The Moon Calls

41

The moon was high in the sky when Hugo decided he couldn't sleep after being woken by a nightmare and left his and Donella's shared room to sit by the fire. To his surprise, the front door was open and the fence lowered. "...Stripes?" He frowned and stepped outside, looking around. "Stripes? Hey, you around?" He walked out further, feeling a bit anxious as he rubbed at his wrists. "Varian?"

He heard a splashing sound and looked to the side. The first thing he spotted was Varian bursting out of the water. The second thing he noticed was Varian's clothes sitting on a flat, black rock. All of his clothes. His cheeks went pink and he turned away, suddenly flustered.

"Hugo?" Varian caught his attention and he looked over at him over his shoulder.

Varian was leaning against a normal rock jutting out of the water, his tail swishing back and—tail. Right. No wonder he wasn't wearing anything, he was probably just playing with his new powers.

Hugo mentally kicked himself and turned to him, chuckling a bit. "Hey, Stripes. Couldn't sleep?"

"Night time is the best time to try out new powers." Varian said, casually creating a little funnel of water as he sat on the rock, his tail lazily drifting back and forth. "Come join me?"

"Join you?" Hugo asked.

"Sure." Varian nodded. "Swim with me?"

Hugo rubbed at his wrists again. "I, uh...I don't really swim much."

"I noticed, you were drowning pretty fast." Varian raised an eyebrow. "You need to be taught. Come on, get over here."

Hugo reluctantly took off his boots and waded into the water. Varian giggled a bit and he decided he liked the sound. "You're really going to swim when you're all covered up like that? Come on, let's take off the shirt. No one's here but you and me."

"I..." Hugo glanced away. "I'd really rather not, Stripes."

Varian looked confused. "Why?"

Hugo sighed. "I just...I don't want to expose my body. I have scars and stuff."

"I won't judge." Varian coaxed.

Hugo looked back at him. "...It's...not judgement I'm worried about."

"Well, it's just us here." Varian reminded him. "Do you trust me?"

Hugo looked at the building, then sighed and took off his vest, then his shirt underneath. "Okay." He said, feeling nervous. He hesitated at his gloves and decided to leave them on. He kept his gaze away from Varian, feeling self-conscious.

"I wonder what kind of stories these all have?" Varian hummed.

"What?" Hugo blinked.

"Every scar has a story." He reached out and traced a scar shaped like an "X" on Hugo's chest.

"Bwuh! Stripes, don't just—I didn't say you could touch!" Hugo stepped back.

"Sorry." Varian pulled his hand back.

Hugo sighed and went to put his shirts over with Varian's clothes before he went back in. "It's fine."

"What was that on your back?" Varian asked.

Hugo tensed, moving one hand to his other wrist. "...It's nothing. Just a tattoo."

"What's a 'tattoo'?" Varian asked.

"It's a—wait, you don't know what a—"

"Grew up in a tower." Varian reminded him.

"Yeah, but you'd think you'd have found out by now. Well, I guess you don't normally hang around those types of people." Hugo chuckled a bit. "It's a picture drawn on your skin with ink that won't wash away."