Bounded To You (Star-Crossed)

Chapter 50 - Fulfilling Dreams

She stiffened, glancing at Edmur for help. "Lucius had a memory." Edmur replied honestly, "Not sure what it was, but he was panicking."

Cole looked at him with a frown for a bit before his features grew stoic as he looked towards the library doors, muttering, "Oh."

"Oh what?" Blayth asked.

"You shouldn't pry." Cole merely said, going to the fridge and grabbing a cold drink before taking two more and heading to the door that linked the dining room to the library.

"Maybe you shouldn't either." Blayth said when he saw where he was going, guessing that Lucius was still in the library with Noah where Mel had called him to earlier.

Cole ignored him, entering the library before going to the coffee table, sitting on it which had Noah look at him as he handed him a beer, placing the other two next to him, sitting quietly there for a moment before he said, "Lucius, you were brave. You didn't stay. You didn't let him hurt you. You left right after. I don't know how much you remember, but the bastard is dead, good riddance."

Lucius wiped his tears before he glanced at Cole, swallowing thickly, trying to stop anymore sobs from escaping him. "How do you-..."

"Know?" Cole asked, giving him a small smile, "You do remember that we are cousins right? That man. That bastard, your uncle, he was the man who made me. I will never call him father again, that I vowed. You saved me from him. You saved Benjie and Mel from him." Lucius's eyes grew wide, fear coursing through him at the thought that crossed his mind. "Don't look so scared. He didn't get a chance to hurt Benjie or Mel. You got us out of there. Do not linger on the past, Lucius. Even if it is stuck in your mind right now. You are stronger than that. What he did was horrible, but you made it through worse. You are a survivor. This is merely a dent in your life, it doesn't define you." Noah smiled at Cole, thankful to him, and thankful that Lucius's words had stuck with him and helped him get through the same thing in the past.

"Cole..." Lucius whimpered.

"Don't cry over it. He isn't worth your tears, Lucius." Cole said, "Don't give him a second thought. Don't give him a time of day or spend any of your time even thinking about that filth. I envied you when you first came here. You didn't remember. But then I was grateful you didn't, that it was completely out of your head. That you didn't have to think of it anymore. I wished you never remembered what that horrible animal did."

"He did it to you too, didn't he?" Lucius asked, his head tilting to the side, a deep frown set on his face, a new set of tears escaping his eyes, "Oh god... he did it to you..."

"It doesn't matter anymore. I do not speak of it, because it is not who I am." Cole insisted, "You helped me understand that too." He smiled at Lucius then, saying, "Whatever it takes, I will do everything in my power to help you just like you did for me so long ago. Understand that I am here for you."

Lucius didn't want to cry, he didn't, but it was still so fresh in his mind. He choked on another sob, but couldn't hold it. He didn't resist his urge that time to be close to Noah, leaning to his side and falling into Noah's arms. Noah held him back without second thought, clutching him close as he whispered sweet nothings to him, making sure nothing but his love made it through his bond to him.

A few days passed, but Lucius was still affected by his memory. He had isolated himself almost completely. Noah barely managed to talk him into at least staying with him at night, so he'd be there when he had a nightmare.

Noah headed to their room, a mug of tea in his hand as he entered the room, closing the door behind him before he walked up to where Lucius was seated on the windowsill, legs drawn to his chest, arms around them, chin over his knees as his eye lingered on the view outside, Shadow laying down close to him on the ground, picking up his head to look at Noah when he entered.