The Mending of Time [M] [Goblin]

[Juno]

Aren furrowed his brow in concern, puzzled as to why the elf would say he hadn't scared him when he'd reacted so violently to being "caught" doing whatever it was he'd been doing. To his question, though, he nodded even though he was still distracted trying to work out what all of that had been.

"Yeah, it was good," he answered casually, too anxious about frightening him to mention it had actually been the best sleep he'd gotten in years.

Deciding it would do him no good to be anything but direct with Ocarern, Aren slowly scooted closer to where the elf had perched himself. Reaching out he gently settled a hand to his knee and carefully stroked his fingers against his thigh, unsure how he would ever earn his trust again. His features softened slightly but still retained a hint of the concern choking his heart. "Thank you," he spoke softly, staring at him to try to meet his eyes. "For staying. And not leaving."

[GoblinFae]

The elf nodded distractedly at Arensaenger's answer. His eyes were more focused though on the human's movements that brought him closer to his own being. Ocarern shivered at the gentle touch, doing his best to not flinch away even as the muscles in his thigh tensed as hard as stone in response. He swallowed thickly, his ears in constant movement as he tried to calm his racing heart.

"Do I leave now? It is day now. I can go. I won't fuss," he murmured sullenly, with a glance to the rays of sunlight that bled warmly into the room.

[Juno]

It was easy to feel how tense he was, to see how anxiously he twitched. It hurt his heart to see, to know he wasn't the calming presence he so desperately wished to be. At Ocarern's words, though, it was all he could do not to tear up.

"...What?" he choked out, his hand tightening involuntarily against the elf's leg. "No... No, Oca. I don't want- Please don't leave."

Aren bit at his lip nervously, unsure how he could convince him. It seemed obvious enough his confessions and pleading had had no effect on him so far. What could he possibly say to change his mind now?

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Oca. You- You're free to leave whenever you like, or come and go if you'd prefer, but... I'm not kicking you out, not sending you away," he tried to explain, smiling sadly and dropping his eyes away from him in shame. He knew he had no right to ask him to stay.

"I would be very happy if you can bring yourself to stick around more. Or...maybe come back home," he offered, rubbing gently at his knee but not knowing how he might possibly soothe the sensitive elf.

[GoblinFae]

Ocarern hissed softly at the tightening around his thigh. The feeling reminded him too much of another man's hand caging him in place to be a canvas to a bloody brush. His breathing was ragged as he struggled to remain still and in place. "Home?" he questioned, wide-eyed and breathless as if the word was foreign and unheard of to him.

The elf placed his hand atop of Arensaenger's to cease his movements which he found distracting but not to remove it. "Home?" he repeated, his voice cracking like an adolescent's. "I...," Ocarern trailed off feeling gutted. He certainly desired to return but he did not know how to say such things. The other man's words that he could stay still felt tentative as if the elf was standing on the edge of a knife.

"Why?"

[Juno]

It hurt to see him so bothered, so exposed and sensitive. Aren stilled his hand immediately when he felt Ocarern's upon him, looking up at his face to study the odd mix of emotions there that he couldn't quite put words to. Why did the concept of home seem so unusual? Had he never considered the inn home? Or the town for that matter?

Aren swallowed nervously, humming quietly in acknowledgement of his question. "Because... Because I thought this was your home," he offered, blushing some and trying to stay calm. No matter what the elf's choices now Aren would never be able to forget how much time they'd spent together in the inn, how he used to take for granted how close his dear friend was.

"And we missed you. I missed you," he added quietly, the blush darkening his skin considerably as he contended with his thoughts before whispering, "I'd...really like it if you could be part of the family again."

[GoblinFae]

The elf drooped as if he was nothing more than a spineless plant wilting in a cruel and barren desert wasteland. His ears nearly doubled in half over themselves with his sadness as his chin rested on his chest and his shoulders slumped weakly forward. It was true that once the town and inn had been a home to him but he had not considered for even a second after his banishment that it would ever be his home once more. Ocarern still had yet to come to terms with the fact that his friend really and truly did wish for his continued and hopefully permenant stay now that he had returned.

"Family?" He croaked brokenly, unable to believe his ears. "I was family?" He asked again. "I...can be...family?" The elf could not believe it to be true. After all the suffering he had caused, after all the suffering he had endured, it could not be possible that Arensaenger would not only want him back but wish him to be family on top of it. Once long ago they had been friends filled with laughter and song but when the music does what then had become of them? Their hearts had scattered like ash in the wind and in Ocarern's eyes it seemed impossible for them to be recollected and made whole once again. It simply was not done.

[Juno]

"You were," Aren insisted, swallowing painfully against the lump rising in his throat. It hurt so much to see him that way. He hadn't realized his offer would make him sad. Truthfully he had no idea why it had made him sad but he knew he wanted, and needed, to fix it.

"And still are. To us. And...me." Aren sat up slowly, not wanting to startle Oca with any sudden movements. It upset him to see the elf as he was: so sad, so broken.

"If you want to be. There's always a place for you here," he insisted, carefully raising his hands to set on Oca's shoulders but too afraid of startling him to go in for a proper hug.

"I was wrong and stupid and stubborn before. I'm sorry," he whispered.

[GoblinFae]

"No you weren't," Ocarern choked out before collapsing forward against Arensaneger's chest. He clung fiercely then to his friend as hot tears spilled out against his cheeks. "You were right. I was the wrong elf. So stupid. Always so stupid. Had family and I hurts them. Didn't deserve you. Still don't deserve family. It's all my fault!" He wheezed, shaking with the force of his putter of sobs. "Aren's too kind to liars and thieves and murderers. Don't deserve. Don't belong," he cried shaking his head from side to side even as he clung with so firmly that he would have to be forcibly removed from the human with a great deal of effort and strength. The elf was a selfish creature though. He know he should not remain and yet he could not bear to let go, not then and not ever after.

[Juno]

Aren held his breath, his own tears threatening to spill to see and hear the smaller man so upset over all of it. He tried to stay strong and just listen, his arms hugging him close and not willing to let go either.

Everything seemed so wrong, though, hearing Ocarern blame himself over and over. It hurt.

"You belong here," Aren insisted firmly, shaking his head and tightening his hold on him. He wasn't sure how he was going to convince him, but it was his mission to do so. "You're part of our family, Oca. My family," he told him stubbornly, afraid that anything less would cause the elf to flee even though Aren was being entirely sincere.

"The past is the past," he whispered, hoping he could get him to look past all of it. "I did bad things, but I want to be different now."

[GoblinFae]

The petite elf whimpered in pain at being held so close yet did nothing to recoil from the embrace he so desperately needed. "You didn't do anything wrong. Not bad," Ocarern insisted weakly. "Don't change," he continued to plead fearfully.  "No change. No change. No change."

He clung fiercely to Arensaenger as if afraid he would suddenly be cast aside or wake up from a dream to discover he was once more returned to his living nightmare. It would not be the first time after all. "Don't want to wake up," the elf whispered against the human's chest as he gripped the other man close enough to possibly begin to hurt. "Need my Aren."

[Juno]

The elf confused him and he truly didn't understand why he wouldn't want him to change. Things could only get better, right?

"I'm here," Aren murmured, not understanding why his friend would ever think he was talking to him in some dream. "You're awake now. You're here. With me." Even though the smaller man held him with a crushing ferocity Aren didn't let go. He couldn't, or rather wouldn't have even wanted to despite the slight sting of his surprising strength to keep clinging to him as he was.

"It's alright," he whispered, shushing him gently and rubbing his hands along his back just hoping it might be enough to start calming him down. "You're here. I've got you."

[GoblinFae]

Slowly, Ocarern's grip relaxed and his heavy sobs gentled in a few sniffles. He felt safe in Arensaenger's arms, a feeling he had not experienced since he had let the tavern he had learned to call home. It was his dear friend's soothing heartbeat and warmth though that made him realize that he was indeed awake and where he so desperately had dreamed and prayed to be since the moment he had ended up in that cruel monstrosity's clutches.

The elf burrowed his head snugly against the younger man's chest as he curled up more comfortably in his lap. He did not know how long it would be before even this simple pleasure would be rejected but he was going to try and enjoy it as long as he was permitted to.

However, the calmer he became, the more Ocarern began to realize something else. His back and torso felt not only sorer than it had when he had awoken but also rather sticky and wet. The more he focused on it the more he began to notice the fiery pain his dulled senses had been ignoring in his emotional state. The elf moaned softly as hs struggled to adjust himself, praying that Arensaenger had not yet noticed and would be content to simply hold him for the moment.

[Juno]

It was difficult for him to watch but the innkeeper remained calm out of necessity. If he was not strong for Ocarern in such a vulnerable state who would be? He certainly didn't want it to be anyone else. Aren wanted to be the one the elf could come to with such troubles and distress, to serve as his sanctuary if that was even possible after the way he'd pushed him away in times past.

As he calmed, so did Aren. His grip relaxed slightly but he still held him close, lowering one arm to hook around his waist as he sat back more comfortably with him supported on his lap. The other remained to stroke gently along the smaller man's shoulders.

For a moment he thought he felt the wetness of tears, though why it was on his back confused him. Aren's brow furrowed and he tilted his head to stare at the small elf with narrowed eyes of concern as his stressed mind slowly put the pieces together. "Oca... You have something here," he murmured gently, stopping his stroking to lay his palm flat against him. The dampness upon his shirt wasn't chill as he would expect from tears, though, and was actually alarmingly warm to the touch.

"What did you get into?" he tsked playfully, pulling his hand away to rub his fingers together, trying to figure out what the elf might have been doing while he was asleep. It took him a couple moments for the weight of the reality to sink in. Hand stained a pinkish red already and a thin film of the stuff sticking to him Aren froze to just stare in disbelief before looking to Ocarern, silent and wide-eyed for whatever excuse or explanation he might offer. All the while he kept an arm firmly clutched to his waist try and deter him from running.

[GoblinFae]

The elf's brow furrowed in confusion as Arensaneger questioned and teased him. His own confusion rapidly turned to shock and frozen terror as he came to understand the concern and horror reflected in his friend's face. The other man's arm tightened around him but a second too soon for Ocarern to make his escape though he tried to all the same.

His efforts caused him to whine quietly in pain even as he struggled to back away from Arebsaenger and simultaneously hide his back from sight. "Didn't get into nothing. Nothing there!" He hurriedly insisted as if such words could take back the sight of his blood staining his friend's hand red could be so easily forgotten. "I have to uh use the uh toilet!" He fumbled to say before crying out the last word in a stroke of "brilliance" to get the human to release him.

[Juno]

Numb in disbelief and wondering if he was dreaming Aren could do nothing else but fiercely cling to the elf, suddenly terrified of losing him again if he so much as let him get up.

"Oca," he pleaded softly, hurt that he seemed to be trying to evade him and the uncomfortable truth that Aren already knew.

"You're hurt," he stated firmly, unwilling to accept anything else as an excuse. "We should dress your wounds properly."

[GoblinFae]

"I'm fine!" the elf squealed still trying to wiggle his way out of Arensaenger's grasp. He even attempted to huddle himself inward and back out from the bottom of his friend's embrace in a last ditch effort to escape. "It's just a scratch," Ocarern admitted, hoping that would be enough to dissuade the other man from pursuing it further. "I'm fine. It's fine. Just leave it." Unable to keep up his struggles though, the elf could do nothing more than pant in exhaustion as he slumped further into the human's lap. "No touchy," he weakly declared, wincing as the fire in his back made a sudden reappearance now that he was still and not frantically flailing.

[Juno]

Aren narrowed his eyes at the admission of there being a “scratch”, even if that was all that it was.

He held fast against the small elf’s struggling, though it tore at his heart to hear his exhausted plea to be released.

“Let me see it,” he insisted quietly, choosing to ignore the elf’s demand for the moment as he reached for the hem of his shirt. “I won’t touch, but… Even a scratch could get infected if we don’t clean it and treat it.” Aren sighed heavily, somehow feeling like his voice carried no weight with his warning.

[GoblinFae]

Ocarern was too worn out to fight him. He simply sulked there, fighting to catch his breath and bear the pain lacing through his veins. It took all of his effort not to cry from it all but it was not the first time he had felt such fire. He had learned well at the monster's side how to be the perfect little doll. "Don't want you to see," he whined, hoping that would be enough to keep Arensaenger from seeing how pathetic the elf truly was.

[Juno]

The logical part of him was concerned, confused as to why he wouldn't want him to even see an injury. They were such old friends in his mind, was it really so disturbing for him to show concern?

It made Aren's heart sink a little just thinking about the elf being unable to find it in himself to trust him to care for him. With something so "small" Aren imagined, too, knowing the elf to be quite the enthusiastic dramatic.

Gently lifting the fabric away, though, Aren almost dropped it again immediately in shock.

Streaks of red marred the elf's skin, even on what little he could see of him along his sides. Blood seemed to still weep from his wounds and Aren winced and grit his teeth against the sight of it.

He was disgusted and confused, his mind working hard but unable to work out how such injuries could have happened to him, to his poor Oca.

"Let me see," he repeated harshly, wincing at the angry growl he was unable to keep from his voice. Pulling the elf's shirt free entirely Aren was quick to stand and hoist him up along with him. Glowering in his concern he nudged insistently at Ocarern, trying to get him to turn so he could view him fully.

[GoblinFae]

The elf whined and became sudden dead weight in Arensaneger's arms when the other man attempted to move him. "No look! No see!" he pleaded now without his tunic to hide his shame from view. Ocarern wriggled limply to try and pull away from the human but knew there was not much else he could do to avoid the disgust he expected to see come rolling off his friend in sickly yellow-green waves.

His back was a haphazard conglomeration of bloody hack marks from his former master using him like a fresh canvas to his iron paintbrush. From neck to buttocks he was slashed and scarred on nearly every expanse of pale flesh until all that remained was red upon sticky red. The iron of the blade had ensured that his healing would be slow to non-existent so that even severe wounds such as his own had next to no hope of healing properly. Some had even become infected from his inability to care for them properly while others still were deep enough to showcase hints of stark white bone.

"Please," he whispered pathetically, hoping that it would be enough to keep his friend from casting him aside at the sight of his greatest mark of disgrace.