Wirt's shoes made soft clunks as they hit the rather saturated earth beneath them. A thin layer of mud caked the edges of his mismatched shoes. The laces of one shoe flung about freely, their threading thoroughly soaked. Although the evening was warm, a rather cool breeze rustled its way through the leaves of the trees around him. He adjusted his sweater and brushed a hand through his hair before shoving it deep into his pocket as he had with the other, hoping to find some extra warmth.
He turned his gaze upward. The leaves above him were illuminated ever so slightly by the final rays of sunshine which hit them. Even though it was growing dark, the woods seemed much more welcoming than his last time in them over a year before. Along with that, it was spring. Rather than colored by the decaying leaves of autumn, the world around him was quite green.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked himself in a whisper, looking down to the empty space at his side. His heart wrenched, realizing how lonely the journey was on his own. It was hard to believe, especially for himself, but he already missed his half-brother, Gregory. He would certainly bring a bit more entertainment to the trip. He sighed, knowing it was better that Greg was not there. It would be a while, but he would see him again.
His hands flung from his pockets to correct himself as the tip of his shoe connected with a protruding tree root and he let out a slight gasp. Although his correction was almost flawless, having honed the skill instinctually from performing it so often, he came to a stop rather than continuing forward. His heart began to pound, a sense of panic overcoming him. It was as if the root was his breaking point, tipping his scale in the wrong direction. "What have I done?" he began to whisper to himself over and over again. "This was a bad decision, wasn't it?"
He took in a deep breath, filling his lungs with air while his eyes fell shut. He exhaled, a much more peaceful look upon his face. "Everything will be fine when you actually figure out where you are. You made a decision, and you have to stick with it… it's not like there's any going back anyways," he muttered and then sighed, continuing ahead.
He hunched over as the breeze began picking up once more and wrapped his hands around himself. Although growing colder, the coming night was also growing more beautiful. He looked up to the sky once more, a few stars twinkling in the fading light between the trees. Another sigh escaped his mouth, much more content than the previous.
A slight smile appeared upon his lips as a sense of hopefulness covered up the remnants of worry in his brain and heart. Thoughts of a rather sassy little bluebird began to fill his mind. He had always known Beatrice as a bluebird and struggled to wrap his head around how different she would look now that she was human once more. He had fallen in love with the world in which he now walked and it was one reason he had decided to return. Yet, it was thoughts of the silly bluebird that had drawn him to his such a conclusive decision.
Attempting to picture what she would look like when they met once more quickly turned into memories of their time spent together. He began to chuckle softly to himself, thinking of the journey they had together. Even though their time with one another had been short, he could not help but believe that Beatrice was the best friend he had ever had. Even though it had been some time since he had seen her, he knew he would feel as comfortable around her as if it had only been a day. He could tell her anything… almost anything.
Wirt let out a sudden, "Oof!" as the entirety of his front half slammed into something before him, much too soft and warm to be a tree. He heard a frightened gasp and the barking of a dog as he fell backwards and to the ground.
The skies now devoid of all but a few final rays of light, all that Wirt could see before him was the silhouette of a thin female body along with a dog lapping at his cheek. "Whew, yeah, that definitely scared me," a familiar voice said in a rather unamused tone. "Wasn't expecting anyone else to be out here, especially at this time of night." Wirt grasped the soft, slender hand that was offered to him, but was quickly dropped back to the ground as the girl let out another gasp.
"Wirt! It's you, isn't it?" the girl then asked, grasping his hand once more and pulling him up onto his feet. Her eyes darted up and down his body, examining its every inch. "Same pointed nose, same ears that are too big for your head… same untied shoes," she said with a laugh as her eyes moved down to his feet. "You know, you really do need to get better at tying those. It's getting pathetic. Ever heard of a double-knot? Maybe you just need a new pair of shoes? It's not like yours even match anyways… but where's the cape and stupid pointy hat? I barely even recognized you."
"B-beatrice? Talk about not recognizing someone. You're… you're," Wirt muttered, admiring her with awe. Her face was pale and covered in freckles, her cheeks flushed pink by the cold. Atop her head was a pile of auburn hair, brought together in a somewhat messy bun.
"A human? Yes, I know. I thought we went through all of this before you left. That's why I needed the scissors," she said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, but you're… I didn't you were same age as me… I thought and was hoping but, uh, never mind…" he mumbled in embarrassment, his cheeks growing slightly pink.
Beatrice smiled softly in response. "What, did you think I was older than you… or younger? Please say you thought I was older. I am mature for my age after all."
"I, I don't know," Wirt said, scratching the back of his head. "I was thinking bird years were different."
"Well, you've changed a bit too, I guess," Beatrice said with a shrug. "Even though you look smaller now that I'm basically the same size as you, I think you've gotten somewhat taller. Maybe you have a little bit more meat on your bones too, or is that just the sweater?" She paused for a moment, scratching her chin. "Nope, it's just the sweater."
"…Uh…" Wirt mumbled in surprise as he was pulled into a sudden hug. His eyes grew wide and his cheeks burned red as he hugged back, her body pressing closely against his. Feeling her thin, almost boney frame in his arms, he realized she had no room talking about his weight. Even her dress seemed to fit somewhat loosely upon her body.
"Is something wrong?" Beatrice asked as she pulled away, noticing his rather shocked expression. "It's like you've never gotten a hug from me before. I have hugged you before, you know? Well… it was a wing hug, but that's basically the same thing."
"Yeah, I know, but this was… different."
"Different? You don't just mean the arms do you?" she questioned.
"No, I'm just not used to you being so affectionate."
"I am not that affectionate," Beatrice scolded, her flushed cheeks growing a deeper shade of red. "It's just that… it's been a while," she explained, her voice suddenly weak and soft. "Wirt, I thought I wasn't going to see you ever again." Although the world around them had grown even darker, Wirt could see the sparkle of tears gathering upon the lower lids of her eyes.
He awkwardly raised his arms, hoping to comfort her with another embrace. Before he could, she turned away. He let his arms flop limply back to his sides, knowing she wanted to hold back rather than let go. Air whistled through her nostrils as she sucked in a deep breath and clenched her eyes shut, discreetly wiping away her tears with her finger. "Why are you here?" she asked in a near un-hearable whisper.
"What?" Wirt asked, taking an awkward half-step forward.
Beatrice turned to him, a noticeably blank expression on her face. He could tell she was still struggling to hold back her emotions. "What made you come back?"
"…Long story," he muttered in response, digging the toe of his shoe into the earth beneath it.
"And where's Greg? I miss that smiley little guy."
"He's not here," Wirt said quickly, not wanting her to raise her hopes up too high. "He won't be coming for a while."
"Oh, I'm still glad you're here though. I wasn't expecting it… ever, really. It's a really nice surprise."
"It is?"
Beatrice smiled softly. "Of course it is. It means I get to spend more time with the overdramatic, cynical, and slightly awkward guy that I once went on an adventure with."
"Oh,.. thanks?" Wirt muttered, looking at her curiously.
Beatrice sighed, realizing what she had said. "It doesn't sound very flattering when I say it like that, but trust me, I mean it in the best way possible. I'm human again because of you and so is my family. You also helped me out a few times back then too. I guess you could say that you saved the tail feathers I don't have anymore," she said with a laugh, her smile brightening. "I never did get to properly thank you for what you did, did I?" Wirt's eyes grew wide and his body locked as he felt Beatrice's soft lips press against his cheek. She retreated quickly, clasping her hands together nervously and staring downward to the ground between them. "Anyways, you never got around to telling me why you're here."
"Actually, about me being here and all, I… need a place to stay," Wirt sputtered out as feeling returned to his body, and he attempted to push back the thoughts of her kiss.
"The mill is close by, and I certainly wouldn't mind having you as a guest. You'll just have to deal with my parents. I have a feeling they won't be much of a problem because of what you've done for us."
"I'll just explain the situation to them, and they'll understand, right?" Wirt asked, hoping for assurance.
"You mean the situation you haven't even gotten around to telling me?" Beatrice asked smugly, a smirk upon her lips.
"No, not that, I just mean my being here and not having a place to stay."
"Yes, it's a pretty basic statement, no need to get worked up over it. Come on, let's go," she said, motioning for him to follow as she turned upon her heel and started off, her canine friend upon her heels.
It was not long before the silence between them grew awkward, only the occasional gust of wind howling through the trees and the sounds of their shoes against the earth breaking it. Beatrice had so much to say, so much to ask. She figured Wirt would as well. Yet, he seemed to be acting rather reserved with her, as if he had something to hide. She wanted to point such a notion out to him, but felt as though perhaps it was too soon.
"So what ever happened between you and that girl you had a crush on back home?" Beatrice asked, finally breaking the silence. This drew out an immediate sigh from the boy.
"Things never really worked out. Yes, we did end up dating, but it didn't last long, not long at all."
"No plans of marriage?"
Wirt turned to her with a look of shock upon his face, nearly tripping over his untied shoelace. "What?" he gasped. "Marriage? I… that never even crossed my mind… or hers. We just thought we liked each other, but we didn't. Things never really went anywhere."
"Ah, well, I'm sorry to hear that," Beatrice replied in a tone which seemed a bit too chipper for such a subject. Wirt gazed upon the girl curiously for a moment, hoping for an answer to her attitude. None was ever given.
It was not long before a silhouette of a familiar mill could be seen in the distance, the warm glow of fire and oil lamps pouring out from its windows along with smoke billowing from its chimney. "Wait, this is where you live?" Wirt asked.
"Mhm," Beatrice replied. "Why do you seem so shocked to hear that?"
"It was the first place Greg and I came across out here. The Woodsman brought us, and we sort of ended up destroying the mill."
"No wonder why the place was a mess when we first came back. You know, that was one of the reasons I thought the Woodsman was a bad guy. It wasn't long after we became birds that he claimed the place as his own. It forced us out and we had to live in that spacious tree hole. He never knew though. Without any humans around, our home did look abandoned."
"…You know, when you think about it, it's really strange that my second time here, this place, your home, is where I end up first again," Wirt said as he thought the words, only giving half of his attention to the girl's statement. "It's almost as if-"
"It's fate?" Beatrice interrupted, causing the two to gaze upon one another for a short moment. "That, or just a strange coincidence because those do happen," she then said with a laugh, returning her gaze to the nearing mill.
