Broken Wings [Completed!]

Chapter 20

Jun had burnt his brown hair, making his freckled cheeks look lighter than they already were. He wore a pink apron with polka dots, and was currently carrying a plate of crab onto the table.

Haku emerged through the door of the cottage house. Small petals of flowers decorated his hair which would have looked purposeful if Haku didn't shake them off. When he caught Evira staring at him, he smiled back, before offering her a seat at the dining table - a brown, wooden and circular table, with a vase full of roses placed in the middle. If anything, it looked straight out of a fairytale.

Fairy lights bathed the room in pale lights as it ran across the length of the cream walls, before finishing at a wide window at the end of the room. It opened up to a garden with even more flowers that lined the sides of a small pathway leading to a garden shed.

The mother, who had short, greying hair emerged after Jun, carrying even more food to the table. Freshly baked bread and different sauces and spices led to Jun beginning to drool at the sight of the food.

"Let's eat!" Jun exclaimed, halfway leaning across the table to obtain the crab.

"Jun, your manners," reminded the mother. "Let the guests eat first."

Evira looked at Haku, astonished. "Guests? I thought she was your mum."

"Not by blood - but Haku's basically family to us," the mother replied.

Evira nodded and felt Jun plop a mountain of food on her plate. "Wow, it smells amazing. You cooked all this?"

"Jun takes after his mum. She's one of the best cooks in the Water Realm," Haku said beside her.

She watched Jun stuff a large spoon of food and stuff it into his mouth. His legs did not reach the floor and instead were swinging underneath the table. He wore a fleece jumper and trousers that were a bit ripped, as if he hadn't a care in the world about what he looked but dressed more for comfortability. If it weren't for his slightly sharper ears, he looked just like an ordinary human compared to the faeries she had seen outside with their eloquent outfits and pool of jewelry.

Jun didn't pause for breath after he finished his mouthful. He was already filling his plate with more food. "You have a big appetite for a child, huh," Evira chuckled.

"I'm not a child; I'm a big boy," Jun corrected. "I'm eight!" He swallowed his mouthful forcefully and continued, "one day I'm going to be as big and strong as Haku!"

Beside her, she felt Haku smile. He had more of a tamed, regal nature when eating. Everything on his plate was cut nicely into small portions.

"But I'm already better than Haku at cooking," Jun said confidently, sitting up straighter in his chair. "Haku can't even cook a simple main dish without my help."

His mother nudged him on the side of his stomach.

Haku's ears pinked. "Jun," he said whilst cutting at a piece of meat, "when are you going to start teaching me and Evira, then?"

"I only teach those who have potential," Jun replied, pleased with his large vocabulary. "I can teach Evira for free, but you'll have to pay me."

Evira turned at Haku and raised a brow. "This guy's epic," she said very seriously, pointing over at Jun.

They carried on eating, the sound of clinking cutlery and the wind brushing through the cottage windows setting Evira at ease.

"Evira," the mother called as Jun and Haku left to wash the dishes, "how are you finding it here? Has it changed much ever since you left?"

Evira gulped. She hardly remembered anything about the Faerie Realm but didn't want to let the mother down. "Not much has changed, surprisingly," she lied through a forced smile. "I've missed it here."