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skvaderarts · 1 year

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Petrichor Chapter 51: Exposure

Chapter 51: Exposure

Notes: Hehehehe. Hehehe. Hehe. This was so much fun to work on. Sorry that I’m a few days late. I hope you enjoy it! It’s good to see you all again! See you in the comments!

(-~-)

The light to the guest bedroom flashed on automatically as he entered, perfectly dimmed and comfortable, their almost greyish brown hue a comfort to the eyes that took next to no adjustment on his part to become used to. As V stepped further into the room, he was greeted by plush accommodations. Four thick, fluffy pillows leaned against the grey terry cloth upholstered headboard, practically beckoning him to them. The silvery brown blankets on the bed covered matching silky grey sheats, the blankets fluffy, soft, and most importantly to him, cool to the touch, something he discovered quickly as he ran his fingertips across the linen. A high thread count and a price tag to match, no doubt. A pleasant surprise. V didn’t like to sleep hot... No, he actually couldn’t sleep at all when he was hot. It was a bit worse than that. So this was certainly a bonus that he sorely appreciated. And the comforter looked like it would be very good at helping to regulate his temperature. He got the impression that he was going to enjoy utilizing this bed.

Turning around to take in the room, he noticed the same exposed brick and ductwork that the rest of the residence shared, the entire back wall consisting of more of the same beautiful industrial windows that he’d seen. The widows were equipped with pull-down grey shear curtains that would make easy work of the light that shone in from outside. And there was a large, luscious plant in the corner of the room by the foot of the bed in a beautifully glazed pot, the cracked window more than likely supplying it with fresh air as it wafted in the breeze delicately. The soil looked freshly watered, something Sirrus had probably done sometime that day when he wasn’t paying attention unless he’d hired a plant sitter. Perhaps he had, considering his overall collection. But V especially liked this one. A Monstera of some type, if he was going to guess. That’s what the leaves looked like to him, at least. But half of some of them were white while others were pink, sometimes in full sections, and in some cases, in the form of spots and patches. Even the green on the plant came in a dark and a light variation, its colors crisp and eye-catching. A stunning plant overall, perhaps too pretty for a guest room. Perhaps it needed very specific lighting so it had been put in here for its own protection? He imagined this room received plenty of filtered, indirect light during the day. That was probably ideal for it.

Overall, the room was cozy and inviting with a cozy atmosphere, something his tired body and mind were eager to take advantage of in short order. But first, he needed to go to the bathroom. He had matters to attend to in there.

He had been correct in assuming that the doors he’d seen off to the side of Sirrus’s living space and kitchen were bedrooms, but he hadn’t realized that they were both bedrooms, each with their own private bathroom. His room and Sirrus’s shared a wall. And there was still a half bath elsewhere in the residence, something that made practical sense as you wouldn’t want people to have to walk through your bedroom to use the toilet now, would you? Well, at least if you had a choice.

Sirrus was a gracious host; the sort who bought the same expensive tolitres and personal care products that he personally used and stocked them in the guest bathroom. No surprise there. V recognized the scent of the soap he found in the shower, realizing for the first time that Sirrus was actually wearing cologne atop it when they were around one another. V liked to imagine that Sirrus likely derived some level of self-satisfaction from coming into the bathroom and seeing it so neat and tidy. He’d even admitted that he very rarely used this particular bathroom due in large part to the fact that he had his own ensuite and had very little reason to come in here aside from a need to dust. And every inch of this bathroom was utterly sparking, glittering under the overhead light in a manner he’d never seen before. Grey glass tile on every surface, a skylight over the detached standing tub and shower, and underlighting along the bottom of the wall-mounted double sink that pointed down towards the floor. And that was saying something considering the fact that the counters were made of concrete. Polished black concrete, but still concrete nonetheless. And were these floors terrazzo?!

Frankly, V felt too ordinary to even undress in this bathroom, let alone use it. Even the soap and toothpaste were in motion-activated dispensers. And the toilet was automatic…

How much money did they pay Sirrus to do his job?

Seriously, V wasn’t the sort to spend hours reading or watching media to keep up with the latest in home and garden trends, but he knew enough to know when something was very expensive. This was fascinating.

Opting to submerge every inch of his body in nearly scalding water, V was pleased to find not only that the plumbing in this place was excellent, but that Sirrus had left a bottle of bubble bath under the counter. And in the deep window sill nearest to the tub were scented candles, ones that had been partially burned as they sat in their little glass and ceramic containers on a tray, but ones that he would ask before lighting all the same.

He needed to go find Sirrus while he waited for the tub to finish. He would only be a moment.

(-~-)

She let out a long sigh as she rubbed her hands together to chase away the cold that had settled in her extremities as she stood in front of the payphone, the door closed tight behind. It was a bitterly cold night tonight, and the thin layer of snow that covered the ground was evidence of that notion. But that was no matter. She would be back in the van with her companion momentarily. She just needed to make a phone call. She’d practically felt compelled to as they passed it by, suddenly becoming a woman possessed the moment she’d seen it. And it was a number she would never forget as long as she lived.

Reaching her cold hands up to the number pad she nearly typed in the numbers before paying, shaking her head to herself and cursing under her breath as she reached into her pocket and pulled a handful of frozen change out of her pocket, counting out the correct amount before inserting it into the machine. Her mind was elsewhere, rooted so firmly in her objective that she couldn’t properly complete the tasks required to see it come to fruition. It wasn’t the first time and it wouldn’t be the last, but she was still quietly miffed.

The phone rang in her hand as she held it. Waiting. Hoping that it wasn’t too late in the day. And then the phone picked up on the very last ring.

“Goldstine Gunsmithing and Repairs Shop. What can I do ya for?” The man’s voice on the other end was a song for sore ears. She hadn’t heard it in far too long. She needed to call home more often. She really did.

A smile spread across her face as she shook her head. Yep, this was the right number all right. She knew that voice anywhere. “Oh, nah. Nothing special. Just, ya know, checkin’ in. It’s been a while, and I know you’ve seen the news by now, so I thought I’d get in contact before you blew a gasket or showed up to find me or sumthen’.”

There was a momentary pause as the person on the other side of the phone audibly shifted before speaking, seemingly silenced from surprise. They clearly recognized her, but they certainly hadn’t been expecting to hear from her today, especially at this hour. “Nico?

“The one and only!” She retorted with exaggerated gleefulness just to throw him off kilter a little. She fiddled with a cigarette in her fingers, staring down at it for a moment before suddenly feeling all desire to light it and smoke it vacate her body. Call it a moment of self-reflection; call it a reminder of her conversation with Sirrus back in Lucia’s homeland that day, but she just couldn’t all of a sudden. Not right now, at least. So she put it back into her pocket and continued her conversation. That could wait for another time. She was talking to someone important to her.

“Well hell, watcha been up to? Everything alright around there? Heard things got pretty supernatural in those parts for a little while. Ya safe and sound?” The excitement and worry in his voice were unmistakable, and so was the pang of guilt she felt in her heart for not calling home sooner. She hoped he hadn’t been glued to the radio or the TV for the last while watching everything go down where she was, worrying himself sick over her. They were all each other had left in the world, at least in terms of blood. She had to do better than that. It wasn’t like she didn’t like talking to him or something. She loved him!

“Phf, that’s a long story. Same old same old for the most part, but a lot’s gone down since I talked to you last time, Rock. You have no idea.” Nico shook her head. And she wasn’t going to fill him on on most of it, either. It wasn’t like he could make her come back or anything like that, but she just didn’t need him worrying about her. Knowing that he was sitting at home worrying about her made Nico worry about him. That couldn’t be good for anyone. Not at all.

“Well then, fill me in! I’ve got nothing but time, girl!” She heard a chair scoot across the floor, metal on wood. That couldn’t be good for the property value. Oh, who was she kidding? That floor had seen everything and then some. It wasn’t going anywhere.

Nico chucked to herself under her breath. Of course he did! Even if he was clearly tired. But this was the man who’d raised her. She didn’t expect any less from him. If there was one thing that Rock would always do for her it was make time. Even when he didn’t have a second to spare. “And I’ve got a whole roll of quarters. Pull up a seat. We're gonna be here a while. Nero’s just gonna have to wait in the van a little longer. It won’t kill him!”

“Sure won’t. Now get talkin’. I need some details.” Rock said with a hearty chuckle, the sound of a creaking chair filling her ears. He’d quite literally settled in for the long haul, and he clearly wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

(-~-)

It had taken close to a lifetime, but V had finally come to the conclusion that he’d been in the tub long enough. And although it was physically, emotionally, and mentally agonizing for him to part from the warm waters, he finally confronted his immobile frame and demanded that it part with the soothing liquid. If he stayed in here any long he would arise with no skin and become so thoroughly relaxed that he’d never function again.

But as he reached over to blow out the candles Sirrus had lit and grab a towel so that he could depart from the tub, his blood ran ice cold. To his horror, he’d just realized that he’d left the towel that Sirrus had left him on the counter in the living room. He’d taken it in there to ask him a question, and now he was stranded in unfamiliar waters, marooned and left adrift in a sea of dread because there was simply no way in the 9 circles of hell that he was going to call Sirrus and ask him to bring one in here. There were hardly any bubbles left, and even if there had been, he knew he didn’t have it in him. He might as well just settle in, get comfortable, and die.

After several minutes of agonizing over his options, none of which he liked by any measure or standard, the young white-haired summoner swallowed like someone had just informed him that he’d contracted a debilitating illness and slowly got out of the tub. He would ask Sirrus to bring it to him. He’d considered putting his clothing back on while he was still wet and he’d briefly thought about just dashing into the room and grabbing it himself, but the first option caused him visceral physical discomfort at the very idea of it in the same way that the concept of stepping in a puddle of cold water wearing thick socks did, and the second option was something he imagined Sirrus would have a great laugh about when he inevitably discovered him in the act while V himself dropped dead from pure horror. No, he would just swallow his pride and go to the door and ask Sirrus politely to bring him the towel. It would still be embarrassing, but at least it was sensible.

V hadn’t noticed the comfortable modern armchair, thick, fuzzy rug, or the beautiful contemporary nightstands that matched the bedframe until he’d attempted to avoid getting them wet. He was going to clean this up when he was finished if it was the last thing he did. He also noticed that Sirrus had been nice enough to bring his bags over and sit them just inside of his door, probably just after he’d gotten into the tub. After all, they did share a wall. He was probably able to tell to some degree when he was moving around in the room or not. Regardless, it was kind of him, and he appreciated it. Too bad V hadn’t thought to bring a robe or a towel on this trip himself so that he could avoid this entire situation altogether. Perhaps if he just stayed very far back behind the door…

Opening the door wider than he’d probably needed to in order to see the living room from where he currently was in order to spot the towel, V actually gasped with fright as he came face to face with Sirrus, the man with the mostly red hair walking past his door en route to his own bedroom. The man stopped in his tracks and stared at him blankly and without thinking out of fear that he’d unintentionally revealed more than he wanted to in front of his friend, he closed the door as quickly as he could, only thinking about how rude slamming the door in Sirrus’s face in his own house probably was.

Chastizing himself internally as he cursed his current state of existence, he slowly cracked the door again only to find that Sirrus had come much closer to the door, so much so that they practically bumped heads when he stuck his head around the corner to confront him. Sirrus looked deeply confused, but somehow there was still a tinge of amusement in his cool grey eyes. It seemed that V had unintentionally sparked his curiosity. He looked almost concerned…

“Hello, V,” Sirrus said in a mischievously low tone, his voice almost too quiet for the young summoner’s liking. He looked like a wolf eyeing his next meal. His face was practically unreadable, his version of a poker face clearly something to behold. “Is something amiss?”

The way he said those words so knowingly… V couldn’t help but blush slightly. He’d seen something, he just knew it. And although the world wasn’t going to come to an end as a result, he certainly felt like it would. It wasn’t the first time, but it most certainly was the first time that V had done so in such a manner. And he couldn’t pinpoint why, but he just felt so embarrassed. Perhaps it was because he knew Sirrus so well as opposed to the other times when he was barely lucid and too afraid and confused for it to matter?

“Sorry. Please forgive me,” he said softly, looking down just after speaking. He didn’t have it in him to maintain eye contact at the moment. There was just something about doing so while he had that look on his face while V was undressed that didn’t feel right. In fact, it felt deeply… well, not wrong, but still. He wasn’t creeped out or anything, but he just felt unsettled, as if many eyes lingered upon him and he couldn’t shake them. He hadn’t quite experienced whatever this was before. And he wasn’t keen to do so again anytime soon.

Sirrus maintained the same expression but it softened some, his pupils widening a bit as he took on an expression ever so slightly less wolfish. “Did you need something? You look… disheveled. Are you in need of assistance?”

V nodded slower than he’d meant to, sparing a moment to wonder if that should’ve earned him a funny look or if he was just overthinking. He settled on neither and brushed it aside. It was best to get this over and done with. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he’d forgotten the towel. That wasn’t the problem. It was the entire prospect of speaking to someone and holding a casual conversation while completely nude that unnerved him.

“I forgot the towel you gifted me,” He said as he actively avoided eye contact, grateful that Sirrus understood his body language and tendencies enough to not pursue and pressure him any further on his refusal to do so. Few things made him more uncomfortable than when someone tried to force and maintain eye contact. “... And didn’t realize it until I got out of the shower. Do you mind… ”

“Ah,” Sirrus said with a small nod, his expression unchanged by this revelation. He didn’t seem as though he’d been expecting to hear that, but he certainly had been expecting to be asked something.“I had just noticed that a moment before you surprised me. I was going to leave it on your bed, but you beat me to the door.”

He stepped away for a moment before returning with it, setting down the empty glass he’d been carrying in the sink on the way. He appeared to fluff the brand new emerald green towel for a moment before reaching out to hand it to him, a little further back from the door than either of them initially realized. V stepped forward ever so slightly, still behind the door as he leaned over to snag it only to slip backward and nearly hit the floor face first as his legs gave out underneath him due to the wetness of the floor beneath him. V managed to grab the door just as Sirrus snagged him under the left shoulder, pulling it in a manner that wasn’t very comfortable, but sparing him a much worse fall as the door pivoted and nearly threw him onto his face. That was certainly a plus. That fact that to do so Sirrus was now standing almost fully in front of him was certainly a minus.

Excellent.

Thoroughly flustered but attempting to not acknowledge how utterly horrified and embarrassed he felt at the moment as he looked down at the floor and caught his breath, V nodded in appreciation, attempting to simply pretend that this very embarrassing situation wasn’t currently occurring. That was the best he could do to cope with it. Between his banged-up knees and his crippling embarrassment, he was having a rough night.

But as he caught his breath, he felt the comforting warmth of soft fabric drape over his freezing shoulders. He glanced up just in time for Sirrus to drape the towel over his shoulder, noticing immediately that this was a nonstandard-sized towel closer to the size of a beach towel. It came to just below his knees as Sirrus stood fully in front of him and gently wrapped him in it, obviously sensing his mounting sense of anxiety toward being completely nude and attempting to alleviate it. He didn’t say as much, but he understood the feeling. V had practically frozen in place as he waited for his knees to stop throbbing and Sirrus had clearly decided to simply not look and assist him. His arms still worked, but V was just genuinely too mortified to think clearly and ask for the towel, and simply taking it from him might have been perceived as rude. He didn’t want to come off that way.

“Are you alright, V?” Sirrus asked quietly as V quietly turned and tilted in any manner that Sirrus indicated so that he could better wrap him in the towel. His breathing had picked up slightly, but aside from the color of his face and a small porton of hit upper section of his neck, V’s face didn’t betray the dread he felt. “I’ll take a nod in place of a response if you can’t speak. I understand. You look cold.”

He wanted to reassure his friend that he was alright, but that wasn’t totally the cause. The brief impact both of his knees had made with the concrete floor had actually hurt pretty badly, but the discomfort in his joints from the force of impact and the suddenness of it all was starting to fade. V was good at catching himself when he fell, but he was much less good when he fell without expecting it. And he’d certainly had much worse falls. This was nothing but a momentary inconvenience and maybe a few small bruises come morning. He would be just fine. He nodded as asked, earning him a small pat on the shoulder. At least almost falling had taken his mind off of the situation a little bit.

“You didn’t… see anything… did you?” V asked bashfully as he finally felt his nerves ease and he regained the ability to speak, his vibrant blush betraying his embarrassment. He no longer felt exposed, but he was still embarrassed, even if only half as badly as he had been. He dared to look up at his friend as he released his supportive grip on him, seemingly satisfied with his ability to stand on two feet again. At least for now. Sirrus gave him a gentle look as he exhaled in relief that slowly gave way to the clearest expression of amusement he’d probably seen all day. V felt a chill run up his spine before his friend even spoke. He knew what that look meant. And Sirrus was too poor of a liar to be faking it. Oh. Oh no.

“Of course I did,” Sirrus said, a wolfish grin spreading across his entire face as he gently ruffled his friend’s hair. He chuckled deeply, shaking his head as he blinked, his eyes slightly wide and a small bit of red in his face as well. V wondered for all of an instant whether he was saying that just to mess with him, but he knew the answer. He just knew. As much as he wished he was, Sirrus wasn’t lying he’d seen everything. And he clearly had some opinions though he was too polite - or perhaps too embarrassed by the whole situation or on his behalf- to verbalize them. And he was utterly and eternally grateful for that because he didn’t think he could take it. “Goodnight. If you need me, simply knock.”

And with that, Sirrus nodded politely before backing away, avoiding further eye contact, and heading to his own door. V gave him a sheepish wave from his own doorway which he returned almost too playfully despite not fully looking at him before ducking inside of his door and closing the door softly. V then closed his own door, leaning against the back of it with a sigh. That could have gone better. So much better. But it also could’ve been worse, so he was glad that it hadn’t been. At least Sirrus wouldn’t tell anyone. He hoped.

“Goodnight… “ V managed to croke out sheepishly after much persistence. He knew Sirrus probably couldn’t hear him through the wall. His friend’s response had stolen all the air from his body and his head was suddenly pounding. He hadn’t realized he possessed such a strong aversion to being seen undressed until now. This almost felt like it had to be more than that. He needed to lay down. He suddenly felt unwell.

Once the door had slid closed and V had managed to stand up and dry himself off along with the trail of water that he’d made from the door to the bathtub, he sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the wall and reveled in the feeling of the cold brick against this skin. He suddenly felt hot. Unbelievably hot. Almost as though he was coming down with something. He quietly hoped that he hadn’t as he gripped the towel Sirrus had wrapped around him and held it tightly, his heart still pounding in his ears. How awkward.

After a minute or two he sighed and bent over to unzip his luggage bag, opting to start by putting something on himself. Probably not underwear, of course. He’d proven that he apparently didn’t need those to sleep in during his time in Redgrave City, but perhaps something longer, softer, and lighter around the bottom would do. Something warm that would sweat him out from under the covers in his sleep in the middle of the night and ruin his badly needed restful sleep. He had options there. He’d packed accordingly.

But just as he finished searching for his shirt, Griffon materialized in the room, cackling to himself in a tone somewhere smack dab in the middle of concern and amusement, practically nonverbally inquiring as to if he was alright in the head by tone alone; challenging the very notion of his sanity and if it truly still existed, frayed as it must be.

“Um V… Don’t mean to, ahem, interrupt you or anything but um… why didn’t you just ask me or the kitty to get it? Wouldn't that have been way easier?”

V stopped rifling through the bag about ten seconds later as his head suddenly snapped up and he stared at Griffon as though his avian summon had just open-palm slapped him in the mouth, stopping halfway through putting on the loose button-up shirt he was in the middle of buttoning up. He suddenly looked absolutely mortified. “What did you say?”

“I said… “ The iridescent blue bird suddenly stopped speaking, noticing the way that his master suddenly looked. V’s entire face was flushed with shades of bright pink, his body structure indescribably limp and his eyes totally dilated and unblinking. Some part of him had clearly just given up, but on what, he didn’t have the slightest idea. Perhaps existing? It was something essential like that for certain. He looked as though he’d just lost the will to live and wanted to peel off all of his skin, lay on the floor, curl up into it, and simply die.

His entire body slumped like a depressed sack of potatoes as his wet hair clung to his face and his shoulders, his head pivoting towards the floor as his shoulder dropped. He needed a haircut but couldn’t muster the energy to care about something like that right now despite noticing as he shook his head in disappointment. Maybe it looked better this way. At least it hid his shame-filled eyes from the gaze of others. Yes. Why hadn’t he just done that?! He’d been so worried that Sirrus would see him undressed that he’d forgotten how to think! It was the simplest, most straightforward answer, and somehow he’d totally overlooked it and gone with perhaps its total and complete antithesis, embarrassing himself for his trouble.

He’d nearly died of embarrassment, and now he was dying of shame.

That was it. This was his cue to go the hell to bed. He said nothing as he walked calmly across the room, pulled the covers back, and fell face down on the mattress, no longer able to conjure meaningful thoughts. He was well and truly ready for the burdenless joy of sleep. The void of nothingness that his mind clearly needed to retire to for a few solid hours while he regained the capacity for critical thinking. He’d had enough for one night.

With that he scooted up until his face was on one of the pillows as Griffon grabbed the soft comforter, pulling it up to his shoulders and dropping it on him with a soft flop before landing on the bedside table and preening himself. Clearly, V needed some help. He was obviously struggling, immobilized, and stupefied. Shadow simply manifested, looked at her master, and laid down next to him against the side of the bedframe on the floor. It was best not to disturb him further. Clearly, he needed a minute. Or maybe a few hours.

(-~-)

For the plant nerds out there, yes. Sirrus did spend the money to buy an Albino Variegated Monstera Deliciosa with pink undertones just to put in the room in his house that he spends the least amount of time in. He’s insane and his love language is plants and cuddling. The more rare, pretty, and unique, the better. Let’s just hope Shadow doesn’t nibble on them like every other kitty in existence. Can you imagine…

As for the shower situation and everything that happened between Sirrus and V in this chapter… THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO ME IN HIGH SCHOOL AT MY BEST FRIEND’S HOUSE AND THEN WE HAD TO SLEEP IN THE SAME BED. AT MY FIRST EVER SLUMBER PARTY. The shame.

I’ve already written half of the next chapter, so I’ll see you on Friday the 1st of September. Take care! Don’t overheat out there and be careful of hurricanes, tropical storms, fires, earthquakes, heatwaves, and… oh forget it. FFS. There is too much going on. Just be safe, okay? I care about you all. Don’t want anything bad to happen to you. Stay safe! Bye bye!

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