Silently he watched her prepare the torn cloth in the bucket of water, his eyes fixed on her delicate hands. His mind roamed for a moment or two on how good those same hands had made him feel that night and he forcefully coughed into his hand to try and drive the thoughts away. Thoughts like those made him feel warm in that certain way and neither of them needed that right now. He wished his mind would stop straying back there. It wasn't that he didn't want to remember, but he simply didn't want his body reacting to those memories in the way it wanted to. That would be incredibly embarrassing and he didn't want her to think or feel that's all he felt when he was around her. It wasn't at all, but he did have to admit it was part of it.
When she spoke again his eyes widened and his mouth opened partially in astonishment. He definitely hadn't been expecting anything so serious be the reason she required the secrecy. What had transpired in her life that was so bad? "I won't tell anyone, I promise. I...don't want you to have to leave..." Of course he would feel awful if his spilling the beans would mean she had to leave her home, but he also didn't want her to have to be away from him. He didn't know what this was or where it was going, but Haven wanted to see what would come from it. He had a good feeling about it. As the first saltwater soaked cloth touched his exposed skin he tensed and clenched his jaw, drawing air in through his teeth. Damn that stung! But he knew that it meant that it was doing it's job.
As her tale unfolded Haven was dumbfounded. Bi-colored ears drooped down to lay against his head and his eyes filled with empathy. He couldn't imagine her having to have endured so much at the hands of her own mother. Haven and his siblings had been born in similar circumstances and yet both his mothers had loved him and never shown him any hint of resentment or anger. He, who looked so much like the man that had caused Naniko so much pain and probably Anu as well. Things had been hard for his family, but now, hearing Princess' story he felt guilty for thinking he had had it so bad. At least he had had people to care for him and love him and all of his siblings when they were little. He hadn't had to witness his own mother kill his littermates. He could see her hands shake and he knew why she refused to look at him through the reciting of this sad tale.
The bandaging was finished and her telling of past was as well it seemed. She sat there, continuing to look at her hands and he wished there was something he could do. Almost without though his hands reached out and gently place themselves on her shoulders. "Princess, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine..." There was nothing he could say to make it better. What was done was done, he knew that better than most. "I...understand that fear. I was afraid of becoming like my father, I still am. He...raped my mom, and he's killed people. And I look like him..." His face turned into a pained and ashamed frown. "I have to believe that we can rise above it though. I have to believe that we can be better than our parents. I have to." If he didn't it would all fall apart.
One hand moved from her shoulder to brush against her cheek. "Don't be sorry. I understand."
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