Chapter 13, feelings are messy

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    The breeze felt nice as you stared out across the lake. It wasn't as big as the black lake and there weren't mermaids, as far as you knew, but it was home and on a particularly warm day, lazing in the sun was comforting.
Ominis had seemed to fall asleep with his back to the closest tree and the sun enveloping him.
Anne hadn't had a bout of pain since that night, but Sebastian was hawking anyway, much to her dismay.
"Is the weather here always like this around this time of year?" Anne asked, smiling contently as she shielded her eyes from the sun.
"Usually," you admitted from your spot on the grass, getting no end of cat jokes about it from Sebastian.
"Ah, you're lucky. The weather in Feldcroft is usually rainy or cold."
Smiling, you looked her way. "You could always stay here with my mom. It might be good for both of you not to be alone all the time."
She let out a hum as you rolled into your stomach, to see her better.
"I'll think about it."
You nod as you reached for the pitcher that was once filled with ice tea, which was empty thanks to Sebastian.
"I should go refill this before the fish bakes in the sun," you teased, seeing Ominis shift out of the corner of your eye.
"I'll go with. Your mom did say she was going into town. You don't need to make that long trek back alone."
The twins grinned almost at the same time and in the same way.
"Alright," you replied before looking at Anne. "Push your brother in the lake for me, okay?"
She laughed as I passed them, with Ominis falling into step, wand pulsing red.
"It's nice to see them getting along again," he whispered once we had broke through the tree line.
Nodding, you glanced back, seeing Anne shove Sebastian off balance as they laughed.
"It is. Almost makes me envious enough to want siblings."
His head ticked to the side. "Almost?"
"Well, there is a downfall." You grinned, knowing he heard it in your tone. "Sebastian as a brother."
He shared a laugh. "I don't know, the two of you already act like siblings."
"Perish the thought."
He smirked as he shook his head. "You say that now, but once he's in trouble, you're there ready to defend him."
"It's part of the friend rulebook."
He laughed again, drawing your gaze as the light played with the leafy shadows on his face.
"You're either getting bad at lying or I'm starting to see through it."
You gasped, playfully shoving your hand to your chest. "Oh, my goodness, how insulting. This settles it, we can't be friends anymore."
He glanced your way. "Part of the friend guidelines?"
"You really should have done the reading," you teased, seeing he was about to comment. "Being blind doesn't excuse your rule breaking. Braille is a thing. You're being charged fittingly."
He snickered, getting you to crack slightly, before pulling on a serious face again.
"And what is the punishment for rule breaking?"
He glanced your way when you fell silent for a moment. 
"I'm thinking."
Both of you broke out in laughter as you walked into the house.
"You can't just make up rules and not have a punishment laid out for it," he teased as he leaned against the counter. "That's poor planning."
"Okay, Mr. Tough talk, what would you think is a fitting punishment?"
"I'm not the one who created this little game."
You laughed as you placed the tea bags into the pitcher. "That's a copout if I've ever heard one."
"Then I guess we really can't be friends anymore," he teased, sighing dramatically as he hung his head and walked towards the door at snail speed. "This is me leaving."
You smirked knowing he was still right behind you.
"I'm going away now."
Trying hard not to bust out laughing, you placed the new pitcher on the window sill and brought the already sun brewed one down.
"I'll see you at school," he said making his voice softer as he continued, at least until he pinched the back of your shirt and tugged you away from the counter. "You're supposed to come after me."
"Why? I know you're not going anywhere."
He smirked confidently. "Oh? Is that so? How do you know?"
"The train doesn't come this late in the day. The fastest trip you'd find is a goffer hole."
He clicked his tongue, before sighing softly. "There goes my dreams of you chasing after me."
Snickering, you started to add sugar to the tea. "I don't chase people. Too much running for my taste. Unless I have a broom. Can I have a broom in your fantasy?"
He scoffed as he leaned back against the counter. "It's not a fantasy. I don't have fantasies about you."
You took one glance at him and knew he was lying, so as proper punishment, you leaned close to his ear, seeing his cheeks darken further. "You say that, but your face clearly disagrees."
You pulled back laughing as his hands flew to his face, nearly hitting himself with his wand.
He stood like that for a while until you had placed the lid on the pitcher.
"Do you have any about me?"
His voice was so soft that you almost didn't hear him.
"What? Have fantasies? No." You watched his expression fall, making you feel bad for teasing him so much. "More like daydreams. Pretty vivid sometimes too, almost like I'm living them."
"O-oh?" He twisted to face you, blush gracing his cheeks again. "Any good ones?"
"Just this one where you're wearing a Kneazle outfit."
The neutral mask fell over his face again, getting you to laugh.
"You're so hard to talk to," he mumbled, but still laughed.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing."
"You'd have nothing left to use to deflect the topic." He smiled as you chuckled.
"You're getting better, that was a good one."
He shuffled a little closer. "I had a good teacher." As if knowing you would follow suit, he grinned. "Professor Sharp can rub off sometimes."
You broke out into a fit of laughter, seeing him chuckle in return.
You almost silenced instantly when your neck tingled as his fingers grazed over your skin, making it break out in goosebumps as you looked up to meet his eyes.
"I've wanted to tell you for a while, but didn't know how, so I'm just going to say it. I like you, not just as a friend." He said it so softly as his face practically burned with embarrassment. "I do understand if you don't or can't feel the same about me given our past. But I'd rather say it now, than almost blurting it out everytime you laugh." His hand slid up to your cheek, making him smile as he felt how warm it was.
You knew you were beginning to like him, ever since your mom pointed out how you acted with an old crush and you realized you were doing the same to Ominis.
Taking your silence as rejection, he moved to slide his hand away. Quickly, you caught it, getting him to jump in surprise.
Hope filtered over his face as you pressed it to your cheek.
"I like you too Ominis."
He moved closer, getting butterflies to add to your nerves as your eyes closed. Barely seconds later, something warm and soft pushed against your lips.
It felt like time slowed, but every feeling you had exploded into a thousand bits and bounced around like rabbits in a field.
Tingles spread as his fingers curled, pulling you closer. You could feel his heart racing under the hand you slid to his neck.
Deeply lost in the moment, you almost didn't hear the sound of footsteps on the porch. Both of you pulled apart just before the door opened.
"Did you two get lost on your way here?" Sebastian asked with Anne trailing behind, sporting an apologetic expression.
"It was getting cold, so we decided to come in," she added as Sebastian's glee only grew as he noticed you and Ominis we're blushing.
"Something was going on in here-" Sebastian barely finished that before Anne started to shove him out of the room.
"I should have pushed you into the lake."
You chuckled as your eyes moved back to Ominis, who was scratching the back of his neck.
"That was awkward," he whispered, as he turned to face you again, mischief dancing with annoyance on his features. "He broke the friend rulebook though, we should come up with a good punishment."
Laughing, you patted his shoulder. "Between the three of us, I'm sure we can come up with something."


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