Return Road (Private)

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim despised having to venture out and leave the safety of the place he knew as his own. In the old manor no living thing could conceal it's true nature from him and nothing could be so skillfully secretive and sudden as to catch him off guard and cause him harm. However it was his own impatience and restless mind that forced him to come out and wander through the stone pawed streets of the town in search of a new guest to look after and occupy his time with.

 

It always lead to an unsatisfying end when he accepted these foreigners into his home, but they did also provide him with amusement, even if only for a short while. More than anything he hated the loneliness that ate away at him when he was left without them for too long.

 

After he'd resorted to searching for company enough times, Akim had become very capable of spotting an unfortunate soul who had nowhere to stay. He'd learned how to recognize who would greet his invitation with enthusiasm and who with suspicion.

Even now, many years after he'd seen it for the first time, he could remember the foolish happiness that he'd once been shown by one of these strangers when he'd invited them to his manor. It was the only time he'd done so on a whim.

 

He leaned against one of the structures that surrounded the small center of the town and lingered there for a moment. He intended to observe the people who passed by but instead his thoughts started to drift off. While he stood there, seeming as lost and confused as the people he was looking for, his mind was flooded by memories he liked so much he couldn't find a good enough reason to pay attention to where he was now and what was happening around him.

 

Fortunately, Akim recognized it when he was becoming silly and he didn't intend to be so distracted by his thoughts that someone who walked by could notice it. He willed himself to resist the pleasant distract from reality and his focused returned to the town center just as someone promising came into view. He followed the man with his gaze for only a brief moment before approaching him with confidence and a set of questions ready to be asked. Normally he wouldn't bother to force on a smile for the sake of seeming friendly or polite but this once, thanks to things he'd just been thinking back to, a faint but pleasant and genuine expression appeared on his face.

[ACuckoo]

Each town that Snow had visited since his family died was unique and special in it’s own way. Some he felt more affiliated to than others, so much so that he thought it might be a good idea to move there. Yet his feet kept him walking, and he continued to travel, visiting cities, meeting new people, pretending he didn’t have a past, and telling people who asked that he was from nowhere, just a man who enjoyed seeing the world for what it was.

 

Which wasn’t an entire lie. But it wasn’t an entire truth either. But Snow was good at keeping his secrets hidden. He was good at smiling and socializing. He had made friends in certain cities and if he ever found himself back in those cities they would help out him, let him stay with them and feed him and take care of him. He had that type of aura about him… The type that could draw in people and keep them smiling until he was suddenly gone from them, away to a new place.

 

And this most recent place… It was one of more curiouser ones he had visited. It had only been a day and he wanted desperately to leave. The air itself felt sticky on his skin and left him feeling cold and chilled to his bone. The patrons of this city were strange as well…. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something off about them. Something… Unnatural. Those he passed on the street never even looked at him, and if they did it looked like they wanted to eat him rather than greet him to their home. It had long since been time to leave this place, but anytime Snow tried to retrace his steps he wound up in a new part of town. The exits all disappeared, and the more he tried to understand his situation the more he panicked.

 

But it seemed there was one ray of hope. Just when he was ready to give up, hide in a dark corner, and wait either for another chance to escape or for something to eat him, he saw him. This calm, collected man with a smile unlike that of any of the other patrons of this city. It was a smile Snow was familiar with, a smile he could recognize, a smile of someone who was normal like him but not frightened of this strange town. Without realizing the growing redness and wetness in his eyes, he sprinted towards the man, his legs working on their own.

 

And when he finally made it to him, rather than introducing himself like he normally would or calmly asking him how to get out of the city, he lips formed the words…

 

“Please, help me.”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim was taken aback by the strangers plea for help but not enough that he wouldn't know how to respond. He was certain this would be a unique exchange however and so all of the questions he had thought of in advance became unsuitable.

-"Of course I'll help you. What's making you so upset?" He asked first off. He was truly curious if something unusual had happened to the other man already in the town, there were more than enough disturbing things he could had witnessed and Akim hoped the other locals hadn't hurt him. He wasn't delusional and knew he was no different from the others who lived there but for now, while the man still hadn't wronged him in any way, he couldn't as much as think of causing him any harm himself.

 

Noticing how only the few words they'd said so far had already attracted some attention he wasn't reluctant to take a strong hold of the stranger's arm and pull him to the side, towards the less crowded street he'd arrived from. Eyes followed them as they walked and Akim couldn't restrain himself from glaring viciously over his shoulder at the bunch of townspeople who, it seemed to him, were all smiling to themselves, sure that they know what he was planing and what he would do.

 

-"I don't want them to hear anything else." He explained so to excuse himself for pulling the other man along so harshly. Even as he returned his gaze to the human his expression was still grim from the warning he'd given to the others, but slowly that faded as he relaxed somewhat. His hand was still gripping onto the other and even after after he loosened his hold his fingers lingered on the man's upper arm for a moment longer.

Akim had a chance to take a closer look at the stranger now, he'd intended to do so earlier while approaching him but the other had ran up to him instead. The first thing he noticed was he difference in height between the two of them and it made him feel awkwardly massive.

[ACuckoo]

“Of course I’ll help you.”

 

Those words served as his saving grace in this place. This man who he didn’t know, who didn’t know him, who could have been as dangerous as the town itself, agreed to help him. Perhaps he wouldn’t keep him safe and perhaps he couldn’t really do anything to comfort him, but the fact there was someone here that he could put even the most miniscule amount of trust in was enough for him.

 

“I-I don’t know…” Snow stuttered out an answer to the other man’s question. “I don’t…. This town is just so strange. I feel… Something here. It’s out of place; it’s--” He was cut off as the other man grabbed his arm rather roughly and pulled him down a more secluded street, though his reason for doing so didn’t help relax Snow any.

 

“Why? Are they going to hurt us? God, where am I? What is this place?” He looked around again at the unfamiliar buildings, the strange people hiding in their businesses or scurrying along the street, as if that would help him gather his bearings. He had never felt so scared before, and had only ever felt this alone when his family had left him behind. Still, this stranger, this amazing, wonderful, stranger who appeared somewhat odd himself though not as eerie as the other residents seemed like he would take care of him. The hand that rested on Snow’s arm was reassuring, reaffirming the fact that this man was here to help him, not hurt him.

 

Of course, Snow had no way of knowing this for sure. Perhaps he was being led right into a trap, but it didn’t matter. Not as long as he would be taken care of and somehow released from this prison.

 

“How do I get out of here? I want to go home!” Not that he had home. Home was nowhere, but anywhere else in the world was better than this place. “I don’t… I don’t even remember how I got here….”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

While the human explained what it was that made him so panicked Akim listened and watched him with a now perfectly neutral expression. As much as everything seemed strange and frightening to the smaller man, Akim was too accustomed to the town to react to any of it and was satisfied that the other was only confused and hadn't been injured or abused.

 

-"No one is going to hurt you now, they're just nosy. I don't want them to listen in on what we're saying and spread rumours." He chose his words carefully, aware that his previous statement was something better left unsaid since it had only given the stranger more reason to worry.

 

-"I can tell you what I know about this place, but you should calm down first. Leaving isn't very easy and I can't just lead you out but I will think of something if you give me some time." He assured the other man though for now what he said was a lie, he didn't know any way to leave the town and even if there was one he didn't intend to look for it. His intentions were to bring the human to his manor and keep him there for as long as he could, not to watch over him for a while before sending him off and most likely never seeing him again. To Akim it was all the same if someone escaped or died, he'd loose that person either way.

 

-"There's no place for foreigners to stay in town but you can come with me, I live in an isolated area so you might feel more comfortable there." He offered hoping the stranger understood his only other option was to stay outside on the streets. His voice grew more gentle as he spoke about this though and a slight hint of a smile formed on his lips as he outstretched his hand for the other to take.

[ACuckoo]

“Rumors?” What kind of rumors would spread? That a new person was in this town? That someone had wandered in and was lost and confused and free for the taking? This seemed like that kind of town… The kind where everyone knew each other, hated foreigners, and banned together to make sure they were all gotten rid of.

 

These thoughts and more all gathered in Snow’s mind, making him tremble more, lose control of any willpower or reason he had, and nearly sent him over the edge. Then, his new acquaintance reminded him to calm down, and that a level head was required in a place like this. As much as Snow wanted to panic and scream and cry and beg to be taken somewhere safe, he knew that would get him nowhere. It would just attract attention and probably attention he simply did not want. So he nodded slowly and listened as the man explained himself, told him there wasn’t much he could do to leave, but that he was fine to stay with him.

 

It was a much better option than staying out here in the street.

 

With a quick nod of his head, Snow agreed to go with the stranger. There was no other choice. Not until he found his own exit or figured out what it was about this town that was keeping him here--and possibly all these other people too.

 

The hand that was outstretched to him was too good to be true, that Snow knew. He liked to think he wasn’t ignorant. He liked to think he knew that following a stranger home could end in his death or worse even. He liked to think that he was reasonable enough to survive this place until he could find a way out and never look back.

 

Yet his options were limited. With hesitation, and a heart still filled with fear and anxiety, he took this stranger’s hand and allowed him to lead him wherever he wanted to go. He could only pray this man would take care of him….

 

“What…” Snow swallowed hard to compose himself, and took a deep breath to keep himself from stuttering as he spoke. “What should I call you? I’m Salma Snow… But everyone calls me Snow.”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim was glad to see the other man keep himself together at least while they were still out in the open and on display for all of the oddities that inhabited the town. However he did hope the human would act differently once they were left alone, he didn't want his new companion to attempt to be secretive or mislead him by hiding what he felt. Once in his home Akim would easily know everything the other did and planed so attempting to fool him could only backfire on the human.

 

For now though, he had no reason to be suspicious of Snow and didn't think much more about things that were yet to happen, even if he did fear everything would follow a pattern he knew well. His fingers closed around the humans hand, holding him more lightly now even though he preferred to tug him along again so they would hurry back to the place he knew was safe. Being in the heart of the town and surrounded by so many people he knew had ill intentions towards both of them was making Akim nervous and eager to get going.

 

-"My name's Akim." He introduced himself shortly and began to lead the other man down the street. "It will be a long walk." He added in a clearly unhappy voice, though he knew his estimate wasn't very reliable considering how rarely he left his home, the distance from the manor to the town was considerable but not as great as it seemed to him. He didn't say anything else for now, still weary of passers by, but was eager to have a decent conversation with the human and was annoyed that he had to keep quiet.

 

All of the streets and passages of the town looked alike but since nothing new was ever built and nothing ever changed Akim found his way around very easily and after a while they were no longer surrounded by buildings but were instead walking by open fields.

-"You said you don't know how you got here, what did you mean?" He asked at one point when there was no one else in sight, not so much because he was curious about this but because he felt like talking, regardless of the topic.

[ACuckoo]

As much as Snow wanted to keep his eyes closed as he was led through the city, his bright, green eyes remained wide, taking in every little aspect of this new place. The buildings themselves were attractive, homey even, but Snow couldn’t understand why he felt so uneasy. Whatever was inside those buildings, Snow wasn’t curious at all to see. The dark sky and lack of lighting only made it worse. Fear continued to crawl up and down his spine, though he pushed the feeling away over and over, if only to remind himself that if he lost his mind he and his companion might be followed.

 

Thank god for Akim though. There was still hesitation in Snow; Akim was still a stranger and he was still a resident of this strange, frightening city. Though, regardless of all of that, there were no other choices. He put his trust in Akim fully, and did his best to push away the doubt that filled his heart.

 

“How I got here?” Snow considered the question for a moment, remembering how he had wandered into this town. “I had meant to go to a town… Well, I believe it’s nearby here. Alabaster. It was the next place I was going on my journey, and I took a break in a forest nearby here. I had fallen asleep and when I woke up I was right on the outskirts of this town. I thought it might have been Alabaster, but I still had a few miles to go before I arrived there. I don’t….” He trailed off, not noticing how hard he was squeezing Akim’s hand. “I don’t know how I got here. I just want to leave…”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

It had been so long ago that Akim arrived at this place that he had little recollection of just how it was that he entered the town, however he wasn't from the world of man and knew well that it must had been nothing like what the human described. Not remembering didn't bother him very much though and he thought it was only normal to forget the details of something that has already in the passed and would never be relevant again.

 

-"I shouldn't have asked..." Akim thought out loud and frowned a bit at his own poor choice of topic. He was worried that he would give the wrong impression or be too forward but he lightly caressed the hand that was holding his so tightly. He only meant to comfort the other man by doing this and show him some support.

 

-"You're too upset to do anything to find a way out now, just give yourself some time to really calm down." He said after a while passed in silence and thanks to how bare the landscape was they could already make out a structure in the distance. Akim smiled softly at the sight.

 

-"The place I'm taking you too isn't as bad as the town, you can see there's already no one around for us to look out for when we speak." He pointed out and his gaze drifted over the land around them. "It's a safe place." He added and though his voice was a half whisper and memories of past failures were still fresh in his mind, the statement was one of the most honest things he could ever say. He believed it more than anything, regardless of what happened before and might in the future.

[ACuckoo]

It was nice…

 

The way Akim caressed Snow’s hand made the smaller man feel like this place wasn’t so dangerous… Or rather that he was safe so long as he was with Akim. There was still that doubt in his mind, the doubt that Akim would actually keep him safe, but how could someone so kind actually turn out to be as frightening as this town? Snow was lost, scared, intimidated, and confused, but Akim gave him comfort. He was the knight that made all the bad and scary monsters go away.

 

“Th… Thank you.” Snow muttered, only then realizing that he hadn’t thanked the other man for his kindness, for speaking to him so gently, for helping him calm down with his just his words and small actions. “Really… Thank you so much.”

 

By now the scenery had changed to a lovely field, and off in the distance Snow could just make out a house, a rather large one at that. He wondered if this was where Akim lived and if this is where he would be taken to stay with him. Just as Akim said, it was pointless for him to try to find a way out of this town in his state and this place would help him calm down enough to think reasonably.

 

“A safe place….” Snow repeated his companion’s words slowly and deliberately. “A safe place….” That was all Snow wanted. All he wanted was to be safe. To be away from this dangerous, frightening town and to be out of harm’s way.

 

“Thank you so much….” The words fell from his mouth before he could stop himself, though these simple words couldn’t express his gratitude. So he just repeated himself, in hopes the other could understand how grateful he truly was. "Thank you, thank you, thank you...."

[ZX-MetalMonster]

It was starting to seem to Akim like the other man was idealizing him and though he knew it wasn't right and that he needed to correct him, for a moment he smiled brightly at all the gratitude the human gave him.

-"That's enough... I understand." He said in response but the words didn't seem harsh and couldn't even if he'd intended them to because of how happy he sounded. "I'm doing this for myself as well so I don't deserve so much thanks." He added but didn't explain himself further than that, he didn't want to admit it but was sure the human would notice it later on just how empty his home was. Despite being the kind of person who liked and needed company, things had played out so Akim didn't have anyone to talk to or even anyone living to think about and look forward to seeing.

 

-"We're almost at the manor though and I don't have anything planed other than sitting around for the rest of the evening so if you need me for anything I'm yours." He offered and after giving it some thought started to understand that even this was for himself as much as for the other man. Though he certainly didn't like work and was annoyed whenever something needed to be fixed or cleaned, the idea of occupying his time with another person, who he liked very much so far, seemed pleasant to him.

 

-"I would like it if we could sit together and talk more but that can wait if you're tired." Akim said already, a bit impatient to be home but this made him wonder about something else. "Can you recognize what time it is? It's always dark here so differentiating between day and night isn't very simple."

[ACuckoo]

Snow was curious by nature; it was part of the reason he felt so comfortable traveling to all of these places, meeting new people, enjoying life for what it was even without his family. It was probably the reason he found himself in this terrifying town, but it was also most likely the reason he came across Akim as well. And the more he spoke to this man, the more curiosity lended itself to him, made him want to know more about him, made him want to question why he would take the time out to rescue some poor soul who was lost and confused and frightened. What reasons could he possibly have?

 

But Snow didn’t press the issue. He was grateful enough for the chance to get out of here safely so there was no need to pry into this man’s private life. He had his reasons for taking care of Snow, and that was enough.

 

A small scoff escaped the young traveler as they maneuvered their way through the vast, empty field. “I’m exhausted, but I doubt I’ll be able to go to sleep any time soon. I wouldn’t mind spending time with you if you’ll allow me.” Little by little, even without asking any questions, Snow was learning a lot more about his savior. Most people would take care of a stranger they brought in off the street, sure, but to offer to sit together and just… Enjoy one another’s presence…. Akim was lonely. By now Snow had a good view of the manor, and he could see exactly how large it was. That large manor, Snow bet, was probably completely empty except for the one man who lived in it.

 

Loneliness, especially after losing his family, was something Snow was very familiar with.

 

“The time?” Snow hadn’t even thought about it. He had been so terrified since he had arrived here that it never even crossed his mind to think about the time. “I-I don’t know. I assumed it was night but… Is it actually? It’s not day time is it? It’s far too dark.”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim knew he should encourage the other man to rest since he admitted he was tired but couldn't bring himself to turn him away from being together for a while. He only nodded in agreement and planed to keep their talk short and allow the other to get comfortable right after. As was already apparent, the manor was large and he doubted the human would even bother to get himself familiar with the space for now.

 

-"It's day, night is darker than this... well, you'll see, I don't have to describe it to you." Akim started to explain but decided it was better not to confuse and frighten the other man any more. He knew the human would get a hold of what time it is after spending a few days there and observing the change a few times. "It's easy to grow tired of the dark here, it feels like the sky is always covered in clouds or like it's about to rain but even that isn't that common..." He added, though that was mostly his personal complaint. Many times he hoped to see some light, not bright sunshine but only a clear blue sky and the town when all of it's colors weren't made dim and non-existent by the darkness. The rain was also better, the sound of water impacting with the windows and the ground outside soothed him and the occasional flash of lightning in a storm would catch his attention.

 

Though they were already close, Akim rushed ahead and pulled the human along so they would arrive in a mater of minutes. Up close one could see the building they were approaching was built of stone and had a smaller structure near by that was abandoned.He lead the other man through the passage between these two buildings and to one of the numerous doors of the one that was still in use. As Akim hadn't left any lights on, upon opening the door he stepped into perfect darkness but let go of the other so he could walk across the small hallway and provide light from one of the rooms it led to.

[ACuckoo]

To think it was this dark and only daytime… This place grew more disturbing by the minute. A place like this shouldn’t have existed on earth. There was something… Supernatural about it. Something uncommon. Something… Just terrifying, but Akim seemed to have lived here a while. Long enough that he grew tired of the dark and missed the light.

 

“Why don’t you leave?” Snow asked quietly, moving to stand closer to the other man. “If you’re tired of it, then why don’t you leave? Or is that you can’t leave either, like me?” Or maybe he didn’t want to leave. Maybe the darkness was more of a nuisance than something that really bothered Akim. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to be so presumptuous. This is your home, right? You probably like it here, and I’m just… Acting like it’s such a terrible place.”

 

The town may have been terrible to Snow, but Akim’s house… That was something completely different. Now Snow was sure he had somehow stumbled into a fairy tale. The manor Akim lived in was larger than he could have imagined, made of stone and standing tall in the middle of this grand field. There were not any lights on in the manor, but he could already tell just from the atmosphere that it was far more majestic than anything he had ever encountered. He was never the richest person, but especially after traveling around he hadn’t been accommodated in luxury. Perhaps this would be a first for him.

 

"Whoa..."

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim returned to the hallway only so he could offer the human a hand and lead him to the now well light room. Considering the size of the entire building the room didn't seem like a very big space,it was after all one of the less impressive parts of the construct and not the place where a host was most likely to bring someone, still it was bright and seemed comfortable and that is why Akim preferred they stay there. There wasn't much furniture, a low cabinet and a table surrounded by a number of chairs and a sofa.

 

-"I've never tried to leave, I don't think I'll ever find a good enough reason to either. Don't worry though, I understand why you don't like it here but I think you'll get use to it if nothing else." He explained and placed his coat on the sofa before leaning into one of the chairs, expecting the other to take a seat as well. Already now Akim's lack of care for seeming civil began to show from how he placed himself, crossed his legs and already partially unbuttoned his shirt as though the idea of all of his clothes seeming proper bothered him.

 

-"I'll show you a room you can use as your own later but I don't mind you going anywhere in the building." He explained and already all of his entity gathered around the room, ready to centre it's attentions on the human and observe him tirelessly.

[ACuckoo]

The moment Snow let himself fall onto the couch all of the exhaustion of the day caught up with him. His legs and arms felt like jelly, his mind shut down, his fear was overtaken by tiredness and hunger and the desire to curl up in a bed and go to sleep. He hadn’t even realized just how tired he was until he had finally gotten a chance to relax. The safety and comfort of this man’s home and his kind demeanor allowed Snow to finally let his guard down… Or rather he didn’t have a choice in the matter. His mind and body were no longer under his control; it was under the control of exhaustion.

 

“I’m so tired,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he leaned farther back into the couch. He watched the other unbutton his shirt and felt that he had the right idea… His own clothes felt heavy on his weak body, but he wasn’t nearly so willing to just throw off his clothes right here in front of this stranger.

 

“I feel like I could sleep for days,” Snow said with a laugh, hoping he didn’t offend his new companion. “But I don’t want to. I don’t feel ready to fall asleep yet. I just… I’m still so anxious.” If his words weren’t enough, then his expression was. He confided in the other, his gaze staring off in the distance while he sucked softly on his bottom lip. “I just want to keep looking for a way out, keep trying to… I don’t know. Something.”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim placed his elbow on the table and leaned onto his arm while he observed the other man. A cluster of shadows gathered behind and around the human as well, it's invisible eyes watching curiously. It gave Akim more than enough points of view to analyze his guest. He intended to encourage him to go and sleep but decided against it since the other already explained that he didn't want to rest yet.

It caught Akim's attention how set the other man was on doing something right away and getting out of town as soon as he could, though it also annoyed him since it was the opposite of what he wanted. He still had doubts it was at all possible for someone to leave once they arrived there, he'd never heard of it. It had happened a number of times that someone would disappear and not be heard from again but he knew it wasn't because they'd escaped.

 

-"I'm not sure if I have anything useful for 'getting away' here. I can just get you some paper and a pen if there's something you would like to write down so you remember it later." He offered so he wouldn't have to be straight forward and tell the human to give it a rest for now. "I would like to hear more about you though." Akim hoped his new companion wasn't suspicious of him and would talk with him freely without concealing much. He intended to be honest to him in return, or at least lie only when he had no other choice, that was the best he could do when his true nature was something he couldn't reveal to the other man.

[ACuckoo]

Even now that they were inside, Snow felt that he was being watched. He looked around the old manor, wondering if there was something in particular that made him feel this way. His body tingled with fear and concern, but one look at Akim made him feel comforted again. He smiled softly at the words the other spoke, and wondered if his life was interesting enough to be talked about. There was nothing… Just death and running away.

 

“There’s nothing to say,” Snow said with a shrug, eventually settling his gaze on Akim. He looked the other man up and down, jealous of how relaxed he was, how calm he was, how at home he was. “I don’t have a family. They’re all gone. I travel around all the time so I have no home. It’s fun traveling, but it would be nice to settle down somewhere, maybe even with someone.”

 

A heavy sigh escaped him and he curled into a small ball, still keeping his eyes on the other man. “Your home is nice. I think it’s nice that you even have a home. It’s beautiful and big and you can leave your house anytime you like and know that you’ll always have a place to return to. I don’t know how that feels.” With a smirk he unraveled himself and finally closed his eyes as he leaned his tired head against the couch. “Why don’t you tell me what it feels like?”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim was caught off guard by a request like this and couldn't find a suiting answer very easily. He could describe how he felt in his home, why he appreciated it, after all it was the dearest thing to him besides these men he made relationships with and unlike them it never changed. However Akim couldn't simply begin blabbing about this when he sensed that it was a sensitive subject and that he could hurt the human if he said the wrong thing.

He got up with an inaudible sigh and placed himself on the sofa beside the other man. At first he was reluctant but reached out and took the humans hand like he had while they were making their way to the manor.

 

-"I've said it already, I feel safe here... like I'm where I should be. I'd rather not leave though, even if I do know I can come back." He explained in a half whisper, seeing how the other was close to falling asleep. Something tempted him to remind the human that he would grow to know the manor once enough time passed and that he could easily just choose to stay, feel safe and at home right there. Akim knew they were far from a moment when saying something like this would be appropriate though.

 

-"What kind of place are you looking for to settle down." He asked instead of the question that bothered him more regarding what kind of person the other was looking for. He couldn't say for sure if he was going to receive any answer regardless of what he asked, still he didn't mind, he enjoyed talking either way and was hoping the human would get some rest soon.

[ACuckoo]

Snow looked down at his hand, which was now entwined with Akim’s. He smiled softly at the affectionate action before looking the other in his eyes and listening to his answer. It wasn’t an unexpected answer… Akim seemed to like this place for whatever reason. Who was Snow to judge? This house was spectacular and if the city didn’t frighten him then what reason was there for Akim to leave? Just to reassure that he didn’t mind the contact, Snow squeezed his hand back and even allowed himself to scoot a bit closer to him.

 

“Hmm?” Snow raised his eyebrow at the question, though it shouldn’t have been unexpected either. “I don’t know. I want to settle… Some place that will make me happy. I know that’s vague but… I’ve never thought about it.” His eyes closed as he thought about what type of place he would want to live… Honestly, it didn’t matter. A home wasn’t home unless there were people there to make it feel that way.

 

“The place doesn’t matter. Well, let me not say that,” he said with a chuckle. “I would be scared to live in this town, but ultimately all that matters is that there are people there to make your home a true home. You know what I mean? I could have the biggest house or the best mansion or live in a tropical paradise and what would it matter if I had no one there to call my friends and family? My perfect home is… With the people I love. But there’s no one I love now…”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim listened carefully whenever the human spoke, it was in his nature to be overly curious, often to an unhealthy extent when his guests were in question. However this once not all of his attention was focused on the other man's words, he was distracted by the eyes gazing into his own and grew more aware of their joined hands and the feel of the humans skin.

 

He was disappointed to hear the man he hoped would stay with him comment on how the town made him afraid and how he couldn't live there. Akim understood what the other felt though and wasn't angry but only hoped this opinion would change after time, knowing how things would end otherwise.

 

-"If people are what makes a home then I'm just as homeless as you." He pointed out to his guest but smirked as though he tried to prove him wrong with this. "I think you need a place to start, it's not very easy to love anyone if you don't stay by them long." He added and wondered if the other man understood that he wouldn't be able to leave so simply and would have to stay with him regardless if he wanted to or not, from how eager he was to search for an escape Akim doubted it.

 

-"You must have come across someone who you cared for and who had the potential to love you in return if you've been travelling for a long time." He commented and was hopeful he would hear more about the places and people the other had met at some point. Even though he had no intention of leaving the town, Akim didn't mind finding out about far away places.

[ACuckoo]

So Akim was lonely. Snow smiled to himself, proud that he had read this other man so easily. Though perhaps misery loved company and the reason he could read him so well was because he was lonely himself. The two of them related to one another and didn’t even know it. Though he couldn’t deny that Akim had a point. Snow rarely stayed somewhere long enough to form strong bonds. He had friends, but other than that….

 

“You’re right. I just… I never stay one place for too long. I suppose it’s hard to make friends and form a loving relationship with someone if you don’t stick around long to do so. Though I fear that I’ll be stuck here longer than I would like….” He once again squeezed the other man’s hand if only to reassure himself that he had someone around to keep him company and take care of him. “At least I have you right? Thank you again for taking care of me.”

 

It was hard to keep the conversation moving forward. Exhaustion was over taking Snow and it took everything in him to keep his eyes open. They eventually fluttered shut without his control, though he managed to mumble out, “Where will I be sleeping?” before his body decided that the couch would be fine, and fell fast asleep.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

At first Akim began to suspect his guest was trying to say he didn't want to grow very close to him and would leave very quickly if he had the option. However, before he had a chance to think too much about that he felt the others hold on his hand grow stronger and heard the rest of what he had to say. It was great reassurance to Akim and did well to keep him from becoming paranoid.

 

-"I'm here for you, whatever you need I'll help you. You don't have to thank me though..." He answered but smiled softly, both because the other man thought of him as one good thing in this town he disliked and because he could see the human was nearly asleep.

 

-"There's a lot of space, I can show you..." Akim said but was sure the other had already drifted off and didn't bother to continue explaining. He waited for a moment, giving the human a chance to snap awake, but when that didn't happen he wasn't reluctant to let go of his hand and pick him up carefully in stead. He turned the light off as he exited into another room, leaving them in complete darkness again while he carried the younger man and took him trough the house to a bedroom that was usually empty.

 

The rest of Akim's being followed after them with the intention to keep a close eye on his guest throughout the night. Still that wasn't necessary at first since rather than place him down on the bed and leave, Akim sat beside Snow and watched him for some time. When he did convince himself to get going and give the other man some privacy, or at least something close to it, he took his hand for a moment and pressed a light kiss to it before getting up and leaving.

[ACuckoo]

Snow lay in bed, staring out the window at the night sky… Or was it the morning sky? It was hard to tell. Snow recalled Akim telling him that it was hard to differentiate between night and day here, and it left the young man feeling confused and scared all over again. He wondered where his companion had wandered off to and it left him unsettled to be all by himself in this large manor. He had no idea how long he had been asleep, and he wanted to feel that reassurance again… The reassurance that he was safe.

 

He jumped out of bed and began wandering down the hall, looking at all of the strange decor. He ran his hands over vases, stared at the stone walls, picking out small cracks or holes in them. There was a lot to observe , a lot to see, a lot to take in. This house was just as mysterious as the town it was in, and Snow had the strangest feeling that he was being watched.

 

“Akim?” He called out, looking up and down the hallway to see if he could spot the other man. “Akim? Hello?”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim couldn't sleep, or rather didn't even try to that night. Even if he'd drifted off he would had been aware if the human did anything significant, but he focused on his guest and watched him with his full attention even while he slept. Akim couldn't help himself when all of his thoughts were centered around the other man.

 

It was early in the morning when the human did wake up and began to wander through the manor. Even Akim couldn't guess the exact time and gazed over his shoulder from where he was lying on the bed, to take a look at the watch he kept in his room. If daytime was as it should be in the town they would had been a couple of hours away from sunrise.

 

With a soft sigh he pushed himself up and collected the missing pieced of his clothing that he'd discarded the moment he'd entered the room. He still seemed out of order even once he was fully dressed and didn't bother to do anything against the mess his hair had turned into but he didn't care much how he looked, especially in his own home at such an hour.

 

Where Akim had left the human was just down the hall and even with how far the man had walked it didn't take more than a moment to walk up to him. "Awake already?" He asked once he stood behind the smaller man and smiled at him softly, though he doubted his expression was noticeable in the dark.