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When Yuri comes back to himself, he’s lying in a bed in an unfamiliar room, his usual clothes discarded and swapped for a paper-thin pair of pants and bandages wrapped around his torso. Additional cover comes in the form of a scratchy blanket that covers him up to his chest, tucked tight under his arms.
He’s purple and blue all over, limbs heavy and aching, head spinning from fatigue. Even his eyelids seem impossible to part and keep open, crusted together from however long he’s been unconscious. He feels gross, more than he’s felt in a long time, and he rubs his tongue along the front of his teeth to try to get rid of the feeling.
After giving himself a moment to gather his bearings, Yuri finally recognizes the room as an infirmary of some sorts in the dim glow of a candle. Probably the one in Garreg Mach, though he’d only been there a few rare times when he’d attended the academy, long ago enough that he’s forgotten what it is like. Taking into consideration all that’s happened in the dead of night in the cathedral, his guesses might be correct.
An image of the umbral beast flashes before his eyes, and Yuri screws them shut until it dissipates. No matter how long passes, he doesn’t think he’ll ever not feel a bitter taste on his tongue when he thinks of Aelfric.
Now awake enough, Yuri tries to sit up so he can leave. He’s never enjoyed being confined to any kind of space, be it a room, a bed, a house or worse, so slipping away from the infirmary and back into the comfort of Abyss is his goal. And for a moment, he thinks he might succeed, but his arms give under the weight of his body, still too weakened, and he falls on the bed with a sharp gasp.
A body shoots upright with a pained gasp of its own, much too close to him, and that’s just a testament of how well Yuri actually is if he failed to detect the body by his bedside.
Of all the people who Yuri would have expected to be watching over him, Ashe was not one of them.
Though they cooperated just fine these past hours, they’d never spoken much aside from that initial encounter and other group meetings as they worked to defend Abyss and find the chalice, which had worked just fine for him. Ashe’s first reaction was to mention bringing Yuri back home , as if House Rowe could ever be that, as if such a place exists, and if he continues to press on the matter, Yuri would just rather keep the distance between them.
After all, they’re not as well acquaintanced with each other as they used to be, and Yuri never was the boy Ashe imagined him to be.
So to have him of all people by his bedside, especially when Ashe is just as battered and bruised as Yuri, is mind boggling, to put it simply. He wouldn’t have expected such behavior even from the Ashen Wolves, and he won’t be surprised to find that they aren’t in the infirmary anymore once the curtains around the bed are drawn.
But Ashe is here, for some reason, and Yuri is just distrustful enough to raise his walls in his presence.
“You’re awake,” Ashe notes, stating the obvious, and presses a palm to his own injured ribs. “I’m glad. You’ve been sleeping for a long time.”
“How very observant of you,” he states, just a tad sarcastic. Yuri had guessed as much given how thick his tongue seems to sit in his mouth. “How long have I been out?”
“Almost three days now.” Ashe frowns, the only indication that he doesn’t appreciate the sarcasm. “There were lots of wounded in the aftermath and the healers have been running haggard to keep up with the injuries, but they patched you up as much as they could.”
So they did. Yuri remembers he had a lot more burns and slashes on his limbs when the beast had finally been defeated, his body so wounded it barely could hold itself up, not to mention the blood loss, but he did anyway, out of sheer stubbornness, out of a desire to not appear weak. Hapi hadn’t been as lucky, her uncanny ability to be targeted by monsters having forced her to retreat from the battle much earlier despite Linhardt’s constant healing.
Yuri flexes his fingers and toes experimentally, and finds that even that simple motions makes pain shoot up his limbs. “What happened?”
“Oh, um, Aelfric’s transformation attracted demonic beasts to the monastery, right? Lady Rhea used that as an excuse to explain the destruction in the cathedral. They’re already working to rebuild it.” Ashe shifts on his chair and winces, lifting a hand to rub at the nape of his neck. “The professor was the first to heal. In fact, they were out of the infirmary before nightfall. Hapi was pretty battered, but she woke up soon enough. She’s resting on the other bed. The others have already been discharged, but they return for more healing. None of the knights or battalions were gravely injured, but they require care as well.”
Yuri turns his head to look at the white cloth surrounding them, as if he can see through it and spot Hapi sleeping to his right. “And why are you here?”
Ashe stalls for an answer, still massaging his neck. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Yuri scoffs quietly, but it’s drowned out by the sound of rustling fabric as Ashe stands. “Would you like some water? I brought a pitch earlier.”
He watches Ashe pour a glass, the sound of it making Yuri realize just how thirsty he is. “How cute. What do you want?”
“N-Nothing.” Ashe places the pitcher on the bedside table a little too hard, and Yuri smiles. He was never a good liar; still isn’t. “I just... I wanted to talk to you.”
“There’s nothing for us to talk about.” Again, he tries to sit up, but it isn’t any easier than it was the first time and he flops back down again with a frustrated groan, ribs protesting.
Ashe sets the glass down and approaches, intent clear in his eyes as he lifts his hands and moves them towards Yuri. He finds enough strength to swing his hand in Ashe’s direction, completely missing the mark but succeeding in delivering the message. The command of don’t touch me goes unspoken, but it’s clear in the deep pinch of his eyebrows and the intensity in Yuri’s eyes.
Ashe recoils as if he’d been hit, cradling his hands against his chest and taking back the steps that brought him closer, and he looks so much like a kicked puppy that some of the tension in Yuri morphs into guilt.
“I… I’m sorry, I...” Ashe begins, ducking his head and letting his fringe hide his eyes. “I’ll go get Manuela.”
He turns around and walks to the foot of the bed where there’s a gap in the curtain, pulling it aside to step through and leave. Yuri exhales, harsh and annoyed, and knocks his head back on the thin pillow. “Wait.”
Ashe pauses, but doesn’t turn around, his fingers tightening around the curtain. He doesn’t say anything, only tilts his head as an indication that Yuri can continue.
Yuri sighs again, softer this time, and closes his eyes. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have lashed out. I’m in so much pain I can barely think.”
“All the more reasons why I should get Manuela,” Ashe tries, still keeping his back to him. Yuri can only think of how dangerous that is, to keep himself open like that. Yuri could be lying about his pain, could launch himself across this space and end Ashe’s life with a practiced snap of his neck in seconds.
Or , a smaller voice whispers, this means he trusts you , and Yuri promptly squashes it before it grows louder. Ashe would be a fool to trust him so readily after so many years apart; he would be a fool to trust Yuri in any capacity in the first place.
But they did go through quite the ordeal together, didn’t they? Ashe has already trusted him on the battlefield, and Yuri did the same.
“Nah, I’ll live,” Yuri finally replies, and Ashe stops leaving himself so open like that, turning around to face him. He sighs again and nods at the glass. “Just- help me up. Please. I’m parched.”
Ashe returns to his side and murmurs an “excuse me” as his hands rest on Yuri’s shoulders. He closes his eyes and holds his breath, both to fight back any sounds of pain that might arise and to brace himself to withstand Ashe’s touch. Yuri isn’t fond of people in his personal space and touching him so casually, but he has to admit that, right now, he needs some assistance.
The hands that pull him up are smaller than his own, calloused from moons of plucking bowstrings, and just strong enough to move Yuri with little help. Ashe arranges the pillow on his back for added support and gives him the glass of water, refilling it when Yuri empties it in seconds.
“You should be out in a few days,” Ashe comments, placing the nearly empty pitcher on the table. “Professor Manuela is guiding some of the students with healing when the healers’ magic gets too low. I heard from Mercedes that many knights have already fully recovered, so they should have more magic to spare on you and the others.”
And yourself , Yuri thinks, eyeing the bruises on Ashe’s arm and the swollen spot on his jaw.
Something Ashe says makes his own face light up with recognition, and he turns to the bedside table again, where now Yuri takes notice of more items on it. Aside from the pitcher and glass, there’s a small flower arrangement, candles, a book that definitely doesn’t belong to him, and a bundle of fabric that Ashe picks up.
He unravels it, a sweet scent rising in the air as he uncovers some sweet rolls. “Mercedes baked these earlier. I figured you would be hungry so I saved you some.” Ashe smiles uncertainly, but no less kindly. “You still like sweets, right?”
“Never lied about that,” Yuri says, nodding in thanks when Ashe deposits the towel with baked treats on his lap. He lied about many things in life, in and out of House Rowe, but never about his love for sweet things. People found it endearing, and he used it to his advantage.
Yuri picks one up, biting into it with a soft sigh. It’s not warm anymore, but it’s still fresh enough that the dough is soft and melts on his tongue, moist from where this Mercedes sprinkled sugar and cinnamon before rolling it up and cutting it into pieces. Ashe’s smile regains its certainty, a soft curve of his lips that Yuri vaguely remembers from his time in House Rowe, and sits back on the chair to wait.
In the silence of the infirmary, Yuri listens to the ticking of the wall clock hanging somewhere beyond the curtains and wonders what time it is. It must be late if Ashe had been sleeping on the edge of his bed hunched over when Yuri woke up a while ago, and if there is a need for candles to be lit.
He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he’d taken the first bite, but that’s to be expected since he’s been asleep for so long, recovering. Yuri sucks his fingers clean to savor the last of this delicious treat and cleans his hands with the non sticky part of the towel, folding it up to keep all the crumbs from scattering on the bed.
“So this Mercedes and other students are helping with the healing,” he notes as Ashe takes the towel away. “As far as I know, you don’t know Faith magic to be able to help around here.”
In the dim light provided by candles, Ashe blushes and stands. “Maybe not, but I can help in other ways.”
Yuri hums, accepting another glass of water. “Like babysitting Manuela’s patients?”
“If you want to call it that,” he concedes with a shrug. “I’ve mostly been helping with changing bandages, assisting her here and delivering medicine.”
“You should be confined to one of those beds.” Yuri gives a pointed look at the bruises on Ashe’s arms. “I haven’t seen your legs and chest, but I’m pretty sure they’re just as bad as the rest of you. You shouldn’t be pushing yourself, I don’t know what Manuela is thinking letting you wander around like this.”
Ashe smiles again, soft and sweet. “Thank you for the concern, but I bugged her until she had no other choice but to accept my help.”
“I figured as much,” Yuri says dryly and slowly inches himself down on the bed again. Ashe hovers nearby, clearly wanting to help but not moving a muscle until Yuri tells him to. He settles down with a sigh, his head heavy once again. “Thanks for the help and the food. I feel slightly better now.”
“It was no problem.” Ashe gathers the book and tucks it under his arm with the towel, then picks up one of the candles before walking over to the gap in the curtains. “Yuri?”
“Hmm?” He hums, parting an eye to catch a glimpse of him.
“I was never told about your... Departure from House Rowe,” Ashe starts quietly, looking down at the floor. “I’d just assumed you had graduated and found a good job somewhere.”
Yuri isn’t surprised by that revelation. He’d figured that Count Rowe wouldn’t want to taint his name with the scandal Yuri was involved in and kept his expulsion a secret, though he thinks the old man might have disclosed it to Lonato, close friends as they were. And of course, Lonato wouldn’t have told Ashe that the boy he’d tentatively befriended was stated for execution.
“But for all that it’s worth,” Ashe continues, peering up at him from beneath his lashes, “I’m glad to know you’re fine. Or alive, at the very least.”
Ashe offers him a smile and a quiet goodnight, slipping through the curtain and retreating from sight. Yuri follows the faint glow of the candle until it leaves the infirmary entirely, and closes his eyes to return to sleep.
True to Ashe’s words, it isn’t long before Yuri is discharged from the infirmary.
Hapi is the other occupant of the room and she gives him a lazy wave the next morning when Manuela appears and draws the curtains. The professor’s usual bob haircut sticks in all directions and her makeup is sloppy at best, reflecting just how little rest she’s gotten these past days.
Although, Yuri supposes he shouldn’t be one to judge; he doubts he looks very hot right now.
Now that he’s awake, he gets the chance to clean himself and brush his teeth, so he starts feeling marginally better. It would be delightful if he could actually wash his hair, but even lifting his arms is a challenge sometimes.
He sees Ashe flitting in and out of the infirmary, carrying rolls of bandage and bottles of pills and syrups, receiving a pat on the head from Manuela for his efforts. And then in comes a young woman with pale hair, kind smile and kinder eyes, and she greets everyone politely before she beelines for Yuri.
This is Mercedes, he learns, and her hands glow under the watchful eyes of Manuela as she continues to mend and heal the tissue, muscles and bones beneath Yuri’s skin. Slowly, the bruises recede, and once she’s done and he can feel like he can sit up on his own, he thanks her for the sweets she left with Ashe, and she smiles with a slight, soft laugh.
“Oh, there is no need to thank me.” She gives his hand a gentle pat. “Ashe was so worried about you, I just thought I could ease some of his worries by giving him some sweet treats.”
Before he can say anything else, Yuri recognizes the voices of Balthus and Constance from the hallway, and Mercedes moves to the other bed to check on Hapi. She leaves once she’s done, and even then he doesn’t have a chance to ask her about it, too aware of the number of people and what it could entail if they heard him asking about Ashe.
That night, Ashe doesn’t visit him, and it’s more off putting than it has any right to be.
Another day goes like that, and on the third both he and Hapi are given the okay to go with an exhausted smile from Manuela, who looks ready to collapse at any second. They’re quick to return to Abyss, only being stopped once by the professor, who tells them to get enough rest. Though they’ve been bed resting for the past days, sleeping in an infirmary is its own kind of exhausting. Yuri really misses his bed right now.
When Sunday rolls around, Yuri gathers some gold in a small pouch and leaves for the nearest town. Most of the money he makes goes to his mother, but from now on he’ll be able to save some more thanks to his re-enrollment in the academy, not having to spend as much on food as he used to, with the dining hall at their disposal.
Still, he enters the local bakery, eyes some fresh berry pastries on display, and purchases four of them, the same amount he’d eaten in the infirmary.
Yuri returns to the monastery at the end of the afternoon and asks around for directions until he finds who he’s looking for. It’s Dedue, who’s tending to the flowers in the greenhouse, that tells him where Ashe might be, nodding in the general direction of the training grounds.
He finds Ashe performing standard routines with a lance, whacking at the dummies to build up the strength in his arms again before he returns to the bows. Yuri watches from the sidelines for a moment, hidden in the shade cast by the wall and partially concealed behind a pillar, listening to every grunt or cry that accompanies a swing, waiting. His face is no longer swollen and he seems healed of all bruises.
Once Ashe is done with his training, lowering the lance as he catches his breath, Yuri reveals himself, stepping out of the shadows to join Ashe in the warm patch of light near the weapon racks. “Impressive.”
“Oh! Hello, Yuri.” Ashe pushes his fringe back, slightly dampened from the thin sheen of sweat coating his forehead. “I didn’t see you there.”
“You weren’t supposed to.” Despite their similar backgrounds, Ashe isn’t as great at detecting people hiding in the shadows. Yuri lifts up the small basket he brought from the town. “Here, to repay the favor.”
“Favor?” Furrowing his brows, Ashe returns the lance to its place and takes the basket, unfolding the fabric to take a peek inside. “Ah- you really don’t need to- I don’t need a repayment.”
“Nonsense.” Yuri waves him off. Ashe might be one of the few people in this continent that really do not expect anything in return for any good deed, but Yuri isn’t about to start owing people now. He’s not Balthus. “You gave me some sweet rolls, and now I’m giving some pastries back to you.”
“Those seem more fancy and expensive than the rolls Mercedes baked, though,” Ashe observes, and he’s not wrong, but Yuri isn’t only repaying the treats.
It’s a small thank you for the nights he spent by Yuri’s bedside when he didn’t have to, for helping him and looking out for his friends too, for aiding Manuela with her other patients when he should be resting as well - but Ashe doesn’t need to know that.
“Just take it,” Yuri insists, crossing his arms. “And we’ll be even.”
Ashe laughs quietly, folding the top again to keep the pastries fresh and warm. “Alright then, if you insist.” He smiles, and in return Yuri’s own smile turns a touch more genuine. He really can’t help it, can he? “Do you want to go have dinner together? I heard from Annette that the dish tonight is pheasant roast with berry sauce.”
It’s one of Yuri’s favorite meals from his time in the academy, though he doesn’t know what to expect of it with Annette on kitchen duty today. He nods his head at the large doors of the training grounds anyway. “Sure. Let’s go.”
The meal is, surprisingly, pretty good, and afterwards Ashe shares the pastries with Yuri as dessert, the both of them sitting on the darkened courtyard just outside the dining hall. It kind of beats the purpose of having to repay a debt, but Yuri doesn’t complain about it, not when Ashe’s eyes sparkle with excitement the longer the conversation goes on.