Edit/Re-Written: July 8, 2022
A Knight W/ Shining Eyes: Chapter Forty-Six; You Came to Me
Warnings: brief mentions of r-pe
Fluctuating 3rd POV
Ian leads Neal into the house, helping him up the stairs and into the bathroom. His friend is drenched and dirty, but alongside that his skin is made of goosebumps and he's freezing to the touch. "We need to get you in the shower, let me help you take off your clothes."
At that, Neal shakes his head, grasping his clothes tight to his body as he shudders. He's shaking, Ian notes, like the first night he had first found him; alone and covered and shaking. Ian remembers him then, remembers how the other had shuddered all throughout the night until the late evening of the following day.
His mates watch from the doorframe of the room, clearly concerned but not knowing what to do. Whenever they'd seen Neal prior, the human had appeared nothing but confident - so seeing him. . .like this is new, unsettling. They welcome it nonetheless but hope to find the cause of such a shift because they're nosy as fuck.
"D-Dirty," Neal stutters, teeth chattering together as his body tries to regain some of its warmth.
Nodding at the statement, Ian takes his friends' appearance once more - noting the mud that covers the edges of his pants and — his shoeless feet. Where are his shoes? "Yes, we need to shower you so you can stop being dirty."
There's a tense second and then Neal is shaking his head at the statement, fingers clawing at his own skin leaving crescent shapes in their wake. It's odd because Ian hasn't seen his friend act like this before. Not really, not unless it had to do with anxiety attacks concerning his past. Could it be-? "Can't clean!"
Can't clean?
Confusion fills Ian at the experated statement. Where had he heard that before? Stopping his actions to try and take in Neal's demeanor, noting his speech and the way his eyes refuse to meet his. Realization finally strikes him and he grips Neal's shoulders tightly, forcing his friend to meet his gaze as he says "You're not dirty, Neal. What happened, what you went through when you were younger was. Not. Your. Fault."
"I saw him." Neal interrupts randomly, voice calm unlike the shaking tremors of his body. Internally he's fighting back the instinct that tells him to run, to get away and to stop Ian from touching him. But he knows that even though he has a flight instinct that Ian is one of the people he can trust, he can trust Ian. Ian is safety.
A sound of distress escapes the Omega, "Saw who?"
"Th-e man," He begins, voice finally faltering slightly and he has to gulp to regain himself. "That man. The one who raped me - the one that made others watch, that made my fath-him watch. I-"
Behind him, Ian can feel his mates tense at the information - the atmosphere becoming rancid and cold at the new information. He knows that his mates were quick to (mis)judge his friend, and he didn't blame them because the entire world seemed to do it too. Neal usually came off as intimidating and confident that even with such a past, one would assume that he came out of it with no trauma. And stubborn as he is, Neal will agree with that perspective, but Ian and Eric know better. The stuttering words make Ian's jaw tick, anger consuming him. "You. . .you saw him?"
With a hasty nod Neal's hands reach up to tangle in his hair before Ian can stop him. Redness covers his cheeks and eyes, specifically around the rim of his eyes - they're red, like the tips of his fingers, blood-covered from how deep they scratch into himself. "It was my first time, I was five, he was my first and everyone watched what he did to me. All I heard," He coughs suddenly, a consection of forceful weeping and crying before it's followed by soft and broken whimpers. It all works to make Ian frown, eyes burning with the want to cry alongside his friend. "All I heard was them laughing at me."
"Neal—" Ian begins only to be interrupted by the sudden pang of thunder. The sound resonates through the packhouse and it mahas Neal falling onto the floor on his knees. The sight has Ian's heart breaking and he scrambles to kneel in front of the other.
"I—" Neal chokes. "I had to seduce him so that I could-" There's no need for him to finish, ian no everything. So he leans forward and hugs the broken male to his friend, using his hands to rub his hands up and down the others back in a soothing manner.
"I know, Neal. I know." He whispers, cradling his sobbing best friend against his shoulder. He provides comfort and warmth and soon enough he feels Neal go limp against him. Now this he is accustomed to, after anxiety attacks Neal would be exhausted and prompt pass out due to said exhaustion. Tilting his head to the side, Ian presses his lips against the side of Neal's head, whispering a soft "I love you, Neal" to him.
The Omega sighs, his chest aching at his friend's pain. Leaning back, he maneuvers the other until he's able to lift him into his arms. As he turns, his mates step forward to help and Ian can't stop the possessive and protective growl that escapes him at the idea. "Don't touch him."
He knows they mean well but he doesn't want Neal to wake up in a scare at the unfamiliar touches. That's always a risk and his best friend's comfort meant more than their help. Lev and Luke follow close behind as he makes his way around the house, tossing the idea of a shower out of the window as he places Neal on the guest room bed. Slowly, he removes Neal's shirt, socks, and jeans and then promptly replaces them with his own clothes, knowing that his scent is welcome.
Once he's done, he looks back over at his mates, who had stopped at the doorway to peer in on him - eyed narrowed with concern. "I'm going to stay the night with him."
Not waiting for a response he climbs into bed with his best friend, tugging the covers of the guest bed over their bodies. Through the bond he feels their understanding, and knows that he doesn't have to explain himself. Taking a step forward from the door frame Luke opens his mouth in an attempt to ask a question. However, the only thing that comes out of his mouth is "He—,"
Mainly because Ian doesn't let him finish his question. Cutting it off with an abrupt "Yes." With a sigh, he gives in and decides to explain a little more. "He was sold to pedophiles as a child and teenager." His hands find their way to Neal's long locks, brushing through his hair back as the other's soft breaths fill the empty space between them. "You guys might want to go to our room now. If Eric comes and finds two Alphas near his mate, especially if he's distressed, he might get the wrong idea."
The suggestion brings forth a second of silence and then the room is consumed by tenseness. Their attention snaps over to the doorway and Lev and Luke have to step aside to let in said mate.
"I won't," Eric responds as he walks into the room, voice hoarse as he swipes his bloody nose with the back of his hand. Noticing the Alphas, his back straightens, posture changing in their presence. "You should implement better security. Both me and my mate were able to break in undetected, I'll help you out tomorrow."
The Alphas remain silent, knowing that the time and place isn't appropriate for them to be talking about such things like security. Instead they step aside, providing a clear line of sight to Neal. Eric takes him in, eyes fond before he shakes his head and lifts his hands. "Thank you, but I currently stink of the man that haunts him."
"What did you do?" Ian asks, not because he's worried for the guy but because he wants some peace of mind as well.
Shrugging at the question, Eric meets his gaze. "What do we usually do with rogue wolves?"
"He was-" Lev starts only to be pulled aside from his brother, Luke, understanding that it isn't the best option to get involved in this conversation.
"You killed him." The Omega concludes and it has the Beta grunting.
"Sure did, just him though. But there were other rogues with him, he's just outside your border in case you want to dispose of the body. I suggest doing it before someone finds it."
At that, Ian's mates nod in agreement - send another glance Ian's way then proceed to walk past the Beta and leave the room. No other words are said. Ian proceeds to get comfortable against his best friend as Eric walks past them into the bathroom - turning on the shower and closing the door for more privacy. Once inside he can't help but want to scrub his skin until it's pink and rash - he doesn't want to smell like the man that Neal once feared.
The flashback, he growls - hand slamming against the shower wall. He isn't sure if Neal is aware of it, but he'd shared his flashback with him. Letting Eric know everything; how he felt, what he felt, it was like he was able to experience everything firsthand.
To say that he was pissed at the moment was an understatement. He had seen red and, in an instant, had shifted and started chasing the man into the forest. There was regret and guilt as he thought about leaving his mate alone in the middle of the Forest of Morn but he knew that if he didn't catch the son of a bitch that had hurt his mate, that Neal wouldn't be able to live with that possibility.
Shaking his head, Eric steps out of the shower, this isn't the time to think about what he'd done to the man. Now, the most important thing is comforting his mate. Walking back onto the room, he smiles softly as he sees Ian and Neal cuddling. Not knowing whose clothes to borrow he simply looks through the drawers until he finds something that fits, sliding it on before slipping in behind Neal.
His mate shifts for a second then, instinctively leaning back into Eric and dragging Ian with him. The rain is still pouring, the light taps of water droplets filling the empty space along with occasional thunder claps. When the loud sounds break, Neal jolts and shudders but doesn't wake. As the night continues on, Lev and Luke return, expressions filled with exhaustion and hair wet as they sit on the floor of the room opposite of the bed. Despite their mate already informing them of his plans to stay with Neal, it doesn't feel right to leave them alone, they still want to show their off-stand comfort.
It isn't until 3 in the morning when Neal shifts awake, sitting on the bed groggily and rubbing his eyes harshly with shaky hands. The wolves awake at the movement, and Ian is the first to break the silence. "Neal, love, you need to sleep."
"You know," Neal begins, ignoring his best friend's comment and staring ahead. "I don't know when he started hating me. I remember being three and loving his hugs. All day, every day, all I thought of was about him and my hugs - they were the best thing." Slumping back against the headboards, he sighs, ignoring how his own nails dig into his skin. "And then, once I turned five it was like a switch flipped. He hated me, absolutely despised me and no matter what I did - I couldn't please him. After a while I stopped trying, and focused on my siblings."
Reaching out, Eric shifts so that he's able to grip Neal's hands, stopping his mate from hurting himself. It'd take time because while Neal always declares that he's just fine, that he doesn't need help, he's simply lying to himself. They all knew that, and now he'd have to work to convince him to give therapy another try, to look into aversion therapy, to find people other than his closest friend and mate to invo(vent)dump. Because while they don't mind listening, it isn't healthy.
Eric lets out a sigh at the realization that it would be a hard task for him.
"Want to shower." Neal suddenly states and even while he appears calm, the shaking of his hands states otherwise. The change of topic eases the air and everyone visibly relaxes. "Also, congratulations."
"Congratulations?" Ian asks, pushing the covers back to stand up and help Neal with his request to shower. It isn't a surprising request, he just hopes he's able to change the bed sheets, covers and his own clothes once more before he finishes.
Scrunching his nose, Neal responds, "You're mated right? Your scent is different."
"Oh," Is Ian's eloquent response, cheeks blushing at the memories. "Yes, thank you."
"Are you suddenly being shy?" Neal asks after sending his mate a grateful look and crawling towards the edge of the bed to try and get a look at his friend's blushing expression. Denying him the chance, Ian turns and makes his way to the bathroom, glaring at his mates who watch with amused eyes from their spot.
Getting everything ready for a warm bath, he helps Neal once he walks inside.
"You came to me." The shampoo on Neals head turns white as Ian watches from the toilet seat, the plans of cleaning the bed long forgotten as he ensures his friend is still in a balanced headspace.
Neal nods at the statement, "Yes, Eric went after him and I was lost. I didn't know what to do and going to my family was out of the question. We were headed here anyways, so-"
"Neal," He interrupts, stopping his best friends rambling. "It's alright. I don't mind, I like that we're still us."
"I should probably stop though, right?" He asks, leaning back against the edge of the tub and ignoring the rustling going on in the other room.
"Why?"
"You're Luna now and have two mates, I can't just come and bother you with these things anymore." He explains, shoulders sagging as he leans forward to look for the plug - pulling it out of the drain and stopping as the room fills with the sound of water escaping the tub.
Growling lowly, Ian says, "Don't think that. You're family. I'll always have time for you."
Standing on shaky feet, Neal steps out of the tub and onto the fluffy carpet beneath it. His friend stands just outside with a towel, "Your Pack is your family now."
The words come out as though it were obvious and they have Ian's eyes twitching in annoyance. In an instant, flashes of their past come to light and he remembers- Neal is doing it again. Again, again, why won't he stop? "No, stop that. I'm not going to let you do that."
"What am I doing, Ian?" Neal asks with a sigh, having wrapped a towel around his waist and grabbing another to dry his hair. Their eyes aren't connected but Ian is sure that if they were that Neal's eyes would be filled with guilt.
Ian stomps his foot on the bathroom floor, the sound echoing in the small room as irritation prickles at his skin. Even his wolf, who is usually adamant about not interacting with Neal, wants nothing more but to surge forward and snarl at his friend - his family. "What you did with your brothers; push them away. Push them away on purpose because you think it's what's best for them, instigating situations so that you're painted as the bad guy. You're not going to do it with me. It won't work. So stop it."
"It would be better though." Neal whispers - because he had been found out and there was no point in keeping up pretenses that he didn't have another goal in mind.
"No it wouldn't. I'd be torn. You're so important to me, I wouldn't know what to do if you weren't around. I need you. I'm not letting you leave me, not like this." He finishes, voice hoarse and broken as he pulls Neal into a hug, resting their foreheads together.
"I'm glad I came to you." Neal whispers and Ian hums, pressing himself closer. The other lets him and lets out a shaky sigh alongside it that he didn't know he was holding in. He also can't imagine a life without Ian - without the one who saved him and helped in rebuilding him.
He can't.
Not ever. Not like this.
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4
Almost done aye <3
EDIT: HOW DID A 2.3k CHAPTER TURN INTO A 2.9k CHAPTER??? WHAT IS WRONG W ME