FIRST OFF -- I'm never on here except to save my work somewhere, but I'm way more active on Tumblr (under 'freesia-writes') and Ao3 (same username). :)
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Hunter has been through plenty in his life, and as he and his brothers loo...
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Amazing fanart by @perfectlywingedcrusade on Tumblr
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As the fire grew into a satisfying source of warmth near the opening of the cave, just far enough inside to let the smoke out but still sheltered from the wind and rain, Hunter and Lyra huddled around it, shadows dancing across their faces as the contented crackling faded into the sound of the storm outside. He had removed his jacket, spreading it out nearby to dry as much as possible, and with quite a bit of protest from her, had also ventured quickly into the rain to fetch her own jacket, which he had to wring out at the mouth of the cave before bringing it in to lay it next to his. His thick flannel shirt stretched across his back as he hunched, rubbing his hands absently near the dancing flames.
"I'm sorry we're stuck here," Lyra said, eyes darting to his for a split second before returning to the fire.
"Eh," Hunter shrugged, "It could be worse."
"The office ladies are going to be heartbroken that you're not in your shop for their 'morning sausage run' before school starts..."
Fixing her with a mockingly stern look that led them both to chuckle quietly, Hunter noticed her heartbeat speeding up again, and subtly watched her body language to see if she were in pain from the ruthless pinching her leg had received from the spiteful crablike creature she'd thought was just a shell. He was unable to discern other signs of distress, leaving him mildly confused as to the random chemical changes he could just barely pick up during many of their times together.
"I'll just tell them it was your fault," he added, smiling as she quickly looked back up at him in horror. Her long brown hair still hung fairly damp, save for a little crown of frizz that danced on the very top of her head, and her dark eyes sent an unexpected jolt of electricity through his body with their simultaneous vulnerability and intensity. It threw him off for a moment, causing his grin to drop into momentary seriousness.
"What?" Lyra asked, anxious at his sudden change in composure. She glanced around the cave and toward the opening as though searching for a threat, giving Hunter time to recover.
"Nothing," he said, following her gaze. "I... uh... Did you feel that breeze?"
"...No?"
"It felt like it came from the back," he continued, legitimately (and gratefully) distracted by the slight sense of cool air on the side of his cheek that faced away from the entrance.
"Are you hoping to blow dry your luxurious hair?" she attempted, cringing inwardly as soon as the words were out of her mouth.
"Luxurious, eh?" Hunter echoed, tilting his head back toward her with a look that concealed the slight sense of flattery he didn't want to admit he felt.
"Oh, I felt a little wind!" she exclaimed instead, and he laughed out loud at her thinly-veiled effort to change the subject. He hadn't felt anything that time, but he let it slide. They'd had a few moments over the last number of weeks of innocent questions that seemed to touch a nerve or pry too far, resulting in withdrawal and awkward silence, so in response, they had both settled into a comfortable understanding that information was to be taken as it was offered instead of pursued through inquiry. He rose to his feet in one lithe movement, stretching out the stiffness that had formed in his time crouched by the fire.
