While Wyatt tended the fire, Ambrose moved back to lean against the couch, and finished eating his apple, using the distraction to calm down.

Sitting back with a sigh after returning the skewer to its place, Wyatt got a little more comfortable, taking off his boots and setting them aside beneath a nearby chair before shifting to sit cross legged.

“Are you okay?” he asked, looking up to see Ambrose watching him.

Ambrose gave him a slight smile and nodded.

“Good,” Wyatt said. Glancing down, he reached out and picked up Ambrose’s foot gently by the ankle.

“Um… Wyatt?” Ambrose asked.

“Yeah?” Wyatt replied looking back up at him but not letting go of his foot as he found the end of the shoelace.

“What are you doing?”

Wyatt lowered his gaze again and smiled as he tugged gently on the end of the shoelace and it slipped free. “What do you think I’m doing?” he asked, peering up at Ambrose again.

“I – I don’t know,” Ambrose replied, his body somewhat tense as he leaned back against the couch, his weight on his arms at his sides and he swallowed thickly.

“Its okay, Ambrose,” Wyatt said, noticing his state. “I’m just trying to help you relax and be more comfortable, that’s all…”

Ambrose nodded and swallowed again.

Wyatt watched him for a moment carefully loosening the laces of his shoe before slipping it off and turning to the other one and he had to wonder just what had happened to him to make him so jumpy.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Ambrose?” Wyatt asked as he gently set Ambrose’s feet on his lap.

“Y-yeah,” Ambrose replied. “I-its just… n-no one’s ever… I m-mean I’ve never…” He paused and blushed, looking away and clearing his throat.

“You’ve never been close to anyone,” Wyatt murmured and slowly began massaging Ambrose’s feet one at a time just as he’d done on his neck and head earlier. “Not even like this…”

Ambrose looked at him and swallowed before nodding slightly. “I – I wonder if p-perhaps I sh-should be asking you what you want…” he replied.

Wyatt grinned and shook his head.

“But no…” Ambrose answered. “I – I’ve never been with anyone… not even like this… at least from what I can remember…” He paused and swallowed before exhaling softly.

“What all don’t you remember?” Wyatt asked.

“I-it’s hard to say…” Ambrose replied. “But I would have to hazard a guess that it’s the last eight years….”

Wyatt stilled his movements and looked up at him in surprise. “Eight years?”

Ambrose nodded. “It would make sense,” he said and sighed. “I don’t remember meeting DG again, or anything before or after that… and the only memory I have from before is of Azka…” he paused and swallowed, closing his eyes briefly. “Of the witch watching the operation…”

Wyatt sighed and shook his head beginning to massage Ambrose’s feet once more. “I don’t know about you, but I’d be going crazy if I knew I lost that much time…”

Ambrose swallowed. “Why do you think the headaches haven’t gone away?” he asked.

Wyatt exhaled heavily and nodded.

“So… um,” Ambrose said as he picked up his wine glass and nodded toward his feet in Wyatt’s lap. “Why…?”

Wyatt grinned and chuckled softly. “Because I wanted to,” he murmured.

Ambrose arched a brow giving him a coy look. “Like I said, maybe I should be asking what you want,” he said before taking a sip.

Wyatt smiled as he continued his massage. “To hear more about you,” he replied, lowering his gaze. “If there’s more you want to tell me… if you don’t mind me asking, that kid you were talking about… who was he?”

“Why,” Ambrose asked, trying to keep the surprise from his voice and hid behind his wine glass. “Are you going to hunt him down and beat him up for me?”

Wyatt chuckled. “I might,” he replied.

Ambrose leaned back, letting his head lull back as he closed his eyes and released a shaky breath. “I hoped I’d never see him again…”

Wyatt stilled briefly and looked up at him, his smile fading. “But you did.”

Ambrose nodded and swallowed, not looking at him. “Yes,” he replied. “And he was even angrier than before… because I had gained such a high position under the Queen.”

Wyatt looked down and gently squeezed Ambrose’s foot when he felt the tremor run through him.

“I… I saw him again when Az…” he began and then swallowed dryly licking his lips, his head on the couch. “When the witch took me to him…”

Wyatt’s breath hitched and he stilled.

“H-his name w-was Richard…” Ambrose murmured and swallowed thickly. “But everyone called him Raynz…”

Wyatt exhaled a breath, paling and his stomach turned as everything clicked into place.

Ambrose released a shuddering breath and closed his eyes tightly as he trembled again, tears coming to his eyes once more.

Wyatt shifted, moving closer to Ambrose, gently laying his legs over his lap as he moved forward.

“Oh, Gods…” Wyatt murmured softly. “Ambrose…I’m so sorry…”

Ambrose blinked and looked up at Wyatt’s movements, the tears that had welled in his eyes spilling down his cheeks and he startled as Wyatt wrapped him in his arms. He swallowed, and after the initial shock wore off, Ambrose clung to him as Wyatt rocked with him, his tears continuing to fall.

“I’m so sorry,” Wyatt murmured in his ear as he continued to rock with him. “I – I thought he’d refused because he still hoped the witch would come back…” His heart wrenched as Ambrose trembled in his arms and cried.

Ambrose swallowed and shook his head against Wyatt’s neck. “H-he w-wanted to d-do it…” he murmured over his tears. “I – I could s-see it in his face… I-it was t-the only w-way he could beat me…”

Wyatt fought his own tears as memories of the night in the rebel cabin came to his mind and he reached up and pet Ambrose’s hair as he trembled against him. “I’m sorry,” he murmured in Ambrose’s ear once more. “I’m sorry I asked you to remember that…” He paused, his throat tightening and swallowed thickly. “He’s gone now… he can never hurt you again…”

Ambrose sobbed softly, still clutching at Wyatt, but relief washed over him at his words.

Wyatt held him close and gently rubbed his back. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “He can’t hurt you any more… not ever….”

Ambrose swallowed over a sob. “What d-do you m-mean?” he asked through his tears.

“He’s dead…” Wyatt murmured. “He can’t hurt you any more…” He blinked and sighed, tightening his arms around Ambrose when he felt Ambrose shift, holding him close. “T-the Queen ordered his execution when he refused to do the surgery,” he murmured in Ambrose’s ear. “It was believed that even with Azkadellia present and acting like she had before, he would have killed you if he got the chance…”

Ambrose swallowed, sobbing softly once more and tightening his hold on Wyatt as he cried his relief. “I – I wouldn’t d-doubt it…” he replied softly. “H-he hated me s-so much…”

Wyatt closed his eyes, holding Ambrose close as he continued to rock with him, hoping to calm him down and began to slowly pet his hair. “Shh,” he murmured softly. “Its okay, Sweetheart…” He paused and turned his head just enough to gently kiss Ambrose’s temple when he cried a little harder. “He can’t hurt you again…”

Ambrose sniffed and relaxed slowly as he cried himself out, but didn’t let go.

Wyatt shifted, turning to lean back against the couch. “Are you okay now?” he asked gently.

Ambrose blinked tiredly. “Yes… thank you,” he murmured, resting his head on Wyatt’s shoulder.

Wyatt looked down at the softness of Ambrose’s voice and realized that it was because he was falling asleep. “Are you all right?” he asked. “Ready for me to take you back to your room so you can sleep?”

Ambrose groaned and shook his head even as his eyes closed. “…’is nice…” he murmured, a soft sigh escaping his throat. “Comfortable…”

Wyatt smiled and chuckled softly. Reaching up, he gently carded his fingers through the curls that fell in Ambrose’s face. “Okay,” he murmured after a moment as Ambrose’s breathing slowed. “You can stay here if you like…” Shifting, he clumsily got to his feet, lifting Ambrose in his arms, finding him surprisingly light and carried him to the bedroom.

Ambrose sighed softly, turning into Wyatt.

“All right,” Wyatt said as he laid Ambrose gently on the bed before tucking the blankets around him. “You can have the bed…” He reached up and brushed the curls out of Ambrose’s face again. “I’ll take the couch.”

Ambrose groaned softly and reached out, taking Wyatt’s hand as he pulled away.

“What is it?” Wyatt asked, pausing at the touch and looking back.

“No…” Ambrose murmured tiredly. “Stay…”

Wyatt swallowed. “Ambrose… I… don’t think that’s such a good idea…”

“Please,” Ambrose asked. “Cold…”

Wyatt swallowed and blinked as Ambrose shivered. “Al-all right,” he said and slid hesitantly into the bed and found that Ambrose was shivering.

Ambrose sighed softly and nestled back into Wyatt, closing his eyes and drifted off to sleep as he gradually got warmer and his shivering subsided.

Wyatt shifted to get a little more comfortable and wrapped his arms around Ambrose, but it was some time before he fell asleep as he lay awake listening to Ambrose’s breathing and his mind continued to actively turn up thoughts and he wondered what he was doing.