Lit by a single candle, the cave was my only solace. Considering it was literally a natural cave, the single doorway kept away most of the cold. Nobody broad enough would fit through the pathway. It was tall too, and although I did not know how tall I was, it was at least another me on top.

The sleeping area was in the far corner; two 'beds' propped up against the wall, covered in various fabrics and animal furs I had sewn together. There was a divider separating the bed area that we had crafted from various branches and vines.

The living space was nothing too special. A few years ago, Neo had found some scattered furniture with broken legs in the river. He took them, and we built some seating out of the wood and cushions that were left. There was a fur rug too, made from a deer that Neo once hunted.

We had no bathroom. Being technically illegal people, we washed and relieved ourselves in the elements. This was great during summer, but in winter I would rather grow an ecosystem in my hair.

Stepping inside of the living space, I was about to plop myself down on a chair when shuffling came from behind. I had no strong senses to alert me to an intruder, so the moment I heard the noise, I froze. I cocked my head as I listened, taking in the way they walked until it clicked that it was only Neo.

I had beaten him here. Maybe he wouldn't have a go at me for being so close to sundown.

"Ziana! You cut it close tonight."

Never mind.

I groaned, moving to collapse into the chair. It creaked with my weight, and I propped my head up with my hand to stare up at him. He entered the room with a deep-set scowl, his eerily yellow eyes narrowed down on me. One thing about Neo I used to struggle with was how vibrant his eyes could become when annoyed; it was creepy. He had his long blonde hair tied back today, but I could see the flakes of dirt atop his head.

"I made it back in time for sunset." I shrugged, giving him a lazy smile.

Neo's scowl didn't soften as he walked toward the dining area. He was usually quiet in his movements, his tall, toned body capable of being lithe. He wasn't the broadest of men, with a build similar to the fae, but I knew he was strong. Also, being about a billion inches tall helped.

He sighed heavily and placed something on the table. I raised my head curiously, wondering what was inside his handmade bag today. Glancing at me briefly from the corner of his eye, I noticed how his lips twitched in the corner. Reaching inside, my curious words died on my tongue when he pulled out some thick furs.

"Where did you get those from?" I jumped up from my chair.

He chuckled softly, stepping to the side to allow me to get a better look. "You really want to know?"

He knew my hesitation about harming animals without purpose, but with winter coming, I had to suck up my pride. In his hands lay three or four different pelts, already clean and cut, all with similar light brown fur with dark spots and lines.

"It looks like deer?" I mumbled.

Neo nodded. "It's what I caught this weekend."

My eyes widened at his admission. "Only four? You're slacking."

He scoffed at my teasing, pushing me away by the side of my head. I laughed as he walked away, moving toward the fire pit in the living area. He set down his bag before grabbing the bucket of wood and sticks for the fire. I trailed my hands along the fur, knowing I would have to sew these together so we could each have a person-sized blanket.

"It's getting cold. We needed more." He admitted. "I didn't just leave them to die. I have brought meat and even some bones."

My nose wrinkled at the mention of bones. Last time he hunted, he cleaned and carved them to make a leg for our current dining table of mismatched wood. It was inhuman to me, but Neo was an excellent hunter. Plus, he was part animal.

"So..." I began, grabbing the fur and moving closer.

Neo hummed, taking mere moments to get a fire started. I shuddered as the flames flickered, eager to feel the warmth now the cold was seeping in.

"So what?" He grunted, raising to his full height.

"You cook, I sew?"

"I hunted, skinned and even cleaned some pelts. Do you not think I should just laze around doing nothing?" He teased.

I grinned. "You and I both know you can cook a mean steak."

He rolled his eyes, scratching at his lower stomach where I knew a deep scar hid. "What accompaniments did you find today?"

"I didn't go to the market, if that's what you are thinking." I scoffed, turning in the chair so my legs hung over the arm. "But I have some berries and stole some lettuces from a travelling grocer cart."

"Just lettuce? You're slacking." He mimicked me.

"Of course not." I waved my hand. "But I don't think potatoes will be any good with steak."

Neo's eyes brightened, and he shoved my legs from the chair in his haste to get past. He loved potatoes, especially sliced fried ones. I laughed as I watched him hunt through my bag to prepare dinner. Taking it as my cue to do my thing, I lay the fur on my chair and dug through my belongings to find the sewing needles and threads.

The box was a pretty golden colour, and small enough to fit into a pocket. Hence, why I now own it. I had taken it from a noble fae. After she bought it from a market stall, she just slipped it into her coat pocket. Easy thieving, really.

Over the next hour, Neo cooked dinner as I made the furs into blankets. Once finished, they covered my entire body. Neo was about a head and a half higher than me, terrifyingly tall, so he may just fit underneath one if he scrunched up a little.

The cave grew dark after dinner, with only the cracking of the fire to give us light. We blew out the candle long ago to save the wax, but looking at it now, I knew it would not last another day.

"What are you huffing about?" Neo wondered, eyeing me from across the fire.

With bellies full of food and fire to keep us warm, it was only a matter of time before we fell asleep.

"I'm going to have to find some more candles." I admitted.

"It's Monday tomorrow. Are you going to the markets?" He wondered.

"I'll have to, unless we use branches on the walls and burn the place down." I grinned.

My mind wandered as I imagined how furious the cat-bird would become when faced with a burning cave. At least the cave would be warm.

"Zee?" Neo called. "You there?"

"Yeah?" I murmured.

"I was speaking to you."

"You were?" I blinked. "Speak louder."

He let out a strange growly squark, one he often did when irritated. "I said you need to be careful. It's winter. They're going to get busy."

I couldn't help but smile at his warning. "I am always careful."

"No, I mean it." He shook his head, blonde tendrils falling from his bun.

"Okay, I will be extra careful."

"Good." He scowled. "I heard the shifters are visiting the winter markets within the next few weeks."

"The shifters?" I rose my eyebrows curiously. "Why? What are they looking for?"

"I don't know. I heard from some elf folk when I hunted that they're meeting with the fae." He shrugged. "But they are visiting the markets soon, and it is going to be extra busy. You know how the fae get when shifters visit."

"They go all goo-goo eyed, I know." Snorting, I rolled my eyes. "I will be fine. I only need candles."

He sighed, rising from his chair to strip off his shirt. My eyes immediately fell to the long scratches across his stomach. They travelled from his left hipbone diagonally to the centre of his ribs. Neo never told me the full story of how he ended up unable to fly and without a home, but I knew that someone had done that to him. I just wondered who because I would kick their ass myself.

Neo may be three years older than me, but I was fairly agile and badass for a twenty-four-year-old. Growing up together, he often tried to keep me locked away and safe, but being the rebellious, magnificent girl I was, I would always escape. In the end, he gave in and taught me how to survive.

I'd only riot against him. He was my best friend, after all.

"Stop with the evil glare." He hissed at me.

"I was not doing the evil glare." I clicked my tongue.

"You were." He snickered.

Rolling my eyes, I couldn't help but let the grin slip past. Standing from the chair, I moved to the bedroom area and undressed. I would have to wash my clothes tomorrow, since the ground had tripped me up earlier. My clothes were too dirty to re-wear.

Throwing them into a pile on the floor, I jumped when I felt fingers trace my shoulder. Neo was hovering over me, peering down at the scars that lined my back. His touch was always warm, and when it was so light it left my skin feeling tingly. Sometimes it would get too much, feeling like my body was on fire, mainly when we were intimate. Neo explained that it was his magic, and tried to reign it back by not touching me so much.

Being stood in just my bra and sleeping bottoms wasn't weird to me. Neo has done more than just touch my skin when we both felt lonely, and I was used to his incessant nit-picking. He was an observant creature and liked to make sure that nothing changed about them. I blamed the cat brain.

"This one looks angry today." He poked one across my ribs.

I huffed, pulling on my sleep-shirt. "It's scarring so it cannot be angry. It cannot change. They are twelve years old!"

He scowled. "I am telling you; it looks angrier than usual."

I poked his stomach, causing him to flinch. "Don't poke mine and I won't poke yours."

His yellow eyes brightened. "I have to check on you."

"I am fine, Neo." I huffed. "Always am."

The scars that littered my body were only a shadow of what happened to me all those years ago. It was like thin knives had dug into my skin and tore apart my insides. From my hips, they trailed up to my rib cage, where they then flaked around my shoulders and sides, covered my back, down my thighs and towards my ankles. I called them scars; Neo called them battle wounds.

I was never in a battle, but he insisted that being that bloodied and coming out alive, it had to be something as crazy as that. But it was an internal battle at most.

Neo made a chirping noise that ended with a disgruntled huff as he pushed me away. I turned, scowling at him.

"You're menstrual is approaching." He stated.

Despite not having a scent, Neo had grown to understand my changes.

"Neo!" I squealed, turning to shove him back.

He stumbled back, eyes narrowing. "What? It was an innocent calculation!"

I glared, not wanting to be scrutinised. "No need to say it like that!"

He smirked, chattering his teeth softly. "Just go to bed."

I glared at him, and he shoved me so hard that I fell and landed half on my bed. My face hit the covers with a grunt before I pulled myself up.

"I think I may keep your blanket for myself." I tutted.

"You can try, but I will just take yours." He smirked, still standing.

"You wouldn't want me to get cold." I shrugged. "You won't do that."

He muttered an annoyed agreement before moving toward the entryway and blocking it off. He always barricaded it at night, an extra sense of security. Plus, Neo could see in the dark, so even without a fire, he would always be the one to 'close the door'.

The familiar shifting of the wooden door met my ears before Neo appeared near his bed again. He slid the room divider across, attempting to keep some of the cold draft away. It meant I lost a lot of light; the fire being cut off from my view. I stared up at the ceiling, watching the shadows flicker on the ceiling.

"Goodnight, Neo." I chirped. "Don't let the fleas bite."

"Goodnight, Ziana." Neo's voice was soft, used to my goodnight tease.

Sighing, I settled under my blanket, wrapped up in warmth as sleep took over.

*****

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