Chihiro and Haku by Melissa Nichols (reading books for 6 year olds .txt) 📕

As for Chihiro, she was watching the lights come on in the town below as the sunlight faded from the landscape. It was quite a change. But as soon as that happened, she started getting a little sleepy and yawned, bringing her hand up to her mouth. She didn’t realize it, but she was expecting her warm breath to hit her hand. But, it didn’t. Something was wrong. Chihiro looked at her hand and gasped.

“Haku, I’m disappearing again!” She exclaimed, just as frightened as she had been that first time eight years ago. Haku swiveled his head around at the tone of her panicked voice.

Alright, Chihiro. Take it easy now. I figured this would happen so I always keep some berries in my pack. When I’m in this form, it becomes a sack on my stomach. The only way for you to reach it is if I fly upside down. Before I flip, I need you to hold onto my throat. Can you do that? I’ll use my forepaws to help stabilize you while I flip.

Chihiro took a few deep breaths and focused on Haku. She nodded.

“Yeah. I think I can do that. Here I go.” She said just before she started moving around to Haku’s throat, clasping either side of his neck tightly with her legs. Releasing a small amount of pressure from one of her legs, she let her body tip to the side and slipped down Haku’s neck until she was right where she needed to be. As soon as she was, she clutched onto Haku tightly with both arms and legs.

“And I choking you, Haku?”

No, I‘m fine. My windpipes are located deeper into my anatomy than yours are so I’m still breathing perfectly. Having said that, he then moved his paws to hold her where she was as he fled his wings, adjusted his weight, and flipped onto his back. This was a little difficult for him since he rarely did show off tricks like this for fun. Once he was sure he was stabilized and Chihiro could move about freely without fear, he removed his paws.

Chihiro looked around for the sack on his stomach. She couldn’t see it until he moved the flap. Nodding, she analyzed what she had to do. She could stand up and walk, but then there was the chance the wind would knock her right off of Haku. If she moved, that chance was still present, but it was lessened if she crawled her way down Haku’s body. And with that, her mind was made up. She started crawling, forcing herself to not look at her rapidly disappearing hands and arms, until she made it to the sack. Ignoring that implications of this, she stuck her hand into the opening and felt around for some berries. She found something and pulled it out. It was, indeed, a berry, which she quickly ate. With a sigh of relief, she saw that her body was becoming more solid as she watched.

“Alright, Haku. That berry did the trick. Im gonna return to your throat now, okay?” She explained even as she started moving. Once at his throat, she locked on again and waited as Haku flipped right side up again and used his paws as a landing platform for her to drop onto, which she did. Once she was in his paw, he placed her up near his horns, leaving her able to get on and grab hold.

Sliding into place, she sighed with relief again. “Thanks, Haku. Youre a lifesaver.”

Haku chuckled and grinned. It pays to be prepared, huh?

“Yes, it does.”

With the excitement now over, Chihiro yawned again and settled back against Haku’s head, fighting to stay awake. She lost.

Haku noticed the moment Chihiro fell asleep. How could he not? Her grip on his horns loosened and he felt her body tip to the side, unable to stay balanced. Knowing she would fall if he didn’t do something, he reached up and tried to reach her. When that failed, he kept his paw up beside her and flipped onto his back so that Chihiro would fall into his paw. Clenching her gently but securely, he then righted himself and fell down to the bathhouse, debating. He could save the reunion for tomorrow, when Chihiro was awake and she’d be able to enjoy the excitement that would no doubt ensue upon the workers’ learning of her arrival. Yes, that’s what he would do.

Adjusting his wings, Haku floated down to the town and transformed back into his human form, Chihiro carried in his arms bridal-style, as he walked into a hotel that he knew was well-favored by the customers who visited for an extended amount of time. The manager immediately set him up with a room and followed Haku upstairs. At the door, the manager unlocked it and left Haku to his own devices once he had ascertained that nothing further was required of him. Haku, meanwhile, gently laid Chihiro on the bed and couldn’t help but stroke her cheek and hair again. He was still having trouble adjusting to how much she had grown and developed over the eight years they’d been apart. Before, when she was ten years old, she had been gangly, her arms and legs slightly disproportionate to her height, her face was still round with baby fat and she still had the characteristic immaturity for a child her age. Looking at her now, he could hardly believe the transformation.

She had grown, obviously, and was now quite pleasingly tall for a woman, almost tall enough for her head to reach his shoulder. Her face had lost is baby fat, revealing the beautiful facial structure, high cheek bones and triangular face he knew was just beneath the surface. But that wasn’t all that had happened. Her arms and legs were not proportionate for her height and body, and they had also lost their baby fat, though he suspected that what made them strong and slightly toned now was exercise. She had also grown more confident, courageous and sure of herself. When she had been a child, she had started out as easily frightened, confused, maybe a little bit helpless and overwhelmed. But, now, he knew that part of her was gone. He hadn’t seen it yet, but he knew it was true, replaced by these other characteristics that made her more appealing to him, as if she wasn’t appealing enough already.

Smiling to himself, Haku kissed her forehead and took a shower. When he came back out, Chihiro was still asleep so he dressed in enough clothes to cover him before he slipped into the bed. Snuggling up with her, Haku drew the covers over both of them before he fell asleep, Chihiro’s head nuzzled against his chest with his arms around her.

Chihiro woke up the next morning, surprisingly more comfortable than she had been at home. And it wasn’t difficult to see why. She knew that was lying on Haku’s chest. He was breathing rhythmically, his heart beating steadily, and she could feel his warm, slightly furry chest under her cheek and hand. Not wanting to wake him, she didn’t move and just reveled in being with Haku again, being in the spirit world again.

She smiled and carefully lifted her head to study Haku. Just as she had grown and matured, he had done the same. His face was more lean now, and he was very handsome. His jet black hair had grown out so it touched his broadened, muscled shoulders. His arms, as she knew, were quite toned and developed, yet they still had the capacity to be gentle and tender. Behind his closed eyelids, she knew his eyes were a beautiful emerald green that she could easily be lost in. For her, it wasn’t unusual for just his eyes to feature in her dreams, so she knew their color well. She also knew the chocolate, gold and silver flecks in them, giving his eye color an iridescent look that would easily make other women swoon. But, he had also grown. He was quite tall now, even by human standards, making his dragon form absolutely massive. His hips were narrow, his legs long, strong and thick with muscle.

Smiling, she nuzzled against Haku’s chest again and waited for him to wake up, which he promptly did. Chihiro looked up at him again just as his eyes were opening. Chihiro smiled and started to say something but then Haku hugged her.

“You’re really here.” He whispered and Chihiro giggled.

“Of course I am, silly. But I don’t blame you for thinking I wasn’t really here. When I woke up, the same thought crossed my mind.” She said before she hugged him tightly, which Haku quickly returned with a laugh. “I’ve missed you so much, Haku. And I was so afraid that yesterday was just a dream.”

“Same. I’ve missed you so much I haven’t been able to sleep properly for eight years.  And I had the same…hesitation. Seeing you walking out of the gateway was a dream that I was half believing that would never come true. And before you go thinking I’m creepy or whatever, let me explain. I’ve lived a really long time. I may not look it, but I’m actually more than a thousand years old. And in all that time, I’ve never had a friend, let alone the kind of friends we were becoming eight years ago. That’s mostly why I missed you.”

“So, I’m a friend to you?” Chihiro asked, wishing to clarify, being sure to hide her own feelings. Haku nodded. “Good. I’d hate for one of us to feel more and the other to not reciprocate. And so you know, you’re my friend, too, and I was lonely. So lonely, I agreed to become guardian of eight foster kids just to fill my empty house.”

“But you’re eighteen. How can your house be empty? Shouldn’t you still be with your parents?”

“Mom and Dad were killed seven years ago. They were going on vacation to the coast while I was in America visiting a cousin who studied abroad. While I was safe in America, a tsunami hit the coast where Mom and Dad were. I don’t know the details; I didn’t want to know at the time. All I know is they never came home.”

“Oh, Chihiro.” Haku whispered before he enveloped Chihiro in a hug, having noticed how her voice trembled, even now. She hugged him