Living With The Giants

Twenty Four: Hot Waters

~Above is how I somewhat imagined Austin~

Twenty Four: Hot Waters

[AUSTIN]

It was dark, too dark. A blanket of black that was so dark it was to the point that he couldn't even see his hands if he were to hold them before his face. It considerably not helping that he was slightly tipsy and kept tripping over his own feet. Trailing behind Katy  with his arms full of sticks and twigs, he was finding  it had become incredibly quiet since Cole had left to get another torch. They had one torch, which Katy  held before her, creating a trail of light for herself and leaving him to scramble and stumble through the darkness helplessly with no light.

"Could you slow down" he whined, shifting the bundle of sticks he held In his arms finding they were beginning to get heavy and his body felt like it wanted to collapse in on itself. They cut and scratched at his arms and protruding sticks flicked at his calves

"Could you hurry up? Your dawdling. We only need a few more so we can have a fire for the morning" Katy looked back to him, rolling her eyes before turning to continue walking, seeming to find it easier compared to himself.

"Ugh we have plenty, can we go back. My arms hurt.. I'm tired and I think I stepped in some mud back there"

"Katy?" He whined, dragging his feet behind him.

"Come on"

"Ugh fine then. quit whining, your giving me a headache" she groaned and he couldn't help but smile as she turned to make her way back to the camp. Quickly hurrying behind her trying to not face plant on the way back to their set up, the only sign of life being the soft glow radiating from the fire.

"You know you could give me hand" Austin said as he hurried to walk along side Katy, looking to her with a crooked smile as he motioned toward the pile of stick which he carried in his arms

"You seem to be doing fine all by yourself" she returned the smile, a more sarcastic look on her face while moving to hurry in front but couldn't escape as he walked faster along side her. His long legs easily able to keep stride. Rolling her eyes toward Him as he followed, he couldn't help himself as he looked to her every now and then as they walked, trying to keep his eyes down on the ground watching his feet as they stepped through the grass. Still trying to avoid any rocks or protruding roots.

As they came to the campsite, it was eerily quiet, not a single sign of life other than Jace who was asleep on the ground and curled up into his sleeping bag by the slowly dying fire. Moving forward to set the collected wood and sticks by the fire, Austin carefully threw some extra sticks to keep Jace warm since it didn't look as if he was moving anytime soon.

"Did everyone go to bed?" Austin said as he crouched by the fire, looking to Katy who stood with her arms folded over her chest as she huddled close to the flames also. Even if it weren't that cold, the air rather warm it was nice to stand by the fire, so warm and cozy.

"Must have.." she murmurs, turning her eyes away from Austin to look about the tents, pursing her lips before looking back to the embers "it's not even that late, I couldn't fall to sleep now even if I tried" she sighed and slowly moved down to sit, pulling her legs to her chest and resting her chin on her knees.

"Either.. what should we do?" Austin licked his lips slowly, moving to sit also as he looked to Katy from beyond the flames.

"Um~ " she hesitated, looking to him then into her lap, seeming to look uncomfortable "i dont know~"

Smirking as an idea came to him, he began to stand and moved around the fire that separated them "come on, I got an idea" he held out his hand, offering to help her up, seeing her as she hesitated before climbing up onto her own feet all by herself instead of taking his hand. Pulling his hand back quickly to his side, he felt warmth spread across his cheeks that didn't belong to the fire. Embarrassed he shoved his hands into his pockets and turns, grabbing a torch along the way as he began to walk hoping she'd follow