Chapter Text
“I’m sorry, and you are? We’re only allowing family in to see patients at this time, you’ll have to come back later—”
Cyno pushed back his cloak hood and nonchalantly tapped the head of his spear against the ground. “I think you’ll let me pass anyway.”
The healer's apprentice paled, clearly recognizing him in an instant once she saw his face. The news that he’d stepped down hadn’t reached far or wide yet, so she probably still thought he had his title. “Oh—oh. I don’t mean to impede whatever business you have here, General, but I’m just following orders. No one is to be allowed in except working medics and family of patients—”
While he admired a solid work ethic and commitment to a script, now was not the time to test it on him of all people. He pushed past the apprentice, ignoring her and effectively cutting off their argument. She couldn't hold him back from getting in and, deep down, she probably knew it from the way she didn't push back any further.
He was greeted with a sight that made his already anxious heart plummet.
"Tighnari," he gasped, dropping his spear against the wall and immediately crossing to his friend. Tighnari was lying on his side with his back to Cyno. There was a nauseating map of burns across the skin everywhere Cyno looked, spreading from his left shoulder and wrapping around the side, back, and arm. There was a chair next to the bed that was probably intended for the head healer tending to Tighnari, but she was currently occupied somewhere else. The thought barely occurred to him that she'd need it when she came back. He took it instead.
Tighnari's ears were perked up, and they followed him until he was in sight. He'd probably heard Cyno from outside. Tighnari's eyes were on him as instantly as they could be.
"Cyno," he said, blinking as if needing to process seeing him there and instinctively reaching out. But he winced as soon as he did, the tight, burned skin of his left arm pulling against itself.
"Hey, Nari, careful. Try not to move too much, yeah?"
Tighnari's eyes were wide around the edges as he nodded, reaching out with the hand tucked at his side instead. Cyno immediately grasped it with both of his own.
"I'm so sorry, I got here as soon as I heard," he apologized. "I should have been there with you, I should have never left, Alhaitham could’ve handled things on his own and it was stupid of me to put you in harm’s way like that---"
Tighnari cut him off. "Stop, Cyno, don't beat yourself up. You're here now."
It didn't stop the dark spiral in his head, but he just nodded, trying to accept the response. "Where exactly are you hurt? What happened to you? All they told me is that you were badly injured in an attack."
Tighnari's expression was strangely neutral looking down at his injury. "Lightning strike to the shoulder. I honestly don't know how I'm still alive, but Dehya said that she’s seen this happen before to Eremite soldiers."
Cyno's mouth dried and his inner panic grew more frenzied. His own nervous system was trained to handle a large amount of lightning at once, but that had taken him decades of holding an Electro vision. Tighnari didn't have that tolerance.
It might have been able to kill him.
He could have lost Tighnari.
"Holy shit," he cursed under his breath. His eyes took in the injury slowly, as if his brain didn't want to process and accept what he was seeing. There were blisters forming all over the burn wounds, stretching from one especially bad on the top of his shoulder. "Holy shit..."
He laced his trembling fingers with Tighnari's. "How are you feeling?"
His friend’s gaze bore back at him. "I think..." It was a moment before he finished. "I think I'm in shock."
"That's perfectly understandable after something like that," Cyno reassured. His delirious mind started forming a half-baked joke about being in shock, but he quickly abandoned the train of thought. That was not the priority here, nor the time and place. "You're going to be okay, yeah? I'm here now. I'm sorry it took me so long to come."
"We did our best, though. We didn’t go out without a fight. I was with Deyha the whole time." His friend was rambling on now. "There were Fatui everywhere, but that wasn’t even what got us. The lightning bolts just…showed up. Out of nowhere. Dehya’s apparently been trained for things like that, but we don’t get lightning storms that often out here in the forest. I was caught off guard."
"You’re strong, and you did well. You can’t predict an unknown.”
“Dehya took me back here to Gandharva Ville as soon as she could. She was worried, but I was so disoriented that I didn’t even know what had happened or what all the fuss was about. It didn’t even hurt at first.” Cyno suspected this explanation of his was to help his own processing of events. Like he still was trying to gather his bearings.
“I think I was a pain in the ass to her. She was only trying to help, I see that now, but in the moment I was convinced I was fine.”
“I’ll have to thank Dehya when I see her again, then. You’re often like that when you’re the one who’s hurt.”
“Dehya said it wasn’t fatal, and I think she’s right. My symptoms don’t seem all that bad compared to what they could be. I’m kind of unsure what all the symptoms are for an injury like this. Obviously there are burns, and I’m guessing I’ll have a hard time sleeping due to the overload of electricity in my nervous system. I’ve also been having muscle spasms. Really annoying.”
Despite the seemingly calm, scientific manner with which Tighnari spoke, the way he gripped Cyno’s hand was the complete opposite of how he appeared. It gave away how he was really feeling.
Tighnari was terrified.
Footsteps sounded from behind him, and he didn’t even fully register them until a serene voice spoke up. “Ah, General. Good of you to visit us, although I’ll have to ask you to relinquish your seat for a moment. It was intended for me, I’m afraid.”
Cyno finally glanced up, seeing the healer stopping next to them with her hands clasped in front of her lap. She seemed about fifteen or so years older than himself. Her eyes were kind, and he knew instantly that she was not angry with him for messing with her apprentice.
“Oh—right. Of course,” he said hastily, letting go of Tighnari’s hand and getting up from the stool so she could take his place. She sat gracefully, accompanied by a nod of thanks. His gaze was glued to Tighnari, however. Watching how rigid he was even while laying down. Watching the rapid eye movement of his dilated pupils. He wished he could do anything, anything to help, but he was no healer. He would have to leave that in the hands of someone more capable.
The fact drilled into him sourly, although he tried to keep it from his expression and posture. He really was grateful that at least someone who knew what they were doing was watching over his friend. That in and of itself was better than nothing.
He leaned against the wall next to the head of the bed, anxiously hovering and unsure of what to do, but clearly not willing to leave. The healer, to her credit, talked to them both as she worked, covertly engaging them in placid conversation that would help calm them both down. He guessed it was majorly to take Tighnari’s mind off what happened. Cyno noted the strategy in his head, remembering Tighnari having done a similar thing for him in the past whenever he got particularly injured himself.
Dendro emanated from the healer’s palms as she stretched them over Tighnari. Surprisingly, the green glow was reflected under his skin wherever she hovered them, an invisible pathway connecting the two. His friend scrunched his eyes closed, and Cyno wondered if it hurt at all. It seemed they’d been through a few rounds of this kind of healing already, judging by the lack of instruction from the healer and the lack of surprise from Tighnari. As the energy from the healer's hand inched closer to Cyno as it went up the shoulder wound, he could feel warmth radiating from it as well. It was as soothing and calm as her voice was.
She made several methodical passes over the injury, asking Tighnari occasional questions, but of course there was nothing prying. Just simple ones to take his mind away from matters at hand. Cyno just closed his eyes and listened to the tenor of Tighnari’s voice as he answered. Grounded himself in the present. It seemed that they both needed it.
Just when she seemed to be wrapping up, however, she did a miniscule double take, looking confused for the first time that night. Tighnari didn’t see it, but Cyno did.
“What is it?” he asked immediately.
Tighnari looked up at him, then back at the healer. All the while, she just tapped her fingers against her knee, thinking.
“Let me get a better angle of your shoulder, hmm?” She motioned as she stood, and Tighnari complied, leaning forward a little. Examining everything very thoroughly, with Cyno watching to see what her reaction would be.
“Hmm. I’ll admit, I’ve…never seen this before.”
Fear spiked through Cyno’s chest again. That was never a good thing to hear.
Tighnari just asked warily, “What’s wrong?”
“The lightning seems to have sewn itself into your shoulder. Don’t twist your neck terribly, but you might be able to see it coming down your arm. It extends from your shoulder in…it looks to be about a two and a half hands radius.”
Tighnari and Cyno immediately searched to see what she was talking about—and there, very faint, yet evidently getting more visible since it hadn’t been there before, was a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt. A hundred of them, really, all branching out from each other, stemming from a singular point from Tighnari’s shoulder. The place where he’d been struck.
“Uh…” Tighnari was evidently at a loss for words. “That is…not good.”
Cyno was not in the mood to censor his language. “Yeah, no shit.”
The healer placated them. “It may be harmless, a mere scar. If your friend with the knowledge of lightning wounds were still here, maybe she would be able to tell us more, but for now, I will simply observe it. No need to jump to hasty conclusions.”
“Right, right.” His companion breathed through his nose, nodding several times to himself. He was trying so hard to think rationally, Cyno could tell. But the adrenaline-addled brain wouldn’t let him.
The healer straightened, looking to Cyno. “I trust that you will let me know if there are any developments, since you’re already here.”
The phrasing reminded him of his rather rude entrance. He hadn’t been thinking straight and had barged right in. “You got it.” He nodded his thanks to the healer, and she returned his gesture as she left to attend to other patients in the tent.
Cyno sat back down next to Tighnari on the stool again, resting his elbows on his knees and studying him carefully. Tighnari was chewing at his lip as he looked around the ceiling, the rest of the tent, at Cyno, down at himself, the wall, anything he could lay his eyes on. They were restless. Cyno recognized it as another indicator of the adrenaline, as he often saw the same in new squad members during high-stress situations.
He did not like seeing that reflected in Tighnari instead of them.
The other man had gone quiet, and Cyno let him be. Didn’t force him to talk. It seemed he’d gotten the rambles out of his system and was caught up to the present. However, he did stretch out his hand again towards Cyno after a while. Cyno gladly took it and laced their fingers together.
Their shared grip was inched inward until it was held in both of Tighnari’s hands and tucked under his chin, like it was the last thing he had keeping him grounded.
Cyno scooted closer so he could accommodate it, heart fluttering in his chest. Despite everything, he thought he fell in love all over again seeing Tighnari clutching his hands in both of his own like that.
He had claimed Cyno’s heart so fully and didn’t even know it.
After a long while, Cyno periodically checking on the developing lightning scar, Tighnari let out a long, drawn-out breath. Then, unexpectedly, tears began to gather in his eyes.
Cyno’s brow furrowed. “Tighnari?”
Emotion finally began to leak through his stone wall excuse of an expression. “It was…kind of scary,” came the whisper. “And it hurts.”
He felt his heart shatter.
And so Cyno comforted Tighnari as he cried, sobs finally breaking through the rigid shock. The gravity of everything seemed to hit him all at once, a delayed reaction now that his stress was draining. Cyno knew he was one to bottle up his feelings and hide them, not wanting to be a burden on others, but that was bullshit around Cyno. He just held Tighnari’s hand and stroked his hair through it all, whispering nothings with their foreheads together. Maybe that wasn't what friends would do, but it's what they would do for each other. And anyway, Cyno cared too much not to. Not when he'd almost lost him. Nothing else mattered but Tighnari.
"Shhhh, I'm here, Nari, I've got you. Just focus on me. Listen to my voice. Nothing can hurt you now, you're safe."
Tighnari clung to his hand, crying harder yet. Cyno threw all propriety to the wind, his love for this man too overpowering. He didn't care that they were in public. He didn't care that maybe it was maybe a little too tender. He gently used his thumb to dry the streaks Tighnari’s tears made across his nose. He continued muttering things that he hoped were comforting in the slightest. He’d always been weak with words, but he tried for Tighnari’s sake, while his own heart ached at seeing him so distraught.
"You're so strong, and I'm sorry it hurts. We'll get through it, ‘kay?"
He felt the hand that was still clasped in his friend's squeezed tighter at the words. Cyno brushed the hair out of Tighnari’s eyes, unconsciously acting like he was made of porcelain. He might as well have been, with how precious he was to Cyno. Fingers brushed along his own jaw, keeping him close. Despite his distress, he felt butterflies in his stomach.
Tighnari sniffed, wiping his nose on the back of his hand. "Ew," he laughed self-deprecatingly through another sob. "Ahh, I'm such a messy crier."
"No big deal, that's fine." Cyno continued wiping the tears away. "You’re okay." Tighnari sniffed again, and then Cyno was close once more. "Breathe, Nari." He pushed their foreheads together. "Breathe. I'm here. I'm here."
Tighnari's cries softened until they were reduced to sniffs and the occasional hiccup. Cyno's attention was solely focused on being with his friend and helping him breathe easier again. He seemed like he was just overwhelmed and scared with everything that had happened in the past hour. Cyno knew exactly how he felt.
Eventually, Tighnari rubbed his eyes, blinking hard to clear his vision. Their hands were still clasped together. When his voice was more stable, he mumbled, "I was going to ask if you could hug me, but that would hurt too bad." He sounded disappointed.
Cyno ached all over with affection at the words. Smiling slightly, he answered, "As soon as I can, I will. I promise."
"Okay." He released a deep sigh at the reassurance and focused on slowing his exhales. "Gods, I'm so overwhelmed. The wound doesn't even hurt that bad, I think my shock just broke."
Cyno nodded knowingly. "Yeah, I get it." He gave a tight laugh. "It's been quite the twenty-four hours. Especially the last few."
“I’m sorry you have to see me like this.”
“Never apologize for that with me.”
Tighnari must not have had the strength to keep tearing himself down, because he simply nodded as he let go of Cyno’s hands and wiped at his eyes. When the healer eventually came back, he was more stable after having a good cry. His words were more like himself, and there wasn’t that glassy look to his eyes anymore.
A glance through the slits in the tent doors told him it was getting late. How late, he didn’t know, but the healer told him he would have to leave overnight. He understood—he wasn’t a patient. They needed their space. But it was still hard to tear himself away from Tighnari’s side.
“Stay at my cottage,” Tighnari offered. “And…let Collei know I’m okay while you’re at it.”
“I will.” It was a promise. “Just focus on getting better, I’ll handle the rest.”
He knew it was strange for Tighnari to be the one in the patient’s bed this time instead of being the medic, but Cyno was stubborn about having him listen to his healer and do as she asked. He left him in her hands reluctantly. While he knew she would take good care of Tighnari, it still felt wrong to leave him all the same.
Collei’s hut wasn’t too far off the path from Tighnari’s cottage, and he knocked on the wooden frame of the door. It didn’t matter how late it was—he knew she’d be up. And to prove his suspicions right away, it was immediately ripped opened by a frazzled young forest ranger. Her hair was tussled and eyes pulled wide. Immediately when she recognized him, she exclaimed, “Master Cyno! Oh, thank goodness you came. I don’t know if you heard the news, but Master Tighnari was hurt in an accident and they wouldn’t let me in to see him and I’ve been scared he’s in there dead and they just won’t tell me because they don’t want me to know, or his arm might have been blown off by that lightning strike—”
It was a floodgate of frantic words bursting without warning. Cyno shook his head, holding his hands out in front of him placatingly. “Collei, Collei.” He said her name until she eventually stopped her rapid spiral. “He’s okay. I saw him with my own eyes, he’s not dead. His arm’s not blown off either. He’s hurt, but he is getting better. I was there for a few hours, came as soon as I heard.”
Collei blinked, tears threatening to fall. Her arms were clutched against her chest unconsciously, desperate for anything that made her feel safe again. Cyno itched to hug her, since that always calmed him down, but he knew Collei probably wouldn’t appreciate that. She only let Tighnari hug her, and very rarely at that. But Cyno knew the reason why, so he respected the preference.
“So…he’s okay,” she repeated. “How...how did they let you in?”
He gave her a playful smile, hands on his hips. “I have my ways. People think I’m scary, so I use that to my advantage. Very useful.”
It helped relax her tense muscles some. “That’s true, I guess. You’re right. You’re right.” He could tell her thoughts were still whirling, trying to process that Tighnari was okay after she’d convinced herself of the possibility that he was dead.
“Look, I can tell you’re stressed out of your mind,” Cyno said sympathetically. She gave a laugh that wavered with tears and nodded, still frozen in place with fists clenched. “Tighnari said I can sleep at his place while I’m here. Do you want to come with me? Try to relax? I can read you something if you want.”
Cyno knew she heard what he meant—I know you like to hang around Tighnari whenever you’re anxious. Even though he’s not here, you still don’t have to be alone. She smiled through some of the tears dropping down her face. Hastily brushing them away, she nodded. “Reading a book sounds nice. I always like the one Master Tighnari has on the history of the Mawtiyima Forest ecosystem. It has some really cool folklore documented about Padisarahs.”
“Yeah? Which story is your favorite?” He motioned with his head and aimed to walk up to Tighnari’s cottage, and Collei followed. She began to tell him about the story as they walked. From the way she told it, she obviously had it memorized, but it seemed like it entertained her more to tell it than for him to listen. He just wanted her to distract herself. He noticed that she and Tighnari tended to gush about the things they were interested in in similar ways, which was endearing.
When they went through the doors of the small, empty house, she told him the title of the volume, and they scoured the bookshelves together. Collei mused that Tighnari must have put it in a different spot than usual, but after a little more searching she eventually held it up, a small smile finally emerging onto her face.
They sat on the floor, Cyno in his cloak and Collei in a blanket they’d sneaked from Tighnari’s room, and he read to her aloud from the book. She listened intently, seeming to know what came next before he even said it, and he vaguely wondered how many times she’d read this particular one before. But it didn’t seem to matter to her, as she was thoroughly engrossed anyway. She cried a few times, aftershocks of her stress spilling over. And as much as Cyno felt ill-equipped to deal with the tears, he tried his best to be a solid presence for her. It seemed to work well enough from what he could tell. As soon as her energy wasn’t being used past its limit to stress her out, her exhaustion caught up with her. It didn’t take long before she was sleeping soundly. Cyno stayed up a while further, restless, but eventually sleep took him too.
They both needed the reassurance and rest after such a long day.
The morning came, and Collei begrudgingly went to work. She made Cyno pinky-promise to tell her every new update when she got back. Cyno grinned and promised he would. They went their separate paths, Cyno of course on his way to go bother that poor apprentice again. When he got there, however, there was no one standing outside, so he poked his head in through the entrance instead.
“Knock knock? I’m back.”
This time it was the healer who saw him first. She was busy wrapping someone’s leg in bandages. “Ah, General. Do come in, as I presume I can’t stop you anyway.”
“Cyno!” That was Tighnari. He grinned at him, heart fluttering at the smile on his friend’s face.
“Thank you, healer. I won’t disturb anything, I promise.” Heading straight to Tighnari, he nudged him with an affectionate, “Hey.” They grasped each other’s forearms in a greeting, as a side hug wouldn’t do. “How are you doing?”
“Okay,” Tighnari affirmed, nodding in the healer's direction. “Certainly better than last night. She’s good. I’ve been learning a lot from her, actually. Asking my millions of questions has been passing the time quite nicely.”
Always the student. Cyno shook his head, laughing. “Glad I’m not the only one annoying her then.”
The healer approached then, interrupting their hushed dialogue. “You might not have to wait much longer to see him discharged, General. He’s mending like a charm. I often find that the case with those in possession of Dendro visions—they're naturally more receptive to its power after holding it within themselves for a certain amount of time.”
Tighnari seemed like he was thinking more about her observation on her vision holding patients than the fact that he could be going home soon. Cyno, on the other hand, was delighted. His eyebrows shot up. “That’s good news.”
“Indeed.” She was talking to Tighnari now. “In my estimate, you should be ready by tomorrow to go home. Unless your partner is staying in town for a while, in which case you may be released tonight if he’s there with you. You need supervision at least until then. It would be ideal if someone could help you apply the medicines I’ll send with you as well.”
Cyno felt a blush coming up his neck at the word. Partner. It did look that way, didn’t it? Strangely enough, Tighnari did not correct her. His tail was curled in a way that Cyno could tell he was a little flustered too, but he just looked up at Cyno from where he sat on the bed. “How long will you be staying?”
“Until you’re better. I have business in the city I need to check up on some time, but it can wait. It’s not as urgent.”
She nodded. “Then it’s settled. I will put him in charge of applying your medicine tonight and making sure you don’t reopen anything. You shouldn’t need it after that, I perfected this particular brew to be very thorough and nourishing. With your connection to the Dendro, you should be fine in no time.”
“Roger that.” Cyno gladly accepted the responsibility. That was what he was here for anyway. He just wanted to see Tighnari get better. He just wanted to be there for him. He would do anything.
Tighnari was antsy to be out of the confines of his bed. He was sitting upright for most of the day, full of energy physically, but it still seemed like he was mentally recovering. It got worse as the day wore on, until he was lacking most of his usual animation. One of his limbs would spasm every few minutes, like he’d predicted yesterday, and Cyno found it fascinating. He’d never had a symptom like that when he used his Electro vision, but maybe there was another variable at play he didn’t know about.
Cyno, who by now was sitting on the edge of the bed opposite Tighnari, eventually looked close enough at his shoulder to notice something else. “Hey, your scar looks…different. Wasn’t it…” He peered closer at it, examining it longer before he spoke again. Surely he was wrong. “Wasn’t it more visible before?”
Tighnari lifted an elbow so he could see the tail end of the linear webbing. They both studied it until Tighnari furrowed his brows. “I think you’re right. I can’t see it too well, but what I can see looks lighter than it did yesterday.”
He called over to the healer. “Aashka!” That must be her name, Cyno noted. “Come see this.”
As soon as she came over, Tighnari showed her his shoulder. She gave it several passes of her examining gaze, hand to her chin.
“The mystery deepens,” she mused when she finally spoke again. “I think perhaps you’re right. How odd. I did not expect this.”
“I…thought scars were permanent.”
“As did I, but since it wasn’t caused by an external wound but rather an internal one, maybe therein lies the difference. I’m afraid I’ll have to do more research on this.”
“When you do, let me know. The one who brought me here said she has plenty of friends who’ve had this happen to them before. And I’d love to know how to treat this in my own future patients as well, so please keep me updated on what you find.”
She smiled, the light wrinkles around her mouth and eyes framing her expression warmly. “I will. Let me know if anything else changes, otherwise I’ll be back in ten minutes for the usual treatment.”
As she retreated and her footsteps got far enough away, Tighnari muttered under his breath, “Dammit.”
It caught him off guard, and Cyno snorted. “What’s that for?”
“You have all these cool scars all over you from all your battles.” Tighnari reached out to trace one cut into Cyno’s bicep. It was a large one—he hadn’t been able to use the arm for months afterwards. He had bitter memories about it, but maybe it wasn’t so bad after all if it made Tighnari touch him. Goosebumps shot out all across his body at the light touch of the finger, and he suppressed a shiver. “I wanted a cool one like that. My other ones aren’t nearly as grandiose as yours.”
Cyno raised an eyebrow at him while fighting to keep his expression neutral. Tried not to let in on how much he craved that little stretch of contact, silently begged that it would never end. “Grandiose scars equal putting yourself in more danger than it’s worth. I have so many because I’m stupid and pick fights bigger than I can handle. You have less because you’re smart and know what you’re capable of. Big difference.”
“But it speaks of bravery. A little trophy for surviving something that tried to hurt you. I think they’re cool.” His finger dropped, having reached the edge of the scar. The loss of warmth affected Cyno more than it should have.
“Hopefully, you’ll never end up hurt enough to have to get one while I’m around.” Cyno looked at Tighnari pointedly. “Let’s not get struck by lightning again if we can help it. The first time wasn’t your fault, but I swear if this happens again, you did it on purpose.”
That made Tighnari laugh despite his weariness. “I know, I know. I promise I’ll do my best to stay out of harm’s way. But you have to admit, it’s still disappointing to almost die and not even get anything out of it.”
Despite his usual propensity to joke, Cyno couldn’t bring himself to this time. “You get to live. That’s trophy enough for me.”
Tighnari looked at him seriously then, sensing the earnesty behind the statement. “I’m sorry for making you worry, Cyno.” It was spoken quietly. For a second, their fingertips brushed together, but quickly were taken back. It was too public for that kind of vulnerability, Cyno could tell just by looking at him. Yesterday had been an exception to the rule. And as much as he longed for any kind of physical contact between them, he would respect Tighnari’s wishes.
Friends didn’t typically hold hands, but they had done so in private on more than one occasion. Again, with the exception of yesterday. It was never talked about, just something that happened by chance and ended just as secretively. They were comfortable with each other anyway, why shouldn’t they hold hands too? But the air was different when they did. It was an acknowledgement that there was a blur to their actions, their words. And of course Cyno knew it was because he was head over heels in love with Tighnari, but he didn’t know if it was reciprocated or not.
He needed to know if Tighnari thought of him as more than just a friend.
But not here. Not now. He let Tighnari have space, let Aashka tend to him and the burns on his shoulder and back. They still looked tender and fresh, although most of the blistering had subsided. Cyno was tired—his sleep had been fitful last night, and he hadn’t dreamt either. His friend had bags under his eyes, so he knew it was nothing in comparison to how Tighnari must be feeling right now, but it still took its toll on his energy.
It must have been around late dinner when Tighnari was discharged from Aashka’s care. It was remarkable considering his injury, but what she’d said about Dendro vision holders must have been true. He was doing considerably better. Still not in great condition, but manageable. Cyno knew Tighnari was relieved to be free again, despite his lethargic appearance. Now that he didn’t need the Dendro treatments anymore, Aashka wrapped his shoulder in a swath of bandages.
They thanked her sincerely, and then Cyno took him home.
Collei was waiting for them inside, having finished work for the day, and was busy eating a lonely dinner at the kitchen table when she saw them enter. Her delighted squeal as she saw Tighnari at last was adorable, and Cyno smiled as she began spewing a string of sentences together, overflowing with relief. She obviously hadn’t expected him back so soon. Cyno hadn’t either, honestly. Tighnari’s own smile was huge, and Cyno knew that he’d been thinking about her while he was away. He was glad to see them together again.
They ate their dinner together, and Collei told Tighnari about the book Cyno had been reading her last night.
“Oh?” Tighnari looked at him, eyes twinkling with…something Cyno couldn’t catch. “That’s her favorite one.”
Cyno’s stomach fluttered. “Your bookshelves are a mess; it’s a miracle we found it.”
Tighnari just smiled at him as Collei continued her infodump. Cyno could do nothing but be entranced. He smiled back, but had to look away before long.
When the sun began to drop below the horizon, Tighnari sent the lingering Collei off on her way back to her own hut. He scolded her lightly, saying she needed to be studying instead of worrying about him so much. Collei looked sheepish and promised she would study tonight.
Tighnari closed the door behind her once she had gone. He shook his head fondly. “That kid.”
Cyno leaned against the table, arms braced behind him. “I’m not much of a replacement for you, but I tried my best to calm her down last night. She was really distraught.”
His friend tsked, concern pulling at his mouth. “I thought she might be. But hey, give yourself enough credit, you do just fine. She loves it when you read to her, so count that as doing more than good enough.”
Cyno just shrugged. “Like I said. I try my best.”
Tighnari heaved a burdened sigh, leaning next to him against the table. “Damn. I’m exhausted.” His ears flattened as he put his head on Cyno’s shoulder. Cyno had to remind himself not to jump out of his own skin. Mentally rejoicing, he simply adjusted his arm so that Tighnari could be more comfortable.
“I bet. Did you get much sleep last night?”
Tighnari shook his head. “Couldn’t. I was up all night from the pain.”
“Oof, I know how that feels. I’m sorry.”
“Eh, I just hope tonight’s better. But before I can do that, I need to wash up. I feel disgusting.”
“You gonna be able to do that in your current state?” Cyno was skeptical.
His friend was so unbelievably stubborn. “I should be able to. Can’t be that hard, I just have to be a little more careful than usual.”
Aashka had warned him about this particular dialogue. He was not getting away with it. “Maybe…a lot more careful than usual. Preferably.”
“Okay, fine. If you insist.”
Cyno wanted to ask. He wanted to ask so badly but was worried it might not be appreciated. This was uncharted territory, but at the same time Cyno wanted so much to take care of him. He needed to. It fulfilled something inside him to watch over Tighnari, to care for him. Too often Tighnari was the one looking after everyone else and did too little for himself. So now, when he needed support the most, who did he have to give it to him?
Tighnari pushed himself off the table, presumably to go get some fresh clothes from his room upstairs, but Cyno stopped him with a hand on his elbow.
“Nari, wait.”
He looked back, surprised. Cyno debated and debated, but the words couldn’t keep themselves out of his mouth. He looked to the washroom, then back at Tighnari.
“Would you let me help you?”