If Only, If Only (The Were-Faerie Sighs)

[Matthias Cross]

It was raining.

Most of the faeries continued on their ways as if ignoring the rain would make it go away. Children ran out of their houses and splashed in the puddles, giggling as they fell and chased each other. A peacefulness rested over the houses. The rain had undoubtedly washed all the troubles of the day away for most of these faeries. The opposite was true for Matthias, who wasn’t a faerie.

The hybrid sat with his back against a tree, his arms wrapped tightly around his bent legs, his face buried in his knees. Finding a place to stay for a man as prideful as Matthias had been harder than he’d expected. The local faeries weren’t suspicious of his true intentions, they just didn’t want him in their homes. It had to be his biceps. He’d noticed within hours of first arriving that all the faerie men were slender in their strength. While Matthias wasn’t too bulky, he was certainly sculpted. Discriminating boogers. He thought bitterly, trying to wish away his wet clothing. The tree’s reaching branches overhead did not protect him from the thick water droplets.

Wet as a stray pup, Matthias resolved then and there to do something. Anything. He needed shelter, wanted food, and could use some good conversation. If only he’d followed that Charli girl home. Oh well. What was past was past. He’d get up and do something with himself…after he bandaged his pride.

[Piper Madison]

Charli hadn't been having the greatest time either. Deliah had given her a hard time about coming back so soon and word had got out what she had attempted to do, other villagers kept telling her how foolish she had been. How she could have been killed, blah blah. Not wanting to talk to anybody she had spent most of her time either hiding out in her house or out in the woods alone.

Since the wee hours of the morning Charli had been out in the woods, Auggie closely following her. It had been relaxing until the pouring rain had began. Charli had pulled up the hood on her jacket but with the wind it kept blowing off. Giving up she just started to walk back to her house, Auggie not liking the rain had streaked ahead of her and she expected to find him curled up on her back porch waiting for her to let him inside.

When she had reached the village she ignored the other villagers milling around in the rain. She was doing a good job until she noticed someone huddled up out of the corner of her eye. Turning she saw what looked like Matthias, the boy that had convinced her not to go after her sister.

Feeling bad, she walked away from her home and over to him instead.

"Matthias?" She asked tentatively.

[Matthias Cross]

Matthias was certain he was hearing things. His name echoed in his head, bouncing from one side to the other without having to be cautious of bumping his brain. No one in this place knew him. Not a soul. He fought down the urge to jump to his feet and run back to Harrington. He’d simply tell Blaire he wasn’t up for the task and. . .and then Blaire would disown him. No, first he’d beat him up, then disown him. Then kill him. Matthias was a tool. This job was what he was made for. Get up. He had to succeed. GET UP.

The hybrid jumped to his feet, unexpectedly knocking into something that sent him sprawling on his hands and knees in the mud.

[Piper Madison]

Charli wasn't expecting him to jump to his feet so quickly, in her surprise she threw her arms up to shield herself and jumped back. Two other fairies that were passing by her, gave her a strange look before they quickly walked away. The villagers in Stoneham liked to stay out of trouble and not get involved in other people's problems. Charli herself had plenty of times walked away from conflicts.

Seeing that the huddled figure had indeed been Matthias she rushed foreword and grabbed for his arm to help him up.

"Are you okay?" She asked concerned.

[Matthias Cross]

Matthias, on his knees, snapped his head around to identify his attacker. He was—a girl. He was Charli. She was Charli. He found himself both surprised to see the faerie and disappointed that he wasn’t about to fight. With a prideful grunt he whisked his arm out of Charli’s grasp, refusing her help and instead standing to his feet on his own.

“I’m fine.” Matthias snapped, “Why wouldn’t I be fine? I only bumped into you. Nothing more.” As if to redefine what he said he snorted. That didn’t work. Something went funny in his body’s inner workings, making him cough uncontrollably for a good five seconds.

Upon finishing, the embarrassed hybrid contorted his face into a contemptuous expression. Despite his disposition, his eyes locked on Charli’s daring her to breathe a word of what she’d witnessed.

[Piper Madison]

Charli saw his face and knew that it was indeed the same fairie she ran into while in the forest on her way to Harrington. After spending a lot of time thinking she finally realized that indeed she would have not in any way of been able to save her sister. It was a sad fact but fairies were about of helpless as humans when it came to dealing with the other creatures. If she was going to try again, she needed a good plan to get into the city and also to get out. She owed Matthias for stopping her from doing something so incredibley stupid.

When he started to cough she took a step foreward, with intentions to lay a comforting hand on his arm but stopped herself.

"What are you doing out here in the rain?" Charli asked.

[Matthias Cross]

In no pleasant mood, Matthias narrowed his eyes at Charli in response to her question. Was this a sick joke? What did she think he was doing in the rain, picking berries? But wait, she didn’t know…ohhhh. Matthias suddenly remembered that this faerie didn’t know him. She didn’t know that he didn’t have a house or any means of living.

“I, uh,” Matthias’ eyes wandered to the passing faeries. They were scarce at this point. “Uhm…that’s a good question.” He forced a smile, his hand rising to the back of his head to scratch and itch that wasn’t there. “See, I was taking a walk and I got tired and so I stopped by this tree to sleep.” Finished with his tale, his eyes darted for more ideas. “Oh, and,” the terrible liar made a worried face, “I hit my head just now.” To prove his point the hand that had been scratching instead cupped the back of his head. Hopefully she wouldn’t remember that he hadn’t fallen on the back of his head.

Matthias sniffled and dropped his gaze. “It’s cold and I’m hungry. I’d go home for some warm soup but…I’ve run out.” Large, hopeful dark eyes turned up towards Charli.

[Piper Madison]

Charli nodded her head as she listened to him explain what he was doing out in the rain. She wasn't quite sure if he was lying or telling the truth. Charli didn't have people lie to her very often so she was not that good at picking up on peopel's tone. For all she knew he was telling the truth.

Charli's house was just across the street and she really wanted to get out of the rain. Her jacket had become so saturated that it wasn't even deflecting the rain anymore. Her long sleeved shirt underneath was soaked, sticking her already cold skin.

"Do you want to come over to my house, I live right there" She said pointing behind her.

[Matthias Cross]

She couldn’t have asked a better question. Reversing the previous offers for help, this time Matthias took her arm—to keep her from falling in puddles of course—and rushed Charli in the direction of her house. For conversation, he said,

“Can’t wait to be inside and dry. My clothes are drenched.” Sure, she was super wet, but Matthias was wetter. They couldn’t get to her house soon enough.

[Piper Madison]

Charli let Matthias lead her to her home. She remembered that Auggie was hiding out on the back porch so she pulled Matthias towards the back porch. It was covered so they were protected while Charli bent down and picked up her soaked cat. Pushing open her back door she let Auggie down onto the floor where he quickly streaked towards his warm bed in Charli's room.

"Well this is home" She said dropping her bag down on a chair. She was glad that she wasn't a messy person so her house was in good order.

"Wait here, I'll be right back" Charli slipped off her shoes and walked quickly into the hallway where she kept her towels. Finding two fluffy towels, she put them underneath her arm and walked back out to Matthias.

"Here you go, this should help a little" She said holding one out to him.

[Matthias Cross]

Good thing the cat was too distracted running away to notice Matthias. He had a bad scent to them or something. All his life they’d never liked him. During the years when humans were still around he was sure they’d reveal his true nature somehow.

The house was cozy. Certainly not as nice as his own back in Harrington, but it being clean helped him adjust to the size difference. Taking the offered towel, Matthias went first to his head, leaning over, draping the towel, and rubbing as if he was drying off a dog. Oh, the irony.

“Thanks.” His hair was a mess sticking all in different directions. His oblivious state served him well. With the towel around his hand, Matthias began rubbing himself under his shirt. “So…”

[Piper Madison]

Charli dried her hair off the best she could, then draped the towel around her shoulders. When she had a moment she would have to go change out of her damp clothes. She giggled to herself a little when she saw Matthias's hair sticking up everywhere.

"I'm not much of a chef but I can handle soup" Charli said.

She pulled out a chair and motioned for Matthias to have a seat. Walking into her kitchen she dig through her cupboards looking for a can of soup. Luckily she did have a few cans of chicken noodle soup in the back, waiting to be used. Charli had found they came in handy when either her or sister got sick.

Dumping the contents into a pot she turned her stove on and walked back out to her dining room.

"Sooo..I have to thank you for convincing me to not go after my sister. I wasn't prepared and I would have failed horribly" Charli said having a seat.

[Matthias Cross]

Matty eyed Charli suspiciously when she giggled. It wasn’t until she’d gone into the kitchen that he thought to touch his head. Discovering his hair in a state of disarray, he quickly used his fingers to brush it back. Now he looked like some mafia member using cheap gel. Oh well.

“Uhm, sure.” He said, accepting her thanks. Taking a seat at the table, Matthias laced his fingers and placed his hands on the table. Eyes wandering, he asked, “You live here alone?”

[Piper Madison]

When he asked if she lived their alone, she nodded her head. She had lived their with Mara but now she was alone. Well there was Auggie but she didn't think that exactly counted.

"Yeah, it's just me" She said looking around her small dining room.

When she had found out that Mara had disappeared in Harrington, she had got rid of some evidence that Mara even lived there. Everything that reminded Charli of her was locked in her bedroom. Her room had been untouched for almost a year. Charli could see how someone would think she lived all by herself there.

"Where do you stay? I haven't seen you around much" Charli asked curiously.

[Matthias Cross]

Matthias hesitated, trying to think of something believable to say.

“Yeah, I don’t get around much.” That much was true. “I live…in a hut in the forest.” She might ask to see it. “Well actually it’s not really a hut so much as it is a covering thing. I like to move around a lot.” He frowned and nodded and Charli. “Kind of like a nomad. Well I like it and it works out best to do things that way. You know, with what I do and everything.”