GRANITE

015

"Sorry you don't get a view this time, it's starting to get rather cold." Freya tried to half joke, fighting the awkward tension she'd felt. She passed him one of the travel mugs as she sat down into the passenger seat.

"Mmm, I beg to differ. The view I have right now is quite lovely." The smile on his face as he closed the door was genuine. The drive to the forested area was quiet, neither of the pair knowing what to say in that exact moment. Liam was too riddled with excitement being beside Freya once again, and Freya felt like she'd forgotten how to act around the blonde.

She took the time given with his focus on the road to look at him — his blonde locks were pulled back into a bun at the back of his head, a couple stray pieces around the sides. His sunglasses concealed his eyes from the sun but at this angle she could still see the light shade of blue she'd come to adore. He looked normal. Nothing reminiscent of the creature she'd seen just over twenty four hours ago.

The trek through the woods was a long one. The path to the waterfall wasn't exactly paved in anyway, it was a giant guessing game of wandering through random brush but Liam seemed confident in each step. Each time they'd come to steep incline or decline, he was quick to offer his hand and an arm around her waist.

Once they breached the foliage into the clearing that held the waterfall, Freya's mouth fell open in wonder. It was breathtaking. The waterfall was large in size, both in height and width. The body of water beneath it was crystal clear, and you could practically see the bottom through all of it besides the center. Freya almost wished they'd come and found it sooner so they could take a dip into the water without freezing.

It was still rather gloomy outside, the rain from the previous day had subsided but the world was still overcast in a blue gray. The leaves on the trees were just beginning to change and fall, but the trees still offered a full coverage from the world around them. Liam made his way over to an edge of the water that was covered in big stones, sitting and letting his feet dangle from the edge just above the water. He summoned her over, patting the spot beside him.

She joined him on the rocks, almost giggling at the sight of their legs beside each other dangling. His legs reached far lower than hers over the edge, truthfully making her look like an absolute child in comparison. He leaned back on his palms, turning his head to look at Freya beside him.

Other than the quick moment he'd seen her at work, he'd never been given the chance to see her so bare. He felt like he could see her eye color clearer without the thick lines of black that usually surrounded them, the green of her hazel eyes even clearer in the soft glow from the cloudy sky. He'd made a note to himself to remember the soft pink of her lips that typically hid beneath some shade of lipstick. And from the angle he was at he could better appreciate the curves of her nose and her cheekbones.

"I've missed you." He whispered softly. "I know it hasn't really been that long, but it felt like forever. It's quite easy to grow comfortable in your company." Freya began to pick at the chipped paint on her nails, taking her gaze away from the scenery before her.

"I can't lie and say I haven't missed you too. Something about you guys feels very much like home which makes all of this that much more conflicting."

"What do you mean?" He tilted his head to the side, chewing on his bottom lip.

"The rational side of me says to stay away. That there is no way to be safe around a bunch of blood thirsty creatures, and especially after the conversation I had with my dad." Liam's face dropped in sadness, his heart panging in pain with her uttering the three words he always dreads to be referred to as. Especially from her. "It makes me terrified to know what's to come - whether it be another near miss situation like we just had or this apparent target that may come on my back by just the association. I don't know who may come after me, what their capable of; hell I don't even think I fully know what you are capable of. And it scares me so so much.