The Bars Between (MxM)

3

He didn't see him again until he was 16.

He had gotten into an argument with his father.

He had only wanted a taste of freedom. Just stayed out a little past curfew with his friend Aspison. They didn't even do anything, just ran around the garden making jokes and having fun, and Adren was a man now, responsible for himself.

That didn't make any difference in his father's rage.

And that's how Adren found himself quickly walking through the castle, just wanting to be alone.

However, it seemed that at every corner he turned, someone he knew was waiting on the other side, that every long hallway led to an unwelcome conversation.

So he went to the only place he knew no one would follow. He went to the place where only one person sat, someone he wasn't obliged to talk to and would likely not speak.

He travelled back down the long hallway, ever dim torch in hand, eyes red and irritated with frustration. There was no warmth down there, making every step colder, but he was used to the cold, he's lived in it all his life.

The first thing he did when he reached the end was look into the cage.

It took a minute, but he was able too see the man laying horizontally next to a wall, back turned towards Adren.

Forgetting his situation, the prince suddenly wanted to bolt out of there. The man's body wasn't moving, he looked dead. Adren had never seen a dead body before, and the very possibility that one might be laying in front of him made him sick to his stomach.

Just as he was about to leave, he noticed the side of the man rise ever so slightly. Adren leaned closer, squinting his eyes until he confirmed that yes, the man was breathing.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Adren sank to the floor, his side leaning on the bars that he could tell were freezing even through his clothes as he looked at the man, concentrated on the slow rise and fall of his side.

"You scared me, I thought you were dead." Adren said without thinking, immediately regretting his decision seconds after. Not only did he reveal emotion and weakness, he also opened the door for conversation, something he came down here to avoid.

The man's breaths stopped for a second, making Adren scared again, before he started moving.

It was almost painful watching the man slowly roll over so he could face him, the movement obviously a change from what he did before.

He looked almost the same, even the hair on his chin hadn't grown much since he last saw him, making him wonder if they allowed him something to cut it with. What differed was the fact that he was pale, paler than last time Adren saw him, so pale his skin stood out from the dirt. His face looked unbelievably tired, eyes fighting to stay open in the light he was obviously sensitive to.

But when they did open, Adren was shocked more than anything that they showed something other than the cold, dead look he remembered so well.

They were needy, desperate.

The man opened his mouth slowly, as if to speak, but ended up closing it, as if that caused him too much pain.

He did this several more times.

Just as Adren was about to speak again, a scratchy sound came from the man's throat, he realized that he was clearing it. "You-" He stopped, allowing the hurt to die down. Adren could tell that speaking caused the man pain, from the scratchiness of his voice to the way he was slowly rubbing his throat, it all pointed to disuse. "Why are you," the man paused to swallow loudly. "Here?" His eyes looked up at Adren, big and full of pain.

"I needed an escape." Adren answered truthfully.

"Here?" The man asked, eyes moving around the cage, as if searching for something special.

Adren nodded, the movement bringing the man's eyes back to him. "I just needed to get away from everything for a little bit." The man kept looking at him. "Sorry if that bothers you." Adren added, realizing that maybe the man just wanted to be left alone.

The man slowly shook his head. "This is-" He paused, allowing himself time to swallow. "You are the first person," another pause, "that I've seen," another pause, this time several moments longer, "since I was brought... here."

Adren's eyes widened. He was the first person that's talked to the man in seven years? No wonder his voice was so scratchy, and his eyes looked so pained to the light, dim as it was. Adren suddenly felt silly for his previous problems, considering how this man's situation was infinitely worse."Wait, then who feeds you?"

"Nobody."

Adren sat up straighter. "Nobody! That's not possible though, everybody needs to eat."

A smile slowly formed on the man's cracked lips. "Mag-" he stopped to cough. It was a horrible coughing fit. "Magic keeps me alive."

"Magic?" Adren was now horribly confused. "But magic's good. You wouldn't be here if you were magic."

"I didn't use it for good."

Adren looked down, silence filling the air. "My name is Adren."

"Ry-" a deep breath, "Ryion."

"I have to go." Adren said, now ready to face his father's rage.

The man moved faster than he had this whole time, head snapping up, desperate eyes meeting his, begging, asking him to stay.

But Adren couldn't. Looking at the man's state hurt him. It was too painful to watch, especially since he couldn't do anything to help.

Without another word, Adren bolted out of there, not looking back.