A/N: Hi everyone! I don't know if there's anybody left from last year, but I'm back! I actually wrote the next few sequential chapters quite a few months ago, but since this multichap (yeah, I'm calling it that now) is, well, a multichap, I didn't want to go out of order. But anyway, you can expect the new couple of updates in a relatively timely manner :) This story is probably close to the halfway mark, but we still have a lot to go! (Shameless plug: this all said, I'm resurrecting Fritz the Ditz from like two years ago as well, so look forward to that!)

Thanks to everyone who supported me this past year! Every time I got a notification about a follow/favorite/review it motivated me a little more to write for this story!

To try and make up for my lack of updates, this chapter is a whopping 3700 words! Lots of development here. Enjoy :D

"Pink!"

Ludus turned his head at the familiar teasing outburst, coming face to face with Iluka. Her finger pointed at him accusingly, her expression a mixture of fake shock and disgust. She stood her ground, a living statue in the middle of Lulukoko.

He brushed it off and pushed past her, but not before rolling his eyes with a sigh. This had been the norm for quite some time. It seemed his relationship with Holly was still the talk of all three towns, which meant it was everyone's duty to tease him about it.

Holly said the same thing once. The Westown residents often told her she acted like a newlywed when her eyes met his, or she always looked so happy when he came into town on an errand.

...Would she look happy today, too?

Ludus wrapped his hand around the carryall bag's strap, readjusting it as he remembered the way Holly held it the other day. A small smile crept onto his face as he reminisced.

"Your aura is pink today, too, Ludus."

The voice was softer with hidden, rather than blatant, mischief underneath. He didn't need to look this time to know it was Siluka.

He stared blankly ahead, not stopping his paced footsteps. He still didn't entirely understand what the twins meant with their aura nonsense, but he could only guess it was more teasing. They loved giving him a hard time regarding Holly.

Especially Iluka. The day she heard from Holly about the Fruit Fiesta's events, she punched his arm so hard the bruise was still there.

He'd have to be stupid to let her see him and Holly together again. He was sure the punishment would be much worse. Little sisters were brutal.

But… at least the twins were getting along with Holly. Truthfully he'd been worried about them interacting with other people - or rather, not interacting with people - for quite some time. It was nice seeing them be outspoken about something other than their weather predictions. He just wished it wasn't about something juvenile like this.

The two girls must have received the hint that he wasn't playing around today, as he couldn't hear them anymore. After a few more strides, the edge of the village became visible. He quickened his pace, eager to finish up his work and surprise Holly with a visit.

They weren't officially going out again until tomorrow, but he received a request from Miranda regarding her creaky floorboards. Apparently, Noel had recently discovered that she could frighten customers by activating the squeaky boards and making eerie ghost noises. He definitely understood her dilemma, thinking back on all the twins' antics throughout the years, so he made sure this job was top priority.

...Besides, it gave him an excuse to see Holly on a work day.

Soon he found himself significantly colder than before, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow from Lulukoko to the outskirts of Westown, passing by Megan's family and Frank's farm along the way. It was nearing lunchtime, so he didn't see them out in their fields. It was quiet, the only sound not absorbed by the snow the sound of him crunching in it.

Westown's atmospheric presence never ceased to amaze him. There were fences and crazy rock formations and that abandoned train track that always captivated his attention every time he visited. When he first visited the town he remembered wondering why people would settle here, but after so many more returns, he finally understood.

It was peaceful.

Then again, maybe he only understood the charm of it because Holly now called it home. Not that he would ever admit that, especially to her.

Ludus quickly ascended the rightmost staircase, passing by Brad and Carrie, who smiled and waved to him, before approaching Miranda's general store. He opened the door and stepped inside, instantly greeted by a handful of loud voices.

"Welcome!"

"Hi there!"

"Ooh, a customer!"

As a non-resident, he couldn't pinpoint each voice, though he guessed the more enthusiastic ones belonged to young Noel and Colin. Miranda towered above both of them, an ear-to-ear smile plastered on her face.

Ludus returned their smiles and nodded, then quietly closed the door behind him. "Hi. I'm here about the floorboard problem."

Miranda's eyes widened. "Oh, already? That was so fast! I only just put in the request yesterday."

"If it's something that affects business, it warrants my full attention."

"Oh, you party poopers!" Noel cried out, stomping her foot. "It doesn't affect business one bit! People like being scared, y'see, 'cuz that makes them more likely to buy something."

"Um, Noel, I don't think that's how it works…" Timid Colin beside her tried to reason with her but trailed off before saying anything too scolding.

"Ha ha!" Miranda's mirthful eyes watched the two children before she cleared her throat and began ushering them outside. "All right, you two. Go on an' play outside so we can get some work done."

"What? Are you sayin' we're in the way?"

"That's exactly what I'm sayin', missy! Come back for suppertime, and I don't wanna hear from the neighbors that you were causin' trouble again!"

Noel pouted while Colin smiled awkwardly and tried dragging her away through the door. Ludus watched on with a small smile, lost in the nostalgia of his own childhood days, getting scolded and shooed outside by Tototara whenever she was in a business meeting regarding the inn.

Once the two were out of sight he faced Miranda once more. "It's upstairs, right?"

"Oh! Yeah, hang on, I'll lead ya right to it!"

They headed up the stairs into Miranda and Noel's living space. Once they reached the main living room, Ludus could instantly spot the floorboard that needed fixing.

It was bowing… That couldn't have been very safe, not to mention the annoyance of the creaking.

He knelt down and set his carryall bag down beside him, unzipping it and rummaging around for the right tool. "I'll have this done in just a few minutes, although… I'm a little worried about the state this place is in. It seems a little dangerous to live here if a floorboard is bowing this badly."

Miranda laughed it off with a wave of her hand. "Oh, don't ya worry 'bout that. I've been livin' here since I was pregnant with Noel, and this place's never given out on me. I guarantee throughout the years this floor's been replaced more than twenty times, board by board. She's sturdy as all get out."

As he assessed the damage and listened to her, Ludus slowly nodded. He supposed a long-standing resident would know a few more things about the building structure than him. He was a carpenter, not an architect.

He quietly began the job, replacing the creaky wood with a new board from his bag, all the while aware of Miranda's watchful eyes. He'd never personally done a job for her or her shop before, so he wondered who did it before. Was it someone in town? He knew Holly's uncle Frank was a bit of a handyman himself, so maybe…?

"All right, it's finished."

"Wow!" Miranda exclaimed as he brushed off his clothes. "I didn't know you would finish that fast. I was watchin' ya and couldn't even keep up with what you were doin'!"

Ludus shrugged his shoulders indifferently, gathering his tools and putting them back in the bag. "It's just my job. I'm used to it."

Miranda let loose a loud guffaw suddenly, giving him a mild startle. "You don't hafta be so gruff and tense, y'know. Holly's always goin' on and on about how sweet you are, it'd be nice to see it every once in a while!"

...Holly talked too much.

It was a bit endearing to know that was how she thought of him, though.

Miranda thanked him again and, after he cleaned up, the two headed back down the staircase. Before reaching the landing, two distinct voices were conversing in hushed tones. Ludus recognized them instantly - one was his girlfriend, the other her best friend. So he would get to see her today after all.

However, Holly and Lisette together were sure to be a recipe for disaster while he was around. He stood his ground on the staircase as Miranda went on ahead to ask what the girls wanted.

Ludus felt like an outsider who didn't belong, but he certainly didn't want to expose himself at this moment, so all he could do was look on silently and take notice of Holly's ever changing expressions.

"Oh, Noel's always gawkin' at that thing!"

Miranda's voice tore his eyes away from Holly for a moment while he processed the situation. The three of them were huddled around a small glass case on one of the shelves.

"It's such a nightmare to clean and I'm always afraid someone's gonna knock it over," Miranda continued, shaking her head in exasperation.

"Why don't you just get rid of it?" Holly's gentle voice asked.

Miranda sighed. "Someday, somebody might buy it, y'know? I bought it a looong time ago but never quite mustered up the courage to properly convey my feelings."

"Wow! I never knew ya almost got married, Miranda!" Lisette exclaimed, turning her head to gaze at Miranda with adoration. However, when she turned, her eyes met Ludus's. His blood ran cold.

Lisette seemingly paid him no mind, which made it that much more sinister. He couldn't remember ever exchanging more than ten words with the girl, but just knowing she was close to Holly and quite possibly was told everything about their relationship made his anxiety flare up.

"How long ago was this?" Lisette asked, instead of calling him out right then and there.

Miranda stuck a hand up to her chin, pondering. "How old is Noel again?"

The three shared some light laughter before the conversation was steered back.

"But anyway, instead of just throwin' it away, I figured I'd give a chance to another couple who wants to take that next step. Maybe it's wishful thinkin' that someone would want an old lady's used jewelry." Miranda added the last part with another laugh.

Holly slowly shook her head. "I don't think it's wishful… I think it's wonderful. Anybody who hears a story like that will definitely want to buy that ring, to unite with the one they love as well as reunite you with your old feelings."

"Ah, shoot, Holly… yer such a good kid!"

Ludus decided he couldn't just stand in silence anymore. This was a conversation he wasn't meant to be hearing. He was intruding.

He took a step forward, ready to announce himself as he made the rest of the way down the staircase.

"Maybe Ludus'll buy it for ya!"

In that one moment, Ludus had never been so grateful for his sense of balance. Lisette's giddy exclamation left him reeling, his foot hanging in the air above the step directly in front of him. However, his sense of balance did nothing to stop the deep red hue from tinting his cheeks. Or Holly's, for that matter.

"M-Maybe, but I don't think that's - "

A cough, loud and awkward, erupted from the depths of Ludus's throat - another embarrassment his sense of balance allowed to happen despite his wishes.

"Er…" he started slowly, awkwardly, hoping for something to come to him within the next few moments while the three ladies stared at him, "the creaky floorboard's been replaced, Miranda."

He pleaded with his eyes while hopefully not being terribly obvious to the other two that he was listening in. Miranda nodded and grinned knowingly.

"Oh, thanks! I don't think Noel can spook the customers for a while now. Ya really helped me out there!"

He was grateful for her playing along, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Holly, who seemed to be uncomfortably shifting her weight between her two feet. She...probably knew he'd been listening.

Lisette looked between the two of them and suddenly clasped her hands together. "That's right! Miranda, I remember Noel tellin' me she found some real pretty flowers the other day. Do you remember where they were?"

"A-As a matter of fact, I do!" Miranda replied cheerfully, playing along with another see-through lie. "I can take ya to 'em right now, if ya got time."

Lisette nodded, and the two of them headed out after a short goodbye to the two left inside the shop.

Holly averted her eyes to anything that wasn't Ludus, and he finally let loose a deep sigh.

"E kala mai."

She snapped her eyes up once she heard his voice. "For what?"

"For...eavesdropping on your conversation. I didn't mean to, really. The timing just gradually became more and more awkward to announce myself."

"O-Oh… Yeah."

She offered a small smile in response and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It's not your fault we were talking about something like that in a public place."

"Holly…"

"More than that," she continued, taking a few steps back as she realized he took a few steps towards her, "I didn't know Miranda was having issues with the floor upstairs. Maybe that's why I've overheard visitors saying her shop was haunted! Noel's always pulling pranks like that, jeez."

Throughout her nonsensical rambling, Ludus continued his pursuit while she backed away, until she hit the wall of the shop and he caught up to her. She turned her head away, not looking at him.

"Holly, come with me." He gripped her hand and tilted his head so he could meet her eyes, giving her a smile. "I want to show you something."

She bit her lip but slowly nodded, following him as he led them out of the shop.

Surprisingly, they didn't run into any nosy kids or friends the second they stepped outside, but they were met with some light teasing from Wayne, returning home from his delivery job. Ludus adjusted the carryall bag on his shoulder and quickened his pace through town, having had enough teasing for one day already. Holly didn't seem to mind walking faster.

They made their way through the crossroads, their feet crunching in the snow, leaving side by side footprints. Ludus glanced to his side where Holly was, matching his pace evenly. He didn't know when she started walking right next to him, but he was thankful she wasn't nervously tagging along anymore. The thought caused a smile to creep upon his face.

The twins were nowhere in sight once they reached Lulukoko, and Ludus finally let go of Holly's hand and allowed himself a sigh of relief.

"Are you all right, Ludus?"

He smiled reassuringly. "Yeah. I've just had my fair share of people being interested in our relationship today. I guess...it's grating on me a bit."

"Oh." Holly's face looked crestfallen, and he realized he made a mistake.

"I'm not saying that like it's a bad thing. It just feels like they're belittling my feelings when they pick on me. I'm not in grade school anymore. I still get embarrassed around you, and when people point out how I act differently when you're involved, it bothers me."

Holly watched him with sad eyes, the meaning of his words probably not getting across through all his blabber. How could he properly express this?

She meant a lot to him. He wasn't sure the twins or Tototara or Miranda or whoever else truly understood that. He knew they were just teasing for good fun, and there was no harm in it...but he was trying to be a good man - a good partner - and not just a good boyfriend. To him, that word made it seem like their relationship was juvenile. How was he supposed to let her know exactly what he was feeling?

"I want to treasure you," he settled for after a few moments. "I want to take both our feelings into account and spend time together as a couple. We haven't been dating for very long, but I hope you know I'm serious about you, about us, and you're not just some passing interest. I meant it that day, when I told you I was in love with you. I still am."

"...Me too."

Holly wrapped her tiny hand around his and gripped tightly, smiling up at him with her adorable face. "I want to talk about all sorts of things with you, and properly convey my feelings at any time, and go on more dates, and just...overall not be so nervous around you anymore. I don't know why things have to change just because we're a couple."

She sighed and turned her head to stare out at the ocean. "I...I guess I'm a pretty shy person naturally, but since coming here I think I've really grown, and I know a lot of that is your influence. So thank you."

"Holly…"

"I'm serious about you, too. I want to spend more time with you and start ignoring all the teasing. Nobody knows how we really feel, so let's show them our relationship isn't something to be taken lightly."

A wide grin spread across his face after she finished. "You're right. All the teasing from our friends is probably what's causing us both to be so nervous about this." He brought his free hand up to his forehead, berating himself for only now realizing what should have been obvious from the start.

"Let's start over then," he suggested softly, glancing down at her. "No more unnecessary nerves or worrying about what other people think. Let's just do things at our own pace."

Holly smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!"

They stared at each other for long moments, their smiles gradually fading, replaced by expressions of yearning, while the ocean waves lapped at the shore. Without thinking or wasting any more time, they leaned into each other and shared a gentle kiss.

Ludus pulled away first, feeling the carryall bag slipping from his shoulder, while Holly stood still with her eyes closed and lips slightly parted, like she didn't realize the moment was over. He cleared his throat awkwardly, instantly snapping Holly out of her daze.

"So...that will obviously still be nerve-wracking for both of us for a while yet."

"Y-Yeah."

Holly kicked at the sand beneath her feet, her cheeks a delicate shade of pink as she looked back towards the ocean. Ludus chuckled at the sight of her.

"Come on. I wanted to show you something, remember?"

He led them over to the general store, Polepole, thankful there was nobody in range to have seen their...prior engagement. They decided to ignore everybody's teasings, but it would have been hard to do so had there been somebody there just afterwards.

He greeted Kina, the shopkeeper, and instantly spotted what he was looking for. He pointed it out to Holly.

"This is Lulukoko's version of a wedding ring. It's called a blue feather."

The feather sat underneath a thick sheet of glass in a small case, its sky blue hue captivating. It was in pristine condition, though he expected no less for what was possibly the town's most prized possession. He was definitely biased, but the blue feather was almost certainly a bigger deal than Miranda's wedding ring from earlier.

"It's beautiful," Holly remarked gently, crouching down to get a better look at it. She pressed her face as close to the glass as she could without touching it.

"Are you interested in the blue feather, Ludus?" Kina asked from behind the counter, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.

Ludus steadied his breath before replying. "No. Not yet, anyway."

...Shoot. He should have steadied his thoughts as well.

His comment did not go unnoticed by Holly, whose cheeks lit up instantly. She stood up and took a few steps back from the display case, forcing a laugh.

"We'll see you later, Kina," Ludus told the shopkeeper, and then he ushered Holly away. He led her through the tunnel to the crossroads where they always found themselves spending most of their time together.

"S-Sorry, I got nervous," Holly admitted sheepishly. A self-deprecating smile spread across her face.

Ludus shook his head. "It would be weird if you didn't. Don't worry about it, yeah?"

He turned his head to smile at her and grabbed her hand again, running his thumb over her soft knuckles.

"I'm not expecting you to change overnight. I don't want you to. And I think it's going to take a while for me to change, too."

They stood in front of the pond, watching the small waterfall rush down.

"That blue feather…" Ludus trailed, hesitating. "There's a legend passed down in the village that says a magical blue bird dropped a single feather, and whoever claims it will have an everlasting, happy marriage. It's pretty fantastical, and the feather we saw just now obviously isn't the one from the legend and it's just a replica, but…"

He steeled his nerves. He was the one who suggested they try to get over their nerves, so why was he hesitating and stalling?

"I love you, Holly. When I propose to you, I want to do it with a blue feather and not a wedding ring, because that's the tradition in my town. But I know you consider Westown your home now, whose tradition is the wedding ring. Are you okay with not - "

Holly interrupted him with a short fit of giggles. As Ludus stood dumbfounded, she smiled up at him.

"The item you use doesn't matter… I'd be happy even if you gave me a blade of grass as long as our feelings are the same."

He sighed in both relief and happiness. How was this girl so impossibly sweet and perfect?

"B-But, I think it's way too early to even think about this."

"Huh? No - that's not what I'm doing," Ludus stuttered in reply. He faced her. "I'm not proposing to you right here, right now."

Holly laughed beside him, gripping his hand tighter. "I know."

He smiled down at her. "No matter how long it takes to get there, I would like to spend my life with you, Holly. I will propose to you someday...and I hope you'll accept when the time comes."

She offered a small, happy nod in response, and they watched their reflections in the water for a while longer before returning to their respective jobs.

~CGA