Heart Of Stone - Male!Medusa

Undone

I couldn't decide whether I was feeling more happy or scared right now, carefully leading the male along the sandy shore of the island he called home, his eyes closed tightly from the moment I had asked him to trust me. I wanted to show him something I felt he must not have seen in years, if not even longer, and I wanted it to be a surprise. That he trusted me enough to allow me to lead him like this left me both delighted and worried.

Ever since a few days ago when he had found me crying as I had searched for him, he had seemed willing to do just about anything I had asked of him, so long as he understood what I was asking. I had quickly learned to be careful in what I said around him, especially since he seemed like he would bring me the moon if I but asked it of him.

It just made me realize all over again just how innocent he seemed concerning so many things, creating an even bigger desire to do something for him that I had started to feel I should have done far earlier than this. So it was that I found myself carefully leading him closer and closer to the water's edge. It was only when his footing was suddenly placed upon an unsteady surface that he froze, refusing to move for a moment before he took another careful step forward.

I was happy to see the tiny smile on his face grow into a vision of delight, a hint of something else vanishing as fast as it had appeared. Stepping into the small boat I had talked Stelios into helping me pick out just for today, one that I could at least somewhat steer by myself even if I did not feel comfortable about it, I sat Medein down gently and carefully raised the anchor before I began steering us towards the now familiar town.

I never noticed the wince of pain from Medein as we grew further and further from his island, my back turned to him as he rubbed his wrist where the bracelet rested against his skin. Neither did I notice the area burn red for a moment before fading back into the usual bronzed tone he had.

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I'd managed to keep him from slipping off the blindfold until we were almost within sight of the coastal town, bribing him with the snacks that I knew he favored among the ones I had let him sample over the past weeks. It was only after the boat came to a relative halt upon the gentle waves of the water that I turned around fully, no longer simply taking small peeks over my shoulder to check on him, carefully stepping close enough to reach out and run my fingers through his hair before gently untying the strip of dark cloth I had used.

I blushed when he stopped one of my hands from moving back to my side, cupping it gently against his cheek before he slowly opened his eyes and stared at me for several seconds before moving his eyes to take in the world around us. I was unable to look away from him as I took in the awe that filled his golden-green gaze, his breath catching as he looked at the island I had been steering us towards since we had left Medein's familiar home.

When his eyes came back to meet mine, I found my own breath stolen away by the mix of adoration and gratitude that seemed to fill his gaze, his lips turned upward into a warm smile. I could feel my heartbeat quicken as I looked down at the man who, for all I know, might have lived his entire life on that one island. Or at least enough of it not to remember anyplace else, a thought that filled me with sadness when I thought of all the things he had missed out on in life thus far.

Yes, it was for the best that I was bringing him to the mainland, even if it meant he might be taken away from me all too soon.

But not until I had shown him as much as I could of the world he'd been denied.

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Somehow, she had done it. (Y/n) had found a way to remove him from the island, even if he could still feel the curse trying to take hold again, muted and angry as it fought against whatever she had done. He could even feel it trying to attack the bracelet earlier on, luckily failing in destroying the charms it carried within the enchanted metal.

The way the sun reflected upon the water that surrounded us on all sides had enchanted him for a moment, not having seen such a sight in far too long, but it still failed to show even half the radiance that (y/n) held within her gentle eyes. And now she had given him yet another reason to shower her with even more affection, as he had not even had to ask her to free him before she made the attempt.

He wasn't even sure if she knew what she was doing at the time, but it did not change the fact that she had succeeded in removing him from the island, something that he had been unable to do on his own even once during the past centuries of his imprisonment.

Smiling at her once again, he slowly turned his head to nuzzle against the palm of her hand, pressing his lips gently against the soft skin of the one he cherished so much. Truly, (y/n) was a treasure beyond anything he had ever known before and he planned to keep her safe for as long as he drew breath.

Even if it meant he had to fight the very gods to do so.

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He could barely believe his eyes, taking in the many changes that almost hid the familiar parts of the town that remained after all this time. Here and there among the buildings could be seen one that had withstood the test of time, even if just in part, or sometimes an old road that trailed an almost familiar path he had been down once upon a time on his way to save the kingdom Percia loved so much.

Or rather, save the daughter of the ruler of said kingdom. And once that had been done, Percia had slowly turned her back on Medein, leaving him further and further behind as the distance between them grew. He had remained on the island in solitude once she stopped coming to see him, caught up in a curse that he had no clue how to break.

Even now he could remember how betrayed he had felt after he realized Percia was not coming back anymore, months having passed without her visiting him. The chill of the air that season had been nothing in comparison to how cold his heart had felt, realizing that the woman he had come to care for had finally decided he was no longer good enough to spend her time upon, even after everything he had done for her. After everything he had lost and given up in his efforts to save those she cared for.

Yet, here before Medein was someone who had obviously already suffered and lost so much but still managed to give so very much to him, a being that had not long ago been an unknown stranger to her. Someone who had given him part of his freedom back without asking anything in return, not even the book that was rightly hers.

As he watched the blush spreading over her skin from the affection he gave her, pressing small kisses into the palm of her hand, Medein promised himself that he would give her back her treasured book as soon as he was able to. Even if it did mean going back to that hated island one more time to do so.

As long as she came back with him, he was sure he would be able to escape it with her once more.