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Rabies is being quiet today. In all honesty, Varyll assumes it’s because he and xem aren’t that close, and since Screecher had business to attend back in town, the two of them are scoping out the area without the Kenku.
Even so...
Rabies has never been this quiet. He’s barely spoken a single word all day, and seemed off when their party of three was eating together this morning. Normally, Rabies is loud, brash, and unafraid to speak his mind. Today though, he’s only spoken twenty words max, and even that’s pushing it.
Varyll normally feels gross about being this worried about someone, because while xe cares , caring has gotten xem into trouble before. Xe lets out a quiet sigh. The sun is starting to dip on the horizon by now. “We should be getting back,” Xe says, turning to face Rabies. “Are you coming, or..?”
He flinches so hard that it looks like it hurts, head whipping around to look at xem. “Don’t leave me!”
Varyll blinks, arms still crossed across xyr chest. “Woah, I didn’t plan on it. Are you doing okay, Ratbite?”
It’s a bit of a stupid question. He’s clearly not, a panicked look on his face and trembling limbs. Varyll kneels to be at their level, mainly because he only reaches to about xyr thigh. “C’mere, I’m not gonna leave without you, I promise.”
Rabies basically launches himself into xem, and although surprised, xe hesitantly wraps xyr arms around him. Shit, I wasn’t supposed to get attached. Fuck.
The Kobold is crying, xe realizes. “Why wasn’t I enough?” He whimpers into the elf’s chest.
Varyll wasn’t expecting that, nor does xe have an answer. Xe swallows. Xe’s never been good at comforting people, but now seems like a good time to try. “You are enough,” Varyll murmurs, resting xyr chin on his scaled head. “Whoever told you otherwise doesn’t deserve you.”
And maybe those are the words Varyll xemself needed to hear, but if they are? Well, that doesn’t really matter.