The day I met you [Joseph x Aesop]

Chapter V- "We meet again."

Previously...

I wonder if he's lying awake, thinking about me?

"Hope you're well...embalmer."

Fast forward a few weeks...

3rd POV

Aesop's injury after the first match pretty much healed, and he also participated in a couple more matches, fortunately, no other injuries. He didn't see Joseph, though he wanted to. So when he felt the same familiar suffocating pressure after being lifted off of him, he smiled when he spotted a camera near a cipher.

It was like he was asking to be found, decoding in front of a camera.

Joseph stepped back into the normal world and stopped dead in his tracks. Aesop was staring at his camera, so distracted that he didn't even saw Joseph stepping out from the one close to it.

He laughed softly before yelling, "Boo!"

Aesop jumped back violently, right into Joseph.

"U-uh-"

Aesop's voice failed him. He was too busy eyeing his arm, which the hunter was holding. Strangely, this time he didn't have that urge to throw it off with Eli. In fact, it felt kind of nice.

"What were you looking at, so distracted?"

Joseph smiled, holding Aesop.

"And, are you going to let go of my arm?"

Aesop flushed, turning red, and quickly let go of his arm. The hunter began to laugh but stopped quickly as he saw that the survivor winced, massaging his shoulder.

"Is your arm alright now?"

"U-Uhm..y-yes...don't worry about it."

Aesop snatched his arm back from the taller figure, who was examining it.

Joseph's smile falters.

"So what brings you here?" He said, suddenly cold.

Aesop recoiled from the change of tone in his voice, and responded nervously, "I-I just wanted to talk to y-you about what happened at our last m-match."

Joseph's expression softens, seeing that he was scaring the boy.

"That match.."

"I-I don't know, I just had the weirdest feeling that I had to protect you. It pains for me to see you hurt."

Joseph avoided Aesop's gaze, though he couldn't help but believe him.

"Well, if there isn't anything else, I have to get back to the mat-"

"W-what's your name mister?"

Aesop burst out, blushing furiously as Joseph turned to look at him.

"Joseph."

"I'm A-Aesop."

"A-And I also have something t-to confess!"

Aesop continued, leaving Joseph bewildered. It wasn't common that survivors and hunters chatted. There was an unspoken agreement between both the hunters and survivors that they couldn't talk to each other during matches. It wasn't an official rule, but it's what they lived with for the past few years they have been there.

Besides, what was there to talk about? Not counting useless pleads or crying noises that new survivors often made, both usually don't associate outside of their groups. Having a normal conversation between survivors and hunters was laughable, but here they were.