The three animals sat by the fire, swapping stories, and catching up on what had happened in their lives in the past 3 years. Perhaps it was just the light, the friends, and the feeling of coming to rest after a long day, but Jolty felt more at home than he ever had in the three years he had lived with Ivan at his collage in Maryland. He closed his eyes, and sighed, the warmth of the fire warming his fur.
*Bonk* Jolty opened his eyes to find the twinkling, mischievous eyes of Dom looking back at him, his paw bonking Jolty´s nose. He smiled, and put his paw on Dom´s nose, and they shouted ¨Taxes!¨ at the top of their lungs. They chuckled, laughing at their inside joke. Saria looked confused, but smiled anyways.
¨So, Jolty. How long do you plan on staying here?¨ Dom asked, excited to see his friend again.
Jolty shrugged. ¨Dunno. I want to stay for good, but, uh, Ivan might go back to school, and I´ll have to head either with Ivan, or his family members who live in Montana, which, you know...¨ He lowered his gaze, clearly upset by the prospect. ¨Is a ways away.¨
Saria smiled. ¨C´mon dork, cheer up! You just got back, you´ve gotta while before you gotta worry about that! So, just chillax, ´sokies?
Jolty couldn´t help but smile. ¨Yeah, thanks guys. I can always count on you guys to cheer me up.¨
Saria gave him a bear hug, and Dom rubbed his head. ¨No probs.¨
. . .
The three pets walked outside, staring at the stars. Well, what stars could be seen. The feeling of slipping into a comfortable normality they hadn´t realized how much they missed was certainly pleasing in itself. But the hot chocolate in their paws? Made this entire situation a thousand times better.
¨So....what should we do now?¨ Jolty asked, his hot breath creating clouds of steam in the early November night.
¨Well.........I was gonna say we go eat dinner at my house.¨ Dom grinned slyly. His mom made pretty much the best food this side of well....anywhere to be perfectly honest.
Saria and Jolty had more stars in their eyes than their where in the sky that night. ¨YES.¨
Dom grinned harder. ¨I thought so. C´mon, moms is making Tomato Grilled Cheese and Soup!
Wuxvw ph zkhq L vdb wklv lv mxvw wkh ehjlqqlqj.
Perhaps the night was could, but the three friends raced off, knowing full well that anything even lukewarm would heat them like a furnace. The Heartwood household was filled with talking, happiness and livelyhood that many people only dream of. Ivan came looking for Jolty, and joined in on the festivities. Grandfather Heartwood, broke out his Violin, and sung in Irish of happy times and the good will and luck of the past and future.
Halfway through, Jolty burst into tears, happy to feel like he had a home and a family to call his own once more. It had been such a long, long time since he felt like this. He fell asleep on the couch, his two best friends at his side, the word ¨Home¨ ringing in his ears as it was whispered in his ear in the dark. From who, he didn´t remember. But he sat, everything he wanted at the moment satisfied.
Tomorrow is another day. I´ll have to face my other problems sometime, but now....I am at home....
"Well, ain't you just the luckiest cat around." A voice said, stirring Jolty awake, yawning. He rubs his eyes seeing Ivan extending a coffee mug for him to pick up. Jolty takes it, and lets his brain warm up, and then suddenly, it clicks in his head. Saria apparently had thought that Jolty was an excellent heat source, and had snuggled up to him, her arms wrapped tightly around his body.
Jolty felt the heat in his cheeks pick up, and his heartbeat began to race. Sputtering, he looked desperately at his owner, who simply grinned, and walked away. Looking around, he saw Dom, who had slipped off the couch, onto the floor, and now was looking at Jolty with a sly expression. "Dom....please help...." Dom , grinned, and got up, walking out in the exact same way Ivan had. "Good luck, Jolty~"
I will kill both of them later, as soon as I get out of this.... He thinks, looking down at Saria. "Okay, okay...I guess I should just...wake her up?"
15 minutes later, and Saria still hadn't woken. Apparently she's a heavier sleeper than.....Leo....
"..."
Jolty sighed. He knew he'd have to go talk to Leo eventually, and it scared him. He had hurt his already hurt friend." What had I been thinking...Leo already doesn't have an arm, and I lashed out at him like that. I may have hated him for destroying all my work, all my writing, but....I shouldn't have ever hurt him..."
"Ugh...what time is it?"
Jolty's attention flicked down to the cat next to him. Saria, stirred, her violet eyes looking up at him. It took her a second to realize where she was, and who he was. Then she smiled. Am I the only one feeling how awkward this situation is? Jolty thought.
But Saria never seemed to falter,always happy, always confident, and this was no exception. She nuzzled under Jolty's neck. "Mornin' dork!"
Jolty sighed. "Hi Saria. Care to explain what your up to?"
She grinned. "Oh, you know." She gets up, and walks out of the room, running her tail under his chin as she leaves. "Chillin'~"
Jolty sighed. Getting up, he followed her. "You know, you could always just go sit by the radiator, or on the washing machine. Or, heck, get a blanket?" He sipped his coffee, looking around, and seemingly unhappy with it. "Ivan never puts cream in it...." Finding the creme in the fridge, the cat adds it, and sips. "Mm....pretty good."
Saria smirked. "You are so weird." But she looked around herself. "Want to take a walk? I figure you'd like to be shown around after being gone for so long."
Jolty shrugged. "Sure, why not, let me go tell Ivan, and get Dom." He walks out of the room, heading to where he last saw Dom, only for a back paw to reach out, and grab his.
"Actually...." Saria said, a smile on her face "I thought maybe we could walk alone."
"Is it always this cold this time of year?" Jolty asked. He had agreed to go with Saria, under the condition they leave behind some kind of note letting everyone know where they had gone. Saria just huffed. "Your no fun. Making them guess is the best part." They walked along, wrapped in thick scarves, casually making conversation. They had begun to catch up yesterday, but they opened up more, talking about how the separation had been, what life had been like on both sides, and, what Jolty had feared most, Leo.
It was Saria who brought it up. "So....you ever hear from Leo?"
Jolty looked away, rubbing his paws together. "N-no..."
Saria looked back, a rare somber look on her face. "Not all of it was burned."
Jolty's head snapped up almost immediately. "What."
Saria shook her head. "It was mostly garbage, dude. Old things he'd found in the trash. Very little was your stuff. Didn't you always keep the really important stuff locked away? Leo probably doesn't know the code."
Jolty slipped in a terrified expression. "Stars above....I never...." He looked at the ground, feeling tears begin to brim on his face. "I-I feel even worse now....I never should have hit him, but....knowing and remembering that, I...."
Zkdw nlqg ri eurwkhu dp L?
Saria nuzzled his face. "Jolts...you can't be completely angry at yourself. He still burned you work, some of it. He shouldn't a done that." She grabbed his face. "Look at me. We are going to go over there, and you are going to apologize, and I am going to make sure he does, alright?"
Jolty nodded, hugging Saria. "Thanks."
Saria had a startled expression for a moment, then smiled. "No problem, dork....."
*Bonk* Jolty opened his eyes to find the twinkling, mischievous eyes of Dom looking back at him, his paw bonking Jolty´s nose. He smiled, and put his paw on Dom´s nose, and they shouted ¨Taxes!¨ at the top of their lungs. They chuckled, laughing at their inside joke. Saria looked confused, but smiled anyways.
¨So, Jolty. How long do you plan on staying here?¨ Dom asked, excited to see his friend again.
Jolty shrugged. ¨Dunno. I want to stay for good, but, uh, Ivan might go back to school, and I´ll have to head either with Ivan, or his family members who live in Montana, which, you know...¨ He lowered his gaze, clearly upset by the prospect. ¨Is a ways away.¨
Saria smiled. ¨C´mon dork, cheer up! You just got back, you´ve gotta while before you gotta worry about that! So, just chillax, ´sokies?
Jolty couldn´t help but smile. ¨Yeah, thanks guys. I can always count on you guys to cheer me up.¨
Saria gave him a bear hug, and Dom rubbed his head. ¨No probs.¨
. . .
The three pets walked outside, staring at the stars. Well, what stars could be seen. The feeling of slipping into a comfortable normality they hadn´t realized how much they missed was certainly pleasing in itself. But the hot chocolate in their paws? Made this entire situation a thousand times better.
¨So....what should we do now?¨ Jolty asked, his hot breath creating clouds of steam in the early November night.
¨Well.........I was gonna say we go eat dinner at my house.¨ Dom grinned slyly. His mom made pretty much the best food this side of well....anywhere to be perfectly honest.
Saria and Jolty had more stars in their eyes than their where in the sky that night. ¨YES.¨
Dom grinned harder. ¨I thought so. C´mon, moms is making Tomato Grilled Cheese and Soup!
Wuxvw ph zkhq L vdb wklv lv mxvw wkh ehjlqqlqj.
Perhaps the night was could, but the three friends raced off, knowing full well that anything even lukewarm would heat them like a furnace. The Heartwood household was filled with talking, happiness and livelyhood that many people only dream of. Ivan came looking for Jolty, and joined in on the festivities. Grandfather Heartwood, broke out his Violin, and sung in Irish of happy times and the good will and luck of the past and future.
Halfway through, Jolty burst into tears, happy to feel like he had a home and a family to call his own once more. It had been such a long, long time since he felt like this. He fell asleep on the couch, his two best friends at his side, the word ¨Home¨ ringing in his ears as it was whispered in his ear in the dark. From who, he didn´t remember. But he sat, everything he wanted at the moment satisfied.
Tomorrow is another day. I´ll have to face my other problems sometime, but now....I am at home....
"Well, ain't you just the luckiest cat around." A voice said, stirring Jolty awake, yawning. He rubs his eyes seeing Ivan extending a coffee mug for him to pick up. Jolty takes it, and lets his brain warm up, and then suddenly, it clicks in his head. Saria apparently had thought that Jolty was an excellent heat source, and had snuggled up to him, her arms wrapped tightly around his body.
Jolty felt the heat in his cheeks pick up, and his heartbeat began to race. Sputtering, he looked desperately at his owner, who simply grinned, and walked away. Looking around, he saw Dom, who had slipped off the couch, onto the floor, and now was looking at Jolty with a sly expression. "Dom....please help...." Dom , grinned, and got up, walking out in the exact same way Ivan had. "Good luck, Jolty~"
I will kill both of them later, as soon as I get out of this.... He thinks, looking down at Saria. "Okay, okay...I guess I should just...wake her up?"
15 minutes later, and Saria still hadn't woken. Apparently she's a heavier sleeper than.....Leo....
"..."
Jolty sighed. He knew he'd have to go talk to Leo eventually, and it scared him. He had hurt his already hurt friend." What had I been thinking...Leo already doesn't have an arm, and I lashed out at him like that. I may have hated him for destroying all my work, all my writing, but....I shouldn't have ever hurt him..."
"Ugh...what time is it?"
Jolty's attention flicked down to the cat next to him. Saria, stirred, her violet eyes looking up at him. It took her a second to realize where she was, and who he was. Then she smiled. Am I the only one feeling how awkward this situation is? Jolty thought.
But Saria never seemed to falter,always happy, always confident, and this was no exception. She nuzzled under Jolty's neck. "Mornin' dork!"
Jolty sighed. "Hi Saria. Care to explain what your up to?"
She grinned. "Oh, you know." She gets up, and walks out of the room, running her tail under his chin as she leaves. "Chillin'~"
Jolty sighed. Getting up, he followed her. "You know, you could always just go sit by the radiator, or on the washing machine. Or, heck, get a blanket?" He sipped his coffee, looking around, and seemingly unhappy with it. "Ivan never puts cream in it...." Finding the creme in the fridge, the cat adds it, and sips. "Mm....pretty good."
Saria smirked. "You are so weird." But she looked around herself. "Want to take a walk? I figure you'd like to be shown around after being gone for so long."
Jolty shrugged. "Sure, why not, let me go tell Ivan, and get Dom." He walks out of the room, heading to where he last saw Dom, only for a back paw to reach out, and grab his.
"Actually...." Saria said, a smile on her face "I thought maybe we could walk alone."
"Is it always this cold this time of year?" Jolty asked. He had agreed to go with Saria, under the condition they leave behind some kind of note letting everyone know where they had gone. Saria just huffed. "Your no fun. Making them guess is the best part." They walked along, wrapped in thick scarves, casually making conversation. They had begun to catch up yesterday, but they opened up more, talking about how the separation had been, what life had been like on both sides, and, what Jolty had feared most, Leo.
It was Saria who brought it up. "So....you ever hear from Leo?"
Jolty looked away, rubbing his paws together. "N-no..."
Saria looked back, a rare somber look on her face. "Not all of it was burned."
Jolty's head snapped up almost immediately. "What."
Saria shook her head. "It was mostly garbage, dude. Old things he'd found in the trash. Very little was your stuff. Didn't you always keep the really important stuff locked away? Leo probably doesn't know the code."
Jolty slipped in a terrified expression. "Stars above....I never...." He looked at the ground, feeling tears begin to brim on his face. "I-I feel even worse now....I never should have hit him, but....knowing and remembering that, I...."
Zkdw nlqg ri eurwkhu dp L?
Saria nuzzled his face. "Jolts...you can't be completely angry at yourself. He still burned you work, some of it. He shouldn't a done that." She grabbed his face. "Look at me. We are going to go over there, and you are going to apologize, and I am going to make sure he does, alright?"
Jolty nodded, hugging Saria. "Thanks."
Saria had a startled expression for a moment, then smiled. "No problem, dork....."