“Raven, you’re safe here.It’s just you and me here, no one else can come here, no one can hurt you.You are safe.This space is safe, and there is no one here but you and me.Shh.Shh.”
It took a few minutes for him to calm down.His gaze cleared, but exhaustion had settled on his face, hollowing his cheeks and making his skin look sickly pale.
Maxim stroked Raven’s back.“You can rest here.It’s safe.”
Raven glanced around the room.Maxim didn’t know what he’d expected.Another room?Had he thought Maxim might take him to his own bedroom?His thoughts have to be mixed up and strange right now, but he doesn’t fear me anymore, I think.
“Will I…stay here?”
The question was followed by a dry cough.Maxim knew that blood would be good for him, but he didn’t want to leave Raven alone to get it, not now.
“For this very moment, yes.Until you understand better how to take care of yourself as a vampire.Then after that, you can go where you wish, or you can continue to stay here.This can be your home if you want it to be.”
“Home…”
The word came out as a whisper.Maxim wasn’t sure whether it was a question, but he nodded.Raven considered him but didn’t speak.He eventually sagged back against the bed, which Bryan had made at some point, silent in his care as was the wont of any Lar.
Maxim didn’t hurry Raven along, letting him find his own pace.All he did was pull the comforter over Raven once he was supine.Then he stood.
Raven made another one of those heart-wrenching noises.
“No, please stay.Please.”
Big blue eyes.Pleading.There was so much fear hidden behind them.
Maxim smiled and slid to the ground, folding his legs into a lotus position as if he were about to meditate.“Of course.I’ll be right here when you wake.I won’t move, and I’ll watch over you.”
Raven’s features relaxed, and he sighed.He didn’t close his eyes right away—understandable—but the exhaustion was too great for him to resist much longer.Maxim watched Raven’s eyelids flicker, pop open, flicker again, then remain closed.
Maxim relaxed as well.He would not move from this spot until Raven woke.
Raven’s sleep was fitful.Maxim would whisper to him when it looked as if nightmares were chasing him, and that calmed him down after a while.
New fledges could sleep for long stretches, but it was rare, and all of them were naturally nocturnal.As such, Raven started drifting into wakefulness not too long after night fell.He’d rested for perhaps three hours, all told.
Maxim remained in his position, staying calm when Raven’s eyes fell on him.
“You’re still here.”
“I said that I would be.Are you feeling better?”
“I…I think so.”
What a relief.“You can rest more if you prefer, but I’d like to get you some food.Though if you feel up to moving, we can go downstairs to the restaurant again.”
Raven pulled the comforter up to his chin.“Weird calling it a restaurant when it’s just blood.”
“Ah, but a restaurant is just a place to restore you, and blood certainly does that, wouldn’t you agree?”
Maxim thought beyond the etymology only once he’d said the words, and he could’ve slapped himself for it.Restore him as if he is cracked or broken.Damn me.I haven’t been this thoughtless in decades.
Raven, though, chuckled.“I never thought about where the word came from.So many words, and you never wonder how they got where they are.”
“Mostly people talking, one would assume.”
“Yeah…”
Raven pulled the comforter higher and looked off into the distance.Maxim relaxed his shoulders.
