Bounded To You (Star-Crossed)

Chapter 7 - Unidentified Threat

“Should I stay?” Leon asked, a deep frown on his face.

“Go to bed, Leon. He’s alright.” Noah assured, “I’ll be here with him, don’t worry.” Leon seemed to hesitate, Blayth walking up to him and dragging him by the arm outside the room, wishing Noah a good night before shutting the door behind them.

Lucius woke up the next morning feeling warm as Noah’s arms held him tightly, his forehead against a strong chest, Noah’s breath a soft whisper against his throbbing head. He sighed, burying his face closer to Noah and feeling his arms tighten around him unconsciously. He took a deep breath of his scent, the familiarity of it making his eyes tear up in nostalgia. He wanted to remember more, but he also feared it, especially after the night before, and recalling it then made him scared, not sure why he still felt it so much.

Noah stirred, nuzzling Lucius’s head as he groaned awake, sighing before he brought a hand up to tangle between Lucius’s strands. Lucius closed his eyes, relishing the feeling of Noah’s hand against his scalp, massaging his head.

“Are you up?” Noah whispered quietly, just in case Lucius was asleep.

“Hmm…” Lucius replied, tilting his head until his lips pressed against Noah’s chest.

“Are you well?” Noah questioned, still feeling worried from the night before.

“Yeah…” Lucius breathed.

“What happened last night?” Noah asked. He frowned when Lucius pulled away, sitting up and pulling his legs to his chest as he looked at him.

“Did something happen?” Lucius wondered.

Noah sat up as well, looking at Lucius as he said, “You started screaming. You seemed to be awake, but Liam said you were actually asleep.”

Lucius tilted his head to the side as he said, “I don’t remember.”

“Did you regain any memories?” Noah asked, thinking maybe that was a better question to ask.

Lucius looked down at the blankets, an arm still around his knees and the other hand fidgeted with the blanket. Noah saw hesitation in his eyes before he finally breathed, “Yeah…”

“What?” Noah asked.

Lucius gnawed at his bottom lip, both arms now tightly around his legs as he pulled them to his chest, resting his chin on his knees. “I think… I don’t know who he was, I think he was my guardian or something…” Lucius muttered, feeling his heart starting to beat faster, the memory so fresh and vivid in his mind that it scared him. “I don’t know what I did… but I felt like I deserved it when he grabbed me… and then he…” Lucius tried to stop his body from trembling, his hands wrapping against his arms as he held them against himself, feeling choked as his body ached something fierce, as if it was happening right then and there, “He shoved me against a wall, towering over me… he was so big. H-he grabbed me by the throat…” Lucius mumbled, his hand going to his neck where he could still feel where it was gripped, his shaky fingers barely touching the skin, “I-I could breathe… I-… he pulled his fist back, then hit me… again, and again and it hurt, it hurt so much. He wouldn’t let go. I tried to fight him but he wouldn’t let go, and-…”

“Lu…” Noah muttered, his heart breaking for Lucius. He moved closer to him, wrapping his arms around him, Lucius falling against him, biting his lip, trying to hold back his tears.

“H-he kept hitting me. I don’t even remember what I did, I just feel every punch that fell against my body, and it still aches… it still-…” Lucius choked on a sob, his arms going around Noah as he held on to him, finally asking, “Who was he? Do you know who he was?”