A/N: This update was delayed by: Christmas shopping, Skyrim and good old procrastination. In that order. Sorry it's a bit short, but I covered everything I wanted to this chapter. Next one should be more detailed.
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Toan could smell the Machos' house from 3 meters away; a cloud of sweat -both old and new-, blood and dirty laundry. Salt, vinegar and musk with an undertone of metal and decay. A manly scent. A terrible scent.
If he hadn't been promised something for returning their place to normal he would have done his best to avoid it. After he had emerged from the dungeon, he had placed everything he had available and made the rounds, asking and talking with each -save for one house, he was saving that for last-. Then he fiddled around with the georama until it seemed like he had put everything in place, or at least everything he could, Gaffer was missing his sign, Claude's house was missing its inhabitant and there were quite a few things missing from his own. Now he was visiting those that asked.
He squared his shoulders and marched up to the door, raising one hand to knock only to have the door open as soon a his knuckles brushed against the surface, Komacho greeted him with a smile and in the next five minutes he learned enough about the Machos' home life to last him a lifetime. Weapon attachment in hand, he edged out of the doorway and walked away as quickly as his dignity would allow.
The Machos' was the only house to be completed; the only one to turn a different -color wasn't the right way to describe it, but it was the only thing that fit- shade and then blink until he visited. Whatever it was was gone now, nothing could be done to the house now but move it and he thought the brothers liked where they were now; the rest of the village did too.
The sun was beginning to set, he had greeted and had his supplies restocked by the mayor and there was only one last thing to do before he slept now that he had received the Machos' gift. He trudged over the bridge to the house he had placed square in the middle of the village, the river surrounding it on all sides, turned so the morning sun would stream in through the windows. His heart was in his stomach as he climbed up the stairs, both dreading and looking forward to what was surely lurking behind that door.
The door opened easily, compared to what he went through to get it, and his mother instantly greeted him with a smile. He opened his mouth; not sure of what he was going to say. 'I missed you' made it seem like she had been gone for a long time instead of a day. 'I love you' wasn't something he was comfortable saying out loud, and she knew it anyway. 'I want to protect you' sounded like something to be said to the girl he loved, not his mother. Tales of his adventures in the cavern hovered on the tip of his tongue, but he knew that would only worry her; especially after what happened to his father.
Instead, he said nothing, just wrapped her in his arms and squeezing lightly.
He was home.
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