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It seemed that each passing day, Callum learned more and more about his once elusive elf friend.
It was usually in their rare down time, when the group could take a breather and just be for a while, and Callum, though he would never admit it out loud, couldn’t help but find himself fascinated with her. All of Rayla’s little quirks, her disposition, and how to read her moods, (he made a mental note of how her ears and tails would twitch, even so subtly and what they could mean) he found himself becoming more aware of her. Wanting to.
One such thing he had discovered more recently was that Rayla was actually a cuddler. This was understandably a huge surprise at first, she had seemed so distant once, but after slowly warming up to the boy, Rayla would often shuffle closer and closer in the evenings, until she could timidly drape her arms around him and bury her face in his shoulder. The first time, Callum had stiffened nervously, but over the past few days it had become natural, so much so that he would often invite her in with open arms and a smile.
It was always nice, feeling her warmth and weight against him, especially after those days where he had been sure that they would- that she would die. He would hold her close, rest his head against hers, and usually end up drawing for a while, and Rayla would drift off peacefully in his arms. It was intimate between friends to be sure, but it felt like something they both desperately needed and craved, the physical reassurance that they had survived, that death had not parted them.
…It had been another scarily close day today.
Xadia was so full of wonder and beauty, but like a rose, it had its thorns, and there were several dangerous creatures out in the wilderness. Rayla had narrowly given them time to escape the flock of Roc-hawks, (terrifying huge birds with teeth like daggers and curled ram like horns) by diverting their attention away from the princes as they dashed desperately for the treeline.
Callum had watched in horror as a beak nearly snapped shut around the elf’s tail before she slipped away between two rocks and rendezvoused with them safely within the cover of the trees. It was always scary, watching her risk her life like that, and every single time she made it out alive he would breathe a sigh of relief and thank the stars above him.
So he was grateful for her presence when she flopped against him tiredly that night, her arms loose around his midriff sighing about how annoying it was that they couldn’t go one lousy day without a near death incident. Callum simply smiled, slipping his arm around her to pull her close, and continued his drawing as Zym dozed next to them.
He could feel her eyes on the page, watching him as he drew. It always felt a little weird to have an audience now, he never really knew what to say or do, and it was a little off-putting to say the least. Was she judging him? She never really said much about it, choosing to watch in silence until sleep took her under its spell. Tonight was different though. Her voice almost made the boy jump.
“It’s incredible.”
“W-What?”
“How you do that.” She mumbled. “I have the artistic ability of a four year old but you… you make it look so easy.”
He relaxed a little. “Do you like watching me draw?” He asked gently, and felt her nod.
“Yeah it’s… weirdly soothing.” She shifted to get more comfortable, her tail curling slowly over the top of her calves, its end twitching leisurely back and forth. “It’s become my favourite part of the day.”
He chuckled at that, his hand drifting upwards to her shoulder without him really noticing. “Honestly any part of the day where we’re not running for our lives is my favourite part of the day.”
“That’s reasonable.”
“…I… do really wish you’d stop putting yourself in harm’s way so much though.”
Rayla huffed through her nose then. “I’ve told you before, it’s fine. I can handle it.”
Callum frowned, closing his sketchbook and carefully setting it aside next to the fast asleep Zym.
“But what if one day, you can’t, huh? What if one day, you try to protect us and- and you get in too deep? And what if I can’t help you?” She didn’t reply to that, but he could see her tail bristle up out of the corner of his eye. He took a breath to steady his thoughts. “Rayla… you are so strong, and brave, but there are limits. One day you’re going to rush off to protect us and you won’t… you…” He trailed off, the thought too painful.
Rayla shifted, sitting up and pulling away to look him in the eye. Their campfire flickered in her violet eyes, trying to read his own.
“Callum…” Her voice was soft- it was the tone she reserved for whenever she was worried about him. But whatever she was looking for in his eyes, she found it, and he watched the twinkle of understanding flash across hers. She opened her mouth as though to speak but his own words tumbled out suddenly, desperately, as though they had been building like a pressure in his heart for too long.
“I-I don’t know, I just… you… you and Zym, you’re all I have left right now, and if I lost you I-” His voice cracked and he swallowed hard. Rayla regarded him with sad sympathetic eyes. His voice came out small when he continued. “I don’t want that. You’re my friend, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
“Oh, Callum…” She pulled him in towards her, hugging him close. He could feel her hand against the back of his head, guiding him to rest against her shoulder, and her chin perched on his own as she held him tight. Callum squeezed her as though he would never let her go again, like she truly was all he had left in this world, and if he held her tight enough she wouldn’t slip through his fingers and disappear like everything else.
And then she was rubbing his back gently, just like his mother did for him when he was small. He felt a calm wash over him then. His racing heart slowed, steadying as she held him and his muscles relaxed, letting him just… be. To just be there, in the moment, in her arms. She had hugged him before but it always felt like such a momentous thing to him, for her, a Moonshadow elf, to let herself show such vulnerability and let him in, despite everything they had once thought about each other.
It was okay here, like this. It was safe. Warm. And given how tired she had been before it wouldn’t have been a shock to him if she fell asleep like this. He wouldn’t have minded, it was a comfort to know she was with him at night. Callum closed his eyes and sighed against her hair, his hand trailing slowly up and unconsciously, and he smoothed her snow white locks gently against the back of her head, combing his fingers carefully through them.
Something rather strange happened in that moment. Callum was about to learn two new things about Rayla. Firstly, it would appear that she was fond of having her hair played with. Secondly, he realised this first fact, because along with her leaning into his touch, he heard something against his ear, a strange, yet distinct and unmistakable noise.
A rumbly little purr.
He froze for a moment, in shock. But he couldn’t deny what he heard, because she continued to make the noise quietly, muffled against his scarf. Callum repeated the motion slowly, gently, and she shifted, the little purr growing louder.
He could feel it now, rumbling through his ribs, through his heart. Callum’s cheeks grew warm as he held her now. He could feel two heartbeats against his chest. Two. His and hers, beating together. Her heart ticked away so humbly, and in that moment a strange lump of emotion caught in his throat, as the realisation hit that she was alive. Despite all odds, she had survived another close encounter, and here she was quite peaceful and content holding onto him, arms loose and relaxed now, her fingers sleepily winding through his own hair.
He learnt something else in that moment as he held her so dearly close, something about himself this time.
He loved her.
And he was so glad she was alive.
Her purring stopped and slowly she pulled back to look him in the eye. “Callum… are you okay?” Perhaps she had heard minute changes in his breathing or heartrate, it wouldn’t have surprised him at this point. Her hand trailed to his chest resting gently over his heart, which he was now sure he could feel thumping against her fingers.
“Yeah… yeah I’m fine.” His voice came out softer than he expected, and he gave her a fond smile. “It’s just been a stressful day and I’m… really, really happy that you’re still here with me.”
Pink lightly dusted her cheeks now as she stared back at him, lips slightly parted. Something brave stirred in Callum in that moment and he reached up slowly and gently brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. She smiled, and tilted her head, eyes closed as she bumped her cheek into his palm.
Callum’s heart fluttered wildly but a warmth stirred in his chest and he brushed his thumb back and forth against her skin.
“You’re amazing, do you know that?” He mumbled tenderly.
“Mhm… yeah…” He felt her relaxing back down into his other arm her head resting on his shoulder. “I’m the most amazing elf in Xadia, and don’t you forget it.”
“I won’t.” He chuckled. “I promise.”
The purring started up again, quiet at first before it was a soothing rumble against his ear. Callum settled his head against hers, his cheek against her temple as he held her quite happily, savouring the moment.
There was a soft swish as her tail brushed against the ground, shifting the dust around them. And then he felt it. The sensation almost made him jump, as it brushed past and curled around his back loosely, the little silvery soft tufted end coming to a rest on his lap.
It almost seemed like a… protective gesture. A defensive one. He had noted on more than one occasion how she would curl it around herself when she was feeling particularly vulnerable. What did it mean, he wondered, for her to be bringing him into that space with her?
On most occasions, Rayla didn’t like her tail being touched. It was uncomfortable, she had said, especially when grabbed or pinned. Elf tails were often flickering, or twitching or swaying, even at rest, it was like a release of energy for them, and when that energy had nowhere to go it morphed into frustration. He had caught her once lightly scolding Zym for pouncing on her tail playfully, catching it lightly between his jaws. Though her tone was calm, patient, he had watched her tail thrashing irritably like an annoyed cat’s.
He had been curious of it a couple of times, but since then promised himself he wouldn’t overstep any boundaries or make her uncomfortable if he could help it. And yet…. It was right there. If he didn’t hold it down, maybe it would be okay? And if it wasn’t, then he’d apologise and never ever touch it again.
His fingers hovered anxiously, then he let them rest lightly against the part of her tail curled around his side.
The purring stopped instantly and she let out a little confused grumble, shifting.
“O-Oh- sorry was that…?”
“Hm…” She wriggled then relaxed again. “No… it’s fine. Just don’t hold it still.”
“Oh… Okay.” Timidly, he let his fingertips brush over it again. The fur was soft. Soft, silky, and white. Still, it twitched slightly under his touch, but this time she seemed more prepared and relaxed as he traced along its length to its tufty end. He realised that she had peaked an eye open then, staring intently at his hand, almost as curious as he was.
“Uh… I-Is this okay? It’s not weird is it?”
She gave a light shrug, then in a tone that was almost fond; “You’re weird.” Her tail curled a little more around him, almost like a reassuring squeeze. “But you’re fine, Callum.”
The boy relaxed, letting his arm drape around her again. “Oh, good. Because uh… you know I care about you, r-right? And I’d never ever want to do anything to make you feel weird or uncomfortable.”
“I know, Callum.” Her voice was soft now, quiet and sleepy. Her hand found his chest and she curled her fingers, letting them smooth down the fabric. She scrunched it slightly in her palm, slowly pressing it down, then relaxed her hand and repeated the little motion. Perhaps she liked how it felt, it was after all fancy royal Katolis silk, but even then he was sure it was nothing compared to the garments and fabrics of Xadia. Or, perhaps, it was another elf quirk. Either way it was endearing, and a smile caught on the corner of his lips.
Callum’s own fingers busied themselves with tracing little patterns against her upper arm, the tug of sleep extending to him now, and Rayla sighed, burying her face back into his shoulder.
As Callum begun to drift off, he hardly noticed this time when the purring started up again.