Chapter Text
“Ou… ryuu…?”
Abi asked dazedly as he tried to sit up. Even so, it’s apparent that he was still paralyzed, and so Zeno tried to help him.
“Yeah. I’m here. Do you remember what happened, Seiryuu?”
He frowned for a moment or two before heaving a sigh and nodded.
“… how’s everyone else?”
“Still fighting, I think.”
“I see.”
He was still numb, but his fingers moved when he tried too. Abi predicted it’d another hour until he regained perfect control of his body though. At that point, the fight might be over already. Abi sighed again.
Shuten would definitely tease the hell out of him later, and Guen would probably say something like ‘hey, don’t say stuffs like that about our little bro, it can’t be helped that he’s weaker than us’ which would totally be not helping.
At least he’s not Zeno though, whom Hiryuu wouldn’t even let to join in the fight. At least he’s not told to stay behind.
He sighed again before turning to Zeno, who was probably getting water or stuffs for him. Whenever he passed out in battlefield, Zeno would take him to the camp set for medical purposes and personally treat him. Abi usually wasn’t wounded after all, only non-functional in battle. The medics had to prioritize on other soldiers who were bleeding to death.
If he wasn’t already paralyzed, he would have from the sight of the yellow dragon warrior.
“… what happened to you?”
He asked, and his voice came off in higher pitch than usual due to shock. Zeno was covered in blood, which wasn’t unusual since Guen and Shuten were barbaric fighter who caused blood to spurt out of enemy’s bodies in regular basis, but his clothes was torn and it was unusual.
From his shoulder to his chest…
The edges of the torn was red from blood too. It’s obviously not a case of him falling down and got his clothes ripped accidentally. No… it’s obvious, someone slashed him, and…
From the wound, blood seeped out to the cloth…
But it’s impossible, a part of Abi said, because what’s visible was only dirtied skin. No slash wound in sight, even to his enhanced vision.
“I’m fine.”
Zeno said with his usual smile, but for some reason, it didn’t reach his brown eyes. Abi didn’t know if it’s only something he could see though, but he’s pretty sure Zeno’s trembling too.
He’s a kid. He didn’t like blood. Abi knew. But he’d never tremble like this. It’s worse than the first time he’s brought to battle. He narrowed his eyes then, because hell if he’s not going to get to the bottom of it.
“Ouryuu, don’t you dare lie to me. What happened? Tell me before I tell King Hiryuu and there’s no way you’re getting near battlefield ever again.”
That seemed to have caused a reaction. Zeno’s smile faltered and he stopped on his tracks. He took a deep breath then, and exhaled, and Abi waited as he apparently calmed himself down.
“As expected… nothing can escape Seiryuu,” he said brokenly later, and it took few moment for Abi to realize that he’s sobbing.
Abi gritted his teeth and forced his body to move. But, he only ended up falling to the ground on his elbows, pain radiating from his whole body. Raising his head, he found Zeno already kneeling before him, hands on his shoulders, probably because he panicked his care had gotten hurt.
“Se-sei-”
“Tell. Me. You. Idiot.”
He said through gritted teeth as he cursed his paralyzed body internally. Zeno hesitated, but he told him in the end anyway, probably realizing that there’s no way Abi would let himself be moved if Zeno stayed quiet about it.
It’s started with the phrase ‘it’s nothing,’ and Abi really wished he could punch him at that moment.
“I just found out about my dragon power, is all.”
Abi narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He remembered what happened in the palace, the time Zeno got his medallion from King Hiryuu. He healed fast. That’s his power. At least, it apparently was.
“… and?”
Zeno laughed, and pointed to his shoulder.
“See? I was slashed earlier. I think it reached my heart too! But it’s healed already now. I can’t even feel the pain anymore.”
“…”
“It’s better than I expected. I wonder, if I tell King Hiryuu, would he let me fight with you guys? He doesn’t want anyone to get hurt, right? If I’m the one who fight, the casualty can be reduced to minimum!”
“…”
“I can’t die after all!”
He was laughing, but Abi didn’t need his dragon eyes to see that Zeno wasn’t happy with his new-found discovery. Zeno’s trembling was getting worse, and Abi was sure he was borderline hysterical at that point, with his eyes wide and tears streaming from those brown orbs…
“Get me back to the cot.”
He only said in response, and Zeno did so, sobbing all the while. Abi pretended he wasn’t bothered by it. He even closed his eyes as he let himself be manhandled, knowing that being seen probably would only push Zeno even further towards the edge of his self-restrain.
Abi made a mental note. He had got to talk to everyone about this later. As soon as possible. More than strategy meeting discussing ways to stop the war, it’s more important to talk about one dragon who’s almost driven insane by his power, in his opinion.
“Right… I’ll… I’ll get back to-”
“Hold it.”
Zeno was about to stand up and maybe return to battlefield, but hell if Abi’s going to let Zeno go in his condition. Even if he can’t get hurt. No, maybe even because he can’t get hurt.
“Lay down next to me.”
He ordered, and Zeno was probably too out of it to say no, which was good because if he’d refused Abi was planning to use his power on him. Zeno nodded and did as he was told, settling himself on the cot next to Abi’s.
“Consider yourself wounded and sleep,” he said then as he reached to hold Zeno’s hand.
He pretended not to hear him cried harder.