Slow burn (mxm) [SB]

Chapter 19

They left the room and saw Saxe sleeping on the couch while Viper was awake now and laying on the couch as well. "Wanna take them on a walk in the forest?" Simon looked at Tinka. "Sure, I have Viper's leash and harness," Tinka nodded. "Alright. And Viper wears a harness when on walks?" Simon nodded. "Yeah, I don't like him wearing his collar when on walks"

Tinka nodded and Simon went and got Viper's harness while Tinka woke Saxe up and Simon walked over and put Viper's harness on him, Saxe looked at Viper then Tinka, he meowed. "Yeah, we're going on a walk" Saxe jumped up and ran over to his leash, Tinka laughed and grabbed Saxe's leash and put it on Saxe. Simon walked over and had Viper in his harness.

"Let's go" Tinka nodded and they left, Tinka locked his apartment and they started walking towards the forest and Simon was surprised at how easily Saxe walked on a leash, they got to the forest. "Saxe... there is a waterfall..." Saxe nodded and meowed twice. "I don't know but after walking down that trail for a bit you can hear it..." Saxe nodded and meowed 4 times. "Okay, I just didn't want you to freak out when we hear it..." Saxe nodded.

Simon looked over at Tinka then at Saxe, Saxe was kinda jumping when walking and looking around at all the plants in the forest while Tinka was smiling while looking at Saxe but Simon noticed that Tinka looked a bit worried about something.

"Tinka?... Is something wrong?..." Tinka looked at Simon. "I don't want to end up running and hurt Saxe... he can run faster than me but that's only if he wants to... if I hear the waterfall and run without dropping his leash..." Tinka kinda looked away. "Oh... if you run and drop the leash would Saxe follow? I remember you telling me not to follow you..."

"He might try to follow me but try not to let him... have him stay here with you" Simon nodded. "Okay, I can try to do that. But what if you don't drop it and bring him with you?" Tinka looked away from Simon. "Then hope he's alive when I walk back..."

Simon looked at Saxe who was still kinda jumping while walking and was carrying a leaf in his mouth now, he then looked at Tinka who seemed to be trying to distract himself from there being a waterfall somewhere near them by looking around at the plants and what the pets were doing, Tinka laughed a bit when he looked at Viper so Simon looked at Viper. 

Viper had a butterfly on his head so he kept shaking his head to get it off but it wouldn't leave. "I guess the butterfly likes Viper-" Tinka nodded. "That's a monarch, correct?" Simon nodded. "They remind me a lot of the Small tortoiseshell butterflies I had as pets when I was 6..."

"Oh, you had pet butterflies?" Tinka kinda nodded. "Yeah. I couldn't keep them when we moved here so I had released them out into the wild, some of my Dad's friends moved into our house when we left and they'll sometimes tell us that the butterflies kept coming to the house"

"When did you move here?" Simon slightly tilted his head. "A bit before me and Cai were 7. We got Saxe after being here for about 2 months" Simon nodded. "That's cool, like I had said before, I've never lived in a different place... I did move towns a bit but eventually came back here when my Dad asked if I wanted to live with him... so I moved into my house about a year and a half ago... I've been working for Leo since then"

"Alright. And about your Dad... do you need to go to court for it?" Simon kinda nodded. "Yeah, tomorrow at 11..." Tinka nodded. "Okay, when do you think you'll be back?" Simon shifted a bit. "I don't know..." Tinka nodded and grabbed Simon's hand, Simon smiled and held Tinka's hand. They kept walking and the butterfly left Viper so he's just sniffing random things.

 Saxe still had his leaf in his mouth and seemed to be skipping while walking. They have passed the map and are approaching where they heard the waterfall last time. "Tinka... give me Saxe's leash..." Tinka let go of Simon's hand and gave him Saxe's leash, Saxe didn't notice since he's too busy looking at everything. 

Saxe started hearing the waterfall since he has better hearing than the others, he looked back and saw that Simon now has his leash. He went to walking normally instead while carrying his leaf. "You can hear it... can't you?" Saxe nodded. "Okay..." Simon looked over at Tinka. "Do you want to turn around before you hear it?..."

"No, it's fine..." Simon nodded, they kept walking until Tinka heard the waterfall Saxe meowed at Tinka, Tinka turned and ran, Saxe meowed again and tried to follow Tinka but Simon held onto his leash. "Saxe!" Saxe stopped and turned to look at Simon, he meowed. "What?..." Saxe meowed again. "I don't know what you're saying... but Tinka will be back, okay?" Saxe sat down and Viper walked over to him.

They all waited for Tinka. A few minutes after Tinka ran they heard footsteps and looked over, they saw Tinka walking back and Saxe meowed and tried to run to Tinka, Simon was kinda unsure of if he should drop Saxe's leash but he did and Saxe ran to Tinka and jumped onto his shoulder Tinka kept walking but looked at Saxe for a second, Tinka walked to in front of Simon and Viper kinda started growling and Simon got confused.

"Viper?... What is it?... It's just Tinka..." Simon looked at Tinka again and had to look up, TInka grabbed Simon by the waist and picked him up, Simon was surprised and Viper started barking.

Why is Viper barking?... Simon looked at Saxe. Saxe has his ears back... is it because of Viper barking?... no, he's looking at Tinka... Tinka turned and started walking back the way they came from and Viper followed while barking, Saxe hissed at Viper and he stopped barking but kept slightly growling at Tinka, they got out of the forest and Tinka kept walking until they got to his apartment, Tinka unlocked it and walked in. He closed the door and now put Simon down, Saxe jumped off of Tinka and backed away, Viper kept growling at Tinka. "Tinka?... what's wrong?"

"I shouldn't be alone right now, the pets shouldn't be near me either" Simon let go of Viper's leash and Saxe meowed, Viper went over to Saxe and followed him to Tinka's room, Viper closed the door. "Why?... what's wrong?..." Simon shifted a bit. "Just stay in the same room as me" Simon shifted again. "What about the pets?... why can't they stay?"

"Simon... it's safer for them to not be near me" Simon got worried. "W-why!? What about me?!" Tinka turned to Simon. "I won't hurt you" Simon shifted again. "Wo-would you hurt the pets?..." Tinka didn't respond. "Tinka! Would you hurt them!?" Tinka moved a bit closer to Simon so Simon backed up, he had backed up to the wall now. "They shouldn't be near me... you are fine"

"Answer my question!" Simon got more uncomfortable. "Simon..." Simon wanted to back up more but he was already against the wall, he remembered what happened last time. Last time I kept asking him questions after he had ran off due to the waterfall he had choked me... Simon shifted a bit and Tinka moved closer.

"Don't be too close to me but also don't leave the room I am in" Simon nodded and Tinka backed up, he turned and walked into the kitchen so Simon followed, Tinka just stood in the kitchen. What is he goi- Tinka picked up a knife and Simon remembered what Saxe had said so he kinda ran over and grabbed it from Tinka. 

Tinka looked at Simon. "Give it" Simon shook his head. "Simon... give it" Tinka turned to Simon and Simon took a step back, while he was stepping back Tinka raised his hand and punched Simon in the face. Simon dropped the knife out of surprise and backed up more, he looked at Tinka.

He's not himself... he said not to leave him alone but... Simon started crying and ran out of the kitchen and into Tinka's room. Tinka looked at the knife on the floor and went to grab it but froze. He stood back up and looked at his right hand, the one he used. "I punched Simon..." Tinka started to cry. "I punched him..." Tinka sat down and kicked the knife away.

"I-I punched him..." Tinka cried more. "I said I'd never do something like that again!!" While Tinka was sitting on his kitchen floor crying Simon was inside Tinka's room with Viper and Saxe, Viper was licking Simon's face trying to calm him down. Saxe was sitting there just staring at Simon and Viper. Simon stopped Viper and just hugged him.

"I-I'm sorry... I should ha-have listened to your war-warning..." Simon petted Viper.