With Fire and Ice

Chapter six, in which the duo realizes something important

The next weeks, more people disappeared around town. It wasn't big news, not really, people were always disappearing and running away. Not murdered, not kidnapped, but running away.

The teachers weren't worried. Kids disappeared from class every now and then; their friends –if they had any- mourned, but that was it. So the teachers weren't worried. No one was worried, it seemed.

But I was, and Wolf was, and Toff was.

Well, Toff was mostly worried because they could tell something was off. Especially after looking through all of Wolf's notes and reports, who stringed all the clues together. It... well, it wasn't a pretty sight. It took up most of the walls in the antic, although Wolf brushed it off every time I asked him about it.

Wolf was worried, because this? This wasn't normal. This wasn't a thing that was supposed to happen. Several people who shared the same characteristics shouldn't die in the same way. That- it just wasn't normal, okay?

So unless it was a new trend, which I honestly doubted it was, why were all of them dying because of bananas?

And I? Well, I was worried because everything seemed off about this. Wolf was worried, so I kind of had no choice.

But we weren't the only ones worried. Rose was worried, too, which in turn made Wolf even more worried.

"Why?" I whispered softly, and reached out to put my hand over his, a feather light touch meant to comfort. Wolf seemed reluctant to meet my gaze, but I bowed my head and looked at him anyways, eyes careful and expression concerned. "Why are you so worried?"

His breath shook when he sighed softly. "My mom has... a history," he began, and turned his head away from me. "Of running away when she's worried. When she was a teenager... she could disappear. For weeks."

I frowned. That didn't seem like a good tactic to handle your problems. "But she shouldn't be worried now? All of those disappearing are humans. And- and assholes. You're neither."

Wolf's ears were pinned against his skull, and his tail was still in his lap. "I know," he muttered. His eyes were twinkling when he looked at me, but it wasn't in mirth.

I drew a sharp breath. Wolf rarely cried. He was mostly cold and angry, but never... never like this... it hurt, to be honest. Seeing him broken hurt, deep into my heart and soul. "-Gray," I said, and shuffled closer. "Wolf- then why are you worried?" It didn't make sense. Why were anyone in that family worried at all?

Some tears escaped Wolf's eyes, and he sniffled. "I just- I just don't want to lose any of this," he whispered, fingering with the hem of his shirt and still refusing to look at me.

My expression softened further, and I shuffled even closer. "Oh, Wolf... I'm sure she won't run away just like that. Not when you have friends here." It was a pathetic attempt at reassuring him, but I had to try something, right? I couldn't just let him sit there and cry without doing anything.

Wolf's breath hitched, and his fingers twitched. He wasn't one for touching, I knew that. He'd hugged me twice, once in the library and once when I was crying. I'd never hugged him, out of respect of his personal limits. Should I hug him now? It seemed like he needed it, but I couldn't be sure... "We don't know that, Seiko," he whispered, as more tears trickled down his cheeks. "She could move any time!"

"Wolf," I said softly. He didn't reply, he simply stared down into his lap. His fingers twitched again, and his shoulders rose as he wrapped his arms around his torso. "Wolf, I don't want to lie to you. I won't tell you that it'll be fine, because I sure as hell don't know that for sure."