Engagement?!

What did I just say? Marriage is a big deal. I'm very much in love with Rox. Can it be done? What am I saying? I ran away from home and have been seeing this guy for months. Of course we could marry each other. Wait, did I just propose by saying I don't need a ring?! 

"Go engage her brother!" Yells Kiaha.

"Yea! Do it!" Jeana joins in jumping up and down with her sister.

"I. Uh." Rox is flush and stuttering up a storm.

"Where I come from engagements take a lot of talking and agreements need to be made." I start rambling hoping to buy time for Rox to regain his composure. "Yes it's romantic if a guy asks for someone's hand in marriage but a lot of things have to happen. So Rox and I are going to have to discuss things in private."

I give the girls my best smile. Rox seems to have calmed down with my last sentence.

"Sounds like I'm going to need to take Sophia home for the night then." Rox states while looking at me.

"Oh don't forget your left overs Sophie dear! Let me go get those!" Rose perks up and takes off. "Watch the kids dear!"

Jeana and Kiaha give a cunning smirk to each other and then start whispering. I don't like the looks of that.

"Well you let us know what you need when you start wedding planning Sophie. I'm sure the girls will be more than happy to help out." Noax says. 

Then when we all look at the girls they stop whispering. They created a plan, I just know it.

"Catch us if you can dad!" The girls yell and split off into two directions.

"You get back here!" Noax yells and takes after Jeana.

After a moment of silence. "Should we help?" I ask.

Kiaha swings down from a tree branch that was overhead so she is hanging upside down by her knees. I let out a screech from the surprise. Rox wraps me in a hug to keep me from running away.

"Nah we are meeting up at our spot." Kiaha says.

"At least you two aren't as bad as I was." Rox chuckles.

"Don't forget to hold up your end of the deal since we kept dad busy." Kiaha winks then drops to the ground and takes off into the dark.

"You barely kept your end of the deal!" Rox yells after her.

I giggle.

"You think this is funny?" Rox says holding onto my hips and holding me close.

"I do." I smile up at him, while resting my hands on his chest. "I love this."

"You do? How?" Rox is baffled. "Pretty sure I was the one with multiple head injuries tonight."

I laugh a little harder. "How is your head?" I reach up and gently touch the places he got hit.

"Pretty sure I'm hallucinating seeing and feeling you in my arms. There is no way you're staying with me after meeting my family. And being the talk of the century in the village." Rox looks out into the forest.

"They care for you. They know your favorite dish. Then before that, watching you walk through the village helping everyone and talking to them was amazing." I say resting my head on his chest.

"Amazing?" He asks skeptically.

"Yes." I push back to look into his yellow eyes. "The way you carried that bag for the elderly lady. The kids jumping from a roof to mess with you. Your friends you apparently go fishing with, that also drop what they are doing to help you. Along with saving that girl from being squashed. Then meeting your family that makes sure you have enough to eat and their playful jokes. I really love it."

My heart sinks a little when a small memory of the lessons I had to endure while growing up comes to mind. First being quiet til spoken to then only eating a small portion of the tiny serving of food while in public to demonstrate ladylike behavior.

"You say such sweet words." Rox says and brushes my hair back behind my ear. "Yet your face is sad. Why is that?"

I guess I didn't hide my emotions well on my face.

"Just a memory." I say. 

"Not a nice one?" He is concerned.

"No. It wasn't very pleasant." I say hugging him a little tighter. When he squeezes back I can feel the worry slip away. I'm with him. The past is in the past, it can't hurt me now.

I hear rustling behind me. Do I feel Rox making hand motions? I try to look behind me but can't see anything. Rox let's go and I turn around to see a bandana wrapped around boxes.

"Mom just dropped off the left overs. She left quickly after seeing us hugging." Says Rox. I'm sure there is more to the story but I won't pry.

"Should I take you home?" He asks.

"It is late isn't?" I look to the stars and moon.

"I would offer my place..." He shyly asks.

"Yea I know. Everyone would have their ear to the door." I agreed with him. 

Our wolves had moved a little ways from us since they got bored. We called them in and got on them. Rox grabbed the food and we headed out.

"I can carry that." I inform him.

"I ain't letting the clutz carry this." He holds the food out to mock me. "Besides I'm pretty sure you shook the cream so much it made butter."

"What?! You can do that?" I shout but he is almost out of sight.

He takes off laughing into the forest and I chase after him as we start the journey home. The wolves know where to go since Rox took them back and forth so many times. They followed the path they wanted to go. Dot took the smoother paths while Rogue scared me by jumping up the sides of cliffs and off trees to make his turns sharper. 

I hate to try the one technique my brother's friend VERY briefly talked about but I'm going to have to go for it. Rogue has shown he will do anything to protect me over the last few months. There is another snake story but Rogue was the hero that time. I'm scared but I loosen my grip on his fur. He immediately slows down and stops running circles around Dot.

It worked! Without knowing I was holding my breath I let out a sigh of relief.

"He is a stubborn one with energy." Rox comments.

"That he is." I say patting Rogue's shoulder as he let's out a huff and a grumble.

"And vocal." Rox chuckles. 

We are getting close to my home. I want sleep but I also don't want the night to end. I look over to Rox with the moonlight bathing over him. If I didn't know him or he wasn't holding the bandana of boxes he would look fairly intimidating on Dot's back.

"Thanks for the save back there Sophia." Rox says breaking the silence.

"Save?" I know Rogue was being literally off the trees but I don't remember him getting too close to colliding with Dot and Rox.

"For saying the engagement talk to be in private." Rox explains.

Oh that.... He didn't forget THAT!

"I'm not sure how long it takes humans to know when they find the right person but for goblins it's not very long." Rox is getting red in the ears. "I also don't know what you mean by agreements or anything. For us it's if you find the one, you start living together and have as many children as possible. I know humans are not that way. I really don't want to scare you off but I wanted you to know... You're the one Sophia."