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Damn, this hurt, burned, and felt like all hell was searing away at the flesh.
He sat curled in on himself in some decrepit shack, waiting for Xayah, as he tried his best to nurse the wound with his magic. But whatever was in those bullets just wouldn't give in to his healing and it hurt... a lot. His leg was red and raw with what looked like he was struck by lightning as cracks and seared flesh crawled up his leg. It hurt. So bad. But he had to keep trying before Xayah returned, he, of course, didn't want to give her more worry than she needed. He knew she had enough on her plate already. But as the sun began to set, and he had made so little progress, it was beginning to seem hopeless for the night. So, he used his wing to cover it in a larger poncho kind of style. He would chalk it up to a new style he wanted to try or some kind of weird nesting behavior as he looked like an overgrown fluffed-up pigeon.
He sighed and curled further into his feathers as the unhinged door was pushed to the side and then placed back as his lover returned. She looked over at him and furrowed her brow. And he used his tail to wave at her like a child. She stood there for a good while before rolling her eyes and turning to her supply pack to organize whatever it was, he couldn't remember, she had gotten while out scouting or whatever it was, she had been doing while he was securing their little shack. She gave it one last look before sliding it under some foliage and took a seat right next to him, leaning heavily on his side. It fucking hurt when the pressure was applied to his side, and he felt the weight on his crossed legs. He shook for a moment but quickly hid it with a fluffed shiver of his feathers and slowly leaned back against her with a shaky sigh.
"In the morning, we can travel again. I got what I needed- couldn't find anything red and human-made for you though." She said with her eyes closed and giving a small nuzzle against his shoulder. "Any hostiles pass by while I was out?"
She finally opened her eyes and looked up at him, her brows furrowing when she saw the sweat trickling down his face. But he quickly looked to the door, away from her, but then slowly back at her.
"Oh, nothing I couldn't handle. Just a few weirdos, some small animals, and whatever these bugs I saw were. Got a little chilly so I-" He fluffs himself again despite the aching burn in his leg. "Had a little idea for warmth."
She kept her eye on him but then rolled her eyes again. "It's not that cold, Rakan." She spoke softly before closing her eyes once more. He mentally kicked himself to stop his hesitation and leaned his head onto hers.
Every small movement he made sent sharp jolts of pain through him. Every loving nuzzle of hers, every one that he returned, and even the shifting of his own magic with hers was unbearable. But he kept saving face and waiting to hopefully sleep through this and wake better in the morning.
The morning came much too fast, and he had too little sleep. Xayah slept her minimal amount and woke to him staring at the ceiling. The pain from moving into a lying down position had finally dulled enough for him to focus on something else for a few hours but he was never able to fall asleep. His eyes were momentarily glazed over before he realized she had been staring at him. Those eyes were searching for something that he couldn't hope to be good, so with the best poker face he had, he sat up and stretched the best he could, barely containing the wince that he let out.
She was over him in an instant, holding his face and searching. She seemed... hesitant.
"Rakan..." He gulps and looks up at her and gives a sheepish smile.
"Y-yes... my love?" God what he wouldn't give to be healed right now as she looked spectacular above him. He wants to roll over and hold her close to sleep, but he wasn't going to risk that.
"You didn't sleep... Why." It was more a demand than a question. So, he looked away and his tail tucked between his legs. Apparently, this was the wrong reaction as she immediately went to checking him for injuries. From his head, face, chest, arms, and she was so close to forcing his feathers and tail away to search his legs before he grabbed and held her arms.
"Xayah. I just... couldn't sleep. Ok?"
She stares at him, eyes piercing and searching before she removed his hold on her. She slowly let her fingers trace underneath his feathers down his waist, to his thighs, and down each calf. She didn't miss the hiss and the obvious pain on his face. Her brows furrowed but she didn't look down to see why he was hurting.
"Rakan... tell me you are hurt."
She traces up a bit as he holds his breath at the searing pain until she moves just above the injury, a blessing.
"Please."
And fuck, did it hurt to see her beg like this. He wanted to avoid the worry and this... soft shit over his own pain. He loved her when she was sweet, soft, angry, blunt, and so on... but this wasn't the reaction he wanted. Or any reaction at all! He tried to sit up but she held him down, knowing he was too hurt to fight her off. Her eyes slowly looked to his leg and he felt ashamed as her eyes widened and she looked back to his face.
"Rakan, how di-"
"A fucking magic bullet." He said through clenched teeth, refusing to look at her. "I got hurt, ok? And I... I can't heal it. It hurts so bad to the point I can't stand and I can't fix it. I can't... I can't..." He hiccups and shakes from this awful experience.
"I just... didn't want..."
"You didn't want me to worry."
She is silent after and stands, leaving him to go and retrieve her bag she had hid away the night before. He heard the jingling of coin and various other things he didn't care about at the moment. It didn't take her long to return and when he looked up he only saw her back to him as she hovered over his leg. He sighed and just laid there, pathetic and weak from no sleep and the constant throbbing pain. He felt her cold hands touch that burning flesh and she held it there. He could feel her magic, but he knew it wasn't the best for healing.
"I know you're tired, but I need you to work with me." She was waiting and it took longer than it should of for him to slowly use his own magic.
He could feel the coolness of hers mixing with the warmth of his coating his leg. It was more than exhausting but the searing dulled enough that he could breathe without the godforsaken ache of pain for a moment. He let out a sigh of relief and nearly cried when she turned back to look at him with such a face of worry and care. It quickly became too much and the tears started to escape.
She curled up next to him on the floor and rested her head on his shoulder while petting him softly. He couldn't make out what she was whispering but he didn't care. It didn't take long for him to fall into a dreamless sleep brought on by the exhaustion. She stayed with him, letting the time pass. He wouldn't be up until the next day. And then he would be ok to walk again. It was going to throw off the timing but that didn't matter right now.
She would allow it.