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Description
With a click of of finality, she locked the deadbolt. A quick jiggle on the knob to reaffirm, and she stuffed both hands in her pockets.

"What happened to your fan club?"

She knew he was there long before he spoke. She was getting better at being able to sense when he was nearby. He was leaned up against the apartment across the street, arms folded, poised, with the street light flickering across his blue eyes.

A shrug. "They've all gone."

"Really now? What changed?"

"I did."

She saw him crack a smile at that. She knew he would.

"Do you regret it?" He asked, nodding towards the locked door.

"I regret nothing."

"None of it?"

"No. All stories come to an end. And this chapter is ending for me." She scuffed her feet across the ground, her fingers in her pocket winding around the ribbon that held the key. "Can't say I'm really even all that sad about it. It's kind of liberating, actually."

In the distance, she could hear the scuffles of those in the outskirts of town, still fighting, still struggling. The sounds didn't carry the guilt they once did. Instead, she was almost hopeful. After all, everyone had a battle to fight. A demon to conquer. Maybe she just needed to have a little faith that people were strong enough to do so on their own.

"So where are you going now?" He asked, slowly reeling her mind back in.

She smiled back at him. "Anywhere I want to. There's nothing left for me here."

He shifted his weight. Something about that answer had stirred a reaction in him. A bit of the confidence slid away from his face.

"Somewhere far away?"

"Maybe."

"Think you would ever want to rest for a while? I know a nice little cabin in the mountains." He was trying to be charming again. It warmed a part of her. "Get's a little cold sometimes, but it's pretty quiet."

She stepped up closer to him, and even though she had to tilt her chin upwards to be able to look him in the eye, somehow at the moment, she felt bigger. She watched the way the candle light danced across his face as fleeting as the emotions that were running behind his eyes. The hope that tugged at the corners of his mouth when he spoke, and the way his fingers twitched ever so slightly in a nervous sort of motion.

"Yeah, we can always make time for a visit to the cabin. I think I'd rather like that." She tapped a finger to his chin. "Come with me."

Something cracked in the air around them, and a distant howl rang through her ears. His mask slipped for a moment, and she saw the uncertainty surge through him. He didn't speak, his eyes flickered around her features, searching for words.

Another howl, louder, closer?

She pulled her finger from his face, to glance over her shoulder.

"There were never any wolves around here before..?"

She heard the hitch in his breath. The bear was suddenly awake, and slammed itself quite forcefully against her subconscious. It took her by surprise, and she physically staggered from it. For once, it didn't seem a threat, it seemed a warning?

She turned to him again. The color had dimmed from his face, and his slightly trembling hands were now stuffed in his pockets to hide them. He had pulled away from the wall, bend forward slightly, as if overwhelmed. His breaths somewhat uneven, his brow furrowed, and the mask slipping further.

"You can hear that?" It was only a whisper.

Howling, sharply ringing in her ears now. She opened her mouth to speak, and the bear slammed her again, with such force that her vision swam a moment. What was-?

She looked up into his widened blue eyes, and something clicked. An understanding. Leaning forward, she touched her forehead to his in the most gentle, tender of ways, and listened as the howling lessened.

"Come with me." She said again, voice soft and laced with affection. "I want to show it to you. All of it." there was a promise in her words, a future.

His eyes were closed now, his hands were growing steady, yet his voice still broke in a barely noticeable way. "If you'll have me."

The howls were fading. The bear stood stoically. The night suddenly seemed quite still.

"For a long as you'll let me have you." she promised.

She felt him relax against her, heard him exhale. Why was her heart racing just so? The howls had quieted, and when they pulled away, she saw the glimmer at the corners of his eyes.

She reached out a hand, and he took it, lacing his fingers through hers and rubbing a thumb across her knuckles.

"You've come a long way from a girl in a snowbank."

"I'm still that girl from the snowbank." She tapped the toe of her boot on the ground behind her. "I'm just more than that now. Much more. You helped me realize it."

"You're brighter. Like a fire."

"Watch me burn. Watch me shine. Come with me and I'll never burn out again."

"I'll go anywhere with you."

-----------

The wolf and the bear each lay down in their respective places, closing their eyes and drifting off to sleep, until they were needed once more.

Description
With a click of of finality, she locked the deadbolt. A quick jiggle on the knob to reaffirm, and she stuffed both hands in her pockets.

"What happened to your fan club?"

She knew he was there long before he spoke. She was getting better at being able to sense when he was nearby. He was leaned up against the apartment across the street, arms folded, poised, with the street light flickering across his blue eyes.

A shrug. "They've all gone."

"Really now? What changed?"

"I did."

She saw him crack a smile at that. She knew he would.

"Do you regret it?" He asked, nodding towards the locked door.

"I regret nothing."

"None of it?"

"No. All stories come to an end. And this chapter is ending for me." She scuffed her feet across the ground, her fingers in her pocket winding around the ribbon that held the key. "Can't say I'm really even all that sad about it. It's kind of liberating, actually."

In the distance, she could hear the scuffles of those in the outskirts of town, still fighting, still struggling. The sounds didn't carry the guilt they once did. Instead, she was almost hopeful. After all, everyone had a battle to fight. A demon to conquer. Maybe she just needed to have a little faith that people were strong enough to do so on their own.

"So where are you going now?" He asked, slowly reeling her mind back in.

She smiled back at him. "Anywhere I want to. There's nothing left for me here."

He shifted his weight. Something about that answer had stirred a reaction in him. A bit of the confidence slid away from his face.

"Somewhere far away?"

"Maybe."

"Think you would ever want to rest for a while? I know a nice little cabin in the mountains." He was trying to be charming again. It warmed a part of her. "Get's a little cold sometimes, but it's pretty quiet."

She stepped up closer to him, and even though she had to tilt her chin upwards to be able to look him in the eye, somehow at the moment, she felt bigger. She watched the way the candle light danced across his face as fleeting as the emotions that were running behind his eyes. The hope that tugged at the corners of his mouth when he spoke, and the way his fingers twitched ever so slightly in a nervous sort of motion.

"Yeah, we can always make time for a visit to the cabin. I think I'd rather like that." She tapped a finger to his chin. "Come with me."

Something cracked in the air around them, and a distant howl rang through her ears. His mask slipped for a moment, and she saw the uncertainty surge through him. He didn't speak, his eyes flickered around her features, searching for words.

Another howl, louder, closer?

She pulled her finger from his face, to glance over her shoulder.

"There were never any wolves around here before..?"

She heard the hitch in his breath. The bear was suddenly awake, and slammed itself quite forcefully against her subconscious. It took her by surprise, and she physically staggered from it. For once, it didn't seem a threat, it seemed a warning?

She turned to him again. The color had dimmed from his face, and his slightly trembling hands were now stuffed in his pockets to hide them. He had pulled away from the wall, bend forward slightly, as if overwhelmed. His breaths somewhat uneven, his brow furrowed, and the mask slipping further.

"You can hear that?" It was only a whisper.

Howling, sharply ringing in her ears now. She opened her mouth to speak, and the bear slammed her again, with such force that her vision swam a moment. What was-?

She looked up into his widened blue eyes, and something clicked. An understanding. Leaning forward, she touched her forehead to his in the most gentle, tender of ways, and listened as the howling lessened.

"Come with me." She said again, voice soft and laced with affection. "I want to show it to you. All of it." there was a promise in her words, a future.

His eyes were closed now, his hands were growing steady, yet his voice still broke in a barely noticeable way. "If you'll have me."

The howls were fading. The bear stood stoically. The night suddenly seemed quite still.

"For a long as you'll let me have you." she promised.

She felt him relax against her, heard him exhale. Why was her heart racing just so? The howls had quieted, and when they pulled away, she saw the glimmer at the corners of his eyes.

She reached out a hand, and he took it, lacing his fingers through hers and rubbing a thumb across her knuckles.

"You've come a long way from a girl in a snowbank."

"I'm still that girl from the snowbank." She tapped the toe of her boot on the ground behind her. "I'm just more than that now. Much more. You helped me realize it."

"You're brighter. Like a fire."

"Watch me burn. Watch me shine. Come with me and I'll never burn out again."

"I'll go anywhere with you."

-----------

The wolf and the bear each lay down in their respective places, closing their eyes and drifting off to sleep, until they were needed once more.