Earthbound: Right at Home [Complete]

Chapter 32: Right at Home

The walk home was rather peaceful, something you missed for the last couple of weeks.

Snow drifted softly from the sky, landing on your skin, but for some reason you didn't feel cold. You felt nothing but warmth swell in side your chest. 

Your feat crunched in the snow as you two left the forest. Your body felt a million times lighter, as if a weight had been lifted from your shoulders. Everything felt right in the world, everything felt perfect.

Your  mind was at peace, finally knowing all the answers. That didn't bother you anymore, the empty void that constantly tugged at the back of your head. It was gone, finally it had vanished. For once in your life you felt as if you belonged, you felt as if you were in the right place, and at the right time.

You were always Right at Home... all along.

Right here, this was your home.

You didn't realize it at first, in fact you couldn't. Your memories were forcefully taken away from you; from every second of your child hood to the friendship you had with Ness.

Be it by a bump on the head, or your mind trying to mentally protect itself from all of those horrors.. but none of that really mattered now. You're memory was restored, everything made since, and you were happy for that.

You had a family that was willing to take you in, even though you started out as a filthy homeless stranger from the surrounding forest. They fed you and even gave you place to sleep, gave you clothing and made sure that you were alright. You always had someone to talk to, people to hang out with...moments that didn't feel out of the ordinary.

You had a friend... a close friend... one that always looked out for you, and pulled you into doing things even though you didn't want to.

That... some friend who was currently...holding your hand.

You two were close friends, that was for sure... but that friendship over time easily blossom into something much more.

There was no denying it.

Ah, the --kind of sarcastic, kinda not-- beauty of being a psychic. You didn't really need to be one to tell what Ness was feeling, but you felt them anyway.

It's not like he did much to hide it, either...

You blushed at the thought, knowing that Ness heard it loud and clear.

He came to a stop, in the middle of walking.

You felt him squeez your hand.

"Tried hard not to hide what, exactly?"

You looked at him and simply blinked, chuckling nervously.

"Hehe... you heard that huh?"

Ness flashed a quick smile, one that looked plafully mischievous, but then it was quickly covered by a blush.

"...Sorry I really didn't mean to... read your thoughts..."

"Its fine." You reply simply.

The rest of the walk home was simply in silence. Not a tense awakard silence like in the past, but a comfortable silence... a silence that said everything that it needed to say.

It was satifying.

Home was just at the top of the hill, resting peacefuly. Snow sitting on top of its roof and the sunlight hitting it just right. You couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia as your feet crunched through the snow

You watched as Ness walked up the hill, and approched the pourch. Instead of unlocking and opening the door, he sits down on one lf the steps, inviting you to donthe same.

Without any hesitation, you did so. Each step, each and every crunch in the pile of white fluff was joyful. Hearing just triggered nothing but nostalgia.

You sat next to him, and silence rulled over you both.

A good silence.

You smiled, naturally leaning on Ness's shoulder, watching the snow fall.

Then a sudden wave of bravery floods inside you, a smile crossing your face.

Ness, do you have a crush on me?

Instanlty you feel him tense up, you didn't even need to look up to know that he was blushing. This reaction only made you giggle...

But his answer quickly caught you off guard.

In one swift motion, Ness gently took you by the echin an lighlty kissed you on the for head, then quickly backed away.  For a moment you couldn't move, for a moment you had to think, your mind had to process what the heck just happened.

You looked up at Ness who's face was as bright as a tomato.  After a couple blinks, all you could really do was laugh at the sight.

I guess that spoke for itself... you thought.

You never felt happier.