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Hoshi's arms stiffened around Shina, and he pulled her ever tighter, the question whirling around in his head as he calculated. It was almost 7 months, but it would worry her far too much to tell her, Hoshi thought. She would begin to think of all of the things that she missed, all of the things that depended on her for their life, and she would begin to wonder.

However, Hoshi could not lie to Shina, and instead he took her soft hands in his, as they traced the lines on his face, and squeezed them gently. "You've been gone for a bit over 6 months," he finally said, and then dropped her hands and pulled her tighter, and kissed her on her forehead.

"I'm not sure how it happened, but you haven't aged, except for your hair," Hoshi whispered, resting a large hand on the gentle curve of Shina's belly, and then reached up to stroke her face. "And I've been waiting for you this whole time." It was his best attempt and trying to make the tragedy less of a tradegy, and it had failed horribly.

The Starkeeper averted his gaze to watch Akina's working figure, and breathed a soft sigh of relief, that job something that he didn't need to take care of at the moment. But surely, Shina would need medical care, and a hot bath would do her no end of good.

"But wait, no. Before you even begin to take care of the things that happened, I need to get you home. You can come to my house, Kae will know what to do. And I have a surprise for you when you get better," he said, his mind turning to the image of the Rose Cottage he had been working to get fixed and sturdy. With the help of Akio, they had repaired most of the damage weathering had done to it, but furniture was yet to be moved in.

Hoshi could think of no remark that would help in this occasion, so he didn't utter any, choosing instead to comfort Shina with his actions. He released his arm's tight hold into a more gentler one, though full of support, and responded to her kisses with his own gifts, pulling her into a long embrace.

As Shina stumbled away, Hoshi stepped closer, his reflexes taking short moments to respond as he dove to protect her fragile body. He reached for her arms and grabbed them, softening her fall though not saving her for he was off balance as well and merely fell to the mud beside her. The Starkeeper took Shina back into his arms, wrapping himself around her.

"Everything will be fine, darling. I promise, we can catch up about everything. But let's take it to my house, please." Hoshi said, and then paused in thought. "I think you'll feel like a new person, ready to take everything on, if you soak in a hot bath, and we can talk away from the sorrow of a fallen field. Especially now that we are both covered in mud."

"Actually, I think that a hot bath would do me good, as well," Hoshi said, his voice serious for a moment, before it broke into a grin. "Although I don't think that there would be enough hot water for two baths at the same time. How are we going to solve this problem?" he teased, and then kissed her back, a longer, more heated kiss.

It suddenly struck him that the last time they had been in a field like this, a story had begun along the same lines as they followed now. Instinctively, Hoshi snaked a hand around to touch Shina's belly, wondering if she was thinking as he was. He kissed her gently again, and then grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to her feet.

"C'mon, dearie. It's time to go home," The Starkeeper said, and then stuck one arm underneath Shina's knees, and pulled her up to a carrying position, his other arm supporting her back. "Oof, you've gained some weight since the last time that I carried you." Hoshi laughed, trying to ease both her tensions and his, as he picked his way off of the hill, and around the strewn bodies of Shina's fallen family.

"I guess the weight would be partially my fault?" Hoshi laughed, and leanned down awkardly to land a soft kiss on her nose, his pliable lips lingering for a moment before he had to straighten to keep from running into a tree with his load. "Although you have the burden of carrying our child around. I guess that means I have to be your slave until he or she comes?"

A low gasp came as Hoshi drew in his breath, and a wide smile broke on his face, so that his words had to wrap around the gleeful spirit. "I knew that you'd push past your difficulties quickly," Hoshi said, and then paused for a moment as he ducked under a low-lying tree branch. "Soon you'll be able to see everything." The Starkeeper's words seemed sincere and passionate, the very longing for Shina to be able to see almost as much as her own wishes. "It has to be frightening, and a bit confusing, to not be able to see."

Hoshi could have answered Shina's soft phrase, but he chose instead to gently set her feet onto the grassy ground, for they were next to the car, and instead wrap his arms around her and hold her tight. He swayed them with the breeze, and tried to let his pumping heart cool in his fever, the excitement of being with his one and only having tried his body. Finally, he could stand it no longer and swept the fallen angel into a deep kiss, his lips locking with hers like a weave pattern, and Hoshi was afraid to break it off, not ever wanting the moment to end.

((So sorry it's taken me so long!))

A light chuckle rang through the night, and Hoshi couldn't help but feel a warm close-ness run through his body and he shivered in the cool air, though it was a shiver of good change. "I would never be someone else's slave, especially if they wanted something like ice cream and pickles." The bright stars on the Starkeeper's body twinkled brighter than they had in a long, long while as Hoshi's mouth rose to a curve.

"A lack of feeling," Hoshi whispered dreamily, staring off into the night. "That would be.." he started, and tapered off as Shina's finger trailed along the side of his face.

The passonate kiss only enanmored Hoshi more, and he broke from it only when he had to, breathless from the embrace. "I'm afriad, m'dear, that if we stay any longer, we might not get back home until next nightfall," Hoshi whispered, a deep look of regret falling into his eyes. "I promise we can continue at my house, though."

With that, the Starkeeper picked Shina up once more, and carried her the couple feet to stand right by the car, where he set her down at the passanger's side, before openning the door. His guiding hand helped her slowly into the car, as he tried to make her as comfotable as he could.

Hoshi remained silent at the mention of Eirnae and Lenore, still not able to bring himself to tell Shina about her fallen mother. She needed to recover in peace, without having to worry - knowing that her mother still lay in a coma would only stress her fragile body more.

The ride was quiet for most of the way to Hoshi's house, though it was a sweet, warm silence of friendship and love. The Starkeeper let his thoughts wander and drift with the crunching of rocks against the tires, until they were on the main road, lit by humble streetlights.

"What was it like, in the coma?" Hoshi's voice finally broke the silence, his face turning to watch Shina's. "Was it any different from the coccoon, if you remember that?"

Hoshi's hand found it's way into Shina's lap, and it hugged her slender hand, squeezing it tightly for a moment. "Alright," he whispered, watching Shina's face for any signs before her turned back to the road.

Within minutes, Hoshi was pulling into the familiar gravel driveway, and parked the car beside the overhanging willow tree, for the shade and protection that it brought. "We're here already, darling," Hoshi annouced, and quickly openned his door, and ran to Shina's side to open the door for her, as well.

"It's only my house," Hoshi admitted humbly. "Not the hosue that we had been planning together, or your house, but I hope it'll suit you." A mischevious smile grew on Hoshi's face as he scooped Shina into his arms once more, carrying her as he had carried her to the car. "My room is quite comfortable, and I know where everything is.."

The Starkeeper trailed off as he tiptoed through the quiet house, silent in the early morning. They reached Hoshi's room quickly, without disturbance, and Hoshi slid into it, and placed Shina on the bed. "A tower for a princess."