I Thought I Lost You (bxk)

|Eleven

Julian knocked slightly on the door, hoping to get either of the two boys up, but she knew it was practically useless. Harlequin was quite the heavy sleeper, and Ban seemed to be the same way. With a smile and shake of her head, the woman entered the room and strolled over to the bed, peering down at the fairy and human.

Harlequin had Ban pulled to his chest, and the woman winced slightly because the human boy looked as if he was being squeezed to death. However, she relaxed upon noticing that it was actually the other way around. Ban had his own arms wrapped around the fairy, and the boy seemed to be the one doing all the squeezing, short legs entangled with Harlequin's.

The woman chuckled silently before leaning over to shake Harlequin awake. The fairy king grumbling something as he rolled over, pulling Ban's body with him.

"Harlequin, Ban, wake up. Lunch is long overdue," she tried again, this time pulling Chastiefol out from underneath the fairy's head.

Harlequin must've been startled by the sudden movement, eyes snapping open as he stared at the ceiling with a wide, shocked gaze. His blurry vision cleared a moment later, and he seemed to remember where he was, his eyes focusing on Julian's kind and familiar face.

The woman smiled half-heartedly, seeming to realize that her companion had had a nightmare. She reached out and brushed her fingers through his hair, almost like what a mother would do to soothe a child.

She sighed as she felt a little bad, but with the sleepy and understanding smile sent her way, Julian finally spoke. "Sorry to wake you, dear. You haven't eaten anything all day, and I've saved you a plate from lunch."

Harlequin nodded at her in appreciation and tried to sit up, but got pulled back down onto the bed by Ban's tight grip on him. The fairy king was startled at first, causing Julian to laugh, but then he just floated up instead.

Ban, still half asleep, was roused at the motion. His grip tightening even more around the fairy's chest. The boy blinked open his eyes when he felt himself moving though, and Ban squeaked embarrassingly upon realizing that Harlequin was flying with him clinging on.

"That was a strange sound, are you okay Ban?"

Ban glanced at the fairy from over the other male's shoulder and nodded, not wanting to embarrass himself further. Julian had placed the plates on the table already, a bowl of stew awaiting for someone to eat it.

Harlequin reached around and suddenly pulled Ban off of his back, placing the boy down onto the chair in front of the bowl. Ban was surprised by this and his eyes caught onto Julian's.

The woman just smiled at him though. "Yes, that's for you Ban. You definitely needed something to eat, and my beef stew does wonders."

Ban then glanced at the fairy who had sat himself down at the next available chair, his plate seeming to be consisting of some salad with a bowl of fruit on the side. Harlequin sensed the boy looking at him and turned his own gaze towards him.

The fairy cocked his head to the side slightly, but then shrugged before stabbing a forkful of the salad, bringing the utensil up to his mouth. At this, Ban was reminded of his own food, and the boy quickly brought his own spoon up to his lips. However, as soon as Ban got a taste of the wonderful stew, he immediately scarfed it down. He did not even care if the warmth of it burnt his tongue and throat.

Julian shook her head fondly, grabbing the now empty bowl and going to refill it. Ban blushed, embarrassed again due to his poor manners in front of these kind people. When he turned to catch a glance at the fairy again, Harlequin just smiled at him.

"You must be very hungry," the fairy giggled quietly. "But that's okay, we've got plenty to go around."

Ban thanked Julian as she set the bowl in front of him once more, the dish filled with the delicious meal. This time, Ban made sure to not wolf the stew down right away. He wanted to savor the taste and appreciate the short amount of time he got to spend with Julian and Harlequin.

The boy turned to face the fairy again, his spoon pointing in his general direction. "How come you're not eating this wondrous stew?"

Harlequin blinked, fork pausing its movements as it stopped midair. The response didn't come right away, it was as if the fairy didn't even quite know himself. "I don't really eat meat unless I absolutely have to. It makes me feel uneasy knowing that I would be eating what was a living creature once."

"Oh," Ban muttered before taking another bite. The kitchen got quiet after that, the human boy eating as slowly as he can in order to make himself feel more full. Harlequin didn't really seem in the mood to talk anymore either, the fairy's eyebrows furrowed as he appeared to be deep in thought, though, Ban did not mind. He was just glad that he had some company for once.

Everything was almost peaceful here, not only on this side of town, but here in this house too. Ban could tell that Julian and Harlequin coexisted quite well, the two taking care of each other and providing companionship towards one another.

Ban really liked that. Both Harlequin and Julian had showed him nothing but kindness, and he didn't think anyone in Ravens would be like that. The boy could see himself staying here, could picture them eating meals, doing chores around the house, and just being a family together.

When their meals came to an end, Harlequin offered Ban some new clothes once he took them back to the bedroom. The boy was fairly surprised by this, and immediately declined the offer, not wanting to take any more than what he deserved. Ban didn't want to use the fairy's kindness as an advantage.

Harlequin eventually gave up, Ban's stubbornness outmatching and rivaling his own. The fairy king floated upside down, his head right in front of the boy's as Ban sat on the edge of the bed.

"You're really interesting Ban," Harlequin smiled, eyes seeming a little distant for a brief moment. "You suffer and you hate, but you don't hate the ones who hurt you."

Ban furrowed his eyebrows at this, taking in the fairy's words. He opened his mouth, ready to ask exactly what Harlequin could see in him, but the fairy king had beaten him to it.

The fairy turned himself upright. "You don't hate the ones who hurt you because all of your hatred is directed at yourself. In a way, I guess we are kind of similar," Harlequin finished, a sad but understanding look taking over his face.