felt something for Kitsune, and that there was evident chemistry growing between them. He tapped his foot, contemplating what he should do. He usually tried to avoid getting attached to people in these villages, but he had evidently failed that when it came to Kitsune. He didn't want to just leave her. Yet at the same time, was it alright for her to leave with him?

"Jesse?"

The woman's words snapped him out of it, prompting him to look up. She was hovering off the ground right in front of him, peering into his eyes with confusion. "Did you hear what I said?" She asked.

Jesse blinked, trying to find his words. "Oh, I- ah..." He stuttered a bit. "I'm afraid not, sorry. What did you say?" He admitted before asking.

Kitsune chuckled a bit, smiling as she pointed up at the sky. "I said: the sky's really beautiful tonight, isn't it? No clouds, all stars- it's really pretty." She restated.

"The... sky?" Jesse repeated, looking back up. She was right. The sky was a beautiful, soothing shade of dark blue. The moon shined brightly amongst the sea of darkness, along with the stars. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. (Go on- make the Encanto reference. I dare ya.)

"...It is, yes. Though I must admit- I can't say I've ever noticed before. Never really took the time to, I suppose." Jesse remarked. Kitsune giggled a bit, sitting down beside him.

"Perhaps you should try a bit more. Sometimes you gotta stop and smell the flowers- that's what mom always told me." She joked, picking up a nearby flower from the ground. Despite the fact that it may have been poisonous, she didn't seem to care.

"I've heard that one before. Can't say I know what the big deal is." Jesse remarked, looking over at the flower in her hand. "On the topic of flowers though, are you sure you should be touching that? I've heard most flowers in this forest are poisonous." He questioned.

"They are, yes. But they can't be much worse than wither roses." Kitsune remarked.

Jesse gave a confused look. "Wither roses?"

"Ah, right- they don't grow here on Earth... Probably for the better. Anyways, in our realm, wither roses were essentially flowers that would cause you to almost decay just by touching them. It kinda sucks, because I've always thought they were really pretty. But hey, I've always liked alliums too. At least you humans have those here." Kitsune explained.

"Hm, I see." Jesse nodded in understanding. "Kitsune, tell me something.. Do you ever wish to... return to your old realm? Wherever it may be?" He asked.

The redhead paused, humming in response. "Mmm... Sometimes. But if I did, then I dunno if I'd ever be able to see you again. And I wouldn't want that." She stated, turning to look at him with a small smile.

"Though, y'know, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want them to meet you. My family, I mean. I'm sure they'd love you- almost as much as I do." She said.

Jesse snapped his head in her direction, thinking he heard her wrong. There's no way she just admitted to... loving him, right? "Wait a moment- what did you just say?" He asked.

And at that moment, Kitsune's own words set in. Her eyes widened as her face flushed red, her wings puffing out from being startled. She quickly looked away. "N-Nothing! I didn't say anything! Heheh.." She lied.

"Kitsune... Come on, tell me the truth." Jesse coerced, patting her shoulder.

After a moment, Kitsune sighed- looking back at him. "...Alright, ya got me... I said... I mean, I... I think..." She shook her head, suddenly having difficulty saying the words on her mind.

"I... I love you."

Now it was Jesse's turn to be silent. On one hand, he was happy that she returned the feelings. But on the other hand, this caused his concerns about her from earlier to arise yet again. Not to mention a few others- including what could potentially happen to him or her on another case.

"I see... So I did hear you right..." He remarked. "Before you get the wrong idea, I do want to say that the feeling's mutual. Has been for quite a while." He added.

"However, my concern lies with... well, me and the life I lead." He looked over at her. "My job is very dangerous, Kitsune. I don't want to put you in any danger, but I also don't want to leave you here. Ultimately, the decision as to if you want to leave the village and be with me, or stay here completely lies with you. I'll respect your decision." He stated.

"I think..." Kitsune paused, gently taking his hand. "I want to be with you. Trust me, I know the risks... And I'm willing to take all of them." She chuckled a bit. "Trust me, it definitely wouldn't be the first time." She said.

Jesse smiled a little, gripping her hand. "Then it's settled... I'll have to teach you self defense tactics at a later date." He said, before yawning a little. "However... Right now, I think it's best if we head to bed... I'm getting quite tired."

Kitsune giggled, starting to lead him back to her house. "Sounds good to me. C'mon, let's go." She said.

Meanwhile, the two were completely oblivious to the creature that watched them from the shadows- looking forward to initiating its attack.