chapter three... or there abouts

"hang on!" i yell quickly stepping out of the shower. i grab my towel and wrap it around my body and swing the door open. Ash mock faints. "Oh my god! i thought you were one of my siblings. oh my um two seconds." i push the door shut just as Ash grabs the bottom corner of my towel. The towel falls from my body just as the door slams.

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"Here right in the middle of the bush there, there's an old playground thing." Ash dissapears into the trees. "Oi! Wait for me." i push through after him hoping that there are no spiders. "Slow down would ya. i feel like admiring the scenery." i am joking but as i swing my arms about i finally see where i am.

i am standing amongst giant trees so everywhere i look, every direction the only thing i can see is tree trunks. i tilt my head searching for the tree tops. towering above me is a soft canopy of every green i could ever imagine. i spin around laughing my eyes to the sky. i get an idea and stop spinning. other then the two of us no one else is in sight. "Coo-ee!" i laugh delighedly as the echoes are carried back to me through the trees. ash laughs too. "If i'd known you'd love it this much i woulda shown it to ya sooner." "this is like... perfect. It's amazing." Ash laughs again and lifts me off the ground

He walks slowly through the trees, spinning every so often so he can point things out to me. "See there," he spins so we're facing back the way we just came, "see how the trees almost form a winding path out to the edge. i used to lay here and look at them marvelling at how conviniant it was for helping me find my way out." "Aw, that's so cute. Ash's magical pathway." He pinches my side so i squeal with laughter. "No teasing about my deep child hood secrets ok?" we were both laughing now and Ash continues on through the trees.

he set me back down onto my feet after awhile. i look around and eventually find a sea-saw. it's the same colour as the surrounding bush so i'd almost missed it. now i know what im looking for i find a swing set, a small wooden round-a-bout, a sort of pole that's a cross between a may pole and monkey bars and an old slide. i love how it's so well hidden. i could have walked right past it without ever knowing it was there.

I run up to the sea-saw. "C'mon with me!" "As you wish, you silly child." Ash laughs and slides onto the other end. for ten minutes we try to knock each other off, but no one succeeds. Ash decides to hold his end down so i'm stuck high in the air. Laughing i start to slowly crawl to his end. "You can't win Ash Buttler!" I stopped so i was sitting right in front of him. and he smiles triumphantly, "Thank-you for falling into my trap. Now i've got you right where i wanted you." I start to question how he is gaining anything when he grabs me around the waist and playfully starts kissing my neck so we both topple off onto the bush floor. "You see i win. And now i plan to enjoy my prize."

He roles us over so he is laying over me and nuzzles into my neck and chest making loud kissing noises. i laugh and the echoes laugh with me until it is all you can hear. i sigh, "Wow, this place is amazing." "Yes, you are." I look up at him puzzled. "Well you are. And you're my prize. one amazing prize." Laughing i slide myself out from under him and skip lightly over to the swings. i climb into one and begin to swing myself slowly. I lean back with my eyes shut, smiling at how peaceful it was.

I swing back and Ash catches me in the swing and gently pushes me forward. "Hey Shuugs, reckon you'll still wanna see me after you leave?" He stopped pushing me and i let the swing go by its own. "Reckon you'd still want to see me?" i asked in reply, "i mean you can probably find lots of guests to hook up with and when they leave you have legitimate reason not to call, no signal. it's the perfect set up isn't it?" He comes round to the front of the swing holding it still. "I didnt believe in love at first sight. but now... i don't know. i think i love you. and i wanna love you and be there for you until i die. even after if it's possible."

he pulls out a small rope tie. it's black with seven small rainbow beads woven into the middle. "A promise tie. Since the beggining of time the rainbow has symbolised promise," he quotes, "Wear it as a reminder of my promise to you." He kneels down in front of me and rests my foot on his shoulder. Then he carefully loops the tie around my ankle and ties it loosely. once he's tied it i push gently on his shoulder with my foot so he falls backwards and then kneel over him. "Thank-you." i kiss him, feeling his hands caress my body and i feel like the most loved girl alive