Khari was quiet for a long time, and the longer the silence stretched, the more nervous Kali got. But his face was warm and smooth pressed against hers, the lavender of their hair tangling together so the only way she could tell which was his and which was hers was by the length. Hers wasn’t as long or as flowy as his yet, though maybe one day it would be. Maybe one day if they stood like this, she wouldn’t be able to tell at all.
He could never hate you, Khari whispered in her mind, easing the knot in her belly as he pulled away. His eyes were sad as he looked down at her, just a little, but he brushed a kiss to her forehead the way he’d done a thousand times.
She sighed, and her eyes drifted closed as he told her not to worry about it, as he tucked her under his wing and guided her toward home, ruffling her hair again just like always. She didn’t know how she felt about the rest, about them not playing that way again, but her Khari said not to worry about it. That it would be okay. So she walked along beside him just like always, and with every step the tight feeling in her chest eased a little more.
Will you come out with me again tomorrow? We can go all the way to the river this time…
She smiled up at him, bumping the top of her nose against his chin. Sure, Khari. But maybe we could go somewhere new instead. I’ve been to the river a hundred times. Maybe we could try the other side of Taiga? There’s another river over there, and we do some exploring. Maybe find another favorite place. It was, after all, never especially hard for Kali to find a favorite place. Just about everywhere she went was beautiful for one reason or another. Just like all the people she met, beautiful in different ways. That could be fun, don’t you think?
He could never hate you, Khari whispered in her mind, easing the knot in her belly as he pulled away. His eyes were sad as he looked down at her, just a little, but he brushed a kiss to her forehead the way he’d done a thousand times.
She sighed, and her eyes drifted closed as he told her not to worry about it, as he tucked her under his wing and guided her toward home, ruffling her hair again just like always. She didn’t know how she felt about the rest, about them not playing that way again, but her Khari said not to worry about it. That it would be okay. So she walked along beside him just like always, and with every step the tight feeling in her chest eased a little more.
Will you come out with me again tomorrow? We can go all the way to the river this time…
She smiled up at him, bumping the top of her nose against his chin. Sure, Khari. But maybe we could go somewhere new instead. I’ve been to the river a hundred times. Maybe we could try the other side of Taiga? There’s another river over there, and we do some exploring. Maybe find another favorite place. It was, after all, never especially hard for Kali to find a favorite place. Just about everywhere she went was beautiful for one reason or another. Just like all the people she met, beautiful in different ways. That could be fun, don’t you think?
Kirby and Lacey's
little whisper girl
little whisper girl