"Shouldn't go anywhere alone." Muriel says, sitting down beside me as I let out a weak laugh.
"You used to be alone."
"I didn't go falling into spiky plants though."
"Just a y/n thing I guess." I sigh shakily.
"I need you to... lift the shirt.." he gestures awkwardly at my stomach as I reveal a deep cut. Slowly he dabs a warm, wet cloth onto it and I tense up. My eyes meet his, caring and gentle. "Just got to clean this and then I can bandage you up."
"You're like a little nurse."
"i'm not little."
"Little nurse Muri." I smile.
"Bandage time." He ignores me and pulls out a roll of fabric, laying it on the wound. It rolls down and he shoots me a look. "I gotta backwards plank?"
"You need to be bandaged."
"Finee." I sigh and lift my stomach. He gently rolls the bandage over a few times and I smile weakly at his concentration. Finally his big hands tuck in the fabric and he looks me over. "Now rest."
"No."
He sighs and grabs one of the pouches from his shelf.
"Whats that?"
"sleepy powder." he doesn't miss a beat and just blows it in my face.
"Mur...iel... you rat..." my voice grows weak as I drift into sleep.
I reach out and feel the empty space beside me in the bed. "Mm... Muri.." I mutter tiredly. It takes almost all my strength for me to sit up and look around tiredly. "Sorry, he just needed some hugs." Muriel's voice comes from the corner of the hut. He stands there with a tiny little kid in his arms, bobbing gently with him. "Hazel need a hug?" I smile fondly at the boy and he nods tiredly.
"He still smells amazing." Muriel nuzzles against Hazel's head and chuckles.
"That baby smell is almost as good as puppy smell."
"He IS a lil pup. Are you a pup?"
Hazel nods, barely even aware of anything, and looks wonderfully up at his dad.
"He looks so interested by you." I smile and walk over to the two. Muriel raises his eyebrows, "Woah! It's me!"
"He's thinking 'damn my dads pretty'"
Muriel blushes and huffs, "Don't do that..."
"Why?"
"Last time that happened, this happened!" He uses his head to gesture at Hazel, who's now chewing on his own hand.
"So i can't compliment you anymore?"
"no." He grumbles and grabs Hazel's bottle from the table. I smile fondly at him, his huge hands make it look so small. Hazel reaches out and coos as the bottle carefully approaches him. "open up bean." Muriel says quietly as the little boy starts drinking quickly.
"Hungry." I say, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind.
"we'd better get ourselves some lunch too."
"we haven't been fishing in a while." I say, resting my chin on his shoulder.
"let's go after this." He nods at Hazel who's big bright eyes are staring at us as he drinks.
We plod outside into the cold dew of the early morning and hurry over to the river. Hazel stares in wonder at all the plants as though he'd never seen them before. Muriel quickly hands him to me to search for a good spot and I give him a little hug. "Fun?"
He nods wobbly.
"You wanna stand?"
He smiles and nods more, holding his arms up. I slowly lift him down and hold his hand as he shakily stands. We walk carefully over to Muriel who is already stood in the water, peering down. "Theres some salmon around I think." He calls above the sounds of the gushing water.
"I'll help then." I step into the water as Hazel crouches down, staring at the rocks. He's so cute. Slowly I lift him with a spell and he floats just beside me as I start fishing. He giggles happily in the air and twirls around. "Little cherub..." Muriel chuckles, grabbing a fish.
When we return Hazel is already exhausted. It's strange how tiring such a small amount of work is to a child. Muriel holds him as though he were a china doll and hushes him softly. I smile at the two as Hazel is put delicately to bed. From the side he looks just like muriel, all tired out and resting soundly. "He looks just like you."
"But he has your mind." Muriel smiles down at him.
"Dumb?"
"The opposite. He does your little concentration face with the pout... you know..." He starts getting flustered.
"I can't believe we have a kid together and you still get nervous." I chuckle.
He huffs and goes to clean Hazel's bottle as the boy holds his little Inanna teddy closely and sucks his thumb.
"I'm glad we had him though."
"He's maybe my favourite thing we ever did together."
"Better than saving Vesuvia?" I pretend to be shocked.
"Much better. I love to see him so happy, I need him to have a better life than mine."
"With you as a dad he'll have the best." I kiss his cheek.
"Y/n?" His voice echoes in my brain and I open my eyes to a blinding midday light coming into the hut. "Sorry I woke you.. it's just been 14 hours!!"
"Wheres Hazel??" I look around.
"Who?"
"Our- oh..." What a strange feeling, missing something that never was.
"What is it?"
"just a dream..."
