Within you I found home

ten

༓･*˚*･༓☾ NOW ☽༓･*˚*･༓

        YOU LISTEN TO THE POUNDING water hitting the surface below. The blue crystal liquid almost transparent. You can see the rocks and pebbles settled at the bottom, no signs of fish or other aquatic life.

        Sitting at the edge on top of a rock just big enough to perch your ass on, you dip your feet in. It's cold but the chill helps chase away the ache in your heels.

        Behind the waterfall itself is a cave which is currently where Mithun and Nico had disappeared to. You're not sure what they're doing, maybe they just wanted to catch up in private, and it makes you nervous.

        Mithun was never out of your sight. Something you imagine you were going to have to start getting used to.

        You sigh, leaning back against your palms and tilting your head up towards the sky. You allow yourself to enjoy the quiet moment after the awful week you'd had.

        Jessa's face flashes through your mind and you flinch, eyes shooting open. You hadn't realised you'd close them until her image, crimson and lifeless, had filled the dark void.

        You'd tried hard not to think of her. There had been no place for mourning whilst you were trying to get Mith to safety.

        You feel as if it isn't real.

        Something so violent and bloody and evil.

        She was so kind, and nurturing and loved...how could she die that way?

        You expect tears to come, but you remain numb.

        Diving deep, you attempt to latch onto an emotion – sadness, grief, distraught – but come up empty handed. They lay just beyond your reach, locked away.

        You're well aware they're there, so why aren't they coming out?

        You wonder if there's something wrong with you.

        But you don't have time to dwell on it. Movement from behind the waterfall catches your attention. A stone ledge juts out along the cave entrance, wide enough for Mithun and Nico to walk side by side.

        Clothed. Well, Mith was - sand-coloured trousers and a dark brown leather top.

        Nico's trousers were the same as Mithun's, but his chest is bare.

        A very broad, very muscular chest with bumps and ridges. Not unlike Andreo's, only Nico's was much larger - shoulders wider with biceps the size of your head.

        No wonder his wolf was so big. It had to accommodate this gargantuan man.

        You stand on shaky legs as they round the water, heading straight for you. Instinctively, you look Mithun over. He's smiling, eyes red.

        He'd been crying. Your heart squeezes. Happy tears.

        A glance over at Nico tells you he'd also shed tears. You gulp as you take in his features and you realise where Mithun got his looks from.

        Yet somehow, despite looking so similar, they were also very different.

        Same features, yes, but Mithun's were softer, hidden in a layer of baby fat not yet matured.

        Nico's face was a lot more angular, stronger, wider. He has a nice, well-groomed beard. Pouty, bow shaped lips and dark-lashes framing his blue eyes. His hair light brown, just like the roots of Mithun's where it was starting take colour, his baby blonde soon to be gone forever.