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"Damn... I can't believe you beat me to it." Rhajat complained.
"Rhajat...!" Forrest grumbled.
Ignatius sat as still as he could while his loved ones healed him. It was supposed to be a fun day at the park. The sun was shining down on them, the breeze felt great, and they were resting on a bench. They were going to hang out, maybe head out to a restaurant afterwards. Now he was stuck as his partners were casting healing spells. He felt a bit bad that he got hurt, but there was a part of him that didn't. Some jerk saw Forrest kissing Rhajat, and got angry. Rhajat said he was a boy, which actually made things worse. The man started insulting Forrest, and before Ignatius knew it, he decked the man. The two got into a fight for a few seconds before he ran off.
It was nothing that was so bad that a few healing spells wouldn't fix. He didn't see himself as a violent person. Anyone who knew him knew he was a coward who'd rather never confront anyone again. He had a black eye and a few bruises, but the other guy was way worse off. His goal was always to protect people, regardless of how scared he was. Today was no different. He was terrified of multiple things. He was scared of how this could come back to bite him. He was scared of how his parents would feel. He was scared that his injuries could get worse over time. However, none of that was scarier to him than letting someone get away with hurting his loved ones.
"Please Ignatius... it's not worth it." Forrest scolded.
Ignatius sighed. He couldn't bring himself to agree. He also didn't know if he wanted to argue it. Forrest meant the world to him. There was nothing he wouldn't do for him. He knew Forrest always wanted to be the bigger person. He didn't want to see people being hurt on his behalf. Yet his heart wouldn't let him just sit around while Forrest was being berated.
"It's always worth it for you." Rhajat interjected. "Again, if he didn't do anything, I would've. People like that guy Ignatius ran off... They've gone too long without facing the consequences of their actions. If they're gonna open their mouth that wide, no harm in putting your fist in it." She said with a shrug.
Forrest looked away. "I..."
Ignatius wanted to move his arm onto Forrest's but he was still feeling a bit sore. That person, whomever he was, wasn't weak. At least physically. He did put up a fight. If it wasn't for the fact that he insulted his boyfriend, he may have had a bit of respect for him. Regardless, if he moved too much, the healing may not be as effective. He had to be as still as he reasonably could be.
"Sorry Forrest. I know this is making things awkward and uncomfortable for you." He apologized.
Forrest smiled sadly. "You don't need to. I know your heart is in the right place. I do appreciate what you did."
Ignatius smiled slightly in response. He was happy he wasn't angry at him at the very least. Forrest was such a gentle soul, getting him angry felt a bit like making a dog disappointed. It just made someone feel like the biggest scumbag.
"How are your wounds?" Rhajat asked.
Ignatius looked down at his arm, the wound did seem to be fading away. "It doesn't hurt as much. I think even my eye is recovering."
Rhajat leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Good. If I wasn't so focused on making sure you two were okay, I may have chased after that guy for hurting you."
Ignatius chuckled. "Please don't. I already gave him a good thrashing."
Rhajat giggled. "He didn't get enough of one. He hurt my boyfriend emotionally and my other boyfriend physically. I would love to make sure he learned his lesson."
Forrest shook his head fondly. "You two..." He then followed his girlfriend's example and kissed Ignatius' other cheek. "My hero..."
Ignatius put his hands in his lap and blushed. He never really liked being called a hero. He felt he didn't deserve the title. Yet, it made him feel good. Rhajat poked him on his cheek as she grinned. Forrest put his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. As embarrassed as he was, he was at least glad to see his partners smiling.
"I think that's all the healing we should do for now." Forrest said. "We don't want to make you sick or anything."
"I'm still in a bit of pain, but it's more tolerable now." Ignatius explained. "Thanks for both of your help. I think the rest should go away soon."
Rhajat nodded. "Of course. Now that you're okay though..." She trailed off.
"No Rhajat, don't go find him." Ignatius said with a bit of exasperation.
He knew it was hypocritical, but he didn't really want to see his loved ones hurt. Or in trouble, given it was Rhajat. She could take care of herself pretty damn well, but it didn't make him not worry. Nor did he need to get her out of jail. Granted, having the prince of nohr as one's boyfriend would make that a non issue, it was the principal of the thing. Not to mention her being good friends with the prince of Hoshido and the queen of Valla.
Rhajat scowled. "Fine... fine. If I see him again though... I make no promises."
Forrest grinned. "I think that's the best we're gonna get Ignatius."
If there was something he loved about Rhajat, it was her passion and tenacity. She was so protective of the two of them. Hell had no fury like a woman scorned. Except that they weren't the one's scorning her. He always felt safe around her, and he knew Forrest felt the same way. He'd still be scared of her honestly if he didn't know her so well.
"He better hope I don't see him. I've got some hexes I'd love to test out."
"Either way..." Ignatius jumped in. "Who would be stupid enough to insult the prince of Nohr? I know Nohr's reputation as violent savages has been slowly but surely dying out, thanks to King Xander, but still. If I was a jerk, I wouldn't pick a fight with Shiro whether I knew him or not."
Rhajat shrugged. "Some people don't care."
Forrest giggled. "You're one to talk Rhajat. You still call my aunt Corrin, without any honorific. Despite the fact that she's a queen now. You also talked to me pretty casually from the jump. You even insulted me."
Rhajat folded her arms. "I already apologized... For the rudeness at least."
Forrest put his hand past Ignatius and on her shoulder. "I know, I know. You know I'm only kidding. That never really bothered me. Plus, it's how I got to know you. I wouldn't change a thing about how we met or how you are."
Rhajat looked away, trying and failing to hide her blush. "I... Regardless, Ignatius does have a point. It's not like him being the prince is a secret. Everyone knows, yet this guy had the gall to insult him to his face. I know he doesn't have any guards around him, but still."
Ignatius wondered if that guy was out of the loop, and somehow didn't know. It was more likely though that his venom, be it for Forrest's style of dress or Nohr iteself, was stronger than his common sense. In addition, Rhajat had a point that sometimes people had a habit of opening their mouths a bit too much, and no one really "corrected" them for it. He understood being blunt, but that was just mean to tell Forrest such awful things. And for what? He wasn't even wearing a dress, he was just wearing a blouse. Granted he did sometimes wear dresses too, and he did look pretty feminine, but it was still annoying. He'd never understand why people cared so much about what other people were doing, just because they personally didn't like it. Did he think there'd be a mandate that made all men wear skirts because of Forrest? The inner machinations of close minded people like him would never cease to amaze.
"I guess it doesn't matter." Ignatius finally settled on. It was still bothering him, but focusing so hard on the why was only going to upset him more. He wished they lived in a world that was kinder to people who had the "gall" to be different.
"Very true." Forrest agreed. "Ignorant people are going to be ignorant. All we can do is hope people like him learn some day."
"Let's not worry too much about that though." Ignatius suggested. "He's not worth the brain power." Ignatius leaned forward to stand up, before groaning as a jolt of pain shot through his back. He quickly leaned back as he hissed.
"Ignatius!?" Rhajat exclaimed as her eyes widened.
His hands flew to his back. "Ugh... sorry, guess I got hit there too..." He admittedly wasn't paying much attention to where the blows were. He was a bit blinded by his anger, not to mention he was used to taking hits considering the role he played as shield. At the same time, said hits were usually directed at his front more than behind.
Forrest got off of the bench. "Okay, can you look towards that direction?" He asked as he pointed towards where he was sitting.
Ignatius nodded and turned away from Rhajat. He put his legs where his boyfriend was a moment ago. He hoped it wasn't anything too serious. He wasn't the most knowledgeable on the human body, but he knew that spinal injuries were no laughing matter.
"Okay..." Forrest walked next to Rhajat and he lifted his shirt. "Tell me if this hurts."
He felt Forrest's gentle fingers on his back. He tensed in preparation for the pain. He'd pressed a few times on different spots, and he thankfully didn't feel anything bad. After a few more moments, he winced once Forrest found the damaged area. "That one hurt."
"Mm." Forrest grunted. "It's not too bad."
Ignatius breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad that Forrest started with that, given his anxiety.
"I've still got enough energy for some healing." He turned to the diviner. "What about you?"
"Of course." Rhajat replied.
The two got back to using their white magic. Ignatius could feel the back pain slowly subsiding. It was times like this he really appreciated that both of his partners knew a bit about healing. Whether it was Forrest's gentle calming healing or Rhajat's more intense warm healing it always made him feel like he could fly. It made him feel like he was being enwrapped in a nice hug, which put a smile on his face. At the very least, the healing was going by faster this time.
"How are you feeling?" Rhajat asked.
"I'm feeling better." Ignatius answered. "You know, it's not too late to just have a good time today."
"You sure?" Forrest looked at him with drooping eyes. "It's fine if you want to head home. We can do this another day."
"No, I'm fine. I want to be around you two, and I'm feeling better." Ignatius lowered his shirt and stood back up. "See? I'm fine."
Rhajat looked him up and down. "Alright, but if I find out you're lying, I won't be happy."
Ignatius smiled. "I know. Thank you."
Ignatius took the hands of both of his partners, and the three walked away. He figured they'd spent enough time at the park, so he thought getting something for his partners to eat would be nice. Especially as thanks for all they've done. He knew he was dating a prince, but he still wanted to cover the cost. They could probably get it for free if anything, but he didn't want to just use Forrest's position to do whatever. He was a person, and he wanted to treat him as such. Rhajat wouldn't complain about free food either.
The three of them could just enjoy the food and each other. Sometimes it was the simple things that meant the most to people, and they were no exception. Ignatius felt blessed to know people like them. People who had his back, just as he had theirs. As long as they had each other, Ignatius had nothing to fear.