The Youngest Ro'meave/Minecraft Diaries Fanfiction/

Chapter Twenty

Annie's POV

"How is this normal for you?" Eli asked, seeming to be confused. I stay silent, looking back up at the roof while twiddling my thumbs. I guess I never told him about what happened all those years ago. I most likely never had the courage to. Telling Katelyn was difficult, and she's one of my closest friends.

"Is everything okay?" he asks, concern and curiosity laced in his voice.

Taking a quite deep breath, I nod, sorting my thoughts. Unnoticeable tears well up in my eyes, them gazing over the slightest bit. I've gotten quite good at hiding my pain throughout these few years. But what choice did I have? Taking a look down at him, I study his face. He looks so concerned. So worried. So unlike the always joyful Eli, I had grown to know.

"You can tell me anything, you know. I care about you." He squeezes my hand, comforting me slightly. Those tears that were held back? Yeah, not anymore. I started to cry. They flow like rivers on a stormy night. For the first time in, what seems like, forever someone cared about me as much as he did. As much as...Vylad did.

Sorrow fills his face as her turns to cradle me in his arms. He hugs me with care and love and everything I could ever ask for.

I guess I'm not as good at hiding my emotional pain. He pulls back, arm's length away, wiping the tears from my tear stained cheeks. I give into his touch, closing my eyes, rubbing up against his hand like a cat. But then he suddenly stops. I open my eyes, looking up at him and see a look of confusion and concentration back as he stares at something. He's staring at my right cheek. He's staring at my scar. I pull back and try to hide it with my hair by tucking my chin to my chest.

I wait a few seconds and nothing happens. I raised my chin the slightest, trying to peek through my hair when suddenly a hand appears in front of me. The forefinger rests upon the bottom of my chin while the thumb lays above. They pull my head up by my chin, slowly. I cast my eyes downward, at the couch beneath me, but he only seems to continue. Rustling is heard as he moves, hand not moving an inch. The area where he was is, most likely, vacant, but, the area in front of me? Something or someone, heavy is on it, and I think I could guess who.

I still don't look up, even when the protruding hand pulls my chin, asking me to look at him. A whine comes out of the back of throat, sounding needy, as I squeeze my eyes shut. I have no idea what going on. No idea what to do.

Nothing happens for a moment or two but then I feel hot breath on the shell of my ear and the top of my neck. A squeak comes out, in exchange for trying to hold back another whine. My face feels hot. I'm probably blushing from head to toe. I wait for seconds upon seconds for him to say something, do something, but nothing happens. After about a minute, his voice comes through. It sounding husky but like drizzling honey at the same time. It sends a shiver down my spine and a spike of want throughout the rest of me.

"Now, how did you get that scar?" He voice comes out in a whisper, breath hot against my ear.

"I, um," I try to speak human words but they come out as a jumbled mess. Through the new feeling, I felt sadness. I tried to bury it but to no avail. Tears try welling up in my eyes, old repressed memories returning, overwhelming me.

"Tell me. I won't judge." his voice is next to my ear again, but farther. No, don't go. I want to feel that feeling again. But instead? I feel everything else. The pain. The shock. The tears. The sadness.

The heartbreak.

Tears fall down my cheeks, landing on the blanket beneath. Eli pulls his hand away and turns to hug me again. Gently and softly, he runs his hand through my hair. I stick to him like a lifeline and sniff. Taking multiple deep breaths, I finally find the courage to tell him. Well, maybe not the whole story, but part of it.

"M-my...my brother. When I was...around fifteen, I...I lost him in a fight. He was...trying...to...t-to protect me. I...I d-didn't listen to him...wh-when he...was...was tr-trying to keep m-me...safe. I g-got a s...s-sca-ar for it b-but him? It cost him his l-life." I say, starting to sob halfway through. My breaths come out shaky as I cry into his jacket. He seems to hug me tighter as I feel something wet and cold hit the top of my head. He's crying. I hug him back, still crying.

I start to calm down, my sobs turned into sniffles. We stayed like that, quiet and still, for a while. I didn't want him to let go, because when he does? All the warmth and comfort I felt would go away as well. I would have to face reality again. Eventually, he let go, allowing me to look into his eyes. His green eyes, glazed over in tears, looked bigger than normal.

"I'm so sorry," he said, seeming to realize how much it must have hurt to reveal that part of my painful past.

"It's okay, I just...really need to learn how to... open up to people more, and...this was the first step!" I replied, breathing finally even. A smile graces my lips, a similar one upon his. We talk for a few minutes before he has a focused look upon his face. I tilt my head to the side and look at him with a questioning look. His nose scrunches, causing me to be even more curious.

"Hey, Annie?" His face turning serious.

"Hmm?" I try to hide my curiosity but it fails as my voice becomes slightly high-pitch. He turns away from me, pink gracing his cheeks.

"D...d-do you want...toooo...mmmaybe? Hang out? Tomorrow?" With every word his voice became high-pitched a squeaky causing him to clear his throat with a fist over his mouth, pink still spreading over his face like a wildfire. I almost want to giggle but decide against it. He was so cute when he acted like this. "L-like aaa in the woods? Around evening?" I act to be thinking, placing my pointer finger on my chin and looking towards the roof. One glance at Eli make me want to laugh. He giving me puppy dog eyes, literally, like a kid wanting candy. With a sigh, I nod my head and looks like he almost doesn't believe me.

"Yeah, sure. Why not? I don't see why we can't. How about we meet up in front of the woods and you can lead me. I'llllll bring a blanket and you bring the food. A Lot of food. Food for days." I through my hands in the air with an excited tone in my voice. By the end of my sentence, he's laughing with that cute pink on his cheeks.

"Alright. I will seeith though tomarroeith" I laugh at his funny words, clutching my stomach. He leaves with final byes as he heads back to the guard station. After he left I carefully got up, excitement filling my body, and headed into the kitchen, grabbing one of the muffins that Katelyn and I had made for breakfast. Speak of the devil and he shall come because soon after Katelyn comes down the stairs a few moments later, a look of sadness on her face.

"We've...ugh...huh...we've been called back," she said, her voice filled with despair as she looks at anything but me.

"Huh?" I question, confused on what she meant.

"We...have to...head back to O'khasis the day after tomorrow."

A/N

Sorry for any mistakes this chapter! I wrote it in an hour at the library surrounded by screaming kids so I wrote it pretty quickly. But I hope you all enjoyed it! See ya guys next time! Byee!