Oc Stories

Farmhouse {Normal AU}

Trigger warning for talk of S/A Not in detail. Self blame, but also someone supporting another person, being there for them and letting them cry it out, etc. New friendship.
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A farm.
Magnus didn't expect a man like Hanes to own a farm, deep into the forest, in a large spaced out field. A small building, only one floor, a big barn and the field has chickens and sheep. Many different animals.
They were three hours away from Aquarius by carriage. Took ages for them to walk here.
"... Here we are. Home sweet home" Hanes laughs nervously, glancing down at Magnus.
Hanes had his shoulder length green hair tied back in a messy bun, hair falling in his eyes still, wearing dirt stained grey overalls over a dirty blood stained white shirt. A bandana over his eyes.
He can't look anyone in the eye, so he wears this instead. So he doesn't have to.
"Uh... Make yourself at home. None of the animals bite- That's a lie Um. Womble might peck your eye if you get too close to his face" he laughs nervously, looking at the chicken following him, pecking the ground as he goes.
"... Thank you" Magnus speaks, his voice barely a whisper.
His curly brown hair curling around his face, a complete disaster, leaves and twigs in the brown mop of hair. His big brown eyes dull. No shine or sparkle at that moment, his antlers cut down, small on his head, Heartbreaking in all honesty.
His clothing ripped and pulled, his shirt hanging off his shoulder, ripped, a ripped up skirt.
One of his shoes gone.
He was glad to be helped atleast a bit.
Although it took a whole day for Hanes to earn his trust, which the elf man completely understands.
Hanes unlocks the door and steps in, holding the door open for him and the chicken, letting Magnus rush in.
"I'll get you some clothes... I think... I may have some of Coco's old clothes? You're quite small so I think you'll fit. Sorry its uh, girl clothes. Not... That, that really matters." Hanes mutters to himself, setting the fire up and putting more wood logs on, letting Magnus sit infront of the fire, warming himself up.
A few hours pass.
Magnus now sat in warm clothing, a big comfy black sweater and a long grey skirt that reaches his ankles.
He pulls a fluffy light blue blanket that Hanes had given him, over himself, hugging it tightly as he shivers, staring into the flickering flames.
"... Why did you help me?"
There's silence as Hanes looks slightly taken aback, but let's out a shaky deep breath.
"I... I was not a good person in the past. You and... Many MANY other people know that. I'm sure Reiki has probably told you... And definitely Calli" he Winces.
"You... Tried to make Reiki stay with you and you went insane. You hurt him once and... He left you. And with Calli you-" he pauses a moment, furrowing his eyebrows together "You killed her friends... Lira and Pyxis-"
"Pyxis is still alive... Lira... Isn't... And I feel guilty for that. I... Messed up and I was scared and I don't have any... Real reason as to why I was so... Bad."
He's silent.
He's not close to Magnus.
He won't tell him about the torture and torment he was put through.
He won't tell him about the abuse, about the sickness he has.
He won't tell him how he lost his mind.
...
Will he?
"I... The one thing... That I never... EVER would do... If force myself on someone. Ever..." he clenches his fist, beginning to shake "That... That is something I will NEVER do..."
Magnus looks away sadly, fiddling with the blanket "... They... Didn't do anything ba-"
"Everything they did was bad, Magnus. You're still... Young. Even if you were older- all of it is awful."
"I'm a young adult- I... I probably... It was my faul-"
"No" Hanes interrupts, looking at him with such a hurt expression "It wasn't your fault. THEY'RE the fucked up ones. They're the... Awful... Disgusting people. You didn't do anything wrong, Magnus."
"I-I wanted to at first" he whispers "I wanted to do it. But... But I felt like it wasn't the right time so-so I said another day and-and he didn't-"
He freezes as Hanes takes hold of his hand, looking at him wide eyed.
"... I know."
"... You... You saved me... But why did you save me, Hanes? You've never saved anyone you. You hurt people you helped Wanda- Calli can't work anymore, Cath can't walk, Reiki is too traumatised to work. Why did you HELP m-"
"I was eighteen."
There's silence.
"A few years after I had met... You know, Reiki. And... There was... This woman. She... Was fucked up. In the head that's... One of the reasons I guess I was so fucked up..." he bites his lip "I was... Made to believe the world was cruel, dark and evil and- I still do. That's why I live all the way out here, away from everyone else."
"... Hanes I... I-I didn't know I'm so-"
"No. You didn't do anything, you're not the one who sent me to torture all my childhood, cursed me with a disease that won't even kill me. I've tried to die. I've tried to leave. But I can't."
The elf man sighs, pulling his sleeves over his hands and wiping his cheek, the tears falling down his cheek, his bandana becoming slightly damp.
"Because a witch cursed me to live forever. I'll never die. Never age. Nothing. I'm stuck."
Magnus stares at the floor a while, thinking about what the man had just revealed to him.
Hanes sighs and sits upright, resting his hands on his knees, his chicken in his lap, fast asleep.
"I guess... That's why I was so desperate to keep Reiki around. He... Treated me like an actual person. I was scared of everyone else. They're all bad people, they've all hurt me. They've all lied to me. And I know if I get close to strangers, they'll do the exact same thing."
Magnus stays quiet as he listens to him.
"I saw how scared you were, I heard you crying out for help- even though you said nothing. And... I did because I didn't want you to suffer. I don't want anyone to suffer the same way I did, Deer."
The fire is heard crackling as the two men sit in silence, Womble the chicken making little cluck noises, rubbing his head against Hanes' hand, eyeing Magnus curiously. The chicken was very laid back. Loved being in the house and around his owner.
"... Thank you... For helping before those men did anything..."
"... You don't need to thank me, I just... Want to repay my debts." he whispers, standing up and walking over to the fire, sitting down infront of it.
"You saved me... And... And you left Reiki alone after he told you how much he loves Stevie I... I know... You're not okay mentally but. Deep down, you're a good person. You... You proved that to me."
"I've killed more people than I can keep count of. I've torn apart families, I was forced to kidnap people. Watch them suffer, unable to do anything. I'm a monster. Not a good person."
Magnus groans softly, thinking as he rubs his neck, trying to think of what Calli would do in this situation.
He always tries to think of what his best friend would do.
"I... I understand that's the past, Hanes... I know some people won't forgive you. But others will I mean, Coco she... I'm... I'm sure she'd forgive you. Reiki probably won't and... Marlo... Might? I don't know about the others... Calli definitely won't I mean... She's... Yeah-" he stops, thinking about what he just said "I'm... Not helping am I?"
"... I think you are. But I don't know. I haven't known what it's like to be happy in... Years." the big eared elf admits, glancing his way "Oh uh... By the way help yourself to whatever is in the house I... Really don't mind. I'm not rich, not poor, got some food, some seeds, you know... The stuff I guess I need to live so..." he sighs heavily.
Magnus nods slowly, his chest heaving as he slumps back into the couch.
"... Hanes...? Did you feel... This awful when it happened? I... I feel like... Like what if I-I led him on? I mean I-I did say I wanted to I s-shouldn't of- it was... It was my fault-" he lets out a shaky breath, tears beginning to run down his pink cheeks, his eyes widening, his breathing become faster as he goes through the memory in his head.
Hanes notices immediately, realising he's having a panic attack and quickly getting to his feet, snatching up the blanket and putting it around him, Womble climbing onto the deer boys lap, making quiet little happy noises as Hanes sits infront of him, crossing his legs and holding his hand, staring down at the floor, taking his bandana off and looking at him.
"You didn't do anything wrong... It... He was fucked up. Fucked up right in the head. A disgusting evil man and... You didn't lead him on... When... When someone says no, they mean no. You said no, he didn't respect it... I... I'm glad I got rid of him. Now he can't ever hurt you or anyone else." he sighs, breaking eye contact and looking down at the floor, listening to Magnus' shaky breathing.
"Guh- I-I was so scared a-and I thought- thought so much bad stuff and and-and I didn't... Think anyone w-would help me- I-it's all my fa-fault-" he chokes on his sobbing, squeezing Hanes hand tightly.
The man clearly is worried, glancing at their hand before hesitantly hugging him, only slightly, careful not to spook him out or make him nervous.
"I-I D-DIDN'T MEAN-"
"It wasn't your fault. I promise. It wasn't your fault, deer." he whispers, letting go of him and sitting next to him, glancing at the floor as he lets Magnus curl up slightly, letting the chicken with one hand, holding Hanes' with the other.
It.
Takes a long time to calm the poor man down.
Heartbreaking wailing coming from the living room, his body shaking with each sob that he lets out
But when he eventually stops crying, he passes out, completely and utterly exhausted. His face tear stained and his arms wrapped around a plush bear that was given to him by Hanes.
The elf wraps a duvet around him, frowning worriedly as he steps back, womble crowing in his ear as he laughs sadly.
"... Did... Did I do good?" he looks at Womble, who obviously doesn't reply.
He nods "Yeah... I... I think I helped."