Beast Hunter |Inosuke Hashibira|

Chapter 25🌲Like Real People do

↪Eyes go boom boom with tears, haha... Oh god. Looping the Hozier song really just digs this chapter deeper into the pit.↩

↣Like Real People do↢

"Inosuke?"

The sniveling stopped dead as you let out the quietest call in the dark. You squinted as the silver moonlight still attacked your pupils, though you shook away your needs to look at the boy. He lied there so still that you knew he was awake. Slowly, you sat up to look further at him with your utmost concern, "Inosuke, please just wave at me or something to let me know you are awake. You don't need to speak, I understand."

It took a quiet moment, but a shaky hand, seeming quite small with the large sleeves of his pajama shirt, raised just enough from resting on his abdomen to know he was awake. You sighed knowing fully well that he was the crying that awoken you, though he tried to hide it. You shed your blankets from your body, twisting your hips to the edge of the bed and rest your feet on the cold ground. You shivered at the new change in temperature on your almost busted feet, just barely starting to put your weight on the balls of your heels.

"S-stop it." You fell back down and looked up at the boar headed boy, "You're gonna ruin yo-your legs till you can't walk and... And..." The stuffy sniffle he tried his best to hide was clearly evident in the otherwise silent air.

"Shush." He stopped speaking obediently, watching stiffly as you once again tried to stand. Then you fell back onto the bed with a small grunt of pain. He flinched as he saw your silently seething face, yet you got up for a third time and unsteadily balanced yourself on your feet. He forced himself to sit up, hanging his head in a shame that made even you wince at. You took slow steps towards his bed, each footstep seeming to take an hour to let yourself fully become steady, finally sagging into the edge of his bed and looking over at him.

His boar eyes stared blankly at you, the blue of it's irises glistening in the moonlight. You tilted your head and fully got onto the bed, twisting to face him and sitting with crisscrossed legs no matter how much it dully ached. Drawling it out at first, you whispered, "So...? What do you wish to say? I'm all ears for anything, I've gotten enough sleep to keep me up till noon."

He still was silent, looking over at you like you were a ghost. You frowned, closing your eyes and exhaling as your shoulders slumped. Inosuke still stared at you, not knowing what exactly to say. Perhaps the truth? Perhaps a lie? "Nothing."

You snorted snarkily, your soft smile turning to a sharp toothed grin, "I know when you're lying, little boy. I see right through you. Tell me your sins and I'll reveal mine."

Once again the boy sniffled, taking a deep breath to steady his burning throat. You shook your head, placing a hand on each side of his furry cheeks, "You're going to hyperventilate if you keep sobbing with this on, c'mon, let me have it."

Inosuke's hands frantically clamped down on your own as you tried to pull his mask off. Your brow furrowed and you pulled a little harder, though his strong arms managed to keep it in place, "Inosuke, seriously. I don't want you passing out from not being able to breathe."

"Stop it, woman." His voice cracked enough for your grip to loosen and fall to his shoulders.

"Inosuke. Please."

He flinched at the hurting in your voice. Were you really that serious? Inosuke hesitantly placed his hands back on the cheeks of his mother's hide, waiting a full minute before slowly pulling it off his head. He hung his head before you can look into his eyes, letting his short black bangs dangling in their place. You saw how streaks glistened down his soft face though, you knew too well what had happened. He was definitely crying. Because of what? You had no idea.