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‘It’s ok’? That’s what he said, but he meant ‘I forgive you.’

If this was to give him another chance at living…Nathair didn’t know. They had so much more than their differences and Alessio would never be reconciled to who he was after all. So why was it so intoxicatingly safe to hear him?

You’re scared of me.

Why didn’t he kill Nathair now that he was weak? At the very least why didn’t he desert him?

There was no such thing as ‘friends’; there were only pawns, used as a means to an end and dolls used for one’s own personal amusement. Friends didn’t exist in his world, he’d never had a friend and he never befriended a soul.

Except.

Maybe.

That was a lie.

 

“Let’s just get out of here fast!”

“Shut up! I’m not done!”

Another sickening thud followed by a strangled, stifled groan.

Nathair just stared, riveted. He didn’t do a thing he was too scared. Even if he’d killed before, Yasha was the most ruthless, he was always pushing it a step further.

“I don’t have time for you losers.” Youngest of the trio- maybe fifteen or sixteen, Con was some just pennyworth tramp Yasha brought along for her so-called ‘potential’. Even as she slouched casually against the wall smoking her pipe with whatever the herbs she found around the dump, her black eyes still gave a micro-wince each time Yasha kicked the limp form.

Her impatience made a nice bravado.

Yasha ignored them both, his eyes fixed on their target, a weapon from last century who made his escape but didn’t cover his tracks too well. All they were supposed to do was end him but Con found a store of pocket-money they could raid just from the building and now Yasha wasn’t satisfied.

“He doesn’t have any more…” Nathair said, eyes darting from man to Yasha and back again. “Come on, we’ve searched the whole place let’s just get out before we’re caug-”

“Shut up!” Yasha snapped, never even looking back, oh so focused on his handiwork now. “Now you hear that, my pals are getting restless, so why don’t you tell us where the rest of it is, old man?”

The dark-haired boy crouched over the man, rolling a die across his knuckles with an affected look of boredom. By then Nathair was sick, and he was all but ready to make a run for it, stayed only by the knowledge that, well, he was seeing first-hand what happened to deserters.

So he didn’t do anything, he shuffled his feet and stared into space as some inarticulate, mumbled words came from the floor.

“Pft,” Yasha stood, aiming for another kick.

“Look,” Nathair said a little desperately, hovering a step closer. “we’ve got enough to carry us over-“

He knew before he finished he’d gone too far but he didn’t expect a blow across his face that sent him sprawling on the floor, ears ringing.

“You stupid baby!” Yasha snarled, “It’s not enough, you idiots! You give a notch and slum like this take it all, I’m just doing what you don’t have the guts to do.”

 

Alessio tensed, nearly jerking his hand back as the boy’s memories played through his mind. Nathair watched him fixedly, cornered. Had he projected that consciously or not? Right now, Nathair looked dazed and feral enough it could’ve been either.

Maybe there’s a chance now? Before he’s so far gone…

‘It’s in the way! Why would I need to settle?!’ Yasha’s voice still rang in his ears, Alessio stared at Nathair, trying to sort everything out of his head. ‘If you found a chest of gold you wouldn’t just grab a handful and say ‘it’s enough’. You take everything or you leave all the scraps for your enemies!’

Alessio closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath to calm down. When he opened his eyes Nathair was still staring at him like the slightest move was a life-or-death thing. He’d…he’s almost forgotten that feeling almost blocked it out of his mind staying by Nithel. But then…he was terrified of losing sight of Nithel too. He darted a glance at the kind man reflexively for a second and looked back at Nathair.

“We’ll be friends now?” Alessio said, and Nathair’s crystal blue eyes skated across the room suspiciously. “They’re nice people, they won’t hurt you.”

Nathair’s eyes narrowed at him dully, his face turning…unnatural like plaster, stretching tight.

‘Monster-child’

“I…I know,” Alessio gently tugged him upright. “Come on…”

Nathair tensely rose a little, and glanced at Leana warily, but a little less warily, still very sulkily and anxiously.

 

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