In the forest's embrace
Hello everyone! How are you doing? This is a small idea I had in my mind for some time. It's not yet complete, I just wanted to put something out for you guys. I really hope you like it. If you enjoy it, let me know if you have any ideas or requests. I'd be more than happy to listen to anything! Happy reading!
Synopsis: After being chased out of her house, reader finds herself inside a dangerous forest. There she meets somebodies that might change her life.
Shifters!Kyoya x Tsubasa x Ryuga x f!reader
Cw: reader referred to as witch, slight angst?, curses, ooc behaviour, fated mates, poly couple, shifters, fluff (let me know if I missed anything)
Part 1
They say the forest is cursed. They say that anyone who walks in has never returned. They say at night, voices and screams are heard.
The ones that managed to move close enough to faintly describe it, say of a line of trees and beyond that, a deep, deep slope, with no end on sight. They say that there is no way of climbing up once you've fallen down.
Only a way in. No way out.
Older generations speak of beasts and dragons, and fairies, none of them confirmed but plausible enough to believe. The dark aura around the place was enough proof and along with the screams, it didn't take long for people to start believing in these things.
A perfect way for the mothers to scare their children into behaving. Or a way for possible punishment, should anyone disobey the elders' rules.
But, there hadn't been an incident for a very long time. No one dared to come close, believing the rumors or not. It was dangerous nonetheless.
Those thoughts kept mulling over in her head, as she passed by it. Basket in hand with her freshly washed clothes, she walked in the direction of her home. But she could not help when her eyes drifted towards the forest. It was beautiful, that was something she could not lie about. And just as it was beautiful, it was just as dangerous. So she kept her distance. She could admire its beauty from afar.
She encountered more women going in the opposite direction of her, and she greeted them with a polite hello and small bow. Even if she didn't get anything more than a disgusted glance. It was okay. She was used to it. Or that's what she liked to console herself with.
It had been years since she had moved into the village. She thought that by now, the people would be more welcoming. But she could not fool herself anymore. Things were not going to change. Not after five years.
She could not understand what it was about her that made everyone hate her. She mostly kept to her self, helped whenever she could, answered any questions they had about her. And it seemed this wasn't enough. It was never going to be.
Was it because she spent her days close to the forest? Was it because she kept accumulating herbs and different things she found around?
They kept muttering that she was a witch. But that was far from the truth. She had no relation to that. But it seemed that anything she said, anything she did, it appeared like a threat to them.
And unfortunately, unbeknownst to her, today was the day the tip would overflow.
She stayed inside her house after her work was done. Over an open fire, she had started brewing some tea to calm her nerves. Her body was taught, bad feelings hanging all over the house. It almost felt suffocating.
Suddenly, something was thrown at her window, shattering it, glass shards flying everywhere.
She gasped and moved away, seeing an angry swarm of villagers outside, yelling at her.
Why? What did she do?
After the rocks, the next thing thrown where fiery balls of hay. So many of them. She had no time to extinguish the fire that spread so quickly around her house. She watched in horror as her things disappeared under the unwavering flow of the fire, books and furniture unsalvagable.
She had to get out if there if she didn't want to share the same fate.
She coughed and wheezed her way out and after managing to get some distance from her burning house and them, she demanded an explanation. At least, a resemblance of it. She was so shaken up, the words unable to leave her lips.
"Wha..what happened? Why.. Why are you doing this?" She asked, the tears leaving her face like waterfalls.
"Why? You have the nerve to ask you spawn of the devil? You wicked witch?"
"What are you..."
"You have been poisoning the ears and eyes of my people. You go around teaching the devil's words. People have heard you teaching spells to children, urging them to go to that forsaken forest."
"Please, I'm begging you, you've got it all wrong!"
"Liar! Look at her everyone! Even close to her death, she is willing to keep spewing lies instead of repenting for her sins."
"No, please-" A stone thrown at her head stopped her from talking. She hissed and brought a hand up to soothe the injury. She could feel how warm and wet it was, her own blood coating her fingers, painting her face red.
"Shut up! We don't need excuses from a witch like you! You should just die!"
"Yeah die!"
"Kill her!"
More people chimed in, effectively overwhelming her. Why? She didn't do such thing. She didn't. She was innocent.
"Do you have anything to say?"
"I'm innocent! I don't know what you're talking about. I would never do such a thing!"
"It appears you value your life no more. So be it. So, in order to keep my people safe, a punishment should be enacted."
People started yelling again after hearing that. She looked around mortified, how could they be so cruel to suggest all these things to happen to her?
The elder silenced them with a wave of his hand.
"How about we give her a taste of her own medicine? How about we get her where she is so infatuated with? How about we throw her to the beasts in the forest?"
No. No this couldn't be. She looked at him, begging him with her eyes to stop this nonsense. But his hard and stern face was all the answers she needed.
"Well, you heard people. Let's hunt that witch to the forest." As of cue, growls and barks were heard, her eyes falling on the dogs.
Their hungry eyes, salivating mouths.. They were hungry. And she was their prey.
She couldn't do anything at this point. There was no way out. She looked one last time at her house, or better yet, what was left of it. All her things, her books, her medicine. But none mattered. What mattered was to get away from these angry beasts.
She turned her back and started running. Never did she look behind her. She didn't want to see their faces.
She had reached the start of the forest. She knew what awaited her. Certain death. But it was better than getting eaten by those dogs or tortured and killed by the villagers.
So before she could think it through, she disappeared behind the tree line.
One, two, three steps later she was falling. Falling with no stop in sight. A small yelp was all the noise she made, before fear took over and blocked any further noise.
The leaves crunching beneath her was the only sound that was heard on the seemingly eerily quiet forest. That and her beating heart.
~~~~
"Water.. I need.. Some water." She muttered to herself. Just by speaking of it, it seemed to make her mouth drier.
She had been walking for what felt like an eternity. Her sore muscles, tired limps testament of that. She must have fallen unconscious after her fall. The first thing she remembered was waking up on the dirty floor, leaves and grass tangled in her hair and clothes. She had no time to waste though. She was alive. And she needed to find refuge.
She could feel the dirt and dried blood on her face and clothes. She needed to get rid of that.
There were trees, an endless sea of them in front of her, no exit in sight.
She was lost, she concluded. That was it. She was lucky enough to not encounter anyone or anything that could kill her, but she was going to find death by her own body.
She chuckled lightly, humoured by her predicament. Nonetheless, she pushed through. There was no way she would just give up and stay there to die. Maybe just maybe there was hope left.
Suddenly, there was a noise. She couldn't understand what it was at first, but after hearing it for the second time, she concluded it must have been an animal.
Her head frantically started searching around, hoping to find the mysterious creature. It sounded again from above her and lifted her eyes to see it.
And there it was! Perched on a high branch, the most magnificent eagle she had ever seen. It was huge! With shiny, white feathers that seemed almost iridescent, with eyes so strikingly beautiful.
It tilted its head at her, almost as if inquiring about her, curious about the sudden visitor in the forest. It chirped one last time, effectively bringing her out of her trance. She must have looked weird staring at it for so long, but she had never seen such a majestic animal.
"Oh, um.. Hello there." She voiced, but she sounded way too croaked in her ears. She cleared her throat, embarrassed by how she sounded.
"Sorry about that."
The eagle chirped again, as if to acknowledge her. She smiled seeing that.
How cute.
But she couldn't let herself be sidetracked. She really needed to find a way out. She started moving, walking to the opposite direction of the eagle.
That didn't seem to please it one bit, because it immediately started flapping its wings, making croaks again.
Is something wrong? What happened?
She turned to look at what was happening, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The eagle kept his antics, now clenching and unclenching its claws on the branch.
Did it... Did it try to tell her something? Maybe it was helping her? Gasp! What if it was trying to show her the way?
"Are you showing me where to go?" She whispered, afraid of her own thoughts that some bird could be trying to communicate with her in order to help her.
But the small chirped sound confirmed her suspicion. And she couldn't be more thankful and weirded out by the whole ordeal. I mean, the bird understood her? And her struggles? Then again, she realised, she was inside the forbidden forest. The myths may be true.
She bowed her body towards her feathery saviour, muttering words gratitude. And she was. She really would be eternally grateful to this animal. Unless, it was walking her into a trap. Which she had no way of telling.
Its eyes were glued to her as she walked to the opening, curious and intrigued about the way this human was acting.
He hadn't seen anyone like this in his thousands years of living.
'The others must have been notified. Time to see what awaits us. Maybe.. Maybe our prayers have been answered.'
~~~~~
There was something, lurking inside the shadows of the forest. It was currently watching a young maiden drink happily from the lake. Her appearance was, well, disheveled, and the creature almost felt empathetic towards her.
Because he knew. He knew how she managed to find herself in this situation. He knew what she was thinking, what she was feeling, what she had lived.
Because she had become one with the forest. She had, unbeknownst to her, merge her conscious with them. It wasn't anything she could control, it was what was really happening, there was no stopping it.
But despite all that, underneath all of this, there was something else. Something he couldn't place his finger.
After taking her last sip of the water, she let out a happy sigh and plopped herself on the plush grass. She would surely have the need to clean herself, but she decided to take a break for a moment and appreciate all that was around her.
She had no idea that following the path the eagle showed her would take her to such place. It was like she entered a whole knew world. The sun was shining brightly, trees way greener and filled with fruits, the huge lake in front of her. She could even make out small animals and birds, that only spared her a curious look before continuing with their business.
Peace and quite. That's what she wa feeling. When was the last time she let herself be this calm? There were no worries in her head, no fear of any man or woman hurting her. Finally.
She could almost feel the vibrations on the ground underneath her fingertips, meaning that something was approaching.
She slowly opened her eyes, too lost in the calm feeling to even care about what was coming for her. She had no care of whether she would be dead in the next minute. At least she would die peacefully.
There was something.. Something hiding in plain sight. She realised she wasn't alone, but waited. Waited for the creature to make an entrance.
And it did not disappoint. Because before her, stood a dragon. A real dragon. If she thought that the eagle was beautiful, this was downright breathtaking. It was huge, at least the size of the trees surrounding her, white in its colour with some golden and red on its scales. On its back sported a pair of golden and white wings, and much like the eagles, they gave off an iridescent feel.
She stood there, captivated. She could not belive that this creature was real and alive. She only had heard of them from some old books in her house, passed down from generations before her, but she brushed them off. There was no way they were real. But here she was, being proven wrong by the animal in front of her.
"Little human" A voice was heard from him. Deep, raspy, vibrating through the air.
She immediately stood up on her feet hearing him. He was talking to her. What an honor.
"Hello... Umm.. Dragon of the forest." She did a small bow to show her respect, using a meager title to address the beast, hoping to please him.
"I see there are some mortals who haven't forgotten their manners."
She smiled faintly hearing his praise, delighted to, for the time being, be in his good favour.
"The same could not be said about the people that have chased you. Here of all places."
"How do you.."
"I know everything about you, little human."
She gaped at him like a fish. What did he mean? How was that possible? Was he telling the truth. There were so many questions swirling inside her head but she didn't have time to voice them. The dragon spoke as if reading her mind.
"I know you have questions. Alas, it would be better to... Answer them in a more appropriate setting. And without this disguise."
She could only look confused at the dragon. This disguise? What did he meant. This question though, was answered on the spot.
It was the cracking of bones that send a chill down her spine, willing her self not to cringe at the sound. And with such a big creature, the sound was tenfold. The dragon srinked and srinked, in his placed standing a man. A very beautiful man.
With the tallest structure she had seen on a man, with the body to back it up. White short hair with a red tuft and the goldest of eyes she had even seen. On his head stood a golden head piece of a dragon, his arms adorned with the same golden pieces. There were some strange marking littered across his skin that she had never seen before.
"Feels much better" She heard him mutter, her eyes not leaving him for a moment. His eyes were glued to her the moment he transformed, calculating and cautious of her every move.
He moved, taking one step closer, while on instinct, she took one backwards. Despite her initial amazement for his being, he was still a man. A very attractive one, but a man nonetheless. And a man was much more unpredictable than a fire breathing beast.
"You have no reason to be afraid, little dove. I do not wish you harm." He sounded convincing, but it took great power in her part to stay rooted in her place and let him approach. He took slow steps, sizing her up, waiting for a sudden outburst.
"I merely wish to help you. Once you are fed, cleaned and healed, we'll answer your questions."
He stopped just a few centimeters away from her, she could feel his breath fanning the top of her head. She had not realised how big he was, but now, standing so close to her, she had to crane her neck to see his face. He didn't do anything after that, waiting for her to voice her thoughts.
"How.. How do I know you're safe? That I'm safe."
"You are not." He said. "There are a lot that could kill you. First and foremost.." He glanced at the lake. "The water you so graciously drank."
She gulped. Did he mean that... Was the water poisoned? She didn't taste anything weird. It was the freshest and cleanest water.
"What do you mean?"
"Should it have perceived you as a threat, you would have already been dead. So, the answer to your question? You are safe, as long as the forest feels safe with you."
She blinked once, twice. That was a lot of information. And most importantly, she would have been dead? If she was seen as a threat? She looked at the lake, its water still, reflecting the scenery around it.
"She has already taking a liking to you. So do not fret. Now please, follow me little dove. We have to get you accommodated. I would be happy to provide any additional information until we reach out home."
He turned around, and started walking, not waiting for her to follow. He knew she would do so. And she did. After gathering her self, willing to calm her beating heart, she started following on his footsteps. He promised information. And information she was going to get.
"How.. How should I address you?"
"Ahh, yes. It appears that my manners disappeared. You can call me Ryuga."
"Ryuga." She whispered, testing his name on her tongue. She could not see the man since he had his back on her, so she was unable to see the pleased look on his face. Hearing his name fall from her lips. It strangely pleased him.
"What would your name be, little dove?"
"Y/n."
"Y/n. A strange name. But a beautiful one nonetheless."
Her cheeks erapted in flames. It was all too much. She had no experience with the opposite gender in that department, so even these small interactions left her flustered. His nickname for her, which she had yet to comment on, the way his voice sounded, so deep and alluring..
"I've never heard of such name."
"My mother named me after my grandmother. They were not from this parts."
"I see."
Silence engulfed them. She didn't know what to say. She had so many things, but was unable to voice them. But it seemed it was a long journey. And the man hadn't started a conversation.
"How old are you?" She finally blurted, starting from the basics.
"I have lived long enough."
"That's too vague."
There was sound that sounded like a chuckle from him.
"I have lived long before this world was created. Is that a sufficient answer for you, little dove?"
"Umm, a bit better. Not that can understand how old is this old but.. So, you've lived here? All your life?"
"Yes. I was entrusted with the protection of the forest. This was my role and purpose."
He felt a presence beside him, tilting his head to look at her.
"Do you live alone? It must be quite lonely." Ryuga could see a small pout forming on her lips, and he had to admit, he found that adorable.
"No, my mates have been by my side."
Mates? What did that mean? Was that, another creature perhaps? Or did that mean his friends? Is that what they were called here? Mates?
"Your friends?"
"My mates."
"So.. Your best friends?"
Now it was his turn to tilt his head in her direction. He didn't know what friends meant to her, or even if she was familiar with the term. She was a human after all.
"We are.." He hesitated.. "Partners if you wish. Though it is much more that that."
"So, you are married?"
"Married?"
"Yes, you are like, husband and wife."
"Husband? Wife?" He had not heard of such terms.
She looked at his face, his head tilted to the side, looking like a curious puppy. So cute.
"I am not familiar with the customs of the mortals."
She giggled hearing him talk like that. "Then I guess I will have to teach about them."
"Yes. That would be delightful." He smiled softly at her and turned his head around, seeing the familiar opening of his home.
"It appears we are here. And the others are already inside."
He motioned for her to walk first, which she did with some hesitation. She had no idea what to expect, but whatever it was, she was going to go through that. The worst had already passed.
"Did you bring another stray here, Ryuga? But it smells nice and.. Oh. It is a female of all things." A male's voice stopped her in her tracks, his words echoing in her head.
"Excuse me?" She frowned hearing that. She couldn't exactly see who was talking to her, she could only make out a body hiding in the shadows of the house.
"Careful with that, Kyoya. Besides, you already knew who I was coming with."
"I know, but I couldn't help myself. She had such a teasable face."
"What does that even mean?"
"Hmm, I wonder." He smirked at her, walking at her like he was ready to pounce at her. But a hand came on his shoulder before he could make a step.
"I thought we already discussed this, dear." A velvety voice was heard, before a tall man walked from behind. He was... Ethereal. Words could not describe what she was seeing.
Tall, with a lean body, and not so much prominent muscles. White, long hair that reached his waist framed his face, whiter than any snow she had seen. His brown eyes shone bright, while what caught her attention were the little wings, stationed on the side of his eyes, reaching past his head. Feathers white, just like the rest of him.
He seemed almost familiar. There was no possibility she had seen him before. She was sure of that. Had she encountered him, she would have not forgotten him ever. And yet. She couldn't shake that feeling. She took one last glance at him. White hair. What wings. White feathers.
"Gasp. You're.."
"I see you remember me."
"Thank you." Her voice quivered. Water started pouting from her eyes. Now, that she felt safe and secure, now that there was no immediate danger. She let herself relax. She had no idea why she would be experiencing this. Why was she feeling safe inside a house full of predators?
She kept sniffing her nose, taking deep and slow breaths, hoping that this would calm her sudden outburst. She wiped her eyes vigorously but that didn't seem to stop the salty liquid from running down her face.
Because the more she cried, the more she found reasons to continue. Her hard life, her destroyed one, her abandoned home, her possible death by.. By possibly anything that breathed.
"There, there. Let it all out lovely." A body was stationed before her and before she could react, she felt herself enveloped into strong arms. She stilled, expecting the worse. But when he didn't move, she felt like crying even louder.
When was the last time since she had been held like this? She couldn't even remember her own family doing something like this. It felt so nice.
She nuzzled her face closer to the man's chest, completely unbothered by the rudeness or how forward this was. She took deep breaths to calm down. Her nostrils filled with his scent, like the forest, like the soil after the rain. A low vibration in his chest seemed to calm her down further. What was this? It almost seemed like.. Purring?
Something soft wrapped around her leg. She let out an involuntarily giggled at the ticklish feeling. That was her queue to move a little further from the man's chest, now the perfect opportunity to to study his face.
Clear blue eyes stared right af her, under them adoring his face were cross like scars. Long, green hair, tied in a low ponytail, while on top of his head stood two.. Ears. She could not recognise from which animal.
The same feeling in her leg caught her attention, and lowered her eyes to look at what it was. She was surprised to see a thin, long tail, with hair only at its end.
It reminded her of a cat, but, that couldn't be true.
"I'm not cat! What does everyone think that?"
"You are just a bigger version. Deep down, you are still a cat." Ryuga's voice sounded playful from behind her, but that seemed to irk the male more.
"That's not true? I'm a lion! I am the king of all living creatures!"
"I suppose so."
"Hey! Don't ignore me!"
Their sudden outburst was her excuse to create some distance between them. She understood quite quickly that this was nothing more than some playful banter, no harm or ill intent behind their words or actions.
Her attention turned back to the last male, which she had not introduced yet, finding him looking lovely at the two. So that's what Ryuga meant by partners. Mates.
His eyes fell on her next, his expression never once wavering. It was a little weird but she could not bring herself to care.
"We can move into a more quiet setting. I assume you would also like to clean yourself. It has been quite an eventful day for you." He extended his hand towards her, to which she gladly accepted. That seemed to please him.
"Yes, that would be great. Thank you again. For everything."
"I merely did anything worth praising. Nevertheless, you are very much welcome." He smiled at her and turned to look ahead of him.
He led them further and further away from their house. Birds were heard, chirping and singing, creating a tranquil atmosphere.
"I believe I have not introduced myself properly. You can call me Tsubasa."
"Oh, of course. How rude of me! You can call me Y/n. Nice to meet you."
"Pleasure is all mine, my dear."
Her heart skipped a beat. It appeared she liked hearing them say things like that to her.
He didn't explain further on why he was using such terms of endearment with her. Or anyone basically. But she wasn't going to complain. She was more than happy.
Silence stretched between the two for some time. Y/n took her time admiring everything around her. It was all so pretty, so different from what she had used to see. Her hometown did nothing to compare to this place.
The sound of running water brought her back to reality. The more they approached, the louder it became. It didn't sound like the light sound of passing water, so it must have been a waterfall.
"We are here." She heard beside her and walked forth. And soon enough she saw it. A huge waterfall, as high as the sky, letting water down into small, circular lakes. It was steaming hot, one could see the fumes.
"I will leave you to your own. Should you need anything, you may call me." Tsubasa spoke and turned his body to leave. Why? Where was he going? Was he going to leave her here? All alone?
"You.. You don't have to go back. You can.. Stay here.. If you want.." Her voice quieted down the more she spoke, almost afraid and embarrassed to voice her own thoughts. And she would be right. Who in their right mind wanted someone to watch them bathe?
"I do not wish to make you uncomfortable with my presence."
"No, no. Not at all. I just.. I kind of don't want to be alone. Is that alright with you? I don't want to overstep any boundaries."
He smiled softly at her. He could see from her flushed face and angsty behavior that she was nervous. Despite that, she was brave enough to speak to him.
He had started to realise why she was brought here. It wasn't an accident. A higher force must have heard their wishes. It was clear by the golden string attaching them. Though he couldn't be sure just yet, it was too early to tell. Still, that thought gave him hope.
Their final mate.
"I suppose I can indulge you for a while. There is no harm in that."
She nodded, elated that he had accepted her request. Which she still, didn't know what urged her to do it. There was no use backing out now.
Her clothes found their way to the ground. She went inside the spring, the hot water enveloping her whole body. She sighed, closing her eyes to this euphoric feeling. She felt like being cleansed, all the events, all her fears, worries washed away by the hot water. Her muscles relaxed.
"I see it is to your liking."
"It's really nice. I've never taken a bath like this before. It's so relaxing."
"I am happy to hear that." His body moved closer, movements so fluid, like the running water. He found a rock next to her and sat down, his eyes never once wavering from her own.
"The water will help heal the wounds. Though I wish it wouldn't have been yours." His hand took some of the water and poured it on the side of her head. It took away all the blood in a swift notion, the small wound closing within seconds.
She thought she was unable to get any redder than she was now. At least, she could blame it on the hot temperature of the water. But her beating heart was hard to ignore. The way he touched her face, the way he was looking at her. As if she was the most precious gem in the world.
Before she could embarrass herself, she jerked back, coughing, in order to mask her embarrassment. He copied her movements, turning his face on the side. From there she could see the wings on his face flutter and curl. That was.. Unexpectedly cute.
"So.. Umm.. Is there anyone else living here with you?" She started. She could get her mind away and it would be a good opportunity to answer some questions.
"No. Only the three of us. Since the beginning of time." He smiled fondly, clearly reminiscing their time.
"That must be lovely. And you are all.. Together?"
"Yes. The three of us."
Fascinating. She had never heard of such thing. Such type of a relationship. Then again, there was much of the world that she didn't know. Besides, she was sure that the village leader would have killed anyone that dared to say anything different of the regular. Much less in the relationship department.
"It sounds.. Nice. I've never heard of three people being together. And all men."
"Is it not common with your people?"
"I suppose no. Not where I come from at least. I have no idea what happens elsewhere."
She saw him nodding his head. She inspected his calm face, how his every feature seemed to compliment each other. She had never seen a more beautiful man than him.
And then suddenly something crossed her mind. Something she had spoken with Ryuga.
"I sense you have more questions, dear. Please, feel free to ask."
"Ryuga had told me something."
"Yes?"
"He said that.. The water could kill me. That it, you, know."
"Oh, I see. Yes, that does sound a little ominous. Alas, I am afraid that he was right. The moment you entered the forest, you.. Um.. How should I phrase it.. You became one with it."
"Like.. What?"
"Your mind, your soul, your existence, became one with it. All that you've experienced, the good and the bad, they merged with the forest. And subsequently to us."
She slumped hearing that. So, from what she could gather, these men, these men that she had know for less than a day, knew everything about her. This was what he was telling her.
"I am deeply sorry for upsetting you, dear. But it would not seem right to lie to you about this."
"Oh no, please. It is not your fault. If anything. It's just.. A lot to take in. It is quite scary."
"There is no reason to feel like this. This was merely a transaction that had to be done. We do not see any further than you want us to. We wish only for your safety. There are no ulterior motives. You are safe." He spoke with such authority. Each word he spoke carried its weight, urging you to believe him and bow to his will.
And she had no reason not to believe him. Which was a little unsettling on its own. But then again, she was talking to three ancient shape shifting gods. That alone should have been plenty weird. And there she was.
"Very well then. I trust your judgement. My only worry would have been.. Your reaction. Nothing more." She avoided his gaze, his reaction to her words left a pit at the stomach.
Though that didn't last long because his curled fingers brought her face to him.
"You do not have to worry about such trivial matters. What has happened is in the past, and it will remain there.View this.. As an opportunity to start anew. Does that suffice?"
He had a point. She had not thought about it like that. But he was right. It was like the universe had given her a second chance to live the life that she wasn't able to. Away from everything and everyone. Her and the three god guardians of the forest.
She nodded her head in acknowledgement, smiling softly at him.
Yes. This was going to be her new start.
~~~~
"You surely took you sweet time over there." Kyoya's teasing voice welcomed them into their abode. He send a wink her way which seemed to flare up her face all over again. The lion shifter along with Ryuga were sitting on the floor around a small table filled to the brim with food. They surely liked to eat a lot.
"I do not think we are that late."
"Mmhm. Whatever you say bird boy. Now, come along sweetheart. It's time to eat." He gave her a toothy grin and patted a spot next to him on the cushioned floor.
She gazed at the two men, a little nervous, waiting for their approval, maybe? Or some hint on what she should do? The only thing she received were their comforting smiles and a small push from Tsubasa.
So, she complied. After taking her seat, Tsubasa took the one opposite of her, right next to Ryuga.
"Here, try this! I caught it just today." The feline besides her brought something close to her face.
"Kyoya. Let the poor woman breathe for a moment."
"You're just jealous I get to feed her."
"I am.. Not?"
"Here, say ahh my dear."
She complied to his request, taking a bite from the food he was offering. It seemed like some type of meat wrapped inside a leaf. She had to admit, she did not remember when was the last time she had eaten meat. The villagers refused to sell her any, and she didn't have the heart to kill them.
And she had to admit, it was really good. She hummed at the taste, munching as slowly as possible savouring it.
"It's really good!"
"I'm happy to hear that. Here, have some more."
There was silence for some time, the four people immersed into their own food world. The occasional tearing of the meat or small words around them were the only noise that was heard.
It felt so.. Domestic. She had always wished to live like this. Be it with friends, or a family of her own. It warmed her heart.
The table was cleared withing minutes. Her initial skepticism about their eating capacities was proven wrong. Not even a bone was left on the table, courtesy of Ryuga.
He didn't eat every bone. Because of her. Which she did feel a little guilty about. But the moment she heard that crunch of teeth against the bone, she cringed and covered her ears, muttering apologies under her breath. Ryuga had reassured her that there was nothing to apologise about, and he promised to eat them alone, so as to not scare her.
She looked at him with astonishment. Why did a man that knew her for only a day, acted like that? Why did he care so much about her wellbeing and whether or not she was comfortable around them? Why change his habit for someone that had essentially walked into their house and lives?
"Do not do that lovely." Tsubasas voice brought her out of her inner space, his hand coming to her forehead, smoothing it out. "Frowing does not suit you."
"Yes! And you'll get all wrinkly. Like that old hag. And I refuse to let my mate look like that."
"Kyoya, don't be rude. She might be hearing you."
"Well good. It's been millenia since she visited. I think this is a good time."
She sat and watched them for a moment, listening to their conversation about someone. Some old woman, if she wasn't mistaken. What exactly had she walked herself into?