Lost Without You (A Blitzstone Fanfic)

·Chapter 10·

(AN: I would just like to say a quick and heartfelt thank-you to everyone who's stuck around and read this far. I'm so grateful for all your support and interest as it inspires me to continue with writing which I love to do. I hope you'll stick around long enough to see me finish this which I plan to do in the future. Comment how you feel about the book so far and if you have any critiques or suggestions at all I'm open to hearing them. Also as a side note, updates may be slower because I'm going through a writers block right now so if I don't update for a while just be patient)

Hearth woke up wrapped in a soft blanket. As he sat up, he realized he had a pounding headache. He remembered what had just happened he put his face in his hands in shame.
   Oh gods, Blitz saw me break down like that, Hearth thought sadly as he scanned the room. He probably left because he got fed up with my—
Before Hearth could finish his thought, the door suddenly burst open revealing an excited Blitz.
"Hey, Hearth you're finally awake! I was just fixing up a meal if you— uh," Blitz faltered as he noticed Hearth's solemn face. "You okay?"

Instead of replying, Hearth just shrugged and looked down.
"I can see you're upset and I just wanted you to know I'm here if you ever want to talk. You don't have to worry about judgement because I won't criticize you for what you've been through. So, just know I'll always be here if you need help," Blitz suggested while giving Hearth a small smile.

"Thank you, Blitz. I'll keep that in mind," Hearth signed. "So you mentioned something about food?" Hearth realized he hadn't eaten since yesterday and his stomach craved the flavourful food that Blitz usually made. He wasn't used to eating regularly but there was something about Blitz's cooking that kept him wanting more.

"Oh yeah, you must be really hungry. Let's go to the kitchen then so you can try the meal I made for us," Blitz said as he got up and motioned for Hearth to follow.
   Once Hearth was seated at the table, Blitz laid a plate filled with food in front of him. "So I am allowed to eat all of this?" Hearth signed as he saw the abundance of food in front of him.
  "Of course. Why would I ban you from eating?"
"And I don't have to pay for it?"
  "No, that doesn't sound fair at all. I would never charge my guests—or anyone for that matter—for eating the food I make for them," Blitz emphasized with confusion.
   Hearth stared at him with complete astonishment as he was still not used to being able to eat a whole meal without paying. Being at Blitz's place was like a breath of fresh air compared to his house where his father had such strict rules. He was starting to really like staying at Blitz's apartment because he felt safe from his father who was probably plotting how to either bring Hearth back home or punish him greatly for leaving. Hearth shivered at the thought of what his father would do if he saw him again. He didn't enjoy where his thoughts were leading and instead decided to focus on the beautiful meal that Blitz had made for them both.
   Maybe he's more than father says people are. Father says that all beings are going to treat me like dirt but Blitz seems to have real compassion and he doesn't hide it. That's different than what I'm used to.
   Hearth looked down at the contents on his plate as Blitz handed it to him. "What is this?"
  "Have you never heard of salad before?" Blitz asked as he put down his own plate and sat down.
   Hearth shook his head and looked down, ashamed that he didn't know what it was.
  "Well, it's this thing where you get a bunch of ingredients and mix them all together in a bowl. It usually contains vegetables like tomatoes or lettuce," Blitz explained while stabbing the lettuce with his fork and showing it Hearth to make sure he understood what it was. "The one I made for us has lettuce, vinegar, vegetable oil, garlic, and a little bit of cheese."

"That sounds delicious."

Blitz smiled at Hearth. "I think you'll really like it. Maybe one day I can show you how to make one."

Hearth returned Blitz's smile with a smaller, sheepish one. "I would really appreciate that. Thank you."

Without another word, the two of them started eating.

° ° °

   After both males finished off their plates, they looked at each other. Hearth raised his hands to sign but Blitz cut him off without realizing.
  "Look, Hearth, I know you don't have much at the moment but I want to change that."
   Hearth looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I think that maybe sometime tomorrow we should go out and buy you some new things. What do you think about that?"

"Why would we do that?" Hearth asked.
  "Well, I enjoy having you here and if you're to stay here then you should probably have some belongings that you can call your own."

"I don't have any money, though," Hearth signed with a sad look on his face.

Blitz looked at Hearth with a warm smile and took his hand and held it. "I don't mind buying things for you. You crash landed here from a portal and have nothing but the clothes on your back, this is the least I can do to help you out." Blitz looked at Hearth, hoping he would understand that he was being completely sincere. "This is what friends do, right?"
Hearth took his hand from Blitz and signed. "I've never had a real friend before."
  "Maybe you could consider me your first friend then," He said with a hopeful smile. "Would you say that I am?"
   Hearth studied Blitz's face for such a long time, Blitz wondered if he spoke too fast for the elf to understand him. Eventually Hearth raised his hands. "Thank you. For being my first friend." Hearth signed.

Blitz felt giddy at the thought that Hearth considered him a friend. "It's no problem. I think we're going to get along just fine."

Heart nodded. "Agreed."

"Okay, new friend, how about we go and clean up the mess we made," Blitz said while picking up the plates.

Hearth agreed silently and they both went and washed the dishes together.