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“No… this can’t be happening…”
Cyno was running as fast as his legs could take him. He’d heard word of a violent lightning storm over Pardis Dhyai and that Tighnari had been struck by lightning during a fight with the Fatui. Cyno feared the worst… potentially losing the man he loved was a horrifying thought he couldn’t bear to think about. But the image of Tighnari’s burnt, bloody, mangled body laying on the stone pavement rang in his mind.
His knees buckled as he entered the gates of Pardis Dhyai. Some trees were burnt and smoke lingered in the air above, drifting up into the sky. Cyno returned to his feet and ran into the greenhouse, seeing Tighnari laying on the ground.
Tighnari’s entire right side of his body was bloody and sticky, the essence of electro twinkling over his exposed skin. His breathing was shallow and he shivered uncomfortably. His dark, fluffy tail curled in between his legs.
“Tighnari!!” Cyno collapsed onto his knees next to him, hesitant to touch him.
“C…Cy…” he coughed.
“Shh…” Cyno looked around, “here… I’ll take you home.”
“Hnn!” Tighnari tried to sit up, but couldn’t. “Lift me up… on my left side… to not… irritate the burns…”
“Alright.”
Cyno walked around him and tucked his large hands underneath Tighnari’s back and knees, lifting him up and leaning his left side into Cyno’s chest. Tighnari laid his head against Cyno’s shoulder, panting softly. Cyno huffed and started to leave, glancing at Tighnari every so often to make sure he was okay.
The road to Gandharva Ville was long and arduous, but Cyno managed to make it there. He laid Tighnari on the bank of the creek gently, taking note of his reactions.
“I need to undress you to clean your wounds.”
“Y-Yes, yes of course…” Tighnari slowly sat up, grunting.
“Here, let me help you.” Cyno sat closer and started to undress Tighnari.
Cyno used a scrap of cloth dipped in water to gently clean the sticky blood from Tighnari’s skin. Tighnari gripped Cyno’s arm tightly and buried his face in his shoulder, trying to deal with the pain. The blood came off with little pressure, exposing the dark red burns that trailed from his calve to his cheek. He frowned and leaned in, kissing Tighnari’s shoulder.
“I need to lie down, Cy…” he huffed, his voice quiet and cracking.
“Okay. Here, I’ll carry you to your hut.” Cyno wrapped Tighnari in a towel and brought him to his house.
As soon as Cyno entered Tighnari’s house, he was met with the scent of burning incense. He laid Tighnari down in bed and adjusted his body to a more comfortable position. Tighnari leaned into the pillow, his ear twitching.
“That jar there… it has an aloe salve inside that’s perfect for burns like this…” Tighnari murmured.
Cyno nodded and picked up the jar, “I was dreadfully worried for you, Nari. I don’t think I could handle losing you.” He gently applied the salve to Tighnari’s wounds.
He whimpered at the sudden cold, “I-I apologize for making you worry, Cyno.”
“Hm…” he kissed his forehead. “I love you.”
“I love you too…”
The silence lingered like a heavy fog as the two stared at each other. Tighnari looked away as blush tinted his cheeks and he patted the bed with his good hand. Cyno tilted his head to the side to display his confusion at Tighnari’s request.
“Can you cuddle with me?”
“Oh… of course.” Cyno crawled into bed next to Tighnari as he scooted over to give him room. There was little space between the two as they looked at each other lovingly.
“It really hurts…” Tighnari whispered, tail poking in between his legs.
“I know…” Cyno wrapped his arms around him, tucking his fingers into Tighnari’s hair.
He purred, “hopefully, this burn heals well. I don’t want it to heal all bumpy and ugly…” Tighnari closed his eyes.
“I’m just grateful you’re alive, my rose.” He petted his ear, “I long to marry you one day, Tighnari.”
Tighnari smirked and nuzzled into his shoulder, amused by his affection. When they were alone together, they could be themselves. They weren’t the General Mahamatra and the Forest Ranger, they were Cyno and Tighnari, fiancés.
Tighnari recoiled in agony at a sudden jolt of pain coursing through his arm. He bit into Cyno’s shoulder and sobbed, letting out cries of anguish as his arm seized up and went stiff. Cyno winced and held him closer, hushing him softly as he cried. He rubbed his back and whispered sweet nothings into his ear as he helped him through this horrible twinge of pain.
Eventually, Tighnari calmed down and continued to cry softly into Cyno’s chest. He didn’t want to move and irritate the burn again. Cyno huffed and petted his ear, trying to comfort him.
“I’m right here, my rose.”
“Cyno…” Tighnari whimpered in pain.
“Yes?”
“I don’t want you to leave. Could you stay a while longer…? Your presence is making me feel better…”
“Of course.” Cyno gave a soft smile.
“Thank you…” he closed his eyes, “I’m going to try to sleep now… you need to regularly apply the salve every few hours… alright? Thin coats.”
“Yes of course, Tighnari.” He loved when Tighnari gave him instructions.
“Okay… I love you.” Tighnari kissed Cyno’s chest lovingly and laid into him to sleep.
“Love you too…”
Cyno took the time to read a book as his fiancé slept beside him. The book was about various mushroom species. It must be Tighnari’s. Cyno flinched as he felt Tighnari moving, cuddling his arm and wrapping his legs around Cyno’s thigh with his tail tickling his knee. Cyno hummed and started playing with Tighnari’s hair. It was so soft and smooth…
“Mmn…” Tighnari began to purr and lean into Cyno’s hand.
Who knew the usually sassy and sarcastic Forest Ranger was such a softie? It was time to apply another layer of salve, so Cyno sat up and picked up the jar, struggling to open it with one hand. Once open, he dug his fingers into the white goop and began applying it to the dark red and purple bruised flesh that felt hot to the touch. Root-like veiny tendrils stretched underneath his skin across the burn, a permanent reminder of the suffering he was going through. Cyno frowned and looked at his own hands, they were scarred much the same way. He intertwined his fingers with Tighnari and briefly kissed him before continuing to apply salve.
He pressed his fingers into Tighnari’s hip, gliding them across his thigh and smearing the aloe solution across them. Tighnari’s thighs were thick with muscle, as he did work out quite a bit. Cyno hummed, his cheeks tinted pink as he rubbed the mixture across his leg. Cyno was soon finished, and he laid back next to Tighnari to continue reading his book.
After hours, Tighnari stirred. “Mmngh… what time is it…”
Cyno looked outside, “it must be dawn. You slept for quite a while.”
“D-Did you sleep at all?!” Tighnari pouted at him.
“No… I read this book all night. Was I supposed to sleep?”
“Ugh… Cy…” Tighnari kissed his cheek, “you goofball…”
“I was mainly concerned with caring for you… but if you want me to sleep, I can.”
Tighnari smirked, “alright then. I’m still pretty tired anyways. Just don’t hog the blanket, alright?”
“I’ll try not to.” Cyno smiled and nuzzled his nose sweetly.
“It feels so good to be alive, Cyno…”