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Within Reach

Chapter 12: The Big Well

The cave let out into a massive well that stretched so wide it could've swallowed the village whole and still not been filled. The walls stretched as high as the towering palms rooted up around the jagged lip of the upper cliff. From the texture of the walls behind them, it wasn't clear if the well was naturally made or dug out by industrialists, but there was evidence suggesting it could've been the latter.

That evidence being heaps of metal scrap and refuse as far as they could see. Mounds near the walls stretching halfway up the cliff, some in the middle merely dwarfing the two onlooks. Metal parts both shiny and faded, having once been parts of cranes and lifts, and other mechanical marvels that neither could identify. Even discarded vending machines lay broken amongst the refuse.

"Whoa…" Abe said, gawking at the scene. "It's a giant junkyard!" His voice echoed through the well and he flinched back, wincing at how loud it came out.

Vesper was equally in shock and took a few steps forward to get a better look when something cracked under his foot. He yanked his leg back only to see the remains of a broken syringe underneath. It looked just like the ones that had been lodged into the Fuzzles' small bodies.

"Careful where you step. There are needles lying around. One wrong step and you could catch some kind of disease," Vesper warned.

Abe, who had been following, looked down only to realize that there were numerous sharp looking things lodged in the ground. Things he had unconsciously nudged aside with his feet without realizing what they were.

"…Wait a second," Vesper said before passing by. He walked up to one of the pieces of dirty equipment lying alongside their path and looked over it, then leaned over to get a glimpse at the other side, and there he found what he was looking for. "That explains some things. Take a look at this," he said. Abe came to his side and leaned over the top to get a better look.

There was a logo hidden on the other side. A familiar 'V' pattern was branded on the equipment and partially obscured under dirt.

"Vykker's Labs," Abe said with a gasp. He looked around them at the heaping mounds of similar equipment left abandoned in this pit. "This is all from Vykker's Labs! Why's it all down here?"

"My guess is that we stumbled into some kind of dumping ground for medical waste. That explains the Fuzzles we ran into earlier. Probably had the trash dumped right on top of them and somehow survived, but didn't come out of it right," Vesper suggested. He had a tight frown and a suspicious glint in his eyes. "I don't know about you, but this tells me we're on the right track."

Abe agreed with a nod and drew back to his feet to look down at his amulet. His guide was awake and alert, but silent again. He had the feeling she wanted him to find something here but looking out over the mounds of trash it seemed like an impossible task. They couldn't possibly dig through all of this alone, not without getting injured.

He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and froze. It was something small, something fast, and he suspected it was a Fuzzle. He slowly looked over in the direction of the movement.

But it wasn't a Fuzzle, whatever was creeping out from a hole amidst the trash. Its dark grey body was small and round, lifted onto what looked to be a single leg with two opposite facing feet. Its little ears were perked up and its large green eyes were nearly illuminated in the dim light. Abe felt like something was drawing him to look it straight in the eyes; their glow was captivating.

"Hey, look," he whispered. Vesper pulled back and looked, his own ears perking up as he spotted it too.

"What's that?" he asked.

"I don't know. Never seen one before." Abe crouched down slowly so he could get a better look without scaring the tiny being off. "Hey there, little guy. Are you hiding from the Fuzzles too?"

The creature tilted its head almost curiously before turning and darting into the hole.

"Wait!" Feeling that tug from it, Abe leaned down further on his hands and knees so he could look through the hole. He expected to have lost it, but no. The tunnel of trash ended only a few feet away and he could see the creature waiting on the other side. It stared back at him before tilting its head again, and he felt like it was beckoning him.

"I think it wants us to follow it," Abe said as he pushed himself off the ground. He dusted his hands off and looked at the mound before him, then found part of a piece of something that looked like it could be moved. He got ahold underneath it and began to lift and push it to the side towards the edge of the mound it was teetered atop.

"Careful! One wrong move- Here, can I just- Don't let that drop on you-." Vesper snatched a bent and broken metal cage that threatened to fall off the tower Abe was bumping against and threw it aside. "I can help, you know."

"I got it," Abe grunted. Then with one firm shove, he pushed the hunk of metal over the edge and sent it plummeting down a small slope before stopping at the bottom. The noise was ear-shattering as it crushed anything glass or weakened that was unfortunate enough to get trapped underneath, causing Vesper to flinch back. Abe dusted off his hands as sign of a job well done before looking back and noticing his expression. "You okay? That didn't hurt your ears, did it?"

"Eh, a little. I'll live," Vesper excused. Abe believed him- or at least didn't pry- and carefully climbed through the path he made. Vesper followed through, adding in with, "But give me a little warning next time you start shoving stuff. You could get buried in a place like this."

"I'm not going to let that happen to you," Abe assured.

"No, I didn't mean 'you' as in 'general person'. I meant you, Abe-… Abe, are going to get yourself buried. At least shake the stack before you start bumping up on it," Vesper said bluntly. Abe chuckled a little even though he knew he was serious.

"I'll be careful. Don't worry."

"I have to. You scare the hell out of me," Vesper said just as candidly. He paused a moment in thought as he climbed through. "…So, do you have a last name?"

Abe hopped down onto a cleared-out section of dried mud and before turning back with a questioning look.

"I know, weird time to suddenly ask that, but it just occurred to me now that I never asked it," Vesper continued. He carefully stepped down onto a rust metal plate and then onto the dirt beside him. "I'm guessing not."

"…No, I've got one," the Mudokon said. He grabbed his bag straps and fumbled his grip over them. "It's Lure. Don't ask me why, I don't know," he said before turning away. He was acting a little uncomfortable.

Noticing this, Vesper decided to let it drop. "Abe Lure, got it. Cool." He could be happy with that and wonder about it later.

Except they didn't get more than five or six steps forward- which took longer than expected since the ground suddenly turned from dirt to trash again- before Abe suddenly decided that he didn't want to end it there.

"…You remember that guy with the big mask I told you about?"

"Yes?"

"He told me my name was Abraham Lure. Don't know where he got that name from, but I guess Abe's short for Abraham? So, maybe he's right," Abe said with a shrug. His sudden and out of character attempt to sound indifferent betrayed that there was something about this that bothered him. Or maybe it was talking about the supposed Big Face, who Vesper only now realized he hadn't seen amongst the others.

That raised a few red flags that Vesper knew better than to ask about.

"Well, I think it's a very respectable name. And fitting for someone able to lure me out of bed and into a pit of needles, teeth, and garbage," Vesper remarked, his sly grin returning. Abe's own returned too and he smiled back.

Only for both to be caught off-guard by a crashing sound from nearby. Abe spun around, almost stumbling over the rubble, and aimed his hand torch in the direction of the noise. Apparently, something had fallen, though it was impossible to see what now that it joined the sea of medical waste. Though they could see what caused it when the small creature darted across their path to avoid being crushed.

It circled around them, trying to draw their attention, before suddenly darting into a crevice inside of a massive mound of trash. Abe hurried over and peered inside. It would be a tight squeeze, too tight to even roll into, but it looked like they would fit. Save the fact that it was a crevice stuck in the middle of an unstable wall of junk. He took a long moment to look into the crevice and then over the mound of trash, weighing his options.

"I know what you're thinking, and I think we should take the long way around," Vesper volunteered from above him. Abe didn't say anything. "…You've already made up your mind, haven't you?"

"Yup," Abe said and slid off his bag. He then began to carefully slide himself into the opening. "We haven't seen any Fuzzles since we got out here, so you should be okay 'til I get back. Unless you want some hard candy."

"No, I'm coming with you," Vesper said, tossing his hands in exasperation before crouching down. "Just please be careful. If this caves in I'm not going to be able to pull you out. I'll be dead."

"Don't talk like that," Abe said back before crawling in deeper. "We'll be fine. Just- if you start hearing something shifting, move closer to me. We've got a better chance keeping the roof up if we work together."

Vesper wanted to point out that this wouldn't work but considering what Abe had gone through, he wouldn't be surprised if he knew how to survive being buried alive. He just hoped it didn't come down to that- or come down on them.

The way through was slow. Abe was taking extra care not to bump anything with his shoulders as he made his way around large pieces of broken glass. He could hear the creature's little feet up ahead and knew it was probably waiting for them. This was confirmed after he had to bellycrawl under something rusty and came out in an opening in the middle of the junkyard. The cavity was surrounded by walls of the stuff, trapping them inside.

The creature was perched on the edge of a large pipe that led somewhere under the waste. It tapped its feet on the metal impatiently as Abe squeezed himself through the rest of the way before pushing himself off the dirt. Then, the second he looked at it, it darted into the pipe and disappeared into the darkness. When he peeked inside, he was surprised to see dozens of green eyes before they all turned and disappeared too.

He stared after them for a moment longer before he heard the rustling of his bag being pushed along. He quickly reached back into the hole he had just come out of and pulled his bag the rest of the way through, freeing up the way for Vesper.

"Sorry."

"You're fine," Vesper assured, voice tense as he pulled his body through the last bit of it.

Abe was prepared to help him out, even start lifting stuff if he had to, but to his surprise the Chiromor had an easier time than he did. He seemed to have a little more flexibility with his limbs and once he got his shoulders free was almost able to twist himself the rest of the way out of the hole. He inhaled deeply, having exhaled all the air out of his lungs before that last squeeze, and moved into a crouch beside his companion.

He exhaled and reached up to fix the fluffed fur on his head. It had been manageable up until now but was frizzed out from rubbing on the rocks. He tried to comb it into submission before dropping his arms tiredly, then pointed at the pipe.

"In there?" he asked.

"Mm-hmm," Abe agreed. He shined his hand torch inside so they could get a better look. It looked a little wider than the crevice they climbed through, but the favorable part was that it looked sturdy. Less of a chance for them to get crushed.

Though it was wide enough that Abe could put his backpack on again, as he wouldn't need to crawl close to the ground. He slung it onto his shoulders before grabbing onto the rim and starting to lean in. Only to stop, consider what Vesper said earlier, and give it a tentative shake. Too heavy to move and it felt nice and durable. He turned back to give Vesper a thumbs up, which he returned, and then started to climb inside.

The pipe reminded Abe a lot of one of the ones he crawled into in the Slig Barracks. There had been a close call once where he needed a quick escape and hid in a thick pipe under the primary walkway, spilling out grungy smoke that he later realized was probably coming from the maintenance room and boilers far down beneath. This pipe was much more favorable to him, free of smoke and smelling like damp dirt more than anything.

Though it was slick inside. He could only assume that rainwater that had gotten trapped in the pit must've washed through here, explaining the grittiness in the very bottom middle of it. He almost slipped as he made his way down the slight slope and to the eventual end of the pipe, which was blocked by more trash. This stuff looked a little looser, so he held onto the sides of the pipe and tried to kick it out. All it took was a few firm hits to clear the way.

Abe slipped out the end of the pipe and rose to his feet to get a good look around as Vesper climbed out behind him. Up ahead was some sort of structure that looked like it had been made by pipes jutting out of the mounds of trash. They almost looked too wide to have been carried around on a blimp, making Abe wonder if they had been dumped or were already down here before the trash was. Like a massive water pumping system covered by time.

His eyes were immediately drawn to something settled up on a mound of garage, lodged in between a circle of those thick, jutting pipes. It looked to be a massive boulder, but even from here he could see that it had an almost wooden texture to the outside of it. There looked to be markings carved into it. Maybe it was a relic left behind by the natives, and what he was supposed to find.

Once Vesper standing at his side, Abe gripped his bag straps and approached the relic. Something about it reminded him of the stone towers deep under Necrum. He felt the same mix of chills and awe looking at it.

"What is that?" Vesper muttered, squinting past him. Abe gave a shrug but remained quiet, not daring to speak.

He led the way up fallen pipes and sheets of metal like they were a makeshift staircase and only paused when he noticed a familiar set of glowing eyes waiting ahead. He stopped momentarily when seeing the lone creature who guided him here standing beneath the large structure, then began to approach at a more cautious pace until he was only a few feet away.

There was a rumbling noise from ahead of them. Vesper caught Abe by the bag and pulled him back a few steps, which the Mudokon willingly did as his eyes raised from the creature and to the monument it stood before. He could only watch wide eyed as the structure began to move and shift slightly before four, large, glowing orbs illuminated upon it. When they turned down on him was when he realized they were eyes.

What he thought was an ancient creation of the natives was a living being.

And when it seemed like it couldn't get any more shocking, it spoke.

"It's about time, Stitch Lips," it said in a booming voice.

Abe was understandably floored. "Who- What- Who are you?!" he asked. He quickly looked back to Vesper, seeing his befuddled look, before turning back to the creature when its rumbling voice continued.

"Once an almighty elder tree, now a mere raisin of that which I once was. Centuries of spreading wisdom to those who ask it of me, now to be discarded by those who seek not the truth but validation for their egotistical madness."

"You're a tree? Or… were a tree?" Abe asked. The creature- the raisin- hummed in agreement. That explained the texturing on its skin- if that was skin.

"You mean Vykker's Labs, right?" Vesper asked. He had caught onto the cryptic wording and stole a quick look out into the sea of trash before daring to look into the eyes of the massive being. "The ones who discarded you."

"One in the same. Over the years I have been approached by many tribes of many races, seeking my knowledge so they may better themselves. The Vykkers wanted no such thing. When they found that my bark was less supple than the skin they so easily flay, and that I would not bend my words to fit to their desires, I lost my use. I was dropped into this well just like and amongst the many mounds of refuse they've used to foul this once sacred site."

Which was already looking like it had been violated by some other facility from the pipes, Abe thought to himself. "I'm sorry. That sounds pretty terrible," he said. "Maybe we can help you…?"

"Or perhaps I may help you," the Raisin suggested. "I know you are searching for a way into Vykker's Labs."

"What makes you think that?" Vesper asked with no inflection, trying to play his cards close to his chest. Abe didn't think there was much of a point since so many people that he had met 'just knew' things.

Though even he wasn't expecting the answer they were about to get when dozens of green-eyed creatures suddenly circled their legs. Vesper's cool expression betrayed by his suddenly wide-eyed stare, still on the Raisin, and Abe got as far as lifting one leg before all of the creatures raced forward and circled around the front of the Raisin. His eyes started glowing brighter and when they did, so did the dozens of green ones.

"My Ratz see all and everything they see, I see."

"Oh, so you're up to speed then…" Vesper muttered, still slightly unsettled.

Abe was less so. In fact, his head snapped to attention with a new idea. "So, wait, if you were in Vykker's Labs, and you had all these eyes with you up there, you must've seen around the place. You could help us get in! Like… Like if you had codes for the doors, or if these guys know their way through the ducts or can chew through wires to knock out the cameras or the power. Anything would really help out."

"It is not so simple, young one. Vykker's Labs is a heavily fortified facility. The bay doors stay sealed, mechanical eyes keep constant watch, and the labs never lower and never sleep," the Raisin said in a brisk manner.

Abe closed his eyes with defeat and disappointment but wasn't surprised by this answer.

"…But there is a way inside."

But he was surprised by that, eyes popping back open and returning to the Raisin's attentively.

"Shortly after the end of the moon's next cycle, Vykker's Labs will be opening its doors to the public for a single evening, for the auction of the last can of Gabbiar. During this time security will be vigilant and their numbers at their peak, but the way inside will no longer be sealed. They will be wide open to let in the waves of wealthy coming forth to feast on the last hope of a dying race."

"Wait, wait, what do you mean the last can of Gabbiar? There's plenty of Gabbiar," Vesper chimed up doubtfully.

"Pure Gabbiar," the Raisin clarified.

"I know. Back at my colony they eat it by the pound, and I don't recall anyone saying anything about a Gabbiar shortage. Odd knows the colony would collapse without it."

"I regret to inform you that the Gabbiar your kind currently consumes is fraudulent. You should check the labels more closely."

Vesper's mouth was a tight line in response to the condescending tone.

"If I may continue. Abe, this auction is your one and only chance to sneak into Vykker's Labs. Once there you will be able to find your mother, along with the next batch of your unborn brothers."

Something about hearing that last part caused his chest to tighten. Just the thought of dozens of fragile eggs filled with tiny, defenseless Mudokons was enough to get him feeling protective for them. Protective and terrified.

"That is not all you will find there either," the Raisin cryptically added. Abe furrowed his brows questioningly. "…But that is for you to find on your own. I know that you will see."

He decided to let that slide for the moment, if only before there were more pressing questions waiting on his lips.

"But you said- the security's gonna be worse?" he asked warily. "Then why don't I just go now? If the doors are shut, I can find another way in. Even if the door's wide open, I can't get in if there's a firing squad standing in it."

"Don't get overconfident. Vykker's Labs is unlike anything you are imagining it to be. If you are reckless and fail your task, it will be your race that faces the repercussions," the Raisin said. Abe looked down regretfully, which was noticed.

"Don't scold him like he doesn't know what he's doing. If you know enough to know all this, then you have to know what he's already dealt with," Vesper jumped to defend, keeping a calm tone. "And to be completely honest, you're not making much of a case for this plan of yours. Abe has a right to be worried about increased security when the alternative is… a closed door?"

"Hmm… Perhaps I wasn't as clear as I should have been. It is not a single door that will be opened, it will be nearly every door. Every loading bay opened to allow in the elites, many of them with their own entourage at their side. All allowed into the walls of a facility typically cut off to the public, and all will be watched as closely as thieves. Vykkers and Glukkons have worked closely for ages, but they have never lowered their guard amongst one another. With their eyes on them, their ears muffled by the sound of a hundred voices, their defenses up and aimed elsewise, they will hardly notice a lone Mudokon in the midst."

"I see your point," Vesper agreed. A little reluctantly as he couldn't say he was fond of the Raisin's air of superiority, but he couldn't deny that it made a little more sense now.

"We will have more time to plan in the coming days. For now, you may rest, Stitch Lips. Get what recovery you can in the short time you have and then return to me," the Raisin said. Then his eyes began to flicker, and his mouth subtly opened further, followed by a rumble that sounded distinctly like a yawn. Much to the befuddlement of the two onlookers.

"But… But what about you? You're just stuck down here!" Abe spoke up.

"I can wait," the Raisin assured. His voice was fading. "Forever if I must…"

"But the Fuzzles?!" Abe added, pointing back in the direction they came.

"Other unfortunate test subjects. My Ratz will protect you on your way out. You will… Find your… Way… Hmm…"

With that, the eyes faded and closed and the well fell back into silence once more. It was hard not to be dumbstruck by the whole thing. Abe dropped his arm at his side and slouched a bit in dismay. Noticing, Vesper reached for his shoulder and gave it a sympathetic pat, only hesitating when he caught the sound of dozens of creatures scurrying out from their hiding spots.

It was a clear difference from the fleshy hops of the Fuzzles, but the sheer numbers caused his ears to tingle. Seconds later, more Ratz than they had seen migrated out of the scrap metal and circled around their feet. All of them looking up expectantly and waiting to be led. Vesper took the first cautious step and found the Ratz separating just enough to give him room. No longer worried that they would step on them, they made their way back out from where they came.

After another tight climb through the trash, they were back in the cave shaft, now being guided by the dozens of glowing eyes instead of a flickering hand torch. The Fuzzles, at least some of them, had returned to the carcass and were eating at it again when they heard them coming and began to growl and snarl again. Though as aggressive as they sounded, Vesper picked up the sound of them plodding away when the Ratz leading them got too close.

For whatever reason, the Fuzzles were wary of the Ratz. Maybe due to their sheer numbers or something to do with their haunting gaze. Either way, Abe and Vesper soon climbed back out of the tunnel and into the jungle. The Ratz did not follow past this point, their eyes staring out at them momentarily before disappearing with little more than the sound of their numerous tiny footsteps.

Abe watched them disappear into the dark before turning away and clicking on the hand torch again. He quietly walked alongside Vesper back towards the village, eerily quiet. Vesper noticed and stole a glance in his direction. Abe had an unsettled frown and looked to be lost in thought. He considered asking him about it, but then decided to wait until they got back to the hut.

They got as far as the edge of the village when Abe stopped. Stopping Vesper in the process, since at this point, he had been holding his arm again to be led through the dark. He released it so he could rub his neck tiredly, even meekly, and hesitantly raised his eyes from the ground to look the other in the eyes. He didn't jump to conclusions, but Vesper found that look worrying.

"What's on your mind?" he asked. Abe took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"I think… I think I'm still gonna go," he quietly confessed.

"Alright…" Vesper said unreadably. He had that look on his face. That tense reading look he had back when they first met, and if made Abe just as defensive now as it did then.

"It's not that I don't think it's a good idea. A big distraction like that would be great, but one of the only reasons I've gotten as far as this is 'cause nobody believes I'm real. If I show up at that auction and they all see me, there's no amount of newspapers and radio broadcasts that's gonna make me disappear… And I can't… I can't just sit around here and wait when our mother and our brothers are up there waiting. I mean, what if they hatch? It's gonna be hard enough moving tons of eggs, but those eggs are the only thing protecting 'em! They just… They can't be born in a place like that. Not when I can get them out."

Vesper's features softened considerably. "I understand… I can't say I'm fully on board with you risking your life more than you already are, but… I also can't say I was fully on board with the… "Tree's" plan either," he admitted. He crossed his arms and looked over towards the village. "…I trust your judgement over his. Wise or not, you're the one who's been out there fighting the good fight. You make the call."

"Then I guess that's the call I'm gonna make…" Abe decided. He lightly nipped at his stitches. "You can still back out. I won't be upset."

"And miss my chance to make an excellent first impression on your mother? Not likely," Vesper remarked. He sent the Mudokon a half smile before nodding towards the village. "Let's get back to the hut before anything else tries to eat us."

Abe nodded in agreement and followed along. Only hesitating to wave at the Mudokon standing on guard, who was different than earlier and so much more confused to see him. The two made it into the hut shortly after.

It felt weird to be going back to sleep after everything he just went through, but Abe was more than tired enough to do so. He nearly collapsed on his bed as he dropped his bag to the floor. Then he much more carefully removed his guide from his neck, making sure she was contented, which she looked to be. She gave him a wave which brought a smile to his face.

He gently slid her into the top of his bag where she would be safe, then turned his attention to Vesper. He was currently yanking off his now soot-stained shirt and tossed it beside his suitcase.

"Thanks for going with me," Abe said.

"Don't mention it," Vesper replied, combing back his fur tiredly.

Abe began to chew at his stitches again, considering where he was going next for a few more seconds. Then asked, "Do you… Do you want to…?" He trailed off purposefully, waiting until Vesper looked to him before patting the bed beside him.

They hadn't talked about it at all. Earlier when they came in to get some sleep, Vesper was already in the process of making a bed and made no hints towards anything else, so Abe had gone along with it and didn't ask. Now he was, directly, and the Chiromor almost seemed a little surprised.

"You're sure? There's not much room," Vesper pointed out.

"There's enough, I think. It's not as small as it looks." Abe barely stopped himself from pointing out that they didn't need much room last time, realizing at the last second that it probably would sound right out loud. "Whaddya say?"

"…I would, actually."

Abe brightened up as he eagerly tried to fix up the bed as best as he could, allowing Vesper to finish changing in peace. Not that there was much on the bed to fix other than smoothing out the blanket. He wondered if it was weird to be this excited about sleeping beside someone. If felt like the sort of thing that probably wasn't normal, but in this case, he sort of didn't care. As long as he didn't get caught.

Vesper, in contrast, decided it was less important how he felt and more that he didn't seem too eager. He spent an unnecessarily long time rearranging stuff around his suitcase before biting the bullet and heading to the cot, bringing with him the blanket, the lamp, and his makeshift pillow tucked under one arm. After everything they went through tonight, this was when his nerves started to kick in. He pushed them aside and sat down on the edge.

He tossed the blanket over the bed, taking some amusement in the fact that it almost looked sized to fit, and propped up the makeshift pillow against the better shaped but scratchier textured other makeshift pillow. It was… Well, it was sort of a mess compared to anywhere he had ever slept, but it was going to be marginally better than the floor. He quickly reached down to shut off the light, submerging the hut in darkness once more.

What Vesper expected was for them to lay down and try to awkwardly fit onto the one-person cot together. After a few minutes they would get a little more comfortable and then he would get enough nerve to put an arm over Abe.

That was not what happened. Instead, the moment Vesper laid down Abe slid in and embraced him before tucking his head under the Chiromor's chin. In seconds they were back in the same position they had been in the night before. So close that he could Abe's heart thumping against his chest. He had to be just as anxious, as he usually was, but he still took the plunge and the risk that came with it.

He really needed this, didn't he? It almost broke Vesper's heart. He had wanted to hold him earlier after his overwhelmed moment but had backed down out of the risk of stepping over those boundaries. If anything, this showed him right now that those boundaries were nonexistent. Any hesitation was his own, because Abe very clearly wanted that affection, even if he was afraid to ask for it.

With this realization, Vesper eagerly returned the embrace and pulled the Mudokon as close as he could. Until the other's feathers were brushing his cheek. It didn't take long for him to start purring and he could feel Abe smile against his neck.

It was hard to think straight when his mind was being clouded by endorphins, but in this moment, Vesper regretted nothing. He was worn out, dragged out into the middle of nowhere, almost got eaten twice today, and was about to become a wanted criminal by breaking into a secured medical facility, if he didn't get shot down in the process. Yet somehow it all felt worth it. At least for this brief moment.

Little did he know, but Abe felt the same way.