This is my entry to @Nature_Love_4_Ever's writing comp! It's one of my favourite pieces of comfort writing- hope you enjoy <3 TW: animal attack on the main character. Darkness crisscrossed Carmel’s vision, trees and leaves and branches twining together to make an impenetrable maze. He’d been wandering for days, hoping to find someone, anyone, desperately praying that he wouldn’t be caught by the animals roaming the wilds. He couldn’t keep track of time, the days since he’d run away blurring into each other. He hadn’t slept since that day, hadn’t eaten, hadn’t rested. Only walked and ran, swapping between the two until he could barely feel his legs. Swaying on his feet, he finally let himself fall with a sigh. Shadows crossed the darkened sky, and his foggy brain barely comprehended them. Until he heard the snarl. Jumping up again, he stared around, tears pricking his eyes. Narrowed yellow eyes stared back at him, white teeth showing as lips curled into a menacing grin. Fumbling, forcing his dagger out of the sheath, he stared the beast in the eyes, foggy fear trying to force adrenaline into him despite his immense exhaustion. The panther stared back, lowering its haunches. Carmel tensed, ready for his final battle. Jumping forward, the panther toppled Carmel over in a flash, teeth just missing him as he mustered the energy to turn his head. Desperately forcing his hands out, gripping rolling fur and muscles, Carmel’s eyes blurred. He didn’t want it to end like this, he didn’t want to be torn apart in terror, he wanted to see his family just one last time even though they’d hate him now, he wanted… he wanted care… The heaving, heavy mass on top of him growled, shining claws glinting in the faint moonlight, and he just managed to move in time for them to miss his head, tearing his cheek and arm and lodging deep into a tree. The panther roared, rearing up and tugging the paw out, before smashing back down onto Carmel’s arm- the injured one. A scream tore out of his throat, the sudden searing pain in his arm unbearable, and he shoved at the panther, pushing it as hard as he could, throat choking, and it growled at him before another paw swiped the other way, and he was barely conscious enough to duck. The paw landed in the tree again, but this time the panther couldn’t tug it out, Carmel almost forgotten as it screeched, the other paw landing heavy on his throat. Gasping, writhing, desperately trying to get the enormous weight off him, Carmel could feel his heart stutter as black spots covered his vision, threatening to drown him if he didn’t do something, the thrashing of the panther fading out over the roar in his ears, hot saliva dripping onto him and teeth slashing mere millimetres from his face. Nothing was working, nothing was helping, he couldn’t breathe and it was only getting worse, he finally knew that he was dying, he was suffocating, and the trapped bird in his chest screamed for freedom as floods of tears filled his eyes, and finally he let out his last breath in a choked scream for help. The weight disappeared, words and sounds blurring into each other as he heard someone shouting- at him, at the panther, he had no idea. Someone shook him gently, and he dragged in a breath. An icy ocean of black oil swamped him, drawing into his lungs before nothingness.
Somehow, he was warm. Somehow, he was alive. Somehow, he was breathing, laid down on a soft bed, a warm, heavy blanket draped over him. His cheek barely hurt. His arm wasn’t stabbing him. Someone had put stiff fabric around his neck, keeping it stable. He cracked his eyes open, blinking in the warm light. Where was he? Cinnamon filled the air, and he felt his mouth water. Suddenly, he was aware of his hunger, the days since he’d eaten stabbing him sharply. Propping himself up unsteadily, he groaned. His head swum, and he hadn’t even noticed how lightheaded he was. “I- I… is anyone there?” he whispered urgently, voice a grating rasp. Heavy footsteps stumbled towards him, and the cinnamon smell became stronger, a gorgeous chocolate smell sifting through it. The couch dipped suddenly under him, jolting his neck despite the brace on it. He hissed, throat raw as his eyes pressed themselves shut. “Oh shoot, sorry!” a rough voice exclaimed. “Didn’t mean to shock you. I’m Alastair, you can call me Al if you like. I got you some hot chocolate!” he said, a note of hopeful perkiness entering his voice. Carmel chuckled despite himself, re-opening his eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered, finding the man holding a big mug of steaming liquid. His stomach grumbled again, and he took the mug as slowly as his ravenous body would let him. Taking a sip, he felt the warm, chocolatey liquid slip down his throat. It was so good… Letting his head fall back onto the couch in absolute bliss, he grinned. “How on earth do you make this?” he asked, still savouring the taste. Alastair chuckled. “I’ll give you the recipe when you’re all better. You can give your parents the hot chocolate of their lives.” Hearing the word parents, Carmel sat up again, eyes opening. Parents… “I… I don’t have any parents,” he said, voice wobbling despite himself. He carefully sat the hot chocolate down on a table near the couch. “I was out in the forest because-” his voice cracked, and he forced himself to continue. “because they, they-” “Shh, shh,” Alastair whispered, putting one strong arm around him. “It’s ok, you don’t have to say anything. It’s gonna be alright.” Carmel desperately fought with the urge to lean into him for a few seconds, before melting into Alastair’s arms. Automatically, his other arm wrapped around Carmel’s shoulder. “It’s ok, my boy, it’s ok,” he kept whispering, rocking Carmel back and forth gently. Finally, Carmel’s restrained tears burst free, streaking across his cheeks even as he tried to hold in a sob. Despite not quite trusting this stranger, not wanting to give in to his apparent kindness, he found himself clutching at Alistair’s beige apron, pulling him close. “I’ll take care of you, you’re gonna be safe,” he whispered, carefully pulling Carmel in. “It’s alright, you don’t have to tell me anything.” Through blinding tears, Carmel nodded, finally letting himself melt into Alistair. He had no idea how long they simply sat there, him sobbing as Alistair pressed circles into his back and rocked him, but by the end, his eyes were completely empty, nothing left to come out. Sensing that the boy’s grief had ebbed away, at least for the time being, Alistair gently let go, pressing the mug of hot chocolate into Carmel’s trembling hands. He took it carefully, taking a trembling sip. And another. And another. Eventually, sip by sip, he’d drained the entire mug, warmth flowing through him as he nestled back into Al’s arms, letting go of the grief of life for a moment. It was nice here. He could imagine staying here forever. Later that night, Al carried the sleeping boy into his bed and lay down on the couch, filled with thoughts of the boy whose name he didn’t even know yet.
