[Third Person POV]
The small boy darts after an invisible creature. He imagines its bushy tail disappearing behind a tall rismint tree and giggles, jumping around the tree trunk to surprise the small animal. A little girl trails behind him happily, watching him run around aimlessly after something that doesn't seem to exist. She doesn't understand why he's running, but it's a fun game nonetheless.
"Ked! I'm tired, take me home!" She coos, trying to wipe the exhaustion from her drooping eyes. The little boy stops playing and skips over to her, taking her by the hand and pulling them gently back the way they came.
The girl is almost a head taller than him, even though they're the same age, so he keeps her at an arm's length distance to avoid feeling too small. Nanny is convinced he'll grow taller one day soon, tall enough to make everyone else feel small. For now though, he'll just have to settle for not standing too close to anyone taller than him.
"Come with me Nettle, I'll take you to Nanny." He says, still excited from their day of fun in the gardens.
"Nooo, I wanna go home." Nettle whines. He frowns, why does his friend never want to go inside his house? It's much larger and nicer than hers, he's seen her mother's cottage so he knows, but she always insists on playing outside. Is there something wrong with big houses? Maybe they scare her. Nettle's never been afraid of anything though, he thinks, confused at her behavior.
"Okay, Nettie." He gives in, sighing and changing directions towards the closest town in the Morin Viscountcy.
It takes them forever to get there, because the small boy keeps trying to make up games to pass the time. When they finally arrive it's well past noon.
"Would you like to stay for dinner, Kedcoe?" Moira asks her daughter's friend, pulling a pot of stew off the fire. The boy nods furiously, his stomach growling in response.
"He can't stay, Mama. Ked has to eat food with his own Ma." Nettle points out matter-of-fact. Her mother laughs before setting an extra place at the table.
"Nuh-uh!" He yells, offended at her attempt to kick him out, "Mother doesn't eat anyway." He adds innocently. Moira scrunches her face in concern.
"You mean that your mother doesn't eat with you very often, dear." She corrects. Kedcoe tries to climb up on the chair, but can't quite pull himself up into the tall piece of furniture.
"Nooooo, Mother doesn't like food. She throws it all over the walls when she sees it!" He exclaims, happy to provide some helpful information to Moira, who clearly doesn't know anything. Aren't adults supposed to have all the answers?
"Oh." Moira mumbles simply. She's at a loss of words, so she uses actions to express her pity instead, scooping an extra large portion onto the boy's plate, "You eat up then, Ked. You need to eat enough for both of you, and grow big and strong!" She says encouragingly. He laughs at how silly she is.
"That's what Nanny says too!"
The rest of dinner is spent with Kedcoe telling stories about his Nanny, while the older woman listens intently and Nettle drums a quiet rhythm on the table with her spoon.
It's the most beautiful dinner he's ever had. Maybe this is why she always wants to go home. Walking home alone under the afternoon sun, Kedcoe wishes he wanted to go home too.
~*~
"Nettie, get down from there!"
Nettle smirks and spreads out her arms, "Okay! Catch me, Ked!" Then her tattered shoes slip off the side of the branch and she's flailing down on top of the taller boy's outstretched arms. He yells out as she falls and throws his cane to the side, spreading his arms out wide to catch her. Unfortunately, the boy is weak.
They both tumble to the ground. Luckily, instead of rolling down the cliff-like hill next to them... Ked crumples to the ground instantly. Nettle gets off of him and stands up, wiping the dirt off of her rough palms. Ked takes a little longer, hissing and examining the various scratches and bruises that always seem to appear when he's around Nettle.
"What the hell, Nettie!" He whines. She rolls her eyes and picks up his cane.
Extending a hand she pulls him up and steadies him with the cane. He accepts it gratefully, falling into her trap. She takes advantage of the close range and pinches his ear, then smirks and jumps out of reach as he tries to swat at her hand.
"Don't be such a baby." She laughs, stepping into his space again and linking their arms together. She takes off back towards town, pulling him along with her.
"Wait, you know I can't go that fast-" She stops as he stumbles and plummets back down to the ground. She eyes his left foot cautiously. It's angled slightly inward and can't hold up most of his weight anymore. He hasn't been able to run since the accident with the horse, when his parents found out about their friendship.
Ever since then they've been forbidden from seeing each other. Not that a bunch of stupid Nobles and their rules could ever keep them apart, she thinks defiantly.
Grabbing his cane from him she taps it on the ground a few times in thought before lifting it behind her back and slipping it into her shirt. She forces it through her corset like a sheath, holding it in place. It makes her feel like a Knight with a sword on her back, so she bends over and picks up a startled Kedcoe like a Knight would a damsel in the stories.
She grins at him, a rare sight, and proceeds to carry him back to town. The townspeople stare, but he endures the embarrassment. Anything for his Nettle.
~*~
The rain comes down hard on the little tin roof of the cottage. The knocking on the front door continues, even though it's the middle of the night, until an exhausted young woman rapidly descends the stairs to open it. As soon as she flings the blue door open she drags the drenched man on the front step inside by his ear.
"The fuck, Ked!?" She yawns, releasing his ear, which is a whole two feet above her head, "What is wrong with you?"
"Nettie, I've been thinking-" He starts.
She rolls her eyes, "And what are you doin' that for? Jus' let me do the thinking." He nods but waves for her to calm down, directing her to the worn yellow sofa, "Oh get it over with! Mama's sleeping upstairs ya'know." She crosses her arms, stubbornly refusing to be seated.
"Okay, okay, well just listen to me!" He pleads. She takes in his disheveled state. His messy long hair is soaked and hanging around his shoulders instead of up in his usual bun. There's mud smeared on his clothes, and he doesn't even have his freaking cane! How did he even walk all the way here without it?
"Fine, hurry it up." She gives in.
He takes a deep breath, making the suspicion build in her chest, "Let's get married."
She slaps him.
"What the- I thought you were gonna say something serious!" She whisper-yells. He lets his vision clear up before bouncing back immediately. He expected this kind of reaction.
"I am serious, Stinger!" He begs earnestly, "I can give you everything! Didn't you say you wanna go to an Academy? You can do that as a Viscountess!" She looks at a loss, and slightly enraged.
She takes a step back, but he stands up and follows her, reaching for her hands, "No," she pulls away, "No, that's, that's just crazy talk- you're mad!" He doesn't back off, scooping her blistered fingers into his own smooth ones.
"I'm not mad." He says calmly, sweetly, "I love you, Stinger. I want to be with you." She looks up at him lost. When did he grow up so much? He got so tall.
"I'm, I'm not ready to get married. I have to earn money so I can go to school, and, and-" Her bottom lip quivers, "I want to be a Knight. What about my DREAMS..."
He cuts her off with his lips leaning in towards hers. She doesn't move away, doesn't even flinch. He kisses her, holding her hands gently while tapping out her favorite song on her palm. His mouth is cold from the rain, but none of that matters since he feels so warm next to her. When they finally break away he leans his forehead against hers as she struggles to hold back tears.
"You can have anything you want. Anything for you." He promises, "I'll give you the world, or I'll cheer while you take it yourself." She smiles bitterly, then happy laughs erupt from her throat.
"Let's do it! Let's get married..." She shouts.
A voice startled them both, "Finally. If you two are finished with that after all these years, I'd like to get some sleep." Moira calls, smirking from her perch on the rickety stairwell, "Go home, Kedcoe. You can come back tomorrow."
"Yes, ma'am" He nods, hugging Nettle again before leaving abruptly. She catches sight of a hired carriage outside as the blue door swings shut behind him. So that's how he got there so fast, he must have been desperate, she reminisces. Oh what will she ever do with that boy.
A chill racks through her small body. It must be the storm. Hopefully kissing him doesn't get her sick, she thinks offhandedly. She can't afford to miss work, or her wedding.