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Rhydian couldn’t help it, the way he had been hovering around Maddy after the fire. From the moment he heard her howl as the fire alarm went off, his heart was beating out of his chest. He ran to her, wondering what could have happened to make her undoubtedly call for him when she was supposed to be keeping calm, only to shrink back at the heat and glowing flames in the chemistry lab. It was only Maddy shoving him that made him move away. Even as he did, his mind was screaming at him to turn back and get Maddy out first. But he knew if he followed through, she would be furious at him and would refuse to leave without Shannon, so he listened to her and went to get help.
When Rhydian arrived with Jeffries in tow to see Tom carrying out a barely conscious Maddy and a slumped over Shannon, he felt his throat close up in a way that had nothing to do with the smoke. He rushed forward, taking Maddy into his arms, only exhaling when he could feel the rise and fall of her chest against his and the gasping sounds of her breath. He picked her up, her sweat-slicked forehead falling against his neck, and he rushed out to the hallway, relieved to find it empty. Dropping to his knees, he leaned Maddy up against the wall with a soft grunt, brushing wet strands of hair away from her face as he sat down across from her. Maddy gave him a shaky but reassuring nod with heavy eyes, letting him know she would be alright before the two of them turned to her friends. Tom had also laid Shannon on the ground and she was coming to, coughing as Tom gently rubbed at her waist, encouraging her to rouse. And when she sat up, for a moment, everything seemed like it would be alright.
But then his ears pricked up as Shannon’s heartbeat spiked, her fear-filled eyes turning to Maddy. As Shannon scooted away, muttering under her breath, Rhydian and Maddy exchanged their own tense looks, hearing her every word.
“I saw…”
Luckily, Tom calmed her down, and before Shannon directly confronted Maddy, Jeffries came storming out, demanding answers now that the fire had been put out. Rhydian had to tamp down the urge to growl at the man. Maddy - and Shannon - could have died, and Jeffries was focused on berating them for being in the lab and not being careful with the chemicals.
“Sir, with all due respect,” he spat out, cutting their teacher off mid-tirade, “I don’t think either of them are in any condition to listen to a lecture right now.”
Jeffries blanched, a shamed flush across his face, and he shook his head. “Of course, you’re right. My apologies, Maddy, Shannon. Are either of you hurt?”
Maddy shook her head. “Just some smoke inhalation, sir. Shannon was in there deeper than me, so she’s probably got it worse.”
The words were slow, slurred, and clearly took a lot of effort. Rhydian’s hands curled into fists, his jaw clenching.
Jeffries nodded, his mouth a grim line. “You four stay put, I’ll be back with Nurse Lumley in a few minutes.”
Once the nurse arrived, the two girls were quickly cleared without any burns or injury. Other than advising them to rest, drink plenty of water, and maybe expect to throw up, there was little else to be done. Tom reassured them that he was unharmed as well, and soon, the four of them were walking out of the school, Shannon being supported by Tom. Maddy had gone to her other side to help, but Shannon had flinched back, her lips tight and eyes hazy.
“Tom, can you take me home?” Shannon asked. “Rhydian can take Maddy.”
Tom looked confused at her sudden demand, but nodded in agreement, wrapping an arm around her shoulders while swinging her bag over his arm. “Alright, you two get back safe. Maddy, text us once you’re home, yeah?”
Rhydian bristled at the implication that he wouldn’t be able to take care of Maddy, but said nothing. He wouldn't pick a fight now, since it seemed he and Tom had reached some sort of understanding.
“Take care, Shan,” Maddy quietly said. “Text me once you’re home, too.”
But Shannon didn’t acknowledge Maddy’s words, pulling Tom away. And then it was just Rhydian and Maddy left in the empty lot. Maddy stood still for a long time, watching Shannon and Tom’s retreating backs.
“She saw something,” Maddy said once her friends were out of sight.
“I know,” Rhydian said. “We’ll figure it out, okay? Maybe convince her it was the fire, that she doesn’t remember right.”
She frowned, bothered by this solution. “So we’ll be gaslighting her?”
“Do we have a choice?”
Maddy kicked at a pebble by her feet dejectedly. “Let’s go,” she mumbled, rubbing at her throat as if it hurt to talk. “Can we walk? I don’t think I can run anymore today.”
He nodded, pulling out the plastic water bottle that the nurse had given each of them before letting them go. Maddy had already drank through hers, but Rhydian’s was still mostly full. He shoved it into her hands. “Drink.”
She looked up at him, seeming amused at the gruff command, but listened nonetheless. When she had her fill, she screwed the top back on, shoving it into her bag. “You really aren’t used to taking care of other people, are you?”
He shrugged, unsure how to respond. She was right, after all. For as long as he could remember, the only person he has had to look out for has been himself.
They set off together at a leisurely pace. Rhydian had decided they would stick to the roads, rather than the uneven terrain of the forest. It would be easier for Maddy in her weakened condition.
But it was still a slow walk, Maddy coming to abrupt stops as she dizzily swayed now and then. Every time, she would get close to leaning on him, her hair brushing against his shoulder, before she got her bearings and pulled away. The third time it happened, his brows furrowed. Without giving her a chance to protest, he grabbed her bag, lifting it over her head and placing it on his shoulder instead. And then he grabbed for her hand, placing it on the crook of his elbow.
“If you need to, you can hold on, you know,” he said. He knew he usually wasn’t receptive to touch and affection, not the way Maddy seemed to be with her parents and her other friends, but it wasn’t like he would push her away when she was like this.
“Thanks, Rhydian,” Maddy squeezed his arm, her fingers curling around his bicep. “For all of it, not just walking me home and letting me hold you now. But the fire alarm today— the first one I mean, during the test, and taking us running and coming when you heard me howl. And now there’s this whole mess with Shannon and we have to figure out—“
“Hey, hey,” he said, trying to calm her down as he heard how her voice hitched, her anxiety increasing as she recalled the day’s events. “Slow down, before you—“
Suddenly, she wrenched away from him, doubling over as she threw up into some unlucky person’s shrubs.
“Well, I was going to say wolf out, but I guess that too,” Rhydian said, the words coming out with a wince.
“Oh, god,” Maddy muttered, and he could just hear the mortification in her voice. He sympathetically rubbed her back, his other hand pulling her hair away from her face.
“It’s okay,” he said. “You’re fine.”
As if she wanted to prove him wrong, she hunched over once more, overcome by another round of heaving. Rhydian almost panicked, wondering what was wrong with her until he remembered the nurse had said this was to be expected. Still, he hated watching her suffering. It was like he was back in that classroom, watching her have a panic attack when she nearly transformed. Something in his chest twinged.
When it looked like Maddy was done, he pulled the water bottle he had given her out of her bag, handing it to her once again. She gratefully took it, rinsing her mouth with small swishes before spitting it out. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve, and closed her eyes, leaning her head back towards the sky.
“C’mon,” she said eventually once she caught her breath. “I’m pretty sure this is Kara’s house, and the last thing I want is for her to come out and see what I did to her shrubs.”
Rhydian cringed, absolutely in agreement that they should get out of sight as soon as possible. But at this point, it was also apparent that Maddy was much worse off than she was letting on. So without warning, he moved in front of her, crouched down to put his hands under her thighs, and lifted her up on his back. Maddy shrieked, her arms automatically circling his neck.
“What are you doing?!” she hissed as he started walking, getting them far away from Kara’s place.
“Don’t argue,” he said.
She scoffed. “Real nice. If I end up puking on you, you have no one to blame but yourself.”
“I’ll take my chances. Just hang on, this is faster than your turtle pace, anyway.”
She was either really unwell or enjoying being carried because she didn’t argue anymore. Her limbs relaxed in his hold as she leaned more fully against him. They settled into a comfortable silence as he walked, occasionally broken up by her deep inhales as she buried her face in the back of his neck. They were in sight of the Smith cottage when he finally realized what she was doing.
“Are you…sniffing me?” Rhydian asked to confirm, trying to hold back a laugh.
Maddy stiffened on his back. “Shut up. I can still smell the smoke from the fire, it’s clinging all over me. You smell nice, so I’m trying to focus on that instead.”
“What do I smell like?” he asked, suddenly curious.
She hummed. “Like the woods, and hints of chocolate and bacon. And like a wolfblood, obviously, so it’s like home.”
Rhydian almost tripped when he heard her compare him to home. Home was such a foreign concept to him, and here was Maddy, declaring him a part of hers.
“It’s nice,” Maddy said, softer this time.
His voice was oddly scratchy when he finally managed to reply. “So you’ve said.”
When he reached her door, he set her down on her feet and gave her her bag. She smiled gratefully up at him. “Thanks again. I really owe ya, you’ve done way too much for me today.”
He swallowed down the wave of feelings that seemed to be erupting in his chest, feelings he had no words for. All he knew was that after the day they had today, he just wanted to protect Maddy. That he had to keep her safe. That he only began to really calm down after holding her. Slowly but surely, she was becoming his priority, and he would do just about anything for her.
But that was kind of a terrifying thing to say to a girl you’ve known for less than a month, so he didn’t vocalize any of that.
All Rhydian did was give her a tight grin. “Get better soon,” he said, voice subdued, before he turned and left, pretending he didn't see the thoughtful look in Maddy's eyes as if she had seen right through him.