Love Again

95. A Strange Place

"Niel I'm exhausted. How much longer are we supposed to go?"

Niel stopped briefly and looked at his fated's panting self and laughed. Elric had been complaining the entire time during their journey and despite Niel being exahausted himself, it was fun watching this side of Elric too. "If this is your stamina then just give up on life."

"What stamina? This is an endurance test!" Elric exclaimed, wiping sweat from his forehead. "The sun is scorching hot, we might as well die of dehydration before we get to where we are going."

Elric had been following behind Niel carring a big backpack which despite complaining of it's weight, Niel had refused to assist him with it.

"I'd warned you not to carry anything but you refused. We are the same size and I have clothes at my grandmas..."

"You honestly don't expect me to wear that!" Elric pointed at Niel's short. "I can endure your saggy polo shirt but not your shorts."

"I only put these on since I don't want my good clothes to be ruined. Look at you? You have black-jacks, dried leaves and twigs all over you. I warned you we were going to walk a few kilometers before we get to our destination."

"Why couldn't we just go to the states and see your parents instead? Why come all the way here to this jungle?"

Niel remained silent but kept on walking and Elric deduced he must have struck a nerve. Thinking back to how Niel had rumbled on the previous day, playing reverse psychology on him an calling it play, he decided it was time he had had his revange.

"So, you also do have things you don't wish to share with anyone hehe! How selfish of you to expect me to share more of myself than you already know after taking my imprint away."

"I'm not in good terms with them. Besides, it's a long story."

Running infront of Niel, Elric brought Niel to a stop and bent down to look at his face that had been hidden under his cap. "You literally took me on a three hour train ride, an hour's drive to this jungle and we've been walking like what now, thirty minutes? Then you say it's a long story? Oh, we have time..."

"My parents are pairs and got married without my grandparent's approval and each party held a grudge after a big disagreement. Afterwards I was born and they left to the states for greener pastures, leaving me with my grandparents. We are not a well off family so I'm guessing you don't know why they left me behind. When they got a good financial standing, they wanted me back and took me forcefully to the states but once I became an adult, I came back to live with my grandparents who were more of a family to me than my own parents."

Walking past Elric, Niel continued as he strode on. "My grandparents helped me secure a scholarship in collage and luckily, I was selected and here we are." Stopping to look back at Elric, Niel asked. "Are you satisfied now?"

"That's it? No drama?"

"That is the drama. What else did you think happened?"

"I don't know...you probably killed someone or were a serial killer in the states so you came here to hide."

"What the- What made you come to that conclusion?"

Scratching his chin, Elric replied, "Your threatening scent...is quite... How should I put it...pungent."

"And yet it turns you on."

"Well, not necessarily..." Elric shrugged his shoulders.

"Not necessarily? What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm more turned on when you touch me or come closer."

"Are you saying all this time, that is what turns you on?"