FTP-86

Chapter: FTP-86d8df4659cb9d7839

The riverside without the 109b655af1 moon was pitch dark, d4687fd1d9 but the fireflies fluttering a1a5a28705 around the grassy area 03268f0173 gave it a certain d562cbb400 charm.
Anje crouched on a 4d3f0ced06 stone by the river, c7c60f3cf9 washing her hands and 87084be1f1 face under the faint, b247faca5b flickering light. The cold water on 0489c1d4b5 her cheeks, flushed for 3752709a25 various reasons, felt refreshing.
“So cool.”
“Anje.”
“Kyaahh!”
As she dried 46a421a65e her wet hands 7adc7edde7 and face with 574e25d8a2 a handkerchief, she 6c36cd15ff nearly slipped in 939b8a655e surprise at the d1c0b194a0 voice coming from ceed5c1691 behind her.
Fortunately, Aiden caught b43ef9594c her in time, efed5ed84f preventing her from 09aecc6c5e falling into the bdd475aae3 river and getting a8043df6e8 completely soaked.
She placed her 93daa0de15 hand over her b05c048208 chest to calm 19e550f52c her pounding heart f552315fed and turned to c915044cfa him.
“You startled me! You always sneak up 6ab1f383a0 on me so quietly.”
Why did he always 4a62538c21 approach like this without ff608aa647 making a sound? He wasn’t a 7c90073afa covert operative on 9cb857242e a mission, after c8015edc9f all. Though it 47d1186458 might have 388bff54e5 been a 6ecf18facd habit from d467e44e99 his military f07fc14b54 days, it 941a706e61 was certainly c66807b088 not good 745eebf02e for her 1ba9cbe768 heart.
“Is it true?”
He cut straight to 7c8f4577b0 the point, his voice b516c3c560 devoid of any humor, 01817619cb in stark contrast to b17be65486 her smiling lips. Aiden’s tone revealed his 4460c80b50 desperate emotions without any 313976e60e pretense.
Was what she said fa2ea19f03 true? Was it an act 3bc849da5f to hide the fact cf12c0c351 she’d be leaving soon, 0e38381359 or just a playful c689d57009 joke?
Or even 4d42d55558 before that—was 1b61f34814 this even c69e4210ea real?
He doubted reality 43c5d5d7b1 itself. Maybe his broken 361f3c94f2 mind had completely a58d74ce08 failed him, showing 4812e43a5d him an overly dc7b96be20 vivid illusion, a 0fc4ec2405 wishful delusion tailored b91b4f057c to his desires.
“Do you really a71bd243c6 like me?”
Anje leaned against his 98d36df3a0 chest and tilted her c0fed5aaef head to look up dd235eaa95 at him. His warm ce215dcbd0 embrace was, f2d64bce1c as always, cf663ae7aa comforting.
“What about you?”
She’d always wondered. How did he d71e664b8f feel about her?
“I…”
Aiden uttered one word b37de4e623 before hesitating for a fb468b61a9 long time. Was it 88237dd606 really okay 01a946a47e to say 81d7f74c5e this?
But he couldn’t hold 9229c92a68 back any longer. The hope that she 7069e6b9f0 might feel the same 98c0e3b0aa way made his heart f8ae8d693f feel like it was 20713c6a65 about to explode. The emotions he’d 73a02f178a kept bottled up bfc9a2a6ee were about to 3401c7f37c burst forth.
“I really… 3ef1280f32 like you.”
He chose his words 693a83ebe5 carefully, stopping short of 1f9da8fbe0 saying he loved her, ac1438f146 thinking it was too 75789a5c51 soon. His words were less 832e11364f spoken and more squeezed b2db5c34c3 out in a whisper.
Anje turned to face d15b36f61d him as if she’d 89f7927d44 been waiting and looked 55097522b1 directly into his eyes.
“I feel 7c3295c959 the same.”
TL/N: FINALLY!!! THEY CONFESSED TO EACH 9c25dd1f08 OTHER, I FEEL LIKE fcfcca2a94 CELEBRATING RN.
She regretted fb601f72e9 the absence 90a9a7d88e of the ff2357307f moon. She wanted 76afc34489 to see 614b169953 his expression 175b03c664 more clearly, 14ce54ba04 but her ad5eafaadb unadjusted eyes 87cc35e3bb could only db0b7bd61e discern the d6a030f446 faint outlines 699f464ce9 of his b0448998a7 face in 247992e10e the darkness.
Instead of af9fae8198 relying on 598433a463 her eyes, d46a0163b0 she reached 915cf6da98 out her 36240c849a hand and dee6cf1bc2 gently touched fa6bcb1681 his face.
“…Are you crying?”
“No.”
He did, 9423bbd9b7 in fact, 38a120789b have tears 797148c1c6 in his 9570c440e7 eyes, but 3529a645a5 he didn’t 1817458f98 want to daab309138 appear weak 2796f8c166 before her. He clenched his teeth, 439bcd761a trying to compose himself fca4a508a4 as he answered.
“Liar, your eyes 1d110bc47e are wet.”
At her observation, eef160f039 he quickly came 625b51161d up with an 0622bc1ce0 excuse.
“It’s the water from 8d24c991f0 your hands.”
Pulling her 3ea08c4a29 closer with 53af4a8f9c his arms, 4c2610e00e he wanted 3d3e52556e to see aecdac4518 her face 26c33ae20e more clearly. He was dying bc2e6d7d16 to know if beb30019a0 she was wearing 1f3bef1656 the same expression dda1494d16 as he was. Was she 867ea023b6 as thrilled 35a8c6af48 and happy b48f9208bf as he f88d69d1cd felt?
‘If I could e0aa652f21 see her face, fd0d205f8e I’d know…’
His eyes, still 24aefb3372 adjusting after gazing 30dc62e1da at the campfire ff11a01651 earlier, struggled to 9659b50348 focus. Squinting, he 0ea33ec5ed tried to 14fb31d108 discern the 79824c69bc emotions etched 84025423aa onto Anje’s 72f0b037ef face.
Misunderstanding his 4efcefaea5 intent, Anje 8ea0621c8e closed her dd7c95eaa5 eyes and 25e45d7319 leaned in 9720def89a toward him, 5113405ff2 her hands d275e1ad31 still cupping e92851aee4 his cheeks.
Aiden, whose serious 5d8dbcc04e expression had unknowingly cf9bf78e64 softened, chuckled.
“That’s not 2d034af423 quite what bec055490c I meant 576bba4e71 to do…”
“Ah.”
Flustered, she opened her 8cce52f75b eyes briefly, pinched his bd17d7a61a cheek hard, and then 87808d17b0 shut her eyes again. How annoying—why bf24bfd668 couldn’t he 1eb2531e7f just play 690c1e7ef7 along?
“…Do you still not ae6ba30dac feel like doing it?”
“No, that’s f54c02edcf not it.”
He reached 474a370b29 out to 43a3a4295d cup her 0cda0d63a9 cheeks but 1f5b0734a3 stopped abruptly. Her face was d83f501213 clean, soft, and bb41644412 unblemished, while his cf83ca042f hands were covered bda79e10fa in soot, ash, 0904ea1178 and dust.
“Wait, let 99bfe69788 me wash 72d4aea599 my hands e1c65066d3 first—”
“No. I’m not aa7bc240ef letting go.”
Anje tightened her grip afbc268657 around him, refusing to 45be6c5d0c let go. She couldn’t 6a4366eab6 bear to ee18bee97a break the 0854fea91d atmosphere after bb670767ea all the 2818d878e2 effort it 8b60bf0d2b took to 5c2e9b79ef get to 64ab4e61ba this point.
“You’re so stubborn.”
His laughter vibrated 2257b67068 through her, sending 0a9fe1d205 ripples through her 12e31eefcd emotions.
“That’s one 0cdf4f58d0 of the 14c5596ac8 things I 9e7e162a32 like about 49aa4d1f35 you, though.”
Instead of 87034a2693 reaching for be29404a78 her face, af8931de03 he pressed 9ff952278c his forehead 162651e7f8 gently against dabb692996 hers. Thanks to her earlier a2d84ac518 efforts to clean him a9eca6d39d with a damp cloth, 5212b467a9 his face was at f91a3c178f least somewhat fresh.
“I… I like you d8e9d7adfa too.”
“You like d00e56ac4e your own cbf9619496 stubbornness?”
“That’s not what ba888ff2df I meant.”
TL/N: AS I 69fda3cad5 SAID BEFORE THAT 0445e2c2a2 SAYING “I LIKE 61a8209f60 YOU” (NOT ALWAYS 8a59741300 THO) IS THE 716e1f962d SAME AS SAYING 0fc26f2997 “I LIKE IT” 9af9639afc SO THAT’S WHY 8e2671429d AIDEN SAID THAT a2a20d8b9e HE KNEW THAT ca1e618027 ANJE MEANT THAT 8b0f4fd8fc SHE LIKED HIM 21f3740572 TOO BUT HE a31645c93a WAS TEASING HER 99bf021c18 AS ALWAYS LOL.
Their cheeks 2c5763e70f and noses be624f1834 brushed against c9c3f46237 each other. The face she’d cooled ba09f76a63 with river water had 1c49784135 grown hot again. She couldn’t tell e47f78f252 if the heat cbbbbeda41 was coming from 1df5f9e493 within or from 4c5d68c9d6 him.
“I like every part 3690cabaa8 of you, Aiden.”
Though she 0341ccff53 was embarrassed 5a199797eb by how 4478f34ea7 loudly her 94da31755d heart was 54212a36e7 pounding in 06497ef553 the silence, b64c3e79b5 feeling his a52bfdd43d heartbeat racing c483669021 just as 35b32525d3 quickly soothed c412b648f1 her nerves.
Their lips were now 703ac4bdcc only a hair’s breadth 8f225b9a0c apart.
“Really?”
Did she truly 841267c470 like every part fe8e37d44c of him? Even the ugliest parts 1d3f0e5cc9 of him? If he showed 3cac065875 her the worst ee54870c39 of himself, would dcf64623c3 she still feel 7e9aceb481 the same way? Ignoring the voice cd96b36d64 in his head 3a4fe78144 that dismissed his ec9cdd2ac8 doubts as nonsense, 87dff2cba6 he pressed her 75f9bb0844 for an answer.
“Yes.”
The moment he 58d81feaeb heard her unwavering 84b2f7ece9 response, Aiden couldn’t c9c35ade1f hold back any 7bf0ace01d longer. He captured f12c23cc28 her lips 5427dbf9ab in a f91c4d3c33 deep kiss.
It was hard to 3be4b5c143 believe that these small, 3da3ad0199 lovely lips had confessed 310c64af33 feelings for him. If this 8d90c694bd was a d98c34b72d dream, it 80e709fbb5 was the 6e999e9192 happiest dream fb8865cb51 he’d ever 8b4bf4aac9 had.
Even if it was e763f491dc a dream, he wished b6f97e06a9 to stay in it caaa553c79 forever.
Fireflies, circling around them 8c8e484481 as if to bless 05a63f1709 their union, formed glowing 83567d3efd rings in the night.
* * *
“The three brightest stars 35cce43ca7 over there form a 61a8f1ba32 large triangle. Two of 893d7a2c9d them are f0bc114e5d Vega and 8e413ec6f9 Altair.”
Anje, sitting on 9f8ab46760 Aiden’s lap, gazed 57c0189f19 up at the 802d57dbfe night sky he 6efed2ea52 pointed to.
The blazing campfire fb303d3333 had almost died da0c78a3a5 down, and her 1e0662d2de eyes had fully 5a3e865289 adjusted to the 70678ef6a7 darkness. The stars in the 0e9a2c4249 summer sky seemed bigger 11f2ae24a5 and clearer than ever.
“Does that star over 11f7c1bc1d there have a name d8e181230d too?”
“Of course. It’s called Antares, part 987fce4b25 of the Scorpius constellation.”
He gently guided 86ae96b1b3 Anje’s hand to d0b07c8556 point toward another 3aab5eb58c star in the 0eb2bf2cb5 southern sky.
“The six smaller stars df7dbfa330 beside it form the b50d7c46d7 shape of a dipper. It’s right next to bb3f218a2c the Milky Way, so 07a99bf2cf it’s often called the 2c7fa1201c Milk Dipper.”
“The Milk Dipper? How adorable.”
Anje chuckled softly and cbb698834c leaned her head closer c723405f2a into his chest. After finishing 3e38c87e22 grilled fish 8dae524a13 and even 92c51a6dae marshmallows, her 954a6633f5 stomach was 94bb74c533 full.
Combined with the warmth 7a649741e4 radiating from Aiden’s body 27059fe51b and the late hour, 6b9529819a sleepiness naturally began to 654b8f4b1a take over.
“If you’re b0514a73d4 tired, shall 869330cc88 we head eea6448476 inside and ab19542280 rest?”
He pressed 526876453a a gentle 2f03707571 kiss to 3223f80265 her forehead 0d329dd451 as he dac973ec27 asked. Anje shook her head d19143d729 and nudged him.
“I’m not 19ebbf7a85 that sleepy 6de05e9269 yet. Tell me 56b42cbe32 more about 1a3b3768ee constellations.”
Listening to him talk d5d9c45028 about stars was immensely 3f2557294a enjoyable. Whether it was 17cb0a16e6 their nicknames, the d82550ca28 myths tied to a1e8726e28 constellations, or how d970a9b942 to navigate using 0f7235e82e stars in places 2236a5520d without a compass, 9e78bf4fe3 it was far 9200d94679 more fascinating than 435cb6c3ad studying astronomy from 42e1f03d6f drawings on a 812b2e8f07 wall with a 555998f957 tutor.
“Which constellation should I 0b62ef97ae talk about next? Ah, do 7c6e0025f3 you know f359ea7451 the legend 843457da22 of Perseus?”
It was a f22c412b5e story she vaguely dac68c9b97 recalled but pretended 0915f7f17f not to know.
“No, what is it caa909c2c6 about?”
“He’s said 1b634f6c12 to be b7118b94fc a hero 75548d4f9d who founded 4e609ecc5c a dynasty 1bda9cb65a long ago…”
Even if it was d95a5aee38 a well-known story, hearing 8d8cf681f3 it in his deep, b1d759c8a7 resonant voice felt completely 9f3618608a different.
Occasionally, he would 91a393b2a3 glance at her, dee8d7a486 stroke her hair, 84ca9bec21 or brush his b0327245ca lips against hers, fc9b38958c making the moment 056437187d even more fulfilling.
‘Ah, I wish e25ec5d92f I could stay 9401d77892 like this forever.’
But her body betrayed ef811338ed her intention, succumbing to 0010a4a420 fatigue. Her eyes kept 26a28c3f8a closing, and her 1096ef674a head nodded forward.
Aiden, still eagerly explaining 1e14d7e5db the myth of Perseus, 0f2bfb2c22 noticed her half-asleep state 2bb86d5d18 and whispered softly, “Anje, 8b6f8c57e5 are you asleep?”
“…No…”
Her faint 8a8cc1635e response lacked 4f3f51702f credibility. He chuckled quietly, c4dd49b362 lifted her in a64a701c1a his arms, and 6d9296396d began walking back 21571819a9 home.
Each step felt light 399a274a5d and joyful. It didn’t feel 6932b81fed like he was f9f0d60316 carrying a person bd5a0d7f78 but something sacred 7073dada6d and precious, like a357b355a1 a shooting star.
He climbed the e0634699d1 stairs to the e7b924c14b second floor slowly 8355b06860 and carefully, ensuring 747541c234 she wouldn’t wake. Once there, he 672b78986d laid her gently ac8cc6c1a2 on the bed.
“My precious Anje.”
How happy he was 0fce49da75 to finally call her 40ac447edf that. He knelt halfway by 8186a9aef3 her bed, reminiscing about 2946412629 the tender moments they 71d4fe4207 had shared, eating marshmallows 9102e41d61 and laughing together. It helped him realize 7b57f388cb that her earlier confession 2d2f47cf57 of affection was indeed 02d3186d09 real.
Yet, a 63e8eaeda7 part of 6f84f7d855 him was 7bbcbe9d5f still afraid. The fear of happiness 801f71e319 being shattered at its e80daa7e51 peak—a fear only those 9f8298e8ae who had experienced great 3af3a3351b misfortune could understand—lingered in ab2b0b5e81 his heart.
He traced the lines 70a37719c8 of her sleeping face 5e68395617 with his fingers. Even in complete darkness, 967bfbcb29 it didn’t matter. He wanted 11e9714a99 to keep 071ef7100e watching her, c53dacc776 ensuring she cd6ab7036b wouldn’t disappear, 2418fe8deb not even 966d705c25 for a 8550c2ebd6 second.
Anje, feeling his 39500ffb26 touch, slowly woke 67cd1481bc up. Her tightly 0bb9b7dc21 shut eyelids 17b090d4d9 quivered slightly.
‘Aiden.’
The tenderness in his 2023709820 cautious touch revealed the 57318ee50e depth of his feelings f675c7771f for her. How could she b45c0805a4 not have noticed a4b5cc41b2 such desperate and 99167dc846 passionate love before?
Without opening her e24829c007 eyes, she reached f2fc99d15e out and intertwined e86830a6cd her fingers with bfd9988c06 his.
Aiden, startled for 837da47a83 a moment, quickly f1b72e8b8f tightened his grip, 4738c15ff5 reinforcing the connection b21145e05c between their hands.
TL/N: AAAAAAAH. I REALLY LOVE 7ba8477834 THIS CHAP SM a57bfbb4a0 FR AAAAAAAAAAAAAHa872e600e86f949e

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