"Dellion, I do not know what to say. But seeing that smile whipped off her face, as soon as Bevan walked into the room. It really broke my heart." Grandma said. Kayne looked at the empty chair, he was unsure what he could do to help. And it was not helping that the adult members of his family didn't know it either.

"I know, ma. I saw all the progress I made with her ephorate into nothing. Which is so disheartening." Dad said, and Kayne slammed his hand on the table. He jumped up from his chair. None of his parents or grandparents said something to him, they didn't call him back or better, yet they didn't tell him to calm down. They just let him be, maybe they knew that he was on his way to Evanora. To comfort her, or just be around her. He didn't know what he would do once he saw her. Maybe holding her and let her cry her eyes out, or let her vent how much she wants. Or just be there in silence, until she tells him to get the hex out. And maybe even then he would stay with her, or stay close by in case she might need him later. Her door was slightly a jar, she might have heard him come up. But he knocked, just in case. She sat on the rug, holding the shoes his grandmother had bought for her. He just sat next to her.

"She was right, over the years I have learned to stop asking for things. I didn't ask for toys, clothes, not even for some honey in the tasteless gruel our cook made. I was glad when my father brought home a book, and that was the only time I was legit happy. The last time that I ask was something, was right after our first day at .... That is when I saw one of the senior black witches, with this kind of shoes. And I really needed new once, they were no longer waterproof and the sole came loose. I asked my father if we could go to the shoe store to get some new shoes, telling him everything I am telling you now. He didn't look at me, he looked behind me and said no. Now that I know how scared he was for my life, I believe that when I asked that. She had appeared behind me, and he was scared that if he had said yes..." She stopped and lowered her head.

"That she would have hurt you, more than she already did." He finished for her. She nodded. "He was protecting you, in his own twisted way." She nodded again. "Did he give you new shoes?"

"He did get me new shoes, not the once that I wanted. But they were sturdy and waterproof." She said, while pointing towards the shoes that were standing in front of the closet. Those shoes were no longer sturdy, and he doubted that they were waterproof right now. But she has being wearing them for five years, which was a long time. The pair he was using right now was two years, and that was long for him. "And now I have so many shoes, clothing, jewellery and all kinds of make-up. And all I am really grateful for is the fact that grandmother went out of her way, to get all these things for me. Your mother and you too, you went out of your way to give all the things I might need. And not only the stuff that I can thatch, but also the love, the roof above my head and simply the fact that I can use my magic however I want. I feel grateful, and right when my father walked in. It felt like a rug was pulled away, and that gratefulness turned into selfishness. I was somehow glad that he could see that there were people giving everything I ever wanted and more." Kayne grabbed her hand.

"That is not selfish. All you ever wanted was love, all that stuff is extra. You needed a new backpack, you needed new shoes, you needed a new uniform, and you needed my family." He said, she lay her head on his shoulder. "You are finally free to feel your emotions, and you do not know how to handle that. Which is understandable."

"I know that I love you." She said. He smiled.

"That is good to know, because I love you too." He responded. "Even though we do not know each other for that long." She took her head from his shoulder.

"Even so, you were the first person who came into my life that went against Medea, Starla and Clover." She said. So that were the names of the other two girls, good to know. "You were the first person, that wanted to attack my grandmother after she slapped me. Although I do not know much about what happened after that. I know that you held me after my grandmother attacked this house. You told me that I was beautiful, strong and smart. And no one before you has ever told me that. So yes, we do not know each other that long. But you did all that is a short period of time." His mouth almost dropped. Was he aware that he made such a difference in her life? He wanted to slap himself. The first time they spoke, she warned him. She warned him about Medea and the things she might do to him. Not once, during that conversation, was she thinking about herself, and the possibility of having a friend. A friend with the same fondness for reading. A friend that could stand next to her, when her own sister was making her life a living hell. He moved his shoulder slightly down to see if she was not leaning on him with her full weight, which was not the case. She lifted her head and looked at him, a bit confused. He cupped her face into his hands, kissed first her noise and then her lips.

"My grandmother was right, you are the most beautiful soul. And anyone who is not able to see that, is a stupid fool." He said, before he kissed her again.

*******

They lay on the bed when Mister Helliot knocked on the door. Kayne wanted to curse, he had forgotten that his mother asked him to bring some soup to Evanora's room. What he hadn't forgotten was the ban on sex, something Evanora, and he, had ignored. At least they had made use from the protection his grandmother bought for them.

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"Young master Kayne, are the two of you decent?" Mister Helliot asked, there was nothing that went past the guy. "You know what, do not answer that question. I really do not want to know. I will place the tea and the soup in front of the door." They could hear the rinkeling from the china, and then his footsteps walking away. Quietly, they looked at each other and started to chuckle.

"We better get dressed, because it will not take long before my mother comes up and gives me an earful." Kayne said. She snuggled closer against him, and wrapped her arms around him.

"But I am cold." She said in a what whinny voice. He chuckled to that and kissed her on the forehead.

"Then you better dress up, princess." He said and pushed the covers off him, wiggled himself free and grabbed his underwear from the ground. He threw her some pyjamas from the closet, which was nothing more than a nightgown. But she was able to get it on pretty quickly, before the door flew open and his mother, followed by his father and grandparents, burst into the room.

"Lilac, calm down. They are just kids fooling around, we all have being there..." His father said, before he saw Kayne in nothing more than a boxer short. "Put some clothes on, in hex name." Kayne rolled with his eyes and put the rest of his clothes on, under the soft chuckle from his grandparents. "Good, can the two of you come downstairs. There are a lot of stuff in the sitting room that still needs a place inside your rooms. I see that the box filled with protection already made its way up here, which I now consider to be a good thing." His father turned around and bumped into his own parents. "Alright, the two of you, there is nothing to see here. Just two young teenagers."

"Ohh, alright. Eva, do you have a moment for me. You and I have something to discuss, my dear." His grandmother piped up. His mother did not leave the room, not until he left the room. He quickly walked out of the room, she walked past him and grabbed his sneakers and socks.

"So, now you do not have an excuse to come back later." She snapped at him. He sighed, he was old enough to drive a car. He was going to college next year, but he was not allowed to have ... "Do not even think about it, young man. Now keep on moving, Evanora need to put something more on than that nightgown." She closed the door and motioned him to keep on going. While she kept watch, she even picked up the tray with soup and tea. Kayne was met with snickers from his grandparents, who were already busy with dividing the presents in two piles. His father was quiet, for a short period of time.

"You two did use protection, right?" His father asked. Kayne felt his ears burn up.

"Yes, dad, we did." He replied, under his breath. "I am not that stupid." His father chuckled. His father placed some boxes in his hands and walked off with another pile.

"Come on, I will help you get this to your room." He said. It took another three times up and down to get all the boxes and bags into his room. And then was it the challenge to get everything in the right spot. He didn't like to have his stuff all over the place, and it helped to avoid his mother. He folds his new clothes and placed it in the closet, the new notebooks and pens went on his desk and new books went in the bookcase. "Son, oh wow. You are already done with tiding up." His father entered the room. "Your grandmother wants to see you downstairs." Kayne nodded and went with his father. Evanora sat on the couch, but his mother was sitting next to her. So he was forced to sit somewhere else, he sat down on the same couch as his father.

"Kayne." His mother started. "Can you please tell me in which language I need to speak." She took another deep breath. "I told you not to have sex with her, she is..."

"She gave her consent and we used protection. Mom, please like dad said. We are young and in love. We knew what we were doing." He snapped at her. "Evanora has a mind of her own, and if she didn't want to continue or felt uncomfortable..." He stopped and frowned. "Why am I explaining this to you, I am your son, and you should know me better than this."

"Hear, hear. Wise words for one so young. You are your mother's son." His grandmother said, she now turned her attention to his mother. "Those where the exact same words, you said to me when I lost my marbels over something similiar. The two of them are old enough to make these kind of decisions." She now moved her gaze slightly to Evanora. "Eva, dear. I just heard for Lilac about your predicement. The one you have with your higher education." Kayne smiled, his grandmother was going to offer her a job in the family bussniss. "Although I think it is not imposible to get a positive response, it is still in the realm of, most likely not going to happen. That is why I sugest the following. Why do you not work for us during the summer and if none of the schools reply in the year that follows. So can have experiance in the work force, do rescource and such. To make your changes for the next year higher." Evanora nodded.

"I was already playing with the idea of asking you if I could work for the bussniss. I however like to start at the bottom, I do not want to be accused of napetism." She said. His grandmother started to chuckle.

"That is no problem, you will be my lab assistant. Then you start at a lower position and have enough lab time, we even can roulate you to Lilac's side of the company to learn the administration side of it all." His grandmother said. Evanora nodded once again and the smile was back on her face. She had her spark back, and that was in his book a good thing. "Good, now that we have agreed on that. Go to bed the two of you. Tomorrow is another day of school."

"Go to your own beds." His mother said, she lay empasis on the word own. He wanted to groan, but saw that Evanora supressed a yawn. She must be tired and it was pretty late. So this time he would listen to his mother, this time.