Too Many Nights Alone Makes a Soul Tearful, Fearful, and Soaked
Summary: Growing up on the streets sucks. Simple things create the greatest fears. Varian had his turn to open up, now it is Hugo's. Their emotions will create a literal storm.
CW: Minor swearing and a panic attack later on, if in little detail.
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Growing up on the streets blows. Hugo felt the need to make that clear. It doesn't build character or inspire you to work harder like high society would love for you to believe. Simply put: it completely and utterly sucked to live alone all your life. As a kid, the blond spent his time studying the art of stealthily walking off with someone's belonging, rather than normal childhood lessons like how to not be a dick or who Santa Claus was. That was something he never quite picked up on. As such, the thief grew up with irrational fears following him; concerns a parent would have normally soothed. Hugo managed, learning his phobias were childish due to comment from Donella, rather than how to cope with them. He dealt with it, everyone who grew up on the street did.
Nuru intently observed the sky, her eyes darting from cloud to cloud as the group came to their next stop. Hugo eyed her carefully, fearing for the worst as the wind turned frigid. "It appears that a storm is on the horizon, unexpected at that!" She chimed as the gears in her mind working at an incredible pace. Varian and Yong glanced at each other, both eager to observe the storm. Each took great joy in watching the electric bolts spread across the sky. Yong considered it to be thousands of mini-explosions, while Varian saw it as pure science at work. Hugo on the other hand felt pure shame whenever a storm rolled around. He knew of the science behind storms and how they were nothing more than air currents and atmosphere expansion. Yet, the downpour always managed to send him into a tearful state. His fear was irrational: and he loathed himself for it.
A chill crept down Hugo's spine, futzing with his gloves as wind whipped through the group. "If we hurry, we can find shelter in an inn a few miles from here. However, we'll really need to rush-"
Before the navigator finished her words, the blond began following the path she pointed out. "Let's get going then. I don't feel like being drenched." Hugo grumbled, his hands deep in his pockets. The group wasted no time in speeding down the trail, occasionally droplets of water sprinkling their hair. Small footsteps quickly fell in line with Hugo's, the smaller alchemist at his side.
"I have not observed thunderstorms in years! This is my chance to really get a detailed look at how they operate. You'd be surprised how little it rains in the sun kingdom!..." The younger flipped through pictures of storms in his journal, Varian's words rolling off Hugo, the blond's attention more invested on the path ahead.
As much as he cared for the noirette, apprehension guided his motions and nulled his reactions to a mere "Mhm...Cool stripes." In an instant, concern filled the alchemist's features, gently taking the freckled hand in his.
"Are you alright Hugh? You have yet to call me a nerd."
"M' fine goggles, just don't want to get caught out in the rain. Ruins my hair." A small chuckled escaped the blond's lips, snatching the alchemist's journal teasingly before running down the path, full speed. "Catch me if you can!" Varian squeaked in surprised,
The inn was cozy if a bit run down. A tear here or there in the walls and the occasional bit of dust didn't distract from the warm ambiance. Each room was small in size, but large in decorum. A wide, tidy bed sat in one corner with a vanity across from it. A small, upright closet held some spare blankets and pillows, along with a few books that no one would have the patience to crack open. Fire flickered on the other side of the room, minimal heat radiating from its delicate flames. The occasional knick-knack or two adding hints of space to the mantle of the fireplace, but it is clear that the objects there were left behind from previous tenants rather than strategically placed by the innkeeper. Not an ideal place to stay, but it was a grand improvement over the downpour outside.
Hugo took his key and left for the room as fast as his legs could take him. Little attention to the calls of his groupmates, the blond closed the satin curtains that draped over his window, swiftly pressing his hands to his head to drown out the deafening noise of water and wind outside. Each bang and crash sent another wave of fear through the thief's system, forcing him to choke down any exclamations of surprise. Irrational fear was all it was. Storms could not hurt him, they were simply a being of nature. With only a small wooden mouse to his person and a few blankets, Hugo pulled himself into a ball to hopefully drown his fears in comfort. If that failed, there was always the contents of his flask. Clutching Olivia to his chest, the blond quietly hummed to himself, "You can do this. Just do what you did every time this happened as a kid. You can do this Hugo." In...out...in...out.
A Yelp left Hugo's lips, quickly biting it down before anyone could hear. Bright lights flicked through the curtains and wind whipped at the small building, a creaking noise settling throughout the house. A painful silence followed, teeth slightly puncturing the blond's gloved hands as he prayed no one had heard him. No creak of steps, no knock at his door, just the muffled chatter of the tavern patrons below. A sigh of relief escaped Hugo's lips.
"Hugh? You awake?" Oh god damn it. Varian's steps were so light they didn't make a sound. Wonder where the kid got that skill from. Drying his eyes, the thief pushed his now mangled mess of hair back, not quite remembering when his hair ties had fallen out. Strands of hair covered his eyes like golden ribbons, albeit ribbons that obscured his vision and made it difficult to stabilize himself. Reaching for the nearby vanity resulted in some books slipping off, revealing an all too familiar journal and it's pages. A quick glance instantly made Hugo recognize it as Varian's; no wonder the alchemist was at his door. He decided to ignore the many mentions of his name on the page to avoid a rush of color to his face, opting instead to close its contents and gently set it back onto the vanity; the blond's movements near robotic as he recovered from the disturbance. "Hugo? Everything okay?" The smaller voice rang through the room once again, echoing through his mind rather than the basic functions of his body that dictated him being able to balance.
Hugo's ass was immediately on the floor, his only in-mind response being, "Just dropped a big book!", as he scrambled to his feet just as swiftly as they had failed him. Stumbling to the door, Hugo swung it open, attempting to salvage any pieces of composure he had left in him. If he did, he would drag it out kicking and screaming if it meant no suspicion would be aroused by his actions. Hugo's leafy eyes met with Varian's, quickly leaning against the doorway for obvious fashion rather than the greatly needed physical support.
"Lookin' for something Stripes?" Forcefully calming his voice to sound as nonchalant as possible, forest green orbs stared into deep ocean blue ones.
"I was wondering if you still had my journal? I can't seem to find it anywhere." Speculation dusted each word, Hugo picking up in the wringing of the alchemist's hands or the gaze he held with the blond.
"Journal hm...Oh! This." Hugo slipped the book into Varian's hands, hoping no pages appeared tampered with.
"Oh, there it is!..." Varian's eyes flickered from the contents of the book to Hugo's freckled face, taking a moment to gather the words before he allowed them to spill out. "Is everything alright? I heard some noises from your room." A cold sweat ran down Hugo's back, his throat running dry for words. Varian did not need anything from the blond, the look on his face speaking volumes to the alchemist. Hugo's heart thumped in his chest, able to clearly see the gears turning in the noirette's mind. "Hey...would you like to help me with something I'm working on? I am trying to come up with a new compound that can make our caravan fireproof in case Yong's explosives go off...again." A small chuckle formed in Hugo's throat, stepping aside to welcome the smaller male into his room. The two found themselves on the disheveled bed, Hugo feeling his nerves begin to blur into the background as he poured over equations with the blue-striped male snug to his side. The raindrops faded away, the only remaining electricity between the two figures on the bed. Varian pulled the covers around them, allowing Hugo to slowly sling an arm around his shoulders and pull him closer. A faint pink rose to his freckled cheeks, allowing himself this delicate moment. "Hey Hugh?"
A muffled, almost dazed reply. "Hm?" Hugo could feel sleep edge closer and closer.
"If there's one thing I know about it's fears. Well, fears and the power of alchemy." A small laugh laced his words, it was clear Varian was still passionate about his abilities. "What I mean to say is, I know how difficult it can be to talk about your fears. To admit that you see those fears every day. Fear can paralyze us. It can stop up from doing things we desperately want to do." That last word seemed a bit more emphasized than others. Hm.
The alchemist's words carried a weight, as if he were truly speaking from experience. Hugo nudged closer to the noirette's warmth, trying to bite back the embarrassment he felt for relating to everything that was spoken by the younger male. "Yeah?", was all he could muster.
"Yeah. And if you ever have any fears you need help with. I'd lo- wouldn't mind helping you out! I-i can't fix them but..." Heat flushed through both of their faces, Varian stumbling through the rest of his words. Hugo felt blessed enough just for hearing the beginning of that specific word. "N-not that I-I'm saying you have fears! It isn't wrong to have them, though. It is simply human." Human. Hugo never felt like he was ever human. Elites treated people like him as if they were monsters. Their voices weren't important. Their problems were a nuisance. Hugo felt like a reprehensible creature his entire childhood because of them.
The blond bit his lip, wanting so badly to let the words spill out. Yet, all he could bring himself to do was lay an exhausted kiss upon Varian's obsidian locks. The thief's physical state brushed off the tiny squeak, or the questioning of his actions. Eyelids growing heavy, Hugo felt true exhaustion drench every part of his body. Fear was a herculean emotion that drained unfortunate souls of their strength and energy. As much as he wanted to suppress the urge to collapse onto his mattress and drift away, Varian's warm scent lulled him further into a daze. Something along the lines of chocolate and mint: intoxicatingly sweet. His limbs weakened, shifting his weight against the small alchemist. Hugo would deal with Don's nonsense later if it meant he could spend the night against Varian than reporting to her. A faint melody solidified his state of being, all he knew being the alchemist's breathing and his song; he could stay like this for the rest of his life. No matter the weather.
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