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Restoring Faith	By : Lady_Kae Category: +G through L > Harvest Moon Views: 2535 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters used from the game Harvest Moon: ToT. All characters ,game related material, and lyrics, save for original content is property of their respective owners and no money is being made from this fiction.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
Chapter 16: Searching and Finding
Restoring Faith
A Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility Fanfiction

Kohri groaned as she felt the first rays of sunlight on her face, though she smiled serenely as she felt Gill pressing tender kisses into her neck. “ Don’t even think about it. I’m surprised you have any skin left on your cock with as much fucking as we did last night.” Kohri mumbled sleepily. Her fingers tangled in Gill’s golden locks as he pulled her closer against him, and her eyes were alight with love and happiness.
Gill chuckled sensually as he pressed his lips into her skin once more. “ No worries, I’m alright for the moment. It was like both of us were utterly insatiable.” he whispered softly. “ But rest assured that I am feeling quite saddle sore this morning. I wasn’t expecting to be ridden like a bucking bronco on the living room floor.”
Kohri laughed even as she turned over to face him. Sleeping with him spooned around her was something that she had come to miss over the last few months. She had only been allowed to sleep on her back while wearing the immobilizer on her hips. They shared a quick, single kiss on the lips, as both of them needed to brush their teeth first before they did anything else. “ It’s because we were reminded every single time we came back into the house of what had been interrupted last year.” she said simply.
Sweet goddess, she had loved every single moment of him fucking her on top of that table. She wondered how long it would take for them to tone down the new physical responses they were sure to have at seeing it.
Gill smirked sexily as he rose above her slightly. “ So you’re claiming it was months of unmet desire that caused us to be that amorous last night?” he queried, his steely gaze locking onto hers hotly. He wouldn’t mind learning just how deep this new side of himself went, and he had a feeling Kohri would be more than willing to accommodate him. His stomach growled however, silencing the other appetite that he seemed to have for the woman below him, albeit only momentarily.
Kohri grinned cheekily. “ Right in one. Think about it, I’m sure you had it all in your head how we were going to have sex at first. It probably included a romantic dinner, candles, and the like before retiring to the bedroom for the evening. Then here I come and bam, you’ve got me pinned to the wall of our shower and I’m loving every minute of it.”
Gill chortled. She wasn’t that far off the mark either in how he had envisioned things going between them. That all had changed in an instant, but he didn’t regret it for a minute. He couldn’t. It had been all consuming, raw, passion filled need that had taken them both over yesterday in the shower. And on the table, the bathtub, almost every wall of the upper level, the kitchen counter, and living room floor. Even one of the bookshelves had seen some action last night. They hadn’t even made it anywhere near the mattress. “ Now that I think on it, we never did make it to the bed. It was a free for all with any flat surface.” he noted, smirking at Kohri all the while.
Kohri smiled wickedly as she sat up a little, her breasts jiggling invitingly as they were freed from under the sheets and blanket. “ There will be plenty of time to break the bed in darling.” she said as she kissed him softly again. “ Let’s get breakfast going. I don’t know whose stomach that was a moment ago, but I don’t care either. I’m starving.”
Gill leaned down, capturing one perky, rosey bud between his lips and he smiled against her tit when Kohri gasped at the sensation. Her nipples, as he had learned last night, were very, very sensitive and she loved feeling his lips, tongue, and teeth on them. “ I’m hungry too, but for more than food.” he purred seductively.
Kohri groaned even as she shoved him off half heartedly. “ Food first, you randy bastard.” she grumbled.
Gill chuckled as Kohri climbed from the bed, and she stretched tautly. She looked entirely edible as it was. From her juicy, round bottom, to her perky tipped breasts, Gill was sure he could nibble every inch of her all day and still not satiate this appetite. Silently, he crawled off her side of the bed, ready to hold her against him, teasing her even further. He might even...
“ Don’t even think of grabbing me from behind and throwing me back into the bed…” Kohri ordered imperiously as she reached into her armoire.
Gill stopped dead in his tracks. How the hell did she do that every time? Goddess above, their children were going to be in a world of trouble with her as their mother. “ I wasn’t going to throw you back into the bed...I might have pinned you against the flat side of the armoire, but I had no intentions on throwing you.” he said seductively. Gill’s lips found Kohri’s neck again even as she pulled a tee shirt on to cover up with and his hands slid under the shirt to tease and tweak her nipples.
Kohri shuddered at the naughty suggestion and her knees threatened to give out on her. “ Gill...Please darling, I want to eat something. It’s been about half a year since I’ve been able to cook.” she groaned, turning her head to give him more access as one hand held him in place where he was. She could feel his erection, pulsing and insistent, against the swell of her ass. He was hot, hard, and heavy there, and Kohri felt her thighs start to dampen in response.
Gill chuckled sensually in her ear. “ How about we make a game of it? If you can get through making breakfast without giving in to me, I’ll take care of the chores for the rest of the week and I’ll even be your own personal stud service for whenever you want. The inverse if I manage to seduce you however. That includes orgasming even if I’m not buried inside of you.” he whispered promisingly.
“ You seem to have forgotten our track record when it comes to the wagers we make between us. I’m in the lead two to zilch, Gill. Who’s to say I won’t win this time either?” Kohri moaned. It took some difficulty on her part, but she pulled up a pair of pajama pants. She didn’t even bother with a pair of knickers because she didn’t want them getting drenched in her fluids. The thought of having Gill confined to the house, wearing only a cut off tuxedo collar and cufflinks, appealed to her greatly however. Add in the fact that he would service her no matter where she was in the house? That was kinky as hell! What about elsewhere? Such as being in public if they found themselves in a secluded spot? This idea definitely had its merits. “ Whoever loses isn’t held to just being of service in the house. It’s wherever the mood may strike.”
Gill groaned at the thought. He definitely had a few ideas, one of them being the area at the foot of Mt. Gelato. Only Ramsey had access besides them, and even then, Gill didn’t see him leaving the shop any time soon now that business was starting to pick up. “ Deal. I’m only putting on a pair of sleep pants and a tee shirt as well, but it’s on as soon as both of us are in the kitchen.” he replied.
Kohri hadn’t been wrong that both of them had been more than ready to take the next step to their relationship. They were more than ready to explore this new and uncharted territory together, to immerse themselves as deeply as they could in their shared passion. It was a new learning experience only for the two of them, and they wanted to know all they could.
The two shared heated looks and smiles as they brushed their teeth and they even playfully tried to shove past one another in the hallway, laughing all the while as they made their way to the kitchen. Both were trying to get their first and Kohri managed to beat Gill there by a few seconds. She instantly threw her skillet on the heat with a generous pad of butter and she started cracking eggs into a bowl. It seemed Gill was content to give her a few minutes head start and she utilized it well. Four pieces of bread were dropped into the toaster and Kohri hit the button on the coffee machine to get it started.
Gill unlocked the front door, if only just to check the temperature outside and he smiled. It was definitely moving into spring. He and Kohri hadn’t treated the field yet, but they would be today if all went well and from there Kohri would be setting up her spring crop. Thank the goddess today was Sunday. He’d be going back to work soon however now that Kohri was standing and walking on her own. It didn’t mean Gill would be moving out anytime however. As far as he; and Kohri for that matter, were concerned, Gnocchi Ranch was his home as well. It had been Kohri’s house, but together they had made it into something more.
“ Today will be a good day to get out in the field, Kohri.” Gill said as he crossed the room. “ The temperature is moderate and it’ll be warmer by the time we’re ready to get to work.” His hands gave her hips a gentle, if insistent squeeze as he sidled up behind her and his lips attached to her neck once more. “ I want to get you back on the counter, peel those pants away and lose myself in your flavor again. You’re so sweet…” Gill nipped at the sensitive stretch of skin behind her ear and Kohri shuddered in his grasp. “...so addictive. I could spend the entire day drinking from your fountain, sweetie.”
Kohri was just trying to quickly scramble up some eggs. The toast was about ready to pop up and the coffee was already collecting in the carafe. She knew Gill wouldn’t pull any punches when it came to seducing her, and she had wanted to make something quick and easy in an effort to win. The only downside about all this? Gill’s voice was positively, sinfully decadent when he spoke to her like this.
He might even talk her to orgasm…
“ Once I had you shuddering from my lips and tongue, I’d turn you over and ease my way inside of you, inch by torturous inch.” Gill murmured with a conniving grin, pressing himself against her slowly, teasing her with the feel of him behind her. He’d let her turn the heat off of the eggs first. The toast still had another minute, and she had to butter it for it to count as done.
“ Oh shit!” Kohri cried as her knees buckled at the dirty suggestion. There was also a visible wet spot on her pajama pants because the flood gates had released from the double whammy Gill had just used on her. It wasn’t an orgasm however, so she was still, however barely, in this. She was almost there, both with completing breakfast and to cumming in her pants.
Gill waited for the right moment, which was when Kohri killed the heat on the eggs and she tried to turn to the fridge to get the butter out. Gill intercepted however and he captured her mouth greedily even as he backed her up towards the counter. She was trembling excitedly against him, and she seemed resigned to knowing that he had this round. She was right there after all. “ I need you, Kohri.” he whispered against her mouth. “ Right here, right now…”
“ Oh goddess…” Kohri sobbed as his lips suckled a sensitive spot along her clavicle. She was trying to pin his head in place, trying to keep him from further driving her wild with need, but it was like trying to throw a glass of water on a magma flow.

“ Please, Kohri...Let me taste you, let me pleasure you. Let me worship you, for I am nothing but you’re willing supplicant.” Gill had maneuvered Kohri up onto the counter by this point and he was looping his fingers into her bottoms by this point. As soon as they were in a pool of fabric against the kitchen floor, his own bottoms joined them. “ Or do you just want me to fuck you?” he asked her naughtily, grinning all the while. He was loving the thrill he got talking to her like this, and seeing the reaction that she was having to hearing his voice and the equally dirty suggestions. Gill really was learning that there was a rather raunchy side to himself, and he was loving every minute of it. He rubbed his thickness against her moist folds, gathering her moisture and using it to lubricate himself. It was possible Kohri was still tender from their activities last night.
“ Gill! Please, fuck meeeAAAHHHH! Oh shit!” Kohri cried out, and her head flew back as he entered her in a single smooth thrust, hitting bottom deliciously as he came to a stop inside of her. He was groaning against her neck as her tightness enveloped him and Kohri moaned as he whirled his hips around, twirling his cock inside of her.
“ Goddess, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this.” he murmured reverently into her skin. Gill drew his hips away, only to ease himself back in, setting the rhythm to slow and gentle for now. It wouldn’t last long, nor would they last either.
Kohri was clinging to her new lover for all she was worth as he filled her time and time again, her jaw still hanging open from the intensity of the feeling. “ Gill...Don’t hold back...Never hold back.” she whispered, rolling her hips against his thrusts in an effort to tempt him further. She learned last night that this drove him wild.
“ You might still be sore…” Gill groaned as he felt his angle shift. Sweet goddess that felt good, but he really was trying to be considerate of her.
Kohri grinned at his thoughtfulness, and her heart nearly burst from the love she felt for him. No matter how selfish he had sounded in trying to seduce her, Kohri had loved every minute of it and even now he was trying to be a tender, thoughtful lover to her. “ I’m alright, Gill, I promise. I can handle it.” she replied.
Gill hissed delightedly against her skin and he put more power behind the next thrust, making Kohri shriek his name as she received it. It soon fell like a mantra from her lips, and it egged him on further and further. By the great tree, he could keep burying himself inside of her all day if it were possible. He heard the octave change that heralded her release and Gill trapped her in place by her hips, keeping her at the perfect spot so he could drive into a spot he had memorized the location of last night. She felt too damn good wrapped around him, she was so tight, so wet...Gill already knew he’d be joining her when she peaked.
Neither of them heard the quick flurry of knocks at the door over the noise they were making together. Gill would later wish that he had locked the door after closing it earlier.
“ Hey Kohri! Hayden said...Oh shihihihihihit!” Luke exclaimed mirthfully as he got an eyeful of Kohri’s bare hips and thighs wrapped around Gill’s waist and he was...By the sprites! They were finally...There was no mistaking those movements or that particular octave that Kohri was reaching! “ HAHAHAHAHA! Owehehehehehen! Turn….Hahaha! Turn around! No visitors right nohohohow!” This really wasn’t the time to laugh, but Luke couldn’t help it. How many times had they told her to have her wicked way with him? Had she even given it the night after Jin had declared her hale and hearty before having Gill make the harvest?
Kohri was just peaking at the crest but she opened her bleary eyes as she saw Luke and Owen, both laughing their asses off and scrambling to shut the door again. They were tripping and falling all over one another, unable to believe what they were seeing. She screamed in dismay at being caught red handed on her kitchen counter, and she began looking for anything nearby that she could throw at them. Unfortunately, her meat pounder and other kitchen utensils were on the other side of the kitchen. Gill even came to a pause as he pulled off his shirt to cover Kohri up as much as possible.
“ How many times do I have to tell you to wait for an answer?!” Kohri seethed. She wanted to jump off the counter to box their ears or something, but Gill was still balls deep inside of her. Goddess above, when she got her hands on the two of them they were in for it!
“ We’re leaving!” Luke cried out desperately even as tears of mirth streamed down his cheeks. Owen couldn’t even talk he was laughing so hard. “ Please, don’t stop on our accounts!” Finally, the two managed to slam the door shut and they collapsed onto the grass, breathless from their hilarity.
They both went silent for a moment, though they could hear impassioned shrieks from Kohri. Neither of them had thought Gill had it in him to put it to a woman that good!
How had they not heard them from the road?
Luke and Owen shared a single look once more before collapsing into peels of laughter again. Hayden had only told them last night that Kohri had been walking with an aid out of Waffle Town. Apparently, Jin had cleared her for everything, and Kohri hadn’t wasted any time either. By everything good and green, they should have known better.
Kohri was going to get them back and good for this one.

Kohri was a rather resounding shade of scarlet as she looked down at both Owen and Luke, her arms crossed and her gaze blazing with abject fury. They were still laughing, still unable to look her in the eye and she had already boxed their ears and walloped them upside their heads. “ Do not make me call your ladies to back me up on this.” she threatened.
Gill was trying to stay out of it as much as he could. He was setting down bags of Kohri’s completed and personalized fertilizer. They were going to see how well their crop turned out in the spring and if it didn’t require too many applications, Kohri would be making batches for Souffle Farm and Brownie Ranch as well for the summer. It was rapid acting, meaning it would be absorbed into the soil extremely quickly. Kohri had theorized that if all went well, the soil would turn as black as coal, meaning that it was high in nutrients and it would be perfect for the crops. All their test batches over the winter had given them promising results, but now it was time to move to a bigger scale operation.
“ We owed you…” Luke managed to wheeze. She had accidentally stumbled upon Selena and himself barely a month ago when she had wheeled herself into the back of the shop looking for him. Owen had told him afterwards that Kohri had done the same thing, but only at the barn at Brownie Ranch. All three had laughed it off in the long run, but now all of them were even. “ You’ve caught both of us in the act, so this is nothing but payback. Like we would have known you two were…” Luke stopped short, unable to bring himself to say it. It was one thing to tease her incessantly about bedding the flaxen haired man nearby, but to catch them doing the deed on the kitchen counter, with breakfast going nonetheless, it had broken Luke down to a mirthful stupor.
“ Karmic retribution at its finest, Kohri. Besides, you never said anything, and we’ll do the same…” Owen’s warm coal gaze flitted over to Gill for a moment as the larger man tried to get to his feet. “ We’ll be more careful to get a response back from now on. I don’t think Luke or myself are too keen for brawling with Gill if we ever interrupt the two of you again.”
Gill smirked from across the field at that comment. Owen was right that there would be some asses being thrown out if it happened again.
“ No shit! He looked about ready to kill the two of us when we were standing in the doorway!” Luke exclaimed just a little too mirthfully for that matter.
“ I did warn you to try to make it to the bed.” Owen said with a wink to Kohri.
Kohri couldn’t help but smirk. If they were going to rib the ever loving hell out of Gill and herself, then she was going to give them something to chew on. Not only that, they were right that karma was getting her back from when she had interrupted them with their ladies. In all fairness, she had told Owen that it would be coitus interruptus for when he and Kathy had walked in on Kohri and Gill back in November. “ There’ll be plenty of time to break that in.” she said dismissively. “ Now, why are the two of you here? As you can see, I’m back on my own two feet again.”
Luke finally got to his feet and he reached into his back pocket. “ I wanted to deliver this personally.” he said with a small grin. “ I finally found that blue feather, and I asked Selena to marry me last night Kohri...” Kohri smiled as she opened the envelope and she drew out an embossed card. “...And she said yes.”
The card in her hand read:

You are cordially invited to witness the marriage of
Luke Aaron Ashemore
And
Selena Ashante Gambolino
To be held on July 17th, at 2 in the afternoon.

Kohri’s eyes grew a little wet and she reached up to give Luke a big hug. “ I am so happy for you!” she exclaimed brightly. “ Looks like you’re headed to the gallows first.”
Luke smiled even as he ruffled her hair. “ You’ll be walking down the aisle soon enough. Lena wanted to talk to you if you got a second by the way and I need to talk to Gill for that matter. Do you mind too terribly if I grab him for a moment or two?” he asked.
Kohri waved her hand over towards Gill and Luke all but sprinted to go speak to the deputy mayor. Her head was reeling at the happy news. Luke, getting married...She had known his intentions, but she didn’t think it would actually happen this soon. Owen patted her shoulder and she leaned into the one armed hug he was giving her.
“ I’m still in a state of shock too, Kohri. Luke wants me to be his best man, and I’ll be happy to be as much of course, but I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that he’s beating both of us in settling down. I’m still looking for a blue feather myself, but nonetheless…” Owen said quietly. Both friends were watching Luke speak animatedly with Gill, whose blue eyes widened in surprise even as he smiled. Gill shook Luke’s hand in congratulations, it was obvious he had shared the news, then the pumping motion of their hands slowed as Gill looked a bit astounded.
“ Bet you a round at Hayden’s that Luke’s asking Gill to be one of the groomsmen.” Kohri whispered as she leaned her head against Owen for a moment. “ You two are the big, annoying brothers I never got to have growing up. I hope you know that I love both of you and appreciate the hell out of you two for everything you did for me last year and going forward.”
“ That bet is too easy, but taken nonetheless. And we know, trust me, we know. It’s because we love you too that we do what we do. Don’t forget that.” Owen replied. Luke was doing a wild little jig of happiness and he came bounding over to Kohri and Owen, throwing his arms around both of them.
“ And Gilly’s in! Yes! I’ve got my best man and my groomsman!” Luke exclaimed. His golden gaze was alight with so much happiness it was impossible not to feel it. The three laughed for a moment, though Kohri’s eyes grew wet again at the thought of one of her best friends finally tying the knot.
She couldn’t help but feel just a little jealousy at it, but she tamped it down. If Gill wanted to marry her, he would ask her. He might have issues with wanting to get married because of what had happened to he and Angela some years ago. No, Kohri would be the rock that was sure to be needed soon. There was about three months until Luke’s wedding, and about five weeks until the Flower Festival. Kohri already had her work cut out for her in getting her floral crop down soon so that she could help Ruth with the supply they needed. Everyone would be busy.
The only feeling she couldn’t push to the side was the one that told her that she was being left behind.

Barely a three weeks had passed by when Owen crowed to anyone who would listen that he was marrying the prettiest lady on the island. The men wanted to have a double wedding, but the ladies shot that down in an instant, Kohri included. She had been asked to be a bridesmaid for each of them, and Kathy and Selena were both each other’s maids of honor. Instead, Owen and Kathy opted for an earlier wedding date; only by five days for that matter, that would give them a chance to take their weekend long honeymoon over on Toucan Island and then come back to enjoy Luke and Selena’s nuptials.

Gill was enjoying a long walk through the Caramel River district. He had left for work a little early, needing some time before work to attempt to look for a blue feather. Almost every break he took resulted in resuming the search for it and Gill rubbed at the back of his neck.
“ What am I doing wrong here?” he whispered to himself. “ What was it that father said again about finding one?” He paced the road for a moment, pausing to look through a few bushes on the way over to Mount Gelato. Gill ran his fingers through his hair in some frustration as he looked towards the sky. His father had told him years ago the real key to finding a blue feather, but he was drawing a blank on it and it was driving him crazy!
At this point Gill could sympathize with Luke and Owen for finding that blue feather for their ladies. It had taken them months after all. Jin and Toby had been less than traditional in their marriage proposals, but it suited them. Not even Gill had followed all of the customs. He hadn’t taken Kohri to Alan’s tree to profess his love for her, after all it had been against the wall of their shower when they had both expressed the sentiment.
Gill came to a stop, leaning against the bridge even as thoughts of Kohri filled his mind. He loved her so fiercely and so deeply it scared him a little, but this was the first time in his relatively short life that he had felt so strongly for another person. Gill, in retrospect, hadn’t loved Angela this passionately, not to the point of near obsession. No, Kohri brought out the best in him, polished his weaker points with her own strengths, and supported him completely. Gill could only do the same for her, and he cherished her greatly for coming into his life. He had already proven the lengths that he would go to protect her.
His heart swelled with love as he thought of the spread that had been waiting for him after a long night in the office last night. Gill had walked through the door, his head throbbing, and Kohri had sweetly ushered him to the table, loosened his tie and collar, and she then rubbed the tension from his neck before serving supper. It had been an almost completely silent exchange, but Gill had felt the love and tenderness even without any words being spoken.
It was simply in her touch, her kiss, and her embrace.
How had Gill been so blessed to be the one to receive her love? To be the one to see her smiling face every morning? To be able to share a space with her, laugh with her, to even fight with her? For every imperfection they both had, they complimented one another perfectly. More than that, Kohri had been the one to draw him out once more, she had been the one to breathe life back into his own bleak existence.
“ I swear, if I find that feather, I’ll spend every single heartbeat, every single breath I breathe loving her.” Gill whispered to the wind.
Taptaptap...Taptaptap
Gill felt something pecking at his watch and he scowled a little, figuring one of the little sparrows that might be nesting over here. He went to swish his hand as he looked and he stopped short, stunned at the sight the bird playing with the shiny object it had found.
It was the bluebird of happiness.
It turned baleful golden eyes up to him and it trilled happily for a moment before fluttering up to Gill’s shoulder. He carefully reached for it as it preened his hair, and his fingers gently stroked the soft plumage of its neck. It warbled happily, rubbing its head against Gill’s cheek affectionately, and it lighted on Gill’s finger when offered the new perch.
His steel blue gaze was filled with wonder at the fact that he was holding the bird itself, and it sang a sweet song before it flew off again. Gill despaired, as he hadn’t even thought to get a feather while it was literally in his hands. As the bird flew away however, something began fluttering down towards him and Gill managed to catch it before it went into the water.
It was a single gleaming sapphire blue feather.
A disbelieving laugh escaped him as he looked at the traditional token cradled in his hands. It was really there and Gill felt like crowing to the sky for such an amazing turn of fortune.
This...This is amazing. To be given a feather by the bird itself...Gill thought excitedly. He wasn’t sure if it had ever happened to anyone else, but Gill felt it to be fate once again. That he was in fact destined to marry Kohri and that she was indeed the woman who was meant for him.
As he stared at the feather, Hamilton’s words returned to him.
“ You must let your heart be heard if you to truly find a feather, Gill. It won’t show up for anything else. Only true love can bring about this blessing.”
It had to be when he was thinking of Kohri. Gill couldn’t think of any other way that the bird would have given him a feather. He looked down into his hands once more, though now his heart was racing wildly within the confines of his chest.
It was still there, it wasn’t an illusion, nor was he dreaming. Gill actually had a blue feather.
His mind began going a million miles a minute and Gill pocketed the feather. He needed to talk to his father, let him know his intentions from here. Then there was planning his proposal...It needed to be perfect. Gill began walking briskly for the town hall, still planning, still feeling his heart thunder.
It was happening!
Gill walked into the town hall in a stupor, his eyes glazed over and distant. He sat at his desk numbly, the only thing he could do was smile. Both Elli and Hamilton were watching Gill keenly, as he had already broken from the norm by not greeting either of them. That wasn’t the only thing however.
For the first time in all the years he had worked at the town hall, Gill had been nearly an hour late.
Hamilton walked over to his son’s desk and Gill jumped as he registered his father’s presence. The mayor couldn’t help but chuckle at him. Something certainly had his son out of sorts. “ Is everything alright Gill? You were quite late this morning.” Hamilton asked as he sat on the side of the desk.
Gill nodded as he began to get to work. “ Everything is wonderful, father. Honestly. Something extraordinary happened this morning was all and I might have lost track of time because of it.” He replied with a grin.
Hamilton leveled a curious gaze on his son as he waited. Gill refused to say anything however, but his gaze kept cutting over to Elli. Ah, so Gill didn’t want Elli to hear it.
“ Gill, if it’s something pertaining to Kohri, I can keep a secret. Are you planning another surprise birthday party for her?” Elli chirped as she readied a cup of coffee for him.
“ Not exactly, El, but I am planning to surprise her soon.” Gill said as he pulled the feather from his pocket. Both knew what it meant after all.
Elli squealed with delight even as she nearly upset the cup and saucer and Hamilton clapped his son on the shoulder. “ Oh my goodness! By the tree, I’m going to have to abstain from the next girl’s night at this rate! Gill, this is so exciting! You found it this morning?” she asked, her brown eyes wide and sparkling with happiness for her friends.
“ It found me.” Gill began, then explaining what had happened to him that morning. “ I’ve got one half, but that means that I need to find a way to gather my ore and gemstones to have Mira or Julius make the engagement ring and wedding bands.” He added nervously. He had braved the mines for Kohri out of necessity. He wasn’t sure if he could do it this time, no matter how important it was if he wanted to hold to tradition.
Both Elli and Hamilton looked at one another nervously. They knew of Gill’s claustrophobia and his anxiety when it came to the mines. He avoided them like the plague after all. Hamilton clapped his son’s shoulder again, gently this time.
“ You’ll figure it out son. No worries. I’m sure everything will fall into place.” Hamilton said with a supportive smile. This was nothing short of answered prayer. His son was in love again and thinking of settling down. Hamilton had worried for his son when Angela had passed away six years ago, as he had retreated inward so as to not be hurt again.
Gill was living again, loving life again, and it was all because of Kohri. Hamilton would be honored to have her as his daughter in law.
Her arrival to Waffle Island had been nothing short of a miracle after all.

During Owen’s bachelor party, he pulled Luke and Gill away from the festivities. They were having it before the Ocean Festival so that his and Kathy’s parties didn’t clash, and Owen wanted to be completely sober for his big day. It was also better this way because everyone was busy with all the festival prep, Kohri and Gill included and they were part of the wedding party. Three beers were opened, the fire lit, and all three men took a seat on the sand.
“ I didn’t need all of that in there to be honest. This...This is good enough for me.” Owen whispered as he looked out onto the still ocean water.
Gill smiled as he took a small swig from his bottle. He didn’t mind sharing a beer with these two every now and again. They didn’t try to shove it down his throat if he rejected a drink either. Who would have thought that he’d be enjoying their company? Would this friendship have ever sprung up if not for Kohri? “ Less than two weeks to the big day, Owen…” Gill said softly.
“ It is...Kohri might not be saying it, but she’s feeling like she’s being left behind.” Owen replied as he turned to look over to Gill with a sad grin. He and Luke both felt as if they were in the wrong for finally settling down, but Kohri had tried to assure them that she would be fine. That Gill would ask her only when he was ready to do so and not any sooner.
Again, the thought of how selfless their friend was had crossed their minds, and both Owen and Luke counted their lucky stars the day that she accepted their friendship.
“ It won’t be that way for much longer. You two weren’t the only ones looking for a blue feather.” Gill said with a grin of his own. He reached into his back pocket, and a shimmering, sapphire blue feather glittered in the fire light. “ I’m going to ask Kohri at the Firefly festival, and it works out that you guys pulled me off to the side. I wanted you both to know, considering that you two are the two closest men to her besides myself.”
“ How did you find it? It took me almost nine months to find mine!” Luke exclaimed.
“ Same here! You never gave us any inkling that you were thinking of popping the question to Kohri!” Owen boomed happily. Kohri had shared her worries that Gill might feel off kilter about a marriage proposal because of what had happened six years ago.
Gill sighed even as he thought of what had happened that day. “ You’re not going to believe me. I didn’t find the feather. The bird found me…” Gill said, looking up at the two of them. “ As you know, I went back to work after Kohri’s first harvest some time ago in April, and every now and again I’ll make a stop on the bridge headed for Mt. Gelato. Kohri was on my mind, and I was thinking of just how much I loved her, just how blessed I am to have her in my life, when I felt something pecking at my watch. I can’t even begin to tell you my reaction when I saw that it was the blue bird. It looked up at me, met my eyes, and it warbled for a minute before hopping onto my shoulder and preening my hair. Then it flew off, and this fluttered down into my hands. I’m still stunned, but I’m...Goddess, I’m nervous and excited all at once. I never thought I’d find myself in a position like this ever again. I never thought I would find a woman willing to put up with me and yet...” Gill smoothed two fingers over the feather, his eyes shining with love and adoration for the woman in his life. “ She’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I hope she realizes that. I don’t feel the fear I thought I would, instead, it actually feels right.”
Owen clapped Gill on the shoulder with a broad drunken grin on his face. It seemed Kohri had been right on the money, again. “ I hate to speak ill of her, but it’s very possible that Angela wasn’t the right girl for you after all Gill. Enough of that though. To our ladies…” he intoned, holding his bottle high. “...may we never lose what they saw in us to begin with.”
“ Here here!” Luke exclaimed as he clinked his bottle to Owen’s then Gill’s.
“ I’ll drink to that.” Gill added, charging the toast completely.
The three drained their bottles and Owen shakily got to his feet. “ I’ll be back!” he proclaimed.
“ So Firefly Festival huh? Why not the fireworks display at the Ocean Festival?” Luke asked as Owen went to grab them some more beers.
I know the best spot to watch the fireworks from too...Gill recalled his words to Kohri at last year’s Ocean Festival and a broad smile split his face. “ Luke Ashemore, you’re a genius!” Gill exclaimed, getting to his feet all the while. The Ocean Festival was only a few days away and no one liked getting to close to the lighthouse any more. It was the perfect vantage point in which to watch the fireworks however, just as he had promised Kohri. He had been so wrapped up in wanting to ask Kohri to marry him on the same day that his father had asked his mother. Which incidentally was the day that he had also asked Angela.
In hindsight, it definitely wasn’t a good idea.
“ Why didn’t I think of that before?” Gill marveled, still smiling broadly much to Luke’s amusement.
Luke; surprisingly, had remembered that Gill had asked Angela to marry him during the Firefly Festival almost seven years ago, and he; despite the fact that he really wasn’t that superstitious, felt the day to be jinxed considering that Gill had already lost one love that had consented to be his wife on that day. No, Gill needed another date to have in mind, or he might even botch the proposal. “ I don’t know. The fireworks can be romantic in their own right after all. Lena and I plan on watching them from the beach this year. Maybe there will be fireworks of our own too.”
“ What’s this about Luke being a genius?” Owen asked as he sat back down, handing out the next round of beers.
“ Just helping Gilly here pick a better date to ask Kohri the big one, more specifically during the fireworks display. She’ll be so busy the whole day that she won’t even see it coming.” Luke cheesed as he opened the fresh bottle.
Owen smiled as well Gill took his seat again. “ She’s not going to know what hit her at all. Kohri’s probably not expecting you to propose until next year, if at all Gill.” Owen snickered.
Gill shook his head as he took a deep swig from his drink. “ I made up my mind to find the feather months ago...It was uh...after…” Gill coughed, somewhat uncomfortable about discussing his and Kohri’s sex life with her two best friends. It had been after a rather intense bout of sex, one that left him feeling closer to her than he had ever felt in the time he had known her.
“ Oh! After Jin cleared her! Gotcha.” Owen said, winking in Gill’s direction. He had overheard Kohri telling Kathy and Selena that the two of them had just about christened the entire house that night. He also knew that the girls had been bragging about what their men were working with and Owen had to admit that Gill might have him beat. Not by much, but still... But to this very day, none of their ladies knew that he had listened in on that conversation.
Gill let out the breath he was holding. It seemed to be an unspoken rule between them that they were welcome to speak as candidly as they liked about their girls, but when it came to Kohri, they asked no questions. “ Yeah, after Jin cleared Kohri to get back to work.” Gill echoed. It had only been the first of many passion filled nights, and their hunger had yet to decrease for one another. He couldn’t help the smile that turned his lips skyward as he thought of the week that Kohri had been his to do what he pleased with.
That had been one very kinky, and exceedingly satisfying week and Kohri had loved it just as much as Gill had. They had even dabbled into some light bondage. Gill had to admit that being trussed up and at Kohri’s mercy had been one of the highlights of their sexcapades. The bed had finally been broken in on multiple occasions, though they both found they liked having the freedom to fuck like rabbits wherever they pleased. Since those first couple days though, they had been careful to use several forms of contraception. Kohri had gotten an intrauterine device and Gill made sure to use a condom every time. Ectopic pregnancies were a possibility, no matter how minute, and Jin and Irene didn’t have the means of performing the emergency surgery needed here on the island. It was better safe than sorry.
Goddess above, if Kohri consented to be his wife, Gill wanted to make love to her under the stars…

Gill returned home later that evening when Kohri was already in bed. His mind was made up. He would ask Kohri to marry him in just a few short days. It was better to get it done now while it was still fresh in his mind and his courage unwavering. He looked upon the marble hewn hutch that served as a small memorial for Kohri’s parents and Gill stood in front of it while nursing a glass of water. “ I wish I could have met the both of you…” he whispered softly. “ Everything I’ve heard about you, everything I’ve read about you...You were wonderful people despite your station. You raised your daughter into an amazing, wonderful, loving person. I know you are proud of her for all that she’s accomplished.” Gill paused for a moment, unsure of what else to say.
“ If you’re wondering if we would have ever approved of you, you don’t need to worry about that son. The happiness you bring to Kohri is more than good enough in my book.” came a deep male voice. It was at the table.
Sure enough, when Gill turned back around, the specter of Burdock Phelps was seated there. “ Senator Phelps.” Gill said by way of greeting as he joined him at the table.
Burdock waved off the title. “ Call me Burdock. Considering the relationship you have with my daughter, you should probably call me dad instead.” He could only smirk as he said this, and he took pride in the fact that Gill refused to be cowwed. That was good. It wasn’t everyday one was grilled by his girlfriend’s dead father’s ghost.
“ Would you stop it, Burdock?!” Damiana Phelps appeared out of nowhere and she cuffed her husband upside the head. Now that looked familiar. It seemed as if Kohri got her legendary temper from her mother. “ I’m sorry about that Gill. No father takes kindly to knowing his little girl isn’t his little girl any longer. Get to business, Angela didn’t give us a lot of time. Her power is fading.”
Gill looked alarmed at this news, but it would be only natural that Angela’s power as the arbiter would fade over time, especially if they were restoring the island to what it had been. “ I assume you needed to speak with me then?” he asked.
Burdock smiled as he nodded. “ We know that you’re thinking of asking our daughter to marry you, son. We approve of you, you’ve kept every single promise you’ve made to her, and you keep her happy. As parents, her happiness is our only wish and you deliver remarkably in that regard across all aspects. We also know some of your customs, such as gathering the ore and gems you need yourself to have the rings made. Even though you braved the mines for my daughter, you’re still afraid to go back there. There’s no shame in admitting your fear, Gill, nor is there any shame in accepting a gift of sorts. I don’t think you realize that you already have the rings you need at your disposal...They’re right over there in the hutch.” Damiana’s hands came to rest on her husband’s shoulders as she smiled at the young man before them.
“ We want you and Kohri to wear our wedding bands, Gill. They are still symbols of love and devotion, but they’re gathering dust sitting away as they are now. We can trust that our daughter will be taken care of. We know she’s found her soulmate in you…The promise those bands stand for won’t be broken by the two of you, and in wearing them you’ll honor our memory.” Damiana said kindly.
Kohri was rubbing her eyes as she stumbled for the kitchen for a glass of water, grumbling about Gill’s lack of presence in their bed due to stupid bachelor parties, and she came to a stop as she entered the main room. Her parents were at the table, across from her lover and she went to rush over but something held her back. Whatever it was, they had appeared to Gill to tell him something. Her azure gaze met her father’s from across the room and he said something to Gill before he and Damiana disappeared from sight.
Gill turned around after a moment, meeting Kohri’s stunned gaze before he crossed the room to join her. “ Come on, sweetie. Back to bed with you.”
“ What did my parents want?” she asked. She was wide awake and her mind running a million miles a minute now.
Gill chuckled. “ If I tell you that you’ll find out soon enough, will that suffice?” Kohri nodded and Gill smiled even as he pressed a sweet kiss to her lips. “ Thank you. Let’s get some sleep. I’ve got the last of the paperwork for the fireworks display waiting for me in the morning.”

Kohri was all aflutter as Gill led her blindfolded somewhere. All she could tell was that they were headed up a hill, and that they were far away from everyone else. She couldn’t hear the sounds of everyone nattering about the fireworks. Finally they came to a stop and Gill removed the blindfold from Kohri’s eyes. A smile at his thoughtfulness crossed her face as she turned her gaze onto him. They had only mentioned the idea of having a picnic together during the fireworks last year and it seemed he had remembered. Two of Ozzy’s fish bakes, and even a bottle of a sweet white wine, all surrounded by candles, were sitting there waiting for them and Kohri pulled Gill in by his collar to kiss him.
Gill couldn’t help but melt against the sweetness of that kiss, and he hummed happily even as he deepened the kiss. “ I take it you approve?” he murmured against her lips.
Kohri was all smiles as her arms looped over his shoulders and around his neck. “ What gave you that idea?” she purred in return.
Gill chortled as Kohri pulled him towards the blanket, kissing him between each step and he carefully lowered her down when they reached it. “ Oh I don’t know...Mhmmm...Your reaction is a pretty good basis if you ask me.” Gill hummed again as Kohri kissed him deeply, twirling her tongue with his. “ I love you and I love kissing you, sweetie, but I’m starved after today.” he said honestly. Gill was feeling utterly ravenous and the food smelled amazing. His stomach growled to further the point and he chuckled sheepishly. He honestly did work his ass off during these festivals.
Kohri laughed as she caressed his cheek. “ Alright, alright. I’ll show you just how pleased I am with this later.” she said, her tone nothing short of promising.
If you only knew...Gill thought to himself as he and Kohri began eating their supper. Covertly, he felt for the ring box and the feather in his pocket. Perfect, they were right where they were supposed to be. Gill had needed to wait for Kohri to leave before he could take the ring from the cabinet, and he had been extremely anxious through the entire thing. Even now he was feeling some of the nerves, but he felt ready at the same time. The fireworks had yet to start, but he surmised they only had a few moments until the first flares lit up the night sky. He would be proposing during the middle of the show.
They spoke of their day in cordial tones while they ate. Sure enough, they were barely into their meal when the first explosion lit up the night sky and Kohri scooted over on the blanket to be closer to Gill. The silence they shared was companionable, as they were both trying to finish their supper while enjoying the show. Once they were done, Gill got to his feet as if to stretch a bit and Kohri followed him up.
“ You know, the fireworks show is going to be something special this year. We made it even longer than we did last year.” Gill told her as he held her loosely from behind. Kohri turned her head, and she craned her neck to press a kiss to his cheek.
“ And I’ll be sure to enjoy just as I did last year. Who would have thought we’d be together a year later?” Kohri whispered happily. She snuggled a little deeper into Gill’s embrace, loving the warmth he imparted.
Now, this was the perfect time to do this! Gill pressed a gentle, loving kiss into Kohri’s temple. “ I don’t think either of us did, though I can admit that I was starting to feel more than friendship and affection for you by then. You had helped me to move on through my own grief when you were navigating your own, and in doing so you opened my heart again Kohri. You had let me in as well, even when you had every reason to hate men for what one had done to you. I counted myself lucky to be worthy of your time and friendship then. Now, I find myself blessed to be worthy of your heart and your love.” he began as he turned her around. Gill took a deep breath before continuing and he looked into those beautiful, reflective sapphire orbs. Just like last year, she looked beautiful, ethereal, the only difference this year was that she was even moreso now because of what she meant to Gill. He held both of her hands, and Kohri gave them a soft squeeze. “ You have been restoring faith and hope to this island since you came here last year. You restored me to the man I used to be Kohri, and for that I will be eternally grateful to you. You once said that we bring out the best in one another and you were right about that. I am not the man I used to be because of what you’ve done for me. Because of you, I can see more than I used to when I think of the future…”
Gill took a knee as he continued to hold her left hand and he drew out the blue feather with the ring. Kohri gasped in shock, though he could feel how rigid she went if the tenseness in just her fingers was anything to go off of. She had learned of the island’s customs and rituals after all. She probably just never thought this would happen to her.
“ I see a future full of happiness, love, laughter, and family when I look at you Kohri, and I want those things and more if you’ll have me. I love you with everything I have in me, Koriander Elise Phelps. Would you make me the luckiest man alive by saying you’ll marry me?” Gill finished nervously.
Kohri was stunned. Whatever she had been expecting when he had started talking a minute ago wasn’t this. Even if she had tried to make herself believe what she had told countless people and Gill himself when the topic of marriage came up, Kohri had believed that Gill might have been too afraid to try again and she had subconsciously resigned herself to never being the bride. But there he was, baring his heart and soul to her, waiting for the possibility of her rejection, asking her to consent to spending the rest of their lives together. Her heart pounded even as tears filled her eyes, and her right hand trembled as she brought her fingers to her mouth to preemptively silence the sobs she was sure were coming. She was finally overcoming the shock from his beautiful and eloquent proposal and Kohri got to his level after a moment, and she gingerly took the blue feather in hand. It was beautiful and glossy, and Gill took that moment to open the ring box to show her what was inside. She burst into happy sobs when she saw her mother’s engagement ring sitting there. That had to have been what they had appeared to Gill about the other night.
“ Gill…” she whimpered at first and Kohri nearly tackled Gill to the blanket to kiss him soundly. Happy tears were streaming down her face unchecked and her grip on him tightened in their elation as Gill brought both of them to their feet. “ Sweet goddess yes, Gill, yes! A million times yes!”
Gill smiled broadly, spinning Kohri in place a few times as her answer finally registered. He gently plucked the ring from its velvet casing and he slid in on her finger. It may have been her mother’s ring, but it was a perfect fit on her. Just like they were for one another. Kohri jumped onto him and Gill caught her as her legs wrapped around his waist and their lips met passionately.
Unable to contain his elation any further, Gill threw his head back and crowed happily to the night sky as the fireworks kept going off above them.
- 15
- 16
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Restoring Faith