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when his beloved appears before him, back dyed crimson scarlet and a look of terror he'd never witnessed, morax wondered for the first time if he'd watch the god of wind shatter for good. the small god, hunched and bruised and bleeding so heavily, let out a feeble wimper as he fell forward, always caught by his old love.
morax had done everything he could to preserve the destroyed appendages. he'd pulled bleeding feathers and mended deep cuts, finding that they were clipped and ruined. it took most of his dwindling self control to not turn teyvat upside down to search for whoever dared do this to barbatos.
he'd even stood up, hand outstretched and ready for his weapon, ready to destroy anything in his way, but a shaking hand that wrapped around the back of his robe made him freeze. he looked back at barbatos, he bandaged and shaking, smaller than ever. his turquoise eyes cracked open, flooded with tears and glowing brightly, pain etched in every corner of his gaze.
"please don't go-"
he whispered, cracked and broken. it made a flurry of feelings morax didn't even know he could feel rush through his chest. he turned back, slowly inching his arms around barbatos, careful to not touch the bleeding wounds on his back, pulling the trembling god into his arms.
"i won't."
he reassured quietly, sitting down on the bed and resting barbatos against him. he stared at the bandages around his wings, blood already seeping through them. they were the only part of barbatos that wouldn't heal within minutes. they were the only part that, if destroyed, would never repair properly.
he ran a gentle hand down his back, between his shoulder blades, but stopped when his wings twitched in response, causing the god let out a choked breath. morax knew he was indescribable pain. he settled his hands on his lovers lower back, holding him as close as possible, trying to quell the tremors that ran through him.
after hours of barbatos' ragged breathing and broken, near silent cries, he finally spoke up once again. his voice was lower than morax had ever heard it, and he sounded weaker than a simple leaf.
"morax..?"
his name sounded so, so foreign in that tone. his hand twitched for a moment, hesitant to loosen his grip at all, terrified that if he let go barbatos would fracture into the wind. he inhaled slowly, but soon allowed his hands to loosen their grip, rather moving up to cradle barbatos' cheek gently, pulling himself back enough to look down at him.
the sight nearly took his breath away. dark bags had settled beneath his eyes, the corners of them red and irritated from tears. the look in his eyes was uncertain and afraid, something he's never seen on the usually bombastic god, his confidence was always unwavering. the vulnerability of his current state squeezed his chest in impossible ways. it felt wrong to see him like this.
"it's horrible, isn't it?"
barbatos continued, looking back at his wings wrapped and broken. the site made tears pool once more in his eyes, and he tore his gaze away to look down. morax was quick to recognize the pattern of when he retreated, and stopped it quickly. his hands settled on barbatos' face once more, making him look up at him. he brushed his thumb over his cheekbone and leaned forward, pressing his lips gently to his damp eyelashes, kissing away the new tears.
he felt barbatos shudder in his hold, leaning into the touch as though it were the last thing grounding him. when he pulled back, he gave a small smile, holding his face with one hand but moving the other to brush his bangs back, pulling the ribbons from his braids, and uncurling the illuminated hair. he knew the touch and proximity helped, as the once constant trembling had mellowed into occasional tremors and shivers.
morax leaned down, pressing his forehead to barbatos', moving the hand from his hair to his lower back, pulling him close once again. he searched his eyes for a moment, and they sat there, simply staring at each other. when he felt barbatos take a breath to speak, he pulled back to listen.
"they'll never be the same."
he sounded hesitant, worried to continue, but morax encouraged him with a small nod.
"what if my people believe they are monstrous...?"
he trailed off, glancing aside with a self-consciousness that made morax tense. he felt as though he knew what was going to be said next. barbatos' wings had always been a part of his pride. his next statement was so soft, morax would have missed it if it weren't for his set attention.
"... what if you believe that?"
he had not, in fact, expected that. morax's eyes widened into an expression he rarely held. before it fell to a somber adoration. he pulled barbatos close, leaning forward again.
"i would never, my love."
he was soft, softer than ever before, each touch tender and each word as gentle as possible. and he felt barbatos relax against him once more. that allowed him to be more firm, looking barbatos in the eye only to find that he'd closed his.
"look at me, lovebird."
he spoke quietly, just between them, and watched at turquoise eyes opened slowly again, his fear displayed openly in his gaze. the hand still on his cheek guided his head against his, and he kissed him terribly gently. he could feel the broken tension within the smaller god tumble off him like rocks, and he melted entirely into morax.
"you are beautiful. moreso than anything."
he whispered against barbatos' lips, and continued to kiss him softly between praises until he felt wet tears in his lovers eyes again. he brushed them away and huffed softly, mustering a gentle smile once more.
"why are you still crying, lovebird?"
barbatos shook his head, although he returned the smile slowly. the praise had helped, the pain in his wings had numbed away to dull throbbing if they were moved or touched. feeling his lover against him settled a warmth in his uncertainty.
"... i don't know."
he answered honestly, trying to look away before morax kissed him once more. they fit perfectly, and barbatos allowed himself the sweet indulgence for now. he pulled back when he felt morax shift, moving his hands to cup his thighs to pick him up. he gave a curious look, but understood when he turned them, setting him on the bed.
"this may hurt your wings, do you want to lay sideways?"
he asked, curteous as ever in the way he held barbatos as though he were glass. he awaited his lovers reply, hand rubbing soft circled into his thigh, just below his glowing tattoo. barbatos looked at his wings, his chest constricting at the sight once more.
"will you lay with me?"
he asked, hesitant, his gaze to the side as though expecting a rejection. he'd never been able to understand how a god like morax had fallen so deep for him.
"of course, lovebird."
morax's reply was almost immediate, and it made his cheeks flush a light red. he nodded, and brought a careful hand up to his wings, preparing to push them aside so he could lay down. when his hands brushed the bandages, an electric pain shot through the limbs and into his back, and he flinched back with a gasp. morax's expression was concerned, and he approached delicately.
"let me handle you?"
a suggestion, one barbatos could easily deny, but he didnt, rather dropping his hands to grip at the front of morax's robes. he nodded, and slowly reached up, tenderly touching the feathers over the bandage, guiding the wing out of his way while holding barbatos through every flinch and jolt of pain. when it was to the side enough, he shifted to barbatos' side and layed down, pulling the god down with him, touching him like a flower.
when it settled, barbatos' wings drooped painfully, aching and throbbing, and barbatos' grasp hadnt faltered. morax gently rubbed his hip, waiting for him to relax once more. when he did, he kissed the crown of his head gently, pulling him tight against him once more.
"sleep now, lovebird. i'll be here when you awake."
he felt barbatos nod, his grip loosening just a bit as he carefully nuzzled into his neck, letting out a shaky breath as the last of the broken tension fell from him. once his breathing evened into a simple rise and fall, morax found himself able to say the few words stuck in his throat since barbatos had first fallen into his arms.
"i will protect you. i promise."