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Torch felt his feet collide with something, his backpack, he realised, on the ground. He stumbled forward, catching himself on the small writing desk in the corner of the tent. He would have noticed it if his head hadn’t been floating around with the clouds.
The last breach of the city walls had been difficult, harder than ever before. They’d planned for weeks, countless sleepless nights, before finally launching into action. He’d used his guiding ability to lead Clancy to them, and practically carried him home across the landscapes of Trench. It had taken everything out of him.
“You okay over there?” Clancy called from the corner of the tent, sitting on his cot and looking over at Torch near the entrance.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He pushed himself off the desk, trying to get to Clancy, as the adrenaline wore off and the complete exhaustion set in. “‘m fine.”
His vision darkened at the corners, and his legs grew weak, stumbling again. He heard a muffled yell as the world tilted sideways, and his vision went dark.
||-//
Something was off with Torch. Sure, something was off with Clancy, too; he’d hardly been able to walk after they’d gotten out of Dema, the sedatives he’d been given were too powerful. Torch, beautiful Torch, had carried him almost the entire way back to Trench.
But even half-asleep, Clancy had noticed that Torch wasn’t himself. The circles under his eyes were darker than Clancy had ever seen them, and he’d seemed half-asleep himself. They entered the tent side-by-side, Clancy’s strength starting to return to him. Torch tripped on his own backpack, stumbling heavily into the writing desk. It wasn’t like him to be so clumsy.
“You okay over there?” He called, watching Torch trying to regain his composure, looking weaker by the second.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He sounded about a few seconds away from passing out. Clancy stood up from the bed, just as Torch pushed himself off the desk, trying to stand by himself.
“‘m fine.” He practically slurred.
Clancy ran toward him, crying out his name, and watched Torch collapse to the ground, crumpling like a puppet with its strings cut. Clancy jumped forward, intercepting Torch before he could hit the ground, but was still too weak to hold him up. The two of them crashed to the ground, Clancy pulling his best friend close, breaking his fall. He cradled Torch’s head in his lap, studying how pale he was.
“Torchie, wake up.” Clancy shook him gently.
Torch stirred slightly, groaning and curling into Clancy. He chuckled, a wave of fondness shooting through him. He ran his fingers through Torch’s curls, watching each one bounce back into place, framing his pale face.
“You’re beautiful, Torchlight. You must be so tired. You can rest.”
||-//
When Torch woke up, he was lying on the ground, staring up at the tent roof. As he looked around, he realised he was lying in Clancy’s lap, the other man stroking his hair idly.
“Hey. Hey, you’re awake?” A blurry face swam into view about him. Torch blinked up at him, just making out the concern on Clancy’s face.
“Yeah. ‘m fine.” He mumbled, feeling himself drifting again. It was so nice to lie down.
“No, you are not. Hey, come on, don’t go back to sleep, at least get to bed. You gotta help me out, I can’t carry you.”
Torch groaned as Clancy eased him into a seated position, his head spinning at the movement. He felt Clancy’s arms around him, levering him to his feet. Torch tried his best to help, but his legs couldn’t hold him up. He stumbled into Clancy, almost knocking them both to the ground.
“Bed, Torch, you can do it.” Clancy guided him forward, slow, careful steps.
By the time they’d crossed the small distance, Torch was barely conscious. Clancy lowered him to the bed, saying something under his breath. Torch couldn’t make out the words. He drifted off again the moment his head hit the pillow.
||-//
“Torch?” He stirred, blinking his weary eyes open. Torch looked around, trying to find who was calling his name. He heard a soft chuckle and felt soft hands turn his head to the side. Clancy’s face swam into view, doe eyes staring down at him.
“Hey. There you are. You scared me.”
“Sorry.” He mumbled. Clancy did look worried, and he hated the thought of it being his fault, just because he couldn’t hold it together until night.
“It’s okay, Torch. I care, that’s all. You don’t have to hide this stuff from me. I don’t want you to.” His tone was soft, not angry. Torch sighed.
“Alright. Sorry, ‘Lance. ‘M tired.”He heard another chuckle.
“Yeah, I kinda guessed that when you passed out. Twice.” Those soft hands were stroking his hair again, lulling him back to sleep.
“How long?” He managed through a stifled yawn.
“Couple hours. The others told me about your guiding ability, how much it drains you. I didn’t know, you should’ve told me how tired you were.”
“Didn’t wanna worry you.” Clancy’s ink-stained hands moved from his hair to his face, cupping his cheeks softly.
“Well, that didn’t exactly work out, did it? What with the passing out. Twice.”
Torch chuckled, leaning into the touch.
“Go back to sleep, Torchlight. You need it. I’m safe now, time for you to rest.”
Torch didn’t need to be told twice. He drifted back into sleep, safe and warm.