Chapter Text
Ororon didn’t… quite know what he expected when he entered Ifa’s clinic. But he immediately heard commotion from behind the doors.
“Come on! Don’t be stubborn!” Ifa’s voice echoed from behind the doors.
Ororon could hear another voice, but couldn’t make it out.
“Come on! It’s just a check-up! Why do you resist so much?”
Ororon tried to hear the other voice, but he still couldn’t make out words. Was Ifa talking to some rogue saurian again that refused it’s medicine?
“Hey! Stay still!” Ifa shouted.
Ororon decided to get ready, if Ifa needed help, he might as well give him a hand. Ororon opened the doors and saw a green and black blur shoot by him and bound across the room.
“Oh Ororon! Catch him!” Ifa shouted.
Ororon felt like he moved on instinct at Ifa’s plea and managed the catch the blur by wrapping his arms around it and pinned it to his body. He swears it let out a growl . So it was a saurian…?
Ororon finally looked down and saw a head of dark hair and replitian eyes, but it was distinctly human. Ifa was trying to catch him? Why did he look familiar?
Ifa finally took a breath as he walked up to him, “Yes! Hold him tight, Ororon. Bring him over here.”
Ororon could only blink as the young man… boy? In his arms only further growled and kicked in his grip. The only reason he wasn’t getting any traction was because of the height difference between the two and his feet couldn’t reach the ground. He carefully walked over as he continued to growl in his grip, oh dear he was very wriggly!
“Come on Kinich! This isn’t that bad!” Ifa said as he locked the doors leading into the room. “Ororon, keep holding him will ya?”
Ororon just kept quiet as he walked over to the small cot in the room. Kinich… why didn’t that name sound familiar?
“You’re keeping me hostage like this you know.” Kinich growled.
“Oh come on! It’s just a check-up! I don’t get why you are so stubborn about these.” Ifa sighed as he walked over with a stethoscope.
“Because I feel fine and I don’t need one.” Kinich scowled, “Now let me go so I can get back to work.”
“Not yet, Kinich. This’ll just be a quick check-up.” Ifa said, “As your doctor, I’m responsible for your health.”
“You’re a sauro- vet. You take care of saurians, not humans.” Kinich specified with a frown.
“Eh, you’re practically a saurian at this point.” Ifa shrugged, “You and Chasca. Now hold still, I need to take your temperature.”
Kinich let out one more grumble, but stopped struggling in Ororon’s grip. Ifa moved in close with a thermometer, felt his forehead, and did a general check up. It was a relatively quick procedure, but he did do some motions that reminded Ororon of what he would do when checking on a saurian patient.
“Here, I should check his pulse as the final step. I think you can let him go now.” Ifa said with a small smile. “It’s almost done now anyway.”
Ororon let go of Kinich and he just begrudgingly sat on the cot with an annoyed look as Ifa moved the stethoscope over his chest and other parts of his main body.
Kinich… why did that name sound familiar? Ororon tried to think, only to remember what happened many months ago. The invasions, the Six Heroes, he didn’t recall most of it because it was such a blur. Kinich was the bearer of Malipo. He was one of the six heroes, he was one of the messengers running all over Natlan to deliver battle reports. He was an exceptional warrior.
And here he was, getting treated by Ifa, like he was a baby saurian or something.
“There! All done! That wasn’t so bad now was it?” Ifa mused as he put his tools away.
“It still was a waste of time, I’m fine.” Kinich sighed.
“It only took longer cause you resisted you know~” Ifa said.
“Because you tried to trick me into it with that ‘urgent delivery’ you told me.” Kinich shot back. “I should have known something was up when you told me to come inside the clinic.”
“Please, you make me sound like some kidnapper coercing you or something.” Ifa said with fake hurt in his voice.
“Can I leave now?” Kinich asked.
“Mhm, not quite,” Ifa got a dangerous look in his eyes. “You're overall health may be okay, but I can already see some… minor issues. You can't hide them from me, Kinich.”
Ororon swears he saw Kinich bristle up like some kind of hostile cat. Ifa ignored it though and walked up, pulling up one of Kinich's sleeves to see bandages on his upper shoulder.
Ifa didn't say anything for the moment as he checked around Kinich’s other limbs for somewhat hidden injuries. He felt his forehead again as well.
Ifa clicked his tongue, “Yup, as I suspected. Your temperature is a little high. You're working overtime again, aren't you?”
“You literally took my temperature less than ten minutes ago, you didn't say anything then.” Kinich said.
“That's because I figured it was high due to all the running around you were doing in here.” Ifa said, “Needed to wait until you cooled down to confirm whether that temp was a concern or not.”
“It's not a concern, I just need some more sleep.” Kinich said.
“Which you are not getting as of late.” Ifa noted.
“...I'm sorry, but, I didn't know you received check ups here, Malipo.” Ororon said for the first time since he entered the building.
Kinich glanced at him for a moment. “I don't, the only reason I'm here is because Ifa insisted on it.”
“And the only reason I insisted on it is because Chasca asked me to check on you.” Ifa said, “You know she’s worries over you now.”
Kinich didn’t say anything after that and simply sighed, before looking back at Ororon. “What are you doing here? Ororon?”
“I came to drop off some vegetables, the radishes were growing really good and perfect for picking. I figured some of the saurians would enjoy them here.” Ororon said.
“Which I appreciate~” Ifa mused, “They’re much more willing to let me do the check ups after I give them some of your veggies. Now that I think about it…”
“ Don’t even think about it, Ifa.” Kinich scowled, his eyes narrowing.
Ororon couldn’t help but see small black cat ears on Kinich’s head now, the way he was behaving…
“I was joking! No worries!” Ifa smiled, “Now that your check up is complete, I prescribe you some good rest for the next few days to nip that fever in the bud. No work for the next two days.”
“I don’t need two days, I’ll just get a good night’s sleep tonight and I should be fine.” Kinich said, he got off the cot and moved to the doors, only for Ifa to step in front of him.
“As a patient, I need to make sure you get your rest.” Ifa smiled, before placing a hand on his chin for a moment. “I know~ Ororon, how about you do me a favor and escort Kinich back to his house?”
“I don’t need an escort, Ifa.” Kinich frowned, “You shouldn’t trouble people like that… isn’t his home in the opposite direction anyway?”
“...I uh…” Ororon started, “I was actually heading near the Scions of the Canopy to look at their flowers, I want to surprise my aphids with some new nectar. So I don’t mind going back to your home to see you off.”
Kinich only sighed again and Ifa smiled.
“Then that would be great~ I’ll be owing you one Ororon.” Ifa said, “Make sure Kinich gets back to his home safe and make sure he rests! At least for tonight, no hunting, no commissions, no courier work, nada.”
“Again, I don’t need a babysitter, I can handle myself.” Kinich said, crossing his arms.
“My mind is not changing~ And I’ll be flying out to see you in two days to make sure your small fever is gone, so do try to rest up.” Ifa said before leaning in close to Kinich, “If not, I’ll have to have Chasca drag you back to rest up at the clinic.”
Kinich glared at him, “...Fine, I’ll get some rest.”
Ifa moved and ruffled Kinich’s hair, who the young man tried to push off. “That’s a good patient. I’ll see you in two days!”
Ifa unlocked the doors and quickly made himself absent, leaving only Kinich and Ororon alone. Only then did Ororon see a small glow appear from Kinich’s bracelet and Ajaw materialized into the air.
“Is the quack finally gone? It felt like it was hours!” Ajaw gaped as he buzzed around Kinich’s shoulder.
“He is, for now, he’ll be seeing us in two days.” Kinich said simply.
“I told you! You needed to rest before coming here or else the quack will snatch you up like a hungry saurian!” Ajaw exclaimed.
“...Shall we get going then?” Ororon asked.
“Huh? Who are you?” Ajaw asked.
“You don’t remember him? He fought with us during the war?” Kinich deadpanned, “He is one of the Six Heroes.”
“I hardly remember any of the heroes, much less one that took his sweet time to show up!” Ajaw scowled, “What is he doing here then?”
“I uh… I’m here to escort Kinich home.” Ororon said, he doesn’t remember Kinich having such a weird saurian with him. He remembered seeing a strange saurian during the war, but it was a lot bigger. Did he have two? Was this the same one?
“Escort you home? Is Kinich some kind of princess now?” Ajaw scoffed, “We do not need escorts! We are the MIghty Dragonlord K’uhul Ajaw!”
Kinich sighed before he started walking, “It’s fine, come on, it’s a good distance between here and the Scions of the Canopy, if we pick up the pace, we can get there before sundown.”
“O-Oh, alright.” Ororon went after them.
Ororon has hardly interacted with Kinich before, only fleeting glimpses when he would sometimes see him drop off packages for Granny. He knew Kinich was the bearer of Malipo, but even during the war, they were so focused on fighting that he hardly interacted with him during or afterwards. Kinich retired to his room pretty soon after the celebration feast and was gone early the next morning to get a head start on supply deliveries to all the damaged tribes.
For one thing, he didn’t realize how short he was, Ororon had almost a good feet on him in terms of height. He didn’t look that much older than him either, to say he wasn’t mildly curious about the bearer of Malipo would be a lie. Maybe he could take this opportunity to get to know him, especially since he seemed to be on friendly terms with Ifa.
They have the whole walk to the Scions of the Canopy to talk, he’ll figure out a way to broach the subjects then.