Key To A Goblin's Heart

Narrator's POV 

Jake tried many times to wake Maland up. He was worried that this was in fact Maland for real, then he might have fried his brain. Jake looked around himself frantically in search of some water. The nearest was far enough for him to bring it back to Maland. 

Suddenly an idea hit Jake, and positioning the unconscious Maland on his back, Jake carried him to the river bed. Dropping him carefully, He took Maland's head and immersed it in the water itself. He waited for sometime, waiting for any reaction before he decided to pull Maland up in order to avoid suffocation. 

As soon as he touched Maland's head, Maland jolted up spontaneously coughing really hard whilst trying to catch his breath and brush off the water from his face and hair. "Why the hell are you trying to kill me after all these times I protected you" Maland spat once he could speak.

"I was just trying to wake you up" Jake shrugged. His eyes widened as he added, "Wait, all these times? You remember?? Do you remember me? Jake beamed with glee.

"Yeah, I do," Maland nodded. Unable to control his happiness Jake jumped on him, engulfing him in a tight hug causing both of them to fall down on the ground. Jake's hold was so tight that it was indeed a miracle that Maland could breathe.

"Where are we"? Maland asked, after a minute into their hug. Maland didn't bother to hug Jake back, but he didn't bother to swat Jake away either.

"I'm guessing the island" Jake sighed, pulling away finally.

"It's deserted," Maland noted. "We must still be inside the Enchanted Forest," Maland whispered. 

"It appears so," Jake agreed.

"Are you real"? Maland whispered after a while.

"Few minutes ago you called me crazy for asking you that same question," Jake scoffed. "I can assure you I am real… but I dunno about anything else". Jake affirmed. 

"Why do you think we're here"? Maland asked Jake. 

"I'm guessing… to solve unresolved issues" Jake shrugged. Taking a proper seat, Jake continued. "I saw Linda, and my Dad. I… didn't get my Dad's approval, I guess it really doesn't matter to me anymore but I did get to say goodbye to Linda." Jake explained. 

Maland lowered his eyes, looking at the ground, recalling his experience in the Enchanted Forest whilst comparing it with his past. How things went differently. How he failed to say those words before General Dorin breathed his last. How he had always imagined General Dorin would've reacted, considering multiple scenarios, including where General Dorin kills him before he shoved that part of himself deep down.

Never had he ever felt this charmed by anyone and he was sure he wouldn't be an idiot to let anyone in, then how the hell did the goofy guy in front of him manage to slither in? He could have sworn Jake was the most annoying, undisciplined, messy guy he had ever met, qualities he had always disregarded. Then how come he felt so differently about Jake.

"Maland!" Jake's voice and a gentle shake in his arm brought him back to reality. "You okay" Jake asked, concerned about Maland's well being. "What did you see"?

"My Past" Maland admitted, "An abridged version of it". He clarified. 

"The War"? Knowing how much Maland has lost in the war, he couldn't help but fathom that is what he experienced again.

"A part of it," Maland confirmed. Raising his right hand which still shifted back and forth from diseased to cured he whispered, "I still don't understand why this keeps happening".

"Maybe this forest is giving you a choice, to have your hands as it was before" Jake beamed. "If you wish to have it back, maybe you will" He encouraged Maland. 

"But I don't want it back," Maland declared. 

"What"? Jake whispered in disbelief. "But why?" He asked.

"Why would I want it back"? Maland frowned. 

"Didn't you devote your entire life to becoming a Knight? To protect Maefhaelore? With your hand healed you can have it back"! Jake exclaimed. "You will be able to serve your purpose once more". Jake insisted. 

"That is not my purpose anymore" Maland mumbled. Jake tilted his head in confusion to which Maland whispered, "It is keeping you safe".

Jake scoffed, "Look, I don't think Sofosys still wants you to protect me so-" before he could finish Maland cut him off.

"But I do." Jake blinked. "It became my purpose a long time ago, even without his orders" Jake let out a breath as he couldn't quite comprehend the direction of his words. "I don't really need my hand to protect you, I can do it without it as well". Maland declared. "Wait, are you the one who wants me to have my hand back? Is that your wish"? 

"Yes" Jake whispered, affirming Maland's assumption. "You have done so much for me, I wish I could do something for you".

"You have. You gave me a purpose. Once Victoria was well trained I felt lost, until… Until we met." Maland whispered. 

"That's great, but… having your hand back you can do so much" Jake insisted once more. "Imagine if that curse never hit you"? Jake tried.

"If it didn't, I wouldn't have ever met you. You made me question a lot of things… including my blind loyalty to the queen and the kingdom. You made me see things from a different perspective, a perspective I wasn't even aware of". Maland declared staring right into Jake's eyes.

As Maland stared into those blue eyes, he realised how this was it. A chance to express himself before it's too late again. He had already implied what Jake means to him, then why not just make everything clear? 

Maland raised his hand and removed a hair strand that was threatening to cover Jake's eyes before mumbling, "Jake, Jacob Brooks… I really like you. Perhaps even more. I understand if you don't feel the same or might even feel angered due to it… but that is how I feel, and I cannot change that. I don't want to change that" Maland breathed out.

Jake froze as soon as those words hit his eardrums. Of course he felt the same way. Heck he hated himself for feeling that way, hated that his feelings were reciprocated, hated that he got a chance at happiness when Linda didn't. But then again, if the situation was reversed, he would want Linda to move on… so Maybe it was time for him to move on as well.

With no response, Maland looked away, feeling dejected. Somehow complete and utter silence wasn't one of the responses he had envisioned. Maland took a deep breath, finding an alternate topic of conversation, an ice breaker but he failed miserably since he wasn't much of a talker.

Suddenly Maland felt a palm against his right cheek, forcing him to look back at Jake, who looked at him directly without saying anything. Suddenly he felt a pair of lips on his that perhaps fired up his heart cause all he could hear was its crazy erratic beats as those lips pressed against his. 

Without even realizing, Maland closed his eyes, pressed back into Jake's lips and kissed him back. Maland had never kissed anyone before, sure he had caught many people doing it, but he had always considered it gross and irrelevant. Jake's lips however, made him feel otherwise.

Jake managed to put both his hands on either side of Maland's face and continued to kiss him whilst changing angles. After a while, which certainly felt like an eternity, Jake pulled back. Maland's breaths were disproportionate with his thoughts causing a surge of feelings in him. "Maland" Jake called out to him. "I too have feelings for you." He declared. 

Due to the kiss messing with his head he wasn't sure if he heard Jake right. Then again, what possible reason could be there for the kiss if not romantic feelings towards him. "Are you sure"? Maland couldn't help but ask.

A chuckle escaped from Jake until he said, "Of course. What about you? You despise humans. Are you really okay with being with one" Jake raised his eyebrows. 

"I don't care what you are," Maland declared. "I love you". He declared. 

Jake blinked. A few moments ago it was like, and suddenly it was love? Not that Jake was complaining, he too felt the same way after all. 

"Careful, I won't let you go," Jake threatened with a smirk. Jake really messed up last time he loved someone. This time around he didn't have the same intentions. He was adamant to keep Maland by his side, for as long as he could.

"As if I'll let you slip so easily. I am not losing someone I love… ever again" Maland declared. At that moment he realized what Maland might have encountered in his vision. Losing the person Maland loved, and maybe even regret. Jake gave Maland a reassuring smile but before their conversation could proceed a giant ray of white which started to dissolve everything caught up to them.

The grabbed each other's hand, unable to outrun it, and therefore were succumbed into the white light, together.