Feather Bound

Chapter 47

You sighed, neatly folding and tucking in the last piece of clothing into your overnight bags. You were just minutes away from leaving for your parents, waiting for Keigo to return from work so you could finally head out of town. If you were honest, you had secretly hoped that The Commission would deny his leave request, though it made you feel guilty to do so. It wasn't that you didn't want him to have time off; you honestly just didn't want to face your parents.

Your mom had been texting you nonstop since your phone call, asking about what things Himari wanted for Christmas and expressing excitement about meeting her. You'd left her messages unanswered, partly because you weren't sure how to explain to your parents that you didn't even have custody of Himari currently and partly because, in all honesty, you didn't even know.

It had been over eight months since you'd last even seen Himari. What did she want for Christmas? Was Kuro even going to let her celebrate, or had he ruined that for her too? You sighed sadly at the thought; it wouldn't surprise you if he had told her that Santa wasn't real. Leave it to him to ruin the magic of Christmas for a child.

The sound of the front door opening broke you from your thoughts, a smile gracing your face before you could even stop it. Keigo was home, and that thought was enough to soothe your nerves slightly. The only reason you were remotely okay with this situation was that Keigo would be by your side the entire time. You waited for a few seconds, expecting him to come into the bedroom to say hello, but he didn't. You frowned as the sound of rustling around in the living room reached your ears, causing you to furrow your brows in confusion. What the hell was he doing out there?

You zipped the duffel bag shut, slinging it over your shoulder before making your way into the living room. You paused at the sight that greeted you, your brows furrowing in curiosity as you watched Keigo shoving beautifully wrapped packages under the tree, feathers following him and adjusting little things, making sure the bows were straight until he sat back on his knees with a satisfied sigh.

"What're you doing?" You finally asked, his wings twitching in surprise as his head whipped around to look at you. He blinked at you for a second sheepishly before he stood, giving you a gentle smile and wrapping you in his arms.

"I hope it doesn't sound stupid, but I had Haruki give me a copy of Chiyo's list this year, just to see what kinda things she was into. I, uh, didn't want Himari to miss out on Christmas, just in case Kuro didn't do anything with her. I figured we could do Christmas together once she got home. The lawyer got all our paperwork, he called today and told me he's working on getting the emergency custody order that Kuro has reversed. With any luck, she'll be home on the thirtieth. We can tell her Santa got messed up and dropped everything off at Mom's just in case that fucker didn't get her anything."

"Oh Keigs," You sniffled as you gazed at everything he'd done in wonder. It was truly amazing how kind he was, always thinking of others, but as his words replayed in your mind, you suddenly sucked in a breath. Your eyes widened as you turned your head to look at him in shock. Did he just say...

"The thirtieth?" You breathed, your words just a whisper as you felt tears starting to burn your eyes. That was less than a week from now, it was so close, you were so close. He smiled, kissing your forehead, and you didn't miss the tears that watered his own eyes.

"I'm planning on clearing out the office after Christmas. I already ordered the furniture we agreed on; it should be delivered by the twenty-ninth. I figured we could put it all together that night so it's all ready for her. Merry Christmas love bird." He said softly, leaning down to plant a soft kiss against your head before taking a deep breath. "Are you ready to go? The cab is waiting, and the storm is picking up. If we're leaving, we gotta go now."