What If

XXXV

We stood inside the room Azim have lend me for the entire time I have been in his roof. I breathe in and sat directly on my bed, sprawled as much as I can and use the the blanket to cover me entirely. Gosh my heart!

"Mika..."

"I said what I said, Azim. That is it. If you do not like my words, tell me now."

"I... well, actually-- I rather would like to thank you." His breathing hitched. I pulled the blanket from my head and sat back up, gave him a stare. "Thank you for looking out for them, too."

"I do not want to assume something I could not do, you know that. This is a rather huge responsibility--"

"But you said you won't give up-"

"Because of you, yes." I exhaled and stood up. He was still standing at my door considering it is closed and he was leaning against it. I walked towards him, one too slow to consider even something towards that prance. It took me just a minute to be able to reach him. I raised my hand and tapped his shoulders, smiled and leaned in, not entirely too close but that act still somehow left him breathless, breathing hitched as he stared. I did what I can to stand closer to his height, considering I'm only of shoulder length compared to him. In this distance, I'm basically doing my best to look up on him, the toes of my feet the ones keeping me standing. Our face probably too close that our breaths are mingling together as we exhaled and inhaled almost in unison. In this distance, with both my hands in his shoulder and him leaning in that door, I can basically press my whole entire body to him and he'd go immobile just for that. And so I did. He stopped breathing, entirely. I smirked at that act. The beating of both our hearts are practically vibrating together, I bet he can feel mine as much as I can feel his right now. "Breath, my lord, breath." He did so, scent turning a turn onto something else- muskier than it is supposed to be. Well, ain't that bad?

"Be careful, you hear me?" I used my hands on his shoulder to push and make a space between us. He was still breathing rather deep, still processing the right way to do it. "Don't dare die on me when I'm still struggling to know what this feeling exactly is."

They left that same evening. Even before midnight had settled, they had left. Me and the other pack members bid them all goodbye at the front of the gate, leaving me in charge of taking care of the said pack without letting anyone left to know about it. One deep sigh and we all are back to our respective rooms, resting, waiting for the morning to arrive.

That, I can say, I was not able to sleep all properly. That is when I left my room to roam around the dark for some time. I know this neighborhood is safe, there is nothing to worry about and walking alone would have been exactly fine even if. I flexed my wings and flapped them more to test them yet again, and flown out of the window. The night is deep, the moons are up in the sky, in great show of the world below it.

I soared up and up and up until I reached a place to which I could view the entirety of the area the small village had occupied. It was indeed a small village with the mansion I am living on as the other edge from the gate which is considered the entrance of the place. But it was not fenced as much as one would think- it is free. And there was a huge clearing from the back of the said building I was staying in. Same way, the woods scattered over the place is a rather beautiful way to hide the village from anyone who will see. Yet, anyone from the outside world could take shelter in a willing home and they could leave without Azim knowing about it, which I think is a very intentional point Azim had taken. He does not care as long as they are safe, that was all that he needs. Too much is not good, too loose would also cause chaos. This place held not so much of rules, but the most fundamental ones are held up to greatest respect. If only the whole world could live as such, wouldn't it be great?