Heart Wood | Forest Creature X Reader (COMPLETED)

Chapter 26: Over The Hill Of Fidelity

~ 3 Months Later ~

You suck in a sharp breath, attempting to conjure up the courage to face Lofty as you trek through the forest.

'Just picture you're a Gryffindor. Think about it; Harry Potter wouldn't think about crying right now.'

But the thought doesn't help; it just makes you feel worse because you know for a fact the Sorting Hat would never place you in Gryffindor, at least not with this attitude.

A Gryffindor wouldn't almost puke on their way to meet their lover, and you feel like you're about to puke, and cry, and maybe even puke again. But you know it's just the nerves that are bouncing around in your body and making you tense up, or at least you think that's what it is. It's hard to tell.

With all of these mixed emotions, chaotic thoughts, and the pounding of your heart, you might just fall to the ground, puke your lungs out while you cry, and then die. But you continue forward without faltering as if your life depends on getting this information to Lofty.

'What if he doesn't understand?' your mind wonders, but you quickly eradicate that awful thought, knowing you're just jumping to stupid conclusions.

'Of course he'll understand,' you affirm in your head. 'He loves me.'

You take a deep breath in hopes it will calm you, but even the early Autumn air can't put to sleep the energetic nerves. Your muscles stay tense as you examine the quiet morning of nature.

A few red, orange, and yellow leaves flutter to the ground in such a serene way, scattering across the forest floor and contrasting with the green grass that hasn't yet faded to brown. But no leaves are dry enough to crunch under your weight, meaning your footsteps are silent to human ears.

Even so, you're sure Lofty can hear you coming, with your rapid heartbeat, constant thoughts, and ragged breathing. And Missy's whispers of encouragement, while being a kind addition, are only adding to your worry...some how.

She hovers beside you as you duck under tree branches, swerve past thick stumps, and hop over protruding rocks, her incessant talking being drowned out by your pulse pounding in your ears.

You figure she's attempting to calm you while also trying to calm herself, but you don't think it's working for either one of you. Her deep breaths and rapid words fumbling out of her mouth making that fact quite obvious.

But, she keeps talking anyway, whispering many, many, many words of encouragement every moment she isn't taking in deep breaths as she flutters beside you.

You spot Lofty's home through a large opening in the trees, and when you slip through the two trees and take a few steps closer, do you feel your stomach sink to the ground. You stand at the doorway, your breath locked in your lungs.

While staring at the vine curtains to his home, you wrap your arms around your waist and swallow the lump in your throat. You're not going to cry, at least not yet, but you will if he does - or if he rejects you after he finds out.

You give Missy a worried glance, but she repays it with an encouraging smile. You suddenly don't want to do this anymore, but you know you must. So, with a trembling sigh, you step into his house, leaving Missy to wait outside anxiously.

"I missed three months of my period," you blurt out, looking at him with curled brows as he sits on his moss-covered chair.

His head snaps to you, his eyes blinking in utter confusion as he closes the book he was reading. You got a small glance at the title, being sure that it says something similar to, "So You Want To Be A Father," but maybe you read it wrong.

His eyes widen as he stands from his chair, and he sets the book down on the armrest before striding to you. His mouth stretches into a joyful grin as he squats in front of you.

In one swift motion, he gently grabs your waist and pulls you into a hug. Tears prick your eyes as you wrap your arms around him and nuzzle your face into his neck. All of your worries melt away at his warm touch.

He hums into your hair while nuzzling his nose against you. "Any names chosen for her?"

You smile, glad he asked, even though you were sure he would.

"I don't know," you answer honestly.

You lift your face to gaze into his eyes, a soft smile gracing your pink lips. "But I want her middle name to be Ida."

His face softens at your words, and you swear you see him blink away a few tears. He looks into your eyes with a loving gaze.

"Wonderful," he breathes, leaning close before rubbing his snout against the tip of your nose.

Your eyes flutter closed at his gentle touch, and they open up again when he moves away. You grin up at him, instinctively placing your hand over your stomach, and when Lofty notices your hand placement, he scoots closer.

You look down as he lightly places his hand over yours, and that action causes you to smile as tears blur your vision. The two of you gaze down at your stomach, the tears now streaming down your face as Lofty uses his other hand to pull you into a side embrace.

He brushes his fingers over your cheek to wipe away the tears, and you smile at him in response, and then you lean your head onto his shoulder.

He wraps his free hand around your waist, embracing you comfortingly. You both gaze lovingly at your stomach as you hold each other close.

And then, right as you're both about to pull your hands away from your stomach, you feel it; a kick.

The End

Story will be continued in Holt Wraith