This is an AU oneshot that is likely familiar for many of you if you read my yandere oneshot book or clicked the link when I talked about it in HoS some time ago, but I wanted to bring it into this book in case any of you have not read it already. Also, it's written for Medein so I feel it belongs in here, regardless of being an older oneshot. So if you have already read it, thank you for that, and if you haven't, here is your chance!

________

It had hurt when Tomas admitted to me how he'd almost left after the accident, when he had been watching me as the weeks slowly passed and wondering if I would ever wake up again. I'm not sure what I would have done if that had happened, my heart aching as I listened to him. But I'd listened, hearing each word spoken with anguish as he realized how close he had come to making that choice, to losing everything we had built together, even if the accident had meant we would have to make a lot of changes in our plans for the future.

Still, he had stayed with me, waiting for me to wake up and praying that I wouldn't look at him with hatred or regret for being with him. That I wouldn't blame him alone for what happened that night. The relief when I had opened my eyes had been short-lived, his eyes growing dark as his own regrets filled them with tears.

"Do you hate me?" The first words I heard when I awoke that day had me so confused, his voice choked with intense guilt.

At first, I didn't understand what he meant, my hand slowly raising up to reach for him in comfort, but once I saw my arm I understood. Almost shining under the harsh lights of the room, the pattern of scars forming as cuts healed seemed to stand out all too clearly to my tired eyes.

"Tomas... What... What happened to me?" My voice sounded far too harsh to my ears, coughing as it hit me just how dry my throat was.

It was only after Tomas handed me the bottle of water he had brought back in with him, taking a few sips to soothe my throat, that I looked up again and saw the tears building in his eyes.

"It's my fault... You were on the phone with me when it happened. I made you take your eyes off the road. That's why you crashed! Because of me!" I couldn't even speak as I watched the tears finally begin flowing down his cheeks, his hands coming up as he grabbed his hair and pulled, looking like he was trying to tear himself apart in front of my eyes.

"NO! No Tomas, stop it! Just tell me what happened, please," I cried out, once again reaching towards him, grabbing at his nearest arm and pulling his hand away from his hair as I began to cry along with him.

I just ended up crying harder when I finally felt him place his arms around me, sitting carefully beside me on the bed and gently bringing one hand up to brush my hair out of my face as he held me. At first, I couldn't understand what he was saying, his voice so very soft under the sounds of the machines I had begun to notice humming in the background.

"You should hate me. I ruined your life, (y/n). I mean, look at what I did to you," his voice cracked as he whispered the words into my ear, his hand beginning to tremble as it ran down my back, finally resting at the base of my spine as he rested his chin on my shoulder.

I could barely even breath for a moment as I finally understood what I was hearing. Tomas was blaming himself for what happened, even though I had been the one to answer the phone, the one to make the choice to take that risk. Tomas didn't blame me for what I had done, but he still wasn't telling me what had happened, either.

"Tomas, what happened?" I pulled away, placing my scar-covered hand on his shoulder to hold him in front of me as I looked into his eyes. "Please, tell me what happened?"

I watched as grief, fear, and remorse battled for their place on his face, in his eyes. Finally, his lips twitched downward before he opened his mouth and everything began pouring out. The phone call, the accident, the other car... The other driver. It had hurt, far more than any part of my body hurt even now, but it had hurt to hear about how my mistake had cost someone else their life.

Tomas had held me so very gently as I had cried, the sobs wracking my body as I poured out my grief at knowing I had taken someone's loved one away from them, all because I hadn't wanted to wait to hear Tomas' voice. I'd been greedy and the price was more than what I had paid on my own.

--------

It was a week after I had finally been released from the hospital that the other driver's mother paid a visit to my home, Tomas answering the door as I slowly made my way down the hall, still getting used to walking after so many weeks in a bed healing. It was the shouting I'd heard from the person on the other side of the entry that had me rushing, the voice growing quiet when I finally made my way to Tomas' side, my hat askew as I stood there trying to catch my breath.

Looking up, I had seen an older woman, maybe nearing my own mother's age, her eyes wide as they trailed over my face and arms before she looked into my eyes at last.

"You... You deserve worse than this for taking my son from me," she whispered before turning and rushing back towards the sidewalk, climbing in the waiting taxi and slamming the door before it pulled away.

It wasn't her words that struck me to the core, but rather how much her eyes had screamed something different as they traced each of the scars that covered my skin, looking like a blade had danced upon my flesh. I looked similar to how I imagined an ice rink would after the skaters were done and had left for the day, covered in the marks of where their blades had traced over the surface again and again, graceful in a way but all to easy to pick out where each skater had been.

Her cheeks had run with tears for the scarred creature I had become in her eyes, just as I was in the eyes of so many others when I caught them staring at me. Tears better left for when she visited her son's grave.

--------

I'd thought I could bare it all with Tomas at my side, but even he saw how it was eating away at me with each person who stared a little too long, each child that let out a soft cry, every time I looked into the mirror and saw the lines tracing over my skin and into my hairline or under my clothing.

Finally, when I could take it no more, I broke down and spent the next few hours wailing out my pain as Tomas held me within his arms, letting me get out what I could as he racked his brain thinking of what he could do to help me get through the grief and begin to find healing in ways beyond simply the physical body. I needed to heal my mind as well.

--------

"Greece? I... Are you sure you want to go to Greece? I mean, can we really afford to go at this time?" I asked hesitantly, unsure if this was the best time to go on such a trip, what with us having put off the wedding date until we could put the accident further behind us.

"Yes, I'm sure about Greece. You've wanted to go there for years. For a time, it was all you talked about while we were dating! Besides, I already have the tickets. I'd been planning on taking you for our honeymoon, but instead... I think it would be a nice chance for you to heal. For us to heal," voice soft but firm as he spoke, his warm hands gently wrapped around my own.

Hearing his words, I felt I could only agree with him on this. Sure, I had in fact always talked about going to Greece someday, but that was not the thing that made my heart grow warm in my chest. No, it was due to hearing Tomas speak of us healing. It affirmed that we were in this together, side by side throughout this ordeal.

We had both been damaged by this event and we would heal from it together.

--------

I hadn't expected the water here to be as clear as it was, nor the sun as bright. At least the weather gave me an excuse to wear my scarf and hat covering as much of my face as it could without people finding it too odd. The few who would have commented about it usually stopped as soon as they saw the faint lines peeking out from where either the scarf or the hat failed to cover.

I was still on edge when people saw the scars, waiting for the comments to come, but at least there were fewer here than back home. It seemed most of the people were either too busy enjoying the sights they saw or simply to busy with their jobs to pay attention to the tourists passing by.

I nearly collapsed in relief when we finally got settled into the hotel room for the evening, my nerves shot from always wondering when someone would finally say something. Even after hours with hardly anyone doing more than look and occasionally whisper after we had passed, I had still been unable to feel relaxed enough to truly enjoy the amazing sights and culture surrounding us.

I could only hope that Tomas was able to enjoy part of the day, although I could only wonder how he felt knowing that he was being stared at for being with me and clearly holding my hand during the times his arm was not wrapped around my shoulders or waist. There was no way he could have missed seeing at least some of the eyes of those who noticed the scars.

"Tomorrow, let's start exploring the islands. It should be quieter and easier for us to enjoy our time here. How does that sound, dear?" I can't tell if his words were due to him seeing how exhausted I was after today or if it was simply that he wanted to escape the eyes of others, but rather than say anything, I simply nodded in relief.

Maybe tomorrow would be more enjoyable if we could find some time to ourselves on the islands. Surely at least some of them would be quiet.

--------

We had found a boatsman willing to take us out for a reasonable fee, Tomas promising him extra money if he could find us an island where we would be guaranteed privacy. It had taken a bit of convincing, but the newly hired Stelios had finally agreed to bring us to a rarely visited island after making us promise to talk to nobody about the trip nor the island itself.

Tomas and I had looked at each other, wondering about the secrecy, but hoping that it meant we would have the privacy we desired, had ended up agreeing to the request. After all, if it was such an island that it seemed forbidden to even speak of going there, then perhaps it meant others also refused to take people there. I doubt most people would pay the extra to bribe someone to go to such a place when there were so many other islands they could go to at no extra cost.

All we had to do was wait for Stelios to get his boat ready for the trip and gather whatever we wanted for ourselves. There were the obvious things, like food and water, spare clothing, a camera for taking pictures, and other such things tourists like ourselves would bring, but then there were the less likely things to see someone bring to an island.

An old photo album I was thinking we could look through to remind ourselves of all the time we had spent together, the past that had helped us build our present life around and wished to build our future upon as well. An old cd player and some spare batteries so we could listen to some of the old CDs from when we were in college together. We had even decided to pack with us one of our old blankets to relax upon when we grew tired of exploring and were ready for a rest.

--------

We passed several lovely islands on the way to our destination, my breath catching when we finally saw Stelios pointing out the good-sized island that we would be stepping foot upon. The trees were so thick, I could picture myself getting lost in them if I didn't have both a somewhat decent sense of direction and my phone's GPS for if I did manage to lose myself. And Tomas, of course, who was always there for me when I felt lost, be it in the wilds or simply in my own thoughts and feelings.

Hearing Stelios mention some old ruins to Tomas, I felt a twinge of excitement at the thought of exploring them, even if I did hear them talking about safety concerns due to a partial collapse that happened a few decades back. There had been a few tourists lost during the accident and the island had been completely closed off for a time before finally being reopened to the public for limited availability.

Usually, the island was only open to the public for a few weeks out of the year, the locals taking advantage of the American tourists' fascination with haunted places and the supernatural to make some extra money during the month of October. The rest of the year, it tended to be left alone, centuries of vanishings not leaving the locals eager to set foot on the island.

Of course, Stelios brushed off the local legends with a laugh, smiling as he told us he would be back to pick us up an hour before sunset, the better to avoid anyone noticing which island we were coming back from. Just in case there was anyone else in the area who might pay attention, not that it was that likely, but better to avoid any unneeded complications if he could.

And unwanted competition for our business, if we wanted to come back to the island again after this.

--------

Even Tomas was feeling a bit creeped out by some of the statues we had come across, faces broken off of some of them, while others were missing arms or even completely toppled to the ground. A few statues seemed newer, probably brought over during one of the Halloween events that Stelios had mentioned during the boat ride.

That didn't make them any less disturbing in their unusual detail and accuracy, although it explained why some had what appeared to be jeans and t-shirts instead of the usual clothing seen on ancient Greek statues. And I would swear that last statue had been wearing a pair of Nike's on their feet, even if one foot looked like someone had been trying to smash it with a rock.

It was only when we found a clearing to eat our "picnic lunch" in that the tension finally started to leave us, a small smile beginning to grow on our faces as we began joking about the strange tastes some people had in regards to Halloween decor. Even if it was the country legends of Medusa came from, you would think they would try and bring other themes in for this kind of thing.

"Like the Harpies or Sirens or something! I mean, sure Medusa is an amazing legend, but there is so much more to Greece than Medusa and Perseus! Why limit yourself, you know?" I ranted gently as my half-eaten sandwich was waved about, my other hand holding a bottle of water.

Tomas smiled as he listened to me slowly build my enthusiasm for all things Greece yet again. It was not an unusual occurrence for me to get into discussions like this if I felt that the culture was being misrepresented or otherwise used in some poorly done manner, even if it was by its own people, such as in this case. There was so much more they could bring to the table, so to speak, even if just for another culture's annual holiday event.

"I'm sure they would love your ideas, dearest, but maybe they did this before the collapse and just didn't have the heart to continue the work after those people died in the collapse," Tomas reasoned, his eyes apologizing to me even though he made sense with his words.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sure after something like that, it would be hard to want to come back here, let alone put more work into the place. Especially for something that only happens once a year. I let my excitement get the best of me," I smiled at him, realizing I had been acting foolishly.

Finishing the sandwich, I stood up and brushed off the pants I had worn to keep my legs protected during our exploration. I had enough scars on my body without chancing adding more because I didn't have my legs protected against thorns and branches. Although, at least here I did not have to worry about wearing a hat and scarf that would catch on every branch and snag on every thorn.

"I'll be back, Tomas. I want to look around a bit if that's okay?" I asked, hand touching my camera for a moment before lowering again.

Looking up at me, his own hand reaching for another sandwich, Tomas just gave a soft smile and nodded to me. It was a wonderful feeling, knowing that he trusted me enough to keep myself safe instead of asking me to wait for him to finish. Smiling back at him, I turned and slowly began walking towards the edge of the clearing, his voice barely reaching my ears and warming my heart before I walked into the treeline and out of his sight.

"I'll be listening for you, so shout if you need me! Be careful and don't forget, I love you!"

--------

Snapping a careful picture of the colorful butterfly, I finally released the breath I had been holding, laughing quietly as I watched it fly away just moments later. I had gotten a lucky shot with that one, remembering easily how often the small creatures would just flit from flower to flower, leaving little chance to take a good picture before they were gone again.

The exciting part, of course, was that I was seeing things I would never see back home, outside of maybe a zoo or something if I was lucky. Seeing these creatures in their natural habitat was just something that nothing else could compare to, though. And the flowers! I had taken so many pictures already of the flowers I had seen, a small part of me wondering if any of them would grow back home before I could battle the voice down with the knowledge that it wouldn't be happy anywhere but here.

At least I would be able to look at the pictures, enjoying the vivid colors I was seeing around me as the plant-life here flourished and brightened the world with brilliant pinks, sunset reds, butter yellows, and more. Each petal seemed to be carefully painted with its own color, the air saturated with their fragrant scents. I might not be able to enjoy the smell, but I would at least be able to recall it for a time while I gazed upon the pictures.

Turning around to head back, missing having Tomas at my side and knowing that he had likely finished his part of the meal some time ago, I almost screamed as my hands flew to my mouth. Standing before me was a total stranger, his dark hair streaked deep green in seemingly random sections, gold-green eyes standing out from his lightly bronzed skin. His head tilted to the side as he watched me, much like I had been watching the butterfly earlier.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? We were told this island was left alone this time of year," I spoke quickly, taking a step backward as I watched to see what his reaction would be.

Seeing him take a slow step closer, I shifted, ready to run as soon as he tried to get too close. For all I knew, this man could be some kind of serial killer, coming here to hide the bodies. I took another step back as he stopped, his eyes tracing over me as the sun finally hit my skin and reminding me that I was without my coverings, all but my sunglasses left behind with Tomas in the clearing.

"I sorry. I not speech good? You... You run not?" The confusion on his face, combined with a look of longing, had me pause at his words.

A part of me wanted to turn around, to escape this unknown man and run, but another part of me was frozen in place at the way his eyes still wandered over my skin. I saw none of the usual fear, revulsion or pity that usually filled the eyes of people who had seen my scars. No, instead of those, this man seemed to only be curious about them, nothing more than that. Once he was done looking, his eyes moved back to my face and met my own, a smile upon his lips as he saw me slowly begin to relax from my ready to run position.

"Who?" I asked, pointing at him and tilting my head as I wondered if I should lead this man back to Tomas, just in case there was a chance he might not be safe.

A part of me hoped he was just some young local who had come over here to escape for a few hours. After all, even I could understand that this place must not be all that exciting for the locals, having lived here their whole life. It was the tourists like myself that saw things in a more exciting light, seeing things for the first time.

If this man had been raised in the local area, things could very well be achingly dull to him. Coming to this island might just be the only "excitement" he got and without anyone to bother him about things.

"Who?" He repeated the word back to me before understanding seemed to dawn upon him. "Ah! Medein! Medein!"

His eyes seemed to lock upon my lips as he waited for me to respond, a hunger filling his features as he took a small step closer. I almost took another step back before I steeled myself, ignoring the shiver that raced down my spine as I wondered once more if I should bring this man to Tomas, how this young man might react to the presence of another person besides the two of us.

"Medein? Your name is Medein?" I spoke slowly, trying to quiet the part of me that was screaming happily at getting to hear such an unusual sounding name, as well as talking to someone who seemed likely to be more familiar with the language I had always wanted to learn but never got to do more than dabble at from time to time.

Seeing him nod his head, a smile on his lips as he looked up into my eyes again, I couldn't stop the blush that rose to my cheeks. I might be engaged, but it was hard to ignore how good looking Medein was, regardless of whether or not I was interested in him. Of course, the blush only made the young man smile even more, his lips curving up as he pointed at me in turn, the light catching on the unusual wide bracelet he wore on his arm..

"Who?"

--------

I had spent far too much time talking to Medein before heading back to the clearing alone when the young man finally left, waving at me with a grin as he wandered deeper into the forest and soon vanishing from sight. Or rather, trying to talk to him, the language barrier very evident as we struggled to understand each other.

Still, I felt rather guilty that I had made Tomas wait for so long, but Medein had been rather adamant in his refusal to leave the area he had found me in. At least I had finally come to understand that he was not, in fact, one of the locals from the nearby town, but rather some poor soul that actually lived on the island.

Not that anyone else seemed to know about him, as far as I could tell. Heck, it had been nearly impossible to even figure out that much from the mix of frustrated gestures and broken dialogue. Language barriers were a horrible thing to deal with.

"Tomas, I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner!" I shouted as I made my way into the clearing. "Wait until you hear what happened! You won't believe it!"

--------

"Are you sure you want to go back there? I mean, the man could be dangerous (y/n), you don't know how he might behave this time. Darling, please think about this. I already nearly lost you once, I'm not sure I could go through that again if this man tries something," Tomas' voice grew softer with each word he spoke, his hands gently resting upon my shoulders as he met my gaze.

I could see the worry in his eyes, feeling guilty for asking him to return with me, but at the same time unable to just leave that poor man alone on the island by himself. Besides, I had promised him I would return again and I wasn't one to break my word so easily if I could help it.

"I promised him, Tomas. I told him I would return, I told you that," I said, gnawing on my lip nervously, wondering if this would be it.

Would this be the thing that crosses the point of no return? Was this asking too much of the man I loved, just because a stranger asked me to come back, eyes filled with loneliness? Was I in danger of throwing my happiness away in hopes of rescuing someone else from despair?

Mother had always said I was too kind for my own good and right now I was close to agreeing with her as I watched Tomas' face, waiting for his lips to part and those dreaded words of "No more" to flow out. Seeing him take a breath, I flinched and tried to ready myself.

"I understand," he said, the fingers of one hand coming up to trail down the side of my face before cupping my jaw. "You wouldn't be the woman I love if you didn't at least try to go back and help him. So, are we going to be talking him into coming back with us this time?"

I could have wept at hearing him speak those words, falling in love with Tomas all over again as he made it clear he would stand beside me through this as well. We would save this young man together, if he was able to be saved.

--------

"He has to be here somewhere, I just know he is!" I exclaimed, worried that something might have happened to the young man I'd met just yesterday.

"Maybe he doesn't want to be found? Or maybe he just doesn't want to be found by me... Can't say I blame him. It is always a plus to be found by a pretty woman, eh?" The teasing that had entered Tomas' voice at the end had me blushing, my cheeks burning as I gave his shoulder a playful slap, more a gentle pat than anything else.

"Tomas! Stop that! If he is hiding from us, I'm sure it is just because he is feeling unsure about meeting yet another stranger," I spoke as if sure of myself, but inside I could feel the small amount of doubt that said perhaps it was me that kept him from coming out.

I couldn't help but wonder if maybe he had realized what the scars meant, that I wasn't someone worth spending his time with, that I was a monster in human skin. I had killed someone by my poor actions and I couldn't help but wonder if it was as easy to see as the scars that covered my body. I was-

"I'm sure he will show up! Maybe if we split up, he will feel less anxious about coming out of hiding. Tell you what, how about we do that and whether we find him or not, we meet up back in the clearing for lunch? We can all eat together, be it just us two or all three of us," my internal struggle ended with those words, accompanied by the feeling of Tomas' fingers gently caressing my cheek as his warm eyes met mine.

With a soft kiss pressed to my lips as soon as I nodded in agreement, Tomas turned and began working his way into a different part of the woods. I stood there for a few minutes, my fingers pressed against my lips as I reminded myself that no matter what happened, I still had Tomas beside me in life. He knew my sins as well as he did the good I had done in my life and still he loved me, promised to stay with me. He'd even reminded me recently that he still planned to marry me after we went back home.

He was the one person who I knew that would look at me and see me rather than the scarred being I had become after the accident.

~~~~~~~~

Why had she brought someone else with her?

Was this the person she had tried to bring him to yesterday, even after the fear had left her eyes? Ahh, how he had hated seeing fear in those gentle eyes. He hadn't expected her to calm down so quickly, after having first spotted the female wandering the woods with her strange little box.

A mix of curiosity and almost forgotten longing to actually speak to someone had caused him to hurry back to his 'home' and grab the ancient relic he hadn't had need for since she had left him here alone, her promise to return broken far too easily. The anger she'd left him with had burned in his mind for so long, he'd almost forgotten what the name of the feeling was that had taken him by surprise when this new female had spoken his name, her strange accent making it sound almost... enticing.

It left him eager to hear her voice speak to him for far longer than the small amount of time he had managed to coax out of her during their time in the forest, especially when he heard her speak the few Greek words she seemed to have learned already. It didn't hurt that the sun had graced her features, lighting up her hair in such a bewitching manner while dancing almost playfully upon her skin. The scars had shocked him a bit for a moment before he began tracing them with his eyes, finding them somehow to accent her beauty rather than reduce it.

He breathed a sigh of relief when the unwanted male finally left her alone, a smile creeping across Medein's face as she began to follow her, wanting no chance of the other man stumbling across them. This time was for just the two of them to enjoy, without the interference of a filthy human male getting in the way.

Following the female as she moved further away from the path the male took, deeper and deeper into the forest, Medein could finally wait no longer. Moving in behind (y/n), he suddenly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back as he slowly took in the scent that was uniquely her. He decided right then that it was one he could never tire of.

Now if only the female would stop trying to scream as she tried to break out of his grasp.

~~~~~~~~

What was he trying to do, grabbing me like that so suddenly? And why hadn't he said anything to let me know he was there?! Had I been wrong when I had thought I understood this young man, thinking he was simply some lost and lonely soul abandoned here on this island?

"Stop. No hurt," came the firmly voiced words as his arms finally released me from his hold and allowing me to turn around to see him.

I couldn't tell if he was trying to reassure me of my safety or if he was simply commanding me to be quiet. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I cared which it was right now, finding myself caught somewhere between wanting to run away from him and trying to figure out how dangerous he was to me and Tomas.

Ahh, but what if it was simply Medein not understanding things like personal space again? What if he just didn't understand that you couldn't simply behave like that around someone you didn't know? If we left him here, he would be stuck again and it seemed like he wasn't one for just walking up to strangers. At least, not if there were men there. At least, not if his avoidance of Tomas was anything to go by.

Had he been hurt by some male, someone that made him too afraid to be around men even now? If so, then I couldn't leave him here alone, abandoned and forgotten!

But what if he was the dangerous one, escaped to this island in an effort to avoid capture? What if he had been the one to hurt someone? I always wanted to believe the best of others, but it was hard when I was alone, when I-

"Sorry," the word was spoken so softly, I almost missed it, Medein taking another step back from me as he looked down sadly at the leaves littering the ground.

I felt my heart squeeze painfully at the sight, guilt filling me as I looked at the young man who must have seen something of my thoughts flashing across my features. Shame made my eyes sting as I took a step closer to him, my hand reaching out to catch his before he could turn and walk away.

"No. I'm the one who should be sorry. You startled me, yes, but you didn't hurt me. Medein, I'm sorry. Forgive me?" I stood there, his hand still grasped within my own as he looked back at me, eyes flickering between my face and our joined hands before he slowly nodded.

"No hurt. For... Forgive?" He looked into my eyes again, as if testing my reaction to the slowly spoken word, before nodding his head, "Forgive."

Even if it was clear that he didn't fully understand what forgive meant, I still couldn't help the smile that blossomed from my lips. I wasn't sure who Medein was, but I would do my best to give him the benefit of the doubt. And if all else failed, I could always find my way back to Tomas and leave the island with him, never to return.

But only if Medein proved himself to be dangerous.

--------

"Are you sure?" I asked again, looking into those now almost familiar golden-green eyes as I began wondering just what he had been eating before this. "I'm sure Tomas would love to have you join us for lunch."

"No. No Tomas. No lunch," he stubbornly voiced, his arms crossed over his chest as he stood there, a frown on his face.

"Well, okay then... I guess I will see you after lunch," I slowly began to turn as I spoke, ready to head back to the clearing. The hand grabbing my arm halted my progress as I turned back to stare at Medein, shock clearly visible on my face. "Medein? What's wrong? Did you change your mind?"

"No lunch. Stay," he spoke firmly, the frown on his face deepening as he stared back at me. "Stay. No Tomas. Stay!"

"Medein, stop it! Let go, please. I'm hungry and I need to eat," I pulled gently against his grasp, a futile effort to get him to release me, as my stomach continued to growl softly.

I was already late to lunch, having lost track of time while trying to make myself understood to Medein, hoping to coax him to come back with us to the mainland. It had been somewhat difficult with the language barrier, although he seemed to understand more than I had expected him to. Just not as much as I had hoped he would.

"Stay. I lunch (y/n). Stay Medein," he tapped himself on the chest at the end before gesturing behind him, deeper into the forest than we had gone so far.

"You lunch? You mean, you have food, you'll feed me? But... But what about Tomas? He'll worry about me if I don't go to the clearing," I bit my lip in worry, startled when gentle fingers suddenly gave my lower lip a tug to remove it from between my teeth.

"No," he gently spoke, a finger lingering on my lip before he looked up into my eyes, depths of loneliness visible to the world if it simply looked. "Stay Medein. Please stay Medein."

"Let me tell Tomas, at least. Then I'll come back here and have lunch with you, okay? Let me tell Tomas, so he doesn't worry, please?" I hoped that between the words and the gestures, he would understand what I was trying to say to him.

A frown appeared on his face again, eyes growing dark for a moment as he stared at the ground before finally looking up. His eyes brightened after a minute of staring into my own, the smile returning to his face as he nodded to me.

"Go Tomas. Go Tomas, go Medein. Lunch Medein," his voice seemed slightly unsure, maybe unsure if I would understand him in turn.

"Yes, I will go tell Tomas that I am having lunch with Medein. I will come back to you, Medein. I just don't want Tomas to worry. I'll hurry back," I said with a smile, waving at Medein before turning and running back towards where I remembered the clearing to be.

At least, I thought it was this way. Wasn't it?

--------

My stomach was grumbling painfully by the time I found Medein again, having stumbled across the clearing finally when I heard Tomas calling for me, worry filling his voice. He had been adamant about leaving until I finally put my foot down, telling him that it was not Medein's fault I got lost.

Sure, the man might be a fair bit odd and not understand personal boundaries, but he hadn't done anything to hurt me. And he had plenty of chances to hurt me if he wanted to, but here I was, alive and well. It had taken a bit of near arguing, but finally, Tomas had agreed to let me return one more time and attempt to talk Medein into coming back with us on the boat.

I was sure that I would succeed this time. If only I hadn't nearly gotten lost on the way back again, too. I was horrible when I was already flustered, not to mention I had turned myself around so many times trying to find Tomas. It didn't help that I had forgotten just where it was I had left Medein to wait for me, so it was nearly a miracle when I finally spotted him standing amidst the trees in front of me, his brow furrowed as he stared down at his hands.

"Medein, there you are! I'm so sorry I took so long! I... I got lost," I admitted to the man, my face burning from the blush that colored my cheeks, one toe digging into the ground like a child caught doing something wrong.

It took a while before he looked up from his hands, those intense eyes peering at me before a slow smile spread across his lips. Stepping forward, he took my hand and began steering me through the woods. Laughing at how eager he seemed, now that I was back from seeing Tomas, I never noticed the slight blush that tinted his cheeks.

Instead, I was almost captivated by the way the sunlight kept glinting off his wide-banded bracelet, small rune-like engravings catching my eye with each movement his arm made.

--------

The meal had been amazing if a bit different than what I had expected. The fish had obviously been cooking over a low fire, mostly just hot coals left by the time we had gotten to the small hidden clearing so far from the one where Tomas was waiting for my return. Along with the fish, there was a small selection of fresh fruit such as figs and a few clusters of grapes and some roasted vegetables that I was mostly unfamiliar with.

The use of a few wild herbs had made the meal a real treat to enjoy, the fish moist and smokey in flavor while the vegetables were tender and earthy. I had nibbled on the fruit while showing Medein some of the pictures I had taken, both in Greece and before that, some as old as last years fireworks display Tomas had taken me to.

I would need to transfer the pictures soon, come to think of it, that or buy a new memory card. This one was getting pretty close to full and I would need the space if I wanted to take pictures during our honeymoon in the not too distant future.

Smiling at the thought, I selected the next video I had taken with the camera and pressed play, watching Medein's eyes light up at the lights bursting across the screen like burning flowers. He must have never seen anything like this before, making me happy I was able to show him such things without having to wait for some massive celebration. Maybe this would help convince him to return with us.

~~~~~~~~

He watched as the female fell to her knees, staring in horror at the stone figure of the man she had brought to the island. Even with the deep grooves of stone ripped from the body in different areas, it was obvious who it had been, the horror-filled eyes wide open on what was left of the face.

Ahh, it had been enjoyable to watch the man's reaction upon seeing Medein in his true form, the bracelet removed from his arm and hidden away nearby as he slithered across the clearing. The almost too fast spread of gray stone where once flesh had been, the man's shout cut short before it could reach her ears as she wandered around looking for the island's sole inhabitant after having met with 'Tomas' earlier. Or rather, the sole living inhabitant, the statues not really worth counting since they no longer held the spark of life within their chest.

Medein would have to be careful to make sure that his (y/n) never joins that number, her companionship far too enjoyable to give up so easily. Of course, he would also have to find some way of making sure she didn't leave the island without him, which meant figuring out a way to break the curse upon him that bound him to it.

For now, he would simply have to somehow convince her that the once living man whose feet she wept at was not worth her time. Not when she had somehow captured Medein's heart so unexpectedly and so very, very thoroughly. Even he couldn't explain how it had happened, just that somehow he could no longer picture not having the lovely creature at his side.

Of course, that meant that once he could leave the island, he would have to find a way to sneak her into Olympus and feed her the nectar the gods were so obsessed with keeping to themselves. It was the easiest way to ensure she could be at his side forever.

(Y/n) was worth the risk it would bring to his own life, especially if it meant he would never have to watch her die. And if he failed, then he would be dead and simply have to wait until the mortal joined him in the afterlife, where she would never be able to escape his reach.

One way or another, she would be his for eternity.