Tighnari was walking in silence behind Cyno, soundly ignoring the stares that were following the two of them. He knew it was a normal occurrence for his boyfriend, he was a feared figure among the students ever since he became the General Mahamatra after all. And while Tighnari's ears also tended to attract the eyes of strangers, that didn't mean that he enjoyed the attention.

This is why he didn't go to the city often, at least the people of Gandharva Ville didn't stare. Even the travellers from other nations didn't seem as surprised by his appearance as the people from Sumeru, and most of those have lived alongside Valuka Shunas for their whole lives. Granted Valuka Shunas often lived in small secluded communities, but still.

Those students and researchers should really focus on their books instead of them.

"Can't you give me a hint at least?" Tighnari asked once again, his ears swivelling around attentively as they passed yet another group of students whispering and watching them.

"I'm not ruining the surprise, but don't worry, you'll like it." Cyno spoke softly so only he could hear.

"That's not as reassuring as you think." The fox sighed as he followed the General Mahamatra through the various corridors and stairs of the Akademiya. He'd almost forgotten how big that place really was.

It had all started the day before, when Cyno had arrived a bit late to have dinner with him and Collei. He had seemed a bit more fidgety than usual, as if anxious about something -which was usually a sign that he was hiding an injury- but when Tighnari had probed him after dinner, he was simply brushed off. Despite his reservations, he'd let it slide without too many questions because he trusted Cyno not to hide anything life-threatening from him at least.

After dinner, Cyno asked Collei to go on a walk with him, which was unusual but she seemed very excited to spend some time with his boyfriend, so the fox hadn't said anything. He'd simply busied himself cleaning up the table while they were gone and hoped that they enjoyed their walk. Perhaps Cyno had simply wanted to make it up to her for being late. It wouldn't be the first time, but he usually bought her a gift instead.

So, when the both of them returned wearing badly-disguised grins, Tighnari had been very suspicious. Yet, when he asked, the two exchanged a loaded glance before he was given a somewhat flimsy excuse by the trainee Ranger before she all but fled his hut.

Tighnari would have questioned his boyfriend if said boyfriend hadn't quickly and thoroughly distracted him.

In the morning, he had woken up to an already prepared breakfast and an offer to brush his tail. It was nice, but it made Tighnari even more suspicious when Cyno asked him to come to the Akademiya with him when he left. It was very strange, but it was the Forest Watcher's day off so he accepted, if only to keep an eye on his boyfriend.

Cyno had been nearly visibly bouncing up and down by the time they set off, and after multiple attempts to get answers, the only thing Tighnari managed to get out of him was that the other had a surprise for him.

Which is where he was now, being led through the massive building that he had scarcely visited since joining the Forest Watchers.

Walking around this place, with its gleaming floors and high ceilings, brought back a lot of memories of his time as an Amurta student. He vaguely recalled the way to the different rooms he had spent hours in, listening to more or less boring lectures on subject he already knew all about. Now that he thought about it, he had spent some of those classes drawing diagrams and writing theories about anything that crossed his mind in a little notebook.

He wondered where that notebook went, back then he almost never went anywhere without it.

Cyno led him to an open door at the end of a deserted hallway. This he remembered, this was the way to the greenhouses, he'd spent hours here surrounded only by plants and the occasional researcher. And, when he wanted to be truly alone, he went to...

Oh, it was still there.

He walked around his boyfriend to get a closer look at the greenhouse before them, the one furthest from the door and barely visible until you walked closer. It was even more overgrown than before -although it really wasn't surprising, the last time he was here was years ago- and the roof was still halfway caved in. Tighnari had thought the Akademiya would have torn it down long ago, but there it was, still standing.

"Woah, I remember this place. I didn't expect it to still be standing. Is that the...?" The fox looked questioningly at Cyno, who had walked closer to the dilapidated greenhouse and was watching him with a slight smile.

"That's not the surprise." Was the only thing the Matra said before he pushed open the door and walked in. Tighnari followed him curiously, his nose crinkling from the dust that was disturbed by his steps.

It took a moment for his eyes to get used to the low light before he could truly look around. There were plants everywhere, some thriving and others only withered remains, and at the end of the building, covered by what was left of the roof, were piles of forgotten and very familiar items.

Old textbooks now covered in dust and fallen leaves, some cards in neat piles, that old uniform hat he never wore, his notebook.

"This is... All of our stuff from back then. I never thought- How did you..." Tighnari breathed out as he inspected each item in awe. Memories he'd almost forgotten reappearing with each new discovery, he smiled.

"So it's a good surprise then?" The Forest Watcher turned around and saw his boyfriend watching him with an amused look. He grinned and nodded, then picked up the hat on a whim and dusted it off, then placed it on his head as neatly as he could with his ears in the way.

"I haven't worn this since I was a student. How do I look?" He saw Cyno hold back a laugh at the crooked hat on his head, but he wasn't offended. He knew it looked ridiculous on him, which is why-

"You didn't even wear it as a student." His boyfriend sounded both fond and annoyed.

"If I'd worn it, we wouldn't have become friends. I'd say it's a good thing I wasn't very good at following the rules." He winked at Cyno, who shook his head at him with a smirk.

"What a troublemaker you were." He rolled his eyes.

"Oh? Are you saying I'm not a troublemaker anymore?" He asked as Cyno looked around slowly, making him look back at Tighnari.

"If I wanted to, I could arrest you on the spot for all the laws you've broken in just the last month." The dry tone and unimpressed expression made the fox laugh.

"But you're not going to, are you Mister Mahamatra?" He asked, hands playing with the fabric of the hat, it was softer than he remembered.

"Maybe one day." The other caught the hat that was thrown at him easily. "Careful now, I might just change my mind."

"Oh please, you couldn't arrest me then, and you can't do it now." Cyno chuckled softly before they lapsed into silence. Tighnari walked over to the pile of books and sat down cross-legged on the floor, blowing off the dust and sneezing when it flew too close to his face. "Do you remember the time we used to spend here? It feels so far away now..."

"I remember that you left quite an impression the first time we met." Cyno came and sat down close to him.

"Oh, I remember that! I still think it was your fault." Tighnari laughed as he remembered that awkward first meeting.

"Tighnari, could you explain that last lesson to me again? The textbook is a bit hard to understand and, well, you always understand Naphis's lessons better than all of us anyway."

"Tighnari, could you review my paper before I send it in? I want to make sure there's no mistake in it. I'll credit you of course."

"Tighnari, could we take a picture together? You know, as a way to celebrate that project you helped us with!"

The questions and demands were a constant buzzing noise in Tighnari's ears, like an insect that kept coming back to bother him. He was used to this by now, every day he would smile and gently refuse most of the requests sent his way before hiding away in one of the few secluded spots he'd found around the Akademiya.

It was tiring, but it wasn't like he had a choice. Before he was known as 'Tighnari, everyone's tutor', he was 'Tighnari, Amurta's genius', and even before that it was 'Tighnari, the boy with the fox ears'. Honestly, he would rather have to dodge questions about schoolwork than hands trying to touch his ears.

It was crazy how many scholars forgot about the concept of personal space as soon as something didn't appear perfectly human. Nowadays he was more respected as a person, but he had to keep a tight leash on his instincts and behaviours, lest the others stop seeing him as such and start treating him like an animal.

At least the area around the greenhouses was usually empty, and the few that came here did so to work quietly, so he was mostly left alone.

Most of the time anyway, right now, he seemed to have a stalker after him.

He had to give it to them, they were very stealthy, but unfortunately for them his ears weren't just for show. It had been a few days since their appearance, they seemed to come and go, watching him for a few hours before disappearing back to wherever they came from. At first, it had been worrying, but as it happened more often, he realized something.

Normally, he would have stuck near a populated area in hopes of discouraging whoever it was that was following him, but the calculated way they moved along with the clear experience they exhibited at trailing someone were enough information to know exactly who was following him.

A Matra.

Now, what he'd done to attract a Matra's attention, he didn't know. To his knowledge, he hadn't broken any rules of the Akademiya, but if they had just wanted to talk to him about someone else then they probably wouldn't have tracked him down like that.

So, to indulge in his curiosity and to let the Matra do their job, he planned on leading them to a secluded location to get answers. As he expected, they'd started tailing him as soon as he left the library. Carefully keeping his ears pointed forward as if he hadn't heard them, he walked straight into a deserted spot away from anyone's eyes.

Perhaps it was stupid of him, but sometimes he wondered if getting arrested wouldn't be better than being surrounded by the vultures he called his classmates anyway.

He stopped as if to observe a flower and waited, wondering if they would show themselves now that he was alone. After a few minutes, he got bored of waiting and decided to simply force them to show themselves.

"Are you going to come out, or are you content just watching me?" He turned his head and called out into the trees, where he'd last heard the footsteps. There was a silence for a moment, before he heard the person get up and walk around one of the trees.

He recognized him as soon as he laid eyes on the jackal-eared headpiece. The General Mahamatra himself, a simple sighting of him would have the students whispering for days. But what could he have done to garner the attention of such an important figure?

"And pray tell, what could the General Mahamatra want with me?" He realized that perhaps he should be a bit more polite with the chief of the Matra, but he'd spent the day being accosted by strangers and classmates alike, so he was too tired to pretend anymore. Maybe it was his tone, or the fact that he so boldly asked, but the other's eyes seemed almost curious for a moment, before he schooled his expression into an intimidatingly blank stare.

"You heard me." Despite sounding like a statement, Tighnari was pretty sure it was also a question, so he answered.

"Yes, you've been following me around for a few days now. What can I do for you General?" The annoyance he'd felt earlier was slowly replaced with a growing curiosity.

"Impressive. I didn't notice at all." His tone was flat, but Tighnari was sure it was high praise coming from the highly trained Matra. They stood there for a long moment, observing each other curiously.

The General Mahamatra wasn't very tall, but his body was all lean muscle and the fox could bet he used speed over brute force to take down his enemies. His prey, he corrected himself, because despite appearing relaxed to most, Tighnari could see the tension in his body as he watched him, like a predator assessing its prey, ready to pounce at the slightest hint of fear.

Unfortunately for him, Tighnari was not prey. He held the other's gaze unflinchingly until the Matra apparently saw what he wanted and relaxed his stance, truly this time.

"Tighnari of Amurta, you are under investigation for suspected academic corruption." He swore he could see his own shock reflected in those red eyes.

"Academic corruption?!" He asked after a second of silence as he felt his tail puff up against his will and saw the brief look the General Mahamatra gave it before returning his gaze to Tighnari's face. He didn't care much about that, more focused on what he'd just learned. Academic corruption was a serious crime, and those found guilty of it were either expelled from the Akademiya or arrested.

The General watched him in silence for a minute as he thought about what to do, he didn't want to flee -he probably wouldn't make it very far anyway- but he also didn't want to be prosecuted for something he was sure he didn't do. He wondered if one of his classmates had reported him, after all he did for them that thought made his fur rise angrily.

His train of thought was derailed by the General speaking again.

"Yes, however after observation, I have concluded that this was a false report." And just like that, all the worry and anger just left him in an instant, leaving him almost breathless.

"Wh- so I'm cleared of suspicions?" He asked in confusion.

"Yes." The Matra replied matter-of-factly, and just like that, the annoyance was back.

"And you couldn't just tell me that from the start?!" Apparently, getting scolded wasn't a common occurence for the General Mahamatra, whose eyes widened slightly at his flattened ears and lashing tail.

"S-sorry." The tiny apology made Tighnari pause, and he took a deep breath to calm himself down before he did something he regretted.

"No, no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't get angry at you, you're just doing your job..." The silence that followed was so awkward that the fox almost wished he was back at the library with the vultures. It was only when the General cleared his throat that Tighnari unfroze. "So, am I free to go General?" He asked softly.

"Yeah." Came an equally soft answer. He turned, ready to flee the awkwardness as fast as possible when the other spoke again. "Oh, and wear your hat, it's part of the uniform." Before he could respond, the Matra quickly left, apparently as eager as he was to escape.

Tighnari didn't return to the library.

"Hey, I'm the one who got yelled at, there's no way that was my fault."

"Yes it was, you told me I was suspected of a crime and then watched me panic instead of telling me I was already cleared!"

"I was just doing my job."

"And making people afraid is part of the job description I suppose? Unbelievable!"

"You were never scared of me."

"You were never very scary to me, especially once you started following me around like a lost duckling."

Tighnari was beginning to think the universe was laughing at him.

After that disastrous meeting with one of the most powerful people in the Akademiya, he'd thought he could just pretend it never happened. Most scholars went their whole lives without ever meeting the General Mahamatra, just how high of a chance was there for Tighnari to meet him more than once?

Very high apparently, that or the General was stalking him. Again.

But honestly, it wasn't so bad. The first time they'd met after the whole investigation event, the only thing he did was remind the fox to wear his hat, to which Tighnari had told him he'd lost it. It was a lie, he'd hidden it in the unused greenhouse where he spent most of his free time, and he knew Cyno probably knew that, but he had still left him alone without a word.

The next day, Cyno just so happened to run into Tighnari studying alone in the library and dropped a hat on his table.

"Don't lose this one." He had said before leaving, but Tighnari had seen the amused glint in his red eyes. So of course, the first thing he did after leaving the library was lose the hat somewhere.

Well, lose, throw away, same thing really.

And if the next time he saw the General from afar, he just so happened to flick his ear to show off his hatless head, well, nobody could prove that it was on purpose.

After that, they started meeting more and more often. What started as accidents, passing each other in hallways and simple greetings soon turned more purposeful, almost as if, without noticing, Tighnari was caught in the General Mahamatra's orbit and unable -or unwilling- to escape.

He would hear the quiet footsteps of someone barefoot approach him while he was alone in the library, and he would move his books aside to let the other sit. He would walk into the broken down greenhouse he had used as shelter from the other students for all his years here and would find the General already there, quietly reading a book.

He'd never even told him of this place.

Along the way, the General became Cyno and before he realized, they'd struck up an odd friendship that quickly grew more serious as they got to know each other more.

It was as if Cyno had carved a little place for himself in his world, and Tighnari found that he didn't mind one bit. Neither of them had many real friends, so this friendship of theirs, as unexpected and strange as it was, was cherished by both of them. Of course, Cyno was strictly forbidden from forming relationships with students as he had to remain impartial, so they kept their meetings secret from all.

It was nice.

"I swear, if one more person asks me to review their final, I'm going to snap and bite someone." A growl rumbled low in his throat as he spoke. Having someone to rant to was also nice, especially since Cyno wasn't bothered by the rare animalistic noises he let out. He might be the only person outside of his family that wasn't unnerved by them, but he guessed that there might be a reason for that.

He swore he'd heard Cyno growl once or twice and, as far as he knew, humans didn't do that.

"Can't you just refuse?" The Matra asked as he sorted through a small deck of cards. He'd once tried to explain the card game to him, but it had made little sense to the fox, much to Cyno's disappointment.

"I do refuse, but scholars are like sharks. You help one, and suddenly they all swarm you." He huffed. "I don't want to be mean either, some of them are just teenagers, but still..."

"I could make an appearance if you'd like, scare them a bit." It wasn't the first time his friend had suggested this, but as tempting as it was, it would only bring more attention onto him.

"No you idiot. You know why that wouldn't work." He elbowed Cyno gently.

"It's almost the end of the year anyway, you're graduating this year aren't you? You'll have more free time after that." He nodded, but stayed half lost in thoughts. "You okay? You're thinking pretty deeply over there."

"Mh? Oh sorry, I'm fine don't worry, I just..." He scratched the back of his head. "I don't really know what I'm going to do next year."

"Oh? You don't want to continue your studies?" Now Cyno had all his attention on him. "I thought you enjoyed Sage Naphis's classes."

"I do, but most of what we do now is either useless or stuff I already know. And I don't really want to become a doctor, I don't mind people but, well, I'd rather work outside." He pulled at his ears. "Somewhere I could use my knowledge on plants in some concrete way instead of just doing research for the sake of research."

"Outside huh... In the rainforest then?" He nodded. "I can look into it for you if you want, I'm sure there's something for you out there." Cyno grinned slightly, it made Tighnari want to wag his tail.

That was why Cyno was his best friend. He wasn't like the professors who smiled condescendingly at him and told him that leaving his studies to do something else was foolish and would lead to nothing. He'd not scoffed or laughed the first time Tighnari told him of his dissatisfaction with the Akademiya, he simply nodded in understanding because, if there was one person that was aware of the Akademiya's failings, it was Cyno.

Tighnari valued Cyno's opinion much more than any stuffy professor or stuck-up researcher.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that." He smiled at his friend.

"Alright, then... you can leaf it to me." And just like that, Tighnari's smile was gone. "Do you get it? Because trees have leaves, and you want to work in the forest, which is made of trees, therefore-"

"Congratulations, you just ruined the moment!" The fox said as he pulled at his ears.

"Not funny? Then wood you like another?" Tighnari only glared silently at Cyno's blank face. "No? Not this one either?"

"I will punch you, do not try me."

"You were so annoying."

"Are you saying that I'm not annoying anymore?"

"No you still very much are, but I suppose I'm used to it after so long. I can't believe I ever thought moving away would save me from those awful jokes of yours."

"Liar, if you really wanted to avoid me, you wouldn't have asked me to visit you."

When it was Tighnari's turn to receive his diploma as an Amurta graduate, he had to fight the urge to flatten his ears at the thunderous noise of applause. He forced a smile at the crowd, he barely knew anyone there anyway, the only person who's opinion really mattered to him was standing at the back, near the door. When he met the red eyes of the General Mahamatra who was staring back at him proudly, his smile became real before he quickly fled the stage.

Finally, after years of hard work and studies, Tighnari was free of the Akademiya for good.

It was a strange thought, he'd spent so long here, living in a little dorm room and going from class to class that he almost couldn't imagine just how different his life would be from now on. Almost.

He couldn't say he would miss the endless lectures or his classmates's constant questions. He would miss the greenhouses though, especially the one with the caved in roof. It had been his little sanctuary where no one could find and bother him. Well, no one but Cyno, and Cyno had full permission to bother him.

Speaking of, he'd been walking back to his dorm room to pack when he heard the faint footsteps of someone barefoot behind him. Of course that idiot would try to sneak up on him again. He tried that every so often.

It never worked.

"I can hear you, you know?" He held back a laugh when he heard a disappointed sigh somewhere behing him, before the footsteps grew closer quickly and Cyno caught up to him.

"One day I'll sneak up on you." Tighnari snorted without stopping. "You're going to pack I suppose?"

"I've already packed, and I rented a sumpter beast for this afternoon. If all goes well, I'll be in Gandharva Ville before the sun sets." He replied as they reached his room, thankfully the hallway was deserted. He supposed most of his class was celebrating their graduation instead of thinking of the future like him. Oh well, it suited him so he didn't care. He wasn't particularly close to any of them anyway.

"Of course you already planned everything." Cyno chuckled.

"Of course I did, who do you take me for?" He joked as he placed his shiny diploma in one of his bags, before closing it for good and giving the room one last glance to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. It was a strange feeling, to see his room so empty. All of his possessions packed away neatly, ready to be transported to his new home.

Despite all the time he'd lived here, he'd never really cared about watching the city below, but now... Well, he thought he might miss the view once he left. Then, after one last look through the window at the city from above, he pushed his bags out the door and locked it.

"I'll walk with you." His friend said as soon as he turned around.

"Aren't you forbidden from befriending students or something?" Despite saying that, Tighnari appreciated the company.

"You're not a student anymore." Cyno stated and, yeah, that made sense.

"Fair enough." He replied before they started walking together.

There was only a few scholars on their path, and they were too busy flattening themselves against the walls to say anything about the strange duo. Tighnari thought they were a bit dramatic, it wasn't like Cyno would snap and attack them or something, it seemed silly to fear him like that if they had done nothing wrong.

Unfortunately, the moment didn't last as they both froze as a Matra ran up to Cyno in a panic.

"General! We need your help, there's-" Then Tighnari watched with amusement as the Matra looked between him and Cyno in confusion.

"What is it?" His friend asked, voice and face blank as he observed the frazzled man in front of them.

"...There's a group of intoxicated scholars creating a disturbance in the library." Tighnari had to bite his tongue to hold back a laugh.

"And why would you need my help with that? Can't the other Matra handle a few drunk scholars?" Despite the deadpan voice, the fox could detect the dumbfounded edge to Cyno's voice.

"They're not listening to us sir, and they've been throwing books at anyone who comes close. We're worried they might cause property damage soon." The Matra winced when Cyno let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"I'll be right there." Then his friend turned to him and his face softened. "Sorry about that."

"I'll be fine, go do your job. You can make it up to me by visiting me in Gandharva Ville soon, okay?" Cyno smiled at that, and Tighnari could see the Matra startle in his peripheral vision.

"Of course. Have a safe trip." He nodded, then turned back to the Matra and his face turned blank again. "Alright, let's go."

"Y-yes sir!" The Matra jumped and followed the General's fast pace, Tighnari watched them until they were gone.

With an amused grin, he made his way down the winding path of the Akademiya and to the entrance of the city. The sumpter beast was already there and, after making sure his bags were secured and giving it a scratch, he headed off to Gandharva Ville.

He had to stop himself from getting off the road to look at some plants mutiple times, telling himself that he would have all the time he could need to study plants in their natural habitat once he got settled as a Forest Ranger. By the time he reached the village, the sky was just turning yellow. He was startled by a dog running up to him, it seemed interested in his tail.

"Sag, come back here! Oh hello, sorry about Sag, he doesn't usually do that." A flustered man in green clothing rushed over, looking between him and the dog.

"It's fine, he's probably never seen a Valuka Shuna before." He petted the dog's head, making it wag its tail.

"Still, he's supposed to know better." Then the man looked at him and realized something. "Oh sorry, I didn't even introduce myself, I'm Amir, a Forest Watcher. Sag is a search and rescue dog." He shook hands with Tighnari. "Are you... a new recruit?"

"Yes, my name is Tighnari, I just graduated from Amurta." Amir looked him over and nodded.

"I see. Now, I'm obligated to tell you that if you are afraid of insects, getting dirty, blood or the monsters that live in the forest, then you might as well leave because you won't be able to avoid those things." He blinked once the Forest Watcher was done speaking.

"Do you often get people with those fears here?" Tighnari tilted his head.

"More than you'd think. Here, let me help you bring your stuff to one of the empty hut." Amir said as they removed his bags from the sumpter beast. The hut wasn't very far, and it wasn't very big, but it was nicer than his dorm room. The Forest Watcher then left him to start unpacking.

A little later in the evening, he met more of the Forest Rangers as well as a few of the Forest Watchers. Shirin was the village's doctor, she was nice but he could see how seriously she took her job, and Ashpazi was apparently the chef. After asking a few questions, he also learned that there were no schedule for the Ranger's patrols and that most learned the skills they needed on their own.

"That doesn't seem very organized." He had said.

"Oh, it's not, but none of us have been able to make many changes stick." Shirin had replied between two bites of fruit. "We're not very efficient, but we still do a lot of good work so it's not that bad."

Tighnari had sworn to himself that night that he would work to make the changes needed even if it cost him his sleep. Since then, he'd done his best to help organize the Forest Rangers, like adding a new patrol log to help them cover ground easier and with less confusion over who patrolled where.

And, after catching another Ranger nearly eating a poisonous mushroom, he decided to teach them about what plant to avoid and which they could eat, dissemination of information be damned. Shirin had been very happy to learn that she would have less patients from now on.

Unfortunately, when Cyno visited him only a few days later, most of the Rangers thought he was there to arrest Tighnari. It had been pretty amusing to watch their confusion when he greeted his friend with a smile instead of cowering.

"You do know that dissemination of information is a crime, correct?" Cyno had asked him in a blank voice, but Tighnari could see the amused glow in the General's eyes.

"Oh please, what good does knowing which mushroom not to eat do if I can't tell others that might need to know." He retorted with his hands on his hips, staring right back at his friend.

"...Fair enough" The Matra said before changing the subject, ignoring the stares of the others around them. Tighnari hoped they would get used to Cyno soon, because he didn't know how long he could be stared at and gossiped about before he snapped.

Barely a month later, he was promoted to Forest Watcher.

"Your Rangers respect you too much to whisper behind your back."

"They wouldn't dare, they know I would hear them if they did."

"That's why the newer ones are always scared of you."

"They're scared of me because of you. They all know I'm close to you, especially since you keep showing up on my doorstep covered in blood."

It was late in the afternoon when his hopes for a quiet day were dashed by a knock on his door. It was strange, because he knew his Rangers wouldn't bother him on his break like this without a very good reason, and he hadn't heard anything that might indicate an emergency. What he did hear however, were the shallow breaths of someone in pain on the other side of his door.

He knew who it was immediately, as he knew Shirin was there and working today and there was only one person who would go to him instead of the Forest Rangers's doctor. He felt his annoyance grow as he approached the door, ready to scold Cyno for not going to an actual doctor once again.

As soon as he opened the door however, he found himself holding an armful of unsteady Mahamatra. Whatever words he had been about to say died in his throat as he smelled the heavy copper in the air and saw the blood soaking his friend's clothes. Swallowing back his instinctual panic, he pulled Cyno inside and laid him on his couch. He would probably have a lot of trouble getting the blood out of his cushions later, but he couldn't care less about that right now.

He frowned as he removed what he could of Cyno's outfit, cutting off what couldn't be removed with a small knife, like the sticky cloth around where he imagined the wound was. It looked like Cyno had been slashed open with a sword which, knowing him, was probably what happened. It was a clean cut on the side of his thigh that nearly reached his hip, deep but it seemed to have missed his artery or else he probably would have already bled out.

It would be rough, but Cyno would surely recover completely, although he had no doubt it would leave a scar.

Tighnari thanked the gods for small mercies as he tied a clean cloth tightly around the wound to slow the bleeding. Then, he pulled out a vial of pain reliever from a cupboard and all but forced it down the dazed General Mahamatra's throat before rushing out to find Shirin. Despite Cyno's insistense at only being treated by the fox, Tighnari wasn't stupid enough to ignore the perfectly capable doctor next door.

Thankfully, together they made quick work of stitching shut the Matra's leg while he was passed out from the high dose of pain reliever. As long as he rested and took it easy, there shouldn't be any permanent damage, at least that's what Shirin said before she left Tighnari to watch over Cyno and wait for him to wake up.

And wait he did, eventually sitting on the floor next to the couch to rest his head lightly against the side of Cyno's chest as the stress of the situation finally left him, leaving him exhausted. At least the slow heartbeat next to his ears was there to remind him that it was over now, and that Cyno was fine.

He must have dozed off for some time, because when he opened his eyes next there was a hand slowly carding through his hair. Admittedly, it took him a moment to remember exactly where he was, but as soon as he did, his head snapped up faster than ever as he stared at Cyno in shock.

"You're awake! How do you feel?" He quickly noticed how dilated the other's pupils were. Perhaps he might've overdone it a bit with the painkillers...

"...Hey Nari." Then Cyno seemed to take a moment to think. "Don't remember, where...?"

"You're in my house. You got hurt and you dragged yourself here instead of going to an actual doctor." Cyno frowned a bit at his unhappy tone. "You could have died you absolute idiot. If that wound had been just a bit deeper- if I hadn't been here when you arrived-" Tighnari cut himself off just as he felt tears gather in his eyes and looked away. He blinked hard to get rid of them and took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"...'m sorry." Cyno spoke softly.

"Just- try to be more careful in the future, alright? For my sake at least." He met his friend's eyes once more, and the other nodded.

"'Kay, promise..." He looked at the ceiling in confusion. "Why 'm I dizzy?" It was asked in such a sincere tone that it made Tighnari chuckle gently. Cute.

"That is because you are currently full of painkillers and very high." He stood up and stretched, hoping his back wouldn't be too sore later.

"But I'm not in pain?" The fox barely held back his laughter as he walked over to the dining chairs.

"Yes, that is usually the expected effect of painkillers." He said as he pulled one of the chairs over to sit at Cyno's bedside. The other was still staring into space in confusion. "It'll wear off eventually."

"You drugged me? That's illegal." The Matra was slurring his words slightly, it was adorable.

"Then I'll let you arrest me once you're better, alright?" The other seemed to think for a moment before nodding, apparently satisfied by this solution.

There was a long moment of quiet after that, where Tighnari watched over Cyno as he came in and out of his medicated sleep. He would sometimes tense and look around in confusion before his gaze rested on the fox, and he would immediately relax. The Forest Watcher was thankful that Cyno trusted him that much, because it meant he wouldn't try to stand up and tear open his stitches.

The next time Cyno opened his eyes, Tighnari was glad to see them looking a bit clearer than before. He was as gentle as possible as he helped the Matra sit up slightly to let him drink some water, then lowered him back down. He felt the other stare at him when he brought the glass back to the kitchen, and saw him continue to do so until he sat back down next to him.

Perhaps it should have been unnerving to be stared at like this, but honestly it didn't bother Tighnari much. He knew Cyno sometimes couldn't quite find the words for what he wanted to say and would inadvertently stare at people as he thought in a way that could be described as intimidating by people that didn't know him.

Tighnari knew him, and he quite enjoyed having those vermilion eyes follow him around.

"What is it?" He couldn't help but ask after being observed for a minute by blood red eyes.

"You're really pretty." It was so out of the blue that the fox startled slightly, his tail swishing a few times behind him before he managed to stop it.

"What?" He asked in a strangled voice.

"We should go on a date sometime." Cyno's tired gaze moved from his tail back to his face.

"Why is that?" His face felt like it was burning.

"You don't want to?" Tighnari watched in mild disbelief the open expression of sadness on Cyno's face.

What was he supposed to do now? He'd heard that alcohol loosened the tongue, and knew painkillers had a similar effect but he couldn't help but worry, what if it was only the medication talking? Should he take this chance, knowing that the other could end up changing his mind later?

"I do want to, I'm just not sure you do." He answered, mind made up.

"I asked didn't I?" The fox chuckled slightly. "I think I'm in love with you." And just like that, he wasn't laughing anymore, his tail wagging on its own again. He didn't care enough to try to stop it this time.

"Yeah?" Cyno nodded. "You're not joking, right?" The fox felt like he had to ask, just in case.

"I wouldn't joke about that, but if you want a joke then-" Whatever he said next was muffled by Tighnari's hand.

"No thank you!" He yelped and felt the Matra laugh before he removed his hand. "Sleep Cyno, I'll still be here when you wake up." He added when it seemed like the other was about to refuse.

While Cyno slept, he spent some of his time cooking. It was nearly time for dinner after all, and he wasn't about to let the wounded man on his couch starve no matter how annoying he could be sometimes. He was just wondering if he should wake the General when a groan sounded from behind him. When he went to investigate, he found Cyno with his face hidden in his hands, ears burning red, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the other's obvious embarrassment.

"I take it the painkillers wore off?" He said, his voice too amused to pretend otherwise.

"This is so embarrassing..." The Matra spoke from behind his hands.

"So about that date." Tighnari added, then barely held back a laugh at the second groan the other let out.

"This is not how I wanted to ask you out, at all." Well, at least Tighnari was sure that Cyno had been serious now.

"Oh, did you have a plan then?" He walked over and met the other's eyes as he removed his hands.

"Yes! It was supposed to be romantic, with- with flowers and stuff!" It seemed the painkillers hadn't completely left the General's system if 'flowers and stuff' were the only words he could use to describe his plan to ask out Tighnari.

"Well, I thought it was adorable. Now sit up, I made food." Cyno huffed and looked away with a blush. "Come on, it wasn't that bad, I said yes didn't I?" The Matra looked back at him with a small smile.

"Yeah, yeah you did."

"Don't remind me, that wasn't one of my best moments."

"It was very cute, you were very cute."

"Shut up, it was embarrassing is what it was."

"It wasn't that bad, you've had worse moments. Remember when you met my parents?"

"Oh no..."

Cyno, the infamous General Mahamatra, the worst nightmare of rule-breaking scholars everywhere, was pacing back and forth in his living room. It had been a funny sight at first, but Tighnari quickly got tired of it.

"Will you relax? You'll be fine Cy." It didn't calm his boyfriend one bit.

"What if they hate me? Or think I'm not good enough for you?" Cyno pulled at the ears of his jackal hood, a nervous habit he had gotten from Tighnari.

"They won't, and they don't get to decide who's good enough for me anyway." He sighed.

"I just- I don't want to mess this up, they're your parents!" Though he stopped pacing, the other was still wringing his fingers. Sometimes the Forest Watcher wondered how his boyfriend managed to do his job so well if a simple dinner was enough to make him panic like that.

"Just be yourself, I promise they'll love you." Tighnari walked closer and took both of Cyno's hands in his. "Just like I do."

"But-"

"No, no buts. Now come help me set up the table, it'll give you something to do other than pace." He pulled his boyfriend as he returned to the kitchen.

The table was set in only a few minutes, and then Cyno was back to anxiously watching the door like he was about to be attacked by something. Tighnari shook his head slightly as he pulled his sliced mushrooms from the fire and plated them. He chanced a glance at Cyno's dish, the tahchin was slowly turning golden. It looked good, even though Tighnari knew he wouldn't get to try it at all. Even just getting to close to it had made his eyes water earlier.

His boyfriend had been hesitant when he was told not to hold back the spices like he usually did for Tighnari, but he'd reluctantly agreed when he learned that the fox's father would enjoy a good spicy dish.

Barely a minute later, there was a quiet knock at his door. Tighnari glanced at Cyno before he went to open it, the Matra seemed ready to jump out of the window to escape but the look the fox sent him made him freeze. Turning back to the door, Tighnari took a deep breath and opened it.

"Tighnari, it's been too long!" "Good evening, son." Two voices spoke at the same time before he was engulfed in a hug by both his parents.

"Hi mom, hi dad, it's been a while." He squeezed them back tightly, it had truly been a long time since they'd last seen each other and he had missed them.

"How has your work been going? Made any new discoveries recently?" His father asked.

It had been his father that had gotten him interested in nature as a pup, although the man had originally wanted him to be interested in insects instead of flowers, but no attempts to convert Tighnari to entomology worked and he gave up quickly enough. Tighnari still kept his first magnifying glass with him at all time, even if he didn't use it anymore.

"Good, although we've been finding more lost adventurers in the forest recently. The warm season always attracts unprepared people I suppose." He finished with a sigh.

"Well, with you watching over them, I'm sure they'll be just fine." His mother added with a kind smile, patting his cheek.

"Oh." It seemed his father had caught sight of Cyno standing awkwardly further in the house.

"What is it dear?" Asked his mother, having not seen his boyfriend yet. She took a few steps towards her husband before freezing, and suddenly the situation got a whole lot more awkward, with both sides staring at each other silently. Tighnari could only shake his head in disbelief.

"Mom, dad, meet Cyno, my boyfriend." He tried desperately to ignore the tension, it didn't work very well.

"That's the General Mahamatra." His father spoke softly, as if unsure.

"Yes, it's an honor to meet you sir, ma'am." Tighnari felt both annoyance and unbelievable fondness as he watched Cyno try to act casual and fail miserably.

"Tighnari, why is the General Mahamatra in your house?" Honestly sometimes Tighnari wondered if his father even used those big ears of his.

"Like I said dad, meet my boyfriend." He extended a hand to Cyno and beckoned him over, ignoring the stares of his parents as the Matra walked over and grasped his hand as if desperate for comfort.

There was another silence as his father's eyes went from him to Cyno. It wasn't until his mother suddenly stepped forward with a determined look in her eyes that the silence was broken.

"It's nice to meet you, Cyno was it? I'm Fayruz." Tighnari barely held back a sigh of relief as she offered a hand to his boyfriend and he shook it, slowly relaxing the death grip he had on the fox's hand.

His father stayed quiet for a few seconds longer before doing the same.

"Hakeem. So you're the boyfriend we've heard so much about?" The older Valuka Shuna spoke as he grasped Cyno's hand tightly.

"I am." Tighnari wasn't sure what to do aside from holding his breath at the awkward silence that followed. Thankfully his mother was there to defuse the tension.

"Perhaps we should have dinner before it goes cold dear." She gently nudged his father forward.

"Oh." Both of his parents watched in confusion as Cyno startled slightly before walking off, presumably having remembered his still baking dish.

"He's getting his dish out of the oven." The fox explained as he led the couple to the table where his mushroom dish was already waiting. They were quickly joined by his boyfriend who was carrying a large plate of steaming golden tahchin.

"Oh? I thought you didn't eat spicy food Tighnari." The Forest Watcher saw his father perk up at the sight of the plate. It did smell wonderful, even with the heavy scent of spices in the air Tighnari enjoyed it.

"He doesn't, but he told me you enjoyed spicy food sir, so we made a dish each." The young fox was relieved to see a small smile appear on his father's face, perhaps this ordeal wouldn't be as bad as he thought.

"That I do, that's very thoughtful of you General." It seemed his father was easier to win over than he remembered.

"Please, call me Cyno." It took a second, but his father eventually nodded.

"So Cyno, how did the two of you meet?" His mother asked after they had started eating. Tighnari cringed as soon as his boyfriend opened his mouth. He'd never told his parent about that whole event, this would be embarrassing.

"I investigated him for academic corruption." It took everything in him to not facepalm. He loved Cyno, really he did, but sometimes he wished the other thought a bit more before speaking. As he expected, his parents's heads both snapped towards him.

"You were investigated by the General Mahamatra?!" He flattened his ears at his father's question.

"Yes, and before you ask, I didn't tell you because nothing came of it." Then he looked at his mother. "He came to speak to me, that's all. We happened to run into each other a few times after that and became friends."

"I thought the Matra weren't allowed to get close to students." His father watched Cyno curiously, Cyno stared back unflinchingly before speaking in his deadpan voice.

"We're not, which is why we kept it a secret until he wasn't a student." There was a brief silence before the older Valuka Shuna barked a laugh and grinned.

"You know, you remind me of an old friend of mine when you speak like that." He turned to his wife. "Doesn't he remind you of old Cyrus?" Suddenly, Tighnari saw Cyno visibly perk up.

"You know the professor?" The couple turned back to him in surprise.

"Aye, we studied in the Akademiya together. I'm surprised you know him, he retired more than fifteen years ago." Said his father.

"He's my father." And just like that, the older fox smiled in delight and started happily chatting with his boyfriend. Tighnari was dumbfounded as he watched them, but he couldn't help being relieved that the dinner didn't turn out to be a complete disaster after all.

"-was always obsessed with his tomatoes, I don't know why." Cyno got an excited glint in his eyes that made Tighnari stiffen.

"I suppose he's got a lot to thyme to garden." The fox hung his head with a groan. "Do you get it, because thyme is the name of a plant that's often grown in gardens-" The Matra's explanation was cut off by the loud laughter of the older fox.

"You definitely got that from Cyrus!" When Tighnari looked at Cyno, his boyfriend looked like it was the best day of his life. Despite his annoyance at the joke, he couldn't stop the smile from appearing on his face.

At least dinner was a success.

"You're lucky my dad liked your joke, otherwise I think I would have kicked you out, dinner be damned."

"You love my jokes."

"I love you, not your jokes. Oh by the way, have you seen my parents recently? Their last letter was a bit strange and since the last time this happened was after the lightning, I'm a bit worried that something's happened."

"Oh, well uh- I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

Walking hurt, but not moving also hurt and the only thing he wanted right now was to go home, so walking it was. He had no idea what time it was since he was pretty sure he had blacked out at some point earlier, and his ears had been ringing ever since he'd woken up.

Confusion clouded his mind as he struggled to remember what had happened while making his way through the forest. There were flashes of fighting and Fatui and friends and pain so sharp that trying to remember it made his fur stand up and ears flatten against his head. He was vaguely aware of the half-dried trails on blood below his ears and the trembling of his hands that kept clenching and unclenching without his input, the quiet pained whines that were pulled out of him with every stumble on his aching feet.

He needed to get home where it was safe and familiar.

Multiple times he'd had to leave the trail when he heard footsteps nearby, unable to differentiate between strangers and enemies and friends. Fungi were no problem, the little ones fled from him as soon as he growled at them and the big ones didn't bother him as long as he didn't get too close. The vague urge to chase the little bouncing monsters was ignored for now, he had no time for that.

When he got close enough to see Gandharva Ville, he stumbled slightly in an attempt to move faster on his unsteady and trembling legs. He nearly slipped on some mud but caught himself on the wall of one of the buildings. He stopped for a second to catch his breath when a shout and the sound of someone approaching him startled him.

"Tighnari?!" The voice said, as the person wearing light green approached. Before he could reach him, another joined him, this one smelling of bitter herbs and medicine. He took a step back with a snarl when they got too close, thankfully making them stop.

"What the-" The man who smelled like dogs said before the other put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't go any closer to him, I think he's gone feral." Tighnari barely heard what she said over the sound of his own heart pounding in his ears.

"Shirin, he's bleeding." The two people exchanged a glance before looking back at him. "What do we do?"

"I need to get closer, so we might need to sedate him." The taller green person startled, which made Tighnari startle as well, tail lashing behind him in agitation.

"But if he tries to avoid the shot, he might end up hurting himself more." Dog-man spoke to the other. "Are you sure we can't do anything else?"

"Not if he doesn't let us approach him, unless... Go get Collei, she might be able to help." Plant-lady spoke in a soft voice that didn't hurt his ears as much, he watched the blurry form of the other green man nod and walk off.

He slowly slid down the wall, lowering himself to the ground with a pained hiss while still watching the woman that was watching him. He didn't like how she stared, but at least she wasn't getting closer. It wasn't long before he heard more people come closer and let out a growl. It was the man from before and-

"Master Tighnari!" Collei cried out before running up to him.

"Collei wait-!" The bitter-smelling lady startled when his pup-kit-Collei sank down on the ground beside him. She smelled like fear and the green lady took a step closer so he pushed himself between her and Collei, holding himself up with one arm and snarled again, tail lashing the air behind him. Everyone around froze in place when his growl turned to a whimper of pain as his arm buckled underneath him.

"What is happening to him?" Collei asked the others, voice full of worry.

"We don't know exactly what happened, but something hurt him bad enough to make him go feral and he won't let any of us close enough to him to help him." Herb-lady explained but the words made no sense to him at the moment.

"Feral?" His pup nearly whispered.

"It's a defense mechanism meant to keep him alive, it means he's mostly just acting on his instincts right now. He probably doesn't recognize any of us. Well, except you I suppose." Tighnari stayed half-laying on the ground as they spoke, round pupils dilated from pain or fear watching the two Rangers. "It might sound harsh but we'll probably need to sedate him so that I can look at him."

"Sedate him?" He felt Collei shiver and turned his head to look at her curiously. "Is there no other way?"

"If we don't, he could hurt both us and himself trying to fight us." He didn't like how uncomfortable Collei looked. "I don't really want to have to shoot him, do- do you think you could...?"

"You want me to-?!" His pup yelped before freezing when he whimpering at the painful pulsing in his ears. She took a moment to watch him scratch at the side of his head, making the dried blood there peel off in little flakes before she nodded. "Okay. Okay, I can do it."

"Alright, I'll go get a dart." The doctor took a few slow steps back before fully turning around and walking away.

It only took a minute for her to come back, and when she did, she gently tossed something to Collei, who easily caught it before it hit the ground. She turned it around in her hands a few times with a grimace, before looking at Tighnari, then the lady again. He followed her movements curiously, unsure of what she was doing when she shuffled closer to him.

She didn't look very happy, but then she moved in to give him a hug so he thought she might not be. It only lasted a few seconds before a brief sting in his side made him flinch away with a yip, and he looked at the sharp object in his pup's hand in betrayal as his head started to swim. Despite his best effort, he was already half-asleep in less than a minute, barely able to growl when the two Rangers moved too close and picked him up.

Before they reached the doctor's hut, his vision went black and he finally fell into blissful unconsciousness, away from the pain and confusion of it all.

When he opened his eyes next, he was inside. There were bandages wrapped around most of his upper body and his head, covering his ears and muffling the sounds around him. He couldn't remember much, and trying to think was painful but the confusion of not knowing what had happened was worse than a little headache, so despite the pulsing pain behind his eyes, he fought to open them slightly.

It was surprisingly hard, his eyelids were heavy and his head was spinning whenever he shifted, but when he finally managed he could at last look around the room he was in. In a chair next to him, slumped over and breathing slowly, asleep, was his pup-trainee-Collei.

Something seemed strange here.

He tried to push himself up before immediately falling back with a whine, pained and animalistic in a way he usually never let himself make. It startled his-Collei awake and she looked around in confusion before her gaze found his and she gasped.

"Master Tighnari! Shirin!" She yelled at the door, the sound irritating his ears through the bandages. There was a clatter in another room before he heard people run towards them.

"Collei? What's wrong?" It took him a moment to recognize the newcomer who spoke as herb-doctor-Shirin. But it was the person that followed that really caught his eye. The sight of his mate-Cyno had his tail wag once, twice before the movement got too painful and he paused, looking between the two. "You're awake. Are you back with us now?" The doctor asked as she cautiously approached him.

"Wuh- What hap-" It was like his vocal cords were locking up, he let out an annoyed growl that startled himself into silence a second later. He almost never growled, it was one of the vocalizations he did the least in front of others because it tended to unsettle most people, but for some reason, his reaction made Shirin smile in relief for a moment.

"You stumbled into Gandharva Ville four days ago. You were really hurt, to the point where it made you feral. We had to sedate you a few times before Cyno arrived and managed to calm you down." He frowned, he didn't remember any of that.

"You gave us quite a scare you know?" What a hypocrite, he gave Cyno a look that conveyed exactly what he thought of that statement. "You were pretty out of it most of the time." He wasn't sure what to think about that, his injuries must've been more severe than he thought.

"Could you tell me what you remember? I'll have an easier time helping you if I know what happened to you." Shirin asked.

He looked at the ceiling while he thought. It was blurry and confused, memories of fighting and a plan overshadowed by noise and a pain so blinding that it made him tremble even now simply by thinking about it. The first time he opened his mouth to speak, only a strangled wheeze and coughs came out. He gratefully accepted the glass of water that Cyno gave him, cleared his throat and tried again, not letting go of his boyfriend's hand.

"It's b-blurry." Simple sentences were easier for now. "Pardis D-Dhyai, fought the F-Fatui, Traveller w-was there." He took a deep breath to calm his thundering heart before forcing out one last word in a shaky whisper. "Lightning."

It was like all the air was sucked out of the room in an instant, Shirin gasped as she exhanged a shocked look with Cyno. Collei started breathing faster, he whined and moved his arm until she could grab onto his hand.

"You were struck by lightning?!" His mate-Cyno whisper-shouted at him, eyes glowing with worry.

"That explains why the electrical burns were so bad..." Shirin said lamely after a moment of silence. He met her eyes in an attempt to get her to explain. "You're covered in electrical burns. We thought they were made by Electro so we used the usual treatments for elemental wounds, but now that we know what caused them we'll be able to treat them more effectively."

His little family let out a sigh of relief at hearing that.

"What else?" He croaked.

"Both your eardrums were ruptured, but your hearing should go back to normal once you recover. You're right ankle was sprained, but overall you were very lucky to come out of this in one piece. You'll be fine as long as you rest, which means a break from work for the foreseeable future, doctor's order." He whimpered. "I don't want to hear it, if you try to go back to work before I clear you I will sedate you again, that's a promise."

"...Fine." She smiled at him, it was a bit threatening.

"Very good, I'll go prepare the medicine for you now." And she turned around and promptly left the room. Tighnari huffed once she was gone, before his eyes landed on his pup's very guilty face.

"Collei?" His voice was raspy.

"I'm sorry Master Tighnari." He barely heard Collei's whisper as she squeezed his hand softly. He didn't understand what exactly she was apologizing for, so he looked at Cyno for help.

"She was the one that sedated you before I got here." Oh, that made a lot of sense.

To think that she used to be so scared of needles, even now she could barely look at one without trembling and still she ignored her discomfort just to help him. He couldn't be more proud if he tried, if only he could convince her of that.

"You did good Collei." He squeezed her hand back as much as he could -which wasn't a lot- and smiled at her. She didn't look fully convinced but his throat hurt too much to say anymore. The silence that followed was punctuated by her quiet sniffles until Shirin came back with a bowl of strange smelling paste and another dart, which he eyed with a frown.

"Alright, I'll have to put you back to sleep for this or it won't be pretty, for either of us." She looked as thrilled about this as he felt, but still he offered his arm with a sigh. "Oh, so you can be a good patient when you want to. Good to know." She gave a cheeky smile before sticking the needle in his arm.

The sharp retort he'd wanted to give her didn't even have time to leave his mouth before everything went black.

"You know, I never really understood why you were so mad at me for being careless about my health until I saw you half-dead and covered in bandages."

"Is that so? Then maybe I should have nearly died earlier, it certainly would have saved me much trouble over the years if you didn't mindlessly run into every sword and spear you could find."

"Okay now you're exaggerating."

"I'm not and you know it. At least now I don't have to treat Collei as well anymore."

Embarrassingly, it took them all nearly a week to finally notice the change in Collei's health.

He'd started walking again -slowly and with frequent breaks- and had, after a long battle with both Shirin and Cyno, got approval to start doing some activities again. It was much less than what he wanted, but he knew better than to push too hard with those two.

So now he was cooking, and Collei was helping him.

It was a bit of a strange and novel experience. Usually it would be the other way around, him helping his trainee whenever she stumbled or an object slipped from her fingers. Now it was his hands who were trembling, and his fingers who spasmed and made him drop what he was holding and, surprisingly enough, Collei was the one to grab what he dropped and steady him when he stumbled.

In fact, it was when he accidentaly knocked a bowl from the counter with the back of his hand and watched the girl quickly snatch it from the air without thinking that he realized something was different. He quietly watched her as she cut a mushroom, noticing that while she wasn't very confident in her movements, her usual shakiness was absent.

"Collei?" He waited until she looked at him. "Could I see your hand please?"

She took a moment to wipe her hands before offering one to him, watching curiously as he gently pushed her sleeve up before they both froze. They both stared at the pale but healthy skin before their eyes met and Collei practically ripped off her other sleeve, then pulled at her clothes so the side of one of her thigh was visible, the places where the most of her scales were located.

There was nothing but smooth skin. No dark scale, no rash or open wound. The little scars left over from past flare-ups were the only visible remnants of her Eleazar. The two stared at Collei's arms in shock, until Tighnari was startled to see tears start to silently roll down his trainee's cheeks.

"Collei?" He took one of her hands in his own again, she didn't move.

"It's gone." She whispered, eyes still glued to her arms.

"I- I'll go get Shirin, alright? And- and Cyno." He limped away as fast as possible once she nodded an agreement. "Stay here, I'll be right back."

In his haste to reach the door, he nearly collided with a wall after tripping on a chair, thankfully catching himself before he could hurt himself some more. It didn't really matter to him currently anyway, not when Collei needed help. As soon as he got the front door opened, Cyno was there to hold him up as he lost his balance.

"What's wrong-" Tighnari cut him off before he could finish his question.

"I need Shirin, it's Collei!" Cyno nodded and left as soon as he stopped leaning on him, and the fox felt a wave of affection wash over him as he made his way back inside.

As soon as he reached the room he'd left the girl in, he let himself lean on a wall and slide to the floor, winded by the sudden effort. Without taking her eyes off of her skin, Collei sat beside him, curled up with her arms around her knees. It wasn't long before two distinct pairs of footsteps approached them, and Tighnari opened his eyes again and met Shirin's worried gaze.

"Are you okay? Cyno didn't tell me what happened before dragging me here." He glanced at his boyfriend before speaking.

"I'm fine, just winded. I need you to take a look at Collei." All eyes turned to the trainee Ranger, she didn't even react to the attention.

"Did you have another flare-up?" Shirin asked as she lowered herself and gently took hold of one of Collei's arms, pulling it closer to her to look at it only to freeze like Tighnari did before. "What?"

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Cyno asked, still unable to see their little girl's arm.

"It's gone." She whispered again, silencing everyone around her. "I haven't dropped a thing in days and I didn't even notice. How could I not notice?"

"How is that even possible? Eleazar is an incurable disease, it shouldn't just up and vanish suddenly like that!" Tighnari asked as Cyno leaned over Shirin's shoulder and finally understood what was happening.

"Lesser Lord Kusanali was freed a week ago." His boyfriend spoke softly to himself. "Could it have been her doing?"

"Maybe. I don't see another explanation for that, it's as if she'd never been sick at all." The doctor said as she studied Collei's arm.

"Not sick? So I'm- I don't have Eleazar anymore?" The young girl finally seemed to come out of her shock. "I'm free?"

And oh, if hearing that didn't break his heart a little. She had suffered so much despite being so young, and being disease-free was the least she deserved. If he could, Tighnari would gift her the world and more, and he knew for a fact that Cyno would do the same. Even his Rangers were all fond of her, always giving her new books and flowers for her to press and dry.

"You're free Collei." He answered her, watching her eyes widen before a sudden sob burst out of her throat and she practically threw herself in his arms. "Oh baby..."

He hugged her with all he had, hearing Shirin silently leave the room as Cyno dropped down on his knees and wrapped his arms around both of them. They stayed like that for so long that his legs became numb from being folded awkwardly under him, but he didn't move. A bit of discomfort was worth it to savor this moment with his family.

For days after this discovery, he would often see Collei check her arms and legs when she thought no one was looking. The sight made him both sad at the idea that she was so scared that her illness would reappear, and happy whenever he got a glimpse of pale skin unmarred by black scales or sores.

And if he sent a thank-you letter to the God of Wisdom along with a few homemade snacks as soon as he got confirmation that she had indeed been the one to cure Collei, well, that was between him and her.

"So many memories, I don't think I ever realized how busy my life has been." Tighnari chuckled as he looked around once more, before turning back to speak to Cyno only to stop himself at the sight of his boyfriend looking a bit too twitchy to not be hiding something. "Cyno?"

"Okay, I can do this." The Matra muttered to himself. "You might be wondering why I've brought you here today, and why I've been acting so strange."

"I am curious, yes." The fox replied, watching Cyno with a slightly confused smile.

"The truth is, I wanted to remember all of the times we spent together with you. Ever since we first met, you've brightened up my life so much that I can't imagine you not being a part of it." His boyfriend took a breath. "You've never once looked at me in fear, you've always trusted me and believed in me. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you and I know you would do the same for me."

That wasn't what Tighnari had expected at all, his cheeks quickly turning pink as he stared at the Matra with round eyes, a bit startled by the sudden declaration. He felt frozen in place, only his tail seemed able to move, wagging furiously behind him as he waited for the rest of Cyno's speech.

Because what else could it really be, aside from a proposal.

"Before you entered my life, I had nothing outside of my duties as General Mahamatra. Now, I have something to look forward to when I work, and a home to return to." He cleared his throat, face burning red. "What I'm trying to say is, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me Nari, and if you would allow it, I would love for you to be a part of my life forever."

Tighnari watched in shock as Cyno pulled a simple silver band. No, not simple, for once he looked at it a bit closer he noticed the delicate carving of various leaves around the outside of the ring. It was beautiful, so much so that he had to blink away a few tears.

"Will you marry me, Tighnari of the Forest Rangers?" The fox stood still for a moment before he all but threw himself into Cyno's arms, burying his face in the other's neck as his tail swished from side to side. "So is that a yes?"

"Obviously it's a yes, you lummox, how could I ever say no to the love of my life?" He spoke with a large grin as he pulled back slightly to be able to see his boyfriend's -fiancé's- face. His grin grew larger as the other somehow turned even more red, leaning forward to hide his face into Tighnari's neck. "Are you really getting shy now?"

"I love you so much Nari, you have no idea how much you mean to me." Their eyes met briefly before they met in the middle in a soft kiss.

"I think I have a pretty good idea." The fox whispered against Cyno's lips.

Tighnari wondered if the smile on his face would ever disappear as his fiancé stepped back and gently took one of his hands and placed the beautiful ring in his palm.

"I had it custom made." The other spoke softly as the fox turned the ring around, taking in every leaf that was carefully carved into the polished silver. They were so detailed that he recognized them all.

"It's beautiful." Then he caught sight of part of a word engraved on the inside of the ring. It was a short sentence that made him snort slightly. "I will never leaf your side? Really?"

"Does- Do you like it?" The shy question filled Tighnari with such a deep affection for the other that it surprised even himself.

"I love it." He slipped it on his finger, it fit perfectly. He briefly wondered how Cyno had found out what size his finger was, before dismissing the thought. He probably did it while Tighnari was asleep, sneaky Matra. "I love you."

"Collei will be ecstatic when she sees the ring." The other muttered.

"Wait, is that why she was acting so strangely this morning?" She had avoided his eyes when he had asked about her behaviour, and while she had insisted that she was simply tired, he had seen right through her. She never could successfully lie to him.

"Mh, I told her about my plan when we went on that walk." That's what he thought.

"Did you?" He wondered if Cyno had a reason for doing that, or if he simply wanted Collei to know.

"I wanted her approval, you mean a lot to each other so it felt right." How sweet, and perhaps he now also had an answer to another strange event he had wondered about.

"And you wouldn't also happen to be the reason my parents sent me that cryptic letter a few days ago?" The other nodded.

"I wrote to them some time ago, I also wanted to ask for their blessing before, well, you know." Cyno looked away with a light blush, and Tighnari felt his smile grow larger.

"Sometimes I wonder how lucky I was to have met you." The Matra's blush got darker before he grinned, eyes glowing with emotion.

Looking down with a chuckle, he ran his finger slowly over the ring on his finger, before he noticed Cyno pull another one from his pocket. It shone gold like the metallic parts of his uniform, although strangely, it was lacking in details. Tighnari wondered for a second why his fiancé's ring was blank before the other answered his unspoken question.

"I chose what to add to yours, it's only fair that you choose what to add to mine." Everytime he thought he couldn't possibly fall more for the idiotic General, he was proven wrong.

"How romantic of you." He kissed Cyno again, tail wagging slowly behind him. "You really pulled all the stops here, didn't you?"

"Of course, it needed to be perfect." The other said seriously.

"Mh, well I'd say you've succeeded." He gazed lovingly at the ring on his finger. "I'll have to find something equally as corny to put on your ring."

"Well, you'll have to choose carefully, there's not mushroom on these after all." He couldn't stop the sigh from escaping him, even though his smile never wavered.

"I changed my mind." He turned his head away so his fiancé wouldn't see his amused grin.

"Too late, you already said yes. No take-backs allowed." Cyno kissed his cheek. "You're stuck with me forever now." He said as he pushed the blank ring into his hand.

"Forever huh?" He pretended to think about it for a moment before grabbing the General's hood and pulling him toward him. "I suppose I can live with that." And whatever Cyno would have said next went unheard as the fox proceeded to show his fiancé just how okay with that he was.

Around a week later, Tighnari was ambushed by a smiling and very affectionate Cyno just as he was finishing a patrol. He supposed he'd made the right choice concerning his fiancé's ring, and the other was very happy to show him just how much he loved it as soon as they made it to his home.

The once bare gold-plated ring now bore a small scarab and a few leaves and, on the inside, a short phrase was now carved in the silver body of the ring. It was the only pun Cyno would ever get out of Tighnari, not for lack of trying on his part.

'I scarab-out you a lot'

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