How did it come to this?: chapter.4 Warmth in the cold
Once Emil was no longer poisoned from the man's cooking, they returned to riding the Fenrir through the woods. Along the way, the tow made small talk and every so often Richter would make a comment in between few things...except they were actually joke but at some point, Emil did get to enjoy one of Richter's laugh's as they laughed together from one of his own jokes. They eventually came to a cliff where they had a great view of the ocean and a great many pine tree's behind them.
"Wow!" Emil's eyes lit up as he gazed at the beautiful, feeling the chilly breeze hit his face as well as the smell of pine.
"Chef guy!"
"Huh?" Emil turned his head towards the voice calling him. It was the blue-haired guy from before in the Vanguard base.
"Decus, what are you doing here?" Richter asked, more than annoyed with his presence.
"Alice-chan sent me"
"..I see." Was all Richter could reply with, as he was well aware of Alice's plans...But he didn't want to tell the boy about it...He couldn't...However, he didn't expect the plan to start so soon.
"Anyway, thanks again chef guy, you really put my darling Alice-chan in a better mood" He grinned in delight.
"I-I was just helping" The boy smiled nervously.
"I know you're new to the Vanguard. But you really got the rest of the group talking about you, they really seem to like you" He patted the boy on the shoulder with an idiotic grin.
"R-Really?"
"Yeah, I think it's super great that Richter brought you into the Vanguard! Anyway, I'll see you around!" And with that, Decus waved and leaped onto the floating monster that Alice had left for him, quickly taking off into the sky.
"..." Richter adjusted his glasses, hoping Decus will quickly finish his work before he and Emil would arrive.
"Even though he smells really bad, Decus is nice" The boy smiled.
"...Aqua." Ignoring the boy's comment, he called the centurion and she appeared, bubbles popped as she appeared before the man.
"What can I do for you, Richter-sama?" She asked with a smile.
"Do you have a monster that could carry Emil across the ocean?"
"Well, of course, I-" Before she could finish, Emil voiced in.
"-A-Aren't you coming with me?" The boy asked, looking at the man.
"Emil, it would be better if you went by yourself-" He tried to explain but now it was Emil's turn to cut him off.
"-But I wanted us to go together," The boy said, lowering his head.
"..." Richter let out a deep breath through his nose, keeping his mouth shut.
"...I...really like it when I'm with you…" The boy whispered.
"...Aqua."
"R-Right…" She summoner her Sea hog and orca.
"Two? Does that mean…?" Emil quickly looked at Richter, with pleading eyes.
"I'll stick with you until we reach Flanoir." He huffed.
Emil's eyes lit up as his cheeks flushed. "Richter-san…Thank you!"
"Emil, let's go." He said, climbing onto the orca.
"R-Right" The boy climbed onto the sea hog, finding it a bit different from riding his Fenrir.
"Alright, Cici, Oma. Follow my lead" She smiled, and floated across the ocean, having the two monsters follow.
"Emil, hold on tight or you'll fall in the water." Richter scoffed. Emil nodded in response, clutching the monster tightly.
The further they continued across the water the colder it got. Emil shivered, goosebumps showing on his shoulders as she shivered. Flanoir was known for its constant cold, so no doubt it was going to be cold before even reaching the island. Emil may have had warm pants, gloves, scarf and a magic tunic but his exposed shoulders were enough to send chills throughout his body and the colder it got, the less and less his clothes protected him.
"I-It's really c-cold…" The boy's teeth chattered, trying to retain his smile, as he still found himself enjoying the ride.
"It means we're getting closer to Flanoir. Once we're there, I'll leave you with Marta." The man explained, voicing over the loud winds and waves. The boy wanted to go back with Marta. But he didn't like feeling as if Richter was trying to get rid of him…Richter could see the hurt in the boy's expression. He sighed as he damned himself once more. He was fond of the boy...and, enjoyed the time they spend together...But the boy belongs with Marta and if the boy really is Ratatosk...it was better they become enemies.
"...S-So...c-cold…" The boy tucked his head between his hands since he couldn't let go of the monster without falling off. He tried to find warmth from the monster he rode but to no avail.
"Ah, s-sorry Emil…" Aqua said, feeling sorry for the boy, wishing she could do something.
"..." The man closed his eyes, trying to conceal concern for the boy's shivering, hoping to just ignore it.
Aqua finally lead the monsters to the cold island. Richter and Emil got off from the monster's, making a loud crunch sound as they land on the thick layer of snow on the ground. For a moment Emil almost thought he was going to sink further in...But Richter just raised a brow at him when the boy flushed, realizing the snow only came up to his ankles.
"Richter-sama, be careful and you too, Emil," She said before disappearing with her monster's.
"Flanoir is just up ahead." The man said, walking on ahead.
"O-O-Okay…" The boy nodded, holding his arms tightly. His exposed shoulders were covered in goosebumps, his teeth chattering, and the exposed skin turned red from the cold.
"..." Richter's heart sank at the sight of the boy.
"Emil...Don't catch a cold." He sighed.
"R...Richter-san…?" Emil flushed, feeling the warmth of the man's coat draped over his smaller shivering frame. He clutched the fabric as he took a moment to take in the man's cent left on the coat. His heart beated out of his chest, unable to believe he was really given the mans coat.
"...Are you, warmer?" He asked, keeping his eyes off the boy.
"Y-Yes...thank you Richter-san" The boy smiled, feeling himself warm up a bit.
"Good…" Richter tried to conceal the pink coloring his cheeks and continued to walk onwards with him.
"But. w-what about you?" The boy asked, worried about the man.
"I'll be fine. This cold weather means little to me." He stated. It was true, Richter wasn't one to get bothered by the cold much, especially since his body seemed to retain its body heat quite well.
The two continued to walk until they reach Flanoir. The small city of snow. By the time they reached the town, Emil was shocked to see that the town had been attacked, and the people were injured. But they would be okay thanks to Marta and Regal, who came through a bit earlier.
"W-What happened!?" The boy asked, horrified by the sight. He worried about the people as their clothes tattered and burned, many wounded and frightened.
"..." Richter knew that Decus was behind this but said nothing.
"Sir, what happened!?" The boy asked the man, standing by what use to be a house.
"It….It was...Lloyd Irving…." The man said, afraid of what their hero had become. The boy's eyes widen, anger burning up inside as his eyes flashed into red crimson.
"...Emil." Richter eyed the boy and slowly approached him.
"Damn that bastard!" The boy growled.
"Emil, calm yourself." He said.
"Don't tell me what to do!" He barked back.
"..." The man narrowed his brows.
"Tch! What do you care anyway!? It's not like you-" The red-eyed boy suddenly stopped his words when in the corner of his eyes saw the man's coat keeping him warm from the harsh cold, given to him by the older man.
"You...do care..." He clutched the fabric around him, his cheeks flushed red and not just from the cold.
"..." Richter could feel the pain aching in his heart. He knew the boy had to be Ratatosk, there was no mistake in that, Aqua could sense it...But...he still saw the boy as Emil, his friend...even when he was like this with red eyes...To Richter, He had always been Emil, not Ratatosk, not Aster….Just Emil…But...He needs Aster, and killing the boy would be the only way to do it...and yet...Right now, at this moment...When he looked at the boy in his coat...something was taking hold of him.
"W-What are you staring at!?" Red eyes glared with flushed red cheeks, feeling nervous with the man eyeing him. His heart begun to beat faster, pounding against his chest.
"Come here…" And just like that, the man pulled the boy into his arms. The boy's eyes widen and hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around the man, clutching the white fabric that rested on Richter's back. He took in that one and only scent that Richter had, that very scent that could send his heart racing. Feeling the warm and protective embrace of the man, feeling as though nothing in the world could harm him as long as these arms shielded him.
"D-Damn….R-Richter...san" His eyes soon returned to their green color.
"Emil...I...don't want to hurt you," The man said, just above a whisper.
"...Richter-san…" Tears began to well up in the boy's eyes, happy to hear that the man didn't want to be enemies either. Emil didn't want them to be enemies and after the little time they spent together, Emil couldn't bear to think about drawing his blade towards this man. They stood there like that, in the frozen..damaged town of Flanoir. Feeling each other's warmth, blocking out the cold with their shared body heat, blocking out the rest of the world with a world of their own. Richter began to realize just how hard it was going to be enemies with Emil when all he wanted to do was protect the boy...But...He needs Aster...But he's begun to really enjoy the boy's company, his cooking, his smiles, his warmth...His friendship. All the things Aster gave him...So what was he to do if the boy really was Ratatosk?