Lunaticus

12

"So, why were you in the woods?"

We were holding hands, walking back to the pack. Every now and then I'd peek at him from the corner of my eye, and always the corners of his mouth would be turned up.

Did I mention we were holding hands? "Well. I thought my shift was tonight-"

"Woah woah- your shift? Last night? And you didn't tell me?" He shook his head in disappointment, " And here I was the one feeling bad. You deserve a timeout young lady."

"Are you seriously comparing turning it a ginormous yeti with being silent about a shift that didn't even happen? You should never be a contest judge Lyell. People will throw tomatoes' at you."

"Oh yeah? Well, it's a good thing my mate is a chef," He let me walk forward and then lifted me up in the air. A laugh left my mouth as I tried to pry his arms away.

"Let me-" Gasp. "Down."

He let me, only to sweep in for a quick kiss from behind. "You make me so happy, Chloe. I never thought it was possible."

"Especially," He said, pecking my red cheeks. "When I make you blush."

"You," I flicked his nose, "Are the corniest male I've met on this planet."

He twirled me around and encased me in his embrace, trapping my hands behind my back with his. I loved his "Replace the C with an H, and it will still hold true."

Before I could make sense of his words, we heard footsteps approaching. He let me go as if I was hot fire, placing a distance of two steps between us.

It was a bull wagon, and sitting atop was an oath-taker from the village nearby. What I wasn't expecting was Arthur, along with Evan, sitting side by side. Both of them froze when they saw us on the trail.

"Chloe?" Asked Arthur, while Evan asked the coachman to stop. "Lyell? Oh. My. Goodness. Bananas. I was right!"

I clasped a finger to my lips, gesturing wildly at Evan who still had his head turned to the coachman. "Sh."

"You owe me." He whispered gleefully before dutifully sitting back.

"Um, hey." Why was greeting Evan suddenly so awkward?

"Hey, Chloe-bear." He hugged me. Frowning, he pulled back. "So you didn't shift?"

He was polite, but something about the way he asked made me feel embarrassed. "Nope. Same old Chloe."

He patted my shoulder, "It'll happen soon enough, don't worry." Then he looked over at Lyell and nodded a greeting. There was a tightening to his eyes that was gone before I could pinpoint it.

"Well, I'll see you around. We have to prepare for the feast of harvesting. I was just going to the village to fetch the extra veggies."

"Damn it! I forgot all about it." I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "Way to give good news, Evan."

He smiled. "Have fun. Don't do the desserts, just the eggs. I'll do them myself. Just get the stew on the stove."

"Thanks," I called as he propped back on the wagon beside Arthur. All the while Arthur made pouts behind his cupped hands, hiding the vulgar gestures from Evan.

Your parents made the right decision, I mouthed to him as I turned to Lyell. He had his hands in his pockets, and I didn't miss the chance to intertwine mine with his.

"He likes you." He noted, without particular scorn. Then he smirked, "Poor lad, I got here before he could've made his move."

"How you fit in your shoes with that inflated ego, I'd never know," I said. The packed house was within view now. I yawned, stretching my arms above my head. "Say," I mumbled sleepily " How did you get these clothes? Those pants look awfully huge on you."

"Good thing it came with a belt. Thought you had had enough surprises for the day.I just found it lying nearby in the bushes. But now that you bring it up..:" But he was frowning, lost in thought.

"Hm. Never mind."

"Never mind what?"

"My worries. My overthinking," He smiled blatantly, "I have troubled you enough and we have a long day ahead of us."

He pulled me close, hugging me sideways for the rest of the way.