I'm woken up by a light nudging. I crack open my eyes, and see that Peter is kneeling next to me. I sigh as I stretch and ask what he wants.
"Could we go for a walk?" He asks, uncertainly. I frown as I sit up, rubbing sleep from my eyes as I yawn.
"Huh?" I mumble, confused as to why he would wake me so early. The events that lead up to my impromptu flight are still fresh in my mind, so I'm somewhat doubtful that he simply wants to go for a stroll.
"Before Demetrius wakes up," he iterates. "Please?"
I look to the sky, and see that the very first vestiges of sunlight are starting to show over the horizon.
It's too fucking early for this, but...I suppose I owe the pestering human at least this much.
"Fine," I mutter, standing with yet another yawn. I shake my head to clear it of any sleepiness, and stretch to get my blood flowing. "Lead the way..."
Peter nods appreciatively, and I bend to pick up the leather restraints for his wrists. He stops me, and simply grasps ahold of my hand. I blush slightly, but follow nonetheless.
We continue wordlessly through the trees, side by side and holding hands. I feel his thumb gently rubbing my scales, and I can't help but smile. It feels pleasant - yet another nuance of human life that I've begun to enjoy...
After a small while, we reach a clearing with a small rock in the center. Peter lets go of my hand and takes a step back.
"I'd like to ask for a favor."
I nod, yet frown in confusion when he pulls a golden ring from his pocket.
"This is my mother's wedding ring," he announces, holding it as if it were a precious jewel. I feel a jolt of confusion. Why is he showing it to me? Does he mean for me to have it? But wouldn't that be weird? I don't know if he'd be able to handle a rejection...
"I'd like for you to -" ohhhhh no, hear it comes "-destroy it."
Wait, what?
I vocalize my confusion.
"My father, he...he broke my mother," the human sighs. "He...well, I don't know what he did, but I do know that right before my mom and I managed to leave the city, she was starting to deteriorate. She was despondent, she wouldn't do anything, she wouldn't even react when my father started cheating on her..."
I watch him as he approaches the rock in the center of the clearing, and gingerly places the jewelry on its dull surface.
"When we went to that village, my father didn't even try to stop us. He just...didn't care. And my mother just kept blindly devoting herself to him..." He sighs as he retreats from the rock.
"She was suffering so much, Nightwing...she could barely even wake up without being in pain, both emotionally and physically..."
I frown as I reach out for him, placing a single hand on his shoulder. I hate seeing him upset - it's harrowing, and it makes me anxious.
"But...but you put her out of her misery."
"Huh?" I was not expecting such a proclamation from the human.
"I don't care if it wasn't your original intention, you still spared her a life of pain," he continues. "I was hoping she would just go in her sleep, peacefully, and forget her pain..."
I frown as I awkwardly grip Peter's shoulder. So...he's happy that I killed his mother?
"I know that it seems wrong, but...I don't care." He clenches his fist, and grasps my forearm. I look into his eyes and see tears beginning in the corners of his eyes. "You did something for me that I can never repay, Nightwing. And that is why I will always be in your debt.
"That is why I will always be loyal to you. That is why I take any punishment you give me without question, and why I will always be by your side, as your slave. That's why last night, I..." He falls silent, and we both know that it doesn't need to be said. I smile, feeling lighthearted with his forgiveness in mind.
I watch him, remaining silent as he gives his speech. "And now, I want just one more thing, Nightwing. I want you to melt that wedding ring – not because I hate my father, but because..." He sighs, looking away as if what he's saying is wrong. "Because I want to be free of my mother's problems..."
I'm about to reply, but he continues. "I mean, it's not like I didn't care, it's just...it caused her to suffer, so much. Every night she'd look at that ring, and wonder what went wrong – she thought it was her fault. I...I just don't want to linger on it like my mother did."
He turns to me, fresh tears in his eyes as he grips my arm. "I mean, my father was, he was...he was great to me, Nightwing. He sent me to the best school in Amallhia, he...he's the reason I have an Elvish citizenship, he..."
The human chokes back a sob, and I suddenly find myself at a loss. I've never had to comfort him before – well, besides maybe having sex with him when he seems scared or nervous, if only to make sure he does what he has to. (And also because I'm always horny.)