"Gooood Morning" said Clove as she walked into the barn with a smile on her face.
The light from the barn door opened blinded Azazel, as he used his hands to cover his eyes.
"Good Morning my animals" said Clove as she smiled and fed them
"I have breakfast" she said as placed down a basket and began to unpack it.
"Good Morning" said Azazel
"Haha, so how was your night?" asked Clove as she buttered up some bread
"Well, I have never slept in a barn before, but as they say, there is a first time for everything" said Azazel
Clove was surprised, this was the first time that she had heard him speak so many words in a single sentence.
"Haha, well it is smelly, but you get used to it" she said as she smiled and handed him the bread that she buttered up for him.
"Thank you" said Azazel
"You are welcome" she said as she smiled and made one for herself.
"So... how long do you plan on staying here?" she asked, as her mouth was full, it was a bad habit that her mother always warned her about, but time and time again, Clove would slip up.
"Well I need to lay low for a few days" said Azazel
"Why? is it because of the people that are chasing you?" asked Clove
"Yes, they are part of it" he said as he did not disclose anything more, for her own safety
"I see" said Clove as she looked away.
"But until you have to go, I can show you all the best things about living in the Agricola realm" said Clove as she smiled.
"Okay" replied Azazel
"So which realm are you from?" asked Clove as she wanted to know more about him.
"No particular one, I always wander around" replied Azazel
"Aww really? that's so sad, what about your parents?" asked Clove
"They died a long time ago" said Azazel without a trace of sadness
"I'm so sorry" said Clove
"Don't be" he said as he looked away.
"No because I cannot imagine loosing my mama and Papa, I don't know what I would do without them? and the thought of never seeing them again is just crushing, so I know how you must feel" said Clove
"*Tisk* You don't know how I feel" said Azazel as he scoffed, not at Clove but at the idea of him missing his parents.
"Oh, Umm I'm sorry" said Clove as she retracted, she had talked way too much this time.
"I didn't mean to scoff at you" said Azazel
Clove was confused? was this his way of apologizing? well he was a really weird person after all.
"Haha it's no trouble" said Clove as she smiled.
"Umm I have to get going now, my mama must be looking for me, you can have the rest of the food" said Clove as she stood up.
"Oh" said Azazel as he was sure that he had finally scared her away with his cold behavior.
"Haha yes, so see you later, maybe this evening" she said as she patted a baby chick that was looking at her weirdly.
"Okay" said Azazel
"Bye" said Clove as she waved and walked away leaving Azazel alone in the cold smelly barn full of animals.
...
"Clove, you have been spending way too much time in the barn for the past few days" said Martha
"Are you sure that you are not hiding a lover there or something" she said
"Mama!" said Clove as she almost choked on her food.
"Martha!" said Edgar as she could not believe what his wife was saying.
It was dinnertime and as always everyone was talking about their day peacefully, until Martha decided to question why her daughter had been spending too much time in the barn.
"Mama, I do not even have any male friends, not to talk about a lover" said Clove as she coughed and drank some water.
"Yes Martha, I trust my daughter, I am sure that even if she had a boyfriend, she would tell me herself" said Edgar
"Papa!" said Clove as she was embarrassed, how did a simple dinner conversation turn into a conversation about her love life.
"What is it? is it not the truth, you would tell me first and not your mother" said Edgar
"Well yes Papa but-" said Clove
"You see don't worry my dear, if you have someone in mind just bring him to me first" said Edgar
"Okay Papa" said Clove as she focused on her food.
"Clove, have you seen the extra blankets? I cannot find them anywhere" said Martha as she looked at Clove
Clove looked guilty.
"Clove??" asked Martha
"Ahh well mama, I used them for a spell that I was practicing" said Clove as she lied.
"I'm sorry for not asking for your permission before I used them" said Clove as she bowed her head.
"It's okay dear, just ask me next time" said Martha
"Yes mama" said Clove as she smiled.
"You see this is a better conversation topic Martha" said Edgar
"Whatever you say Edgar, but as for me, I have done my duty as a mother by teaching Clove about the cauldron and the wisps" said Martha
The cauldron and the wisps were the witch equivalent to the human birds and the bees.
That was enough to make Clove choke, to the point that she was coughing very violently.
"Are you okay dear?" asked Edgar as he patted Clove on the back.
"Ahh yes Papa" said Clove as she looked up and smiled and drank some water.
"Clove stop overreacting, if me and your father didn't do it, then you would not be here today" said Martha as she was being so unfiltered.
"Ha ha ha, well dinner was lovely as always mama, but I feel very tired now, may I be excused?" asked Clove as she tried to get out of this conversation.
"You may be excused" said Martha
"Thank you mama, Goodnight Papa" said Clove as she smiled, and she rushed to her room like something was chasing her.
"You see how you scared the poor girl Martha" said Edgar
"She cannot always be naïve, it's a common witch nature." said Martha as she smiled, she actually loved to tease Clove, knowing how shy and reserved that she was.
"What can I do with you?" asked Edgar as he laughed.
"Nothing, you are stuck with me" said Martha as she laughed.
The next day to Azazel's surprise Clove came back to the barn to meet him, he had thought that he had finally scared her away by being very rude to her.
He didn't admit it out loud, but he was happy that she came to see him again, he was very lonely in the barn stuck with all the smelly animals.
Day after day, turned into a week, and Clove and Azazel had been seeing, they would talk and talk, when actually in reality it was Clove doing all the talking, while Azazel would just sit there and listen to her quietly.
He would never admit it, but it seemed that he had fallen in love with her happy voice.
Clove scrunched her nose when she heard a knock on her bedroom window, she ignored it and turned to her side.
She had a frown on her face when the knocking became persistent.
Finally she gave in and got out of bed, she switched on the lights, and she walked towards her window, and she opened it to see who was knocking.
"Azazel??" she asked in shock as she saw Azazel hanging on the wall next to her window as he climbed into her room as she opened the window.
"Quiet, you don't want others to hear you" he said
"Okay, but what are you doing here?" she asked as she whispered this time.
"Lets go out" he said
"To where?? it's the middle of the night" she said as she looked at him in surprise.
"I know, didn't you say that you always wanted to see the night sky and gaze under them?" he asked
"Well yes, but-" said Clove
"But what?" asked Azazel
"But I haven't been out alone at this time" said Clove as she looked down.
"Well you won't be alone, you have me" he said as she stretched out his hand to her.
Clove looked up, contemplating whether or not she should accept his offer.
"Fine lets go" she said as she took his hand
"Hold on" he said as he pulled her closer to him and he jumped out her window.
"Ahhhh" screamed Clove as she covered her mouth with her hands, she had never jumped out a window before.
Azazel landed smoothly outside, and they walked to the field nearby.
"I have never snuck out before" said Clove as she skipped around happily
"I feel so bad" she said as she laughed, she was still in her white nightwear, her hair was still in pigtails and her blue eyes shone in the moonlight.
"Tag you're it" said Azazel as he behaved like a child and ran away after touching Clove.
"Awww what, no fair" said Clove as she quickened her pace and ran after him.
"I will catch you" she shouted.
"Ha, try and fail" he said proudly as he looked back.
Clove looked up and murmured something under her breath, in the next second she went flying literally and she caught up to Azazel and he crashed right into him, which sent them both tumbling, Azazel was beneath while Clove was on top of him.
"You're it" she said as she smiled.
"Well played" said Azazel as he smiled.
"Ahhh you finally smiled, you should smile more, you look very handsome when you smile" said Clove as she looked at him, completely oblivious to the fact that she was on top of a man right now.
"*Ahem*" said Azazel as he cleared his throat and looked away.
"You can get off me now" said Azazel
"Oh" said Clove as she finally realized the position that they were in,
"I'm so so sorry umm" said Clove as she got off him.
"It's fine" said Azazel as he had his back rested on the ground and he looked up into the dark midnight sky, and Clove did the same.
"The stars are so pretty tonight" said Clove as she broke the silence between them.
"Yes they are" said Azazel
"Thank you Azazel" said Clove as she turned her head to the side to look at him.
"For what?" asked Azazel as he turned to look at her.
"For brining me here, and for listening to me, and being my friend" she said
"You are a good person" she said
"You don't know that" he said as he looked away.
"No I do" she said
"How are you so sure? you don't even know me" said Azazel
"You are right, I don't know you, But you have been very good to me, and I am thankful for that" she said
"You don't know what you are talking about" he said as he scoffed.
"No I do" said Clove.
"I have killed many people, and you call me good" said Azazel
Clove was silent after she heard, what Azazel just said, she was shocked, she was with a very dangerous person right now, and she knew it.
"Were they bad people?" she asked to Azazel's surprise.
"No they are good, innocent people and I kill them" said Azazel
"Oh, well you must have a reason, everyone has a reason for what they do" said Clove.
"You are not going to ask why I kill them?" asked Azazel
"No, I don't want to remove the good thoughts I have towards you" said Clove as she turned to look at him.
"You are crazy" said Azazel
"I know" said Clove
"And I also know that, you can change if you want to" she said, which made Azazel look at her, and the two dwelt in silence once again, each looking at the stars and buried in their own thoughts.
"I can help you" said Azazel as he broke the silence between them.
"Oh with what?" asked Clove
"With developing your powers" said Azazel
"Really?" asked Clove and Azazel nodded.
"Well Thank you" she said as smiled.
"We should go back now" said Azazel
"Yes, you are right" said Clove as she stood up and dusted herself.
"Lets go" he said as he stretched out his hand towards her once again, and she took it without hesitation.
But little did Clove know that she was getting herself into something deeper that she did not know.