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Sportacus is proud of the friendship he has managed to build with Robbie. The man had been so against his coming to town in the beginning. So very angry and fierce, trying to throw him out. It had, embarrassingly, taken a month to realize that the man was a fae and that the reason the children’s names had tasted funny on his tongue was that Robbie had already taken them. And that Robbie wanted nothing more than to keep the kids safe. Just in his own particular way, since Robbie seemed to have barely enough energy to watch the kids, much less follow them around while they ran about playing.
Sportacus is very much up to the challenge. They had talked. A few times. They still don't see eye to eye on everything, but they work together now. The villain had shifted from schemes to kick him out of town to entertaining the kids or capturing Sportacus, with no real malice. It was fun.
This pride in their friendship is why he is a little sad he had not been invited past Robbie’s lair’s wards. They lay so thickly on the metal, screaming for everyone to stay away, and not even letting his crystal pick up on if the man is in need of help. Which is a little distressing to think the towns fae might be in trouble and Sportacus would not even know.
He chews on his lip and starts doing push-ups. He does not want to worry the kids by looking upset. He jumps up and freezes.
The sky had not looked so stormy earlier. And now it looks like it threatens to be a true waterfall of water crashing out of the sky. He gets up and ushers the kids inside, not wanting any of them to catch a cold. Oddly enough, this had not been the first time that a freak storm had come on with no warning from the sky or weather systems.
Sportacus makes sure everyone is safely inside and the kids begin to play a board game that he does not have the patience to learn, so he does pushups nearby.
Then…
His crystal makes a half beep. Like it is unsure.
Robbie.
Robbie is in trouble. Sportacus bolts.
--
Robbie hisses, pulling his body up and off of his orange chair. His entire back complains. His wings demand to be out. Despite healing and scarring over after that fight with an imp pretending to be a numbered hero, where they had been ripped to near shreds, there were still bad days. He lets his wings out, lying on his belly and squeezing his eyes shut against the pain. He forces himself to focus and pushes his power into his emergency rune, which he kept stocked up on magic for this purpose.
That he made before Sportacus came to town.
For when he was too weak to watch his town, so he made sure no one could be outside. A large rainstorm will fall upon the town and make sure to keep everyone indoors. In the winter, it would cause a minor blizzard. It kept people inside and dissuaded most people from coming into town.
He rests his forehead against the cold floor. His leathery wings twitch and he groans, trying to scrape together either enough energy to get up and move or get enough magic to make the pain dull a little. But he finds just enough energy to shift over to get a pillow off of his chair and to spread his wings into a less painful position. Not that any position really made the pain dull. He groans.
Robbie then hears a knock.
Who!!! WHO!!! Who would dare come out in this weather to his nest? He hisses long and low, baring his fangs.
“Robbie? Robbie its Sportacus. My crystal went off… and stopped. But I wanted to check. Can I come down?”
Robbie’s hisses soften. He had sort of started seeing Sportacus as a friend. Someone that could be trusted around the town and the children. He is very sure the man is no imp. Very sure the man is not making the kids healthy to later try and eat them. He swallows. Tightly.
The wards are not warning him. Infact they seem to be trying to convince him to let the sports elf in. Robbie buries his face into the pillow and then groans. Is he really going to let the floppity hero down here?
…
The elf had come all the way out to his lair in what is surely torrential rain and wind to check on him over a beep that had already stopped.
…
The man had saved Robbie several times and had never proven himself a threat. He lifts his head.
“Come down Sportaworry. If you want.”
He hears his pipes clang as Sportacus comes down and bounces out. Robbie peeks out at the elf, wanting to gauge the reaction to him being at his weakest state. The fae would throw something together to fight off the hero if this trust turned out to be the wrong choice.
Sportacus freezes, eyes wide
--
Sportacus had seen fae wings before. One doesnt be a numbered hero and not have to deal with fancy political meetings between the different races of hidden folk to try and keep peace.
But he had never seen Robbie’s wings.
Robbie’s wings are huge. Four beautiful leathery wings that look to have butterfly-like patterns. The top pair is shorter than the long sweeping bottom pair.
And they…
They look mangled.
Healed, yes. But something had mangled them in the past, leaving branching scars that look like a map of rivers and tributaries. They twitch a bit and Robbie groans in pain.
“Are… are you okay? What can I do?”
“I have pain meds in my bathroom. That way. Where you can also get some towels. You are drenched, Sportawet.”
Robbie says with a vague point.
“Lying on the floor cannot be good for you. Where is your bed?”
Robbie hisses, eyes flashing purple for a moment.
“Im not letting you near the heart of my nest, even if I trust you to be in here.”
Reasonable. Sportacus nods and walks.
“Im going to get the painmeds and towels… and then gather any loose blankets and pillows you have. Is it your wings that hurt?”
“...yeah.”
Robbie mumbles out, face pressing down into the pillow that lies there. Sportacus nods. He quickly moves about. He finds the bathroom and everything in it easily. He is quick to dry off and makes a mental noted to take care of any puddles he had made moving about.
He gets a glass of water from the kitchen that Robbie had pointed out and quickly gives it to Robbie along with the pills. He gets the fae to point out where he can find pillows and blankets. Sportacus does his best to make Robbie comfortable and then rocks on his feet.
He should do more. Robbie still looks to be in pain.
“Ill be right back. I need some things from my airship.”
--
Robbie doesn't really expect Sportacus back. Even after he said he would return, Robbie was not confident that the hero would really bother coming back.
However, Sportacus returns.
The man lands in the lair and trots over to him.
“I got some cream that should help with the pain. And a few heating pads. If Im allowed to touch. May I touch?”
The elf asks gently, kneeling beside Robbie. Robbie blinks at the question. The request for permission. His wings shift a bit as he thinks and he hisses.
“Yeah. Sure. Anything you think will help. I… trust you.”
He mumbles the last part, and it really isn't fair how excited it makes the stupid hero.
“Thank you for trusting me! Tell me to stop if you need me to.”
“Just- look. They aren't the most delicate things in the world. But don't rip them.”
Sportacus freezes, stilling unnaturally. Robbie swallows.
“Never, Robbie. I know fae wings are important. I would never rip them or take them.”
Sport says with a voice thick with reassurance. Robbie nods. Sportacus starts rubbing something that is slightly cold onto his wings. He shivers and Sportacus promises it will warm soon.
The stretching silence begins to bother Robbie. Pain keeps him from thinking he can keep a conversation going… but maybe Sportacus would understand.
“Talk. … please?
Sportacus launches into a story. It must be some sort of bedtime story for tiny elves. Robbie finds himself lulled into sleep. He yawns to himself and settles into a light snooze. He hums lazily as the pain fades into manageable background noise in his brain.
Hours later, he stirs, hearing snoring. Robbie blinks as he shifts in the not-quite-bed, not-quite-nest mound on the floor. Oh. Sportacus is asleep next to him.
Robbie looks to the clock and sees that it is past 8:08. Sportacus is rather dedicated to his bedtime.
Yet he chose to stay with Robbie when Robbie was hurting.
And had not hurt Robbie worse.
Robbie hums softly and throws a blanket over the ridiculous elf. Who Robbie could trust. Robbie falls back asleep easily, feeling safe and relaxed. Everything is okay.