Crimson

As endearing as Nature.

VITA

He had assumed sleeping by a stranger's side and in this situation that they had found themselves would make him unable to fall asleep .

The stranger being Ali and the situation being an unplanned night in the forest .

Yet , he had slept like an unworried child .

He had only awoken when something wet had began to massage his face .

He opened his eyes and found himself face to mouth with Whale , the wolf had been trying to wake him .

The forest was still asleep , the leaves drooped ,the sounds of birds and insects moving around was absent and the fog sat thick atop the trees .

The light of the morning seeped in through small openings from the trees forming beautiful reflection patterns around where he lay .

He turned away from the wolf's tongue , rolling unto his side and discovered Ali and Juno's absence .

The other blanket that was supposed to have Nero and Keanu was also empty .

He was instantly wide awake , he sat up , their bags were still here .

The female wolf , Star and the cub were missing , Fabia too .

He was on his feet in a moment , his boots halfway laced .

Whale watched him all this while .

Of course , the wolf , he would know what had happened .

He would not have let anything happen to them so easily .

His half laced boots were abandoned , he bent to the wolf's level and thought for a second on how to frame his question for the wolf to understand .

He moved closer .

" Juno ..."

He put his hands in the air to describe Juno's height .

" Fabia ...neigghhh"

He imitated a horse's gallop , the neigh included .

The wolf tilted his head , Vita had a feeling the wolf knew exactly what he was trying to pass across and just chose the pretentious way .

He put his hand on his hair and tried to imitate long hair .

The wolfs head returned to a straightforward position and he put his paws up and began to admire it .

Vita stood to his feet and laced his boots completely .

" You know what ? I'll find them myself ".

Now , he was talking to a wolf , at least , the wolf was unresponsive .

The wolf stood on his four and turned around , he began to move towards the forest .

" Where are you going to now ? "

The wolf was still unresponsive , he just kept walking off .

Vita went after the wolf , he was as arrogant as his owner .

The wolf went through the trees , moving around like he was very familiar with the forest , he probably was .

Vita watched the leaves wake with the intrusion , they abandoned their previous drooping positions and stood at attention .

Water droplets dripped all around him .

The wolf turned to him and waited for him to catch-up , he did , hurrying forward .

The wolf had reached his destination , an opening between the trees that showed a stream .

The wolf stepped back to allow Vita go through .

Vita went through the opening , leaving the wolf a step behind .

The stream was clear and bordered by wild coloured flowers .

Keanu sat on the bank of the stream , he was watching Nero who was splashing about like a fool alongside Star and her cub .

He turned back to check for Whale , he was farther away from where Vita had left him .

And , even though Vita had no idea about animal languages and expressions , he was sure that the look on Whale's face was a look of disgust .

That explained What had happened here , Whale hated the stream or probably water in general .

Nero stopped mid splash as he noticed them .

" You're awake ? "

Vita did not grace him with an answer , he moved closer , his eyes searching for either Ali or Juno , they were both nowhere around.

He nodded at Keanu , " Good morning ".

Keanu nodded back , smiling wildly .

" Beautiful morning , isn't it ? "

Vita ignored him too , his eyes on the stream and the rock that the water was spilling out of .

The water had created some kind of curtain to hide the inside of the rock .

Vita bent to take off his boots again .

" Thought you were never going to wake up " , Nero screamed out .

He still did not reply to Nero , shouldn't the i***t have woken him up ?

Nero continued regardless , he swam forward .

" I was going to pour water on you but , Juno wanted us to leave you to rest enough " .

Vita finally turned to him .

" Shouldn't you have realized how I would feel when I awoke ? "

Nero had on an unrealizing face .

Vita sighed and moved behind the curtain of water .

It was dark immediately he walked behind the water curtain .

It was also incredibly cold , Thank the godesses that he had taken off his trouser and boots .

His leg sank into water , the current of the water tried to hold him back .

He waited for his legs to adjust to the water strength before he finally moved .

There was a light beyond , he smiled a little , a literal light at the end of a tunnel .

He moved towards the light and went into it .

He was on another side of the forest , except that it looked exactly like the one he had just come from .

This stream also had a head that came from a rock , this stream was hotter though .

Steam came out of it .

It filled the air like a drug and covered most of the top part of the stream .

Vita could hear voices , he waited for his eyes to get used to the mist of the stream .

He saw them then .

Ali sat in the water , the top part of his body naked .

Juno sat behind him too , naked from the head .

Their hair was let loose and wet , hanging like a dark and light curtain from their head .

Juno's hands were on Ali's back kneading and soothing his back and Ali's eyes were closed , he looked like he had fallen asleep .

Juno said something to Ali and he nodded , he stood up .

Ali was not just naked from the top , he was completely , utterly naked .

The ink on his skin was more profound than earlier and Vita wondered why they had to be naked .

He moved behind Juno and sat again , it seemed like they were taking turns to massage each other .

Suddenly , Ali turned and their eyes met .

If was too fast for him to hide or change his direction .

Ali leant forward to whisper something to Juno , who then looked around too .

Our eyes met and he smiled at me .

He stood and Vita's eyes moved speedily away , he was also as naked as the day he was born .

And he was smiling , the kind of smile he had on when Vita had first laid his eyes on him at the gambling den .

He began to walk towards Vita and for some purely basic instinct , Vita removed his shirt .

The lower part of Juno's body has been covered by the water .

" Do you always sleep so much ?"

Vita was speechless , when he had slept at Juno's house , he had also not known when Juno had woken up .

" No , Agrippa just exhausts me ", he replied .

Ali had turned to watch them .

Juno tsked .

" As a brigadier , shouldn't you be used to all sorts of conditions by now ?"

Vita took a step forward in the water .

He looked around and then at Juno .

" Do you want to see something fantastic under the water ?"

Juno tilted his head , smiling .

Vita motioned to under the water , Juno nodded .

They both went under at the same time , Juno grabbed him .

They looked at each other for a second before Juno pulled him closer and locked their lips .

He still managed to taste of chocolate , even though he had not had chocolate in a while , at least , not that Vita was aware of .

Chocolate and a distinctively familiar yet wildly unfamiliar taste .

They moved closer , clinging to each other , their hands around their shoulders .

They kept on kissing , the need for air forgotten .

They kissed away the stress and nightmare that had been Agrippa .

They even kissed a toast to their new destination .

And when they stood at the brink , when they could no longer take it anymore , they jumped up , gasping for air , their hands secured tightly around each other .

As Vita tried to pace his breathing , he watched Juno .

He was smiling , his eyes twinkling .

Godesses , he was the most beautiful .