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In the short time he had been human, Ajaw had come to realize just how utterly useless mortals were.
They couldn’t do anything without their stupid little bodies needing something in return. Cause and effect? No, they couldn’t cause anything! So much time was wasted on human “necessities” instead of anything with purpose. Eating and sleeping took up enough time as it was, but humans were so needlessly picky about everything that gathering and preparing food took even more time. That berry is poisonous, this type of meat must be cooked for this long, that fruit doesn’t taste good unless it looks like this– If they were going to be so needy yet helpless at the same time, maybe it would be better if they all just starved!
But fine, Ajaw was gracious enough to look past this. Every living being had their flaws (except for him, of course), so humans naturally couldn’t be a superior species, no matter how hard they tried to act like they were. Sure, Ajaw would overlook their biological needs this time, but these mortals… Ugh, they were so selfish that they went as far to have emotional needs too! If they insisted on struggling to survive through their blink of a life span, could they not at least try to help themselves? Physically and emotionally fragile? Pick a struggle!
How many times had Ajaw watched Kinich’s clients break down in tears? Or the contrary– light up with a blinding smile? How many times had he watched these people try to take more of Kinich’s time, but give him less compensation in return? Well, he’d seen that about as many times as he’d seen Kinich turn them down, which meant he’d seen the way humans could flush crimson out of anger.
That was another thing! Their faces almost always betrayed what they were thinking. What a useless skill! Their eyes would well with tears, sparkle with joy, narrow with skepticism, widen with surprise–They showed everything! “Eyes are the window to the soul,” Ajaw had heard these mortals say. They weren’t a window, they were a gaping hole! Any idiot would have been able to figure out what these humans were thinking just from a glance!
But to most of these flaws, Kinich was the exception.
Yes, like any human, he needed to sleep and eat regularly, but his way of life was so simple yet different that Ajaw had a hard time criticizing it. He didn't do anything that was unnecessary to his well being, he did what he had to so he could live comfortably, yet meaningfully. He wouldn't do anything without getting something in return, and that was something Ajaw could agree with. Though he was this way, Ajaw also knew Kinich was kind. He always treated others with respect, but it was not over the top, and it never made Ajaw sneer in discomfort as he did when others laid on their faux kindness with such a sickly sweet tone as they begged Kinich for a favour. Who were they to ask such a thing? The misplaced confidence was disgusting. Though Kinich was still a mortal, riddled with flaws and human error, he handled it all with such grace that Ajaw almost respected him for it. Almost.
There had been a shift between them when Ajaw had gained his human form. Since he had a body of his own now, there was no reason for Ajaw to continue travelling at Kinich’s side. However, Ajaw silently decided to stay with him regardless, and Kinich never spoke a word of protest.
…Hold on, that can't be right. Ajaw was only staying by his side because the foolish mortal would surely get into some sort of peril– Kinich sought it out, for Archon’s sake! No… that’s not right either. Ajaw was only travelling with him until he found something else more worthy of his precious time! Not that Kinich of all people was worth his time, but– Ugh! He’d been around these useless mortals for far too long!
No matter how long he'd been around humans, some things still came as a surprise to Ajaw. One of those things was watching Kinich, untouchable among mortals to Ajaw, become rendered bed ridden with an illness.
If Ajaw didn't know Kinich as well as he did, he would have thought the latter was playing a foolish prank. Kinich always woke at sunrise, yet the sun was already high in the sky by the time Ajaw heard him stir. If it hadn’t been for the steady rise and fall of his chest, Ajaw would have checked to see if Kinich was alive or not.
Even if he had been breathing, Kinich hardly looked alive. Ajaw watched him sit up, skin pale and sticky with the thin sheen of sweat. Odd…it wasn’t particularly warm, so what was that from? Kinich blinked groggily, losing focus as he stared at his knees. Ajaw tilted his head, his brow furrowing in confusion. What was Kinich zoning out for? He opened his mouth to call out to him, but Kinich moved to rise to his feet before he could say anything. Okay, maybe everything was fine, and–
Ajaw darted forward, catching Kinich so he didn’t crumple to the floor. “Ugh, what’s with you today? What’s your problem? You’re already late, so why are you wasting more–” Ajaw choked on the end of his sentence as Kinich relaxed against his chest, not even standing himself up straight beforehand. “Kinich?” Ajaw called out to him in a voice so soft he surprised himself.
Kinich clumsily pushed himself away from Ajaw, stumbling a couple steps. Ajaw followed him, braced to catch him if his knees gave out again. “Kinich,” he tried again more urgently. It would seem that this human form had also given Ajaw a capacity to feel worry for others. Was that built into all humans? How senseless.
“Kinich!” Ajaw stomped his foot and pulled Kinich around by his wrist. “Would you just say something? You just woke up, how could I possibly have annoyed you into silence already?”
Kinich blinked up at him slowly, eyes almost glazed over– Not with their usual disinterest, but with distraction. Ajaw knew that the dreams humans saw could be unsettling, and for someone with as tangled of a past as Kinich, he wouldn’t be surprised if he fell into that category. “Did you…have a bad dream?” Ajaw asked, the question feeling foreign on his tongue for several unknown reasons.
“What?” Kinich regained his senses enough to frown at Ajaw. He shook his wrist free and regarded Ajaw as if he was the one acting strangely. “No, I’m fine,” he dismissed Ajaw’s concern (concern?! Just what had this form done to him?!).
Ajaw crossed his arms over his chest, already feeling himself bristle. “You are not! Do you have any idea what time it is? Wake up, Kinich! Something is wrong!”
“It’s time for me to meet a client,” Kinich answered Ajaw’s question and ignored the flurry of other statements. “I’ll get ready and then leave. Are you coming or not?”
“Ha!” Ajaw barked a laugh. “As if you can get anything done in this sorry state? I’ll tag along to see you fail, if anything!”
I’ll come to make sure you don’t die, is what crossed Ajaw’s mind, but that statement was too much for him to even try to unpack.
For the first time, Ajaw was glad to see one of Kinich’s clients try to scam him. He would have been more glad if Kinich was actually paying attention to what he was agreeing to.
“What are your terms?” Kinich had asked, following his usual script. The client smirked in a way that Ajaw did not like, and stated his terms vaguely. They sounded reasonable, but Ajaw had learned from years of watching Kinich accept and deny different commissions that this was someone trying to disguise malicious intentions.
Kinich lifted his chin, halfway through a nod of agreement before Ajaw jumped to intervene. He grabbed Kinich’s chin, turning his head towards him. “Hey,” he tried snapping Kinich out of his daze. “Is your brain turned on? You’re acting stupid. Stupider than normal, that is,” he rushed to add.
“Excuse me?” The client cleared his throat. “I don’t have all day. Will you be taking my commission or not?”
Hell no, Ajaw wanted to say. Get lost before I chop you into minced meat.
Instead, he kept looking at Kinich. “Tell him no,” he muttered softly enough for only Kinich to hear. “He’s trying to scam you, you idiot. Don’t agree to it.”
Kinich narrowed his eyes but shrugged. “I’m not interested,” he told the man, not even bothering to look at him. Ajaw smirked and the man sneered.
“What about you?” He asked Ajaw instead. “If he won’t take my commission, will you?”
Ajaw let Kinich go and put his hands on his hips, leaning down to look the man squarely in the eye. “Hell no,” he told him with a sweet smile on his face. The man cursed under his breath as he spun on his heel, leaving quickly.
Ajaw turned back to Kinich. “Really, what is with you today?”
“It’s nothing,” Kinich avoided the question again. “That was the only client for today, so let’s go home.”
“It’s not nothing!” Ajaw pressed on as he trailed behind Kinich. “You never behave so strangely. You were about to get scammed, Kinich. Are you telling me that was on purpose?”
“What if it was?”
Ajaw scoffed, “Then I assume waking up late and putting your boots on the wrong feet was done on purpose as well?”
Kinich paused, looking at his feet. “...My boots aren’t on the wrong feet,” he mumbled.
“The fact that you had to stop to check says enough!” Ajaw circled in front of him, poking Kinich in the forehead. “ Kinich,” he pestered again.
“Ajaw,” Kinich replied evenly as he pushed past him.
Ajaw fumed, staring at the spot Kinich had just been standing in. “You’re impossible! Fine! Drop dead for all I care!”
This went on for two days before Ajaw finally had enough.
Kinich insisted he was fine, but Ajaw came to realize he was ill once the former started coughing and sniffling. He did so quietly, surely trying not to let Ajaw notice, but even in this human form, Ajaw had keen ears.
Kinich did a lot to avoid talking to Ajaw about it. He stumbled through daily tasks, hardly giving himself time to rest, but he was growing weaker the longer it went on. Ajaw knew Kinich didn’t think he was perceptive, but any idiot would have been able to tell that something was wrong. It irked Ajaw to his core, and he couldn’t bear it any more.
He waited for Kinich to fall asleep before he slipped away, heading to the garden first.
Ajaw knew it was about time to harvest the vegetables, but Kinich hadn’t been doing so. He would stand in front of the plants everyday, examining them with unblinking eyes before turning around and leaving. Fine, if Kinich could not bring his sickly form to harvest the vegetables, then Ajaw would do it for him. How lucky was Kinich to be on the receiving end of Ajaw’s generosity? He should be thanking Ajaw on his knees!
So Ajaw took a basket and gathered the vegetables by moonlight. Almost everything he dug up was smaller than usual– Had Kinich planted faulty produce on top of everything else? Foolish.
But Ajaw completed the task– In great discomfort, mind you! Dirt got under his nails, all over his hands, and everytime he tried to brush it off, it got all over his clothes! Never in his life has Ajaw, the great K’uhul Ajaw, been reduced to such…such…such mundane work! Oh, when Kinich was 100% healthy again, Ajaw would give him a piece of his mind!
Finally done harvesting the measly vegetables, Ajaw carefully placed them in the basket, just as he had watched Kinich do many times in the past. Not that he had been watching Kinich, he was just trying to see how the food he was going to eat had been treated! Kinich’s hands treated everything so gently, so attentively, so Ajaw clumsily tried to do the same.
Ajaw took the basket of vegetables back, placing them near Kinich, moving quietly so as to not disturb him. Ajaw knew he must move quickly if he wanted to complete his second task, the morning sun was already threatening to peak over the horizon. He spared Kinich’s sleeping face one last glance, a long glance, and set out again.
Kinich had been ill for far too long, and Ajaw refused to watch him suffer any longer. It was so annoying! Kinich clearly needed rest, medicine, and peace, but he wouldn’t give himself any of it! If he wouldn’t take care of himself, Ajaw would do it for him!
Ajaw stared at the herbs he had gathered so far. It was an old folk remedy, one he had learned from who knows where, and he had intended to make some for Kinich. Hands filthy with dirt and stained green from harshly picking the plants, Ajaw clenched the herbs in his fists. This was all Kinich’s fault! He had gone so many years without getting so ill, so why now? Did his stupid human body not have the same sense of responsibility as his slightly less stupid brain?! He just wanted Kinich to be healthy, damn it! It was disturbing to see him like this, Ajaw didn’t want it!
Ajaw stormed off, heading back home. He wasn’t quite sure how the medicine was prepared, but it couldn’t be that complicated, right? He was the K’uhul Ajaw, after all. Just this night alone, he had gotten his hands dirty picking vegetables and herbs, something he never thought he would do! If he was so naturally skilled at it (not that these tasks required skill for a being such as himself, of course), then it would be no struggle!
He tossed the herbs in a pot of water and brought it to a boil, wrinkling his nose at the pungent smell. Humans drank this? If Ajaw was weak enough to fall to such illness, he would refuse this! He was sure the smell alone would be enough to kill any sickness, as well as temporarily losing his sense of smell. How disgusting… But if it would quicken Kinich’s recovery, then that was all that mattered. Ajaw continued to stir the pot.
Once the water had stopped turning colour, Ajaw tried to scoop out the soggy plants. Some of them broke apart, leaving small bits and pieces in the liquid, but… Oh well, wouldn’t directly ingesting them be even more beneficial? It was probably fine. Ajaw then poured out enough medicine to fill a cup, then covered the leftovers in the pot with a lid. Kinich would be begging for more when he realised how helpful it was, so it was best to save it.
Looking at the liquid in the cup, Ajaw could no longer resist. He brought it to his lips to take a small sip, but–
“Ah!” He flinched, quickly setting the cup down. Something…something had happened to his tongue. He stuck the tip of his tongue out of his mouth, hesitantly poking it with his finger. He could hardly feel anything! The medicine… Had Ajaw actually made poison instead?! He couldn’t give this to Kinich! Although he couldn’t feel it, he kept poking at his tongue, even trying to lightly bite down on it. It was very sensitive, and felt as if the inside was fuzzy. Just what had he done?!
Amidst Ajaw’s panic (not that he was panicking. Pft, Ajaw panicking over something as insignificant as the tip of his tongue? Never! It’s not like he was worrying about not being able to taste Kinich’s cooking ever again, no– Hang on, just food in general! It was absolutely not related to Kinich!), Kinich woke up.
“...Ajaw?” Kinich’s voice, low and rough from a combination of sleep and sickness, snapped Ajaw out of his internal strife. “What are you doing with your tongue out of your mouth? And…” he tilted his head slightly, “What is that smell?”
Ajaw felt his cheeks burn– Surely the next phase of the poison setting in. “I’ve poisoned myself,” he admitted quietly.
“You what?”
“I’ve poisoned myself!” Ajaw repeated. “I drank your medicine after it finished steeping, and my tongue stopped working!”
Kinich blinked at him rapidly, as if he didn’t understand what Ajaw had said. He sighed quietly, rising to his feet. “Alright, let me see then,” he gestured for Ajaw to come to him.
Ajaw hurried over, sticking his tongue out for Kinich to see. “Look!” He demanded, speech slurred from not using his tongue.
Kinich pursed his lips, eyes glancing up at Ajaw’s eyes and down to his tongue. The repetition made Ajaw’s face feel hotter. He brought his tongue back into his mouth, flinching at the way it felt against his teeth. “What’s taking so long? Fix it!”
Something flashed across Kinich’s expression, but he cleared his throat and started seriously, “Ajaw.”
“What? What is it? Come on!”
“Was the…medicine that you tried to drink hot?” Kinich questioned.
“Obviously! It was straight out of the pot!”
“Ajaw,” Kinich repeated.
“Kinich!”
“You’re not poisoned,” Kinich assured him. “You just burnt your tongue, that’s all.”
“...What?” He had to be kidding, right? Ajaw knew human bodies were weak, but to the point that their tongues would burn just from a little heat? Was this a joke? “Fine!” He sputtered, backing away from Kinich to grab the cup he had set aside. “Then drink this! I wasn’t going to give it to you anymore since I thought it was poison, but since it’s not, drink it!” He thrust the cup into Kinich’s hands.
Kinich looked down at the drink, expression blank. “What is this?”
“It’s medicine, of course!” Ajaw placed his hands on his hips, smiling proudly, “I made it myself! Ah, don’t rush to thank me,” he put one hand up in a stopping gesture, “I already know how grateful you must be. Yes, I, K’uhul Ajaw, went out in the night to fetch ingredients so I could personally make you medicine. I noticed you had fallen victim to a mortal illness, so I took it upon myself to aid you in your recovery. You–”
Ajaw was cut off but a sudden bout of laughter. He blinked owlishly at Kinich, who was shaking with the effort of trying to keep his laughter contained. He wasn’t looking at Ajaw, no, he had his eyes closed and his head turned away, but even though his face was still pale from being sick, it was the most colourful expression Ajaw had ever seen on him.
Kinich opened one eye, his laughter fading. He cleared his throat, smile softening, but still clear. “Okay, Ajaw. Even though you insist I don’t need to, I’ll say it anyway. Thank you.”
Ajaw felt his heart rate increase, yet it felt like it was beating irregularly. His hands felt stiff and hot, as if every nerve had been activated. Was Kinich sure that Ajaw hadn’t been poisoned?
“I– No need!” Ajaw crossed his arms, looking away and trying to blow a stray piece of hair out of his eyes. “I already said not to thank me, so don’t bother! If you really want to make it up to me, then drink the medicine already! I have to wash the vegetables…” He added at a mumble.
Kinich took a slow sip of the medicine, expression freezing before he swallowed it. “This medicine… You made it yourself?”
“I did,” Ajaw nodded confidently. “It’s good for you, right?”
“I hope so,” Kinich took another sip. “Wait, did you say something about washing vegetables? The vegetables won’t be ripe for another few days, and I haven’t harvested them yet.”
Ajaw stilled. “They’re not…ready?” He echoed slowly.
Kinich’s eyes landed on the basket behind Ajaw. “You…did that too?”
Ajaw tangled one hand in his hair, the other falling back to his hip. “I thought they were just small because they were faulty! I didn’t– Damn it, my hands are still dirty!” He pulled his hand out of his hair. “Ugh, I knew I shouldn’t do all of this, but you just had to refuse to rest, and I couldn’t watch!”
“Ajaw,” Kinich grabbed his wrist. Ajaw wasn’t sure when Kinich had stepped closer, but he was sure that this was the first time Kinich had initiated such gentle contact with him. “It’s alright. There’s nothing wrong with the vegetables being early, and thank you for your help.”
It would seem that Kinich was much more open when he was sick. He pulled Ajaw to sit by his side, close enough that their arms were tightly pressed against each other. Ajaw went rigid at the contact, his heart refusing to slow down. “I’m feeling a lot better today,” Kinich spoke softly, laying his head against Ajaw’s shoulder. “It must be because of your medicine,” Kinich…teased?
Ajaw froze up, refusing to let his body move even the slightest. If Kinich was comfortable like this, then he must absolutely not move. “If it helps, then drink more.”
Kinich took a long, loud sip.
Ajaw bristled, skin itching with heat and his heart wouldn’t stop pounding. “Shut up,” he snapped quietly. “Just drink your medicine.”
“Ajaw?” Kinich asked gently.
“What?”
“Thanks.”
“I already told you not to–”
“Ajaw.”
“...Whatever.”