Barrow Fields I'm Cavin' In - Printable Version

The pale boy was healing too slowly, especially with the lack of food and rest during the pair's trip through the caverns. He grew weaker, more confused with each step-- but that was easily forgotten with the storm in his mind. Being around Arrille constantly had stirred strange feelings in Prince, and at first it had not been unpleasant, but then...
Then he started feeling like Arrille was someone who had hurt him. Deeply. It was an aching thought, because he had grown to like the other quite a bit. Almost in a way he didn't quite understand. The hurt had simmered and dulled into bitterness after so many times of admiring the other's white-and-gold composition and brilliant cerulean gaze only to be struck with grief.
Memories followed the feelings in short order, and for perhaps too brief a time he was angry. The boy didn't know how to react to the tidbits he remembered; meeting Arrille, finding he was gone, blaming him for something... something bad...
He couldn't recall, but he felt it had something to do with his home. His packmates. Prince did recall, now, that once Arrille had been one of them. Once.

He had let this stew for days, allowing more tidbits to come back to him every few hours. The boy had been a little withdrawn, but despite himself-- despite his memories-- something about this experience stuck with him. Their bonding in that cave, during that vulnerable moment, was not easily forgotten. It didn't take him long to decide what he had to do.
Prince was quiet as he followed Arrille into the open air, breathing a sigh of relief. He had missed the sun...
I'm okay. He murmured, unable to meet the other's eyes. There's something I need to tell you, Arrille. I remembered something.

Prince's ears flattened and he fixed his gaze firmly on the ground as Arrille made his demand. It's... best if you don't know a lot right now. You'll find out again soon.
The boy swallowed hard and took a breath, suddenly nervous. If Arrille figured it out... he might kill him. Prince wouldn't fight back, even if he could in this state-- it was a risk he was willing to take, though.
It's just-- I don't think it's safe for us to be around each other. He moved a little closer to the other; his expression was sad, posture defeated, but he wanted to pretend they could still be friends. Just for another moment. His voice lowered near a whisper with his next words. I don't want anything bad to happen to you...
Even if he was supposed to.

Immediately the other's words brought the sting of tears to Prince's eyes. He hadn't asked for this! At no point did he think 'hey, you know what would be fun? feeling things for someone you're meant to hate!'. It seemed terribly unfair-- more so because he knew, now, that Drageda hated him. He remembered that he had arrived, that Bean had-- no, no, he couldn't handle this.
All of the grief hit him at once, and a broken sob escaped him. You don't understand... we can't stay together. We could have, but you left, and now-- now everything is a fucking mess!
For a few beats, he could only struggle to hold his tears in. It was mostly a futile effort, and when he gave up he simply turned his face away. There's nothing we can do to change what happened, even if I tell you what it was. And there's nothing I can do to change that I care about you too much, so I guess I'm screwed.

The boy was at a loss for words, so he simply looked away. Nothing he could say, he thought, would get through to Arrille. Not without causing greater harm than he wanted to.
Maybe it was naive, but Prince still hoped to get out of this at some sort of neutrality-- he didn't want to be enemies with the other male. He didn't even want to put a halt to their friendship, but they had to. And really, it wasn't just this causing his tears; it was everything else, too. Everything he had recalled. It was new all over again, and now he was dealing with this. It was a wonder he had kept his composure until now, really.