Work Text:
An enraged bull, blood in a lavish dining room, a falling cave, and allies disappearing from view. Lids flung open and the only sound to be heard was rapid, shallow breaths. The Warrior of Light sat perfectly upright in bed, drenched in a cold sweat. The events that occurred mere bells before played freshly in their head as they slept- as if they needed to be reminded.
The Warrior flopped back onto the pillow once more, eyes wide to the stone ceiling above them. It was amazing they slept at all since the events that just took place didn’t quite sink in until it was all said and done. This was reality; the remaining Scions could never go back to Ul’dah- and possibly even the other city-states- their long-time comrades disappeared before their eyes with only Alphinaud and Tataru remaining, and the good name that they spent so long and worked so hard to earn was shattered in an instant. Nausea filled their stomach and the mere thought brought a knot to their throat. These were such hollow feelings- fear, betrayal, and most of all, loneliness.
Loneliness…
Suddenly, they found their body moving on its own. The Warrior of Light rolled out of bed, making their way out of the room. What drove them to do this, they weren’t entirely sure, but the destination seemed to be clear. Once they stopped at a room, they were suddenly uncertain. Would he get mad? Or think less of them now that weakness is being shown? A fist clenched tightly as negative thoughts filled their head, the same fist finally collided swiftly with the wooden door. There was no answer. Either he wasn’t there, or he was sound asleep.
The Warrior of Light gulped, then parted the door slowly. Even in the dark, they immediately noticed a glimmer of sliver atop the man’s head. They quietly lurked into the room, closing the door behind them, tip-toeing the length of the room over to the man’s bed. The Warrior leveled themselves to the bed, reaching over to gingerly shake the Elezen’s shoulder. “Haurchefant…?”
A slight jerk was felt, evident that he was indeed in a deep slumber. Haurchefant rolled over to meet the intruder’s gaze, looking sleepy at first, but his eyes grew alert when he saw who waited. “Oh!” He sat up, suddenly seeming to be full of energy. “Does something trouble you, my friend?”
Though they opened their mouth to answer, no words came out. A shyness had suddenly struck the Warrior, and they were left casting their gaze away, fidgeting at the sheets.
“…I see.” Haurchefant’s expression softened from alert to understanding. He shifted over to one side of his bed and peeled the sheets back on the empty half. No words were said; just a pat on the bare mattress.
After a moment of contemplation, the Warrior of Light gingerly took up the silent invitation, crawling under the sheets and pulling the satin up to their nose. Haurchefant slid back down to a laying position as well, propping himself up on an elbow. Though the Warrior laid facing in his direction, they found themselves avoiding eye contact at all cost. Even without looking, they could still feel Haurchefant scanning every ilm of them.
“You may speak freely whenever you wish, my friend. I’ll gladly listen to whatever ails you.” The Warrior of Light silently curled their body slightly in response. “…but of course, if you’d rather not, I understand perfectly.” Haurchefant laid his head back onto the pillow. After another moment of silence, Haurchefant spoke up again. “’Tis little wonder you’d come to me tonight. One doesn’t come out of such drastic events without scars- be they physically or emotionally. There’s no shame in seeking succor from a friend.” The Warrior of Light looked to their companion at last and the sight of the Elezen’s smile made their heart flutter. Red flared their cheeks and they found themselves rolling over under the sheets, back now facing him. A faint chuckle could be heard behind them. “…Though I see this is not something you’re accustomed to.”
At least he knew. Maybe talking would help things a bit- after all, Haurchefant seemed to have a knack for knowing exactly what to say. It took a moment of thought and word-searching, but the Warrior of Light expressed their worries. Not a word was heard from the other as the Warrior explained their feelings of helplessness, of feeling betrayed by the very people they saved numerous times, of feeling alone after their sudden decline in allies, and of course, of letting down the people who believed in them.
Again, Haurchefant propped himself up on an elbow. “All of your feelings are perfectly justified, my friend, and it does bring me great sadness to hear of the pain it brings you.” The Warrior of Light twitched a little at the sudden feeling of fingertips brushing through their hair. “However, there are some points I’d like to speak of in full, if I may. Firstly, you needn’t feel alone during these times. The Scions still stand- through you, through Alphinaud and Tataru, and other scattered supporters here in Eorzea. Mayhap there are those blind to the truth now and no longer support you, but you’ll win their hearts back once your good name is clear again. What’s more, you’ll soon make more allies in my home of Ishgard- I am certain of it!” The Warrior’s previous anxieties finally began to calm- maybe it was because of Haurchefant’s words, or maybe it was the soothing feeling of his petting.
The hand that stroked their hair now grasped the Warrior of Light’s shoulder as they were pulled closer to the Elezen. They could feel his forehead press gently to the back of their head. “As for letting the people down, I can assure you now, my friend, that there is one you could never let down- and he’s right here, lying beside you.” The Warrior of Light could feel their heart skip in their chest at that. “After all you’ve done for me, for Francel, for Coerthas and Ishgard… I daresay you could never let me down. Mayhap you are experiencing a ‘moment of weakness’ now, but it happens to everyone. It’s moments like this that make you Spoken. I’m confident you will soon be back on your feet doing what you do best. I believe in you!”
Gods what did they do to deserve such a friend? A sigh of relief escaped the Warrior of Light, and for the first time all night they found themselves in a relaxed state. “Thank you, Haurchefant.” They curled themselves closer to his body, prompting the Elezen to lay his head back down, holding the Warrior of Light in his arms. They were now surrounded by long arms and the warmth of his body. It didn’t take long this time for the Warrior to begin to drift into the relaxing sleep they sought all night.
“But of course, my dear friend. Should you ever find yourself in doubt, pray remember that your sanctuary lies not only behind these walls, but through me as well. You can come to me for anything.” The Warrior of Light nodded, now too tired to form a verbal reply. Haurchefant snuggled close to them, a calm smile ever-present on his features. “Sleep well… may Halone guide you to pleasant dreams.”