"What is the name of this town we are going to?" putting her bag across her shoulder, Sol asks happily as she follows the rest out, patting her dress straight. Following with a small, rare, and gentle smile lingering on her face, Vanessa lightly pats Sol on the head. "Kuyamba, right?"
"You've been there?" Asking lightly as he leads them downhill into the town, fiddling with a dagger in his hand, Terrence tilts his head lightly back at Vanessa, who just nods lightly. "Yeah... my sister works there. Though me and Mom only visit them once one or two years...."
"Her occupation?" looking back to the road without many emotions in his speech, Terrence asks lightly.
"Baker.... She has a bakery with our dad and her boyfriend."
"... Stella Clark?"
"How...."
"The restaurant seems to be rather popular in town. Never went in but heard of things." Answering lightly as they arrives at the town, Terrence glances back lightly before looking away once more. "Let's go visit the bakery, shall we?"
"Okay!"
Making their way through town till they are face to face with the sign of The Clark's bakery. Vanessa stops right before she opens the door. Watching her in confusion and lightly tapping her on the shoulder, Sol tilts her head in concern. "Vanny? Are you not going in?"
"I... it's just that I haven't seen her in two years and...." Looking down and not sure if they could still get along, Vanessa hesitated before gasping as the door opened up in front of her. "W- wait! Rence!"
"Greetings. Is Stella Clark in today?" walking in with his hands in his pocket, Terrence asks lightly as a girl, Michael's age smiles over in a way that makes Terrence more than certain that she is definitely Vanessa's sister. "Someone is here to see you."
"Me?" Tilting her head lightly, walking out from the back kitchen with a wave at Orion, Stella walks to the door before pausing at the awkwardly standing Vanessa in front of her. "V...Vanessa?"
"Hey."
"What are you standing out here for? Hurry up and come inside!" Shaking her head before grabbing Vanessa's hand and basically yanking her into the shop, Stella pushes the girl into a chair as a bright smile rest on her face naturally. "Now, how can I help you today, big sis? A rather odd time for you to be visiting, but I'm not complaining!"
"I... just followed my new friend who happened to live around here." Answering once realizing that the girl in front of her didn't change one bit, Vanessa smiles back as she makes herself comfortable on the chair, teasing lightly. "Visiting you is merely a side quest."
"You little...." Gritting her teeth despite the clear joy shining off of her face, Stella turns her face away with a huff. "Well then. I was about to give you a free snack, but I guess not."
"Wait! Stella! I love you so much! You are my favourite person in the world besides Sunshine! I swear!" Hurrying onto her toes despite the small snickers escaping her, Vanessa ends up busting out laughing as Stella follows along with a shake of her head, disappearing back into the kitchen.
"Fine. Since you said that, I guess I shall spare you this once." Coming back out with a plate of Vanessa's favourite food, Stella lightly places it down before turning it over to Sol, shaking her hand happily. "So, you are the Sunshine Vanny had been talking about! Nice to finally meet you in person! I'm Stella!"
"H- hello!"
"Stella! You are scaring her!"
Just watching from the side with a subtle smile tucking on his lips, Terrence gives Vanessa a light wave as a notice before walking out of the shop to give the few some space.
Having followed him out with the same thoughts in mind, Zachary puts his hands in his pocket as he smiles down at the brunet. "Now what?"
"No clue. I don't usually hang out in town anyways." Walking off with his hands resting behind his head, Terrence peaks up at Zachary with a small hum. "Anywhere you want to go?"
"Honestly, I can go anywhere." Answering with a gentle smile, subconsciously reaching over and lightly running his hand through Terrence's hair, Zachary's expression softens as well as his touch. "I just want to get to know you a little better."
"...."
Staring up at Zachary with a shock wave freezing his body in place, Terrence stops walking all at once as he looks up at the boy caressing his hair. Zachary didn't look away. It's... getting awkward. Turning his head away and closing his eyes, Terrence huffs lightly under his breath. "Then... I guess we can go get something to eat and just... talk?"
"Sounds good to me." smiling gently and taking his hand back, gently gracing over Terrence's cheek in progress, Zachary places his hand back into his pocket. "Let's go then."
"You like ice cream that much?" Laughing lightly as he watches the usually stoic boy eating a giant bowl of ice cream with shining eyes, Zachary just lightly runs his hand through the hair hanging down from a low ponytail. Both have moved to sit under a tree within the town due to there being fewer people here.
"... it's tasty." Murmuring lightly and turning away from where he is getting laughed at, Terrence lightly elbows the boy, who just shakes his head in amusement.
"Hey! I didn't say it was bad! You get defensive so easily!" chuckling lightly, Zachary says in amusement as he lightly brings the hair into his hand, making a braid.
"I do not." Not really minding the hand in his hair, Terrence just looks to the side and huffs lightly. "Though if you are just here to tease me, I'm leaving."
"Wait! Wait! No!" can't help as a slightly louder laugh escapes him, Zachary quickly grabs onto Terrence, pulling him back down as the boy tries to stand up to prove his point, now trapped between Zachary's arms as he tries to not drop his ice cream.
"Hey! You almost made me drop it, idiot!"
"Then don't try to leave me, Terry." Answering in an amused tone, Zachary stares down at the boy staring at him with his cheeks puffed out and lightly pinched it in curiosity.
"Hey! Stop!" lightly slapping the hand away and moving away from the boy till his back is against the tree, Terrence gives the other a light glare as he places his ice cream down to the side. "What the hell was that for?!"
"I saw Amelie pinch them a few days ago and wondered why she seems to like doing that." Shrugging lightly before putting on a small smirk and inching toward Terrence in a playful threatening manner, Zachary moves so that he is practically pinning the other against the tree. "And I see to be able to understand now. It's stretchy."
"Don't. You. Dare." Raising his hands to cover his cheeks, just because Terrence had given up on trying to stop Amelia doesn't mean someone else can suddenly start doing it. Leaning his back against the wall and slowly curled himself up. "Get away, idiot. You are too close."
"Hmm...." Humming lightly before just lightly patting Terrence on the head with a smile, Zachary pulls back before laying himself down on the grass and closing his eyes, not wanting to violate the other's personal space after all. "Alright then, Rence."
"Weirdo." Staring down with a lightly raised brow, Terrence decides to just let it go since he seems to have stopped his cheeks from getting pulled on again today. Leaning back with his head touching the tree as well, Terrence closes his eyes and just enjoys the sunlight raining down from the leaves of the tree.
"Say, I did say I want to know more about you." Speaking up again after a little bit and peeking an eye open, Zachary gives the other a light smile as their eyes meet once more. "Care to share?"
"... what do you want to know?"
"Anything you are comfortable with."
Staring down and really doesn't know what he wants to share, Terrence hums lightly in confusion. What does he want to know? His trauma or his favourite colour? Be specific!
"Pfft- is it really that hard to think of something?" laughing lightly and flipping over to his stomach to lay on his hand, Zachary smiles up in amusement. "Well, if you can't think of anything... can you tell me about what you do in your free time?"
"Ty pulls me out to train for the majority of the time, or another commission comes out, which results in many blood pools." Answering with his eyes focused on a little bird in the tree, Terrence bites down the urge to go back to fiddling with his dagger. "Otherwise, I have the tormentors to look after and make sure they don't kill each other... and just reading, I guess."
"Hmm..." smiling gently and reaching a hand to the front, brushing lightly against Terrence's, Zachary hums lightly under his breath as he enjoys the peace around them before asking the next question. "What about before you guys became assassins? Judging by what Vincent had told us, you guys didn't always live with him."
"Yes... he is not our biological father and is not a relative as much as I'm aware, though he does resemble by birth parent ever so slightly." Answering with his hand has frozen slightly before relaxing, leaving it against the others, Terrence stares down at the hand before looking back at Zachary. "But what I did back with when I'm with them, huh?"
"Didn't Amelie say something about you emotionally adopting children even back then? Are there any stories you can tell? Anyone, in particular, you liked the most?" Zachary asks lightly before almost immediately regretting it as Terrence's expression turns into one of being horrified. "Rence...?"
///
"Terry! Look! Look! I made a stake!"
As a little boy with black hair carves a wooden stake from a branch, showing if off to Terrence, who seems to be around the age of ten. Terrence smiles gently as he looks up from his book with his back against the tree.
"That's great, Rowen! Good job!"
"Hehe~"
/
"Rowen?! Are you alright?" Running up to the same little boy with a broken leg and his head bleeding, Terrence kneels down before carefully picking him up and holding him close, rushing to find a doctor. "What happened?"
"I... just... tried to get some food...."
"I told you that you don't have to steal anymore...." Signing as he places Rowen on the bed once a doctor has patched the boy up unwillingly, Terrence graces a hand on the bandage covering his head. "I'll bring you some food to eat every day."
"I don't want to keep bothering you... you already keep me company...."
"You won't bother me, Rowen... I'll be here for you, okay?" Putting their forehead together and gently patting him to sleep, Terrence says quietly as Rowen starts drifting off to sleep.
"Okay, Terry... Let's always stay together, okay?"
"Okay."
/
"Rowen! I brought you food!" walking into the place where they usually meet, Terrence smiles gently before the plate in his hand drops to the ground.
"You thief!"
"Useless brat!"
"Keep on taking the fish in my lake!"
Meeting eyes with the little boy covered in blood on the ground, eyes closed without making a sound, something in Terrence snapped as he reached over to grab one of the many stakes Rowen had made in the past.
/
As the blood of people dyes the ground red, Terrence drops the shed to the ground, panting heavily. Kneeling down before shakingly, bringing the boy close to his chest, shaking him lightly.
"R- Rowen... wake up...."
"Open your eyes.... Please...."
"Didn't you say we will always stay together...?"
"Don't leave me as well...."
///
"Terrence, deep breath.... It's fine. You're fine. You're safe now."
Opening his eyes to find himself once again clinging onto the blond boy, shaking, Terrence stares up as Zachary hugs back gently yet firmly as if making sure the other feels secure... and safe.
"Good. Deep breath." Speaking soothingly beside his ears and rubbing light circles on his back, Zachary lightly cups the other's cheek to look up at him right in the eyes, expression softened. "You alright, Rence? Sorry if I brought back any bad memories."
"It's... it's fine." looking away before blinking in surprise as the blond wipes away a small tear from his cheek, Terrence can't remember how long it had been since the last time he had cried. As he tries to pull away and forget that anything has ever happened like he usually does, Terrence soon realizes that it is almost impossible to do so.
The warmth of the embrace.... Even though it's not the first time they've had any physical interactions, it feels... oddly comforting.
Almost addictive.
It's a weird feeling. But at the moment, Terrence really couldn't care less but to lean into the touch and stay there. Slowly rests his head on the other's shoulder and closes his eyes. For once, letting his previous emotions set it.
"Can I... stay here for a bit?"
"Of course. Stay as long as you want."
Much to what he had told his family about his past, one thing that even Tyron doesn't know is that the bandits, during their first mission, are, in fact...
Not his first kill.