After four days the young man finally woke up. Jaxon was in the kitchen making breakfast when he heard the coughing. He turned the stove off before frantically heading back to his bedroom to see if the boy was okay. As soon as he opened the door his jaw dropped and his mind went blank. The young man was not in his bed and the room looked empty. As he walked further into the room he could hear whimpering coming from the bathroom. “He’s still here” he thought and he finally let go of the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Knocking gently on the door, Jaxon paused to see if the boy would say anything. He didn’t hear any answer, but concerned for the boy's well being he opened the door to find the young man on the floor surrounded by blood. One of his wrists was uncovered and he was scratching at it violently while looking back and forth almost in a daze. Jaxon could smell the anxiety wafting off him. He cleared his throat to get the boys attention - he looked up quickly before looking down and quaking in fear. Jaxon moved as slowly as he could, stepping closer and leaning down before gently grabbing the boy's wrist and pulling it away from the wound. “No” he said gently. The boy looked up with his eyes wide and scared. “Why?” He asked. Jaxon didn’t answer. He just gently pulled the young man up and walked him over to the toilet to sit down. The boy was wobbly and had to lean on Jaxon for support. He couldn’t help but snuggle in once he realized how warm the man helping him was and how cold he suddenly felt. As the man walked to the medicine cabinet, Ash took the chance to look around. The bathroom was quaint - a claw foot tub, a small vanity, and a peaceful window facing East. The sun had just risen and was now cresting the tree tops casting a beautiful glow of pink and lilac. The boy turned back only to see the man staring at him with curiosity. He was kneeling in front of him now, asking permission with his eyes to look at the wound. Ash nods briefly before looking away. He knew how mangled his arms were and he hated that someone had seen them let alone bandaged his wounds. His anxiety started to spike again and he was on the verge of panic when he smelled something wonderful. Pine forests on a summer day mixed with a late night campfire and stargazing. He closed his eyes and inhaled the scent deeply, letting it overwhelm his senses and calm down his anxious mind. When he opened them again his arm was re-bandaged and the man was leaning back on his heels looking at him in amusement. Ash blushed before quickly averting his gaze, choosing to stare outside at the forest. “Thank you” he mumbled quietly. The man said nothing, but nodded and stood up before walking out of the bathroom. He returned with a sweatshirt and some sweatpants, placing them in Ash’s lap before smiling quickly and stepping back towards the door. His hand was on the handle and it looked like he was about to leave, but he turned around quickly before walking back over to Ash. He gripped his wrists gently waiting for the boy to make eye contact with him before he said sternly but with a voice of pain “no more - please”. Ash stared at him stunned and found himself nodding slightly with his mouth agape. The man flashed a dazzling smile before letting go and walking out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind him gently. Ash’s wrists felt hot and he knew he was blushing something terrible. He thought about bathing, but was afraid to get the bandages wet. Instead he settled for changing out of his old clothes and into the new ones the handsome stranger had provided him. The clothes swallowed him, but he didn’t mind. He rolled the pants up a few times and actually quite liked how long the sweater was since it was able to cover his fingers and hide his wrists. Pulling the collar up to his nose, Ash took a tentative sniff and closed his eyes in relief. It smelled like a candle after it had just been extinguished and the smell of smoke always calmed Ash. Maybe because it grounded him, or maybe because it tamed the flames of anxiety in his mind. Breathing in the delicious scent a few more times, Ash worked up his courage to open the bathroom door and exit into the rest of the house.