Rin Bonus Story: You're Real (male Rin)

Are you there?

"Of course I'm-" I turn to Rin, then stop when I see his mouth isn't open, his gaze isn't on me.

Oh.

I look around for the source of the question, peering into the darkness of the desert at night. A better question might be what couldn't have called out to me. Beyond the edges of our campsite nestled in a grove of cacti, there are almost endless shifting shapes. Ghostlike figures drift under patches of starlight, some larger than a human and others so small they dance between the needles of the plants. Some make sounds, others send feelings out on the air, and all of them disappear if I look at them directly, reappearing only in the safety of the corners of my vision.

"Yeah, you're not kidding," Rin snorts.

"I'm not kidding about what?"

"About Night Season out here. You said-" he stops just as abruptly as I had a second ago. "You didn't say anything, did you?"

I shake my head. "I know these fae are harmless, but..." I rub the back of my neck, uncomfortable.

"Three days of this is too much," he finishes for me, frustration evident in his silver eyes. "I feel like I can't tell what's real anymore. These things just get better and better at imitating your voice."

"They like to talk," I hum, looking up at the stars to steady myself but finding they're tinted a hazy orange - another illusion, though its purpose I'm unsure of. I give up, turning back to Rin.

"That's one real thing, at least," I mutter.

"What?" he asks. "Was that you, or the fae again?"

"Me," I smile slightly. "I was talking to myself. I was thinking that you're real, at least. The illusions don't seem to be strong enough to imitate a whole person."

Rin blinks, as though just realizing the truth of what I've said. "Yeah," he nods. "That's... good. It's better to have company out here."

"Yeah, I'm glad the Den's not crazy enough to send agents out alone," I say, suppressing a shudder at the thought and scooting closer to him. Maybe 'harmless' isn't the right word to describe these fae. They can't hurt us as long as we don't listen when they beckon us beyond the point of safety. But that's not always the easiest thing to resist...

A second later Rin jumps to his feet, hands on the hilt of his sheathed daggers - before with a sigh, he relaxes again.

"What did you see?" I ask as he sits back down.

"Nothing worth talking about," he mutters. But despite his dismissal, he links his arm in mine. It's a small touch, but out here amidst the shadow and lies of Night Season it's like solid ground beneath me.

It's real. He's real. I lay my head on his shoulder, and his hand shifts to grasp mine. Real. Solid. Steady. I can feel the certainty grow, looping between us until my breathing comes slower, and the voices beyond our camp that call out to me dim.

When it's my turn to sleep Rin makes no move to pull away. He keeps watch with my head in his lap, his thumb tracing idle circles where it rests on my shoulder.

"Hey," his voice stirs me some hours later. "Your turn."

I drag myself up, yawning. I rest my head at the crook of his neck for a second, too groggy to realize how forward I'm being. But he doesn't seem to mind. His hand finds the base of my neck and stays there. When I finally pull back he keeps it there for a moment, a gentle pressure that asks me not to go too far.

The voices have grown louder, I realize as I stare silently at Rin. I can hear all kinds of noises and people, whispers on whispers, trying to lure us beyond the safety of our wards. I wonder for a second if I'll fall prey to it once Rin's touch leaves my skin.

I wonder if he's worried about the same thing. That would explain why he kisses me.