17JUST TO CLEAR THINGS UP:
If you felt you were missing something in the last chapter, I apologise. Perhaps it wasn't as clear as I meant it to be. Donovan had been stealing the candles, not the rats, to put them in the cabin. He was working at getting used to the light on his own out there but PRETENDING that he was having trouble so that he could surprise Kalea.
...Any more questions, feel free to ask. No question is stupid if you don't know the answer.
Hands linked, Kalea and Donovan walked down the sidewalk. Instead of his robe and hood, Donovan wore a long-sleeved white t-shirt with an orange short-sleeved t-shirt over top and a pair of baggy jeans; Kalea wore her typical overalls with a long-sleeved blue shirt.
It was their first time out in the daylight together. Donovan was having a great time observing the daytime activities that he hadn't experienced in years. Kalea, hungry, steered him toward a fruit stall as they passed through the street market.
Kalea had never been fond of the woman who managed the fruit stall. She was short and fat and unpleasant, and as sour as the lemons she sold. And, she was one of the people who had pointed at and whispered about Donovan on the bus.
"Well," Said the fruit-stall-lady as they approached, "This one certainly looks much better than that boy on the bus. He wasn't safe, not one bit, I'll tell you that."
"He's a good person," Kalea said, fighting the urge to scowl openly, "and, he can hear you."
"I don't see him anywhere. And good riddance, too."
"I can see him," Kalea said. She tugged Donovan closer to her side and leaned her head against his shoulder. "he's right here."
The look of surprise on the woman's face, coupled with her attempts to hide it, was hilarious. To stop herself from laughing outright, Kalea quickly bought a bright green apple and bit into it, smiling as she and Donovan walked away. Donovan chuckled at her.
"Wha'?" She asked innocently through a mouthful of apple.
"You're so... Protective. It's funny."
"Well, people shouldn't judge you that way," She justified.
Donovan just kept laughing and leaned down to peck her on the lips. "I love you, Kalea."
At the end of the summer of their deal, Donovan had decided to come to public school with Kalea instead of continuing his homeschooling with the maids (who cried as he left for his first day of school). He turned out to be a brilliant student. He made friends, he met Kalea's friends – all of whom were mightily impressed by Kalea's and Donovan's summary of the summer's events – and he and Kalea remained as close as ever all through high school. They were the perfect, clichéd couple that everyone secretly envied just a little because they never fought, or had bumps in the relationship, or broke up.
It was the night of their twelfth-grade graduation, and they were dancing quietly. Amity, Dakota and Yumi, Kalea's best friends, were watching them with sparkling eyes.
Amity, a true romantic, sighed, "Oh, they're so adorable together! They'll be together forever, you bet on it. It's like a fairy tale."
Yumi nodded. "I don't doubt the 'together forever' bit. If they've lasted this long so smoothly, they can definitely pull it off."
Dakota cocked her head. "Yeah. It's like... True love. I never really believed in that stuff, but they've converted me. Me, the ever-practical human agenda! Next thing you know they'll have me believing in Karma."
Amity and Yumi laughed as the song ended and Kalea and Donovan walked towards them. "Whatcha talkin' about?" Kalea asked curiously.
"The impossibly good relationship of two of our close friends," Yumi answered.
Both Kalea and Donovan blushed. "Does it really seem that impressive?"
"It's downright glamorous!" Amity said gleefully. "You've even got Dakota believing in true love!"
"I guess that makes it official, then , Kalea." Said Donovan, grinning at her. "We're some kind of supercouple."
She wiggled her eyebrows. "Apparently." She turned back to her friends, grinning impishly. "He's a super kisser, too," She piped. He looked down at her, turning seventeen shades of red, and she took the opportunity to bounce up on her tiptoes and kiss him, making him blush even harder. Amity gave a fangirlish little sigh of happiness.
Donovan took a deep breath. He could do this. He and Kalea had been together for six years – he shouldn't have any doubts. But, He reasoned to himself, I suppose it's perfectly natural for a guy to have doubts in this situation.
He fumbled with the box in his pocket. As he pulled it out, any plans he may have made, any speeches he may have prepared, all crumbled completely. His mind went absolutely blank. Blushing brightly, he put the box in Kalea's lap.
He heard a disbelieving gasp from the girl sitting next to him as she opened the box. "K- Kalea... I was wondering... Do you want to- will you marry me?" He barely managed to keep himself from mumbling. For a moment she didn't say anything, and Donovan felt like his brain had melted completely. What had he been thinking, asking her to-
"Donovan!" She squeaked, throwing her arms around him with such force that he fell sideways along the couch, bringing her down with him. "Yes! Yesyesyesyesyes!"
Donovan and Kalea were only half-listening to the man standing in front of them. The moment Kalea had reached the end of the aisle, they were both hit by a torrent of thoughts and emotions.
Oh my god. I'm marrying the guy I've been in love with since I was fifteen. It's like a story... But if it is a story, I don't mind. My life is incredible. I can hear Amity and Aunt Beatie sobbing – probably all over each other - and Donovan is standing right next to me looking as handsome as ever, and I think this is the happiest day of my life!
She said yes, didn't she? Dear god, she said yes, we're getting married, I'm marrying her, this is a wedding, this is MY wedding! How is it possible that I could be lucky enough for this to happen? What are the chances? It's like an impossible dream. Except that it's not a dream, it's absolutely, perfectly real, it's incredible, and it's happening to me!
"You may kiss the bride," The man said, and they both woke from their trances. Donovan swept Kalea up and kissed her blissfully, holding onto her like he'd never let her go.
And one thought passed through each of their heads: This is it, this is Heaven: here, together, at our own candle-lit wedding.
The End.
Oh, I really hope you all liked it. Did you like the fact that their wedding was a night time one, lit by candles? I couldn't resist that idea. I mean – the candles hold a lot of meaning in their relationship. Anyway, I MUST KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT! REVIEW! Please!
P.S.- The whole supercouple / super kisser thing... Donovan walked right into that, didn't he? ;)