Who am I?

Bringing his hand up he ran it over his head and hair just taking in the boy. Memorizing every angle and curve that made up the beauty. “For allowing me to make you happy. To trust me enough to hug me like that. For being in my life.”

Zebadiah furrowed his brow at that thought, why would someone thank him for that? He looked up at the man and leaned gently against him, hoping that sort of affection would be allowed. “That seems like a weird thing to thank me for-- I haven’t done anything special.”

The hug took him off guard but it wasn’t unwelcome. In fact it was more than welcomed and Aremen wrapped his arms around him and pulled him tighter. It was as if he was trying to tell him just how much he needed to keep him safe without saying it. “Thank you,” his voice was barely a whisper as he brought his hand up to his pet’s hair and softly pet him. 

At the thank you, Zebadiah pulled away slightly and watched the man. “Why are you.. thanking me?” He hadn’t done anything to deserve a thank you from his master. He licked his lips and looked at the man.

“You don’t think you deserve to?” His heart shattered. “Little one, you deserve to be here. With me. You deserve all the happiness in the world and even if it takes me until my dying breath, I will prove this to you.” He kept his forehead close against his needing to be near his pet. Zebadiah filled a part of him that was broken when his ex-husband left. Something he didn’t know was gone. 

Zebadiah nearly whimpered as the man told him he deserved all of the happiness in the world. He didn’t think it was true, but he wanted to make the man happy. that was all he wanted. He found himself throwing his arms around the man then, giving him a hug, even if slightly awkward.

The flinch broke his heart but he didn’t pull away. It only reminded him how he wanted to protect him and keep him safe. Was it possible to lock him in a blanket fort where the world couldn’t get to him? Because if it was, he was going to do it. Brushing his thumb against his cheek bone he glanced into his eye, Armen had no idea who this master was but he was going to make sure that he never touched him again. “He is no longer your master, Zeb. He will no longer hurt you, I promise.” 

The faun lent forward to kiss his forehead but instead he stopped and opted to just rest his forehead against his. “I claimed you so you can live with me. So we can dance and play and do whatever would make you smiles. I want you, little one. Please stay with me.”

Zeb knew he wasn’t his master anymore, but he was so confused about it all. Why he was here and why this man would choose a used up slave like him over all of the others. He licked his lips and looked over the mans face even as he leaned forehead to rest his forehead up against his. “I... I want to be here with you.” He agreed slowly. “I just... I don’t know if I deserve to.”

Immediately he could tell the pet was scared which only broke his heart. The smile on his face was gone as he bent down so he could be face to face with him. Armen desired to reach out and cup his cheeks but kept his hands to himself though he wanted nothing more than to touch his boy. To comfort him. “Who hates you. Zeb?” The elite’s voice was laced with concerned but made sure to keep his soothing as well. 

“No one is taking you back anywhere, little one.” Armen gave in and reached forward cupping both cheeks softly and tenderly. “This is your home now, I have a room for you upstairs and a bed all of your own.” Brushing his thumb gently against his cheekbone he leaned forward and kissed his forehead almost like a whisper. “I promise you, whoever he is, he will not get to you her.”

Zebadiah furrowed his brow. He didn’t want Armen to get anywhere near his old master-- didn’t want the man to see how much he had been hated and realize that maybe there was a reason. “Master... He... He hates me... I-I don’t know why.” He’d tried so hard to be what that man wanted. He’d starved himself to keep thin and small-- knowing that was what he liked. But as he got older, the abuse had only increased.

The pet flinched slightly as the man touched him, as if he was expecting to be struck. An outburst like this would usually be met with such force. He swallowed. “W-What... What... Did... Did you? Here? What is happening? He said... he said no one but him would ever have me.”

He felt the other move behind him but he didn’t comment on it, just happy that he was still holding his hand. “Do you have a name, cutie?” Armen asked as he led him outside. There were other pets relaxing and running along but he felt like this one would be more comfortable if he took him to the side so it was just the two of them. 

At the question of a name, Zebadiah spoke lowly. He remembered his name, at least somewhat, but he hadn’t used it in years. “Master... H-He called me boy or pet...” He swallowed and shied away when any of the other pets got too close. If possible, they made him more nervous simply because they could easily get him in trouble.

“O..Okay.” He cleared his throat slightly awkwardly. Holding hands meant he was at the man’s side and that was a strange feeling to him. He took a step back so that he was walking just behind the man, but found he wasn’t willing to let go of his hand. It made him feel like he was doing something right.

Armen helped him to his feet before reaching out with his free hand and gently cupping his cheek. The touch on the boy’s skin was light and almost a whisper as he let his green eyes roam over him, studying him, and letting go. “Let’s go, I want to pick some flowers and see if I can spot some wild rabbits.” He didn’t dare let go of the boy’s hand keeping his hold on it gentle with enough resistance that if he wanted to let go he could. He just was holding on to it to try to sooth him and give a bit of calamity between them. 

The touch he was given by the man was so unlike anything else and he flinched away as if he was expecting pain. That was generally all he knew. Affection was usually followed by things that were bad. “Flowers.... Rabbits.” He was confused as they began to walk, both were things he had never done before. “W-Why... D-Do you want me to service you?”

Armen had no ideas what to do honestly but he knew he had to do something. Standing up slowly - glad that he had used his glamour today that his legs appeared human - he tried not to startle him. “I am sure you are one too.” He didn’t make the comment on how he deserved that freedom. “Would you like to come outside with me,” the faun asked holding out his hand. “I only want you to if that is something you want however.”

Zebadiah wanted to deny the man, tell him all the reasons he wasn’t a good pet. It had been beat into him, shown when he could never seem to do the right thing, no matter how hard he tried. “Y-Yes, sir.” He nodded his head. He looked at the hand a part of him wanted to protest, but he had learned long ago that he should never deny a master what they wanted. He took the man’s hand and slowly pushed himself to his feet.

It hurt to see the boy tense up like this and all he wanted to do was pull him into his arms tightly. He was just a tavern owner with little education but he could tell that something had happened to him, which was why he couldn’t look him in the eye. Like he was afraid to almost. “Why not?” Normally he would have told him to call him by his name instead of sir but his gut was telling him that he wouldn’t even if he told him to do so. “The others seem to enjoy it a lot out there.”

Zebadiah had never thought about it, but it was unfamiliar that he didn’t like it. He’d like to go watch the birds, but he was afraid to go out there when it had always been forbidden before. “I... I’m a pet... I-I don’t d-deserve that freedom.” If it was a test, he was sure he’d pass with flying colors. “I’m glad they are h-happy, sir. T-They are p-probably good pets.”

It almost upset him that he went this long without coming to the Tower. He had lived here all his life, had made several trips to the Tower when he was younger but once he married he stopped. His ex husband wasn’t a fan of the idea of a pet and Armen, too much in love, didn’t think he needed a reason. Now his left hand was bare, his marriage was over and he found himself visiting the Tower twice in once week. The faun couldn’t help but wonder if it was because deep down he was looking for something to fill hat hole his divorce left inside of him. Lost in these thoughts he realized that most pets were out and about on their free time, but that wasn’t what made him stop. What made him stop was a young boy sitting on the ground curled up and staring into space. His food was untouched which worried the tavern owner and he moved closer to him in the feel, still making sure to give him space. “Hey,” he crouched down some so he was eye level with him. “You don’t feel like going outside today with the others?”

Zebadiah thought about closing his eyes just for a little bit, so that he was more awake should anyone as services of him. But before he could fall asleep, there was someone approaching. He was rigid again, almost as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t have been doing. As the man crouched down, Zebadiah avoided his eyes, keeping them downcast to the ground to show he was respectful. “N-No, sir...” He shook his head.

he noticed the small smile on his features, but his words had gabe unconvinced. he stepped closer to the other, intentional to keep enough space between them to ensure the other could still find comfort in the distance, but close enough that he could get a better look at the boy, “you got a stutter? or y’just nervous?”

Zebadiah furrowed his brow. It wasn’t that he had a stutter, just that he had a hard time getting his words out because it had never been expected of him before. He swallowed, and fiddled nervously with his fingers. “I...” He swallowed. “Just n-nervous, sir.”

he glanced over the boy as he stumbled over his words and rubbed his lips together, “ain’t no reason to apologise, kid.” gabe did his best to reassure, considering the other looked like a puppy that had just been kicked, “s’fine. you doin’ alright?”

Zeb nodded his head, but to him, an apology was the only thing that kept him from being struck, even for looking at someone. “Y-Yes, sir-- I’m alright.” He was quick to speak those words, he had no reason to not be alright. It was the first time since he could remember that he went longer than a week without being yelled at.

“Then we will go for pizza,” Beau said as he led the pet through the building. There was a place he liked to go to have land food. Pizza was one of the best foods he could find on the land. “So, are you always this paranoid about people testing you?”

Zebadiah furrowed his brow. “What... What is pizza? Can I ask that...?” He asked the questions quietly, wondering what sort of food that was. It was definitely something he’d never had before. He cleared his throat. “M-Master used to test me...”