Demure - A Sequel To Bashful ❤️

Part 4

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?"

Looking sheepishly at Darryl's white face, Zak blushed. "O-oh. I was joking - I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd..." trailing off, he smiled. "I love you."

Crushing him in a tight hug and kissing his cheek, Darryl sighed. "I love you too, but don't do that to me."

"I'm sorry," Zak mumbled, hugging him back. They sank back under the water, letting go and hastily swimming back up. "Turns out you need your arms to swim."

"I don't care," Darryl murmured, pulling him back into his arms and wrapping Zak's legs around his waist. "I can tread water for the both of us."

"How romantic," Zak mocked, smirking and going back to kissing him. "I give it 14 minutes and you'll cave."

"If you don't stop with the memes, I'll drop you back in-" breaking off abruptly, Darryl turned and focused on something on the shore.

"What?" Curious, Zak tuned his head in the direction of his gaze. By the tree line in the distance, apparently abandoned, was a bundle of... clothes?

"Is there someone else here?" Darryl asked, pulling him back to the water's edge. All traces of warmth disappeared from his voice, and he drew Zak closer to his body. "Stay here."

"No way, I'm coming with you!"

"I said stay here, you muffin." Gently pushing him back into the deeper water, Darryl stepped out into the cold air. Zak's eyes unconsciously wandered downwards, and he smirked. "I'm just getting the towels, calm down. If there's someone here, then they're not getting a view of what's mine." He quietly padded back to the lodge, grabbing the towels off of the stone steps, and took them back to the water as discreetly as he could.

"My hero," Zak whispered sarcastically, kissing Darryl's cheek as he wrapped the towels around both of them. "Let's go see what the clothes are, at least."

"Fine," Darryl replied. He took hold of Zak's hand, tugging him slightly behind his body, and cautiously approached the weird mound of clothes. As they got closer, he frowned. It looked like it was... moving?

Suddenly Zak let go of his hand, running to close the gap between them and the clothes and kneeling beside the heap. "Zak!" He hissed, "What are you doing?!" Putting a finger to his lips, Zak carefully pulled away a green piece of fabric, and Darryl gasped.

It was a little child, no older than five years old, shivering against the cold and curled up in between the muddy tree roots. Taking off the green balaclava completely, Zak brushed the little one's hair out of their face, and they stirred slightly in their sleep. Darryl dropped to his knees too, slipping his arms around Zak's waist. "What do we do?"

"Um, I guess... wake him up?"

Nodding nervously, he gently shook the little boy's shoulder. His eyes snapped open, and he started screaming, his eyes wide with fear. Darryl tried to pull Zak away, but he shrugged him off, gently pulling the boy onto his lap and wrapping his arms around him. "Shh, shh, its okay, we've got you, you're safe..."

Eyes flitting around nervously, the boy eventually stopped screaming and hesitantly curled into Zak's chest. Darryl smiled softly, putting his arms around the both of them. "Hiya, little one. Why are you out here, have you lost your mommy? Do you have a name?"

The boy looked nervously up into Zak's eyes, and he rubbed his back comfortingly. "M-mommy didn't w-want Mega. S-she left Mega on the r-road because h-he is u-useless..." Bursting into tears, the boy shook in Zak's arms and hid his face in his hands. Giving Darryl daggers, Zak cuddled him tighter.

"Hey, shh, we've got you. You poor thing," he comforted, stroking the top of his head. "Is your name Mega, then?" The boy nodded, and Zak smiled brightly at him. "That's a really cool name, you know. How long have you been out here?" Shaking his head slightly, Mega hid his face again and sniffled quietly. "Okay, you don't have to talk if you don't want to. Have you been out here for a few days?" Zak asked, wiping the tears from his cheek. Nodding, Mega tugged gently on the green fabric still in Zak's hand, and he let go, giving it back to him.

"You're shaking," Darryl said quietly. Then he caught sight of the goosebumps all over Zak's exposed chest. "Both of you are freezing. Do you want to come inside with us, Mega?"

Nodding, Mega put his thumb in his mouth as his eyelids started to close. Picking up the few clothes that weren't attached to him, Darryl carried them into the lodge. Following behind, Zak balanced Mega on one hip and held his towel up with the other hand, setting him down on the sofa with a thick blanket whilst he changed. "Do you want some food?" He asked him. Mega nodded, so he made some toast with butter for them both whilst Darryl got showered and changed. "What are we going to do with you...?" He murmured, shaking his head slightly in disbelief.

Tensing, Mega turned to look at him with wide, innocent eyes, tears welling up again. Quickly putting an arm around him, Zak soothed, "Don't worry. I promise we won't leave you here, okay?"

Seemingly comforted, Mega nodded and shyly curled up against Zak's side, letting his eyelids droop down. After a few minutes, his breathing evened out and Zak let his own eyes close, listening to the soft breaths as he drifted off to sleep too.

Padding barefoot into the kitchen after his shower, Darryl smiled at the two curled up on the sofa. He pulled the blanket over them both, kissing Zak's forehead as he did so. "I love you, muffin."

Stirring slightly then settling back down, Zak smiled in his sleep. "I love you too..."

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Okay, so!

I hope you liked Part 4, and meeting our first new character! Aah my heart though, I feel like a bad human for making a five year old say they're useless...