This is for @PlaguedAnarchy
Child!RoyalChaos AU Wood Nymph!Anthony,Human!Steven Wood Nymph!TehFawkes as well if you squint
Innocent,emerald green eyes blinked up to meet mischevious caramel ones,which were curiously peering down at him. The brunet sat straight up and started crying,making the other scamper back.
"Tom!"
The mysterious other wails,and there's footsteps from somewhere just out of the brunet's line of vision.
"What is it Anth--oh,he's awake!"
Gentle and lightly calloused hands scooped the sobbing brunet up,cradling him to quiet him down. The child easily curls up against the chest he's held to,his eyes closing sleepily.
"Hey bud,it's okay,"
The voice said,and suddenly he's set down,and he can see the entire area. He's in a what looks like it could be a room,if the thick tree barriers were walls,and the grass was a carpet,and the sunlight filtering through the trees' leaves were a ceiling light. The voice he heard belonged to the male who had picked him up,who was kneeled in front of the curly haired child. He had shaggy blonde hair that was pulled back with a short,flexible vine,and brownish gold eyes hidden behind glasses.
There was another child behind the male,who was about the brunet's age,and had chocolate coloured hair that was a bit curly,and had caramel eyes that caught the sun nicely. The brunet thought he looked nice.
"What's your name?"
The blonde male asked,a kind smile playing across his features. The brunet hesitated,before clumsily saying,
"Steven."
"Nice to meet you Steven,my name's Tom,and that's Anthony,"
The blond said,gesturing to the child behind him. Steven nods,before asking with a frightened tone,
"Where am I?"
"You're in the Newfound Woods,"
Tom chirped,and Steven seemed to relax slightly. His mother used to tell him stories of the Newfound Woods,in which lived faeries and nymphs and magehounds.
"Are...are you faeries? Or nymphs?"
Steven asked tentatively,eyes widening slightly. Tom chuckled,and pulled back his hair to reveal slightly pointed ears mottled with dark freckles,
"Nymphs. Wood nymphs to be exact."
"The kindest in the Wood,"
Another voice says,and Steven looks around and sees a male emerge from the door like section of weeping willow branches. He had black hair that was cut around his shoulders,sticking out at odd angles,a few leaves woven into the rumbled mess. He had kind,doe-brown eyes that blinked a silent,friendly welcome as he walked over. He kissed the top of Tom's head,and the blond responded with a smile,
"This is Steven. Steven,this is John."
Steven waved a small bit,and John waved back,before scooping up the other child,who was sulking behind Tom.
"Hello Anth',what are you doing?"
The caramel-eyed boy responded with a small,
"Hi John."
The older sighed,and boosted the child onto his hip.
"I'm gonna go feed him,Tom,why don't you bring Steven?"
"Gladly,"
Tom smiles,and held out a hand to Steven,
"How about you come eat,and we'll see what we can do about getting you back home,huh?"
Steven nods,and Tom picks him up,bouncing him slightly as he follows John past the willow branch curtain. Steven watched,wide-eyed as they entered a peaceful looking meadow,sunlight filling the hollow with golden light. There were patches of forget-me-nots and violets and bluebells all mixed in with the dewy grass and soft mint leaf thickets. John had set Anthony down on a tree stump covered in a soft cloak of moss,and the wood nymph child was holding and cooing to a milk white bunny with fawn brown spots. Tom carried Steven over to the stump and sat the young boy down next to Anthony,who polietly scooted over so Steven had enough room. Tom smiled at the two kids before going over and joining John by a tree stump table where the dark haired male was making something.
Steven awkwardly watched Anthony play with the white bunny,before the nymph finally said,
"Would you like to hold her?"
Steven paused in surprise,before nodding,and Anthony handed over the bunny gently. As Steven was petting the creature,Anthony said,
"That's Violet."
Then he patted the tree stump,and said,
"And this is Patrick."
"Do all the trees have names?"
Steven asked curiously as he was told about Patrick the tree stump. Anthony nodded enthusiastically,and said,
"All trees have spirits,so all trees have names. We just shorten some of the longer names."
And then Anthony proceeded to launch into a whole explaination of the trees in the Newfound Wood. Steven listened raptly,letting the white bunny nibble on the fabric of his cotton shirt.
"Food's ready,"
John chimed,and Anthony immediately stopped,before taking the bunny from Steven and setting it by a patch of bluebells. Then he took the other child's hand and pulled him over to the table,giggling slightly. Steven caught up and slipped his hand more comfortably into Anthony's,as they approach the table. Tom makes a small "Aww" noise,before helping the two kids get their own bowls. They sat down among the thick oak roots that emerged from the ground among the grass,with their wooden bowls and spoons. From what Steven could tell,there was a combination of honey,syrup,and something relatively the same as chicken broth was in the bowls,and happily ate his portion next to Anthony.
When they had finished,Anthony led Steven to a small stream,where they cleaned out their bowls,and giggled as they watched tadpoles in the water. Then they raced each other back to the meadow,where Tom and John were waiting. Tom helped Steven put on leather or hide boots that would protect his feet as they travelled to town to see where Steven had come from. After everybody was set,and John had given Tom a list of what they needed from the village,Tom,Anthony,and Steven set off. They passed through a few more meadows,and one section that was unfathomably dark,in which Steven gripped Anthony's hand tightly in fear. Anthony whispered comforting words,trying to soothe his new found friend.
Eventually,they got to the village,and were met by a crowd who looked like they were about to venture into the wood. Tom called out to them,shuffling Steven out in front of them,
"Hallo! Any of you know this child?"
One woman flew from the crowd sobbing hysterically,
"My child! My child!"
"Mom?"
Steven hesitantly said,and was immediately swept up by the woman.
"Thank God!"
She cried,before turning to Tom,
"You found him?"
Tom nodded,and she sighed in relief,before exclaiming,
"Saints,would you care to come in for a cup of tea?"
"Ah,no thanks ma'am,"
Tom said polietly,shaking his head,
"We're mere visitors,seeking food and drink before we go back home."
The woman nodded,and Steven finally said,
"Will you come and visit?"
Tom nods and smiles,
"I can bring Anthony some time."
Anthony made a content noise,and the two kids said their goodbyes,before Tom took his nymph child to the village's stock rooms.
They did indeed,visit. Multiple times,even more once Anthony got old enough so that he could go to the village on his own and hang out with Steven. Eventually,Anthony became sort of family to Steven's family,and the same vice versa,and the two boys grew closer. Everyone in the village knew of the two boys' friendship,and they never bothered to really find out just how they had come to be such good friends. No one knew--other than Steven-- that Anthony was a nymph from the Newfound Wood,and that's why there was such peace in the village. But how long could that last?
Steven and Anthony didn't care,their only thoughts were of each other.