Page 67 of A Soul to Touch

Faunus also wanted to spend time with the youngling because he knew he’d never have his own. It was something he deeply desired, but another unobtainable goal for him.I want to give more than just death. I also want to give life.

“You mentioned you had questions,” Magnar said, his orbs shifting to a colour of yellow that indicated he was joyful about this. “Why me, though?”

“I didn’t know you had a bride as well,” Faunus commented, turning his snout in Orpheus’ direction to indicate he was speaking to him. “I knew you were trying to find one in the many humans you brought to your home over hundreds of years. Perhaps you can both answer my questions, especially since you may know a little more than Magnar.”

Orpheus’ arms slowly unfolded as understanding took hold. “You have found your own female, one you wish to bond with.”

The cage around his heart grew smaller, more suffocating and damaging with each beat within its tight walls.

“Yes,” he answered, although a part lie.

Faunus wished to bond with Mayumi, but that would never happen. Even if he wished for it, begged for it,demandedit, Faunus would never hold her soul. He couldn’t even obtain her love, as it would be meaningless.

He would just be thankful for what he could have, which was her desire and companionship.

“Mayumi has decided not to kill you?” Magnar asked, already knowing about her from when he was last here.

“No, to my surprise.” Faunus let out a bright chuckle. He scratched at his chest at the abrupt heat that flared in that cold cage that had been squeezing his heart. “She seems to be rather fond of me.”

Spirit of the void help him; he hoped she was fond of him! Especially since he was unequivocally enamoured by everything the bossy, demanding, tiny human did.

He’d cart a thousand trees to her home, cut a million logs. He’d do whatever she wanted. He’d pretend it was an annoyance because it humoured him, and he was hoping to see her flustered by it, but he’d been thrilled that she’d wanted his help at all.

That she needed him for something. That his presence was accepted rather than despised.

Hearing her name coming from Magnar made him tilt his head slightly.

It had been an accident that Faunus had revealed her name to Magnar and his bride, Delora. Apparently it’d been the last thing he’d uttered before he collapsed after nearly two days of fleeing. Mayumi had been on his mind as he experienced all different kinds of regret.

He thought he was going to die and regretted that he hadn’t seen more of her, hadn’t vowed to protect her when he should have. That he hadn’t seen her just one more time, hadn’t heard her voice even if it wasn’t spoken to him, hadn’t taken in her scent even if it was from a distance.

His hand twitched at the ghost of touching her flesh, like a permanent mark he could still feel.

Her scent had faded from his body over the past several days, but it was there in his mind, would forever be there. He’d takenin her essence and then forcibly woven it into his entire being, every fibre, every cell. Faunus had knotted her to his internal essence so she could ruin and taint him completely for herself.

Orpheus’ orbs returned to their natural blue as Magnar’s turned green, while Faunus’ faded to yellow. They were on neutral ground now, and it appeared as though Orpheus was calmed knowing that Faunus had his own female he longed for.

“I will give you as much knowledge as I can,” Orpheus offered, turning his head over his shoulder to look at the cabin behind them. “I understand how difficult gaining a human is and have learnt that I must share what I know. I don’t wish for anyone else to suffer as I have.”

Faunus cocked his head at that.

Even if he had known that Orpheus had a bride, he still would have come to Magnar as he had been more welcoming to begin with. Magnar had also helped save his life.

Knowing that Orpheus was willing to help at all was shocking. He didn’t seem like the kind of Duskwalker that would care for the struggles of another, but perhaps he had changed over time. He had humanity, plenty of it, but his interactions with humans had been less than pleasant, which caused his emotional intelligence to become skewed and warped.

Just coming here, in its own way, was degrading for Faunus. The fact that Faunus couldn’t navigate this on his own was humiliating as he’d learnt everything by himself. He’d never needed to lean on another before.

Especially since he’d learned the hard way that no one wanted to help him. That no one cared about him. That he was completely, utterly, and painfully alone in this world – just as all his kind were.

But if I try to learn this on my own, I could hurt Mayumi in the process.

Running his palm up his snout and over the uninjured side of his skull, Faunus opened his fangs to let out a deep sigh.

“Mayumi is... small,” he admitted. His hand came down to rub at the back of his neck, revealing how awkward he felt about this. Even his sight turned a reddish-pink in both shame and embarrassment. “Magnar, you had a youngling with your bride. And even now, I can smell the lingering scent of sex on both of you.”

They both gave a flash of red, perhaps angered that it would mean he could smell their female’s arousal on them. Their show of annoyance left as quickly as it came, most likely knowing it also meant that they and their females were marked by each other’s bodies.

It was obvious, but perhaps blatantly commenting on it was rude. He was beyond caring for formalities.

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