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Another usual day at Oletus Manor, the place irradiated energy: survivors cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, even just chatting or loafing. Everything was the same as always, except for the lack of a certain snake charmer whose reptilian companions tended to scare the rest off.
Nagai's door had been shut since several days ago. Nobody knew what happened to him, but when they tried to ask his partner, the acrobat, he always got uncomfortable and fled the scene at first chance. Most of them have tried asking Nagai themselves, but he never answered the door. It was like nobody was inside.
But there was.
Nagai was slowly rotting on his bed. He couldn't pinpoint when was the last time he got out of it, let alone ate something. His throat was dry and although the itch was unbelievable, it was nothing compared to how much everything else hurt.
The boy clutched the dirty sheets, staring at the ceiling, gasping, trying to prevent the memory from coming once more to his mind.
Those past days had been the same. That night replayed in his mind like a broken record. Again and again, Nagai would find himself remembering even if the only thing he wanted to do was forget. He just couldn't. The memory would come in full force every time he closed his eyes and it'd linger for hours after, taunting him and reminding him of his misery.
Nagai pressed his tear-dried face to the dirty pillow, groaning. His head throbbed, and apparently, that was enough for the memory to come back once more. He slowly opened his tired eyes again, the starry night above being ignored in favor of noticing the ache in his body, especially his legs. They were cramping and the skin of his thighs burned as if it had been ripped apart.
Nagai tried moving to no avail, as he fought to not blackout again. His eyelids were heavy and his vision was kind of blurry. He quickly realized he was on the ground, naked, but alone.
What was the last thing….?
Ah, right, Ithaqua.
The hunter was nowhere in immediate sight: no predator hovering over his marred body, no knot in him, either. Just the sticky feeling of cum dripping out of his cunt, and the pungent smell of blood Nagai could only guess was his own.
A sudden movement caught his eye and, as disoriented as he was, he managed to weakly tilt his head in that direction.
Instantly he regretted doing so, as he saw his worst nightmare incarnate.
No…
It couldn't be!
Just a few feet away from him, Mike, his best friend and the boy he loved, was tussling with Ithaqua.
Why was Mike there?!
He was never supposed to find out! He could never know-!
Nagai felt like he couldn't breathe when Mike's desperate, almost crazed gaze found his own, filled with tears.
Nagai opened his mouth when he barely heard Mike calling out to him, but only came out a sob. Taking advantage of Mike's distraction, Ithaqua violently swung at him, badly scratching his cheek.
Nagai now screamed, potent and broken, drowning out any other sound. He saw Ithaqua ready to attack again and Mike stumbling back, covering his bloody cheek as he cried and grunted. Panic set in, coursing through Nagai's veins like a paralyzing venom. He knew he had to move. He needed to do something. Mike—
"Ithaqua!" A new sob ripped through Nagai's lips when he tried to move, which only caused him to cry out in pain. "Please, don't!" He called, but it fell on deaf ears. "No! Please leave him alone— please!" he begged like he always did. It was like second nature at this point.
But he still didn't learn that it did nothing.
"Don't bother, sweet thing," Ithaqua purred to Nagai, still looking at Mike. "This is my chance to finally put this sucker in his place."
Thankfully though, even if Nagai couldn't stand the thought of more people finding out his terrible secret– more people seeing him like this, Naib suddenly arrived to the scene before Ithaqua could pounce on Mike again. The presence of another survivor seemed to make Ithaqua's bloodlust water down, replacing it with caution, but that only lasted for a second before his mouth curled in a terrifying smirk.
For a man as serious and stoic as the mercenary, his face sure was giving away how utterly horrified he was when he took in the whole scene.
"Better take your little friend with you before I do something nasty," Ithaqua suggested with a friendly tone that sent shivers down everyone's spines. Naib looked stunned for a second, before he curtly nodded and made a move towards Nagai, but Ithaqua blocked his path, still smiling. "Not that one," he warned as his voice became sharper than before.
Naib, unlike Mike, accepted this quickly and turned to the blonde. He gulped before speaking, trying to find the strength to go through this. His body felt rigid.
"Mike, let's go," Naib said in a clipped voice.
"What?" Mike asked astonished, not believing his teammate. "No! We- We can't! Nagai-" Mike blurted out and then winced when his mouth movements stretched ever so slightly his cut skin.
He made a move towards Nagai, which was noticed by everyone, but before he could get close and get bloodied up by Ithaqua, Naib grabbed him by the arm tightly.
"I. Said. We're. Going." Naib scolded and started pulling the blonde away from the scene.
Nagai saw the mercenary turning his head back to him for a brief moment, and in his eyes, he could only find sorrow.
Sorrowful was one way to describe his life lately, yes. It felt adequate. At least one thing had to feel that way, really, because everything else felt incredibly wrong, and it was all his fault. No one else's but his. He hurt Mike. He lied to Mike, and he practically cheated on him, even if they were just friends. Huh, well, now they were nothing. There was absolutely no way they would be something after everything that happened.
Nagai didn't deserve Mike, nor any other sweet soul that life put in his way, like most of the other survivors. He didn't deserve any mercy or any crumbles of love and affection anyone could give him. Not when he caused all of this. He was rotten, disgusting inside and out.
That's why it was better if he stayed inside his room for the rest of eternity. No one would have to be subjected to his hideous presence anymore. Not like he had it in himself to try and repair everything, anyway. He was already broken beyond repair, and even then, Ithaqua had made sure to break him more, in every possible way. At least, now that he was confined to his misery cell, he would never have to see Ithaqua again.
Still, he couldn't even be happy about that. He could only feel bitterness swallow him whole. His life was just… ruined. Nothing mattered anymore. Eating was too much of a hassle, as it was getting up from bed to do literally anything. He had even missed several matches and therefore, points, but he just couldn't be bothered to leave his room. The sole idea made him panic, too. He couldn't face anyone. He couldn't risk Mike seeing him.
However, Mike didn't seem to get the hint.
Nagai hoped for the day when the blonde would realize he was not worth all this mess, and would finally leave the snake charmer to rot with his guilt and self-hatred. Nagai wouldn't blame him, really. Still, like clockwork, Mike would come several times a day to knock on his door and beg to be let in, sometimes alone, most of the time accompanied by someone else, generally Naib— kinda funny to Nagai, because he and Naib weren't close before and he didn't think the mercenary would be the kind of guy to feel guilt for others' miseries. Anyways, Mike would also bring food most of the time, but no matter what it was, the smell and the idea of eating it made Nagai nauseous.
Just as if Nagai had invoked the duo with his thoughts, a knock was heard on the door. Nagai couldn't help but wince.
"Hey, buddy," The soft voice of Mike reached his ears. "How are you today? Oh no, wait, dumb question. Uh… Naib and I brought you some food, again. Today’s lunch was Eli's tasty potato soup. I also boiled some eggs, just for you. Don't you wanna take a bite? Even a small one…?" Mike was as sweet as always, but instead of making Nagai smile or even a bit happy, it only caused him to silently sob and wish to be left alone.
He wasn't worth the time and effort. He hated worrying them because he didn't deserve to be cared for. He curled up on himself, not caring how much everything hurt, and let his tears fall freely to his bed.
He covered his ears to try and muffle the soft conversation between Mike and Naib because they never strayed from talking about how much they missed him and how they wanted to help, but they didn't know how to. Nagai didn't have the energy to listen to them today. He couldn't understand why would they even want that. The reason he was isolating himself was to free them from having to carry a burden like him. He couldn't face them and make them deal with the irreparable mess that he was. He wouldn't be that selfish.
But that didn't seem to matter because, as always, the guys stayed in front of his door for a good while. Nagai couldn't tell how many minutes or even hours, because time didn't feel real most of the time. He didn't even feel real sometimes, but the constant suffering kindly reminded him that he was. He kind of wished he wasn't, though.
The murmurs against his door started feeling like a lullaby eventually, and he was eternally exhausted, so his eyes started closing against his will— but he opened them again instantly when he heard a strong, but somehow dull sound resonating against the floor and walls. Then another, and another right after.
It was a sharp step that almost sounded like someone was breaking the floor tiles, and it was approaching quickly. Nagai looked at his door, suddenly very awake and wary.
For a second, Mike and Naib got quiet and then the footsteps stopped right in front of his door. Nagai felt compelled to at least sit up on his bed. The moment he did, he immediately felt dizzy.
"What's he doing here!?" He heard Mike snap, and the shadows under his door moved quickly. "There's no way I'm letting you go inside! Go away!"
A gasp, a thud, and then silence.
Nagai frowned, now worried, and for the first time in what was probably weeks, he felt the need to go outside. However, there was no time for him to even think of getting up when an axe cut through his door, right in the middle.
Nagai took in a sharp breath full of panic and then his door took another hit. He knew that godforsaken axe. He's seen it so many times before, from far away and even up close, sometimes even tipped right under his chin.
There was no way. No way, no way, no way—
It took a mere three seconds before the door crumbled with a last, potent hit. On the other side, Ithaqua stood, towering over Naib and Mike, who looked downright terrified and concerned.
Nagai didn't have the time to be horrified at that obvious big scar on Mike's face when he started trembling at the hunter's sight. This was too much. He could throw up at any moment. He didn't want this. He didn't need this. Ithaqua would feast on his deplorable state. And in front of Mike, again—
Suddenly, though, the axe was dropped on the floor, the unexpected action making Nagai involuntarily look up, at Ithaqua's face. He looked… worried…?
What…?
Ithaqua took swift steps to his bed and there he kneeled to look up at Nagai, his haunting eyes filled with anxiety as they scanned through his body. He raised a hand and Nagai flinched at the sudden movement, only to be met with soft caresses to his cheek. Even with so much gentleness, Ithaqua managed to make him freeze in horror.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" The hunter murmured, lovingly, and his long fingers started carding through Nagai's messy hair, trying to get it out of his face to take a better look. Nagai closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath that caught his predator's attention. "I heard from Memory and Robbie that everyone was worried for you, and that you've been losing several points due not attending your matches, is that true? Are you sick, my love?"
Nagai opened his eyes and frowned. Sure, he was sick. Sick of everything. Sick of everyone, especially Ithaqua. He wanted it all to end. There was nothing left of him that was salvageable, and all because of Ithaqua. He hated him so much and yet, when the hunter was near him, he was rendered completely useless out of pure fear, already programmed to stay still with just one glare from the Night Watch.
A hand grabbed his cheeks firmly but not enough to hurt, and Ithaqua turned his head to look him in the eyes.
"Darling, look at you… I knew it, you're sick," Ithaqua whispered. "Come on, I'll take you with me. I'll take care of you."
Ithaqua made a move to grab him, but Nagai backed away with what was left of his strength when he suddenly remembered they were being watched. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mike observing the scene with what looked like a heartbroken gaze. No. Mike couldn't see Nagai submitting himself so easily. He would get the wrong idea if he let himself be taken away; he would think that Nagai wanted this, and probably that he had wanted what happened to him on that unfortunate night. What if Mike even thought that Nagai had begged for it?
He had to fight. For Mike, he had to try.
Ithaqua scowled when he saw the way Nagai shimmied away from his hold repeatedly, his slim frame shaking as he moved sluggishly. He couldn't help but get stressed. His precious little thing was being difficult and he only wanted to help. He tried reaching for Nagai again and earned himself a weak slap on the wrist and a scratch on his pale skin that he barely felt.
At that instant, both seemed to realize what Nagai had done, and it was obvious on his scrunched-up face that he was scared of the outcome.
"I-I'm sorry!" apologizing was his first instinct, his voice small, almost a breath.
"I'm getting tired of this game of yours, darling." Was Ithaqua's response.
A scream left the survivor's lips when the hunter grabbed him by the wrists and pulled him off the bed and into his arms, with that brute force that he loved to use to make him submit. Instantly, Nagai went rigid. He knew there was no escaping from Ithaqua's hold no matter how much he tried, so it wasn't even worth it to tire himself out trying when he barely had the energy to stay alert.
"There, there. Much better, isn't it?" Ithaqua smiled, pleased.
Making sure Nagai was comfortably resting on his arms, the hunter started walking out of the room, only for his path to get blocked by two familiar faces. Ithaqua frowned again.
"I cannot believe you call yourselves 'his friends' while trying to prevent him from getting help. I'm only here to help him, as it seems you haven't been capable of that." Ithaqua scoffed and rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter, I know you are all human waste. I, myself, will make sure Nagai gets better. Now, move."
After manhandling the weak thing in his arms to free one of his hands, he grabbed his axe still lying on the floor, and raised it enough to make a warning.
The survivors, though a bit scared, maintained their posture.
"You’re not taking him anywhere! Let him go!" Mike demanded, scowling.
Ithaqua sighed, thinking they couldn't be that idiotic and that he would have to get nasty. He then lifted the axe even more, aiming at their heads as if we were really gonna hit, and immediately they flinched away, clearly affected. Ithaqua didn't want to waste more time there, so he reserved his comments to himself and started rapidly walking, out of the room and through the mansion to finally tend to his beautiful princess. He would make sure Nagai was safe and sound. He wouldn't let him out of his sight from now on.
Thanks to the commotion he caused, almost all of the survivors were peeking their heads from almost every room he walked by. Ithaqua didn't really care about that, but he couldn't help but squeeze Nagai against his chest, feeling rather overprotective. His sweet thing let out a whimper and that made Ithaqua loosen his grip enough and falter in his steps to look at him.
"I'm sorry, love," he murmured, lowering his head to give Nagai a soft headbutt, in an attempt at comfort. He then went down the stairs and towards the large doors that led out of the survivors' part of the Oletus manor. "I'm just so worried, but you'll get better, I promise."
The moment they walked out the doors and into a very lonely hallway, Nagai felt the last ounce of resolve leave his body. He was under Ithaqua's complete control now. He had starved himself enough to be practically a ragdoll: easy to grab and manipulate at anyone's will but his own.
He was screwed, even more than before.
They entered the other half of the mansion after walking through similar big doors, and Nagai had half a mind to be curious and look at his surroundings. He didn't get to see much, because a child with half his body completely covered in a burlap sack came running towards them, catching his and Ithaqua's attention. It was the axe boy.
"Big brother! Big brother! I did as you told me!" He exclaimed proudly, puffing out his little chest as he stopped in front of the pair. Ithaqua smiled at this.
"Great job, Robbie! So is she already there?"
Nagai frowned, confused at the interaction but kept quiet, silently hoping to be left to die… if that was even possible.
Robbie's posture deflated and his head tilted to the side with what felt like disappointment.
"Not yet… It was hard to convince her, but Memory heard us and she volunteered to accompany her here! It was a relief!" The little boy sighed loudly and extended his arms to his sides, dramatically, as kids tended to be. "They'll be here soon, I think."
Ithaqua chuckled a little and nodded. It was obvious it would be difficult to convince any survivor to come to the hunters' side. Ithaqua didn't understand that non-written rule, but it was there.
"Good, thank you, Robbie." Turning his head to Nagai, Ithaqua's smile became softer, and bumped their foreheads again. "Hear that, baby? The doctor will be here soon and you'll be good as new."
Nagai only looked to the side, bitter but resigned. Why did Ithaqua want him to get better? Did he want to make sure his little toy was still strong enough to play with? Because if that was the case, Nagai's only way out of this– of him, was to keep starving himself.
It wouldn’t even be that complicated. He had done it before.
After watching the little boy run off to who knows where, Ithaqua started walking towards his room, which only took him a couple of minutes. He opened the door and Nagai realized that the chambers looked basically the same for both sides of the manor. Ithaqua had the same things in his room that Nagai had, although differently placed.
From what he could see, the closet was where the door was supposed to be in his own room, and vice versa. Other than that, it looked mostly identical, with the desk beside the bed and the door for the bathroom at the foot of it.
Nagai was delicately placed on said bed and Ithaqua took the chair near it to sit down and stare at him with overwhelming intensity. The sudden urge to throw up made Nagai look down at his lap and start breathing heavily. He could cry. He wanted to. He felt incredibly nauseous. He just couldn't believe this was happening. Why him? Was his life cursed because of something he did?
Said curse moved his chair after a couple of seconds to get closer to the bed, and started caressing and petting him everywhere he could. Cooing at him as if he were a child that needed comfort. He just needed to puke. His sickly face contorted to one of displeasure when Ithaqua asked if he wanted some food, and that was enough for the hunter to get the hint.
After what felt like hours of being coddled, Nagai heard a soft knock on the door. Ithaqua's wolf-like ears perked up at that and, immediately, stopped caressing him to stand up and open the door. Nagai silently sighed in appreciation to be left alone for at least one second.
Behind the door, a sweet blonde girl and a serious, delicate woman dressed in white and blue were standing hand in hand. Memory, the little girl, and Emily Dyer, the doctor. A small relief washed over Nagai when he saw familiar faces. The small girl took a few steps into the room, curious, and gasped with happiness when she saw him.
"Snake brother! Hi!" She quickly waved her hand to Nagai, which he imitated with sluggish movements. She then turned to the doctor. "See? It wasn't that bad!" Memory told Emily with both hands on her hips, then grabbed the woman by her white scrubs and pulled her into the room a couple of steps. "I'll go wait outside! Now look after Nagai, please!"
She flashed a smile towards Ithaqua and he ruffled her golden locks, which made her laugh.
"Thank you, beautiful. Hopefully, it won't take long so you don't get bored," he assured to which he received a firm nod, followed by quick little footsteps. He closed the door and looked at Emily. "Doctor, thank you for coming. Please, let yourself be comfortable."
Emily curtly nodded at him, cautious to keep her distance, but the moment her eyes landed on Nagai's poor figure, her gaze softened and a small smile appeared on her face, almost pitying, but he didn't dare dwell on that.
"I was starting to think you'd never ask me to check on you. Well, you technically didn't, your boyfriend did" Nagai grimaced at that. "Still, don't worry. You'll get better in no time, Nagai." She whispered as she got close to the bed. She put her medical bag at the edge of the bed and opened it to start taking out things.
He looked at her, tired, and briefly wondered if she had understood with that single glance that he didn't want to get better because there was nothing actually wrong with him physically, but mentally and emotionally. All thanks to the hunter who was slightly hovering over them, pacing worriedly while she started checking Nagai.
First, his heart, then his lungs, then his stomach. She checked his pulse and even took some of his blood, which she put in several different small tests that she left to the side. With every little thing she did, her relaxed expression morphed into something more worried. Nagai picked up on that and started wondering if there really was something wrong with his body. He started getting concerned after Emily's frown became permanent.
"So, what exactly have you been feeling, Nagai?" She asked after a while of torturous silence, while she checked each test's results.
"Well, uh…" he started in a raspy, broken voice, product of not having spoken too much in several days. "I- I've been feeling mostly nauseous and tired."
Keeping it vague was better, he figured. He didn't want everyone figuring out that he was just so screwed up on the brain that he had fucked up his body. He saw Emily taking the last little test and her frown deepened. So, there was something. He gulped, pushing down his sickness.
Nothing could've prepared him for what Emily said.
"You're not sick, Nagai. You're pregnant."
Suddenly, everything stopped. Suddenly, the world around him changed. He wasn't in bed anymore, he wasn't 22 years old. Suddenly, he was a small and alarmingly thin boy, being pulled by the arm quite harshly by a man who didn't care if he tripped with how quickly they were going. He was crying and begging to be let go while his free hand scratched and slapped the man's arm.
When they got to a small white tent, Bernard, the owner of the circus and his boss, finally let him go, pushing him inside.
Everything was blurry. He didn't understand anything. He couldn't see the faces of the people that were inside, but he could tell one of them was a doctor. She was touching him and checking him up, while she kept berating to who he thought was Bernard, for not taking him to a doctor earlier.
"You know what the boy does, you put him on that job," she hissed and turned to the man, completely ignoring the said boy. "You're responsible for him and guess what, he's pregnant now."
He felt like he was choking. There wasn't enough air to breathe. He hugged himself, instinctively protecting his still flat belly as he sank to the floor, starting to hyperventilate.
Bernard groaned, clicked his tongue, and then opened the tent to signal someone else inside.
"We're gonna have to fix this," the man sighed, and then another guy entered the tent.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," the doctor agreed, and started looking for stuff in her medical bag.
What they were talking about? He couldn't understand much. He just knew that there was a small life growing inside of him. A child. His child. He got up on weak knees.
"Wh-what are you…?" He mumbled, feeling disoriented and scared.
"You're too young and your work requires the complete use of your whole body," The doctor said, grabbing his face softly to try and make him focus. Her face was still blurred. Nagai tried shaking his head, but her grip turned firm on his cheeks. "Nagai, we're gonna get rid of the baby." She explained, and her voice rumbled through his whole body, making him shudder.
No. There was no way.
He shook his head harder and pushed the woman away. Both stumbled back in different directions and Nagai fell to the floor but got up quickly to try and run away. He managed to get to the exit of the tent before Bernard and the other man grabbed him by the arms.
"No! NO! Let me— Let me go!" He screamed and begged while he got dragged back to the stretcher on the corner of the small place.
The people around him started to get even blurrier, the voices louder, then lower– overall distorted. Nagai sobbed, confused, terrified, and horribly hurt.
Suddenly, he was back in the beginning, being dragged again by Bernard. It took a couple of seconds for the scenery to change and he was on the stretcher, being held down by more people that he didn't know, still begging and pleading for mercy. The pain was a constant throughout all of this, even if everyone seemed to change. In no particular order, Nagai would find himself suffering outside the tent, inside, or on the stretcher, time and time again.
The word "pregnant" was as constant as the pain, and he could even say, it was the trigger for the torment that always followed.
All the concern Ithaqua had been feeling disappeared when he heard the magical word, and all he could feel was pure delight. Pregnant! Nagai was pregnant! They were gonna be a family! He couldn't believe his luck, this was everything he ever wished for, and he finally got it! He raised his arms in celebration and jumped in his place, letting all the excitement flow out of his body. He was too happy to care about the clear discomfort of the doctor watching the whole thing, or even notice Nagai's distress.
"I can't believe it- Nagai, you heard that?" He exclaimed, sweet bliss seeping through his voice. "We're gonna be parents! The two of us! A baby, you're pregnant!"
Ithaqua celebrated but only obtained silence in response. Ithaqua tilted his head in confusion, his joy subduing a little, and finally looked at his precious darling.
"Nagai…?"
He got close when he realized Nagai wasn't responding, wasn't even hearing him, and softly touched his shoulder. Immediately, Nagai reacted.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" He screamed, violently slapping Ithaqua's arm away from him. The Night Watch and the Doctor were left speechless.
Nagai's desperate gaze searched through the room. Both Hunter and female survivor didn't understand what was happening, and then Nagai bolted to the door. The door was an exit and Nagai had found it. Both spectators gasped, unsure of how he had mustered the strength to do that.
Ithaqua quickly jumped, blocking his path, confusion and concern all over his face at this new development. Nagai was never like this. His sweet and good boy was always so quiet, still, and compliant. Ithaqua tried grabbing him by the shoulders to calm him down, but Nagai stumbled back at the same time his arms covered his belly.
"NO! Let me go! Don't touch me!"
"Darling…? The hunter lowered his arms slowly and called for his partner. Nagai ignored him as he looked for another door.
Emily realized this and quickly put herself between Nagai and the bathroom door, leaving him without an escape. Nagai looked at her with pleading eyes, but she stood her ground firmly.
"No… No…" Nagai mumbled. He realized no one was going to help him. He sobbed. He was alone and helpless, again. "No, no, no, no-" He squeezed his eyes hard, backing up to one of the walls of the room. The grab on his belly intensified and he started shivering slightly.
Only the sound of Nagai's quiet weeping remained in the room. Everyone else remained quiet.
After a minute, the doctor carefully tried approaching him, when she made sure he wouldn't try running again. She didn't even take three steps when Nagai shrieked loudly and let himself fall to his knees. He curled up, covering his head as wails left his lips.
"Please, please, no" He begged, his voice injected with unadulterated agony. "Don't take my baby— don't take it away from me, don't kill it, please! I'm sorry! I'll do anything, anything, I swear! I'll be good! I swear I'll be good! But leave it alone, please, please…"
At that, both Ithaqua and Emily turned to look at each other with dreadful understanding. The full weight of what Nagai was feeling finally set in, and Ithaqua felt his heart break into a thousand pieces. His love must have suffered so much… Ithaqua’s own eyes started watering at the idea, but that didn’t stop him. He knew he needed to help his partner. The hunter fell to his knees as well to not look as intimidating standing at his full height, and started crawling with calm, slow movements until he got to Nagai's side without the boy jumping away like he had before.
He put a hand on Nagai's back and he felt how the boy got tense under his touch. Hard as a rock, his breathing even more erratic, but unsettlingly still. Trying to prevent another outburst, Ithaqua started moving his hand up and down. Leaning down, the hunter started murmuring sweet things to Nagai's ear, shushing him like you would to a baby.
Slowly, almost too slowly, Nagai's breathing started evening out and he started coming back to reality, to Emily and Ithaqua, instead of being stuck on his past. He took in a shaky breath and then let it out slowly, still unable to look up or get out of his safe position, but conscious of his surroundings.
"No one's taking your baby, love," Ithaqua assured the moment he realized Nagai was back. His other hand started carding black locks to tuck them away from his face. The boy still had his eyes closed and there were tear tracks on his cheeks. "I won't let anyone hurt you, or your baby. Our baby. I promise. You won't ever be subjected to whatever you went through. I swear, you'll have your baby in your arms soon enough, I'll make sure of it. And I'll take care of you both."
There's no one in his life that Nagai hates more than Ithaqua. Not a single soul has earned a fraction of the hatred and repulsion of the one he held for the hunter. He was the protagonist of most of his nightmares and fears, he was the one who brought back misfortune at a place where Nagai thought he'd finally find peace. Ithaqua could do anything he wanted to Nagai and the difference in their strengths would make it impossible for Nagai to stop it, and yet... He couldn't help but feel at ease at the hunter's words.
"I love you both, so, so much" the Night Watch reassured with soft voice, full of adoration and kindness.
Carefully, Nagai uncurled himself and looked up at Ithaqua. He hated those dark eyes. He loaded that sharp face, his white hair, and his stupid, pointy wolf ears. He hated the psychopath and maniac hunter. He hated Ithaqua, but Ithaqua was the closest person to him and his words and presence were sickly comforting— with his body heat and that strangely sincere gaze. It took Nagai just a second to crumble and the next thing he knew, he was in the arms of his predator, unwilling to let go of the gentle and protective hug, holding for dear life to the hunter.
Nagai could only cry more.
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Here, a small meme I did for the occasion. Congrats for the parents-to-be!
I forgot to change the bedroom to look like the described one above. Dang.