Where are we?
_____________
"Alright, so two beds?"
"Yes."
"That'll be 4000 snails."
"I- what. 4000 snails for one night?!" Hunter exclaimed with his shiny mask on. "Why are you charging so much for one damn night!?"
The witch at the front desk of the Inn just shrugged. "I just work here, man."
"That's ludicrous!" He yelled, "Do you know who we are?! We're The Emperor's right and left hands!"
"Oh goodie, Belos chopped his hands off and they became sentient beings." He mocked, sarcastically.
Hunter was about to yell more when (Y/n) put her hand on his arm, "Lilith said The Emperor doesn't have much reach outside the cities. They won't care who we are or who we serve out here." She said quietly.
(Y/n) stood straight up and let go of Hunter's arm, giving the front desk witch an apologetic smile under her mask.
"What's your cheapest option?" She asked.
"One bed, no bath—100 snails."
"We'll take it." (Y/n) said, before making the transaction.
The pair walked towards the flight of stairs that led up to the Inn's rooms. Up the stairs was a long hallway of wooden doors.
"Have a wonderful night. Use some protection spells and try not to make too much noise please." The witch said, monotonously, but clearly teasing the pair.
"Protection spells?! What- what's up there?!" Hunter looked up the stairs at the rooms with a concerned face. What could be up there? Ghosts? Crazed demons?? Bugs?!!?
"Nothing, this witch doesn't know what they're talking about." (Y/n) glared at the front desk witch who was smirking at them. (Y/n) pushed Hunter up the stairs despite him pushing back and refusing to go up the stairs.
"Wait then what are they talking about?"
"Nothing. Just-" She finally shoved him up the stairs and opened their room door with the key.
It was small, but that was to be expected. The room had more of a prison cell feeling than a bedroom feeling, but it would do for the night. There was one big window which let in the moonlight, but it had metal bars on the outside. So yeah, more of a prison cell feeling.
"Good enough." (Y/n) shrugged as she flopped onto the bed. "A bed is a bed. Sleep is sleep."
Hunter sat on the bed next to (Y/n). "I uh, I brought one of the books with me." He said, bringing out another study of wild magic from his cloak.
"Really!" (Y/n) gasped and sat up to sit next to her partner.
"Mhm, we can read tonight if you want."
(Y/n) nodded rapidly and sat up against the headboard of the bed. Hunter scooted next to her to where their shoulders ran up against one another.
"History of Wild Magic..."
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We're running again. Running away from any burden or problem that could ruin this moment.
I'm running with someone. I can't make out their face, but we're running together.
We're holding hands and laughing.
They're laughing. I'm laughing too. What're we laughing about?
The meadows are beautiful.
I've never had a dream this pretty...
—————————————————————
Morning awoke the sleeping pair. Once again, they'd fallen asleep on each other while reading. But that had become normal after a week and a half of reading every night.
They'd gotten through about three books of wild magic so far. And each time they read together was a moment cherished by the both of them.
And just like every morning prior, the pair sat up, awoken by the sun.
"Hey, (Y/n)?" Hunter asked, his morning voice deep and sleepy. She looked at him, curious. "Before I met you, I had awful nightmares. Reoccurring nightmares that I'd wake up from in a cold sweat from."
(Y/n) frowned at his confession. It was upsetting to hear how each night tormented him. She guessed that was why he had bags under his tired magenta eyes.
"But ever since we started reading and sleeping with each other-"
"Don't phrase it like that."
"I've had rather pleasant dreams. I dream of running in a meadow with someone. But I can never tell who." He told her. A smile resided on his face—a fond smile. The pleasant dreams made him happy. They helped him sleep.
But (Y/n) felt an odd sensation of deja vu. "Wait. You too?"
"Huh? What do you mean? You dream of meadows too?"
"Every night for as long as I could remember, I've dreamt of running in a meadow with someone. Then we come across a cave and stop running."
"My nightmares took place in a cave, and I've had them for as long as I can remember, too!" Hunter exclaimed, feeling as if he were onto something. "In my nightmares I'm walking in a cave with someone. Then something bad happens, like the cave collapses on them or a beast appears. I don't know what any of it means."
"Do you think they're connected?"
"Maybe. Because every night that we've slept together-"
"Stop phrasing it like that."
"I haven't had a nightmare at all!" Hunter said, excitedly. For some reason he couldn't explain, it felt like his soul was complete, or something. Like something just clicked every time he was with (Y/n).
"That's... weird. Are.. are you the one whose hand I'm holding?" And the same feeling went for (Y/n), as well.
"Maybe."