[FANTASY AU]
The guardian narrows his eyes as he looks at her, jaw clenching as he stands up, his height slightly towering over her.
"I thought I told you not to come here again." He says.
"I'm trying!" She protests, eyes wide as she looks around, a...
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The guardian smiles to himself as her home comes into view, the sky clear and blue above them.
"Wanderer!" He calls out, the girl's head snapping up in surprise.
A smile lights up her face.
"Namu?" She calls out, closing her notebook as she gets up to greet him. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
Instead of answering, he says,
"Come. I want to show you something."
The girl raises a curious brow, intrigued by his request.
"Okay."
Quickly grabbing her bag, she follows him to he edge of the forest.
"Are you sure it's okay for me to go in?" She asks, a bit surprised, but the guardians isn't fazed at all.
"Do you trust me wanderer?" He asks, turning to her.
"I do." She says, slightly jumping in surprise when he stands behind her.
"Close your eyes." He says, his voice sending a shiver down her spine.
Exhaling, she does as instructed, hoping he won't notice her erratic heartbeat as she reaches out to hold onto his wrists, his gentle hands covering her eyes.
"Here we go."
Step by step, he guides her into the forest, their steps in perfect synchrony as they go.
Curiosity grows within her with every step.
What does he want to show her?
"Are we almost there?" She asks after a while, the guardian chuckling at her question.
"Just a few more steps."
EunAe steadies herself.
"Ready?"
She nods.
"You may open your eyes now."
Upon opening her eyes, the girl is greeted with a variety of vibrant colors filling the air, delicate wings fluttering.
The girl gasps at the sight, extending her palms as she slowly turns, taking in the wondrous sight, careful not to hurt the delicate creatures as she does so.
Thousands of butterflies swirl around her, a smile on her face as she looks at him.
"Is this real?"
"Very."
"Wow."
"This is so beautiful." EunAe says, beaming at the guardian. "Almost like a fairy tail."
"It is."
"I thought you might like it."
"I've never seen anything like it." She adds.
The guardian watches as the girl slowly extends her hand.
Much to the girl's surprise, a butterfly lands on her index finger, the guardian nodding at her as she brings it closer to examine it.
He smiles at the sight. As expected, he was right to bring her to the forest.
The butterfly flies away, the pair following it with their gaze as it flutters up to rest on a tree.
Silence fills the air as the two sit side by side, the girl sketching the different butterflies as the guardian rests.
His eyes are closed, head tilted back as he listens to the girl hum a song he has never heard before.
"Wanderer?"
"Hmm?"
"May I have this dance?" He asks, bowing as he extends his hand.
The girl blushes at the action, nodding without a word, afraid that the butterflies in her stomach might escape if she opens her mouth to offer a reply.
A gentle breeze blows as he takes the first step, the two falling into a rhythm as they float up in the air, the butterflies circling around them, dancing along to the song of their heartbeats.
For a moment, it's as if everything stops, and it's just the guardian and the wanderer together in the big wide world.
It's magical, that is until the guardian trips over thin air, the action sending them plummeting towards the ground.
Orange leaves fly all around them as they land, their laughter echoing against the trees.
"Sorry about that."
"Don't be. It was good while it lasted."
Their laugher dies down, a sigh escaping their lips as they look up to the sky.
"Thank you for sharing this with me." She says, turning to him. "It means a lot."
"My pleasure."
"I thought you might like it." He adds. "It's not often we get to see them like this, so I wanted to share it with you."
"Thank you Namu. It really is lovely." She sighs. "I just wish people would appreciate it more."
"You and me both wanderer."
There is a pause.
"We should start heading back." He says, offering his hand to help her up.
The rest of their walk is spent in comfortable silence, the pair enjoying each other's company and the celery around them.
"Before we part ways," EunAe begins, "I just wanted to say thank you for letting me be part of this."
"I wanted to give you a gift of sorts." The guardian says. "As a way of thanking you for sharing a part of your world with me as well."
"Anytime."
"I hope we can continue to grow."
"Me too."
He opens his mouth to add more, but pauses for a second.
"Goodnight wanderer."
The girl relaxes her shoulders.
"Goodnight."
EunAe smiles to herself as the guardian disappears.
It was not long ago that they met along these parts, their first meeting not the most ideal, but how the seasons have changed.
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Hi loves! I apologize for the lack of updates, I didn't intend for it to go on for so long. Life has been busy and my writing is a little rusty but I thought I'd kick off this new year with an update. If you're still here, thank you for your patience and support. Hope you enjoy. I would love to hear what you think. ~Van 🍃 (2024.01.01)
