Elder Scrolls One Shots

Pieces of You III

You took care of him for a few good days, mostly in silence with only the odd answering of questions. He was curious about the world and seemed to recall most basic things about it, like the gods, the Empire and facts about the cities. But he didn't remember the Oblivion crisis. When you told him about it, it seemed to him almost like a fantastical story. A horrible nightmare of a story to you.

On the fourth night, you found yourself awake and sitting in your living room by the fire. Nightmares upon Nightmares haunted your mind and kept you from wanting to fall asleep. You didn't hear the soft creaking of wood as you were lost in your own terrible thoughts.

"I can't sleep, either." You heard him say. You turned to Lucien, snapped out of your own mind. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's alright, I was just thinking too much." You said quietly, sinking into the couch.

"May I?" He asked. You nodded, watching the fire as he sat beside you. Neither of you talked for a good minute, watching the fire dance without a care in the world.

"I keep having nightmares." He said, seemingly put-off.

"Me too." You whispered. But that made you curious, yet you didn't want to force him to say anything. "Do you want to talk about them?" You turned your head to him.

"I'm not sure what they're about." He started explaining. "I have no memories like them, and the nightmares are blurry, but it looks like I'm me. In a house somewhere. There was a lot of blood and pain... there were people in robes like the one you found me in. I think they were trying to kill me." Trying, you thought bitterly. It made your heart hurt, he doesn't remember a thing about himself and the first thing he is to recall is his own death. What kind of a sick joke was that supposed to be? Tears had begun to fall from your eyes and you tried hard yet you could not stop them. Lucien looked to you with concern, wondering what was going on inside your head.

"There's something I haven't told you." You said, not looking him in the eye. "About when I found you."

"Is it bad? Do you know who I am?" He seemed frightened.

"No, I don't know who you are, for that I am sorry. But I have a clue as to why you don't remember. And this is going to be hard to believe, but when you found you, you were... you were dead. I had to go around the room and collect pieces of you to sew them back on, and then... well, I don't know. You just came back to life and your wounds disappeared. I have never been so confused and scared in my life." You felt sick all over again, your stomach in painful knots. He seemed for a moment to think you were joking but your tears had convinced him otherwise. He was stuck in a dilemma between asking further or taking it for what it was. Something about seeing you so upset had stirred emotions within himself, emotions he didn't quite know what to do with.

"If my dreams are telling me the truth, then I am very sorry that you had to witness the aftermath. You must have been horrified. I understand now why you haven't wanted to talk to me that much. It's an awful situation, but words cannot express how eternally grateful I am to you." Lucien said honestly, trying to comfort you. You looked up at him through the tears, his face illuminated by the flames. He was so kind to you, so understanding and patient. What could he have done to deserve such an ending? Thinking about it all made you tired, exhausted from the happenings that had all taken place in less than a week.

"I'm sorry I've been distant, you need someone right now more than I do. You're the one who's been to the beyond and back." You wiped your tears, feeling guilty.

"But I don't remember, and you do. You're the one who is having to live with it. You deserve better." He said. You smiled a little and whispered a "thank you", feeling as your eyes grew heavy again. Before you knew it, the both of you had fallen asleep on the couch just inches apart from each other.

___

When you woke up, you were both leaning on each other in your sleep. You got up silently, but he woke up anyway.

"Sorry, I must have leaned onto you when I was asleep." You said with your cheeks and ears tinted red.

"I know." He said, stretching. "You fell asleep just before I did, but I didn't want to wake you. I was tired anyway, I hope you don't mind."

"It's alright. It's nice to have company." You got up to make breakfast, which he insisted on helping with. He wasn't bad at cooking, actually. Maybe even better than you at most things. Baking was more your forte, bread and desserts and such.

After breakfast, he helped you clean up, too. Having much more stability and energy after days of resting. He was beginning to grow antsy, cooped up in the house.

"We should go somewhere today, on a walk maybe?" Lucien suggested.

"We could get you some clothes, there's a few stores around. Groceries and the like. Are you sure you're up for it?" You asked him. He nodded and you both got ready.

He picked out a few outfits for himself, mostly black or red as the colors seemed to be his favorites. You payed for them happily, glad to help him in any way you could. Then you picked up groceries, even a few things to bake with. You could whip up a mean sweet roll and decided to make some that night as a treat for the both of you.

You both enjoyed them very much.