The room was about half the size of the massive cafeteria, and had been divided into two areas; a bedroom and playroom. To the far right were multiple rows of beds with small trunks at the foot of them, while the center and left side had a bright red rug on the floor that was covered in toys, with endless couches lining the curved walls.
As soon as he stepped fully inside, Killian found himself surrounded by little ones, some were crying.
Skya flung herself into his arms as she wailed, “KILL-KILL!”
Killian chuckled. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” he said, hugging her tightly before setting the toddler back down. He smiled when Zenny gave him a brief hug.
“Is the white-haired man okay?” Zenny blurted. The kid seemed to tense up as he waited for his answer.
He blinked. “Ah, yes, he’s fine. Still recovering, but he's not in danger anymore.”
Zenny sagged. “Oh, good.”
Killian frowned slightly at the Cupid’s behavior, and at him even knowing Ender had been hurt, until he remembered thekids had in fact seen the Gorgon get shot…or rather, they'd heard it and saw the bleeding afterward.
“Is it true? Are the bad men gone?” Hecuba, one of the older children who was nearly a teenager, asked.
He smiled. “Yeah, all the bad men are gone.”
“Does this mean we get to go home?!” a little girl named Carli asked.
“It does mean that,” Zenny answered stiffly, the kid looking grim.
The Cupid averted his gaze when he noticed Killian looking, and he wasn’t the only one who looked away.
Clearing his throat, he corrected him. “Home, or wherever is the safest place for you…that’s where you’ll go.”
Killian quickly counted the number of children who relaxed at that, burning their faces into his memory. They would have to decide what the safest option for them would be, and it was obviously not home…
As the kids babbled on, he met Severo’s tired gaze over their heads. The Shadow Dweller was sitting on the couch directly across from the door, looking like he hadn’t slept much, but then, he probably hadn’t.
He smiled and nodded, before glancing back down. “Why don’t you all go back to playing, as I need to talk to the tall, tired-looking shadow in the corner over there.”
They giggled, with one little girl saying, “He is just like a shadow!”
“No, dummy, he can move shadows!” another small boy huffed.
“Hey, none of that. Be nice,” Killian admonished.
The little boy huffed again, but ran off with the others as they all went to play. All except for Zenny that was. He couldn’t help but notice that the Cupid instead went to sit on the floor with hisback against a couch, his eyes still on him, curling up just as he had days ago when introducing himself.
Ignoring the kid’s odd, intense stare, Killian took a seat next to Severo on the couch, not saying anything, just watching the children run about. After all the fear they had faced, seeing them so lighthearted definitely warmed ‘something’ inside him…
For a bit they just sat there in silence, the only sound being the kids giggling and playing, before the Dweller awkwardly said, “I’m glad you’re alive. We’re… We’re friends, right?”
He snorted. “Yes, we’re friends, you dork. Have been for over two hundred years, I’d say. I mean, I’ve known you almost as long as I’ve known Cyrus.”
Severo smirked. “You would have known me the same amount of time, but someone refused to leave the property and hid anytime I came over for the first few months.”
“Damn right I did.”
The Dweller laughed. “I would prefer this not happen again anytime soon, as I’m sort of attached to your scary as—mmm, butt.” The man sighed, his gaze flicking to the children.
“Kind of attached to you too, Dweller.” He giggled.
“Anyway, yeah, thanks for living.” Severo cleared his throat, and Killian barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes when the Cryptid sniffled—the damn crybaby.
He sighed as he decided to address one of the main elephants in the room. “Severo, I’m sorry I put Skya in danger. I should have been more alert of my surroundings, been more cautious of outside drinks…and I should have, at least yesterday, stayed put.”
