Feel The Forest {King}

This child was so cute that Yuuki needed all of their self-control to not hold him in their arms and give him a big hug. Instead, they just giggled, happy because of Yikmo’s reaction. They raised their left pinky to complete the promise, firmly. Yuuki’s instincts told them that, even though it seemed like a silly promise, they could trust him. The kirin could sense such purity on his heart that it was impossible not to.

They snapped out of their thoughts when an idea crossed their mind and, curious about the kid, they asked “Hey, what if we go to your favorite part of the forest” Yuuki suggested “You’ve got one? If you do, next time I’ll show you mine”

Yuuki still had enough time to explore a bit, and the possibility of finding a new beautiful place in the woods was exciting. The new flower friend could do just fine in the pot, Yuuki would just help it feel better if anything went wrong. Speaking of flower friends…

“It will be fun! We can explore together as… flower buds!” they added, and the shine of their eyes showed just how proud they were of their own pun, as if it was so funny and clever.

As Yikmo began to walk, Yuuki stood up all wobbly and followed him. Some more leaves they hadn’t noticed fell of their clothes, so they shook them off as a puppy would. The kirin walked carefully, worried about falling again and embarrassing themselves. When Yikmo turned around, their ears perked up and their face turned a deeper shade of pink because they thought that they had been caught walking funny. Yuuki just gave him a smile and followed the kid closely, their tail swishing behind.

Along the way, they kept looking around trying to recognize which path the two of them were going, but they simply had no clue. They also stopped a couple of times to pick plants they needed for their work, quick enough so that it wouldn’t delay them. Yuuki didn't stay silent, they would make a comment or two each time they came across a pretty patch of flowers or saw a squirrel up in the trees.

@"King"

The clearing came into view, and as they stepped in Yuuki’s eyes widened in amazement. They were expecting something like a spring surrounded by flowers or his favorite tree, but not this. When they focused on the garden as Yikmo was asking them to do, the kirin’s mouth opened as if to say something, but all they could do was stare.

It was beautiful. So many plants, many of which they actually didn’t recognize. Hybrids, maybe? Or perhaps Yikmo knew way more than them about all the species in Manta Carlos, it sounded reasonable if he lived in the hut. This was so exciting!
Yuuki, still a bit dumbfounded, followed the kid, very careful to not step on anything accidentally since they were so distracted with the view. It brought back memories, the few they could still remember from the years they had spent with the old lady. This garden felt as full of love as that one, and Yuuki’s expression softened, eyes filled with nostalgia.

“Did you grow all of these by yourself?” they asked while Yikmo took care of the sage, still looking around with curiosity “It’s lovely”

They kneeled in front of some flowers in the edge of the footpath, squinting at the unusual combination of colors.

Yuuki was so focused on all these stangely beautiful plants that they didn’t notice the flower crown until it was placed on their head. The kirin’s ears perked up and their eyes tried to look up to see what Yikmo had given them. When they touched the soft petals with their hands and realized it was a flower crown, they could swear their heart had melted, especially when they also saw Yikmo’s adorable smile.

That was it. Yuuki had been trying not to make him uncomfortable with their usual affections, but they just couldn’t resist it right now.

“Awww, is this for me? Thank you!” they exclaimed, big smile on their face that showed actual gratitude for his kind gift.

Right after that, Yuuki straightened up so they were more or less at Yikmo’s eye level and they threw their arms around him in a big warm hug. The poor kid had released the hug monster inside them, and there was no escape now! Well, unless he pushed Yuuki away, obviously.

“I love it!” Yuuki added in a cheery voice.

Yuuki noticed the flowers blooming around the two of them, so they decided that they weren’t going to be the only one with a cute flower crown. The kirin broke the hug slowly, giving Yikmo his time in case he wanted it to last a few more seconds.

“I will make one for you too, okay?” Yuuki offered, then they began picking up some of the flowers and placing them on their lap.

Once they had enough, Yuuki weaved them together carefully, sticking out the tip of their tongue because apparently that meant they were very concentrated on the task. It didn’t take long for the kirin to finish, they had made dozens of these in the past. Yuuki placed the finished product on Yikmo’s head, it was a little too big for him, but they managed to put it on so it didn’t just fall off.

“There it is, you look great!” Yuuki complimented, giving it a thumbs up “Flower buds!” they exclaimed, holding up their hands for a double high five. Because that’s what kids did these days, right? Hmmm nah, Yuuki was better off not trying to act like a cool kid, so they went for another hug instead.