Chapter Text
"Mairon!" Someone is calling his name. "MAIRON!" It's louder this time. He can feel a distinct pain flaring up on his right cheek, but it's so far away. "MAIRON!" The voice calls him again and he gets the feeling he knows that voice or even the person it belongs to? But he is alone; there is nobody here with him. He is alone with his pain and misery, not even Melkor...
That voice... He is suddenly sure that that voice belongs to him and panic grips him anew.
He tries to get up, to get away, but something is trapping his legs.
He screams.
The next thing he knows is that something cold and wet hits his face, lots of it, and finally, he jolts awake, sitting up immediately. The room he is in isn’t dark and he has to blink against the blinding light. After a few seconds, he notices that the room is their bedroom and he's lying in bed, Melkor kneeling over his legs with an empty bowl in his hands and a worried expression on his face. "Y-you..." Mairon stutters, sitting up and trying to fight himself free. Only when he sets his hands down on the mattress he pushes himself backwards he notices that not only the bed is soaking wet, but he himself is as well. That was what had been in the now empty bowl in Melkor's hands. That was what had been dumped over his head. Ice cold water. What was the other even playing at?
"Mairon?" the older man begins, leaning forward and reaching out with his hand, "Are you o..." "Don't touch me! Get. Away. From. Me." He has to speak very slowly and deliberate to keep himself from sounding hysteric. Any other time the look on the others face would have caused him to relent, to give in; he has never seen Melkor so hurt or so worried before, but not today. 'After what he has done to me he has no right, absolutely no right to feel hurt.' he thinks.
"Get away from me!" He is almost yelling now, and finally, Melkor moves, "You had a nightmare. Whatever you think happened was not real." but Mairon doesn't believe him; he would say that, wouldn't he?
To manipulate him.
He scrambles back, up to the headboard, pulling his legs to his chest, before rolling to the side and climbing off the bed. Backing away from Melkor, never turning his back to him, he tries to get to the door, but when he turns around to find the handle, he catches a glimpse of his back in the mirror and freezes. As if he's in trance he lets go of the handle and takes a few steps towards the mirror, looking into it over his shoulder, staring at his backside. It's pale, freckled and completely unhurt. His whole body is, except for his right cheek that looks a little reddened over his cheekbone. Slowly he reaches up to trace along it, almost missing the apologetic, "I tried to wake you up and after yelling didn't work..." coming from behind him.
So it all had just been a nightmare? But it had felt so real... Slowly his hand reaches down and his fingertips trail over the soft skin of his bottom. The mirror provides him with all the proof he needs to see and another sob wrenches from his throat, a mixture of relief and worry building in his chest. Relief that apparently it was all just a dream and worry that he has pushed the other away by unreasonable behaviour, that he had lost the one person he loved just because of a stupid dream.
After all the emotional turmoil his nightmare had already caused him this simple thought alone is already too much to bear and he breaks down crying in front of the mirror. Sitting on the floor with his knees pulled up to his chin and his arms wrapped around himself and sobbing uncontrollably. Only a few seconds later, however, a blanket is wrapped around him and Melkor kneels down next to him on the floor, pulling the smaller man to his broad chest in a tight embrace.
Turning to the side he buries his face in the crook of Melkor's neck, breathing in the scent of the older man deeply and letting himself be calmed by it and the protective hold around him until his breathing becomes more even and the heart-wrenching sobs are replaced by only silent tears.
"Tell me what happened." It's not a question, but it's not an order either; he could get out of this if he wanted. But he doesn't. He knows he has to talk about it or it will haunt him forever. And if there is any person who could comfort him, it's Melkor, so he starts to talk. His voice is very quiet, but steady, until he reaches the part where the other man called Melkor "Master", there his throat tightens again and can feel more tears welling up. He continues to talk until he has told him everything, except for the delicate questions he had asked himself in the dream, and he ends his explanations with Melkor's voice calling him back into reality.
"It was all so real, it was so disgusting and it hurt so much, not only physically, and when I woke up and felt that my legs were trapped I panicked and... I didn't mean to yell at you or push you away. I... I'm so sorry..." The last sentence is interrupted by another sob and again he is crying against the other's chest, although this time out of sheer relief that Melkor is still holding him close and not pushing him away, that Melkor is rubbing soothing circles over his back to help him relax again.
Once he has calmed down the older man gently pushes him from his chest by his shoulders, "Listen to me, Mairon, you do not have to be sorry, your reaction was natural and I understand." Slowly the taller man's large hands trail from his shoulders up to his neck and then come to a rest cupping his face. He locks his gaze with Melkor's and the slight hint of distress he can see in the other’s eyes causes his heart to leap in his chest.
Both of them decide to go for a kiss at the same time, the taller man pulling the younger one closer and the smaller one pressing himself closer until their lips meet. It's a slow kiss, slow but deep and meaningful. Their tongues slide against each other, but there is no claiming this time, no teeth nipping at lips, just a long and sensual kiss until they have to break apart again.
Melkor's hands are still holding his face and he sounds more serious than Mairon has ever heard him as he looks him deep into his eyes and promises, "Never, little one. I would never."