Cease the Suffering - Etrian Odyssey II (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 14

AN: Shounen ai (or bromance, if you want to look at it that way) and feels are abundant in his chapter. Thanks very much to SakuraiYoake and Irish_Moon_Dreamer for commenting on the last chapter! <3

-

Chapter 14:

With Axel’s hand clasping his tightly, Lynus followed in a dazed like state as Axel led him out of the hospital and back to the inn. The hospital was too crowded for them to talk, to catch up with each other, to fill in the blanks of the last eight years.

Lynus vaguely heard Axel tell Matron something before ushering him upstairs to a private room. He moved automatically, too deep in a state of shock to really register anything. Well, anything besides the fact that he had found Axel again.

The tall, strong red-haired Landsknecht was undoubtedly his friend from childhood. The scar along his hairline, the habit he had to sometimes close his right eye for no apparent reason, that smile of his. Even the way he held his hand, strong and sure, was exactly how the Axel from his childhood used to drag him around for adventures.

It…was almost too good to be true.

“Lynus,” Axel said as he tugged him into the room with their joined hands, kicking the door shut behind him. “What happened to you?”

“It’s…a long story,” Lynus murmured, a lump of emotion forming in his throat.

Again, Axel tugged at his hand as he sat down on the edge of the bed, prompting Lynus to take a seat beside him. The hold on his hand never faltered for an instant. “Tell me.”

Lynus looked down at their joined hands that sat up top of the bed sheets, musing about how much bigger Axel’s hand was compared to his. He could make out the small scars, the coarseness of wielding an axe. Yet, his grip was gentle and warm.

Taking a deep breath, he took a moment to consider his words. Truthfully, he didn’t know where to start. Or what to say even. He didn’t want to say ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ and pretend that none of it happened. That wasn’t healthy. It wasn’t fair.

Axel had been looking for him for eight years. He deserved to know the truth, right?

“…Eight years ago,” Lynus said, trying to keep his voice even. “Do you remember a man called Lord Taksony?”

“Yeah,” Axel replied with a confused furrow of his eyebrows. “I heard he was a right asshole.”

Despite himself, Lynus uttered a half-laugh. “Putting it lightly.”

“What about him?” Axel prompted him to continue.

Lynus’ shoulders drooped as he tilted his head to look at the floor. “…He kidnapped me.”

The hold on his hand instantly tightened. “What?”

“Eight years ago he came to our village, looking for a medic,” Lynus explained as he slowly lifted his head to look directly at Axel, smiling sadly when he saw the disbelief and pain in his eyes. “He found me.”

“You’ve been his captive this entire time?” Axel asked as he subconsciously moved protectively closer to him.

“Yeah…” Lynus whispered as he found himself lolling to the side to rest his head on Axel’s shoulder. “It was my duty to keep Lord Taksony alive, as well as catering to the other hostages.”

“There were others?” Axel asked with a sense of bitterness and anger, of which was so clearly not directed at Lynus himself. Although he had to deal with short words and harden demands for many years, hearing Axel speak so tersely was somewhat reassuring.