The Fragile the Broken and the Brave

47. Handle

8.27.20

Connor's POV

When we woke up again, the atmosphere was oddly calm... Like the air right before a storm. However, I didn't think much about it before sitting up, and I could see Varian off to the side with his hand in a bush. He dug around in it for a few more moments before fishing out a rabbit, and he sniffed the animal for a second or two before cracking its neck to kill the innocent, snow white bunny instantly. "What'd that rabbit ever do to you?" I called out, and he jumped so hard he fell into the thorny bush. I heard a loud yelp from the boy, and I rushed over to help him get free from the snags. Once I finally got him out of the bush, I got a horribly unamused look off of the boy. I tried to help him to pull the thorns out of his skin, but he slapped my hand away in a tizzy. The action hurt my heart, but I chose to ignore it when Varian hissed from the pain of the spikes in his skin. "Come on, let me help." My gentle voice seemed to calm him down quite a bit, but he still looked rather betrayed. Man, I didn't know he would fall into the bush!

"That hurt Conny!" He pouted adorably, and I chuckled to myself while pulling the thorns out of his face. I was as gentle as possible, but he still gasped with every pulled plant.

"I didn't know you were gonna fall in, okay?"

"I was catching the rabbit so I could feed Orion tonight; is that so hard to believe?"

"I said I was sorry-"

"Yeah, well now I lost my dinner! Seriously Connor are you that insensitive?"

"Wasn't it dead?"

"Yes and now it's in the bush! God, I hate you!" The words sent a huge blow into my chest, and I looked down at the floor sadly. I can't believe after all this time spent waiting for him, my own soulmate hates me over a rabbit and some thorns. Varian stormed away from me, and my mind was in total shambles. I told myself not to let someone into my defenses for this exact reason! My legs slowly gave out from under my body, and my knees dug into the discarded brambles on the floor. My chest sizzled and fizzed, but I couldn't hold it in anymore. I curled up in a ball on the forest floor, and tears fell down my face at the speed of light. The world was spinning around me, and my breath came in quick gasps. The tearing feeling in my chest hurt more than anything I had ever sensed before, so I cried out loudly as my body shook. My mind became numb from the horrifying sensation, and I felt my emotions grow empty as well. My papa had warned me about this... To never let my guard down until I found the right person. Said something about agonizing pain and running away. I thought I could trust Vari; he's my soulmate. Clearly, I was wrong. The sun was slowly rising, and I could feel the warmth against my skin. Nothing would ever be the same again. Not after this. I need him.

***

Varian's POV

"Orion, come out for dinner!" I called my brother, and he skipped over to me. In his arms was his usual bunny toy, and I sighed. I know he loves the memories of our parents it brings him, but he never knew the whole part of their story. Everything is so confusing; it's hard for me to find the right path.

He sat down at the table, and I smiled at him softly while placing the food onto the surface in front of him. His eyes lit up at the sight, and I saw a heartwarming grin creep across his face. "Thank you Varian!" he exclaimed, and I nodded at the kid.

"Any time, Orion." I watched him dig into his meal while fiddling around with his hoodie sleeves, and his little bounces every once and awhile reassured me of his joy. Now I just need to figure out why I was so mad at Connor. Well, first of all he lost me my food. Second of all I still have a thorn in my left butt cheek. I just don't know anymore...

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"Where's that other guy? The one that you like?"

"He... Oh my God I'm an idiot. Orion, stay here, and don't break anything. I'll be back!"

I sprinted back through the woods, and I couldn't help but chastise myself on my stupidity. I stormed away like that and just left him there for 6 hours! He barely even did anything wrong. When I got to the edge of the clearing, I saw him laying between two of those god awful thorn bushes with quite a few sticking out of him. His skin was red and inflamed, and I could see numerous briars sticking out of his pale body. However, the tear stains left dried on his face made me hurt the most. His eyes were puffy, and I could see the blotches on his cheeks that come from extreme sadness. His black locks were scattered messily around the forest floor, and I noticed how close he was to rolling into a pile of deer shit.

"Connor," I breathed while crouching down next to him, and his eyes scrunched a bit. Other than that, though, his behavior didn't shift at all from the stoic sleeper. "Con, wake up."

His eyes slowly opened from the second calling, but they were cold... Empty. I really fucked up, didn't I? "Hi."

"Connor can you come back to me please?"

"I am here?"

"Emotionally idiot!"

Suddenly, a hand touched on my shoulder, and I jumped about 10 feet in the air. I spun around quickly to face an unfamiliar man, and he had a scary expression planted across his face. "What did you do to my son, kid," he snarled, and I took a step back. His icy blue eyes, so similar to Connor's, glared me up and down, and I felt nerves spike in my chest.

"I-uh-I... I may or may not have accidentally broken his heart sir."

"Heartbreak is no accident."

"Well I didn't realize what I was saying in the heat of the moment."

"Just... Put a can in it." The man crouched down next to Connor, and the two talked in hushed voices. I stood off to the side feeling like a failure, and I stayed that way until the guy from before returned to me. "You be careful with him now, you hear? He's sensitive; gets it from me."

"I really wasn't trying to say anything like that."

"Then why were you gone so long? And why so upset about a simple rabbit?"

"My brother really likes them..."

"There's plenty of rabbits."

"You'd be surprised how hard it is to find food in that forest."

"It is? I've never had any trouble."

"Papa go home," Connor pleaded quietly, and I turned my head to meet his face. At least his eyes have expression, but now they're angry... I don't think I can handle this.