V & V - Rageous Rageon Rise

Thawing To Stay

Mateo POV:

I run after Dom, forcing my body to warm up. How is he so fast? He's already nearly at the bottom of the stairs.

I race after him, grabbing his hand just as he reaches the fountain.

Mateo: "Dom Graves! Stop!"

He stops, flinching at my harsh tone. I take a few deep breaths, a little winded from how fast my heart is going. I slowly walk in front of him and look up. We're surrounded by quiet in the new hours of the morning. There's no one else here but us.

I take both of his hands and move him to sit at the fountain. I ignore the cold aches ravaging my body and stare at Dom's hands.

Mateo: "I know it's scary... to trust me, yourself. But... you have to. You can't run away, Dom."

He sighs, yet lets me continue.

Mateo: "I know you had bad past. I know you are angry, scared, sad. I understand you upset. But, Dom."

I wait until he meets my eyes.

Mateo: "These feelings will stay unless you take them off. You have to face them. What is in your mind... it's not something to ignore. You need to face what's scaring you. And... from what I saw... it's yourself. But I think you know that."

Dom looks away as a cold tear rolls down his cheek. He wipes it away angrily, yet more come. I slowly reach out and gently rub his cheek, watching him instinctively react to my touch.

Mateo: "Cry, Dom. No one is here to see it. No one can hear you."

He meets my eyes and then bursts into tears. I hold my arms out and hug him, feeling as he cries into my shoulder.

Mateo: "Shhh... estás bien, mi amado."

I speak barely above a whisper as I rub his back and hold the back of his head. He continues to cry, sounding very upset. I continue to hold him as, eventually, his cries start to lighten. He's quiet as the sun slowly rises over the patio. I source from the sun's heat and imagine warmth blooming around us.

He sighs, hopefully from experiencing the warmth of the sun. Eventually, I pull back and cup his cheeks in my hand.

Mateo: "Mira... que lindo mi novio."

I give him a gentle kiss on his forehead, pulling back to see him with his eyes closed. I rub his cheek gently with my thumb, swiping at the glitter dusting his face.

His cheeks are cold, as well as his tears. It's not an exaggeration to believe he's frozen internally.

Mateo: "Talk to me, Dom."

Dom: "I... have had difficulty coming to terms with myself. I don't feel like I've changed enough to feel comfortable being around others. I'm scared of hurting you... because I've fallen in love with you, Mateo."

A tear rolls down his cheek, frozen by the time it runs off his chin.

Dom: "I don't feel I deserve your kindness... because... I... haven't told you everything about it myself and my past."

I shake my head, already knowing enough about his past.

Mateo: "I don't care-"

Dom: "You should. I... I killed my brother, his girlfriend... and my parents. I didn't even know the girl's name. I didn't care enough to find out. I was ready to kill any trolls I got my hands on. I have killed Mateo. I've done it mercilessly. I did it without batting an eye. I caused the fall of Mount Rageous. I... have only hurt others in my lifetime. I'm not a good Rageon, Mateo."