Blue and White

“I’m home.” His voice dragged down the hallway that faced the front door. The house was quiet but his companion had clearly been up and around while he was away. Curtains were pulled to the side in her favorite spot, a mug left on the dining table, ring of condensation glittering against the dark wood. A gentle smile curved at his lips.

Removing his over clothes, which consisted of his heavy jacket - he had gone up into the snowcapped mountains - his under coat and vest before shucking off his eye patch something he'd finally gotten used to doing, the small piece of leather feeling more constricting than safe these  days. 

He listened carefully for dull footfalls above him or the creak of a desk but after no sound of who he was looking for he made his way through the dining room and into the kitchen where the back door was. The door was propped open by a wooden block. Mythralos released a breath of relief. She was still here. He was not a paranoid man, his line of work might suggest otherwise but he managed to keep those inclinations at bay; he had no real reason to be paranoid. There were only two others who knew the location of his home, one of which lived with him and the last being his uncle. It was the former whom he spied in the field behind his home - their home.

Glancing up at the sky he noted the clouds lazily hanging against a back drop of clear blue, a relaxing sight indeed. He tucked his hands into his pockets as he meandered over to where Wisp, his wonderful Wisp, was laying peacefully on the grass. As he stopped at her side he realized she was, in fact, sleeping, which answered why she hadn’t made her presence known when he returned. Normally, she’d at least greet him even if she were engrossed in some other task.

He moved to sit beside her, not wanting to disturb her slumber. She never slept well through the night and worse so when he was gone so he thought he’d afford her the hard earned rest. He pictured her restless, wandering from bed to desk or bookshelf to chair, seeking something to distract her enough to let tiredness sink in. Some nights he wished he could tuck her into his side and soothe her racing mind as she so often did for him in other cases. 

An overstep of boundaries would devastate him, he thought. He had nearly perished from heartache the day she had tenderly cradled his face in her hands and called him beautiful - called his eye beautiful. That had indeed been a moment he cherished but none else had happened since. They were friendly enough, perhaps she had become more willing to be near him, freely occupying as much of his space as she thought she could get away with and perhaps he’s allowed himself to be more forthcoming with his expressions and emotions around her. It was enough, he assured himself. Every time their hands brushed in passing or if her fingers lingered on his face as she pushed his hair into place; if he pressed his palm to her lower back instead of hovering like he used to, it had to be enough. 

A deep inhale caught his attention as Wisp stirred beside him. Her eyes peeking open briefly before she blinked the sleep away. At noticing his presence she smiled, bleary and slow. He loved to see her like this, he longed to see it every morning. 

Wisps brow pinched together as she rose to sitting. 

“What’s wrong?” Her voice heavy with exhaustion, more than he expected and it surprised him. 

“What do you mean?”

“You look... angry. Frustrated.” She raised a finger to his face, pressing between his brows gently. Had he? So lost in fantasies that he hadn’t realized his expression turned stern. He turned his head away from her touch, huffing, embarrassed.

“I am not, I’ve only just returned.” She laughed, breathy from the haze of sleep. 

“Ah, so as soon as we return inside and you tell me why you were one three extra days you will return to that state?” Her tone was playful and he could hear the raise of her brow as she teased him. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking.

“Perhaps. I did not say if it went badly or not yet.”

“Then I think I’d like to stay out here where you will not be angry.” He heard the soft flop of her torso hitting the grass again and  he turned to look down at her, leaning back on his hands. She was gazing up at the sky through half lidded eyes - the warmth of the sun no doubt sending her back into her nap - a little smile, just the small curve of the ends of her mouth, played along her face. 

In the brightness of daytime, the sunlight dancing through the soft clouds above, he saw the gentle sparkle of crystalline facets along her form. Colorful lines reflecting off her edges that bounced in the vision of his left eye. The effects of his eye were usually a nusiance, part of the reason for covering it when not needed, but in this moment he coveted the vision of Wisp blanketed in stars. If he had any sense, he would have kissed her and revealed his hearts desires. But he doesn’t. Instead he lies beside her, watching the white and blue sky pass them by. She would fall asleep again and he would stay by her side until the chill of the early evening would threaten their skin.