(Old) Unexpected Union | Umbreon X Sylveon

Chapter 5

19/3/24: forgot to change an instant of 'Jade' to 'Elswyth'

A thunderous bang jolted Keir awake. He looked out of the cave entrance and saw another storm had stirred up. He shuddered.

"Everything alright, Keir?" Elswyth asked, concerned, Keir nodded slightly.

"Yeah, I'm a-alright; just startled by the thunder is all..." He muttered, the two stayed silent for a little while before Keir spoke up again: "Y'know, this weather reminded me that I never got around to telling you what happened to me that night we first met; I can tell you it if you want." He shrugged, Elsy looked over at him before nodding slowly.

"Well, I've known you for around a month now, and it seems like you'll be sticking around here with me for a long while yet, so you might as well..." She answered, then sat in silence, waiting in anticipation for Keir to start his story.

He took in a deep breath before starting.

"As I've told you before, I used to work on my family's farm. It was nestled in the high peaks surrounding a town on the mountains called 'Flat-top Ridge'. I used to deliver produce to said town while my mother and younger sister tended to the farm. Then," he shuddered before continuing, "was my father. He... tended to the winery we had in the basement. Every day, he'd 'taste test' the alcohol we brewed down there. One night, he came back up more drunk than usual, and he... attacked mum, cutting her cheek. I jumped up to defend her, and..." He began to tear up slightly; the words got caught in his throat, so he gestured to his scar above his eye, side, and leg.

He could see Elswyth's face; unsurprisingly, she wore an expression of pure shock. She wiped away the tears that formed in his eyes with her ribbons, causing him to smile a little.

"It probably helps if you know what Pokémon they are; my mother is a Vaporeon, my sister is an Eevee, and my father..." he choked on his words again. Elswyth waited patiently for him to finish. Keir took in a shaky breath and forced himself onward.

"He w-was a S-S-Stoutland." he stammered before a torrent of tears started to flow from his weary red eyes.

"That explains your freakout from the first day we met..." Elsy stated, Keir only nodded.

She moved closer to him and embraced him in her ribbons before speaking softly to him: "You don't have to worry anymore; you're safe here, and you can stay as long as you need, even when you're not injured anymore."

Keir blushed slightly; his heart was beginning to beat quicker again, and he felt warm inside too, which confused him.

"The fuck is this feeling? I felt like this yesterday but never focused on it. It's weird... but nice?" He thought to himself, smiling slightly.

Elsy withdrew herself from her embrace, saw Keir's content expression, and smiled. "Enjoying that, were you?~" She teased, letting out a soft giggle.

"J-just been a while since I last had a hug, y'know?" He smiled, still blushing.

Elsy nodded slowly. "Yeah, I understand. It's been a while since my last hug too." She smiled. Keir saw a small blush creeping across her face and chuckled to himself.

They both sat awkwardly for a little while, not making eye contact. A thought then came to Keir's head; he pondered on it for a moment before breaking the awkward silence.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something." He announced cautious, unsure of how she would react.

"Go ahead, what is it?" She responded, Keir chose his next words carefully.

"What was up with that Poochyena that, y'know, tried to bite my face off? Was it insane or something?" He questioned, he watched Elswyth's face slowly shift from a peppy smile into a glum stare.