Return Road (Private)

[ACuckoo]

To say Snow was startled was an understatement. The voice that flowed into his ears terrified him, and he screamed, jumped what some would argue as a mile into the air, and held his hand against his pounding heart to try and keep it from bursting from his chest. He turned around as swiftly as he could, ready to defend himself if need be, but the only person there was Akim, looking rather casual considering he had a guest. Not that Snow judged; this was a Akim’s house after all.

 

“I… I…. Hi….” Snow breathed out, bending over slightly as air slowly started to return to his lungs. “You uhh… You gave me a bit of fright there, Akim. You weren’t there just a second ago. You’re either really quiet or really fast. Or both!” An awkward laugh escaped him and he finally decided to lean against the wall rather than trying to hold himself up with his own shaky legs.

 

“Yeah, I uhh… I just woke up. What time is it? It was so dark outside and I couldn’t tell if it was still night or morning. Did I sleep too much? It hasn’t been days has it?”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim was too use to the manor being quiet and empty that when he sneaked up to the human he didn't even realize he hadn't given his guest any sigh that he was behind him. He didn't intend to give the other a scare and felt guilty but that didn't stop him from laughing quietly, unable to stop himself after seeing the smaller man jump and hearing his shaky voice.

 

-"I'm sorry..." He apologized both for frightening the human and for sounding so amused by his panic. "I think I was both but I honestly didn't plan to scare you." He explained and leaned against the wall beside the other man, he considered placing a hand on his shoulder to comfort him but decided to give him some space instead and allow him to calm down on his own this once.

 

-"Don't worry, you've slept only a few hours, it will be four in the morning soon. You should go back and rest some more actually." Akim advised Snow despite preferring to keep him up so they could start another conversation, he didn't even mind doing some work to make his guest more comfortable if the man was willing to keep him company while he was busy with that.

[ACuckoo]

“It’s not funny,” Snow mumbled with a pout, though seeing Akim amused calmed his pounding heart. Even knowing what time it was, Snow didn’t know how long he had been asleep. He simply trusted that Akim was telling the truth, and that he hadn’t been asleep like Rip Van Winkle. A soft, but annoyed groan came from Snow as he lightly hit his head against the wall.

 

“I don’t think I’ll be able to fall back asleep, Akim. I think I’m too nervous. I think….” Would it be too presumptuous to ask such a thing? It wasn’t very guest like. It wasn’t polite. It was strange even. But Snow needed to rest and he knew that by himself he wouldn’t be able to sleep at all. The thought of things watching him or attacking him would keep him from even closing his eyes.

 

“Akim, would it be umm… I… I mean this is going to sound… Sound strange, but do you think I could… S-stay with you tonight? We could stay in the living room so I don’t invade your bedroom! I don’t want to overstep my boundaries, but I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep on my own and…” Snow drifted off with a defeated look and a shake of his head. “Nevermind. That’s asking too much. I’m sorry.”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Even though the human pointed out how this shouldn't amuse him Akim didn't apologize again, he knew his laughter was harmless and believed saying sorry once was enough. Still he wanted to make it up to the human for frightening him and that is why he listened carefully to his request and didn't take him seriously when he said he was asking for too much in the end.

Akim craved to be around another person so much that he wouldn't have minded letting the other in his room and his own bed, only staying with him in the living room was a small wish in comparison to what he would have agreed to.

 

-"I was awake already and I'm not going to fall asleep any time soon, I'd rather help you get some rest than just lie around and stare at the ceiling." He explained and took a hold of the others hand so he could pulling him along towards a room that was bigger and seemed more luxurious than the one he'd firstly brought him to. Besides a large couch, an armchair beside it and one low table everything in the room was decorative and despite one wall being mostly replaced by a window the space was very dark.

 

 

Akim placed a candle on the table as the only source of light, he expected anything more would be too much when both of them intended to get some rest.

-"I'll be right back, you make yourself comfortable." He said to his guest and placed a hand on his shoulder for a moment as he passed by him towards the door.

[ACuckoo]

The living room was beautiful, from what Snow could see. It was so dark, but his eyes adjusted quickly enough for him to make out some of the decor and furniture. He was glad Akim didn’t find his request strange or awkward. The man had already been more than accommodating, and now he had even agreed to stay with him while he slept. One day Snow would return the favor.

 

“Huh? Where are….” Snow drifted off as Akim left, already feeling nervous with him gone. He would be back though… It was just a matter of remaining calm while he was gone. Snow sat on the couch, enjoying the soft fabric against his body, though his clothes were a bit too uncomfortable considering he was trying to fall asleep. Surely Akim wouldn’t mind if he took off his shirt.

 

Snow slid off his sweater and shirt, and relished even more in the soft fabric, laying down entirely on the sofa. Now all that was missing was Akim. The two of them could talk until Snow fell asleep again, which was something he would absolutely enjoy.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim suspected his guest wouldn't like being left alone judging from how he'd started looking for him as soon as he'd realized they were apart when he woke up. For this reason he left the strange part of himself to watch over the human even in the brief time he needed to walk to a nearby room and back. Even though the other man couldn't possibly be aware of that guard that was left with him Akim himself felt better with it in place. He knew he would become aware of it right away if something bad did happen to the human.

 

When he returned to the living room only a couple of minutes later it was with a blanket in his hands. He stepped closer to the smaller man and handed it to him while his gaze drifted over his body curiously. Of course he was already aware the human had made himself comfortable on the couch thanks to his many eyes hidden in the walls but now that he was beside him he became more interested in analyzing him. It felt like his guest was a brand new item surrounded by things Akim knew to the smallest detail, every aspect of this man was something new and something that could capture his attention.

 

-"Sorry to leave you, I just thought you might need that." Akim explained as placed himself in the armchair and leaned back. There was enough space for him to sit beside the other on the couch but that didn't seem like it would be very comfortable for either of them and he wanted to give his guest as much space as he needed as well.

[ACuckoo]

Snow wrapped himself in the blanket, snuggling into it and enjoying it’s warmth. It made him feel better even if it was just a superficial feeling. It was funny how a blanket could bring someone comfort… A security blanket for a little child. Or someone who was terrified. He curled up in it more before turning his attention back to his companion, giving him a soft smile.

 

“Thanks for this. I’m sorry for keeping you from sleeping and from keeping you from your bedroom. I just…” Snow sighed, feeling ashamed of himself for acting this way. “It’s unreasonable, isn’t it? For me to be this fearful. There’s just something about this place that’s off… Do you not feel it?”

 

He wondered if Akim felt the exact same thing he did. Perhaps the other understood what Snow was talking about, but didn’t want to share it with him or scare him anymore than he already was. But right now he just wished someone could feel the same thing he was so he didn’t feel so silly…

 

“Akim…” Snow slid himself deeper in his blanket, though he kept his bright eyes on the other man. “You can sit here with me. If you want… I-I don’t mind.”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim glanced through the window as his guest asked him how he felt about the place they were both most likely trapped in. To him it sounded like the human was still having difficulty making sense of everything and it was no wonder considering how little had been explained to him so far. Akim only wished the other wouldn't apologize to him, after all everything he did for him was his choice, no one had forced him to and he didn't expect anything in return other than companionship.

 

-"I know this place isn't like most of the world." He explained, not wanting the other man to think he didn't notice anything at all odd about the town and surrounding area. "I've been here for far too long to be afraid of anything though. I know the dark and the way everyone acts is unsettling but, at least while you're here with me, you don't have any real reason to be afraid either." He assured the human and moved onto the couch, not because the spot seemed better than the one he was already occupying but because he knew the other had just invited him to be close to him. He leaned over the smaller man somewhat so he could support his elbow on the couch and smiled slightly down at his guest.

[ACuckoo]

“How long?” Snow asked, instantly feeling better when the other sat down next to him. “You never once tried to escape? You never thought this place was too odd or too dangerous to stay in?” It seemed far too strange to Snow for a wandered to wind up in this town and not be frightened off. Or perhaps Akim had been scared initially, but had adapted to this place. After all, surviving had more to do with adapting than anything else. If one could adapt, then they could survive.

 

Snow eventually turned onto his back and stared up at Akim. “How do I know you’re not one of the odd residents of this town and you’re trying to keep me here?” The question seemed reasonable at first, but then Snow bit his lip, looking away from the other. “I’m sorry… That was rude of me. You’ve been nothing but good to me and I... Well… I’m sorry. I’m just scared.” He reached out to hold the other’s hand like they had been doing all night. It was an odd comfort, but Snow felt like it was the only thing that could keep him relaxed. “I’m sorry I said that.”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim had been in the town for as long as he could remember and though he was aware he'd come from another place he had little idea from where, exactly when or how. He'd lived for much longer than a normal man would however and it was only expected that things would begin to dissipate from his memory over time. He couldn't say something like that to the human though so instead he tried to think of a lie that at least resembled the truth but stopped when his guest voiced his suspicions.

 

Despite being fully aware of how similar he was to the rest of the locals and knowing how badly the other man wanted to escape, once the human pointed it all out Akim couldn't keep himself from reacting. For a brief moment his eyes narrowed and he seemed serious and threatening, just as he'd hoped he'd never have to be around his guest. Every time before he hadn't been reluctant to make it clear to his companions to never even think of speaking to him like that again. Snow's apology wasn't enough to stop him this time but the hand that was placed on his own was. Oddly enough, the touch was just as comforting to Akim as it was to the human and it calmed him. Rather than give the other man a harsh warning he brought their joined hands up so he could place a light kiss to the others skin.

 

-"Don't say something like that again." Was what Akim's threat was reduced to in the end and he said it such a quiet and soft tone that it sounded much more like a plea.

[ACuckoo]

The look in the other’s eyes sent a small fright through Snow, but it instantly dissipated when his hand was kissed. Guilt welled up in him at his companion’s words… The sadness in them, the sense of betrayal. Snow sat up instantly, glancing down at their entwined hands before putting them to his lips.

 

“I’ve hurt your feelings, haven’t I?” He mumbled, closing his eyes and shaking his head, mostly at himself. How could he say such things? How could he hurt this man like this? “I’m so sorry. I don’t… I don’t think you’re going to hurt me. I don’t think you have any plans of treating me poorly. In fact… I trust you. You’re the only person I trust in this place… I know I’m right in trusting you.”

 

He felt silly… Putting all of his trust in this one person that he didn’t know, but not only did he not have a choice, he felt that this man was genuine. If he wasn’t, then he wouldn’t have been so hurt at his words. “I’m sorry,” he apologized again, pulling the other into a hug. “I won’t say anything like that again. I promise.” He kept him in his arms for a moment before pulling away, smiling at him, then resting his head on his shoulder. “Don’t be mad, okay Akim?”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

What was left of Akim's anger and the unpleasant feeling that had replaced it when he realized he wasn't capable of harming the human all went away bit by bit as the other man convinced him he hadn't meant to hurt him. Each time his guest said he trusted him, Akim felt reassured and even before the smaller man took him in his arms he had forgiven him for what he'd accused him of. He began to worry for him again and felt the need to make the other feel at home and safe as he had before.

 

His companion let go of him too soon, before he could wrap his arms around him in return, but it was a good thing since Akim would have surely pressed the smaller man against his chest too tightly and made him uncomfortable. He was happy just to be close to the human though and having him settle down on his shoulder was a good replacement for the hug.

 

-"I'm not mad, I promise." He said and didn't have to lie. "We can forget about this, I forgive you and it won't happen again." This was the last he intended to say on the topic, he wanted to move onto something different or at least let everything grow silent so he could enjoy having some company and not have to argue over things or doubt in the other person. He moved his hand down the other mans back and repeated the motion a few times as a gentle caress. "You should try to sleep now, I don't like knowing I'm keeping you from getting some rest. I'll stay with you as long as you like too."

[ACuckoo]

“You’re not keeping me from getting rest. Honestly, if it weren’t for you I doubt I could rest at all.” Sleep continued to tug at the young man regardless of how fearful or worried he was. Even when experiencing the most terrifying situation his body still demanded that he sleep. A yawn escaped him, and he chuckled softly as he covered his mouth if only to be polite. His situation overall may have been terrifying, but right now… Right now he couldn’t have been more relaxed.

 

He pressed himself closer to Akim, enjoying the warmth from the other man which was just as good as the blanket that was covering him. “You’re not going to sleep? You’ve had an exciting day too, I think. You should rest as well.” Another yawn came out of him, but this time Snow didn’t bother to try and hide it.

 

“It’s not fair for you to have to sit up while I lean on you. You should be able to lay down too.” He said so, but the sleepy Snow became selfish as well and refused to let Akim go to his bedroom. He simply moved a bit so Akim could lay down on the couch, or rather so the two of them could lay down together. “Come on. Lay down with me,” he muttered, though he was quick to fall asleep even before the other could answer.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim didn't feel that he needed sleep and believed it wasn't necessary for the other man to be looking after him instead of himself. He was excited to have a new companion and that could keep him up for days if needed, plus he was more than well rested after years of dragging himself through the manor doing nothing. All he wanted was to stay with the human as much as he could and he didn't mind if that meant staying in an armchair or on the edge of the couch for the rest of the night. If the other had offered him to return to his bedroom he would have easily declined if it meant leaving him alone again.

 

Akim smiled at how the smaller man seemed to be struggling to stay awake, he allowed himself to wrap an arm around him with the excuse that he was only keeping the human safely in place, pressed up against him. He knew the right thing to do was to promise the other man that he was fine and would stay beside him so the younger could lie down and not struggle but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. It felt too good to be so close to his guest and he didn't want to put an end to that.

 

When the human invited him to move down on the couch beside him though he didn't have any trouble taking action and didn't think twice before lowering them both on the soft fabric. He didn't even care that they could barely fit on the narrow space that was available.

He opened his mouth to ask the human something but then realized he'd already drifted off and kept quiet, a faint smile settled on his lips and he watched his companion in silence.

[ACuckoo]

Snow had forgotten that he was the type to move around when he was asleep. Or rather he was the type to start sleeping on one of the bed and find himself facing the other end when he woke up. So when his eyes slowly opened and he saw he was clinging to Akim like he was the last person on it earth, practically on top of him, it was no surprise. His arms were wrapped around the other’s chest and his face was pressed against his neck, inhaling the calming scent of his companion.

 

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, still half asleep, though he did nothing to remove himself from the man. He instead pressed against him more, one hand resting gently on his chest while other stayed wrapped around him. “I’m still so tired….” In just a matter of moments he was asleep again, cuddling comfortably with Akim.

 

When he woke up again he felt far more rested, and though he was fully aware of how close he was to Akim, he hardly cared. He wouldn’t have been able to sleep so long had it not been for the other man. Well, he assumed it was a long time. It could have only been a few hours like when he had initially fallen asleep. “Akim….” he mumbled, still waking up fully. He sat up, rubbed his eyes and looked down at his companion with a wide smile. “Sorry I made you do that. You’re really comfortable though.”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

It was unlikely that Akim would have grown tired of watching his guest but the human gave him something more to keep busy with and made sure he couldn't become bored. Whenever the other man moved closer to him and reached out to place his hands on him or hold him Akim had to shift around so he wouldn't be forced off the bed. After a while he partially moved under the smaller man because he'd run out of space and couldn't back away any more. He wondered if it would had been better if one of them had moved on top of the other at the very start, He doubted it would had been especially comfortable for either of them to be arranged like hat but at least they wouldn't have had trouble with space.

 

He didn't manage to say much the first time his guest woke up but tried to assure him that he could sleep for as long as he liked. He began to caress the humans skin shortly after this, moving his hand along the other man's arms and back and also gently brushed his fingers through the others hair.

 

It was near noon when the human finally seemed to be ready to get up but Akim hadn't slept through even a minute of the morning he'd spent beside him. "I liked keeping you company... though if you need me to stay with you again tonight we should sleep in a bed and not a place like this." He explain, suspecting or rather hoping that they could always keep each other safe at night.

[ACuckoo]

Snow blushed slightly at the other’s comment, scooting to the other side of the couch to let him sit up properly. “I would hate to invade your bedroom. It’s rude, isn’t it?” A chuckled escaped him and he yawned one more time before running his hands through his hair. “What time is it?” he asked. This time he was sure that he spent more than a couple of hours sleeping. His body still felt weary, but he figured that was due to the situation at hand. He was more than ready to find a way out of this place now.

 

“So…” For whatever reason he hesitated to bring it up. He hesitated to ask the other about leaving this godforsaken city. Snow wanted more than anything to leave this place, to be free of this terrifying town, to go back to whatever his life was before even if it wasn’t much of one. He needed to get out.

 

But his words… Instead of directly asking the other to help him find a way he found himself beating around the bush. “So how come people don’t leave this place? You said you’ve been here for a long time. Clearly, this town isn’t normal. It’s… I don’t know. Can you tell me more about it?” Funnily enough he didn’t want to know anything else about this place… But he just couldn’t bring himself to ask the other for an escape route.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

-"I wouldn't like it if you moved in and out of my room as you wished but I'm inviting you to stay with me so you shouldn't worry about being rude or intrusive." Akim sat up and leaned into the couch while he explained this and it seemed like he wasn't saying something especially important from how he paid more attention to stretching that to his words. He never paid much attention to how he looked while on the manor but after struggling to stay on the couch and having the other man hold onto him Akim was left completely dishevelled. His clothes that had already been left loose and unbuttoned now simply seemed untidy and his hair was a mess. Even he couldn't ignore all this and sighed to himself thinking how he would have to do something about it.

 

-"It's around noon now." He answered and turned towards the human, he had no talent for hiding his feelings and wasn't even trying to so it was easy to see by his expression that he wasn't enthusiastic to be talking about the town again already. "I don't know much about the others who live here... you could say I'm not on good terms with them. I'll tell you what I know about this place though." Akim agreed despite how unenthusiastic he was to be discussing this again. "I would like to go put on some fresh clothes first. We can talk and maybe get some food after that." He offered and already got up.

[ACuckoo]

Snow nodded at the other’s words, and leaned back against the couch as the other stretched. Poor thing probably hadn’t slept on a couch in a while… “I can give you a massage if you need one. It’s my fault if your back hurts from sleeping on the couch anyway.” He reached over and ran his hand along the other’s back, hiding the small amount of glee that rose within him as he felt the strong muscles. “You’re not too tense really, but a massage could you loosen you up even more.”

 

Food sounded good and a change of clothes sounded just as good, but he realized something. “Akim, I… I don’t have any clothes with me.” He bit his lip at the thought, wondering if somehow his things had been stolen when he entered this town. Not that he had much, but what he did have was essential. “I doubt there’s a place you can buy clothes here,” he said with a snort. “And I think your clothes might be too big… Not that I’ll assume you’ll let me borrow any.”

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Even after he'd spent the entire morning with his guest's arms wrapped tightly around him Akim was distracted by his touch and couldn't stop himself from smiling softly when he was offered a massage. He was tempted to accept but had a strong feeling that it would take long because he wouldn't allow the human to stop once he started. Instead he offered a hand to the other man once he was up and thanked him for the offer and declined.

 

-"I wouldn't mind giving you my own clothes but you're right, I doubt they would fit you." He commented unhappily and thought for a moment, searching for a better solution. "You guessed it right, there's no shop in town where you could get new clothes but I'm sure I have clothes that would fit you somewhere on the manor. I just need some time to find it... if it's not too uncomfortable then you can take something from my drawer instead." He suggested finally in the lack of a better way to solve this.

[ACuckoo]

A slight blush crawled onto Snow’s cheeks and he nodded gratefully when the other offered him his clothes. He followed Akim to his bedroom and did his best to look for clothes that might fit him without seeming like he was digging around through the dressers. Akim had nice clothes, far nicer than Snow had ever worn, but he decided to pick something that didn’t look so fancy. “Umm… May I change in here?” Snow asked, holding up a long shirt. He smiled as he took off his own shirt and replaced it with the new one, enjoying the softness of it on him. It went down to just above his knees and he debated taking off his pants since they were dirty now.

 

“What do you think?” he asked Akim when he finished. “Should I take off my pants? They’re not too clean and if I continue to wear them they’ll only get dirtier.” He was already working on undoing them before the other could even answer and he slid them off, holding them in his arms when he faced back to the other. “I think if I wore your pants they would just slide off of me. Is this okay?” Snow was a bit embarrassed, but what else could he do? His options were limited.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim had sat in silence on his bed while the other man searched for something to put on and watched him in silence. It was all the same to him what his guest chose to take, his clothes were most often just a nuisance to him any way. What he paid more attention to was the human himself, Akim's thoughts hadn't drifted from him for a single moment since they'd met the previous day and the situation at hand only gave him more reason to keep his eyes on the younger man. He was sure he'd seen more of him shirtless than fully dressed but he still liked to watch the other undress. It would had been ridiculous of Akim to deny to himself that he considered his guest attractive but he knew he'd ended up staring and being more obvious than he would have liked.

 

-"Yes, that's fine." He said with a nod though he'd been silent before when the human had asked how much clothes he can take off. He was thankful to him for making it easy and acting before he could either agree or protest.

 

Akim got up now and smiled softly at the younger man, once again taking his hand to lead him to the kitchen that wasn't very close to the bedrooms.

-"Are you cold with just that though?" He remembered to ask, he'd always thought it was pleasant and warm inside but was a bit worried his guest was more sensitive to the cold.

[ACuckoo]

Snow shook his head as he squeezed the other’s hand, trotting to keep up with Akim’s long stride. “I don’t think I’m cold! In fact it’s pretty warm in here. In a good way. I like the way it feels so I think I’ll be okay. Sorry I’m walking around your house with no pants on though.”

 

Now that he said it out loud and so obviously it made Snow blush again. He turned his head away and took a few breaths before turning back to the other. As they walked through the long, magnificent hallways Snow paid attention to all of the various knicknacks and decorations. This house was exquisite, one of the best he had ever seen. But... Akim didn't seem like a rich kind of person. His house was wonderful, but rich people had a certain... Air about them. An air that Akim didn't have.

 

“Do you work, Akim?” Not that it was any of his business, but he had already been so invasive… His walls were falling around this man and so he felt it fine to ask these questions even though he knew ultimately that he was being far too nosy.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Akim knew the manor too well to understand how his guest felt seeing it for the first time, he didn't even realize that it seemed like he was wealthy. In the town, due to how cold and distant it's inhabitants were between themselves and how isolated the entire area was, not much of an economy existed and everyone seemed to live off their own work in one way or another. Akim himself didn't need money for anything else than food and being the marginally human being that he was, he didn't spend very much on even that.

 

-"No... It is possible to have a job here but I would rather not spend time around the others."Akim didn't feel the question was too personal and had no problem answering it simply and truthfully, he didn't even wonder too much why the younger man had asked him this. "I don't think it's a good idea to look for work if that's what you had in mind." He added when he realized his guest might be considering this.

[ACuckoo]

He was sure Akim didn’t mean it, but those words were chilling. “Why… Why wouldn’t you want to find a job here?” Snow sighed and shook his head, not realizing he was gripping Akim’s hand a bit harder. As much as he wanted to ask the other more about this mysterious place, he didn’t want to put pressure on him to talk about this place. It was hard to ask him about it without feeling like he was insulting his home, but there was something wrong with this town… Something strange.

 

“Well… It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” Snow smiled at the other, trying to keep the mood light. Even though Snow was stuck in this situation he was happy that he had someone to rely on and someone he could trust. “What do you like to eat?” he asked, changing the subject. “I can’t really say I have a favorite food. I’ll eat pretty much anything.”