A/N: This is quite a short chapter, I’m so sorry >_< But it’s an important one. *hugs* Cheers! This chapter is for Cheeky_Leen-san! ^0^ Thank you so much for your support—actually I’ll never be able to thank you enough.

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Chapter 23: Dreams, Doubts, and Acceptance.

Chip’s POV

The bed was unusually warm. And awkwardly unbalanced—as if it was tilted to one side.

I shifted slightly, tugging at the thin sheets. Only to register a slight resistance in the pull. I whined, frustrated, and opened my eyes irritably.

Okay.

I’m dreaming.

The sight of a very appealing figure snuggled up on the same pillow as me instantly told my birdbrain that there was no way I was in reality.

Groaning, I shifted again and closed my eyes in the process.

Dreams don’t come true.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I think I fell asleep again because before I knew it, there was an ear-splitting blast like a cannon.

Startled, I jumped in my sleep, sitting bolt upright.

“W-What’s going—? X-Xander??”

Wait. I can’t possibly be dreaming again. 

In the same spot as before (in my dreams) was the exact same appealing figure—shirtless, sensual hair, strong breathing.

“I should be asking you, young man,” the silhouette of a lady crossing her arms stood in the doorway.

My pupils adjusted to the dim light, but I already knew who it was.

Coco’s stern voice gripped my throat, silencing any word that came close to it.

I felt a fine gust of cold wind and trembled slightly, pulling the covers closer to my chest—and realizing that I wasn’t dressed at all.

My cheeks warmed a whole lot and I darted under the covers, causing the person beside me to stir.

“Mm…Angel…?” An arm snaked around my waist, its weight pushed against my stomach as if to pull me back into bed with him.

My face flushed with an intense heat and I quickly looked behind to see whether Coco had heard the embarrassing nickname.

Angel? She mouthed in a bewildered expression.

Okay. She definitely heard it.

Coco gave me a glare, as if saying: You better give me a good explanation later young man, and left the room, closing the door gently.

Uh oh…

“Who was that?” Xander’s voice was husky from sleep, and he still hadn’t opened his eyes.

“U-Um…it was Coco…” I replied sheepishly.

Xander opened an eye. “Coco? Hmm…It’s gotta be her someday,” He shifted in bed (it creaked under his weight), and snuck a hand behind my neck.

In a small motion, Xander gently brought my head down onto the pillow next to him. “Let’s sleep more.”

“B-But it’s already time for breakfast—“

“Who needs breakfast when I can have you?” Xander asked seriously.

I groaned, but blushed all the same.

“Th-That’s not…legit.”

Xander laughed. “Sorry if I scared you yesterday.”

My head tilted to the side, wondering whether we were referring to the same thing.

“Um…you mean…the…um…”

“Yeah when I jerked you off—“

My hand flew to his mouth in panic, and I could practically feel the tips of my ears going hot.

“Pl-Please forget about the—that incident!” Burying my face in the covers, my mind refused to admit anything that I could remember.

Which was practically everything.

I could even remember how bad I…I actually wanted it.

I heard Xander chuckle and my face turned slightly to take a peek.

The person beside me was smirking, and his arms proceeded to gather me.

“Okay…I’ll forget it,” I breathed a sigh of relief, “And maybe not.”

I clicked my tongue indignantly, pushing at Xander’s chest. “Please don’t tease me l-like that!”

The bed creaked as Xander fell back onto the sheets while laughing. “But you were so cute last night.”

“S-Stop saying that…” My gaze was anywhere but on the tall frame—even though I could almost feel the intense gaze of his on my face.

We were silent for a while.

And then Xander spoke in an all-too-serious tone that was very unfamiliar.

“Angel, do you think…we’ve met before?”

I paused.

“You mean…at school? Wait—I don’t really get what you mean…” I replied, puzzled.

“As in…when we were younger.”

I closed my eyes, searching, raking the strange sea of memories humans seem to have.

Snow?

“Um…I…don’t think so…” I raised my gaze to meet Xander’s, only to find him smiling sadly at me.

His eyes were so sad.

“I-I think maybe…? We met on the streets before? I-I’m not sure…I’m so sorry, I’m really muddle-headed you see…” I tried to swallow the words that seemed to hurt Xander—but it was too late.

“That’s fine Angel,” He sat up, and picked up the shirt on the floor. “I’ll see you at breakfast then?”

I nodded, although he couldn’t see with his back facing me.

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As the door closed behind Xander, I thought there was a familiar sound of Christmas bells in the distance.    

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Breakfast was unusually quiet.

Coco shot glares between Xander and I, and I think Rose noticed because she kept trying to distract Coco. But Rose didn’t say anything to me or Xander.

Gretel and Loki simply sensed the awkward atmosphere, and felt a need to stay silent.

It was only until Giselle came down to the kitchen hand in hand with her chocolate teddy bear that the heavy mood seemed to lift.

She yawned and stretched her tiny arms, but upon seeing me, her face brightened—taken over by a sun-like smile.

“Morning Chocolate Chip! Cupcake cupcake cupcake!”

I got up from my seat and settled Giselle down in hers. Then I placed two vanilla cupcakes in front of her.

Giselle clapped her hands together and was about to reach for the cakes when I placed them out of her reach.

Giselle whined and looked up at me.

“Not until you greet everyone, okay Giselle?” I smiled and patted her head.

The adorable girl pouted, but turned to the rest of the family.

“Morning Xandie, morning Roserose, morning Cocopie, morning evil witch,”

There was an indignant ‘hey’ from Gretel, whom Giselle had come to dislike because she didn’t allow Giselle to eat cupcakes just once.  

“Morning newspaper uncle,” She said to Loki, and his mouth dropped in shock.

“I’m not that old! Come on!” He huffed.

Giselle giggled, and looked up at me for the cupcakes.

“Good girl,” I said, setting the vanilla cakes down in front of her again.

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I wished I could have Giselle’s ability to make everyone smile.

I think that’s the most powerful magic in the world.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

While I was washing the dishes, humming the usual Sunday tune, I felt someone come up behind me, slipping their hands through the gaps under my arms.

“U-wa—“

“Hey, are you free in the afternoon?” Xander’s low voice spoke in my ear, and I flinched from the warmth.

“I…I think so, after peak hour I guess…um…w-why?”

“Let’s go out,” Xander stated in a straightforward manner.

“E-Eh??” I turned around in shock and the metal tray in my hands slipped out of my grasp—clanging onto the aluminum sink.

“What’s going on?” Gretel’s voice sounded by the doorway and Xander’s arms retracted almost immediately, and he stepped away from me.

“U-Um—I…” My words came out in stammers as I tried to explain myself—even though there was practically nothing to explain.

As Xander and my gazes were focused on Gretel, Coco’s firm voice came from the stairwell, causing our heads to snap in her direction.

“Exactly.”

“Would you mind explaining yourselves?”

My two sisters inched closer, one with her arms akimbo, and the other had hers across her chest in a defensive manner.

“Coco, Gretel…I can explain this—“

“What’s going on my dears—oh!” Rose cut short in surprise when she saw the stern expressions on Coco and Gretel’s faces as she entered the kitchen. Not to mention the guilty one on mine, and the distressed one on Xander’s.

“Xander and Chip were…well, they were…” The words were stuck in Gretel’s words as she pulled up a chair, dropping down onto it unpleasantly.

“They were sleeping on the same bed this morning when I went into Chip’s room,” Coco chirped helpfully.

“Ah, but that’s just the same bed—we all do that right?” Rose defended gently.

“They were naked.” Coco added, as if stating the obvious.

Rose’s expression darkened and she turned onto Xander and I.

To Xander, her face said: I warned you!

And to me, it was rather: DID IT HURT???

I felt heat rise to my cheeks instantly and I quickly corrected the misunderstanding. “U-Um! That’s because…uh…i-it was my fault really…Xander had nothing to do with it…”

“I’m asking you WHAT’s going on,” Gretel huffed.

I gulped.

“Xander and you…are in a relationship?” Coco asked, her voice dangerously soft as she stared at a spot on the ground.

I bit my lip painfully.

Rose looked at us pitifully, and she herself seemed guilty of the matter.

Did she know from the start?

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“Yeah. I love Chip. Is something wrong?” Xander’s strong voice came from my right, and I swear my heart rose dangerously close to the vortex of my throat.

The kitchen was so, so silent.

Even the ovens seemed to stop whirring in that instant—and the beating of the automatic mixer seemed to die out.

I raised my gaze, only to see Xander returning it with a gentle one, as if reassuring me. His hand reached for mine, entwining our fingers together.

And suddenly, carelessly, foolishly, blindly—

And perhaps that was because Love itself was careless, foolish, and blind—

Nothing mattered anymore.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rose, Gretel, and Coco eyed our hands. In contempt, disgust, confusion, or maybe, unlikely, acceptance—I didn’t know.

Coco wriggled her nose.

“Nothing wrong I guess…”

Although Xander tried to put on a strong front, I knew he was afraid deep inside. And the tension in his shoulders eased when Coco didn’t seem to reject our relationship, although her face showed otherwise.

Just like Gretel, Coco was frowning slightly, as if in disbelief.

Then all of a sudden, Gretel groaned in such exasperation that all of us in the kitchen turned to her in surprise.

“Why. Why do all hot guys have to be gay? Oh! This world is so cruel…” She buried her head in her hands like a damsel in distress, proceeding to moan and groan unhappily.

Rose rolled her eyes and let slip a small smile—but Coco’s frown didn’t recede.

“How about you Chip? You…you’re fine with it?”

I didn’t particularly like my sister’s choice of words—‘fine’? Fine with what?

“Um…If I’m not wrong…I was…I was the one who…had a crush on…X-Xander…first…” My head lowered in shame and embarrassment at the confession, and also because I was practically stepping out of my comfort zone of…coming out.

Xander laughed a small laugh, and squeezed my hand gently.

“That’s cute,” he commented, a hand over his mouth to hide his ridiculously large smile underneath (which peeked out from the side), and I felt my heart literally skip.

Gretel coughed.

“Please. Stop flirting in front of your sisters Chip,” She said, rubbing her temples dramatically.

“You were…gay? All this while? I thought you had a girlfriend—Kim was it?” Coco frowned, pressing.

“A-Ah! Kim is my best friend…we’re not in a relationship or anything,” My other hand came up to wave away the suggestion, and smiled sheepishly.

The oven to my left beeped, and Rose rushed over with mittens, popping it open.

“I-I’m really sorry…I caused so much trouble…Please don’t hate me, or anything…I just really like Xander! Th-That’s all…if…if this offends you, I don’t…mind leaving the house—a-ah, actually I mind, o-of course but…” All of a sudden I wondered why I was apologizing, whether this would cut out, whether apologizing was all I could do about being who I was.

“Oh darling…don’t cry my dear,” I felt Rose’s familiar scent around me and the warmth of her hug. I was crying? That can’t be right…

I heard Gretel sigh.

“Guess it can’t be helped. Of course, as your older sister, I would want you to be happy as well you silly…” And then a second person hugged me.

Coco was silent for a long time, and at last, she kinda stammered—and the guilt pierced me harder than any arrow. “I-I’ll be…in my room.” And then she darted up the stairs.

Gretel and Rose didn’t let go of me just yet—and neither did Xander’s hand, which was still caressing mine gently.

When Rose first pulled back, I felt a gush of something. It was cool—different from the hot, stuffy air in the kitchen—it was uplifting, sort of like a cleansing feeling.

True relief?

Slowly, Gretel pulled back too, but Xander’s hand remained.

“Silly Chippy. Even Giselle can tell that it’s true love—so why can’t we?” Rose smiled, caressing my head in a loving manner.

I heard a giggle from behind the stairs, and I knew that the little girl was eavesdropping.

“Coco will understand. Just give her some time,” Gretel nodded encouragingly.

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I’m lucky. I'm definitely luckier than many people out there.

And so maybe. Just, maybe.

Dreams do come true afterall.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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A/N: It’s been quite a long time since I wrote a whole chapter of emotions, but I felt that it was the right time ^-^ It may certainly be boring for some of you guys, because I myself felt that it was a short chapter and practically no development in plot (ok yes maybe) but yeah you get my point XD

There’s a lot to learn in life, and I’m pretty sure you know that already >_< After all, I’m really just a child—so who am I to say all this?

The next chapter will be longer, I promise :)

-Cuppiecake.