Shelly's PoV
After the incident with the mean hag and her guards, I was worried about Toren. He kept trying to leave the room, saying he had to "spy" on the hag. He said it was his mission to find proof of her evilness so that she could be defeated and I could be happy again.
He was a silly boy, always making me laugh. But, I was glad that he was moving around again. Yesterday, he wouldn't stop shaking. He wouldn't leave my side, even when he was sleeping. It was like he was afraid to let go of me.
But now, it seemed he was over that. He was back to being his normal, imaginitive self. It made me feel better. I didn't know what I would do if something happened to him. He was the only true family I had left, and I couldn't stand the thought of losing him.
"Rawr," Toren said, poking at the door yet again.
I chuckled. "Toren, give it up already."
"Me wanna go out and play!"
I sighed and glanced at Zara who was silently watching. She didn't seem to mind his antics, and she was always there to help me keep an eye on him.
"Zara, can you take us outside? Just to the gardens. I don't feel comfortable wandering around the house after yesterday."
She nodded. "Sure."
"Sis, can you ask Damien to play with us?" Toren asked as he put his dinosaur down.
I blinked. "Why do you want to play with him? He's probably busy."
He grinned. "Me like him. He fun! And, he give me toys. He my friend, too."
I chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Okay. I'll ask him to play with us."
Zara took out her phone. "Let me text him."
"That's fine. He's in his room, no? I'll juet go over and ask."
She nodded. "In that case, I will go on ahead with Sir Toren, if that's okay?"
I nodded, smiling at her. "That's more than okay. Thanks, Zara. I'll catch up in a bit."
She smiled and took Toren's hand, leading him outside. He was grinning and hopping, looking excited. He was always a bundle of energy.
I walked over to Damien's room next door and knocked, but there was no answer. I opened the door and peeked inside, seeing his room was a mess with books, clothes, and other stuff strewn about. Did a granade go off in here or something?
I walked in, looking for him. I saw a laptop and some notebooks on his bed. Was he busy on a project? What even did Damien do? Was he a ceo or something?
I sighed and knelt down to pick up his clothes. That guy was so messy. Even his hair was a mess.
"Ugh, why can't you just clean up after yourself?" I groaned, folding the clothes. I was about to pick up another shirt when I noticed a notebook on the floor.
"What's this?" I asked, picking it up. "His diary?"
I flipped through the pages and saw it was more of a science journal. It had facts about dinosaurs, their diet, biology, and so many other facts. It also had theories about how they could be brought back and what their behavior would be. Was Damien a scientist?
I closed it and placed it on his nightstand, along with the others. I continued to pick up his clothes, and I heard a door open. My face reddened as a shirtless Damien appeared. His hair was wet as if he had just stepped out of the shower. His chest was toned and his body was lean. His baggy shirts made him look thinner than he really was. The only hint that he was muscular were his biceps whenever he wore short sleeves.
I gulped. "Uh, hi?"
He smiled at me. "Oh, Shelly, I didn't hear you. Did you need something? I just got out of the shower."
"Um, yeah, I just... I was just wondering if you could play with Toren and me for a bit. We're going out into the gardens."
He chuckled. "You don't even have to ask. I would love to join you. Give me a few minutes to get dressed."
I nodded. "Uh, yeah, of course." I was trying not to stare at his chest.
He chuckled and went to his closet, rummaging through it. "You sure love to clean, don't you? You're always picking up after Toren and now me."
I sighed. "Well, Toren is still a kid, and you're a slob."
"Hey, I'm not that bad," he said. "Also, why are you still here? Thought you were a maiden that would blush at the sight of a shirtless guy."
My face reddened. "Sh-shut up. I'm just distracted by how messy this place is."
He chuckled as it sounded like he was putting on a t-shirt. "Whatever you say."
I huffed. "Stop teasing me, or else I'm gonna punch you."
He laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll stop."
I sighed and glanced at his laptop and the notebooks. "So, what do you even do? Do you work for one of the family's companies or are you a scientist? Are those your diaries?"
He chuckled. "While I do help from time to time, I'm a primarily artist. Open some of those notebooks and you'll find sketches."
"Oh, really?" I said as I opened one of them, seeing drawings and sketches of dinosaurs, people, and the city. He was very good. He had an eye for detail.
"You're really talented, Damien," I said, smiling.
"Thanks. Art has always been a passion of mine," he said. He appeared behind me, wearing a black shirt with a flower print and black shorts. "Those are my personal sketches. I also do commissions sometimes, but mostly to help out a charity. But, I'm not really into selling my work. It's a hobby more than a job."
I nodded. "That's a nice hobby. So, why the books and facts on dinosaurs then?"
"I'm an amateur paleontologist. Plus, dinosaurs are cool! Rawr!"
I chuckled. "You sound just like Toren."
He laughed. "We have the same energy, I suppose. Anyways, shall we go? I'm sure he's waiting for us."
I nodded and put the notebooks down. "Yeah, let's go."