Dmitry had expected that maybe, just maybe, after he completed his freshling years at the Academy that they would return to Above and he’d be able to grow up among his friends and extended family like any normal Fey. He was sorely mistaken, though. His family had no intention of returning to Above- in fact, they were having a jolly good time down in Below and were surprised to hear that he wanted to go back so badly.
Talking at length about just how homesick he was was not exactly how he had planned to spend his Saturday morning, but… admittedly, he felt better. A small weight had been lifted off of his shoulders- though the weight of remaining in such a dark and - by comparison cold - place was not exactly going anywhere. In time, they insisted, he would be okay.
To help, they got him his own computer to talk to his friends online with- and it did help. Being able to speak to them through some medium in an instantaneous way was almost like having them be present. It wasn’t a complete fix, after all they couldn’t do anything physical that they used to do- like hugging or holding hands.. But it was a start.
One of his friends had even said they were going to come visit! His parents had reached out to theirs and offered to let them come stay with his family for a while. Dmitry had been internalizing all of these feelings- the loneliness, the nagging feeling of being out of place… He wasn’t sure what he had thought opening up would do. Was he afraid they would be mad? Probably. But looking back on it- it was a foolish fear. His parents loved him unconditionally, he knew that- and now that he had opened up, he was getting the help he needed to grapple with his feelings.
Perhaps opening up more often would be a good idea in the future.
