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It has never happened before Tighnari's second year at the Akademiya.
He's learning the practical applications of natural medicine at the time, interning at Bimarstan under Doctor Zakariya's guidance. Of course, he's already aware that pararibulitis runs in his family. His mother is not affected, but her mother before her had been, and there's always the possiblity that Tighnari's own mother is merely asymptomatic. The risk of Tighnari inheriting the disease is, according to every Punnet square he's ever drawn, only 25%.
His first attack happens while he's investigating the hallucinatory effects of a certain mushroom. It's ironic, really, that Tighnari doesn't even need to ingest any of the mushroom to have a hallucination himself.
He's alone in the laboratory indoors. A soft tune plays from a music player in the background, quiet enough to not be distracting. At the table in the center of the room sits Tighnari.
One moment, he is holding a surgical knife in his hand as he carefully removes the topmost layer of the mushroom to peek beneath it, and the next moment, another knife that he somehow didn't notice in his focused state has pierced straight through his hand.
Before he has the chance to even register the pain, Tighnari drops his tools and lets them clatter to the ground, but he has no time to care about the noise. Blood is oozing out of the wound, but his frozen state lasts for less than a second; then, he's reaching across the table for paper to stifle the bleeding. He mentally counts how long it would take to close the wound after removing the knife. His thoughts are cut off by a sharp pain in his–supposedly–uninjured hand, when instead of using it to grab paper, a second knife pierces through it.
He gasps, pulling his hand back and holding both of them out in front of him and staring down, eyes flitting between the sharp metal pieces. Don't remove them, he thinks to himself, barely managing to push the panic to the back of his mind, or else there will be more blood and I can't close the wounds alone.
"Hey, are you okay in there?!"
Tighnari can only gasp as a metallic smell invades his nostrils. It makes him gag, and despite how hard he's trying to suppress the panic, this entire situation is making him lightheaded and nauseous.
He doesn't notice when the door behind him bursts open, too busy staring down at his own shaking hands, covered in blood and with two separate knives going right through them.
The last thing he remembers is a hand on his shoulder, before dark spots take over his vision, and it's a while before he wakes up again.
He is, predictably, dismissed from Bimarstan after Dr. Zakariya officially diagnoses him with pararibulitis. Convincing the doctor to keep the diagnosis private is the only win Tighnari manages to get out of it, but that's not enough to convince the doctor that he's fit to stay at the Akademiya.
It's only after (unwillingly) involving Tighnari's adviser–the Sage of the Amurta Darshan–in the discussion that Zakariya gives in and admits that it would be unfair to Tighnari if he were to halt his education entirely.
The discussion itself goes something like this:
"Discrimination on a medical basis is forbidden by law!"
"Yes, Tighnari, but please stop arguing with the doctor now. He's already agreed that his initial assessment was wrong."
"A doctor does not have the authority to kick someone out from the Akademiya without sufficient evidence that continued studies pose a threat to that person's life!"
"I believe we're all aware of that."
"His suggestion for me to quit studying would be a direct and severe detriment to my mental and social wellbeing, and it goes against what a doctor is supposed to do!"
"I know it would, and so does he. That's why he changed his mind. Now, are there any more arguments you'd like to express, or can we move on?"
"..."
Tighnari returns to his normal position in the Akademiya with a bottle of pills to take whenever he has an attack, because there's no cure. All that can be done is treat it palliatively; lessen the severity and alleviate the symptoms of each attack.
That little bottle is also the only thing Tighnari has to help him when he leaves the Akademiya some years later and moves to Gandharva Ville. The move itself goes well enough (he has an attack), with him already having acquaintances in the ville (Shirin has to force the pill into his mouth), and it's an overall nice experience (he spends the first 12 hours passed out; an unfortunate side effect of his pills).
His friend, the General Mahamatra, drops by to visit every now and then. He'd been worried Cyno might disagree with his decision to leave the Akademiya, but of course Cyno is supportive. Tighnari never should have expected otherwise.
It's always a nice time whenever he comes to visit. They play a lot of Genius Invocation TCG, tell dumb jokes, tell significantly fewer good jokes, and one time he even drops off a child for Tighnari to raise. Literally. At least he and Collei can bond over chronic illness.
She's also an excellent student; both a fast and a willing learner. Her company is much nicer than the solitude he's grown used to surrounding himself with, and even though he has a lot of doubt about letting her close, she is so unlike his own parents that the fear he expects to feel never quite makes itself known.
He's not a disease to her, and that's nice. Meanwhile, his own parents haven't been able to treat him normally since his first attack. Collei is a nice reminder that not every person will treat him like that.
When he's with Cyno, Tighnari acts as if pararibulitis doesn't even exist, which is also nice, but slightly less truthful. He can never stop thinking about it, but it always gets pushed to the back of his mind, too busy enjoying his time with Cyno to bother with difficult topics.
Until the day comes when he can't avoid it anymore.
* * *
Tighnari can hear Cyno the second he steps foot into Gandharva Ville, and he pauses what he was doing, trying to pinpoint the exact location. Opposite him on the wooden floor, Collei puts another one of the flower pots down and looks at him.
"Can you hear something?" she asks, glancing around. "Is it the Mahamatra?"
Tighnari smiles, dusting his hands off on his pants.
"I believe so. Can you handle the rest of them on your own?"
Collei nods eagerly, already reaching for another flower. He stays for a few moments to make sure that she's managing, before nodding quietly to himself and stepping away, going back to his own hut, as that is probably where Cyno will look first.
He gets there before Cyno does, and decides to head into the kitchen and prepare some tea for them, still listening for the other's footsteps. His cupboard is always stocked with Cyno's favorite tea, but as he picks it out, he notices that they're running a bit low and might need to get some new bags soon.
By the time Cyno arrives, Tighnari is just placing down the cups on the table.
"You heard me coming, didn't you?"
Tighnari can hear the amusement in Cyno's voice, and he turns around, leaning against the table.
"Maybe you're not as sneaky as you think", he suggests, trying his best to sound innocent as he crosses his arms. "I thought this was the General Mahamatra's job, but maybe I got that wrong."
"Oh? Well, if not even the General Mahamatra can get through here without you noticing, you've gotta be a pretty awesome forest ranger."
Tighnari feels heat rise to his face, both from the compliment and from the fact that Cyno has moved forward to stand right in front of him, close enough that Tighnari could touch him if he just leaned forward a little bit.
He clears his throat and gestures behind him instead.
"I prepared tea. Your favorite."
Lucky for him, Cyno is easily distracted, and pointing out the tea shifts his focus from the Tighnari to the table. He lets out a breath as Cyno steps back, pushing himself off the table and turning around...–
–only for a sharp stab of pain to go through his midsection, and his hands immediately fly up to press against his left side as he gasps through the sudden onslaught of pain.
"Tighnari?!"
Tighnari can't reply, too busy staring down at himself to ascertain what his body is doing, eyes immediately finding the gaping hole in his side. His mouth goes dry at the sight of flesh hanging out, blood dripping out and down over his legs. Tighnari vaguely aware of Cyno's presence somewhere around him, but his brain is getting foggy. His hands are shaky.
Another hand enters his field of vision, and Tighnari's gaze moves up, away from the gaping wound. Cyno is in front of him again with his hands outstretched toward Tighnari, but not moving any closer.
"Hey, how can I help? What do you need?"
"First drawer from... top", Tighnari gasps, still clutching at his side.
Cyno doesn't waste any time standing around, immediately going for the dresser right behind them; the only thing Tighnari could be referring to. Tighnari can't see what he's doing, but he hears some slammer as Cyno moves things around, before he returns to his position right before him, this time with a bright orange bottle in hand.
"Is this...?" he asks hesitantly, but Tighnari's breathing is too labored for him to get out a reply.
Cyno seems to realize, as he–after a quick glance at the bottle's label–screws the cork open and shakes a pill out onto his palm, quickly putting the bottle away to approach Tighnari.
"Nari, I need you to look up. Look at me, please."
His words are jumbled and slow in Tighnari's mind, not making a lot of sense.
"Please, Nari. Open!"
Tighnari is holding tightly onto his side. He needs to put pressure on the wound, because there's already too much blood, but he's not sure he'll be able to last much longer. Keeping the pressure on is all he can remember right now. His mind is spinning.
Something grabs hold of his jaw, and he feels his mouth open forcefully, but he doesn't have any energy to spare. Now there's something in his mouth. The pain is too much.
"Close!"
He has to swallow, or else he's going to choke, so Tighnari does just that.
Then he passes out.
* * *
When he next wakes up, his senses return to him a little at a time. A hand under the covers, soft breathing in the silence, a pillow beneath his head. Once he has enough brainpower to understand his current situation–he's in his bed, and it's dark outside–he chances a glance around the room.
On the floor right next to him is a sleeping figure, and it takes Tighnari a moment to place him.
"Did you seriously spend all night on the floor?" he mumbles into the dark room.
Cyno has always been a light sleeper, and the whispered words are enough to get him to snap his eyes open, jumping into a sitting position and staring up at the bed.
"Tighnari..." he says.
"You know, you didn't have to sleep there. Just... sleep in the bed with me next time."
When he doesn't immediately reply, Tighnari moves his eyes over to Cyno, finding the other man already looking at him. There's a small line between his eyebrows that Tighnari can't figure out what it means. Irritation? Concern?
"There's gonna be a next time?" Cyno asks, still with that little line in between his eyebrows.
Tighnari lets out a slow breath, blinking at the window a few times. He can see the moon high in the sky.
"There's always a next time."
"You mean this has happened before?"
"Mhm."
Cyno stays quiet, and Tighnari closes his eyes for a few moments, breathing deeply.
"You scared me", Cyno mumbles.
Tighnari opens his eyes again, tilting his head to the side to look down at Cyno, but now, Cyno is looking at the floor. His expression is vacant, but he's sitting with his legs pulled up to his chin and hugging them.
"I thought you were having a panic attack at first", Cyno continues, still in that soft voice of his. "But... I dunno, it seemed off, but I don't have another explanation, so..."
"Sorry", Tighnari says. He rubs at his eyes, not wanting to see the disappointment that must be on Cyno's face right now, because Cyno is right, and he should have told him a long time ago. "It's on me, I shouldn't have... I should have told you earlier, and you shouldn't have to do that for me, it's not..."
"Do what?"
Cyno's question cuts his ramblings short, and Tighnari pauses to glance down at the other, who's now frowning.
"Well... deal with it, I guess", Tighnari says, turning back to stare at the ceiling. "Even if I can't stop it from happening, I should've been able to swallow a pill on my own, and not make you do it."
"Hey. You didn't force me to do anything, alright? I would've helped whether you asked me to or not. I wasn't made to do anything, or deal with anything I shouldn't have. If anything, you seem to be the one dealing with... well, something."
Halfway through his speech, Tighnari had turned to watch him, but at the last part, he turns away again.
"Hey." Cyno's voice is softer now. He sounds so incredibly unsure, something that Tighnari isn't used to at all. Not from Cyno. "I'm sorry if that was harsh, I..."
"No!" Tighnari says, interrupting him as he turns around again. "No, it wasn't, or at least I don't think so. You're right, anyway. It's a medical condition that I've been aware of for some years now. And, I should have told you about it earlier, so you wouldn't have had to... you know."
Cyno watches him, silent, but when Tighnari doesn't continue he speaks up again.
"And it causes panic attacks, or...?"
Tighnari shakes his head slowly, letting out a quiet sigh.
"Close, but not really. It's... hallucinations, about myself being in pain in various ways. Some are recurring, but there's not much logic to what I see, at least from what I've noted. It's based on real world stimuli, but my brain misinterprets the signals as painful." Slipping into medical jargon is easy enough, but he doesn't want to seem too detached when Cyno is here. "All I know is that it hurts."
"But the pain is fake?"
Tighnari looks down at him and figures that he's in for a proper explanation, which might take a while. Long enough for Cyno to get uncomfortable where he is now, no matter how much he might pretend otherwise.
He pulls his legs in and pats the bed in front of him, now free to sit on. Cyno just stares at the spot.
"Sit", Tighnari orders. "Or is the floor that comfortable to you?"
Cyno gets up wordlessly, crossing his legs as he plops down in front of Tighnari. It might just be Tighnari's imagination, or maybe it's hotter in the room than he's noticed, but Cyno's cheeks seem a bit flushed. Just a tad.
The other is quick to divert his thoughts from that, saying, "Okay, fine, I'm comfortable. Now explain."
"Well, if I put it like this: Pain isn't felt in the body, right?"
Cyno only stares at him.
"Isn't that exactly where pain comes from?" he eventually asks, sounding like he's doubting the reliability of Tighnari's explanation more and more.
He shakes his head.
"No. Painful things happen to the body and it's the affected nerve endings that relay that pain to the brain, yes, but the actual pain is registered in the brain. That's where we get the notion of pain from. So, to connect this to pararibulitis–which is the nerve disease that I have, by the way–it essentially means that your brain misinterprets signals that your nerves are sending out as pain. So your body isn't hurt, but it feels just as real because the centers in your brain are registering it that way."
Cyno frowns, processing this.
"That means you're in real pain but from fake harm?"
"Exactly. And I'm usually not in any real danger when it happens."
Cyno snaps his eyes up to look at Tighnari's face, widening ever so slightly.
"Usually?" he echoes. His tone is almost indistinguishable from normal, but there's just the slightest hint of concern in it, one that Tighnari from just a year ago would not have been able to discern.
"Yes, usually. There are some exceptions, but they're rare."
"Like if the attacks happen in dangerous locations and you're unable to move?"
Tighnari tilts his head, humming.
"Technically, yes, but I was thinking more about the effect an attack can have on my body, if we completely disregard external factors." He takes a second to consider his words. "While yes, the disorder affects my brain, my brain just so happens to be in control over the rest of my body. And, that means sometimes, my brain tries to protect itself from whatever it thinks is happening by shutting off some bodily functions to preserve energy, just like it would if the danger was real. Only problem is it's not, so that protective measure ends up hurting more than helping."
Explaining his condition is simple enough. He studied in the Amurta Darshan after all, and one of his main responsibilities as a Forest Ranger is to treat medical issues, both of travelers that pass by and of the other rangers–even if that all too often means lecturing people about inedible mushrooms. Still. This language is something familiar and reliable, something comfortable to lean back on when he'd rather not face the personal aspects of this situation.
Cyno is quiet following his explanation, but Tighnari avoids looking at his face, worried that he'll see the same pity that his parents had shown after they found out. That was unpleasant.
Or maybe anger, from him not saying anything earlier. That would also make sense.
Or maybe even disappointment, and he would be justified feeling that way, given how long they've been friends and how close they've grown in that time and how long it's taken Tighnari to say anything about this–
"Nari."
He looks up, Cyno's voice interrupting his train of thought, which is probably for the better. Overthinking never ends well.
"Are there any triggers you can avoid?" he asks, and whatever Tighnari had been expecting him to say, that was not it. He still can't find any emotion other than concern on Cyno's face, but even that, he's hesitant about. Reading faces has never been his strong suit. "Or is there something to prevent the attacks, like medicine or some type of treatment?"
Tighnari holds out his hand, and Cyno takes it without even looking, eyes still fixed on Tighnari's face. He uses his thumb to make gentle strokes across Tighnari's skin.
"There's no curative treatment, only the pills from earlier, and they're palliative." When all Cyno does is blink at him, he clarifies. "Meaning that they relieve the pain, but don't actually treat the underlying condition."
"Ah", Cyno hums. "And triggers?"
"Can be anything." He lifts their intertwined hands, holding them up in front of Cyno's eyes. "This stroke of your thumb could turn into a razor blade scraping off my hand, no matter how softly you do it. Any tactile sensory input can trigger something."
He lowers their hands again, and Cyno follows the movement with his gaze. Tighnari can't read the expression on his face, but he hasn't stopped the strokes of his thumb, so at least there's that comfort to fall back on.
Tighnari swallows.
"What are you thinking about?" he asks, steeling himself for the answer.
Cyno is still staring down at their hands as he replies.
"How I can help."
Tighnari watches him in silence, waiting for a continuation or a change in his expression, anything, but nothing comes. He tries to analyze the words Cyno spoke–few as they may be–but there's nothing to grasp other than exactly what he said. How I can help. It's not a question, at least not in its interrogative form, but there's an implication there.
Tighnari can't hold himself back anymore, because he has to ask or else he won't stop thinking about it.
"You're not mad?"
Cyno counters his inquiry with a question of his own.
"Why would I be?"
"Because I never said anything! You are, undeniably, the person closest to me, but I still never said anything."
"Did you know that I broke my toe on a mission two months ago?"
"I– No, but that's not comparable."
"Maybe not, but we're separate people, Nari. You don't owe me your full medical history any more than I owe you mine. I mean, it would've been good to know how to help, considering the likelihood of me being around for an attack, but..." He interrupts himself. "Does Collei know?"
The sudden switch catches Tighnari off-guard, and he tries to figure out why Cyno is suddenly bringing that up. Maybe he's worried about being the last person to know; maybe this is what will spark his disappointment?
Tighnari still responds candidly.
"Yes. Her and Shirin."
"That's the doctor, right?"
"Yeah."
"Good. That makes sense."
Tighnari waits a few moments to see if he has more to say as his expression remains unchanged. When Cyno doesn't, Tighnari opens his mouth.
"So..." he starts. "Still not mad?"
A small smile shows itself on Cyno's face, and he shakes his head.
"No, and I won't be. It would've been nice to know before it happened, but again, it's not my place to be mad about it."
"Okay. Though, if you start pitying me after this, I will bite you. Just so you know." Cyno laughs, and Tighnari finds himself relaxing a little. "I'm not joking, I actually will!"
Cyno lifts his free hand to wipe his eyes, still laughing.
"Seriously? Aren't you the one going on about how you're not an animal just because of the ears and tail? This sounds kind of counterproductive, if you ask me."
"Good thing I wasn't asking you, then."
Tighnari smiles smugly at him, and Cyno chuckles. Their hands are still intertwined on the bed between them, but the serious atmosphere has dissipated to make room for something softer, something less deep but not any less real.
Cyno meets Tighnari's gaze with a smile on his face. He pauses for a second.
"I really love you, you know?"
Tighnari tries to hide the way his face heats up at those words, turning toward the window instead, but he can't stop a smile from breaking out.
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
* * *
Shirin stops Tighnari on the bridge right as he's about to head out on patrol with Collei. He gestures for the young girl to go ahead, and she does so with an unsure glance back at him, but he offers her a smile which seems to calm her down.
"Sorry, just a quick question" Shirin excuses, and Tighnari nods for her to go ahead. "When's your boyfriend coming over again?"
Tighnari hates how his mind immediately jumps to Cyno when he hears that word. He doesn't say that out loud, because they're not dating, so that can't be who she's referring to, but as a matter of fact, he doesn't have any partner at all. She must have gotten the information wrong somewhere.
"I don't have a boyfriend?" he replies, but it comes out more like a question.
Shirin seems even more confused with this answer than he was with her question.
"Oh. Husband, then?" Shirin tries, but he shakes his head. "Fiancé?"
After a second's hesitation, he chances a guess. The worst that could happen is that he gets it wrong and potentially exposes himself in the process.
"Are you, maybe, talking about Cyno?" he says hesitantly.
"He's not your boyfriend?!"
Shirin is so genuinely shocked by this that Tighnari can't even bring himself to be embarrassed for assuming. He can only shake his head and try to force his heartbeat to calm down. Of course she doesn't know anything about his feelings, she's not a mindreader, no matter how much she may seem like one.
"No, he's not. We're just... close friends, is all." Shirin is still gaping at him, so he tries to get her back on track. "Did you want anything with him?"
She composes herself surprisingly fast.
"Nothing important. Just some research I figured he might find interesting, but if you're not dating, then I suppose it's not relevant. Have a nice patrol!"
She takes off before he has a chance to say anything else.
"What did Shirin want?" Collei wonders when he catches up and falls into pace next to her, both of them walking with their bows in hand.
He considers what to say for a second, before deciding that she'll probably find the story more amusing than anything and tells her exactly what Shirin had asked him.
Tighnari is right: Collei is amused. He underestimates to what degree, though.
She spends the rest of their patrol laughing at him.
* * *
The next time Cyno visits Gandharva Ville, it's with an injury, and Tighnari orders him rest and recuperation for at least three days before he's even allowed to consider leaving again. Once the initial assessment is done and Cyno has gotten settled in Tighnari's hut (because where else would he stay?), he calls Tighnari over.
"Yeah?" Tighnari says, grabbing a towel to wipe some dirt off his hands. He's been helping Collei repot some flowers again, and it always gets much messier than it should.
Cyno beckons him closer, and Tighnari complies, amusement lacing his expression.
"You know you're in my bed, right? There's no need to invite me into my own room."
Cyno scoffs.
"Says you. You're the one who banished me here."
"I did not banish you anywhere."
Tighnari sits down on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle Cyno's leg too much. Such movements could cause increased pain levels and that's the opposite of why he's here.
"Here", Cyno says, holding out a closed hand, and Tighnari instinctively holds his own palm out. Before he has a chance to ask what it is, Cyno has dropped a flower into his waiting hand, and Tighnari brings it closer to his face to inspect it.
While he's doing that, Cyno adds,
"It reminded me of you."
Tighnari pretends not to notice how hard his heart starts beating at that, turning the flower over and keeping his eyes firmly fixed on it. Otherwise he might end up looking at something that will make him say things he doesn't want to say. Like Cyno's face.
"Fallugia", he mumbles. "Or fallugia paradoxa. A desert flower. It's pretty."
"Exactly."
With the way Cyno is grinning at him, he can't help but wonder if maybe he means something by that. Tighnari would rather not get his hopes up in vain, but it really does seem like that.
As if sensing what Tighnari is thinking, Cyno adds,
"Just like you."
Tighnari stares at him, biting his lip as he debates with himself. Having made up his mind, he leans forward and smiles sweetly at Cyno, who is watching him intently, waiting for what he's about to do.
"You're an idiot."
Whatever Cyno thought he was going to say, that was not it, and the confusion is so obvious on his face that Tighnari has to hold back a laugh.
"...Thanks?"
"You're welcome. Now, unless you have anything against it, I would like to kiss you."
"Kiss me?"
Despite being the one who flirted first, Cyno is now getting flustered, and Tighnari has to try very hard not to openly laugh at him. He always thought he would be way more nervous if he ever found himself in this situation, but something about it being with Cyno... There's nothing scary about it. He doesn't know for how long he's been in love Cyno, but long enough for him to grow comfortable with it. Maybe more so than he should.
"Yes. On your lips, with my lips. Romantically. If you want?"
Cyno doesn't respond, but he leans forward to close the distance between them, and that in itself is enough of an answer.
"Master Tighnari, there's a–!"
Cyno and Tighnari hurriedly pull away from each other right as Collei stops in the opening to the hut, her eyes widening as she takes in the scene she just walked in on. The two men are both looking away, trying to pretend that their faces weren't touching mere moments earlier, but given the way Collei is staring at them, she already knows.
Tighnari clears his throat, and her eyes flit over to him.
"Yes? There's a...?" he prompts.
Collei shakes herself out of her stupor and gets back on track, only casting a few glances to show that she's not over what she walked in on.
"Oh, yeah! There's a ton of fungi gathered right below the ville, you know, near the adventurer's camp!"
Tighnari groans, shaking his head.
"Did they forget to clean up after themselves again?"
"Yep."
Collei looks over at Cyno once more, whose full focus is now on Tighnari as the other gets up from the bed, getting ready to deal with this new issue.
"I'll handle it. If there are any adventurers around, let them know to avoid the camp for the time being."
"Will do!"
Collei runs off as soon as she's gotten the task. Tighnari turns back toward the bed and opens his mouth to speak, but Cyno beats him to it.
"I'll go with you."
Cyno starts moving off the bed while he's talking, and Tighnari stares at him, mouth still slightly open.
"Are you stupid?! You're here to recover and rest, not go chasing after–"
"Yes", Cyno interrupts, forcing Tighnari to pause, which he does with a frown.
"...what?"
Cyno grins at him.
"You asked if I'm stupid."
All Tighnari does is stare at him, still confused by where this is coming from. Then he shakes his head.
"No, no, no, you don't get to convince me that you're stupid all of a sudden. Stupid people don't get to work with the Akademiya, and certainly not as the General Mahamatra!"
"So now you're arguing with yourself?"
Tighnari tilts his head, blinking in confusion.
"What?"
"You said it yourself. I believe the exact term you used was 'idiot', which implies a person to be stupid, so the joke was that even though you're talking to me right now, you would be arguing with yourself since you presented both sides of this argument yourself. And just for the record, stupid people don't need to rest when they're injured."
Tighnari buries his face in his hands.
"That's not how it works..." he mutters.
"So I'm coming with you. Besides, it's just a few fungi. I know you could deal with those on your own, but if you're really worried, I promise I won't get close to them."
Tighnari watches him, considering it for a few moments, before letting out a long breath and turning around.
"Your tongue was in my mouth just a minute ago, and I'd like to get back to that as soon as possible. That's the only reason I'm allowing this, though!"
He has his back turned and misses the smile on Cyno's face at this, but it's audible in Cyno's voice when he says:
"Of course it is."
Cyno isn't so injured that he can't walk on his own, and the few opens wounds have already been treated and bandaged, so the only thing he needs to do is be mindful keeping the bandage intact. With the short distance down to where the fungi are, that's simple enough. Tighnari also keeps an eye on him, noting–among other things–that he favors his left leg, but that's expected considering the other one is where he's most hurt.
The fungi are gathered along the water's edge, a cluster of them that blocks the sight of the adventurer's camp that's set up behind them.
As promised, Cyno keeps his distance, at least for the most part. It's much easier said than done when your main weapon is a meelee one and it's made even more difficult fighting alongside Tighnari, who naturally approaches with ranged attacks. Normally, they're perfect for fighting when paired together, both their weapons and elements complementing each other, but Tighnari is firm about not letting Cyno aggravate his wounds.
It's only a few fungi, though. They make quick work of them in spite of Cyno's displeasure.
Tighnari puts one of his feet in the water at some point, but it's only when the last of the fungi fall that he has time to look down and assess the cold that's seeping into his skin.
"See, that wasn't so bad!"
Cyno's voice rolls off him like water as Tighnari stares down at his feet. They're frozen, ice creeping up his legs like vines, reaching across his skin and locking him in place. He's already freezing away all the sensation in his legs and it's only a matter of time before it gets to more vital parts of his body.
All because he stepped in water once. But was there even a cryo fungi around that could have frozen him?
"What's wrong?"
Tighnari turns his head up, finding Cyno already looking at him, so he glances between the other and his frozen legs, noting how Cyno follows his gaze. When he doesn't seem to notice anything wrong, Tighnari realizes what's actually going on.
His hands are shaking now, and his entire body goes cold. It's hard to get words out with how hard his jaw seems to be locked in place, but he manages.
"Legs are frozen."
It takes a second before understanding dawns on Cyno's face, but once it does, he's ready to act.
"Where?"
"Pocket."
Tighnari is already trying to reach into the pocket for his pills, but with the way his hands are growing colder by the second, even locating the correct pocket is difficult. Cyno notices and moves closer, swiftly reaching past Tighnari's hand into the pocket he had been reaching for and then unscrewing the cork and getting a pill out.
Before Cyno can hold it up to his mouth, Tighnari stops him with a shaking hand on his.
"Nari, you're shaking", Cyno says, but makes no move to shake Tighnari off. "Please."
"'m gonna pass out", he forces the words out. "You can't carry me."
"Then I'll wait until you can walk again."
Cyno makes an attempt to lift the pill again, but Tighnari shakes his head.
"No! Side effect, I pass out for hours. Get someone else."
They stare at each other for several moments, until Tighnari interrupts the moment with a gasp and turns to stare down at himself again, finding that the ice has reached his midsection. Regardless of how hot or cold he actually is, his brain will act as though he really has hypothermia, which might cause respiratory system or heart failure...
"I promise", Cyno says, "I'll get someone else to help and won't exert myself while you're passed out."
Tighnari nods and opens his mouth, not wanting to waste any more time now that he's heard this. Cyno doesn't lie, and besides, there are plenty of people just up ahead in the ville that could help.
Cyno helps put the pill in his mouth and he swallows. Only then does he notice that Cyno still has a hand on his shoulder from when he was grabbing the pills, helping Tighnari stabilize himself.
"Thank you", he whispers, feeling slightly dizzy.
Before Tighnari passes out, there's a gentle squeeze of his shoulder and Cyno's voice saying,
"Of course."
The next time he wakes up, he's back in his bed. All is as it usually is when he comes to after a pararibulitis attack–except for the warm body next to his own. Tighnari turns his head to look.
Cyno is there, breathing deeply with his eyes closed. He's asleep. Their shoulders are already pressed together, but Tighnari puts an arm over the other man once he notices their position, and Cyno unconsciously snuggles even closer to him. A small smile plays on Tighnari's lips, and he whispers,
"Sweet dreams, Cy."
Tighnari closes his eyes and goes back to sleep.