The Beast Within

Chapter 2: Someone to Love

Kazuto's POV

"Am I really welcomed here? Am I really not bothering her?" I sighed, mumbling to myself as I stood before a grave belonging to a kind-hearted old man. The rumbling sounds of thunder could be heard not far from where I stood. The dark clouds approached quickly and I looked up at the darkened sky. One drop after another, the rain fell hard in a matter of seconds. I looked towards the small cabin nearby and ran towards it without a second thought. I needed shelter from the cold rain, fast, and my cave is still a far distance away.

Thinking back, I had spent years loitering around the house but never had the guts to get close to the doorstep as I did now. Yet, since last week, it was fate, or perhaps pure luck that brought Asuna and I together, reunited in the forest. I had spent some time with her here as she had suggested but I could never shake off the feeling that I might be intruding. The more I thought about it, the more hesitant I get when visiting her.

I knocked on the door in hurry but stopped abruptly when I realized what I was doing. 'Is it really okay for me to be here? I'm kind of a freeloader right now...' As I thought to myself and was about to take a step back to leave, the door opened quickly. Her chestnut locks swayed with her movements and the harsh wind blowing into the house as she opened the door. I was taken aback by how fast she answered the door. "I...um...could I...um..." I struggled with my words, not knowing what was the right thing to say.

"Kazuto-kun! What are you standing out there for? Come in, quick. You'll catch a cold!" Asuna said to me in a frantic voice. Before I knew it, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the house. I waited for her to shut the door, wanting to thank her for the hospitality. I was unable to utter a single word as she cut me off by draping a dry towel over my body. "Here, a towel for you. I'll prepare a hot bath for you." She hurried off to the bathroom and I could hear the sound of gushing water.

Moments later, Asuna came back to me and stood up from my seat, holding the towel close to my shivering body. "Asuna...you don't have to- Ah...ah...achoo-!" I sniffed, rubbing my nose. The girl immediately pushed me towards the bathroom and I could already feel the steam warming up my body.

"Make sure to warm yourself up, alright? Also, here." She said, passing me a set of clean clothes. I hesitantly accepted the clothes and she flashed me a sweet smiled. "You can have it. It's Ojii-chan's old clothes. It might be a little big but you should be able to wear it." She crouched down to check on the firewood under the tub warming up the water while I fumbled with words. "Just call me if you need anything, okay? Also, bring those clothes to me for washing later." With a light pat on my head, she left the bathroom before I could reject the offer.

I looked at the water and dipped my fingers inside. The temperature was just right. I found comfort in the warmth and removed my clothes. Slowly dipping myself into the water with my feet first, I hissed at the heated water but soon sighed in relief at the relaxing sensation spreading across my body. It was the first time in years that I had a nice warm bath like this.

I used to be really afraid of water as it reminded me of the day I first turned into this beast. I saw my own reflection in the water, petrified with fear, unable to accept the fact that it was me. It took days to gather the courage to go near any water source. I didn't want to see my own reflection, fearing that I might still see my beast form reflected in the water even while I remained in my human form. On the verge of dehydration, I finally allowed myself to approach the river. Realizing that the reflection on the water was normal, I decided to only approach water while still in my human form and steer clear of any reflecting waters as a beast.

Leaning back on the tub, I submerged my body in the water up to my chin. The gentle warmth gradually lulled me to sleep, forcing my eyelids to drop to a complete close.