@ElderGodSwimwithGamers group
Derlik held Nik in one arm, lifting his other hand to take Nik's hands.
"Please, Nik," he said quietly.
Derlik held Nik in one arm, lifting his other hand to take Nik's hands.
"Please, Nik," he said quietly.
Nik shook his head quickly. "Let go!" Smoke mewed worriedly, tail twitching.
"Nik…" Derlik let out a soft breath.
"Put me down." He said again, trembling in the other man's arms. "Please put me down, I'm sorry…" He didn't even know why he was apologizing but when he'd been in situations like this before, apologizing had always defused it, even if he still paid for whatever the other had thought Nik had done wrong. "I'm sorry, just… please put me down…"
"Nik, you haven't done anything wrong." Derlik didn't say a single thing about anything Nik might have done that he didn't like, because that wasn't the point of this.
"Please put me down." He said again, not understanding why Derlik wouldn't let go. "P-please…I…"
"Nik." Derlik held the man gently in his arms. "Do you think I'm going to hurt you..? I just want to make sure you're safe right now…"
He was shaking. He had been in situations like this too many times before, and he didn't see any difference between Derlik and the men who had mistreated him before. "P-please put me down." He whispered.
Derlik raised one hand to lightly cup Nik's cheek.
"I… okay, then."
Nik swallowed faintly, trembling still.
Derlik carefully lowered Nik back onto the boulder, letting go of him.
Nik curled into a ball, holding onto Smoke and shivering for a moment.
Derlik let out a long breath. He was going to have to put Nik back together… someday.
Nik didn't look at him, remaining still and silent.
(Gtg soon sorry)
(okie! night!)
Derlik scoffed a bit, quietly. He'd wanted to actually help, to get that man back for hurting Nik, and he refused the help.
Nik was still shaking, just a little bit, curled tightly into himself.
Derlik turned his back to Nik.
"I'm leaving for a bit," he finally said.
Nik peeked up at him, a little confused. "Oh." he said faintly.
"Just… don't hurt yourself while I'm gone." Derlik let out a breath, moving away.
He nodded slightly, looking down at the ground again.
Derlik stalked off, needing to cool down. For a moment, Nik was alone with Smoke.
Nik stayed curled up with Smoke in his arms, taking in soft, shaky breaths.
Eventually, Twili slowly made her way out of the treeline, in her wolf form. He came towards Nik, head down low.
Nik glanced up, spotting her, but didn't speak.
Twili eventually laid down in front of the boulder, at Nik's feet. She didn't attempt to communicate with him, simply laying there in her wolf form.
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