The days passed and Hydrangea still received no physical affection from him. There was now a pit in her chest that constricted each time he ignored her. He still spoke to her but it was as though there was a disconnect. And he always had a distant look in his eyes.
She was now convinced that she'd done something or said something that caused him to stop. She couldn't think of what though.
It was now the fourth day of their journey into the Umatu. Bastian said that it should only be another day or two till they reach the Sun Followers. She was terrified of them, and for Bastian.
They'd come across a few cenotes, but luckily had not fallen into any. She'd come up with the idea that since the Sun Followers were enemies with the Jungle Followers, it wouldn't be wise for them to see them in Jungle Followers' clothes. So, they'd changed into their clothes from Viskogorny, they were similar to Cadaraman fashion.
That day Hydrangea was digging up some edible roots and Bastian was finding water nearby. She stood and swept her hair off of her shoulder and looked up to see Bastian. The rain was still falling through the trees but like before, when they'd entered the Umatu, it fell slower.
She smiled slightly, her mind still stuck on the question of why he wouldn't show her affection anymore. He smiled back and brought her the water flask, "Drink up."
His sentences always felt unfinished, like he wanted to say more but couldn't.
"Why won't you touch me?"
His eyes popped wider and his jaw opened, "Hydrangea-"
"No. I want to know what I did. Because clearly something happened and now you won't touch me."
"You didn't do anything." He said firmly.
"Then why?" She paused her eyes narrowing on his while preparing her mind to say what she wanted to. "Do you not like touching me? D-did you think I didn't like it?"
His eyes darkened and he clenched his fist, "Hydrangea. If you think I don't like touching you, think again."
She blushed but continued, her question had still not been answered, "Then why?! I don't understand. One second we're kissing and holding each other, the next we're acting like we're strangers again."
His eyes softened but still held that darkness to them, "All I want to do is kiss you, is hold you. But I can't."
"Why not?" She breathed in disbelief.
He took a step forward so they were within arm's reach. "I can't tell you."
"Yes. You can." Her own voice hardened along with her eyes. Why wouldn't he touch her if that was all he wanted to do?
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I can't because…" He stoped and met her eyes, "Because-" His eyes flew up to the bushes around them and he whispered, "We're not alone."
Her eyes widened and she darted them around.
"Move towards me and-"
The next instant a strange hollow sound came from behind them and she felt something prick her neck. Her eyelids felt heavy as she tried to reach Bastian but her knees buckled and she landed on the jungle leaves, Bastian falling next to her.
The rain dripped onto their unconscious bodies, their enemies lurking in the trees.
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Author's note: I felt like we needed to see this from Bastian's perspective :D
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Bastian inhaled deeply, standing from where he'd been crouched and filling the water flask. The shiny jungle leaves caught the water perfectly and so far neither he nor Hydrangea had suffered side effects.
Five days. Five days since he'd kissed her, held her. He closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of exhaustion. He did all he could to show his love in other ways; he would give her flowers when he saw one he'd think she'd like, he'd talk with her about everything, he loved listening to her enthused voice as she talked about her life in Crescent. He still felt that age-old pang of guilt when he was reminded of the fact that she'd lost that life.
He glanced at the canopy and at the rattling leaves as the rain continued to drop onto them. It had grown to be a monotonous sound, but almost relaxing. He'd managed to get to sleep the last two nights despite Hydrangea's warm body but two inches from him.
He trudged back through the ankle-high underbrush to where he'd left Hydrangea to find their afternoon meal. He steeled his nerves for seeing her.
No matter where they were she was alluring. He stopped when he saw her bending to the ground and liberating some roots from the dirt. His eyes watched her graceful movements, the slender curve of her neck and wrists. Her raven black hair draped over her shoulder, its strands frizzed and out of place but that fact only made his chest swell more with affection for the woman. Her precious eyes were focused earnestly on her task and his heart rate increased just watching such an expression on her face.
She raised herself and looked up to see him. Her lips spread into a small smile and he smiled back, his heart mourning the loss of the ability to kiss those delectable lips.
He'd tried one night to touch her when she was fast asleep. The moment his fingers had grazed her soft skin he'd blacked out and seen his mother. Timir-mask's voice rang in his head, "If you care for her, you'll respect my command." He woke up with a cold sweat and battled within his mind. He couldn't touch his wife for his mother's life.
He handed her the flask, "Drink up."
She accepted it and took a sip, her eyes were staring at the foliage at their feet, "Why won't you touch me?"
He stared at her, his heart twisting in pain, "Hydrangea-"
"No. I want to know what I did." She interrupted, "Because clearly something happened and now you won't touch me."
"You didn't do anything." He rebuked, his mind spinning with how he could tell her she wasn't at fault.
"Then why?" She stared at him with conflicting emotions in her eyes, "Do you not like touching me? Did you think I-I didn't like it?"
He breathed in slowly, his eyes shadowing, "Hydrangea. If you think I don't like touching you, think again."
He saw her cheeks redden but she went on, "Then why?! I don't understand. One second we're kissing and holding each other, the next we're acting like we're strangers again."
His heart twinged, they were, they were falling apart, "All I want to do is kiss you, is hold you. But I can't."
"Why not?" He could see the confusion and hurt in her eyes.
He crossed the distance between them. It broke his heart seeing her like this, he wanted to tell her why. But he knew he couldn't. "I can't tell you."
"Yes. You can." Her demeanour changed and he could see a wall go up.
He sighed and nervously fixed his slightly damp hair, "I can't because…" He stoped and met her eyes, "Because-" His head snapped to look behind her at the sound of a twig snapping, "We're not alone."
She widened her eyes and he wanted to pull her into his arms to protect her.
He raised his arm and beckoned her to come closer, "Move towards me and-"
The sound of a projectile being shot came from behind him and he felt something pierce his skin. He looked to Hydrangea but his vision was blurred, he took a step forward and fell to the ground, the sedative taking hold of him.