Raze woke with a start, eyes wide with panic. It took him a moment to realize he was no longer looking at sky but the ceiling of their home back in Terra. And what held him were not the cruel bonds the farmer had used but the warm embrace of Seth and Kaden who now lay sleeping on either side of him. His breathing calming, Raze silently took stock of himself. He ached all over with the most intense of it located where he expected, but that was it. Thinking back he could remember flashes – a wagon ride home, a healer being summoned, severe pain fading into warm darkness. The memories of what had happened before swam to the surface making tears pool in the corners of Raze’s eyes. Wiping them away, Raze swallowed hard. Logically he knew he’d have to deal with what had been done to him but at this point he wasn’t ready. Instead he turned his attention to the two warm bodies surrounding him. Despite the horrors he had just survived, Raze couldn’t help but smile lovingly as he looked down at the two men, his best friends, family, and more. Seth and Kaden lay on either side of Raze, each curled protectively around him, with their arms lying across Raze’s chest, fingers entwined.
As Raze looked more closely at his two friends his smile turned to a frown as he took in their condition. Karen’s face, though peaceful in sleep, showed signs of exhaustion with dark circles under closed eyes. He also had several dark bruises mottling his right temple, the telltale sign of a nasty blow to the head. Turning to look at Seth, Raze’s frown deepened. Seth’s right arm, which rested across Raze, was bandaged up in a splint. Noticing he was without a shirt, Raze gently pushed back the sheets covering the three. What he saw on Seth’s back made him suck in breath. New angry red lines lay overtop the old white scars of the past. Raze could only imagine what had happened to his poor family when they had come to his rescue.
Raze moved and gently brushed Seth’s thick hair from his face. When his fingers made contact with Seth’s skin Raze paused. The heat he felt shocked him. While he and Kaden knew Seth naturally had a higher temperature then them, Seth felt incredibly warm, even for him. Not sure what to do, Raze was distracted by Kaden stirring at his side. Raze watched as Kaden rubbed at his eyes sleepily, reminding him of Finn. Finally blue-green eyes opened to meet his own.
“Hey,” Kaden smiled, voice husky from sleep. “You’re awake.”
Raze nodded and Kaden reached to gently squeeze Raze’s shoulder. “How’re you doing?”
At Kaden’s question Raze could feel the tears threaten to fall. For a second time he forced them away. He knew he could confide in Kaden, but he just wasn’t ready. He managed a slight shrug. “Sore,” he admitted before motioning to the still sleeping Seth. “I think Seth has a fever though.”
Kaden sat up immediately. He was aware Raze was avoiding the subject but the mention of his lover being ill was more then enough to successfully distract him. Reaching over Raze, Kaden placed his own hand on Seth’s forehead, a look of frustration on his face.
“Damn it. I knew the healer should have looked at his back. He kept insisting he was fine and could treat himself. He didn’t want to distract the healer from his work.”
“His work on me,” Raze filled in the blanks, biting his lip and dropping his gaze.
Kaden looked at Raze and could see where his thoughts were going. He reached and gently tipped Raze’s head back up to meet his eyes. “Don’t you dare feel guilty over this. None of this is your fault. There is one man to blame and he’s dead and gone.” Kaden looked back at Seth and sighed. “And he was probably right. You’re injuries were severe and required the healer’s full attention. Sometimes I wish he’d just consider his own needs.” Kaden sighed again, stroking his lover’s thick hair. “Sometimes I worry he still believes he’s worth less then we are.”
Raze frowned at that but considered Kaden’s concerns. While he and Kaden always did their best to treat Seth as an equal, Seth did seem to go out of his way to keep their family comfortable. Between the cooking, gardening, mending, washing, and even the shopping it was surprising Seth had any free time to himself. And as for his physical health, this wasn’t the first time Seth had ignored his own injuries to help either Kaden or himself. Raze silently filed this away to deal with at a later date.
Kaden rose from the bed and returned with a glass of water and a wet cloth. Raze gingerly pulled himself up into a sitting position. Kaden handed him the glass. Raze nodded in thanks and took a large gulp. Kaden moved to perch on the edge of the bed by Seth, placing the cloth on his forehead. Seth let out a soft murmur but remained asleep, bandaged arm now resting across Raze’s lap.
As Raze sipped his water he felt himself growing more alert. A thought struck him. “Finn and Kisho! Where are they?”
Kaden motioned to his and Seth’s bed. There Raze could clearly make out two kid shaped lumps beneath the blankets.
“We kept the details to a minimum,” Kaden admitted as he mopped Seth’s brow. “But after the healer left they insisted on staying by your side until you woke. They finally crashed a few hours ago. I guess we weren’t far behind.” He smirked, moving to place the cloth on the back of Seth’s neck.
* * *
-To Be Continued in actual roleplay! Hopefully!