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It is hard to imagine that it has been three years since Pazu and I moved to Gondoa. After the dangers of our journey to Laputa, returning to the quiet simplicity of home was unnatural. When we finally got to my house, the weight of our reality began to sink in. The thought of sharing my life with this boy I had just met… was a new feeling. Something unexpected after being so used to living alone for so long.
I couldn't pinpoint when our friendship turned into love. It was just something that always had been there between us, a quiet warmth even when we first met. But our adventure together made me fall in love with and fully trust him. Maybe it was because he always held my hand just a little tighter than necessary as we ran from trouble. Or it was how his eyes searched mine whenever I felt afraid or vulnerable, caring about what I had to say. It could have been when he hugged me tightly and spun me around in his arms, our laughter mingling with the sky as we basked in the joy of discovering Laputa together. Or, possibly, it was how he looked into my eyes and promised softly that he wanted to return to Gondola with me. To hear that he wanted to spend his life together with me.
Living together in Gondoa only strengthened our bond. There was a consistent comfort in his presence each day. We spent a lot of our free time in those coming weeks just wanting to be in each other's company after the constant chaos of Laputa. Despite how much we grew to trust each other, there was still so much we didn't know about each other. His natural warmth made it easy for me to open up to him. To feel safe with confiding into him about any worries I had. And to care for his concerns, in turn.
It wasn't long before we realized just how much we mattered to each other.
So, day by day, we built a life together.
Our days were consumed by the small, quiet joys we shared together. The little moments of happiness and trust we shared when we spent time working on the farm. I taught Pazu the rhythms of working here. Tasks like how to plant seeds in neat rows, how to tend sprouting vegetables gently, or how to guide livestock without losing patience. That never stopped us from just laughing at the inevitable mishaps, like when Pazu half the morning trying to coax a calf into its pen that was ignoring him, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. What used to be tedious work took on a kind of magic now between us. Every chore felt like we were working in unison by heart, how he would pass me the bucket before I asked or how I would sweep our stoop while he brought in firewood.
Eventhough we had grown older, there was always an innocence in our affection. We still felt like kids in so many ways. Over the years, Pazu's frame had grown much stronger from all the long days in the field. Sometimes he would sneak up behind me while I was doing chores, laughter already bubbling, and scoop me up off my feet and spin me around until the world blurred. I'd cling to him, cheeks flushing from the rush and closeness, as my laughter mingled with his. It felt like the ground beneath us would vanish beneath us and we were just floating together in our little moment of joy, forgetting about whatever responsibilities we had to do.
Touching him has always been natural but has only become more frequent as we grew older. Every little touch between us felt like a secret we shared. Little moments such as the little shoulder nudges as we worked in our tiny kitchen or the way our knees would always touch under the dinner table. In how our hands would instinctively interlock with each other whenever we would walk outside, making sure we were close to each other. In the ways we would sit together on the porch or under a tree and I would lean onto his shoulder, or when he leaned onto mine. In how we would always cuddle together in bed as we dozed off, Pazu always wrapping me up in his chest to make sure I was safe and holding me throughout the night.
Life with him had become so natural, so quietly fulfilling, that I would sometimes wonder how I had ever lived without it. After years of feeling alone after my relatives passed away, I finally had a family again. Maybe not in name, but in the steady warmth of his presence. In the certainty that at the end of each day, he would still be there beside me.
Being with him always made each day matter. Pazu would always surprise me by doing these small, thoughtful things for me. Gestures no one else might notice, but mean so much to me. So so much. Like how, when my hair grew long again, he learned to braid it in the mornings. His rough fingers feeling surprisingly gentle as he worked on my hair, even humming softly. Or how he would brew my tea just a little sweeter because he knew I liked it that way.
And I found my own quiet ways to care for him. To show how much he means to me. I'd set out his tools in the morning so he wouldn't have to search before heading to the fields. Or how on cold days I would always warm up his scarf by the fire before wrapping it snugly around his neck, sometimes pressing a kiss before he stepped outside. If he ever came home tired, I would sometimes just sit him on the bench and eased his shoulders as we spent the evening chatting about whatever we wanted to.
There were countless little things. None of it was planned. It was simply the way we lived. Our way of always saying: I see you. I love you. I'm glad you're here.
The closeness of our relationship must have been very apparent to our neighboring villagers. They would tease us saying we were already like a married couple. I would only blush and laugh in response to their comments, but deep down, it made me happy. Because I knew they were right. It was a quiet truth we both carried. Not something we spoke of often but something we both felt deep down. It wasn't a question of if between us, just when.
----------------------------------
I used to think birthdays were just another day in my life. A reminder of what I had lost. But now that I had Pazu in my life, they became something different. Something special. He told me I deserved to feel celebrated, to be loved in a way that reminded me how much I mattered. And he made sure I did. Every birthday became something treasured between us. All the little gifts and meals he would prepare never failed to make me smile and ache with love for him.
And on my seventeenth birthday, we did nothing particularly special. We just shared breakfast together that Pazu made for us and spent our day walking through the village as we held hands and giggled about whatever caught our eye. It wasn't extravagant, but it was perfect. Because I was with him.
I used to think birthdays were just another day in my life. A reminder of what I had lost. But now that I had Pazu in my life, they became something different. Something special. He told me I deserved to feel celebrated, to be loved in a way that reminded me how much I mattered. And he made sure I did. Every birthday became something treasured between us. All the little gifts and meals he would prepare never failed to make me smile and ache with love for him.
And on my seventeenth birthday, we did nothing particularly special. We just shared breakfast together that Pazu made for us and spent our day walking through the village as we held hands and giggled about whatever caught our eye. It wasn't extravagant, but it was perfect. Because I was with him.
Time passed quickly throughout the day. It usually did when we spent time together. And soon enough, night slowly began to creep in through the windows of our cottage. The last remnants of sunlight was creeping past the far away mountains beyond the hills as the coolness of the air began to settle in. The scent of fresh grass and woodsmoke used for dinner lingering around us.
We were laughing softly, my cheeks warm and pink from the wine Pazu had poured to celebrate my birthday. I smiled at the way he carefully filled out glasses, his eyes constantly glancing over at me, as though he was checking to make sure I was enjoying every moment. And I was.
Our small kitchen felt warm, the candlelight flickering against the walls. My heart was still fluttering from his smiling towards me across the table. I could tell his eyes were alight with something unspoken, which only made my cheeks deeper.
And then, he reached for my hand.
"Hey Sheeta," he spoke softly. "...I was hoping if you could come with me outside for a second."
His fingers curled warmly around mine. I felt a flutter bloomed in my chest under the weight of how soft and steady his gaze was. It was enough to distract me from how lighthearted the mood was seconds ago.
I giggled, tilting my head as I looked back at him. "And why's that?"
"You'll see," he said. It was a little evasive to my question, though his goofy smile told me he cared more about sharing the moment than answering outright. "I promise you're going to love it, Sheeta! I wanted to do one last thing for you today!"
His excitement only made me smile wider. Even when he was trying to be secretive, I could always pick up on his mood. How open he was with what he was feeling. It felt nice and is part of what made me love him. "Alright… lead the way."
Like nature, our hands found each other and we stepped out of the cottage and into the cool evening air. Our laughter mingling between us.
I followed him outside, the last traces of daylight fading into a wash of violet and gold at the horizon. The air clung gently to my skin, threading through the thin fabric of my dress until I could feel the faintest shiver race along my arms. Goosebumps were clearly starting to form along my skin. Thankfully, Pazu's hand was warm and steady around mine, the contrast making me reluctant to let go even for a second.
We crossed from the cottage into the open hush of the fields, where the tall grass bent softly under the evening breeze, brushing against my ankles. I hadn't thought to slip on my shoes before leaving, not realizing when we stepped out the door how far we'd go. And now the earth pressed cool and uneven beneath my bare feet. Each step along the narrow dirt trail was a mix of sensations: the smooth slide of dry soil, the tickle of grass stems, the occasional nip of a pebble.
All the while, there was a lingering silence between us. We would make small talk in between when I could, but I could sense that Pazu had something on his mind to show me. And knowing him, well, it only made me more excited deep down.
Finally, we reached the old oak tree at the edge of the field. Memories flooded back to me, of my time roaming around here as a child with my parents, and of all the times when Pazu and I would just wander in here and spend time sitting in the grass.
It was also where we had our first kiss. The sudden thought making my heart flutter thinking back to how badly his cheeks were flushed when he asked me. How badly my heart was racing when I heard it, how much I wanted this but was too shy at the time to say it. I still remember how his lips had brushed mine with such sweet hesitation, how tender it was for us.
We were clearly inexperienced, our noses pressing into each other awkwardly as we didn’t know how to position ourselves. But that didn’t make it any less special. My entire body blushed with such warmth and happiness. To feel safe and loved again. When we finally pulled back, we just laughed softly as I breathed his name. We hugged each other so tightly afterward.
And now he turned to face me. His hands slowly cradling mine between his palms.
My breath caught at his touch. I could feel a shiver dancing down my spine from the feeling of his hands, quietly trembling, holding mine. I could feel his heartbeat through our joined hands; a fast, unsteady rhythm mirrored my erratic thrum. All the while I locked with his eyes. The way his lips were parting as though to speak. The silence was almost deafening, like he wanted to talk but the words were caught somewhere in his throat.
"I don't even know how to begin," he said softly. "I've been thinking about this for so long, but standing here with you, I feel like I can't find the words." His words were spoken with such a soft yet direct sense of emotion.
There was something in his tone that made the air around us feel heavier. The steadiness in his voice as he gazed at me as his hands were cradling my own. I must have instinctively reacted when I felt this, as my fingers twitched slightly in his grasp.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clearly trying to muster the strength to continue talking. The silence made the tension of this moment intensify. When he opened his eyes again, he simply gazed at me warmly and gently spoke. "To tell you the truth… leaving everything about my old life behind to be with you, Sheeta, well... it honestly scared me a bit." A nervous laugh left him as he said those words. But he quickly composed himself as he continued.
"But I want you to know it was the best decision I ever made. These years being with you… They've changed me. I have never felt so happy in my life before. Every morning I wake up with you, Sheeta, I am only reminded why I chose to be with you. Why I want to keep living here with you.”
At this point, I must have realized the quiet weight of what he was about to ask me. My heart began to stir as though it already understood what was coming before my mind could catch up. This sense of hope quickly spiraling within me.
Pazu's hands tightened slightly on mine, his voice trembling. "I know we're young. I know it may seem silly to say. But I don’t care. Because when I’m with you, I really feel like I have found where I belong. You’re my home, Sheeta. You’re everything. Every laugh, every touch, every moment between us. It has all felt like a gift and I couldn’t imagine my life without you.”
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. My eyes began to water so quick and suddenly. Not out of shock, but out of the pure sweetness of it all. Of feeling this kind of love that has bloomed between us. My throat tightened, my heart beating so hard it was as if the sound of it filled the world.
I wanted to speak. To tell him that I felt the same. That he was my home too. And how every moment with him has been special to me. But the words were tangled in my throat. My vision blurred, shimmering with the rush of unshed tears as they slowly crept down my cheeks. My hearing dulled, leaving only the sound of his voice and the pounding of my heart. All I could manage to do was nestle the knuckles on his hands as they encased mine.
He drew a shaky breath, his shoulders relaxing ever so slightly beneath my touch. The trembling finally eased from his hands. His gaze steadied as he held my eyes with his own.
Then he reached into his pocket and drew out a small, glittering ring. I realized it was one he made himself, his hands shaping it with care and devotion, a testament to his love. He held it out to me as he got down on his right knee, his hands trembling as though he were holding his entire heart in his palms.
"I made this for you," he whispered, his voice thick. But everything about him still radiated with that positive charm and happiness I have come to expect. "It's not perfect, but it's everything I have. A promise. A promise that I'll be yours… always."
I couldn't take it anymore after hearing that. The dam inside me broke.
A sob began to tore from my chest as I sank to my knees on the grass. I could only raise my hands to my face as the tears came in waves. My whole body shaking with the force of all these emotions crashing through me.
Pazu dropped besides and could only hold me during all of this, pulling me close against the warmth of his chest. His hands smoothing over my back.. "Sheeta… oh, Sheeta… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry.” His voice breaking as he whispered in my ear with apologies and reassurances. “I'm sorry, love. I just…"
But I clung to him tighter as my fingers began to curl into the fabric of his shirt, my face pressed against his neck. My tears managed to soak through, leaving his collar damp. His skin was wet with the weight of everything I couldn't say.
And then I felt it. The damp warmth of his tears as his cheek pressed against my hair. I could hear his quiet sobs achingly soft and full of love like mine. "I love you," he whispered, his voice thick and raw, his breath hitching against my skin. "You're everything to me. I just wanted you to know… how much you mean to me. How much I want us to really be a family…"
That word. Family. It hit me like a wave, crashing over me and stealing every breath from my lungs. My heart ached so profoundly, so beautifully, at the sound of it. To be his family. To be forever tied to him, the man whose love filled every part of me until I thought I might burst from it.
My sobs tore through me harder. My body trembling with this sheer force running through me. This overwhelming rush of love and happiness, of belonging.
His hands slowly cupped my face. His thumbs brushed away the tears that wouldn't stop, his tears mingling with mine as they slipped down his cheeks. His lips pressed gently to my temple, cheek, and forehead as though he were trying to soothe me. To remind me that this moment was genuine and ours.
My sobs finally began to slow to hiccupping gasps, and I pulled back just enough to see his face. His beautiful face. His eyes wide and shimmering. His cheeks streaked with tears.
I didn't speak. I couldn't. I simply surged forward and captured his lips with mine in a kiss that was trembling and desperate and filled with every ounce of love I had inside me. The world narrowed to the feeling of his lips moving against mine, his arms tightening around me, the quiet hum of his breath as he kissed me back with the same fierce, aching love.
When we finally broke the kiss, I pressed my forehead against his. I felt my breath caught in my throat as a soft, breathless laugh escaped me. It must have sounded fragile and full of light to him. A smile widened across my face, almost aching with all the happiness I must have been feeling on the inside.
"Yes," I whispered, my voice soft but sure. "Yes, Pazu."
The ring slipped onto my finger, the cool metal settling against my skin as if it were a promise between us. The ring looked beautiful, its glimmer contrasting with the approaching moonlight. I felt Pazu wrap his arms around me as he began to kiss me again and I could only return it by hugging him as tightly as I ever had, crashing us both onto the grass in the process. The suddenness made us both laugh with joy before we quickly embraced and kissed again. Nothing else mattered besides this moment we were sharing.
Time passed as we continued to cuddle with each other, trading kisses. The occasional "I love you" and giggle muttered between us. We didn't need to go anywhere; we were right where we belonged.