Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 5: Lash

  WARNING: This chapter contains very descriptive physical violence! If you're sensitive to such things, well... skim carefully?  

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Chapter Five: Lash

Xaphile didn't remember falling asleep.

Hell, with him being in so much pain and coughing up blood, he hadn't thought he would have been able to fall asleep but that's apparently what had happened since he was roused by the feeling of something gentle and cool being draped across his forehead.

For a moment, he basked in the sensation, wondering vaguely what it was, but then, a gentle hand pressed against his ribs and a wave of agony momentarily blinded his senses. Letting out a wheeze, he violently jerked away from the one touching him.

"Stop," he begged, curling up into a little ball. "No more..."

There was silence for a long moment, but then the hand returned, large and rough but strangely soothing, and he shivered as it threaded through his hair, even going as far as brushing against his horns, cheeks, and ears.

"I'm sorry," a gruff voice muttered. "I shouldn't have brought you here."

Xaphile's eyes cracked open a little and he stared at the one kneeling inside the cage with him, vaguely making out long blonde hair, a blonde beard... jade green eyes...

"Gus?" he croaked, eyes opening a little wider. "What are you... doing?"

"Shhh!" the man hissed, pressing a finger against his lips. "If I'm caught, I'll be in more trouble than you yourself are."

Xaphile immediately snapped his mouth shut and sighed, choosing to stare at the bars of the cage as Gus's hand moved lower, but the feeling of it sliding across his skin disappeared near his collarbone. He glanced down when the man frowned intensely to see fingers on his belly.

He barely felt the hand on his middle region, even when Gus carefully peeled his shirt back.

The man winced the moment his skin was bared and averted his eyes, although it wasn't really hard for Xaphile to understand why since his sides and stomach had been bruised so badly that they genuinely looked almost black. He took in his own injuries with a detached feeling.

Gus swallowed, gently pressing the wet cloth against his abdomen, and just like that the agonizing pain returned, blotting out Xaphile's vision with dark spots. Gus's face wrinkled when he wheezed, breath whistling through his clenched teeth.

"It hurts..." he hissed, weakly turning his head as tears began to sting his eyes. "Owwwww..."

He tried to keep his voice down, but it was extremely difficult since the man seemed to be putting a specific amount of pressure on his body, and just as he thought as he was going to pass out the pain abruptly stopped. Xaphile took a breath, breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Your ribs don't seem to be broken," the hunter murmured, gently pulling the shirt back down and wiping his clammy forehead with the cloth. "Those bruises are still awful, though."

"I've had worse," Xaphile croaked, swallowing hard. "This is nothing."

Gus stared at him in shock.

"What kind of strange boy are you?" he demanded. "Why did you come looking for Lady Ella?"

Xaphile shuddered violently and a chill ran down his spine.

"That girl... isn't Ella," he croaked, covering his face with one hand. "That isn't my Ella... she's... not the girl I love."