That's Enough

“Mooooom! I wanted to see the ugly hyenas and not some ugly highschoolers doing disgusting things!!!”

A little boy is complaining at the scene of their first kiss, pointing out his finger at Fantasia and Ravel. As he screams this, Ravel gets startled and his water bottle falls from his hand, breaking and the water spilling on the ground.

Flushed with embarrassment, Fantasia and Ravel quickly stood up and bowed deeply twice, apologizing profusely to the child and his mother before hastily making their exit.

“Oof, that was very awkward!”

“Hahah, at least, he made our first kiss that much more memorable!”

Fantasia did it again. She found something positive even in such an absurd situation.

“I forgot that water bottle there when it broke! Damn…”

“Ahahahaha, you are unbelievable! Isn’t this like third time you spilled water next to me? What is going on with you, boy?”

Fantasia laughs so hard Ravel barely catches the words she says.

“Don’t tease me like that! Geez!” Ravel gets a little thrown off. “Also, don’t you ever compare yourself to the ‘U’ word beasts like you did back there!”

“Haha, sorry, sorry, I thought it sounded badass!”

***

Sitting next to each other on the bus, Ravel and Fantasia held hands, finding solace in their connection. Fantasia rested her head on Ravel's shoulder.

“Today was such a great day.”

“And I enjoyed every second of it with you. Thank you, Ravel.”

She lifts her head and gives him a quick smooch on his cheek before resting it back on his shoulder.

“When did you become so assertive?”

“I was today years old.”

“Heh… I love your sense of humor. That’s arguably the sexiest thing about you.”

“Sexiest, he says… hehe…”

Fantasia's voice trailed off as exhaustion began to overtake her, and she drifted into a half-asleep state.

It was time for Ravel to get off the bus at his stop but he deliberately missed it.

He looked through the corner of his eyes at Fantasia’s sleeping, tired face.

No make-up. I wonder how she would look if she used any. But she’s pretty as she is…

Wait… what…?

Did I say pretty? And I meant that. It’s not a lie.

I find her very pretty.

But I remember looking at her from the same distance under our kitchen sink.

She wasn’t pretty at all back then.

But her face didn’t change whatsoever.

So why? Why was she not pretty back then but she looks so beautiful to me right now?

Her blonde hair with a shining color. Those adorable eyes with a sparking fire. Those cutely shaped ears. The eyebrows she takes care of so precisely. That perfectly sized nose. And those… insanely seductive, soft, rosy lips…

The next stop is Saleziani. The next stop is Saleziani. The automated voice message repeating the current bus stop has cut off his thoughts.

“Fantasia, wake up, it’s your bus stop, we need to get off,” Ravel gently nudged her.

“Uuuh?” She was still sleepy but when she picked her head up and looked around through the window, she realized she was almost home. “Oh god, you’re right!”

Fantasia stood up like a rocket and ran outside, then she stopped, realizing she ‘forgot’ somebody. She turned back but Ravel was already standing right behind her.

“What are you doing here? Wasn’t your bus stop much earlier than this?”

“Yeah, but you were sleeping on me so cutely I didn’t want to wake you up yet.”

“Oh I’m so sorry!!”

“It’s okay, I wanted to walk you home anyways. I’d like to see for myself that you’re safe.”

“Haaa? That I’m safe, eh? You just wanted to see where I live, didn’t you~?”

Ravel loved it when she was teasing him like this with that mischievous glint in her eyes and provocative voice. If anything, her voice has always been very lady-like and pretty. That’s something nobody can dispute.

They begin walking towards Fantasia’s home, holding hands. Arriving at the destination, Ravel finds himself in front of the block of flats.

“We live on the 5th floor, wanna come in for some tea?”

“Uhmm, is anybody home?”

“Pervert.”

“No, no, I was just asking! I am not sure I want to meet your parents already…”

“I only live with my father, he’s okay, I already told him about you.”

“Oh, I see. Then… yeah, why not?”

***

Fantasia opened the door, revealing a hallway where shoes and jackets could be placed. However, it was summertime, so they weren't necessary.

“Dad, I’m home! I brought a friend!”

She shouts at him from the hallway and a manly voice shouts back.

“Hello! Is it Eleona? Please come inside!”

Ravel gulps. His heart starts beating faster. He breathes heavily. I’m about to meet my potential father in law! He exaggerated for sure.

Ravel walks slowly behind Fantasia who is leading him into the kitchen. There, a massive, ripped, 2 meters tall guy is cutting potatoes, presumably preparing dinner. He is completely bald, or rather, his head is being shaved by a razor. He has a complete tattoo sleeve on his right arm that spreads through his neck all the way behind his ear. He wears a tank top that perfectly outlines his muscles.

As he locks on Ravel, he raises the knife into the air, pointing it threateningly.

“Who the hell are you?!”

Ravel flinches, his anxiety spiking. I had no idea it could be THIS bad!!!

“M-my name is Ravel Unique, nice to meet you!”

“I don’t fucking care about your name, who are you?!”

“I-I’m your daughter’s friend!!”

Fantasia, please help me here- … no way. Ravel notices how Fantasia giggles with her mouth covered by hand.

“Oh daddy, this is the bad guy I was talking about the other day! He was so demanding, he was like a wild beast~!”

Whaaaaaaaaaaa- Ravel’s whole life flashed before his eyes. He’s dead, he thought.

“WHAT?!”

Her father closed the distance between them only to be stopped by Fantasia.

“Nooo, I was just kidding, hahaha! He’s my friend, maybe even a boyfriend? I don’t know.”

“A boyfriend, you say.”

Father pops a vein on his forehead and grits his teeth through a forced smile.

Now I’m really dead. She told the truth and he didn’t like it.

Her father comes face to face with terrified Ravel.

“What exactly do you plan with my daughter?”

Oh no. There’s not a correct answer to a question like this!

Do I say nothing serious? Then he will say all I think about is sex.

Do I say I want to marry her? Then he will kill me for trying to steal her from him.

Do I say I don’t know yet? Then he will say that his daughter is not so important to me.

Daaaamn!

“We haven’t talked about anything like that, dad! Our relationship is still fresh, neither of us knows where it is headed!”

Fantasia grabs her dad by his strong arm to stop him.

Thank you, darling! You saved me!

“And look, he’s scared shitless, he is not a threat in any way to me, hahah.”

Yuck.

“Hmmmm…”

Father still measures him with his eyes. He reaches out for him and taps him on the shoulder. Ravel’s heart stopped for a moment.

“Heh. Welcome to the family! You can call me Father!”

“Eeeeeh???”

Ravel was about to faint but his fear was replaced by confusion and shock.

Father’s look was still intense and his facial expression hasn’t changed, Ravel didn’t know if he should believe his body language or his words.

***

Ravel and Fantasia are sitting on a couch in the living room. Father comes with three cups of tea, he puts them on the table and distributes them.

“Thank you very much, sir.”

“I fucking told you to call me Father.”

“Y-yes, Father!”

“You see… Fantasia has never had a relationship. This is the first time for her. So you better be careful what you do. She’s the only daughter I have.”

“Yes, I’m aware…”

“What do you like about her?”

Ravel was about to sip from the tea but this question made him spill it a little. Damn it, not again!

“I’m not even gonna comment on that anymore, hahah!”

“Well, I…”

“Well? I was told many times by teachers that her classmates bully my daughter and call her ugly. A Slovak monkey. And many other disgusting names. My precious princess…”

His voice starts to shake a little. Looks like this enormous man’s eyes get a little teary.

“I won’t forgive them! But Fantasia begged me not to get involved and not to come to school.”

I’m sure if you did, the bullying would stop at the sight of you.

“So tell me, what is it that you like about her? When everybody says she is… ugly?”

“That’s enough.”

Ravel clenched his fists and in a very calm manner spoke those words. But the words meant the calm before storm.

“What? I am just asking a normal question, I am not saying she is ug-”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!!!”

He gave the father a pissed of glare. Fantasia and her father flinched at the intensity of Ravel’s voice.

“A father should NEVER even utter that disgusting word in front of his daughter! EVER!”

CHAPTER 7: END