Happy Solstice

The sense of loneliness was lifted whenever Josette was around but Aurel felt like a fraud somehow. Like he wasnt just some lost boy in this world, in his own was he Aurielian Zeth, someone meant for a bigger purpose than navigating a written language he barely knew or recognized, to find out that english was just one of the many languages of this world. He had to tell her and pray that she wouldnt shun him for decieving her all this time.
He had practiced for days, how he would come clean and say it as it was. She at least deserved that, that was what he told himself. He eventually felt rather prepared, until the day a knock was at his door. Then it was like all the rehersals and everything went down the drain. But he would tell her as the first thing. Moving over he opened the door to be greeted by a large package and not a person. That made his eyes widen a little and he let her in. It was a surprise for sure, and he didnt know what to say.
She began decorating and he had so many questions. Yet she seemed to answer at least one of them. “So a holiday? Why is it hearts and stars?” He asked, pointing to one of the ornaments she had put up. “Shouldnt it be suns and… gifts?” He asked with a small frown. He couldnt quite wrap his head around it yet. Sitting down he looked at the wrapped gift. “What’s this?” He knew he was already asking so many things. He scoffed at himself and folded his hands slightly. “It’s good to see you.” He said, just to not have her feel like he was bombarding her in questions.

The decorations could be anything? He listened, sucking up the information like a sponge. Who did he want to give his thanks to? The answer was quite easy when she sat here next to him. Only how would he even begin? He still had to tell her the truth because only with that would his thanks make sense. He had felt so isolated in this world, like being in the library, stuck in time all over again until he ran into her.
She returned his words and it made him smile softly. She could just so easily make him smile. He hummed looking at the card as she handed it to him. He opened it and narrowed his eyes, but it seemed rather simple, not a hard task. “What are the gifts for? Is that a part of Solstice too?” He asked. There were gifts where he came from. But it was so rare that people gave gifts to someone else than the one they wanted to be with, or family. Gifts between friends existed but was mostly for really good friends. Nothing ever holiday related. And it was all made in hand as some sort of way to practice gifts from the heart. He shook his homeland’s traditions out of his mind and began unpacking, ratger carefully, not wanting to tear the wrappint apart.

He hummed as she explained, though that meant that he would have to give something in return right? Opening it and seeing the sweater he grinned lightly. Feeling the fabric, he was quite sure ir was expensice materials. Something he had been used to wearing back in his own world; so he was definitely grateful. Then there was the book that she explained as he checked it out. It had probably seen many through the years, he was sure when he saw the stamps of at least five libraries inside it. “I really like it.” He admitted, turning to her with a bright smile. “It’s very thoughtful of you.” He said rather sincerely but then he frowned a bit. “I havent gotten you a gift in return. Though I doubt I could even buy anything.” He said, before he then frowned thoughtfully and reached up to his own neck. He pulled out a small pendant on a chain around his neck, looking at it before he took it off and handed to her. It was one of the last memories he had of home, the stone carved neatly, though in the right light, a depiction of wings would appear under the surface as if a small wyvern had been caught and locked away in the pendant. “It’s um… something I’ve worn forever. It’s the only value I’ve got, and you said that it’s a custom to give gifts.” He said, having decided that it was the gift she was getting from him.

He did want to give her something as well so he wouldnt have her deny the necklace and pendant. It was the least he could offer for her kindness and company in all the lonesome time he had spent searching for his sister. She put on the necklace and he smiled a little softly at her until she reached out to touch his face. He could see that she was considering something and as she leaned in, his eyes widened a little as their lips met. It was definitely a little out of the blue unless this was how she showed her gratittude. He almost leaned into it, because it wasnt that he didnt want to; but she barely knew him. She didnt even know that he didnt even belong in this place.
So he leaned away with a heavy heart, frowning a little as he looked at her with sad eyes. He reached out, grabbing her arm a little softly so she couldnt just run off. “I’ve not been truthful with you.” He admitted, shifting between her eyes. Where could he begin? “I’m not from this place, I-…. I come from somewhere different. Like a complete different world. Not country. Not this world.” He tried, his expression as serious as his words probably sounded like something from a madman.

The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. It just wasnt right to keep her in the dark either. Because if he was from this world, wasnt he a loser then? Living in someone else’s home, only because it had been abandoned? He tried to explain but it didnt feel like enough. And yet he didnt know how else to put it.
Her question made him frown but hr hummed as he thought about it. “I guess you could call me that if that makes sense.” He said, before he glanced down at his hand, seeing the veins. He then lifted his hand towards her, clearly offering it. “You said your kind drinks blood. Well, I should taste different than anyone you could’ve ever tasted… right?”

She moved away and that made him a little confused, because she reacted as if he had asked her something completely inappropiate, at least by the way she was closing herself off. She explained that she could already tell his difference and then she seemed to get sad. Her whisper made him get up as he shook his head. “No, no no no. Unless it’s what you want?” He asked. No, even if it was what she wanted, he had messed up. “I didnt want to make you sad.” He said as he got up, carefully approaching her if she wasnt shying away from him further. “I’m sorry.”

She stepped over the line? When? She had just been following her instincts! He couldnt blame her for that, that was absurd. She spoke of the bite and his eyes widened a little as she explained and it dawned upon him. “Oh. I’m so sorry Josette, I didnt know.” He said, which was as truthful as it could get. He was rather disappointed in himself, and she just looked so far fetched from the happy girl that had been standing in the door. Oh the kiss! He was an idiot. An idiot! “T-the kiss was very nice.” He said, trying not to sound too panicked, though he did feel like all he did all the time was messing up. “Look Josette, I like you, a lot. It’s all just a little quick and I barely feel like I have foot in this place, I.. just sound like I’m making up a bunch of excuses. Sorry.”

“No, please Josette, I can see that it’s not alright.” He argued, always so soft in tone, like his emotions were stitched onto him on the outside. He tried to recollect at the mention of the kiss but even that seemed to be wrong. His expression turned sad, he felt mean, he felt rude. And most of all, he had no idea how to fix it. Embarassed herself? He wanted to disagree. He did didagree! How had she embarassed herself? Oh it was a mess. Her plea left him a little panicked and he just agreed without further thought of it. Anything to keep her from leaving that wasnt physically keeping her there. No he wouldnt do that to her. “I… um… found a box with some kind of jigsaw puzzle. I’m not really good at those. But I think it would be fun to do together..?” He suggested to change the subject.