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“Oh my god, Kolya! You’re awake!”
Kolya blinked owlishly for a moment, taking in his surroundings and Elsie’s face, worried and relieved, as tears rolled down her puffy cheeks. He shifted, attempting to sit up, but was thrown back on the bed, gasping for air by the pain that stabbed him in the chest. He suddenly remembered that, yes, he was shot with an arrow in the forest by Ptichka’s brother. That was something he doesn’t want to do ever again.
Elsie hurriedly helped him, putting a pillow on his back for comfort, which he was truly grateful for. It was only after he was comfortable that he realized everything was slightly blurry in his sight. He looked around for his glasses, his forefinger and thumb massaging his temples when he felt something poking his arm. He turned to see that Elsie was stabbing his arm with his glasses. Gladly, he took it and put it on. Everything was clear again.
Well, almost.
“Fuck. Am I at the-” Kolya started, his voice hoarse from his dry throat. Elsie swiftly poured him a cup of water and handed it to him before saying,
“Yes. You’re at the hospital.” Kolya gave the cup back once he finished his water. Elsie put it down on the near table and sat beside Kolya.
“Hey look I’m-” was as far as Kolya got before he got slapped, HARD. It left him surprised, his eyes wide like a deer in the headlights. He looked at Elsie, who looked very angry at him as her shoulders rose and fell in time with slightly ragged breaths. He reached up to touch his cheek and it stung so much that he flinched in pain.
“Don’t do that again. Ever.” Elsie commanded, her voice tensed and a little shaky. Without waiting for a response she hugged Kolya tight, burying her face in his neck. Kolya hugged her back, ignoring the pain swelling in his chest. When they finally broke off, tears were being wiped from their eyes.
“I won’t.” Kolya assured her, a weak smile on his face. “I’m sorry.”
“I know, you stupid kid.” Elsie agreed quietly as she sat down on the stool beside the bed. She ran her hand through her hair, smoothing out her messy hair into a pony tail.
“I feel like shit. How long have I been here?” Kolya asked, his body thrown back against the soft pillow.
“A month or so.” Elsie answered, making Kolya’s eyes go wide.
“Holy shit, a mo- A MONTH? Holy Fuck!” Kolya groaned, covering his eyes with his hands. Now, he really wanted to kick Ptichka for this. He knew it was a shitty idea, yet he still went along with it. Now he was behind his schedule and he was in pain. He couldn’t help but curse at the air.
“Elsie, I have to-”
“Nikolai,” Elsie drawled, warning him that, no, she wasn’t going to let him get out of bed and continue his work until he is healthy.
“But Elizabeth…”
“No.” Elsie told him sternly. “Now, let me get your lunch and don’t you dare move.”
“How did you get here?”
Kolya asked instantaneously as he saw a flicker of blue light pulsing in his darkly lit hospital room. Ptichka appeared, his clothes similar to when they first met rather than what he stole or borrowed from Kolya. He floated towards Kolya, who was sitting up to face him.
“I followed Elsie.” Ptichka answered, as he sat on the bed beside Kolya’s legs.
Ptichka let out a heavy sigh of relief, strain going out of his shoulders. He was worried when he found out that the wound was deeper and closer to Kolya’s heart. And every night he would try to heal him, little by little so he would recover. It was difficult, since he had to sneak out every night to go to the hospital.
But seeing Kolya now, so alive and awake, every risk had been worth it.
“How are you doing back at your home?” Kolya asked, looking away to stare at the wall because, no, he was not comfortable with the conversation at the moment. Not that he hated the idea that Ptichka is back at his own home. No, that’s not it. It just felt weird to think he won’t be having an annoyance such as Ptichka around his home anymore, Kolya convinced himself.
“Everything is going well! I have my job back and I live with my family again, so all is very well.” Ptichka answered, sounding happy and a tiny bit desperate because, yes, he needed to know that he has been so happy because of Kolya’s sacrifice. Of course, he’s been depressed because Kolya was hospitalized and he hasn’t been able to hang out. But that did not need to be said.
“Oh, good. At least one of us is doing well.” Kolya looked at Ptichka, giving him a smirk. “You happy, you birdbrain?”
Ptichka smiled at him, the sense of relief flooding his eyes with tears. “Yes. I’m happy, you idiot.”
There was a flicker of surprise in Kolya’s face, which was quickly replaced by something warm and friendly. Kolya chuckled and said, “What is with you guys and tears? I’m not dead.”
“Shut up.” Ptichka snarled, as he punched him on the arm and wiped his tears with another hand. “You could have died.”
“It was your fucking idea!” Kolya reminded him, rubbing a hand on his arm, sore from the punch. “Thankfully, I am fucking alive. I feel like shit, though.” He let out a shaky sigh, trying to relax the pain in his chest.
“Does it still hurt? Do you want me to heal it?”
Ptichka moved closer, his hand hovering over Kolya’s chest. Blue light curled around his fingers and his eyes glowed in the same color. However, before he could do anything, he was stopped by Kolya’s grip on his hand. Ptichka looked up to meet Kolya’s eyes, their faces a few inches away from each other.
“It does. But I don’t want you to heal it.” Kolya looked away again, his cheeks flushing deeply. He leaned back on the hospital bed, putting as much distance he could manage between them. When the silence between them stretched, he cleared his throat and added, “Because it really damn hurt the last time.”
“That’s because it affected you differently than I thought it would. Plus you panicked.” Ptichka said, as his eyes narrowed at Kolya. “But I was still able to fix it.”
“I wouldn’t have been in pain if you didn’t peek when I was changing my clothes. Then you wouldn’t have seen the scars on my back.” Kolya retorted, a single brow raised and a smirk on his face. He felt proud that he was able to say something witty as that, because he hasn’t been able to use his very smart mouth. Or else, he would have obtained a bruise or something from Elsie.
“I wasn’t peeking at you!” Ptichka half-screamed at him, his cheeks turning pink as he made himself float up over the bed. “I was going to talk to you, you idiot. Then when I saw you, you were already half-naked.”
“Well, you didn’t have to stare at my back,” Kolya snapped, his arms crossed over his chest. “That was the last thing I needed from you.”
“I only wanted to help.” Ptichka said quietly, his eyes falling on the floor and for some reason it looked far more interesting than looking at the expression on Kolya’s face.
“I know that, birdbrain.” Kolya said, a drowsy sigh escaping his lips. “Look, you should go. I need to sleep anyways, and Elsie will be coming in soon.”
“Are you mad?”
“No,” Kolya breathed, covering his eyes with his right arm. “But you owe me one.”
“Can I come again tomorrow?”
“Sure…”
He was slowly drifting to sleep, his consciousness slipping out from his grasp. He was surprised he managed to stay awake for a while, considering the drug they put in to make him sleep. He had requested the drug himself, because he knew wouldn’t be able to catch any shut-eye with his thoughts going over his projects. Thankfully, Ptichka had taken his mind off of it and in a matter of seconds, and he was already asleep.
Ptichka floated to the side of the bed, looking at the sleeping human, alive and well. Ptichka wanted to kick him, because it was so stupid how Kolya agreed to his idea, how he let himself be tied up to that tree and be shot with an arrow. Kolya was stupid to begin with when he took Ptichka’s mask, not knowing it had meant exile. Yet they became friends, sharing mustard and rabbit pies.
And it was too much fun.
Ptichka leaned over him, lingering there for a while, before he left a soft kiss on Kolya’s right arm. Straightening himself, Ptichka floated away as blue light surrounded him, illuminating the room for a moment, and with a soft pop he simply disappeared, leaving trails of blue light from where he was.