Lost Amongst Many

Chapter 30

-Seto's POV-

"What about him?"

"Ever since I met him, I've felt... I don't know. It's hard to explain."

"Try your best."

"I've felt, like I can get close to him. Like there's something stringing us together, but I don't know what to do or how to act. Every time I try I mess up. I pushed him away. Twice."

"Rob, you need to try a more gentle approach. He only sees that bad side of you. He needs to see that good side if you're ever going to get him to trust you. Lava creepers are suspicious creatures and are highly judgemental."

"But what am I doing wrong? How can I fix it?"

"What damage you've done is done, but you can show him that not all of you is bad- which he assumes. Show him you can be nice, show him you aren't a bad person, and maybe he'll start to trust you. It takes time to get the trust of a lava creeper."

"Then how did you do it?"

"I didn't. At the moment he's just too tired to care. And we also have a mutual respect in this house." I laced my fingers together on the table, "Now what is it that you really wanted to talk about? I see something tugging at you."

His confident features crumpled.

"I don't know what to do. I'm being pressured to make huge decisions- I have no clue how to act in the position I was given. Seto- it's so stressful."

"What stressed you out the most?"

"The fact that all the higher ups keep pressuring me to find a girlfriend. To find a girl to be queen- but what do I do?"

"Why is that so stressful? No questions until I can fully evaluate the problem."

"I don't really... like... girls... I really don't. And the higher ups are forcing me to choose someone over a matter I don't even like the thought of."

"Do you have an idea of who you do happen to like?" I watched as his gaze flicked to Preston for a microsecond, then back to me. He shrugged, but I knew it was a lie.

"What about him is so interesting to you?" I asked suddenly.

He flinched, "What? Who?" Again, a microsecond, then back.

I repeated myself, slower, "What about him is so interesting to you?"

"Preston?"

"Yes."

"I don't really know... He's just so confident in everything he does. He taunted the city's best archer. He risked his hide to learn English and penmanship. He takes risks. I usually don't because I'm afraid I'll mess up."

From the corner of my eye, I can see Preston open his eyes and listen as Rob speaks, but smartly doesn't move to keep Rob from noticing. He was curious.

"I've always admired the Wilds, and to have two of its lives in my own home was overwhelming. I felt blessed to be able to learn from them, and was devastated by my own behavior. I pushed away my only way of learning, not once, but twice. I felt horrible, and went to apologize, but Jerome banned me from the bacca meadow, and I couldn't see Preston to apologize."

He stared at the patterns in the table while I discretely watched Preston and tried to console.

"Well, when he wakes up you can try apologizing..."

I heard Preston giggle a bit, and thankfully Rob didn't hear. This was going to be interesting...