Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 102: Entropy

For several moments he just stood there, looking confused, but when Amelia finally stepped away and straightened her hair, his ears jerked downward.

Sinmir frowned when the halfling took a step back.

"Are you all right?" he called, turning around completely. "If you wanted to chat with her, she's right here."

Vrael turned his head and their eyes met, but Sinmir didn't understand the look he was being given, couldn't comprehend the expression on Vrael's face, for it reminded him of a puppy that had once been kicked by someone for no reason.

Then that expression vanished and he smiled, lifting a shaky hand.

"It... it's nothing," he stammered, letting lose a shrill laugh as he backed away. "You two are obviously in the middle of something, so... I'll head back inside now."

Sinmir frowned when he turned and all but bolted out of sight, fists pumping, and Amelia, similarly, looked very confused.

"That was strange," she noted, unbraiding her hair and letting it hang loosely around her. "He's normally very straightforward and wouldn't care if we were in the middle of something, right? He's demonstrated that plenty of times before... I wonder if something was wrong?"

Sinmir didn't answer her.

"Return to the lodge," he commanded. "I'll be inside soon."

"Eh?"

"Just do it."

Feeling cold deep within his belly, he wordlessly trotted after Vrael, trying to puzzle together the many reasons he could have had a reaction like that, but there was only one that seemed plausible.

Only one that made sense.

Damn these kids and their drama, he silently muttered, looking around for the halfling. Where did he go?

It took him a little while to find out where Vrael had gone.

He knew in his gut that the kid hadn't headed back inside, but admittedly, he was a little surprised to find him leaning against a tree with a fist clenched against his chest.

"Oi," Sinmir softly called, watching with a grim feeling as his whole body jerked. "Talk to me. What was all that about?"

Vrael didn't meet his eyes.

"I don't know."

"Come now, you know you can trust me. Talk."

"Sinmir, I really don't know," Vrael snapped, then his ears wilted and his face fell. "I've never felt like that before."

"Like what?"

"Angry and hurt at people for no good reason," he mumbled. "When I saw you embracing Amelia, I... I just don't know."

Sinmir heaved a great sigh and slapped his face with his palm.

Looks my suspicions were correct, he grumbled mentally, but now, what to do?

There were many things he could have done, but he decided to go with what his heart wanted most.

Swaggering forward, he gripped Vrael's arm and jerked him into a warm, powerful hug. The gesture obviously took the kid off guard, but Sinmir could feel him relax.

He tried for the longest time to put his heart into words.

"Look, Lad... I don't know what would have given you cause to look at me the way you did earlier," he muttered, "but I want you to know that I would never, ever hurt you."