As much as Lea scrubbed and washed the ink would not come off. It faded, but it was visible against Lea's pale skin. Roxas had no idea what the squibbles were and Lea would not want him to find out. With the two others workers gone, Roxas spend his days by himself, lifting bales of hay and feeding some to the cows. Lea spent most of his working days in Myde's carriage, going about the village as the sole provider of milk and eggs. The other farmers were still struggling to produce more than they themselves needed to survive.
On the night of his fight with Isa, Lea had gone to sleep in the barn. Isa had been wise in not following him. In the morning he had woken up to Roxas speaking with the cows and Myde greeting Roxas from afar. Isa had left early in the morning, Myde had said, but he had not been told where. At lunch, Isa came back with three pheasants, berries and flowers. Whether it had been an apology or not, Lea could not say for he made certain to not be left alone with Isa.
"What are you doing to your arm?" Roxas stopped in his tracks and adjusted a small bale of hay in his arms.
Lea stood by a barrel at the back of the house where Myde collected rain water. His skin was red where he had been scrubbing and the ink still visible.
"I've been trying to get this off, but… ugh!" Lea tossed the small wash brush into the barrel and looked at his arm in dismay. Roxas had put the bale down and stood by Lea to touch his arm. He barely grazed it. Roxas pulled his hand away with a yelp and watched his fingers bleed.
"Roxas, what happened?" Lea took Roxas' hand in his. "Did I do this?"
"No, it… I think it was your arm? What have you scribbled on there? Ow."
"Are you alright? Does it hurt somewhere?"
Isa had said the tattoo would ward against demons as well as spirits. For one split second, Lea gave into the suspicion. He had seen Roxas cut his hand on the day of their escape. He could not be certain that Roxas had done it for blood magic or that a demon had possessed him. Lea searched for the usual signs of possession all the while thinking that Isa was wrong. Roxas eyes were as blue as they ever had been and his voice as sweet and gentle as always.
"Yeah, my fingers," he chuckled.
Lea healed the cut and helped Roxas wash the blood off. If the tattoo had not been to ward off demons and spirits, then what had Isa drawn on him? Myde had been poking and squeezing on Lea's arm without harm, yet Roxas nearly had his fingertips cut off.
"Lea, I'm fine. You didn't hurt me on purpose." Roxas waved his hand in front of Lea's face at seeing him frown.
"But Isa might have," Lea muttered. He did not want to believe it himself, but what else could he make of these marks.
"Will the ink come off?" Roxas asked.
"Yeah, with time, he said."
"Then why worry about it? Lea, we have survived the worst. An ill-tempered elf is merely another bump on the road. His kind does not stay long in one place. And even if he does, we have the option to leave."
Lea nodded slowly. He had yet to tell Roxas about his relationship to Isa. The thought had not even occurred to him. Lea thought it cruel to even consider it. Roxas had faced death every day since escaping the Circle, lost friends, faith. Telling Roxas that he had found the comfort of love would be a betrayal, one he did not want to commit.
"I could finally show you the lavender fields back home. My friends would love you. With the Blight over, I'm certain Denerim would have no shortage of work. I like it here, but if Isa bothers you, we have an alternative. You would come with me, wouldn't you?"
The memory of them running down hallways full of templars and abominations came flooding back. Fear would have kept Lea hidden in his room in hopes that the rebellion would blow past without incident, but he had followed Roxas. His fear of losing him had been greater than anything else. Lea would follow Roxas to the end of the world and beyond if need be.
"You know I would." Lea took a deep breath. Roxas had been looking him in the eye. He had forgotten how he had an infuriating tendency to turn crimson at any elongated gazes he shared with Roxas. At looking away, Roxas stood on his toes and placed a soft kiss on Lea's cheek.
"I'm glad we found each other, Lea," Roxas said and left, bale in arms.
Lea's heart had nearly lept out of his chest. His face was hot and his hands trembled. As Roxas disappeared around the corner, Lea lowered his head into the cold rain water in the barrel.