The Libra (Eric Derekson + S̀e̡̛͠p͡ţ͠į͜͡c̸̢ Egos G/T) (One-Shots)

Strays

Eric wasn't sure what brought him out here. One moment he'd been dreaming, running away from raised voices and crying as his name was called, and the next... He was out of the cave.

And it was the middle of the night.

And it was raining again.

He'd come to and found himself standing in the middle of the forest, completely soaked with no recollection of getting up and walking out. How did he wind up here? Why didn't anyone stop him? And then the gears in his frightened mind began to spin out of control.

"O-oh no," he breathed, "No no no no no, I-I'm-I'm not suppose t-to be out here, oh no!" His heart hammered in his chest as he spun around, scanning desperately for some sort of landmark. But he was lost. He was completely, hopelessly lost, and he had no idea how to get back. He shuddered and rubbed his arms, his skin slick with rainwater and already soaked to the bone. I've never seen it rain so much before! He moved under the closest tree and slumped onto its roots. The rain wasn't as bad, but the frantic leaves made the fewer drops fatter and harder. He winced as one hit him square on the head, and tears brimmed in his eyes as he let out a whimper. He brought his knees to his chest and put his chin in the little nook between the caps, his glasses pushing against his arms as he shook and took rapid breaths.

Normally, rain would have been a calming force. It was what comforted him often in the trailer, every night when he had to keep down the noise or else endure his father's anger. But this time it frightened him. He had no ceiling over his head, except for the tree limbs that arched overhead with their weak canopies of leaves. And now he was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack, and he didn't have Chase to calm him down.

Chase. Thinking of the kind giant made Eric cry harder. Would Chase be worried? Probably... Oh no, he would be so worried! Worried sick!

"I'm-I'm s-so-so s-sorry...!" Eric whimpered. His shoulders shook with another sob. He moved his arm and slapped his own wrist, and though it stung it didn't hit nearly hard enough. He whined and sat up, trying to catch his breath before he smacked his own cheek. It burned. He cried out and sobbed harder, his own vision even wetter than the deluge outside.

"I'm-I'm such a-a h-horrible, horrible p-person!" He blubbered miserably. "Wh-why-why can't I do a-any-anything, r-right!?" He bawled into his handkerchief, rocking himself frenetically as his thoughts looped on in a vicious cycle. His dissonance outmatched the tears of the clouds, though they did not shy away and continued to patter the forest grounds.

And then, interrupting his misery, Eric suddenly heard a different pattering, and then a meow. He looked up, and he was astonished to see a pure white cat, perched only a couple of meters away on the roots of another tree. He sniffled and rubbed his eyes, wiping his nose against his foulard before taking a better look. The feline was slightly wet, but its fur still flowed as it was suppose to, giving the boy a good idea of its petite legs and flourishing tail. It sat watching him, gazing with the left eye a crystal blue, and the other a bright green. Eric felt his breath leave him. It was... Beautiful.

His sniffed again and looked around. The cat didn't have a collar; and no one else seemed to be around. He looked back at the cat, and with a shaky breath he murmured, "A-are you lost, l-like me?" It blinked. One ear twitched under the weight of a water droplet, and then it rose up on its paws. Eric's breath seized as it sprang onto the forest floor and darted across, coming over to his tree. "W-wait, d-d-don't!" He cried out with a trembling hand, louder than he meant to. The cat halted, flinching back under his voice and flattening its ears warily. Eric whimpered, lowering his voice. "I-I'm-I'm sorry, I-I... Ohh, I'm-I'm so sorry, I-I-I just- If I-if I touch you, th-then-then you'll-you'll die. And-and I don't-I don't want you to die...!" His lips peeled back, and he slumped as he started bawling again. He only managed to whimper a few nonsensical noises before weeping into his foulard, once again crying and chastizing himself for being such a terrible person.