You're my home

Weeks-no, months-had gone by since the otherwise inseparable twins had seen each other. The younger insisted on celebrating his sister's return by taking her on a walk through a wood near their house, one that he often escaped to in her absence. The day had already been quite eventful, he showed her his favorite places to nap, the rabbit hole where his newest friend lived and even made her a crown from his favorite wildflowers, wearing one of his own. "Here we are!" He exclaimed, settling down next to a clear, shallow creek running over a bed of smooth stones.

"You've been away for sooooo long, Sienne. I'm so happy you're back." he sighed as he slipped his feet out of his shoes and into the cool stream. "When you said you were going on a 'trip' I didn't think you meant you were going on a voyage."

"I told you I didn't know when I'd come back." She said softly as she sat next to him, pulling off a glove and letting the water run over her fingers. "Claus made up his mind and I couldn't let him go alone." She heard her brother sigh again, knowing how he felt about her latest lover. Despite having told him many times that Claus was much more to her than the men and women she used to bring into their house, he still seemed annoyed that she kept Claus around so long. "This was a good idea, Ceth." She whispered, letting her fingers run across a stone lying just under the surface of the stream, hoping to change the topic quickly.

"Nuh-huh. You're not getting out of this so easily." Ceth puffed his chest out, looking sternly over to her. "Just how long are you going to leave me alone next time?"

"I don't know. It depends where he is planning on goin-"

"So you are leaving again!" He turned to her, face red. "I knew it! What the hell is wrong with you?! How many times are you planning on abandoning me?!" And in just a moment, he became hysterical. Every fear he had about her new relationship was just confirmed.

"..." Sienne crossed her arms over her knees and turned her gaze to the water, scowling softly. "I will not speak with you when you're acting like this." He couldn't help but gawk at her. Was he supposed to be sorry for being upset about this?

Ceth pulled his feet from the water, turning to her. "I'm sorry, okay?" He looked over to her, waiting for a response. When she didn't offer one, he got more hysterical than before. "Okay... look, I..." He stuttered, "Please don't leave me alone..." He turned to look at the water, watching the small fish dart downstream where his feet used to rest. "Please, please... I don't want to lose you..."

What seemed like an eternity passed before either of them spoke again; Sienne was the one to break the silence. "I'm not trying to abandon you Ceth," she sighed softly, "I don't like leaving you alone here when Claus wants to travel." She didn't raise her eyes, didn't uncross her arms.

"Then why do you?" Another uncomfortably long silence.

"It's too dangerous." She raised her gaze to the sky. "I wouldn't want Claus to go either if I had a choice," her lips curled down into a small frown, closing her eyes, "but I don't have a choice. Claus has his mind made up. The only choice I have is whether or not I want to protect him."

"I guess it's better you do leave me here. I'd just get in your way, wouldn't I?" he turned away to hide the tears that escaped his eyes and rolled down his flushed cheeks, despite his otherwise cheerful tone.

"You know better than that." An aggravated sigh left her lips. "You wouldn't be in the way, you would even be able to help. I know how resourceful you can be and you're very charismatic," she opened her eyes, turning to him, "but I don't want you to come because I can't stand the thought of getting you hurt."

For a long while, they just stared at each other. This time, Ceth was the one to break the silence. "I hope your trip was fun at least?" He laughed softly, ready to move on. He felt Sienne probably was as well.

"Yes, it was... pleasant." She smiled softly, reaching into a pouch on her belt. "Aside from the monsters, that is." Ceth cringed. He didn't realize that's what she meant by dangerous... "I even brought you something."

"Really?" Ceth's eyes lit up with excitement. "What is it?" She simply chuckled, finally finding his gift and lifting it up for him.

Ceth gasped at the necklace she was holding, a thin silver chain with a polished quartz fennec fox pendant. "Sienne..." He snatched it from her, quickly fastening it around his neck. "I love it, I love it, thank you!" He heard his sister chuckle again, but didn't think much of it. "This... Thank you so much..." He looked down at it, cradling the gem fox in his fingers. "I haven't seen a necklace like this since we lived in Izzet..."

"Yes... We passed through Izzet on our journey, that's where I got it." Ceth held the pendant in his fist, looking down. No wonder she was gone so long.

"Wow... I didn't know you were going so far away. It must've been so much different back home than it is here..." He leaned back on his arm, looking forward at the woods in front of them.

"As long as you're here, Ceth, this is my home..." She heard a stifled laugh from her brother's direction. "What?" She looked over, happy to see Ceth's typical goofy smile spread across his freckled face.

"Nothing, Sienne. I love you too."