"I think I can tell you more.."
Kwared stayed quiet, facing the balcony window. Phandrin set a cup infront of him, sitting down with a nod.
"I'm all ears love, say as much as you want," Phandrin smiled, setting his own cup down. Kwared glanced down at the teacup with slight hesitance, but he was calm overall. It was still Phandrin.
"Well.. I don't know where to begin," Kwared laughed slightly, going to grasp the cup but not picking it up, Phandrin leaning forward slightly.
"Wanna start maybe... With how you got there-? Something easier," Phandrin hummed, sipping the drink, cringing slightly at how hot it was.
"Well thats easy... I don't care much about then- I used to date Darvin," Kwared nodded, pausing as he looked back up at Phandrin.
"He did uh.. touch me.. in the bad way, but it wasn't exactly all the way-," Kwared waved his hand with a nervous smile, his tail swaying behind the chair.
"What-" Phandrins eyes narrowed, confusion in his tone as Kwared nodded.
"He groped me and stuff, but we were dating so... Anyways, I was bullied a bit, and I went home one day and Darvin's parents were dragging mine out of my house.." Kwared shrugged, zoning out a bit. He gripped the cup, taking a deep breath as he waited to ground again. Phandrin felt his grip on the cup tighten, his jaw clenching slightly.
"Weren't you young-"
"11," Kwared muttered, Phandrin staying silent for a second.
"Oh.."
"They were hunters... Darvin was there too, but I ran, police found me and some man said he had the perfect place for me, and then they brought me there... Claiming I was sick. The police couldn't do anything either, I was technically an orphan," Kwared rambled, Phandrin exhaling slowly.
"I'm sorry.. about your parents.. and Darvin-" Phandrin muttered, trying to keep his voice down. He started to realize why Kwared froze up last time Darvin touched him, he didn't fight back.
"It's fine... The facility was just.. yknow.." Kwared laughed, his ears wilting. Phandrin felt his stomach twist when Kwared looked down at his drink with a sad smile, his ears flat against his head.
"I know... But only a bit- even just the bit though.." Phandrin sighed, his hands running through his hair as he glanced down at his drink.
"They just did tests and stuff... Bodily.. it was what you normal quadrants would consider...torture? That doctor too.. it didn't just happen once-" Kwared pressed, Phandrin choking a bit on his drink. Kwared glanced at him, Phandrin wiping his mouth as he looked at Kwared warily.
"What-"
"...it was numerous times... For a few weeks.. before I tried to escape." Kwared paused.
"When Kertia tried to escape.. I tried too, Kertia managed, but I got shocked so bad that I blacked out and lost all feeling for a while... They locked me in solitary, and when I got out... The doctor continued," Kwareds words broke slightly, his breathing growing in place slightly. Phandrin stood up to walk over to the boy, Kwared tilting his head down. He felt some tears well up, his stomach dropping at all of the memories. Phandrins presence helped, his hands hurting a bit less, and his head clearing a bit easier.
"It sounds horrid..." Phandrin frowned, stopping beside Kwared and setting a hand on his head, running over the boys ears. Kwared stayed quiet for a second, moving to the chair slightly to face Phandrin. He leaned into the movement, his ears pressing down as Phandrin watched with a sad smile.
"He just kept doing it till' he got caught," Kwared mumbled, wrapping his arms around Phandrins torso, hugging him. It felt the same as before, as he guessed it would. It helped alot more than he thought it would.
Phandrin frowned slightly, Kwared leaning his head into his torso.
"What happened after?" Phandrin pushed, Kwareds grip tightening for a second. "If you wanna say,"
Kwared stared at the ground between them, Phandrins hands resting in his hair.
"They drugged me up... Knocked me and threw me out of a van into the middle of nowhere... I don't remember anything else... They wiped my memory of it," Kwared finished, Phandrins hands gripping his hair a bit tighter. Kwared flinched, Phandrin apologising and leaning down, Kwareds grip loosening.
Phandrin frowned at the tears dripping down Kwareds face, small ones, barely there.
"It hurt so much..," Kwared frowned, Phandrin spotting all of the scars where his skin was showing. He'd helped Kwared take off all the bandages previously, the boy only wearing a t-shirt and shorts now, hundreds of white scars standing out. The one that stood the most was the large white, purple, and red gauge scar that wrapped all the way around his neck.
"I feel better now though," Kwared smiled up at him sadly, Phandrin setting his hands on the boys face and wiping away the couple of years.
"You make me feel so much better," Kwared breathed, Phandrin mirroring his small smile.
"I'm glad, I hate everything that's happened... I hate Darvin," Phandrins voice lowered at the boys name, Kwared nodding slowly and leaning down, his head fitting to the crook of Phandrins neck. Phandrin was glad that the boy was used to hugs now, willing, and Phandrin would hug him much easier now.
"I do too... The night terrors keep me awake.. but you help alot," Kwared hummed, his hands wrapping around and running over the feathers on Phandrins back. Phandrin nodded, eyeing the red that was beggining to show more at the ends of Kwareds hair and at the base of his tail.
"I can stay with you?" Phandrin suggested, combing the knots out of Kwareds hair, the purring noise starting again. Phandrin could feel the vibration through Kwareds back, under his hands, the boys tail wagging slightly.
"Yeah.. if you can, or even want to, it'd make alot of these nights alot easier," Kwared nodded quickly, pulling back with a smile, his hands stopping on Phandrins shoulders.
"I love you, and I'm so glad I can finally admit it,"
