Cipher

Chapter 32: Dragons

They spent the rest of the day at Joslyn's putting the finishing touches on their partner assignment for English. Cipher was surprised at how quiet the house was as they entered through the tall front door.

"Is there anyone here?" Cipher asked quietly, feeling out of place making noise.

"Honestly?" Joslyn sighed, closing the door behind them. "I don't really know any more."

She led him to the open kitchen, living room space. "My mom's probably in her bedroom, she always is these days, we probably won't see her." She sat heavily on one of the couches motioning for Cipher to do the same. "And my dad only seems to come home to sleep. We probably won't see him either."

Cipher watched with concern as she shook her head like she could shake off the darkness creeping over her aura.

"Anyway," she gave a half-hearted smile that didn't reach further than her lips. "We should get to our project so we can practice presenting."

There wasn't much of the project to actually finish, however Cipher insisted on practicing time and time again. This was the first time he would be presenting to an entire room of humans. Judgemental teenage humans.

"You think we're ready to present on Monday?" Joslyn asked.

Cipher's marks flushed a bit with nerves. "I certainly hope so."

"Well, I think we've practiced about a hundred times." Her hands slapping down on the couch, "I'm going to call it."

"Call it what?"

"What?"

"You said you were going to call it... and stopped." Cipher explained. "What are you going to call it?"

A short laugh escaped as she understood. "I just meant we should be done for the day."

"Oh, I understand." He felt a bit embarrassed that he had to ask.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, cleaning up their supplies and notes.

"Do you need to get back to the Johnstons' soon?" She asked glancing at the time.

Cipher paused. It was still somewhat early for a Saturday night. "Do you have something else you would like to do?"

"Maybe..." she trailed off half-teasing him. The other half was terrified he'd reject spending more time with her.

Cipher's head tilted in question.

"If you're interested, there's a new bookstore I wanted to check out," she started hesitantly. "If you want to, I mean."

"I would like that."

A bell jingled as they walked through the door of the bookstore, and Cipher could sense an almost immediate change in Joslyn's aura. It was like she shed all the extra weight she always seemed to carry on her shoulders, practically glowing with excitement and wonder.

They meandered through the book-lined canyons; the tallest shelves stretched just a bit out of reach. Cipher was content to simply follow along behind Joslyn as they wandered. He occasionally picked up a book that caught his eye, but mostly he was just happy to be in her presence. There was something about spending time with Joslyn that he didn't feel with any of his other friends, even back in the Burrow.

He could only hope she felt something similar.

Before she realized it, Joslyn had more books in her hands than she should buy. The operative word being should. She turned to Cipher, finding him looking over a "history" book about dragons.

"This is fiction, correct?" He sounded slightly concerned.

"Yes," she smiled at the relieved look that crossed his face. "Do you want to get it?"

Cipher paused, considering. "I think I will."

Joslyn smiled as they slowly started to make their way over to the checkout line.

"I never took you for someone who'd be interested in mythical creatures."

Cipher hummed, "I am glad dragons are mythical," he said seriously. "They remind me of one of the apex predators from home."

Joslyn's eyes widened.

Cipher didn't notice her reaction, too lost in thought looking at one of the pages with a large illustration of a winged beast with huge teeth and bright scales. "These size comparisons to people are quite alarming." He gestured to the corner of the page where there was a small person drawn for scale.

"Aeolians have dragons," it fell between a question and a statement, still trying to wrap her mind around that part.

One of the other patrons gave them a strange look.

"Not exactly," Cipher turned the page. "As far as I know we do not have any creatures that breathe fire." Joslyn just stared at him. "Additionally, there is no way any of our ecosystems could have supported a predator so large." He shook his head absentmindedly.

"Oh, is that all." her shock came out as sarcasm.

Cipher shrugged. "From what I understand they are more in line with the size range of felines here on Earth."

"Cats?"

"Yes."

"Do you have dragons for pets?"

"They are not-"

"Just humor me." She looked up at him. "Besides, I doubt I could pronounce their name even if you told me."

Cipher thought it over. "Fair point." He signed. "I suppose there is at least one species of 'dragon' that was domesticated in a similar fashion to your cats and dogs for protection and pest control."

Her face split into a huge grin. "You just made every fantasy nerd so happy," she laughed to herself.

Cipher's expression brightened to match hers, but fell just as suddenly.

"What?" she brought a hand up to his arm.

Joslyn gently pulled him aside into a quiet nook near the registers. She carefully pulled him down to sit amongst the books as his expression seemed to crumple.

"It is nothing." He assured her unconvincingly, finding sudden interest in the spines of the novels beside him.

"Cipher," she urged gently. "It's okay to tell me." She paused, searching his face. "It's okay to be sad."

"But I shouldn't be," he sounded almost frustrated with himself. "I have never seen Aeoleus and I never will." He tried to say it matter-of-fact-ly. "I should not miss something that I never had and never will have."

"I think," Joslyn hesitated. "I think that's part of what grief is- mourning the loss of what should be." She moved closer, wrapping an arm over his shoulders, tears welling in her own eyes. "Especially when it's something we want so much."

Cipher breathed out a shaky sigh, resting his head on her shoulder. "Perhaps."

"We'll be okay. And hey," she nudged him. "Maybe one day we'll get the hang of going on an outing where neither of us has an existential crisis." she joked with a wet laugh.

Without taking his head off her shoulder, he met her gaze. "I hope so."