56. Youth

Varian's POV

The lamp light barely touched the corners of my room, and I couldn't contain a smile at my newfound fortune. I have never seen Orion more joyful either, and I could finally feel as if my position as his brother and main caregiver was a success. I know he hated living in that cave just as much as I did, and I'm happy to give him a slice of what real life is like. The outline of my legs were under the sheets, and the warmth of a bed was much better than I could have ever remembered it. Connor may be off helping his friend, but I didn't mind. I've always been the kind of person to encourage other encounters than just with your significant other, and I was proud of his ability to maintain his friendships while also spending quality time with me.

Speaking of Connor, I jumped as the door to our bedroom creaked open. It always does that, but it still scares me every time. It's way too creepy of a noise, but I was able to comfort myself by knowing that no one would enter or exit our room without me knowing. However, it did mean that I had to wait until Connor was here in order to fall asleep since the noise wakes me up. I don't mind, though, because it means that I get to cuddle him before falling asleep. His scent can calm me right down even if I'm in the middle of a breakdown, and I loved using it to convince my body it's time to go to sleep.

"You know you don't have to wait up for me, right?" Connor announced, and a small smile slid onto my lips. He says that every night, and I know that he truly thought I would one day sleep before he came into the room. I know that he thinks I'm helpless, but I'm really not. I'm not a child anymore, and while I do enjoy the way he sometimes acts as if I am one, I myself know that it simply isn't the case. Connor does know that I'm not a child, but he also has the information that I enjoy being treated that way to a certain extent. We have an agreement that he can treat me that way as long as I tell him whenever I get uncomfortable with the frequency. I value his flexibility when it comes to my emotional well-being, and I don't think I could ask for a better partner to compliment me.

"I want to." Connor crossed the floor while slowly taking off all of his clothes except for his boxers, and my mouth watered like it always did. However, his actions were never meant to be sexual. He just enjoys sleeping mostly naked, and I have no reason to tell him not to do it. I know that for some reason he likes to not be confined in fabric. He liked to tell me stories of running around this home totally naked as a child, and I was only ever able to laugh at the end. It brought be visions of his papa chasing him with a pair of pants through the hallways, and I would always start to laugh loudly at the tales. In fact, he had a lot of childhood tales that were just plain funny. I start to feel as if I actually missed something when I was a little boy, but I'm not going to mention those feelings to Connor. I love him, and I'm not going to burden him with my issues every other moment of the day. I hope he understands that, but I'm unsure if he would. That's why I keep those emotions to myself; I don't want him to stop talking.

"Well I don't mind. You know I like my cuddles."

"I do happen to know that." I pulled him down into the bed as soon as he got close, and he smiled at me happily. Our relationship was growing stronger by the day, and I only had positive thoughts upon that. I want to be with him for the rest of our lives, and I don't think any protestations were coming from his directions. As soon as he was settled next to me, I put my face in the nook of his neck. My mind was loosening its grip on reality, and I allowed it to happen. I didn't need to be linked to the earth any longer. I barely felt it when Connor kissed my forehead goodnight, and it was only shortly after that that I lost all consciousness.

***

Benji's POV

When I opened my eyes once more, I wasn't in the same place I had fallen asleep at. In fact, I might as well have been on a different continent. I couldn't recognize the location through my blurry vision, and there was only one thing distantly familiar about it; I could see almost the whole world up here. Well, that and the cold was beginning the pierce my skin. I quickly sat up, and I realize that I was sat on top of a mountain. Snow was falling around me, and I began to shiver in only my PJ's. The silence of the world under its white blanket was eerie, and I wanted to make a loud noise just so the absence wouldn't go away. The low amount of oxygen around me was making it harder to think clearly, and I felt my mind beginning to drift from side to side. No! I can't lose consciousness! I looked down at my hands, and they were a lot more tanned and calloused than they used to be. Either I'm a time traveler or I've been asleep for a very long time. I hauled myself to my feet, and my common sense was telling me to go down the mountain in a certain direction. It looked treacherous, but I wasn't going to stay up here forever just to die. No way!

My feet began to walk down the mountain, and I held my arms in order to warm myself up. The snow was continuously falling harder, and every one of the crystals felt like a bullet against my raw skin. I took a moment to think before starting to run down the mountain, and the warmth of the exercise helped me to feel just a bit better. However, that only worked until the mountain got a lot steeper, and I began to climb down it carefully. The ice was making my feet slip repeatedly, but I ignored it as I continued my descent. Every foothold could send me tumbling into the ground below, but I ignored my fear and continued to go down. I can't afford to be a pussy about this; not when my life is on the line. My body was shivering at the speed of light, but I had learned to block out the feeling of cold as I continued down the mountain. Hypothermia may be settling into my skin, but I had to ignore it in order to get to a warmer place. Suddenly, the rock beneath my right foot shattered underneath my weight, and I was left to hang off of the cliff face. My sore fingers could no longer hold my body weight, and I was sent plummeting towards the ground far below...