Without You (Adam Taurus x Faunus!OC)

Chapter 14: Letting Go

<62 POV>

"Yay! You actually came back! You didn't come yesterday so I thought you forgot," said a bright-eyed Harvy.

62 was back at the lake, two days after she first came here and encountered Harvy. Two days after she almost got caught by that guard. Luckily, Harvy was assigned to a sector that was pretty far from the main shore again, making it easier to avoid guards. 

Only someone insane would return, and that would be 62. But she really had no choice. 102 wanted more herbs, and 62 simply had to comply with the blond girl's orders. Otherwise, she'd be taken away . . .

"Hello?" 62 heard. She looked back at Harvy, whose happy eyes were replaced with sadder-looking ones. "If you don't really wanna be here, then -"

"Of course I wanna come!" 62 interrupted, trying to keep the child's spirits up. Which worked, since his eyes started to brighten up again. "I just didn't come yesterday because I was kinda busy. Whenever I have time, I'll come right here." 62 then smiled at the child.

"Awesome! But why did you come during lunchtime?"

"Oh, that's because I wanted to come when you were on your break. I was thinking it would be easier for us to talk and . . . avoid the guards, y'know? And you get a pretty long break, so we can talk for longer."

"Really, 20 minutes is a long break?"

"Ya! I wish I had a break like that!"

"But don't you have a 20-minute break too, if you can visit me?"

'Hmm,' 62 thought to herself. 'Smart kid. But I can't tell him I'm actually sneaking out. I wouldn't want him to follow my footsteps, or he'll get himself hurt.'

"Well, ya. I guess you caught me, haha," 62 replied, scratching the back of her head.

"So you'll come during lunchtime, when you aren't busy?" Harvy asked.

"Yep," 62 responded while nodding, expecting the child to start complaining since she just admitted she wouldn't be able to come every day. She'd really love to, but the truth is she could only leave the kitchen whenever she had the chance to. Which didn't come everyday.

"Sounds good!" Harvy answered to her surprise. Looks like he's a pretty understanding kid after all . . . but all that told 62 was that he probably had to grow up much too quickly. It made her wonder what his life was like before entering the SDC. But that's a question for another time. 

"I'm excited," the child continued, showing a bright smile and slightly tilting his head to the side.

"Ya, me too kid!" 62 answered.

'The herbs can wait,' 62 concluded. 'It's been a while since I had fun like this.'

"Stop calling me kid! You're small too! I bet you're only a little bit older than me!" Harvy started complaining.

"Well, that still makes me older, so I can call you whatever I want."

"Hmmph, no fair!" Harvy said, stomping his foot on the ground.

"Hahaha, sorry but that's how it works," 62 said, shrugging. "Hey," she continued, "Wanna hear another joke? This one should be better."

"Mmm if you say so . . ."

"Hey! Don't be like that! Just give me a chance, you'll see! Okay so, what do you call somebody with no body and no nose?"

"A zombie?" Harvy answered, leave his arms out to mimic the way a zombie would walk.

"No, no. Nobody knows! Hahaha!!"

"Wait, huh? . . . no body, no nose . . . nobody knows . . . Oh!" the child exclaimed. "I get it! Haha, I kinda like that one. It makes wayyy more sense than the 10 tickles."