The train comes to a stop in the station and Hunter steps out of it, he inhales deeply, 'ah, the sweet Met air, who would have thought I'd be back so soon,' the sprite thought. He takes out his phone and dials his most-called number before hitting the call button.
"Hey, has your train arrived at the station?" The girl on the other side asked.
"Yeah, I'm stepping out now," Hunter replied.
"Wait for me by the gate, I'll be with you in a minute," she said. "You got it," Hunter answered before cutting the call.
He walked out of the train station and waited patiently for his date. "Hi," she says tapping his shoulder. Hunter turned back to face René, a smile appearing on his face which she mirrors. "I got us ice cream," she said handing him a cone.
"Isn't it a bit too cold for ice cream?" He says but still takes the ice cream cone from her.
"I read somewhere that Ice cream actually makes you warm," René stated.
"Is that even true?"
"I don't know," she shrugs, "didn't care to fact-check since it gave me a reason to take ice cream in winter," she added.
"When are you coming back to the Met?" She asked.
"Soon," he replies, "I'm basically working in the break so there's really no difference," he stated.
"Only that you're far away from me now," she said, her voice low while her cheeks turn red.
Hunter laughs, "I'll try to call more," he promised. "You better," she said flushingly.
They continued down the street, laughing and conversing.
...
"I know a secret spot here," René said, grabbing Hunter by the wrist and leading him into a small bush, "it could be our spot," she added with a hint of red on her cheeks.
"Another secret spot? After your discovery at the Colosseum maybe you and I should start an exploration team," Hunter teased.
"Don't threaten me with a good time," she replies, leading him to the spot. There was a pond with large boulders around it. In the background were ruins.
Hunter moved closer to one of the boulders, there was a box of instant noodles next to it and a piece of cloth over the boulder. "Looks like your secret spot is not so secret," Hunter said.
René frowned, "they could have at least cleaned up after themselves," she said kicking the dirt away.
"It is a nice relaxing place though," Hunter said. "Yeah," René agreed, "I come here anytime I feel like going skinny dipping," she added.
"Too bad the weather wouldn't allow that," Hunter said.
"The pond is usually warm," René stated, "let's see ..." She says, taking off her clothes.
"Err ... W-What are you doing?" He stuttered. "Going skinny dipping."
The emerald-eyed girl gradually submerge into the water while the dark-haired boy stood still admiring the sight in front of him. René swims for a bit before turning to the sprite. "Are you coming in or what?" René said cheekily but the tinge of red on her cheeks betrays her manner.
"Right," Hunter said, taking off his clothes before jumping into the water, "ooh," he says swimming closer to the emerald-green-eyed girl.
"You were right; the water is warm," Hunter said.
"Feels good right?"
"Yup," he nodded.
"I should get a trophy for maintaining eye contact," Hunter suddenly says causing the black-haired girl to laugh.
"You should," she agreed, "you didn't even take a peek," she added, a small smile on her face.
"Just being a gentleman... and trying to make sure you don't feel uncomfortable," he stated.
René swims towards him, closing their distance. "Trust me when I say this: that cannot happen when I am around you," she stated before leaning in and crashing her lips with his.
...
They arrived at René's apartment later so Hunter could dry off his clothes before heading back home, his cloth had gotten wet when he put them on after stepping out of the water and the cold winter air made him shiver in them.
The apartment was well arranged and had a bed on each side. "My roommate should be gone all day," René stated.
"The shirt," she requested, "the dryer's in the other room." Hunter took off his shirt and hands it to René who moves to the next room to put the teal green-eyed boy's shirt in the dryer. She returned a moment later, "Alright I --" she started but is interrupted by a clicking sound from the main door which swings open and a brown-skinned girl walks through.
She had purple-pinkish eyes, thin eyebrows, and long, honey-blonde hair that flows just above her lower back. Her side bangs partially cross her cheeks and go down to her neck.
"Elise?" René said surprised.
"Why are you -- oh, you brought a guy here," Elise smiled moving closer to the sprite. "You must be Hunter ... Wow, you're --" she said before tripping and falling on one of the beds.
Hunter raised an eyebrow, "I am?"
"Standing," Elise says. "You should lie down," she added.
Hunter lies next to the brown-skinned girl. "Feels good doesn't it?" Elise asks.
"Yeah, it's way better than standing like some ... Standing person," Hunter replies.
"Uh, standing people. They are the worst," Elise stated.
"Yeah, so vertical, like what's up with that?"
"Always so upright, it's annoying."
"Speaking of annoying," René chipped, "didn't you say you would be at your uncle's for the weekend?"
"I did, didn't I?" Elise smiled, "change of plans," she shrugs.
"Since you're staying," René started, "how about you go pick up some groceries?" she said, helping the honey-blonde-haired girl to her feet.
"But our fridge is --"
"Hurry," René said practically pushing her out of the apartment. "So that was Elise ..." René said. "She seems cool," Hunter stated.
"Mm-hmm." The dryer whistled and René moved to the next room to retrieve the sprite's cloth.
"You don't have to leave you know," the black-haired girl says, "you can spend the night here," she added.
"I would love to but I don't think I should."
"Why not?" She pouts. Hunter places his hand on the side of her face, "I'll call you when I get home?"
"Sure." He plants a kiss on her forehead before walking out of the apartment.
The sprite takes out his phone and calls Sydney as he walks back to the train station. "Hi," he says as she picks up.
"Ugh," she said groggily.
"Bad timing?"
"Awfully; It's past midnight over here. Are you just now being discharged from the hospital?" Sydney asked.
"No, that happened a while ago ... sorry I didn't call," he says.
"It's fine. How are you feeling now?"
"Good. Thanks for keeping me company through my hospital days," Hunter said.
"That's what friends are for," Sydney says.
"Mhm ... How's the holiday?"
"Pretty boring, you?"
"Can't say the same; I fought a hybrid who can go invisible in the dark," Hunter stated.
"Really? How did that happen?"
"Well ..."
.
.
.
Hunter strode out of the train station with his hands in his pockets as he made his way to his house.
It was almost midnight so the streets were mostly empty and peaceful Hunter decided to walk back home.
[Hunter, I know I'm the last person you want to hear but there's something you must know]
'What?'
[Someone's following you]
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