Work Text:
A young teenage Vyspyn flips the page of her book, the sunlight making its way through the tree leaves and onto the paper. Fudwick sits against the tree trunk beside her, working on his basket weaving project he had started the other day.
“How’s your book, Pumpkin?”
“It’s really good, I’m almost finished with it,” she says, not looking up from her reading. “The main character finally got together with that boy.”
“Which one?”
She looks up from her book. “Hm? What do you mean?”
“Wasn’t there a love triangle situation going on? Which one did she choose?”
“Nono, that was the last book I read. The main character just had one love interest in this one.”
Fudwick can’t help but chuckle a bit, which warrants a head-tilt from Vyspyn. “What is it?”
“I’ve just noticed you’ve been reading a lot of romance novels recently. That’s all.”
She smiles and lowers her head to hide in her hair, slightly embarrassed. “I can’t help it, they’re really good…”
“Heheh, I get it. I was young once, too.”
“You used to like these novels?”
“Mhm. Just like all kids your age, I wanted to be in a relationship.”
She turns a bit red. “Th-that’s not why I read them…!”
Fudwick laughs heartily. “You can’t trick me! I know just what it’s like.”
Vyspyn cracks a small smile, calming back down. “...So, you were the same way?”
“Me? Oh, definitely. After I left the village and started adventuring, I found plenty of girls that I thought were nice.”
Vyspyn’s mouth falls open. “You never told me that….!”
“Heheheh! Well, now you’re old enough for me to tell you.”
“Did you… not find anyone?”
“I was constantly traveling, so I couldn't really stay in one place to date…I couldn't tell you where I met her, but a long time ago there was this one girl I really liked, and she liked me. Her name was Penelope, but I called her Peppy. We spent some time together while I was in that village… I stayed there a bit longer than I would’ve…
“We had different paths, though, and we had to part ways. She told me she had to stay in town to take care of her sick mother, and I had to continue my journey. I wonder how she's doing these days…”
Vyspyn speaks, her tone a bit sad. “Oh… I'm sorry…”
He waved her off. “Nah, it's fine. It just wasn't meant to be. Not everyone has a soulmate, that's just how Nature works.
“My life was the life of an adventurer, and as long as you're in that line of work, you don't really settle down. Heck, the only reason I did was to take care of my baby girl.” Hearing this, Vyspyn smiles at him.
“Even now, I can't really picture what that kind of life would look like for me… and I'm satisfied with the life I have now. The only thing I would say is wrong with it is... well... I wish you had a mother figure.”
She nods solemnly at the ground, before looking back up at him.
“Pa…?”
Fudwick stares back, listening. “Hm?”
“Do you think… do you think I have a soulmate out there?”
He gives her a gentle smile. “There's a possibility.”
Vyspyn can't help but feel a sense of hope blooming in her chest, a smile creeping on her face as well. “Wh-what do you think he'll be like?”
“He'll have to be someone just as great as you, that's for sure.”
She laughs a bit, her mind slipping into imaginary possibilities. “I bet he'll have really pretty eyes…”
“Heheh…”
“He'll like to read like I do…”
“Maybe…”
“He'll probably be a gnome…”
“You never know…”
“Or maybe a full human…”
“You could possibly meet a half-elf.”
“Wh- really? We've barely met any half-elves!”
“I'm just saying. Nature has a funny way of working.”
Vyspyn’s smile grows, staring at him before shoving him lightly. “You're getting my hopes up.”
“Heheh, I'd say they're already up.”
She shies a bit. “Are my expectations too high?”
“Nope. For someone like you, I'd say they're too low.”
Blush creeps on her cheeks. “Thanks, Pa.”
“No problem, Pumpkin. If you end up finding someone, he's gonna be the luckiest man in the multiverse.”
Vyspyn and Fudwick close the distance with a tight hug.
“I love you…”
“I love you even more.”
They release each other, the both of them going back to what they were doing.
But Vyspyn's mind couldn't focus on finishing the book now…