Chapter Text
In early autumn not too unlike the past few years, the area around the lake became muddy. Well that was an understatement. It became semi-flooded. Guests were advised not to go on hikes and Dr.Beek himself would make an attempt to stay away from the shores of the lake. With his curse it wasn't a very easy thing to do.
Last night was such a night. He spent most of the night traversing the far pine forest but when he shed his skeletal form he found himself close to the lake. It must have been pouring that night, perhaps the biggest rainfall this year, the track to his house was one big puddle. However he just pulled himself together took his bag and walked to Sable House, he had to take the long way around back, to the main hall. Thankfully it was just past 6 in the morning and there wouldn't be much guests walking around. They were the last thing he wanted to deal with. All he really wanted was to get to his office, lock himself in it, and order a mug of hot chocolate from the kitchens and pray no idiotic, ignorant guests would get themselves stupidly injured. At least today, please and thank you very much.
So he made his way, a few of the fences had to be repaired and an old rowan had collapsed as well as several young willows which were now very much tilted. The path was full of autumn leaves, ripped from the trees and most of the gray bricks only had slivers of slippery rock surfacing from the puddles.
A warm glow of the dawn post-storm sun shined through the light gray clouds. Hopefully the water would dry up today. He certainly did not envy the poor gardeners who had to clean up all of this mess.
He would admit it had it's own charm though, he breathed in the crisp fresh air, and let himself enjoy the walk.
Finally, Dr.Beek made it to the main road with wet, muddy trousers and water in his shoes. He made his way to the doors of main hall of Sable House. As he approached he noticed a small figure pacing beneath the wooden shelter. Once he got closer he recognized Terron. She was muttering under her breath, not an unusual sight by any means but there was a franticness there, which he had not seen in a while.
She was wearing her trademarked pajamas and a brown wool coat which was entirely too long for her nearly reaching down to her knees. He presumed she stole it from Prosper until he got even closer and recognized his own coat. Then he remembered that it was the one he covered her with when he found her sleeping on the ground in front of his office door.
He was going to ask her if something had happened. She got herself in immeasurable trouble constantly, so often in fact that these days he always half-expected to be asked to help her and inevitably end up being dragged into some scheme or the other. He did not even realize there were so many ways to get into trouble at Sable House until she arrived.
He took a few more steps until she was pacing right in front of him and to his great amusement she continued to pace not realizing she wasn't alone anymore. He watched her for a few seconds wondering about what had her thinking like that and why was she even here? Especially at this hour, he would expect her to be asleep in her room not outside where there was no reason for her to be.
"Good morning," he said and then immediately stifled a laugh as she jumped. "What are you doing here?"
She blinked up at him still a bit shocked but then she did something he never would have expected and stepped toward him.
It wasn't quite a hug and he definitely would not call it that but she leaned her forehead on his upper arm and breathed in for a second then she quietly explained. "Mr.Spout said it was one of the worst summer storms he's seen and Bo heard you last night from the dormitories." she hesitantly in a whisper he almost missed added,"I was worried about you,Sinjun."
Damn if that not do something to him.
He put one of his hands on her arm so the ended up in a pseudo not-quite-a-hug. He caught a whiff of her hair, which as he noticed before smelled like rosemary and something like bergamot. It brought back a sense of calmness he didn't notice was missing. Terron stepped back after a second and cleared her throat.
"Well, I'm glad you're okay" she quickly and quite awkwardly stated, blushing a bit, and he felt a similar feeling arise in him. "Yeah. I am." Then after a second of consideration he decided to finish this conversation honestly and with the most steady tone he could muster in that moment with the scent of rosemary still at the forefront in his mind and Terron standing in front of him in his coat, waiting for him here at the crack of dawn she criticized him for waking at before, worried about him.
He hasn't had a friend in years and anything more than that never, and so he chose to be honest, because he did mean it. "Thank you for caring." Terron looked him in the eye then with an understanding, a deep one they shared as two people who have been through the same pain, and with an honest expression on herself, replied "No problem."
He gave her a nod. That was the end of that. They fell back into their familiar banter. The two of them ended up walking to his office together, and having a quiet breakfast in each others company. Terron inhaling an impressive amount of bread rolls and eventually leaving to meet her sister nibbling on a croissant. He shook his head at her amused as she said goodbye and went to his desk to start taking inventory. His day and soul a little lighter than before.