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Description

“So how do you like your coffee?” Hugger asked as he boiled the kettle on the stove behind him. He had two mugs already prepared, one for himself and another for the woman sitting on his couch. Her leg was hoisted up on a spare chair, with her foot clumsily bandaged around the ankle, and a towel wrapped around her to dry her from the rain that raged on outside. She hadn’t done anything severe to it, but it was still quite sore, so Hugger thought it best that she let it rest for now.

The woman brushed long strands of wet, brown hair from her face as she leaned back, comfortably onto the couch, giving a weak yawn. “Nah,” she spoke softly, “I’m not a coffee fan, got any hot chocolate?” she asked, causing Hugger to guffaw. The man quickly opened the top cupboard and pulled out a tin of cocoa, placing it on the counter, “You and I are gonna get on just fine” he chuckled, still smirking.

The woman chuckled too, as she leaned her head up to the ceiling.

“I can’t believe you built this place…uh…” the woman trailed off as she sat up and turned to look into the Kitchen. “What’s your name, again?” she asked, sheepishly. Hugger hummed with a smile as the kettle whistled behind him, he quickly grabbed the handle and lifted the kettle onto the counter, “My name’s Elliot,” he finally answered, “Most folks ‘round here call me Ellie though, or Bear-”

“Bear?” the woman asked with an amused look, a small smile crossing her face. Hugger nodded, “Yeah, it’s my stage name!” he explained as he grabbed a jug of milk from the fridge and prepared the two drinks. The woman’s face lit up, a curious and mischievous grin appeared as she leaned over the back of the couch. “Oh really?” she asked, “Are you a…performer of some kind?”

“I guess you could say that,” Hugger said, shrugging his shoulders.

The woman gave a sultry giggle before she winced in pain, turning to look back and noticing her foot was in an awkward position. She sat back in her original spot and laughed sheepishly. “So…what kind of performance do you do, Bear?” she began, “Dance? Roadshows? Are you a country singer?”

Hugger’s eyes widened and he looked over at the woman in confusion. “P-Pardon?” he asked, the woman’s smile quickly shrunk away, “You…you said you perform, right?” she said, now confused herself. Hugger took a minute before realization hit him, “Oh!” he chimed, “Oh no no no! Uh…well yeah but…I’m a sports performer…I’m a boxer!” he explained, chuckling nervously.

The woman’s eyes widened in surprise as she slowly nodded, turning back to look at the wall opposite to her. “Wow…that’s…something”, she whispered to herself. Hugger gave an embarrassed laugh as he finished mixing their drinks. What he didn’t see, however, was the slight blush on the woman’s face as she let those last words circle in her head.

He brought the two cups over to the couch, he set one down on the table beside him and handed the other to the woman as he sat himself down beside her. “You okay?” he asked, his voice slightly strained as he tried to get comfortable, “Nothing too sore? Do you want me to get some ice at all?”

The woman giggled, “No, but thank you” she took the drink from his hands and held it between her two much smaller one’s. She lifted it to her mouth and took a small sip, sighing with a smile as she felt the warm drink warm her insides. “Probably missing some Marshmallows, eh?” Hugger asked. The woman chuckled, giving a little snort. She covered her mouth in embarrassment before apologizing and continuing to giggle to herself. As he watched her, Hugger felt a small tug on his heart, one he hadn’t felt in such a long time. But he quickly brushed it aside as he cleared his throat.

“So I-I realize, I never caught your name!” he spoke up. The woman continued to sip on her hot chocolate before she looked up at the man with a smile, a chocolate mustache appearing on her upper lip. “Oh! My name’s River” she explained, “My family and I just moved here”

“Ah, I figured that, never seen ya ‘round here before” Hugger added, “Why did you move?”

“Well we’ve always been moving, trying to find a nice home to just settle down,” River explained, “Not that anywhere else hasn’t been lovely, but it’s hard finding a permanent place when you’re…well-”

Hugger bit his lip and nodded, “I think I get it,” he looked away, a little unsure of what to say next. Both sat in silence for a bit, simply enjoying their hot drinks before River spoke up again. “Did you make that?” she asked, pointing to the corner of the room.

Hugger looked upwards to see her pointing at an old carving of a tree he did. He remembered doing it a while back, when he had first adopted Sophie. It had been such a long time now that he thought about it, yet he remembered it like it was yesterday. He remembered cutting the log of the tree and the many hours he spent trying to get every intricate detail right. The splinters and cuts, the time he almost cut his finger on the blade when shaping it.

In the end, what came as a result was a gorgeous willow tree. It was far from perfect, having a wobbly trunk and a few bunched up leaves that he couldn’t manage to shape right without the whole stem breaking, but it always made him smile when he thought about it.

“Yeah…yeah I did…” he replied, “I-It was a gift I made for my daughter when she was a bubba…she loved it, used to try and play with it, would use it for her toys…” he explained with a weak smile, “She got over it eventually but she wanted to keep it incase I end up getting another kid”

“Oh yeah?” River asked, looking over at him with a curious look in her eyes. Hugger laughed and nodded, “Heh, Eeyup! She’s holding out for a baby brother or sister…I think she’s mad at me a bit for not holding me end of the deal”

River gave a fake pout, “Aw, Dad can’t find no one?” she said cheekily. Hugger gave a chuckle before his demeanor shifted and his face went a bit more in thought, “Uh…Yeah…I-I guess that’s one way to say it…” he said, a little half-heartedly. River noticed the sudden shift in tone and gave a quiet, “S-sorry” as she straightened herself up.

She then took a good look at the man beside her. As she scanned his body, she couldn’t help but notice a few light scars and scratches that lined his body. Some were quite small, like from a twig, while others seemed to be a little deeper. Though it seemed like a touchy subject, River was ever a curious soul and decided to press further. “What are all these scars from?” she asked.

Hugger looked up and at his arm, furrowing his eyebrows a little bit as he brought his arm close to himself. “Why?” he replied, looking at her in unease. River shrugged, “I don’t know, just thought they were some scars you got from the ring,” she answered, “You are a boxer, aren’t you?”

The man looked at her with a hint of annoyance but eventually he smiled and nodded, “Okay, fair enough” he said, shuffling around and lifting up the sleeve on his right arm to reveal a multitude of scars and bites that traced its surface. “W-Well this one” he began, pointing to a long scratch that ran the length of his forearm, “That’s from an encounter I had with a little fox cub, cute lil bugger ‘e was, and this was from my moose, Buck, he’s one of my rescues- Oh! And this one was from…”

River listened as he continued to explain, her eyes darting back and forth between his arm and his face. She watched with intrigue as he explained every scar’s story like they were their own person. Each one from a different animal, like a mark he had earned in battle. She felt her heart lift as she watched how he slowly became more and more engaged, going off in more and more detail.

Eventually he began to ramble off about some of his more noticeable scars, telling grandiose tales that River wasn’t ENTIRELY sure were true or not. But she smiled, she laughed and she cheered as she watched him talk about his encounters with bears, wolves and bison, the odd coyote here and there, and even some scars he’s earned in his boxing matches, though majority of these he seemed to earn from the great outdoors.

As he rambled on, though, River couldn’t help but notice something on his side. As his shirt lifted up, River saw a large scar that ran right along his side, from his front, just grazing his stomach, to just before his back. Her head tilted in curiosity as she looked up towards him, still rambling.

“What’s that one from?” she finally piped up. Hugger stopped and looked at her in confusion, it was then he noticed his shirt had ridden up and his face went pale. “Is it from a Bear?” she continued, ‘A moose? A Bison? Ooh! Or is it from an encounter with a giant goose-”

“No,” Hugger said sternly, adjusting his shirt as his happy demeanor quickly shifted back to a quiet and annoyed tone. River suddenly slumped, her smile drooping as she noticed his change, her face soon shifting into worry. "What…what's wron-" she tried to speak, but was quickly interrupted.

"I…don't like to talk about that one…" He explained quietly, though a bit gruff as he mumbled to himself. River's face remained worried as she watched the man turn away, trying to pull his shirt back down to cover the scar, though it was a fruitless effort as it didn't seem to sit as it did before.

River looked at him, her gaze soft and understanding. She brought a hand to his shoulder as she spoke, "Hey." Her gentle touch caused him to jolt around, his eyes still wide and panicked. He saw her gentle face, her soft gaze as she held his shoulder. "Are you okay?" She asked, her tone was low but gentle.

Hugger felt himself instinctively put his hand on top of hers and shift it so that their fingers intertwined. He brought their hands down towards his lap and sighed as he turned his body around to face her once again, his breath was shaky and his voice was weak and quiet.

"I…" He began, his eyes downturned, "I…don't like talking about it…this scar…it brings back some…ugly memories…"

"Ugly how? Was it messy?" River asked, tilting her head in curiosity, "You can tell me, I won't tell anyone if it is"

Hugger shook his head with a laugh, "No…no it's…it's not messy it just…" He paused, taking a deep breath, "...a few years back…I fell in love with this gorgeous girl from Quebec!"

River's eyes widened as she leaned in closer, listening intently. "I had had a few flings and l
Crushes before…boys and girls alike…but they never stuck…and I had always wanted to find 'The one' for me…I-I know it sounds a bit cheesy but it's true…" Hugger chuckled in embarrassment. River shook her head, "It's not cheesy…" she answered, smiling, "...I-I think it's cute…"

Hugger's cheeks flushed slightly as he cleared his throat and continued, his eyes finally meeting hers. "...I had struggled to find love but then…she came along…Rochelle…or Maple Rose I guess…I met her in the WVBA and she…" He took a deep breath and sighed, "...she was beautiful…she looked around a model, like every other snobby, stuck up girl you could imagine but she…she was so kind…a beautiful face and a beautiful heart…"

"She sounds amazing," River commented, rolling her eyes slightly at the description of the girl.

Hugger nodded, "She was…after our match together-"

"You boxed a girl?"

"The WVBA is unconventional, go figure"

"Hmm"

"Well anyways, after our first match she asked me out on a date," Hugger explained, "After a bit we became the newest couple in the WVBA, our dates made the headlines…and I kind of wish they didn't…"

River's face shifted into one of concern as she sat and shuffled forward. "How come?" She asked. Hugger inhaled before letting out a shaky sigh. "After a few months of dating, her parents rang up…saying they wanted to see me…"

River felt his grip tightening on her hand.

"I…was apprehensive, b-but she was so happy! She really wanted me to meet them…she had always wanted me to…I just just backing out…"

Hugger's gaze went back downwards, he didn't dare look River in the eye.

"When we got there, she was so giddy…she ran up to her parents…she left me to trod on behind…" his voice became shakier and shakier, "I…I waved at her dad, I-I smiled at them…and I just heard the gun being cocked…"

River's heart dropped, her eyes widened as she sat closer to Hugger, still trying to keep her leg elevated. She watched as a tear streamed from Hugger’s eye and he brought his hand to his mouth, his body trembling slightly as breathless sobs escaped him.

“...I just…I heard the shot, and then…next thing I knew all I could hear was her screaming, and her parents arguing and shouting, telling her to leave me alone…and all I could do w-was lay there…in pain…while they hurt her…'' he managed to choke out. He let a few more tears fall before he quickly wiped them away, taking a deep breath. River felt her own hand clench tighter around his, trying her best to show some form of comfort.

After a bit, Hugger had calmed down enough to continue, his eyes still downturned. “After that fiasco, I managed to have one of my friends come and get me, take me and Rochelle back home to my Dad’s place…my Brother patched me up while my sister berated Rochelle…all in all…it was terrible…”

“So what did you do?” River asked softly, her voice barely over a whisper.

Hugger sighed, “I…I knew they would try and hurt her again…I saw what they did…she makes a bad choice and they make it stick it with her…so I rung up any of her connections…got them to come and take her in while my dad sorted out the police…but after that…” he trailed off, his gaze finally turned up to look at River. His face was stained with tears and his eyes were red and tired. They showed a deep sense of sorrow and regret.

River’s heart hurt as she looked at them, her own brown eyes staring softly into his teary blue ones.

“...I had to leave her…” he finally said, his voice showing signs of breaking again, “...I-I loved her…I still do…I-I would do a-anything for her…'' he explained, “...even if that means letting her go to keep her safe…if it meant that she could be happy…she could be free…then I was happy to do that…no matter how much it broke my heart…” he spoke, his voice was low and firm. He finally straightened up, looking to his right side and holding it with one hand.

“That scar…” he began, “...to me…is a cold reminder that…someone like me…probably isn’t destined for love…”

At that, River’s eyes widened, she placed a hand on her heart in shock and sadness. Hearing someone say they weren’t destined to be in love…how could anyone think like that?

Hugger gave a weak smile, “Don’t look like that” he said, “I-I kinda figured that would be the case…I mean…I had my shot…I blew it…it just wasn’t meant to be, ya know?”

“Don’t say that!” River yelled in a hushed tone, catching Hugger off guard as she took both of his hands in hers. Her hands were smaller and much more slender than his rough and pudgy ones, but their touch was still very comforting. “You did what you did to protect her…if that isn’t love…or a sign that you were meant for it, I don’t know what is!” River whispered with a smile. Hugger felt his eyes widen as she spoke, continuing to comfort him as she cupped his face in her hand.

“You are wonderful…you are caring…adventurous…” River continued, “Are you perfect? No…but love isn’t about perfection…it isn’t just about finding ‘The one!’...Love is a journey…it has bumps and bends, curves…its rocky…but it’s the journey that tests just how far you’re willing to go when you fall in love…it never ends…there’s only a long winding road…” she explained, smiling as she leaned in and placed her head on Hugger’s, their energies connecting for the first time.

Hugger felt his heart spark a flame as he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch.

“You are not perfect…but it’s the time taken to move past the negative and see the best in you…and I can see them…” she gently parted away and lifted his head up with her finger, “...I see you…and you are just as deserving of love as anyone else…Elliot”

Hugger felt tears well up in his eyes again, but he didn’t bother to wipe them away, instead he wore a big smile as he wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug as he whispered, “Thank you…” into her ear. River was slightly taken aback but soon felt herself leaning into the hug, readjusting her legs on the couch so that she lay on top of him.

As they lay there, the rain continued to pour. Eventually, Hugger’s little sister, Nola, had ended up dropping Sophie off home from school. She was going to head back home immediately until she saw her brother and River laying together on the couch, fast asleep as still locked in a hug. While Sophie was simply giddy over her dad having a new ‘friend’ of sorts, Nola only rolled her eyes with a smile as she took Sophie to go chill in her room.

Leaving the two new friends to snuggle and rest as they rain pattered on outside

------

A drabble between my favourite couple. Bear and his partner, River! Enjoy!

Description

“So how do you like your coffee?” Hugger asked as he boiled the kettle on the stove behind him. He had two mugs already prepared, one for himself and another for the woman sitting on his couch. Her leg was hoisted up on a spare chair, with her foot clumsily bandaged around the ankle, and a towel wrapped around her to dry her from the rain that raged on outside. She hadn’t done anything severe to it, but it was still quite sore, so Hugger thought it best that she let it rest for now.

The woman brushed long strands of wet, brown hair from her face as she leaned back, comfortably onto the couch, giving a weak yawn. “Nah,” she spoke softly, “I’m not a coffee fan, got any hot chocolate?” she asked, causing Hugger to guffaw. The man quickly opened the top cupboard and pulled out a tin of cocoa, placing it on the counter, “You and I are gonna get on just fine” he chuckled, still smirking.

The woman chuckled too, as she leaned her head up to the ceiling.

“I can’t believe you built this place…uh…” the woman trailed off as she sat up and turned to look into the Kitchen. “What’s your name, again?” she asked, sheepishly. Hugger hummed with a smile as the kettle whistled behind him, he quickly grabbed the handle and lifted the kettle onto the counter, “My name’s Elliot,” he finally answered, “Most folks ‘round here call me Ellie though, or Bear-”

“Bear?” the woman asked with an amused look, a small smile crossing her face. Hugger nodded, “Yeah, it’s my stage name!” he explained as he grabbed a jug of milk from the fridge and prepared the two drinks. The woman’s face lit up, a curious and mischievous grin appeared as she leaned over the back of the couch. “Oh really?” she asked, “Are you a…performer of some kind?”

“I guess you could say that,” Hugger said, shrugging his shoulders.

The woman gave a sultry giggle before she winced in pain, turning to look back and noticing her foot was in an awkward position. She sat back in her original spot and laughed sheepishly. “So…what kind of performance do you do, Bear?” she began, “Dance? Roadshows? Are you a country singer?”

Hugger’s eyes widened and he looked over at the woman in confusion. “P-Pardon?” he asked, the woman’s smile quickly shrunk away, “You…you said you perform, right?” she said, now confused herself. Hugger took a minute before realization hit him, “Oh!” he chimed, “Oh no no no! Uh…well yeah but…I’m a sports performer…I’m a boxer!” he explained, chuckling nervously.

The woman’s eyes widened in surprise as she slowly nodded, turning back to look at the wall opposite to her. “Wow…that’s…something”, she whispered to herself. Hugger gave an embarrassed laugh as he finished mixing their drinks. What he didn’t see, however, was the slight blush on the woman’s face as she let those last words circle in her head.

He brought the two cups over to the couch, he set one down on the table beside him and handed the other to the woman as he sat himself down beside her. “You okay?” he asked, his voice slightly strained as he tried to get comfortable, “Nothing too sore? Do you want me to get some ice at all?”

The woman giggled, “No, but thank you” she took the drink from his hands and held it between her two much smaller one’s. She lifted it to her mouth and took a small sip, sighing with a smile as she felt the warm drink warm her insides. “Probably missing some Marshmallows, eh?” Hugger asked. The woman chuckled, giving a little snort. She covered her mouth in embarrassment before apologizing and continuing to giggle to herself. As he watched her, Hugger felt a small tug on his heart, one he hadn’t felt in such a long time. But he quickly brushed it aside as he cleared his throat.

“So I-I realize, I never caught your name!” he spoke up. The woman continued to sip on her hot chocolate before she looked up at the man with a smile, a chocolate mustache appearing on her upper lip. “Oh! My name’s River” she explained, “My family and I just moved here”

“Ah, I figured that, never seen ya ‘round here before” Hugger added, “Why did you move?”

“Well we’ve always been moving, trying to find a nice home to just settle down,” River explained, “Not that anywhere else hasn’t been lovely, but it’s hard finding a permanent place when you’re…well-”

Hugger bit his lip and nodded, “I think I get it,” he looked away, a little unsure of what to say next. Both sat in silence for a bit, simply enjoying their hot drinks before River spoke up again. “Did you make that?” she asked, pointing to the corner of the room.

Hugger looked upwards to see her pointing at an old carving of a tree he did. He remembered doing it a while back, when he had first adopted Sophie. It had been such a long time now that he thought about it, yet he remembered it like it was yesterday. He remembered cutting the log of the tree and the many hours he spent trying to get every intricate detail right. The splinters and cuts, the time he almost cut his finger on the blade when shaping it.

In the end, what came as a result was a gorgeous willow tree. It was far from perfect, having a wobbly trunk and a few bunched up leaves that he couldn’t manage to shape right without the whole stem breaking, but it always made him smile when he thought about it.

“Yeah…yeah I did…” he replied, “I-It was a gift I made for my daughter when she was a bubba…she loved it, used to try and play with it, would use it for her toys…” he explained with a weak smile, “She got over it eventually but she wanted to keep it incase I end up getting another kid”

“Oh yeah?” River asked, looking over at him with a curious look in her eyes. Hugger laughed and nodded, “Heh, Eeyup! She’s holding out for a baby brother or sister…I think she’s mad at me a bit for not holding me end of the deal”

River gave a fake pout, “Aw, Dad can’t find no one?” she said cheekily. Hugger gave a chuckle before his demeanor shifted and his face went a bit more in thought, “Uh…Yeah…I-I guess that’s one way to say it…” he said, a little half-heartedly. River noticed the sudden shift in tone and gave a quiet, “S-sorry” as she straightened herself up.

She then took a good look at the man beside her. As she scanned his body, she couldn’t help but notice a few light scars and scratches that lined his body. Some were quite small, like from a twig, while others seemed to be a little deeper. Though it seemed like a touchy subject, River was ever a curious soul and decided to press further. “What are all these scars from?” she asked.

Hugger looked up and at his arm, furrowing his eyebrows a little bit as he brought his arm close to himself. “Why?” he replied, looking at her in unease. River shrugged, “I don’t know, just thought they were some scars you got from the ring,” she answered, “You are a boxer, aren’t you?”

The man looked at her with a hint of annoyance but eventually he smiled and nodded, “Okay, fair enough” he said, shuffling around and lifting up the sleeve on his right arm to reveal a multitude of scars and bites that traced its surface. “W-Well this one” he began, pointing to a long scratch that ran the length of his forearm, “That’s from an encounter I had with a little fox cub, cute lil bugger ‘e was, and this was from my moose, Buck, he’s one of my rescues- Oh! And this one was from…”

River listened as he continued to explain, her eyes darting back and forth between his arm and his face. She watched with intrigue as he explained every scar’s story like they were their own person. Each one from a different animal, like a mark he had earned in battle. She felt her heart lift as she watched how he slowly became more and more engaged, going off in more and more detail.

Eventually he began to ramble off about some of his more noticeable scars, telling grandiose tales that River wasn’t ENTIRELY sure were true or not. But she smiled, she laughed and she cheered as she watched him talk about his encounters with bears, wolves and bison, the odd coyote here and there, and even some scars he’s earned in his boxing matches, though majority of these he seemed to earn from the great outdoors.

As he rambled on, though, River couldn’t help but notice something on his side. As his shirt lifted up, River saw a large scar that ran right along his side, from his front, just grazing his stomach, to just before his back. Her head tilted in curiosity as she looked up towards him, still rambling.

“What’s that one from?” she finally piped up. Hugger stopped and looked at her in confusion, it was then he noticed his shirt had ridden up and his face went pale. “Is it from a Bear?” she continued, ‘A moose? A Bison? Ooh! Or is it from an encounter with a giant goose-”

“No,” Hugger said sternly, adjusting his shirt as his happy demeanor quickly shifted back to a quiet and annoyed tone. River suddenly slumped, her smile drooping as she noticed his change, her face soon shifting into worry. "What…what's wron-" she tried to speak, but was quickly interrupted.

"I…don't like to talk about that one…" He explained quietly, though a bit gruff as he mumbled to himself. River's face remained worried as she watched the man turn away, trying to pull his shirt back down to cover the scar, though it was a fruitless effort as it didn't seem to sit as it did before.

River looked at him, her gaze soft and understanding. She brought a hand to his shoulder as she spoke, "Hey." Her gentle touch caused him to jolt around, his eyes still wide and panicked. He saw her gentle face, her soft gaze as she held his shoulder. "Are you okay?" She asked, her tone was low but gentle.

Hugger felt himself instinctively put his hand on top of hers and shift it so that their fingers intertwined. He brought their hands down towards his lap and sighed as he turned his body around to face her once again, his breath was shaky and his voice was weak and quiet.

"I…" He began, his eyes downturned, "I…don't like talking about it…this scar…it brings back some…ugly memories…"

"Ugly how? Was it messy?" River asked, tilting her head in curiosity, "You can tell me, I won't tell anyone if it is"

Hugger shook his head with a laugh, "No…no it's…it's not messy it just…" He paused, taking a deep breath, "...a few years back…I fell in love with this gorgeous girl from Quebec!"

River's eyes widened as she leaned in closer, listening intently. "I had had a few flings and l
Crushes before…boys and girls alike…but they never stuck…and I had always wanted to find 'The one' for me…I-I know it sounds a bit cheesy but it's true…" Hugger chuckled in embarrassment. River shook her head, "It's not cheesy…" she answered, smiling, "...I-I think it's cute…"

Hugger's cheeks flushed slightly as he cleared his throat and continued, his eyes finally meeting hers. "...I had struggled to find love but then…she came along…Rochelle…or Maple Rose I guess…I met her in the WVBA and she…" He took a deep breath and sighed, "...she was beautiful…she looked around a model, like every other snobby, stuck up girl you could imagine but she…she was so kind…a beautiful face and a beautiful heart…"

"She sounds amazing," River commented, rolling her eyes slightly at the description of the girl.

Hugger nodded, "She was…after our match together-"

"You boxed a girl?"

"The WVBA is unconventional, go figure"

"Hmm"

"Well anyways, after our first match she asked me out on a date," Hugger explained, "After a bit we became the newest couple in the WVBA, our dates made the headlines…and I kind of wish they didn't…"

River's face shifted into one of concern as she sat and shuffled forward. "How come?" She asked. Hugger inhaled before letting out a shaky sigh. "After a few months of dating, her parents rang up…saying they wanted to see me…"

River felt his grip tightening on her hand.

"I…was apprehensive, b-but she was so happy! She really wanted me to meet them…she had always wanted me to…I just just backing out…"

Hugger's gaze went back downwards, he didn't dare look River in the eye.

"When we got there, she was so giddy…she ran up to her parents…she left me to trod on behind…" his voice became shakier and shakier, "I…I waved at her dad, I-I smiled at them…and I just heard the gun being cocked…"

River's heart dropped, her eyes widened as she sat closer to Hugger, still trying to keep her leg elevated. She watched as a tear streamed from Hugger’s eye and he brought his hand to his mouth, his body trembling slightly as breathless sobs escaped him.

“...I just…I heard the shot, and then…next thing I knew all I could hear was her screaming, and her parents arguing and shouting, telling her to leave me alone…and all I could do w-was lay there…in pain…while they hurt her…'' he managed to choke out. He let a few more tears fall before he quickly wiped them away, taking a deep breath. River felt her own hand clench tighter around his, trying her best to show some form of comfort.

After a bit, Hugger had calmed down enough to continue, his eyes still downturned. “After that fiasco, I managed to have one of my friends come and get me, take me and Rochelle back home to my Dad’s place…my Brother patched me up while my sister berated Rochelle…all in all…it was terrible…”

“So what did you do?” River asked softly, her voice barely over a whisper.

Hugger sighed, “I…I knew they would try and hurt her again…I saw what they did…she makes a bad choice and they make it stick it with her…so I rung up any of her connections…got them to come and take her in while my dad sorted out the police…but after that…” he trailed off, his gaze finally turned up to look at River. His face was stained with tears and his eyes were red and tired. They showed a deep sense of sorrow and regret.

River’s heart hurt as she looked at them, her own brown eyes staring softly into his teary blue ones.

“...I had to leave her…” he finally said, his voice showing signs of breaking again, “...I-I loved her…I still do…I-I would do a-anything for her…'' he explained, “...even if that means letting her go to keep her safe…if it meant that she could be happy…she could be free…then I was happy to do that…no matter how much it broke my heart…” he spoke, his voice was low and firm. He finally straightened up, looking to his right side and holding it with one hand.

“That scar…” he began, “...to me…is a cold reminder that…someone like me…probably isn’t destined for love…”

At that, River’s eyes widened, she placed a hand on her heart in shock and sadness. Hearing someone say they weren’t destined to be in love…how could anyone think like that?

Hugger gave a weak smile, “Don’t look like that” he said, “I-I kinda figured that would be the case…I mean…I had my shot…I blew it…it just wasn’t meant to be, ya know?”

“Don’t say that!” River yelled in a hushed tone, catching Hugger off guard as she took both of his hands in hers. Her hands were smaller and much more slender than his rough and pudgy ones, but their touch was still very comforting. “You did what you did to protect her…if that isn’t love…or a sign that you were meant for it, I don’t know what is!” River whispered with a smile. Hugger felt his eyes widen as she spoke, continuing to comfort him as she cupped his face in her hand.

“You are wonderful…you are caring…adventurous…” River continued, “Are you perfect? No…but love isn’t about perfection…it isn’t just about finding ‘The one!’...Love is a journey…it has bumps and bends, curves…its rocky…but it’s the journey that tests just how far you’re willing to go when you fall in love…it never ends…there’s only a long winding road…” she explained, smiling as she leaned in and placed her head on Hugger’s, their energies connecting for the first time.

Hugger felt his heart spark a flame as he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch.

“You are not perfect…but it’s the time taken to move past the negative and see the best in you…and I can see them…” she gently parted away and lifted his head up with her finger, “...I see you…and you are just as deserving of love as anyone else…Elliot”

Hugger felt tears well up in his eyes again, but he didn’t bother to wipe them away, instead he wore a big smile as he wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug as he whispered, “Thank you…” into her ear. River was slightly taken aback but soon felt herself leaning into the hug, readjusting her legs on the couch so that she lay on top of him.

As they lay there, the rain continued to pour. Eventually, Hugger’s little sister, Nola, had ended up dropping Sophie off home from school. She was going to head back home immediately until she saw her brother and River laying together on the couch, fast asleep as still locked in a hug. While Sophie was simply giddy over her dad having a new ‘friend’ of sorts, Nola only rolled her eyes with a smile as she took Sophie to go chill in her room.

Leaving the two new friends to snuggle and rest as they rain pattered on outside

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A drabble between my favourite couple. Bear and his partner, River! Enjoy!