Watch the Stars with Me

Chapter 19

When the storms had passed and the weather began to warm a bit he was able to go to the closest town where Fern, Kyle, Fay, and a few others could send him mail, and where he would update the periodical on his journeys to be published. Valantia went with him, and acted a little strange as they walked through the snow covered streets and held his hand, which surprised him. "You never hold my hand in the village... Are you okay?"

"I don't need the younger girls of my village glaring at me any more than they already do." She snarked back at him.

"But you don't mind if all of these strangers see us like this?" He asks with a smirk.

"Exactly." She huffed as she started to walk a bit faster and get ahead of him. He had stopped though and gently pulled her back. She started to slip on the snow, but he pulled her into him and brought his face close to hers. "Do you mind if they see you like this?"

"I do not." She blushed deeply before he pressed his lips to hers. She enjoyed his kisses, she leaned into them, and yet she knew that he didn't belong to her.

Before heading back to the village they stopped at simple restaurant to get some hot chocolate while Leon opened his letters.

"I'm going to guess you would like extra whipped cream, and I can see if they have cookies." Valantia stated. Leon's bright smile was enough for her to know that she had guessed correctly and went to order as Leon removed his coat and sat down with his mail. The first letter he opens is from Fern Appleton.

"Dear Leon,

I hope that you're still enjoying yourself in that village you left me for. Sorry it has been so long since I last wrote to you.

After our trip to the island where the fish glow at night the team and I decided it was time to return home. It's been such a wonderful year and half adventure, but there is life to attend to back home. My father's health is deteriorating and my brother and his wife are expecting their first child in the Spring.

All that being said, send you next letter to the house you stayed in while you were recovering, that's where I will be staying, for a little while anyway.

Sincerely,

Fern Appleton"

He smiled the whole time he read the letter and only paused to notice Valantia returned to the table with a small plate that had two cookies on it.

The next letter is from Kyle Zoenig.

"Dear Leon,

I hope that this letter finds you doing well.

First things first, congratulations! The articles they are posting about your expedition right now are one of the most talked about things right now. Seriously, I can't go anywhere without hearing someone talking about Leon Stephanotis and the tribe on the other side of the world. I'm really happy for you Leon. I don't know if any of your other fans will see it in the articles like I do, but I can tell that you're really finding yourself out there.

I have exciting news of my own. I'm leaving the the observatory. I'm not leaving to go on the kind of adventure that you're on, but my own kind of adventure. She said yes, Iberis accepted my proposal of marriage. The official date hasn't been set, but we are thinking mid to late September, just when the temperatures should begin to drop. We are planning to hold the whole thing in Leiden, since that's where Iberis's family is and where we plan to live since she works there and most of there are a lot more job opportunities for me there. I know that you are still on your adventure, but I have to admit, I would really like it if you came to the wedding.

I am looking forward to reading the next article from your adventure and hopefully to hear directly from my now famous friend, the Leon Stephanotis.