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Yuno tried to fight in the beginning. When they took his grimoire, and even when the mana blockers were locked around his wrists and ankles, he resisted. He thought of how Asta had lived without magic all his life and still strove to be the Wizard King. Yuno could not let a little thing like being kidnapped by ragtag group of Spade mages defeat him, but it was embarrassing how easily they had cornered and subdued him. He had been outnumbered at least eight to one, and the first spell had been some kind of confusion magic, but he was the vice captain of the Golden Dawn. Langris was going to worry, and Yuno was never going to live it down.
He decided that until he was able to escape, he would gather all the intelligence he could. He memorised the route from where the clumsy portal opened and through the wild magic region to the ruined castle. He concentrated on the faces that he glimpsed so that he would recognise his captors. Even when they covered his head with a foul-smelling sack, he focused what remained of his mana sense on the mages brave enough to touch him. Not all of them would after he had broken the first one's nose for letting a hand linger too long. No one tried that again, but Yuno was not foolish enough to think it would be the case forever.
During breaks in their march, then when they reached the castle, they asked him questions. What was his name, who were his family, where had he grown up, what was his magic, what squad was he from. He lost track of the lies he answered with. He told them his name was Leopold and that he was a Green Mantis from Racque. Then, that he was a Purple Orca from Kiten called Jack, or a Black Bull called Orsi. There were so many variations that he hoped if he slipped and gave them something truthful, they would be unable to untangle it from the lies.
Was Langris worried? Was he looking for Yuno?
The Spade mages became frustrated. At first, they contented themselves with jibes and hollow threats, but Yuno was the first peasant in the Golden Dawn Magic Knight Squad. He knew how to ignore pettiness and rise above it. The cold stare worked even better than it had on the Golden Dawn nobles.
Then, of course, they began to follow through on the threats. Yuno found himself in a small stone room that, judging by the shelves on the walls, used to be a cold store for the castle's previous occupants. The tallest of the mages attached the manacles that held Yuno’s wrists to a hook in the roof. It would have once held an animal’s carcass to drain the blood before being butchered. He decided not to think about that.
Then the beatings began. He was blindfolded and there were more questions, but he lost track of which lie he was telling. He was Finral of the Blue Roses, or Owen from the village of Sosshi. He sank his teeth into the finger that caressed his cheekbone and spat the blood in the direction of the screams. They left him alone for while after that, but he could not let his guard down. He strained for any sound beyond the door, or the mana of his captors.
When they returned, he was held by the arms as they cut his shirt. He spat at them, and told them what he would do when he had his magic back. Someone laughed.
The knife wielder with the sand magic said, "This would be much easier you would stop fighting and cooperate."
Yuno yelled and threw his head forward to hit the man. The crunch hopefully meant another broken nose. Yuno's satisfaction lasted until the cool steel of the knife sliced across the flesh of his naked flank.
He could feel the warm blood pool in the wound, then overflow and follow the curve of his hip down to his pants before the pain truly hit. Then his muscles spasmed too late to pull away from the threat. He hauled on the manacles to try to bring a hand down to cover the injury, but the restraints held firm.
"What did you do that for?" the ice mage with the bite wound on his finger said. "You only need a small nick for it to work."
The knife moved and Yuno felt a shallow slice across the flesh beneath his thumb. It might have hurt, but compared to the deeper, more serious wound on his side, he barely noticed.
"Happy?" the first voice said. "That's a little nick." There was the sound of the knife being slid into its sheath. "Now we just need to give the poison time to work, and we'll get everything we need."
"If you haven’t given him too much and killed him," the second voice muttered. There were footsteps, then the sound of the heavy door opening and closing.
Poison. The blade had been poisoned? Yuno tried to slow his breathing against the building panic. Poison. How could he fight poison? He shuddered as a wave of cold ran through him. Poison. He needed to get out of here. He needed to get home to Langris. He needed…
Needed to....
Blackness.
They took off the blindfold when they woke him with a dowsing of freezing water. His body was wracked by shudders and he lost track of what he was saying in response to the questions. It might have been truth, or mumbled half noises, he could not tell. The people questioning him were his friends. Asta. Mimosa, Klaus. William. They wanted to know who he was and why he was there. Was he spying? What was his plan? What were the magic knights going to do? How close were they?
Most of the words made no sense. He could not understand why his friends were doing this. Did they not know they were hurting him? He pleaded, but it made no difference.
That was bad enough, but then the screaming started. Someone was screaming. He could hear them.
Langris, Yuno realised. Langris was here.
They had been together. They had been training? Shopping? Yuno could not remember, but they had been together. As they walked through the street, Yuno had taken Langris's hand in his. There were callouses on the fingertips that felt as familiar as Yuno’s own. Langris had blushed at the boldness, but had not pulled away and Yuno had gripped tighter. He smiled. Then... then things had happened. There were gaps. Yuno remembered them walking together, then he was here.
"Yes," a voice hissed. "He's here. Your little friend. He's in the room next door."
Yuno struggled. He tried to fight.
"We'll hurt him," the voice said. Then, "We are hurting him. Listen to him scream."
I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything, Yuno wanted to say. He tried to beg. Please.
"It's too late. He's being much more helpful than you. But we don't want his answers. We needed yours."
I'll tell you. Please.
"Too late, Yuno of Hage, Vice-Captain of the Golden Dawn." The voice was close to his ear. "It's too late for that now."
Time passed, maybe minutes, hours, days or years, dense with screaming and pain. The smell of blood filled everything. He could feel its warmth on his skin. There were questions that he could not understand and magic that he could feel but not touch.
And, always more real, and somehow also less real, was that whispered voice.
"Your little friend says he misses you."
"He's rather strong, isn't he? And such delicious magic."
"He wanted to help, but he bleeds so easily. It was hard to resist."
"He blames you, for this. He cursed your name, Yuno of Hage."
"Who knew that such a small person would have so much blood in them?"
Then, quieter than before, like an intimate whisper in Yuno's ear, the voice said, "He cried for you. He thought you would save him, but he knew the truth before he died alone."
Yuno screamed. Or he thought he did. It was one last yell of defiance, then he prayed for the darkness to take him. What was left? There was nothing else to fight for. The pain continued. There were more questions. The people asking them became louder and frantic. But it washed through like a wave over sand. None of it mattered.
He knew the truth before he died.
Who knew that such a small person would have so much blood in them…
Alone.
When, at last, the blackness came, Yuno sank into its embrace, and it was done.
Magic.
He could feel magic.
It was not the ice-cold mage with the wandering hand, or the sand mage with the knife, or even the water mage who had forced him to eat. This was clean magic that cut through the world as easily as a sword through the air. Nothing could slow it, not rocks, wood or flesh. The magic cut through it all. It was strong, familiar and beautiful, and too distant to touch, like a voice in another room.
Yuno thought perhaps he moaned aloud. Stop, he thought. He wanted to rest. He tried to sink back into the darkness where the pain would stop reminding him how badly he had failed.
The blackness may have swallowed him again, but now there was another magic. It was different. There was a voice.
Please. No more questions. He did not know what they wanted. He did not understand.
Leave me alone. Please
"Oh. Shit. He's here. He's... Oh, god. Don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Not after all this. Please."
Leave me alone, Yuno thought. I don't know the answers. I can't help. Please. He tried to say it aloud, and maybe he managed because the voice continued breathlessly. "Thank the lord. Okay. You're not dead. Don't scare me like that. Shit." A pause. "So. Um. Right. You're not dead. I'm just going to get you down and...."
Yuno panicked. The person was coming closer. He could feel their magic. Home magic. Travelling, wide open spaces, moon in the sky magic. He thought he recognised it, but he could not remember if it was one of those mages, or someone from before. But whoever it was, he had to fight. They were going to hurt him. The blackness fled and his muscles tightened as he tugged on the restraints above. The air smelled of blood and he could feel it run down his naked skin. He would not let them come closer. They had already taken so much.
Who knew that such a small person would have so much blood in them.
"Damn it, Yuno. Calm down. You're making it bleed again. Okay. New plan. I'm not coming closer. I'm over here. I'm staying over here. Please stop panicking."
Yuno stopped moving and he sank against the manacles as his body gave up. He could not understand the words, but the person was out of arms reach and was staying there. Breathing hurt. Pain burned across his chest. It was nothing to the agony of knowing that he had failed. Langris was dead.
"I can't understand what you're saying, Yuno. But, please, don't panic again. It's gonna be okay. Well, yeah. You look real bad, and I don't know what happened to you, but we're here, and it's definitely gonna be okay. Probably. If you don't, well, die. Oh, shit. No. Not that. Reassuring. Be reassuring. Calm and reassuring. I can do that. Calm and reassuring." The voice changed its tone, as though talking to someone else, even though the words were just as incomprehensible. "What the hell are you lot doing? Get them down here. Either of them. It doesn't matter which. No. Don't come in. Just go and get them."
What were they saying? What did it mean? Stop. Make it stop.
"Sorry. Yeah. I know. But you're not listening to me. I don't even know if you can understand me. But, please. Just wait a little longer. They're coming."
Coming? Who was coming?
There were more words, but no questions or demands for answers. This voice was like a river's calm music across stones. Yuno felt his breathing slow. The blackness that had receded began to lap at the shore again. He wanted to rest. The pain and the guilt would be swallowed by the dark.
Magic.
He could feel magic. It was strong and clean and familiar.
And no longer distant. The magic was here.
A fresh wind blew across his exposed flesh, and he might have shivered if his body had any strength left.
The voice said, "Door. There's a door. I know it's locked, but you didn't have to make a hole in the wall. Have you never heard of structural integrity? This place is already a mess and it’s not going to help anyone if you make holes in load-bearing pillars. You could bring the place down about our ears and..."
It carried on speaking, but someone else spoke over the tumbling words. The voice was hesitant in a way that felt deeply wrong. This person should never be hesitant. They were meant to be snappish, and forceful and fond and.... "Finral, is he..."
Oh, no. No. No. Not him.
"He's alive. I think he can hear us, but I can't understand what he's saying. He's lost a lot of blood. Well, you can see that. He panicked when I tried to get close. I thought he might be calmer if it was you."
"Asta would be better."
"He’s fighting the people who did this. Can't you hear him yelling? Yuno trusts you. You have to do this, Langris."
No. NO. Yuno tried to fight. I killed you, he thought. You're dead. He tried to say it aloud, but if he made any sound, it was barely a whimper.
Leave me alone.
The person was coming closer. Yuno could feel that clean, familiar magic and it was worse than any torture that had come before. Langris, he thought. Langris. You screamed and you cursed my name and...
Who knew that such a small person would have so much blood in them.
"I don't know if this is a good idea," the first voice was saying. It was the sound of babbling water. "His breathing's too fast. Maybe I should get Asta and..."
The magic was even nearer. Near enough to touch. "Shut up Finral," then, "Shh. Yuno. It's me."
It can't be, he wanted to scream. It can't be you. It's a trick. It's the poison. It's blood loss and fear and injury and despair and grief and everything they've done.
It can't be you.
"Yuno. It's me."
There was something cool on his face. Fingers, he realised. But it was not like before, when those people touched him like lingering filth. This felt like the thrumming magic, strong and clean. Then, the touch deepened. A palm of a hand rested on his cheek. "Yuno."
Yuno's brain tried to make him pull away. They were too close. They were going to hurt him and the knife that was coated in poison would cut his skin again. They would ask questions that he could not answer, even if he wanted to. They...
His heart calmed the panic. The fingertips. He could feel callouses on the fingertips.
"Langris," he whispered, or at least tried to. He might have managed the 'L' sound.
"It's me. You know it's me."
"Killed you," he tried to say, then again, "I killl'd you."
"I don't understand. Be quiet and let me get you down from there."
It was important. Yuno had to explain. "You were here. I killed you. You screamed."
The first voice said, "Is he saying that he killed you? That you were here?"
The hand that had rested on Yuno's face was lifted away and an arm was wrapped around his torso. "Who knows," they said. This person was tucked up against Yuno's least injured side, so that he could feel the words as a vibration through his chest.
Magic. If the magic before had been like a distant rainstorm, this felt like being caught in a downpour. Clean, familiar mana cut into something above Yuno's head, and then the world dissolved into white hot agony as his arms came free of the chain that had held them.
There was a gap. Probably the people with him continued to speak, but even more than before the words were lost in the white noise of agony. Muscles that had tightened into spasm were moved in ways that they might have once been able to, but now could not. Legs that should have held him folded. His side flared.
The only thing that kept him in the world was the smaller body tucked against his. The tiny part of his consciousness that was not consumed by pain recognised the wiry strength that held him for a moment, then lowered him to the ground. For the first time in forever, he could smell something that was not his own blood. Sweat, magic and a hint of cherry that might only be in Yuno's imagination, but he grasped for it, nonetheless. Langris, he thought, and let the thought sustain him through the pain.
There were more voices around him now, but even the shapes of words were lost. He caught fragments like, 'blood loss', 'pulse too fast,' 'didn't know who we were.' He would have liked them all to shut up, except beneath the frantic conversations was a low muttering reassurance, "Hush. We got you. We're going to get you home. Just a little longer." Fingers with callouses on the tips ran through his hair.
Wounds were dressed and he was wrapped in a familiar fabric that smelled of cherry and magic. Then he was lifted from the ground by arms that thrummed with dark magic. Someone was shouting too loud, but it was safe and warm.
'Home', the voice had said. 'We're going to get you home.'
Yeah. He would like that.
Yuno could hear voices. Always with the chatter, he thought. Could they not leave him in peace to sleep?
He must have made a noise, because the voices hushed for a moment, he could relax in feeling warm and comfortable. A door opened, then closed. He could smell antiseptic and crisp bedlinen.
"I know you're awake" a voice said.
"Maybe. Comfy. Sleepy."
"Can you answer a few questions before you go back to sleep? Owen's popped out, but he left me things to ask you?"
Yuno opened one eye. It was gummed closed and felt like it was weighed down by rocks, but he managed with effort. The blurred shape nearby was impossible to make out at first. "Will'm," he said when the figure clarified enough to make out the cropped hair and scarred face. He tried again. "William." Captain Vangeance felt like an impossible mouthful at the moment.
William gave a bright smile. "That was the first question. Correct answer. Now. How are you feeling? Any pain?"
Yuno considered. His brain was sluggish. He had no idea why he was in the infirmary, but aside from this and the niggling worry that he might be missing something important, physically he thought he was mostly whole. The twinges on his flank and residues of a headache felt like the after-effects of recovery magic. "No pain. Niggle." He lifted a clumsy hand and waved it in the vague area of the twinges in his chest.
"Very good. Do you think you can drink something?"
William had to help with the cup as Yuno's hands were clumsy, but the liquid tasted good and eased the dryness in his throat. He felt the tiredness swell again and his eyes closed on their own.
"I... questions," he tried to say around a yawn. "Langris. Asta. Where?"
"Sleep first. We can tell you when you wake up."
"Wanna know," Yuno said as he fell asleep. If William answered, he did not hear it.
The next few times that Yuno woke, he made the visitors in his room tell him what had happened. He was unable to stay awake long enough to get more than fragments from each one, but between William, Klaus and Mimosa, Asta and, weirdly, the Black Bull's witch, Vanessa, he filled in what turned out to be more than a week of his life. His own last clear memory had been fetching supplies with Langris for training the newest Golden Dawn recruits. Then it was a muddled mess of pain, questions and fear until he woke in this warm infirmary bed.
The visitors explained that Langris had been haggling over the cost of the enchanted targets, when Yuno told him he was going ahead to their next arranged appointment with the bookseller. On the way, Yuno had visited a small baker off a side street, probably on a whim. Yuno had no recollection of doing this, but the baker remembered him and his purchase of two cherry tarts. When Langris had finished up with the chastened enchanter, he had hurried to the bookseller, and found no Yuno. Tracing his likely route had only revealed blood on the sidewalk and a bashed box of cherry tarts.
It took three days of increasingly frantic questioning and searching for them to find their first clue. In the beginning the baker had insisted that he had seen nothing suspicious after Yuno's visit. Langris, with building frustration, had returned to interrogate the baker again. This time, the man had confessed that he had been paid to shelter a group of Spade mages in the back of his bakery. They had been suspicious that Yuno must know of their presence when he had visited the shop, so they had followed him and attacked him on the street beyond.
This breakthrough had led them first to a camp beyond the city limits, then a disused mine nearby. The mine looked like a dead end, but Langris's brother had sensed the clumsy portal deep within the mine. It was so poorly fashioned that Finral could follow it to the strong magic region, then it was simply a matter of checking the structures that might shelter a group of renegade mages nearby. The castle had been the obvious place.
A group of magic knights from the Golden Dawn and Black Bulls had descended on the ruin. While the fighters subdued the Spade mages, others explored. Langris's brother had been the one to find the door into the cold store. He had created a portal inside to find Yuno badly injured and chained to the roof. He had been delirious and panicked when Finral tried to help, but it was easier when Langris arrived, and they could free Yuno from the chains. They left the mana blockers in place because the last thing they needed was uncontrolled wind magic in such a confined space, but by that time Yuno was barely conscious and hardly capable of making a spell.
Captain Yami of the Black Bulls had carried Yuno through another of Finral's portals to the infirmary. At first the recovery mages had thought the confusion was due to the severity of the injuries, but he did not improve with regular recovery spells. He deteriorated so badly in those first hours that Owen had been fearful that he would die. Then Asta burst in with the news that the Spade mages had been using a poison on their blades. It was meant to loosen inhibitions, which they thought would make Yuno answer truthfully. But it was meant to be used in tiny doses. The amount in Yuno's bloodstream should have been fatal and there had been two days of near constant recovery magic and medicines as they fought to save his life. It had worked, but, as Owen said when he visited, it had been a close run thing.
Vanessa was finishing this story as she knitted socks. For the first time since Yuno had woken in the infirmary, he had not fallen asleep during the tale. Finally, he could ask the question that was bothering him most. "Where is Langris?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I don't know."
Yuno struggled to pull himself up to sit, then winced as his wounds reminded him not to do this. "You don't know."
"No. But then, I'm not privy to the movements of the Golden Dawn the way I am to the Bulls. I'm sure William knows."
"Why hasn't Langris been here? Doesn't... didn't he want to see me." Yuno would have never usually asked such a question, but he still felt unsteady and the thought that Langris had stayed away hurt.
"Don't be too hard on him. You," she paused as though considering her words. "You said things when you were sick. You thought you had killed him."
"I heard him screaming," Yuno said. He had not remembered that until now, but it made him shudder. "He was screaming. They... they said they killed him. They said there was blood."
Who knew that such a small person would have so much blood in them.
Yuno wanted to put his hands over his ears to block out the words, except they were inside his head. So much blood.
"Yuno," Vanessa said. It sounded like she had said it a few times before he could hear her. "Either it was a lie, or it was something that the poison did. Langris was never there until we came to rescue you."
"I heard screaming."
"Shh." She had a hand resting on his arm. "I promise it wasn't him. If I had to guess, I think the only person you could hear screaming was yourself. Langris is fine."
"Then why won't he come."
She smiled at him. "I said, fine. That doesn't mean he's not a mess. This is Langris Vaude we're discussing, with less emotional competence than a teaspoon. He's trying to cope by hiding from you."
"That's not coping."
"Yup. But he's your boyfriend. You've got to be used to it by now."
Now Yuno gave his own small smile. She made a good point.
"So, what do you usually do to make him face up to his pesky feelings?"
"Feed him. Drag him to common area with real people. Stick the cat on him." He blushed as he yawned. "Kiss him."
Her laugh was a deep throaty chuckle. "Yeah. Only you can do that. Go to sleep. We'll bring him here, if we have to tie him up. Although, Asta could probably do his puppy eyes. No one can resist Asta's sad face, so we'll just...."
Yuno lost the rest as sleep dragged him under again.
The next time he woke, sunlight was shining through the window onto the end of his bed. His feet felt warm under the weight of the blankets. It took him a moment to realise that it was not simply the sun, but also the animal lying across his legs. It must have sensed him moving, because it lifted its head to stare before lying back down to purr and fall asleep. "Hi, Idiot kitten. What are you doing here?" Yuno murmured under his breath.
The cat's mother lived in the Golden Dawn's headquarters and was either an unholy demon in cat form if you asked William, or really quite nice, if you asked Langris. Idiot kitten had none of his mother's intelligence, savagery or wiles, but had an unerring ability to be in places that he was not expected to be. Mimosa had tired all kinds of beautiful names for him, but Langris's muttered insults as the cat got under his feet again had stuck in the way none of Mimosa's names had. Idiot kitten was Idiot kitten.
And if Idiot kitten was here, on Yuno's bed in the infirmary, then that meant Langris was nearby, even if Yuno could not see him.
"You can stop hiding," Yuno said. "I know you're there."
"Cat gives it away, doesn't he," Langris grumbled from out of sight. "Idiot kitten." The kitten purred even louder as if Langris had paid it the biggest compliment.
"You've been staying away from me."
"You've been sleeping, so you wouldn't know."
"Vanessa said you were."
Langris glanced at the door and Yuno was reminded of the last thing he had heard her say before he fell asleep. "She's out there isn't she? Did she get Asta to make 'puppy eyes' at you."
Yuno had shifted around in the bed so that he was now lying on his front with his head on his hands. He could see Langris from this angle, and he was blushing. "Well... he did ask me. But it was less the puppy eyes and more of the 'if you don't come, I'll throw you over my shoulder and take you.'"
"It worked then?"
"I guess."
"Why did you stay away?"
Langris shrugged. "You were upset and I was making it worse. Owen said that your heart was under more stress while I was here. You were calmer with William and Asta, so it seemed better to leave it to them." He paused, then said, "Did you think I was dead? When Finral found you, he thought that's what you said. Vanessa said that's why you were upset."
Yuno turned to lie on his back so that was looking at the roof. His side no longer ached and turning did not cause any pain. It was nice. Idiot kitten re-positioned himself then went back to sleep. "I heard screaming. I remember it. And I was sure it was you. I thought you were there, and they were hurting you. They said that you cursed my name, and you were waiting for me to come and save you, but I never did. You died alone." Quietly, so that he was unsure if Langris could hear him or not, Yuno said, "Who knew that such a small person would have so much blood in them."
"They said that?"
"That's the thing. I don't think they did. How could they, if you were never there?" He wrapped his arms around his chest. "I think I imagined it. I was so afraid, and it hurt so much I had no idea what was true or not. As if what was going on wasn't bad enough, I made it even worse. I thought I'd killed you."
Neither of them spoke. It was one of the things that Yuno liked most about Langris. After growing up with Asta, sometimes it was nice to not have to listen to all the words.
"I'm sorry," he said eventually when he had his emotions under control. "I'm sorry that you thought I was upset with you."
Langris made a choking noise, and Yuno turned so that he could see properly. There were tears running down his face. He wiped them angrily. "You're sorry? Don't be stupid. You... I... I knew that guy in the bakery was up to no good. I should have gone back sooner. I should have looked for you faster. I... I shouldn't have let you go on your own."
"You shouldn't have let me go to a bakery and buy cherry tarts? I don't need an escort to go shopping in the city."
"Well," Langris waved an arm towards the bed. "On current evidence, I beg to differ. Who goes to buy cherry tarts and gets kidnapped anyway?"
Yuno let himself smile just a little. Surly and irritated. That was the Langris he loved.
"I mean. A bakery. Not even I like cherry tarts that much. You are impossible."
"You love me, though."
"Well. Yes. Of course I do. What a stupid question. I love you more than anything. If you could not get kidnapped again, I would appreciate it."
"Well, don't make me think I killed you again."
Langris spluttered. "I... I... never... I didn't..." He scowled. "You're messing with me."
"I missed you. Come here."
Langris looked scandalised. "In a hospital bed? Owen won't approve. The cat is bad enough."
Yuno let his bottom lip pout. Asta was not the only one who could do the puppy eyes. He faked a yawn, that turned into a real one. "I missed you," he said again. "I thought you were dead. I'd rest better if you were here."
Langris grumbled to himself, but he was pulling off his shoes as he did. "If Owen gets us in trouble, I'll say it was your idea. And you've been sick so he should let you off. You talked me into it, and I did try to protest..." He was still muttering as he lay on the bed. Idiot kitten made room for him.
"You can relax, you know," Yuno said as he leaned in.
There was more mumbling that was swallowed by Langris's own yawn. Yuno said, "You haven't been sleeping properly, have you?"
"My boyfriend nearly died. And like, really nearly died. Not a hallucination-boyfriend. And if you say sorry again, I will blast you with spatial magic."
"When you wake up."
Another yawn. "Yeah. Probably that." Langris snuggled in. "I do love you. But it's probably sleep deprivation letting me say it."
"I love you too. It’s probably the near-death experience letting me."
Langris giggled. An honest, proper giggle.
"Go to sleep," Yuno said and leaned in to listen to Langris breathing. If anything could chase away the sound of screams, it was that. He slipped his hand into one of Langris’s and traced his fingers around the familiar callouses.
He was home. And safe. And loved.