Fairy Lover: Franziska Part One (special preview)

“My parents want me to get up early and start as soon as possible each day.” They say it genial, but there is a repugnance to their tone. They look at me and I see their eyes focus on my chest for a moment.

I clear my throat as the nerves pick up. “Have you had breakfast? I was just getting ready to make my own.”

Franziska shakes their head. “I had tea, but not much else.” They take a seat at my table. “Is this supposed to be a lesson?”

“No...just breakfast?” I say. “Let me go change and I’ll be right back.”

Franziska ducks their chin down and giggles. “Alright.”

When I come back out, Franziska is still sitting at the table, looking at the ring on their hand. As I come in, they glance up and a slight smile perks at the corners of their lips.

“The Bumbles are so strange,” they say as I start to cook. “Do you rely on gender so much?”

“I’m not quite sure how to answer that question,” I chuckle. “What do you mean by that?”

“Us Red Beetles go with whatever suits us. Some prefer more feminine, others prefer more masculine. Personally, I like both. Some days I will feel one, and the next the other. Lots of days I feel like neither.”

“I think us Bumbles prefer hardlines,” I reply. “I know I prefer being who I am.”

Franziska hums. “So, you’ve never wanted to try anything else?”

I place a plate of food before them. “I have not been that curious,” I chuckle.

Franziska looks down at the plate of food. They take a taste then glance up at me as I sit down. “Do you think I’m pretty?”

I nearly choke on my first bite of breakfast. “What brings this on?” I cough, wiping at my face with a napkin. 

“I think you’re handsome,” Franziska says with a smile. “Maybe, if you think I’m pretty, we can--.”

“You’re not getting out of this work,” I reply staunchly to them.

Franziska frowns. “How did you--?” They then grunt. “I wasn’t going to even suggest--.” They give up trying to find an excuse and continue to poke at the food I made them.

“I made a promise to your parents, and I need the money. So I am not going to slack.” I take a drink of my tea. “Besides, of all the things to learn, a cedar chest is probably the easiest.”

“What is the easiest?” Franziska pouts.

“Probably a birdhouse,” I laugh.

Franziska sighs, their shoulders slouching. “Do you think I really need to learn how to do this?” They ask. “What would be the point?”

“It’s not just about building the chest,” I sigh. “There is more to it than that, and it’s that lesson your parents want you to learn.”