I could only stare in disbelief as this boy, this human, watched my face with worry. Who was he? Why would he come to a place like this? Was he some kind of an undercover investigator? It was all too suspicious, this human shrouded in mystery to me.
Without warning, he then suddenly reached out and touched my knee that had scraped upon my descent to the gravel. The skin had been cut quite deep, a small pool of blood forming as the red slowly trickled down. "You're bleeding quite a bit..." He murmured, observing it carefully, then making an attempt to halt the bleeding. With one wrong move on his part, I felt a sharp, horrid pain rush through my leg. I kicked him out of reflex, backing away as he held his stomach and gasped for breath. "You creep! Do you realize who I am? You scared me, this is all your fault!" I yelled, then cringed, holding my knee which only made it worse. He stared at me in shock, regaining control over his breathing, then grasped my box and began to hand it to me. "Well... You dropped this..." He spoke, not raising his voice, unlike myself.
"Yes, I am aware, invalid!" I snatched it away from him in an instant, hissing viciously. "Who the hell are you?! What do you want?! No one in their right mind would be out this late- wait... Rosie...?" I paused, looking around, but hearing and seeing no trace of my companion.
"Rosie...?" He looked at me in confusion. "Say, did you hit your head, too? There's no one else here." He blinked, my rage only continuing to grow.
"You're wrong! Are you blind, or just stupid?! Rosie is here, she... Has to be..." I held my head tightly, my vision becoming darker than the dusk as I then collapsed, the last thing I see being the boy rushing to my side.
My eyes darted open, my thoughts non existent as I looked around the room in awe. The room. I was indoors? But the last I could recall, I was... What... Nothing made sense in that moment.
I stood up from the bed, wincing at the pain from my injury I had forgotten. "Wh... Wha... S-So that was real... But then..." I gasped, frantically exiting the door of the bedroom and rushing down the stairs. "Who the hell... He's really here?!" I finished my sentence just as my eyes met with two other pairs, their expressions and composures much calmer than mine must have been.
Sure enough, one of the faces belonged to the boy I had met prior to when I had fallen unconscious. In the dim light of the living room, I could now make out his other features. He was a rather decent height and weight, with a pleasant, perhaps even kind demeanor. His hair was nearly medium length, swept back and neatly kept, a deep invigorating brown to match his dark eyes and contrast with his light skin. It was almost an innocent look... Almost. A look I knew very well not to trust.
"I've been getting acquainted with your new... Companion, Mira. Quite the character, I must say." A voice spoke, an underlying tone of unfriendliness and disgust. My attention swiftly turned to him, he then chuckling under his breath. My eyes widened upon seeing his face again, I finally realizing where I was, who's bedroom I had ran out of, who's bed I had slept in...
I shivered, locking away thoughts that rushed to my head, ones that I did not wish to visit now. "A... Apollo." I uttered, gaining a nod from the elegant eagle.
He set his teacup down, taking another from the tray and filling it with a steaming hot drink from the kettle. The tantalizing aroma of his signature tea... It was all too familiar to me, the memories making me desperately want the cup. He held it out to me, locking my eyes in his stare. "Drink." He spoke firmly, I instantly nodding and sipping the tea with care. It was... Lovely, as I had remembered it had been before. Such a strange but subtle taste, one that could be discerned from any other tea blend in the world, I thought. It nearly comforted me, and soothed my somewhat sore throat.
"H... How did I get here?" I asked, his remedy unable to cure my bewilderment. Apollo simply laughed, looking to the boy as he spoke. "Your 'friend' bought you here, Miss Mira. I must say, you were in rough shape... But he carried you all that way, to the nearest house he could find. Which was here, apparently... My, you act as if he is a stranger to you. Do you not know him?" He asked, seemingly already knowing the answer to his question. Since when were there humans around this place? It was odd enough that I was here, and he knew it. There's no way I would know of another being like myself.
"In any case. Why don't you explain yourself, then?" Apollo addressed the boy now, he blinking and then looking towards me. He stood up, watching me calmly, likely to avoid being kicked again, as I would certainly not hesitate around him.
"My name is Dalton. I am... from the city." He said, nodding to me. "And you are... Mira. I apologize for, well, frightening you before. Your injuries are indeed my fault, and I take full blame for them. I also intend to help you in any way I can. So please, forgive me." He nearly whispered, sincerity all I could decrypt from his tone.
"I-I see... Well, I still don't trust you, I don't even know you, but... I will forgive you, this time." I stared at him with a no-bullshit look, to be sure he got my message. The understanding must have been mutual since he nodded again, a slight cringe while he did so.
"Miss Mira, it has been several hours since you arrived at my home. Do you believe it would be best if Dalton escorted you home?" I was about to shook my head and yell again, but he interjected, force in his voice that compelled me to heed his words. "To insure you are not... Hurt any further." I nodded instantly, grasping hold of Dalton, muttering a goodbye to Apollo and exiting the door to the chilly outdoors.
I shivered, huddling next to Dalton without thinking, then looked at his face, I still not noticing how close we were. He looked rather embarrassed, as if something was on his mind, then said, "M-Mira... Would you like me to... Carry you again? It must be awfully hard for you to walk like that..." He turned his head to the side, awaiting my response.
I considered punching him in the side whilst I had such a golden opportunity, but decided against it. "No... I'll be fine, just you watch. It's merely a scratch." I took a step forward, falling as my foot hit the ground, he quickly leaning down and catching me just before I hit the grass. "I'm not sure about that... Don't worry, no one will see us, anyway." He gazed straight ahead, taking the shortest way possible to the home and reaching it in only mere minutes. Setting me down, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a key. A key identical to mine.
"What? How the hell... You pickpocket!" I yelled, he unlatching the door and once more giving me a look of sheer confusion.
"Pickpocket? This is mine. We are living together, it only makes sense for me to have a key, you know?"
