Chapter Text
The room is dark and quiet, aside from the low humming of the hangmans engine beside Fabians bed. The young half-elf stares into the darkness from where he's curled up in his bed, his dark vision picking up on the faintest movement in the corner of the room. He groans to himself, rolling over to face the wall.
"Go away Riz."
The goblin emerges from the shadows, sheepishly holding his hat in his hands.
"I was worried about you."
He watches for any reaction from Fabian, but all he gets is a small shrug, his back still turned towards Riz. With a sigh, Riz crosses the room, stepping silently around creaking wooden floor boards.
"Hey-" Riz steps around the Hangman, offering a small pat to its handlebars as he leans on the edge of the bed. "Are you...are you okay?"
Silence. Fabian doesn't respond again. But his shoulders tense almost imperceptibly. Riz's eyebrows furrow in worry.
"Alright thats probably...a dumb question. Sorry." He reaches up (against his better judgement.) And rests a hand gently on Fabians arm, in the best form of comfort that he can manage.
Riz tries not to be hurt with Fabien pulls away.
"Right." He clears his throat, moving to a small armchair beside the bed. He climbs into it, tucking his knees to his chest and curling his tail around his ankles, watching Fabien with dark eyes. The silence falls heavy around them both, punctuated by the lapping of waves against boat outside. In other circumstances it could have almost been peaceful.
Almost.
"They're dead." Fabians voice breaks the silence, starling Riz a bit. Riz watches as Fabien rolls onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. "The warlocks...They're all dead." He turns to Riz, in the faint moonlight from the window his eyes are shiny with tears. He can't remember the last time he'd seen Fabian cry. It sends a chill through him.
"I'm- God I'm... I'm sorry." Riz blinks, wide eyed and shocked.
"Yeah." Fabien speaks, voice barely a whisper. He turns back to the ceiling, sighing deeply. "Me too."
The silence falls again, heavier this time. Almost suffocating. Fabian wipes his eyes, letting his hands fall to his sides. Riz reels, trying to think of what a person- a *friend* is supposed to do in a situation like this. His eyes fall on Fabians hand , now resting on the side of the bed, next to Riz's chair. He's not sure what possesses him next, but he's leaning forward, reaching out for it.
Fuck it.
Fabian feels a hand grab his, squeezing it firmly. Small goblin claws wrap around his fingers and his breath hitches, caught somewhere between surprised and...touched? (It's been...a weird night for him alright?)
"I'm... I'm here if you need me. Okay?" Riz whispers, sounding softer then Fabian has ever heard him. "Let me be here for you." Riz goes to let go but Fabien suddenly interlocks their fingers, holding his hand in place.
Riz goes still, heart now hammering in his chest. He's almost afraid in the near silence of the hotel room Fabien might be able to hear it, as absurd as that was.
Fabian swallows hard, not looking at Riz as he squeezes his hand tightly. A silent- Thank you. Before letting it go, his hand falling limply off the side of the bed. Riz curls back up in the chair, watching the slow rise and fall of Fabiens chest.
Please be okay. Riz hopes with his whole chest. Almost as though the thought alone may be able to fix whatever it is Fabien is battling right then. Riz tries to stay awake, to keep an eye out. But the exhaustion of the day catches up, and he's pulled into sleep.
...
When he awakens he can't move- caught somewhere in the haze between waking and unconscious. The first thing he realizes is that the window is open & Fabian is gone.
Across the room the narrow eyes of a cat glare down at him from the darkness.