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 Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:28 am
Narcissus was coherent enough to sort of follow what was going on. Rakovanite was here. What had brought him, Narcissus wasn’t sure, but he was here, commanding the youma to get off of him. He had his weapon in his hands as if he was prepared for a fight, and… And Narcissus felt reasonably confident that Rakovanite probably didn’t intend to let Narcissus die here.
He could be worried that the agent was just here to sipe a starseed from a youma, but he didn’t think so. He didn’t think Rakovanite would kill him.
Once the youma was off of him, Narcissus’ breath came a little easier without the weight on top of him. He lifted cold, trembling fingers to the wound on his chest, and they immediately slid through what was surely too much blood. He could taste it, he could smell it. It was warm and wet on his chest, and the gash there was deep and open and oozing.
He couldn’t stand, not after the blood loss, and not on his twisted ankle, anyway. He turned dazed magenta eyes up to the agent and whispered in a quiet, cracking voice, “R-Rakovanite…?”
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Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:30 am
The youma was away. That was the only thing that mattered in this instant. She had backed off with enough pressure from Rakovanite, and now he didn’t have to get into an overall senseless fight with her. But neither was he prepared to stay and have a conversation with her, either.
Rakovanite ignored the youma’s question and immediately stooped down to the other boy’s side.
Narcissus’ usually tanned complexion looked especially pale, even with the snow as a backdrop. His gaze was dazed and unfocused, though he did at least seem to recognize that Rakovanite was there with him. The agent’s gaze traveled down from Narcissus’ face to his chest, where long, thin trails of scratches led to…
It looked quite bad, probably worse than it actually was, but several inches of Narcissus’ skin over his ribs looked like it had gone through a food processor: clawed up and ripped open and pulled from the bone. And it was right over his lungs and heart, what could be such a dangerous area. Rakovanite didn’t know enough to say if it was life-threatening or not, but regardless, he was sure it needed a hospital.
He dismissed his weapons, leaning in to fit his arms, one beneath Narcissus’ back, and the other under his knees, before lifting him close to Rakovanite’s chest. He didn’t need to bother explaining himself to the youma, and he took off away from her and away from this scene without another word.
But Narcissus… He was hurt and bleeding, and even Rakovanite acknowledged he probably wanted some reassurance. “I will take you to the hospital,” he murmured softly as he moved, sprinting for all he was worth while trying not to jostle his burden too much. “We are relatively nearby. It will only take a few moments.”
“Can you make it?”
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Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:31 am
Narcissus let out a tiny, pained moan as Rakovanite lifted him, but the sound was mostly involuntary. Even in his state, Narcissus felt so happy, so relieved. Rakovanite had found him. Rakovanite had saved him. He was pretty sure, anyway.
This could be a fear-or-death-induced hallucination, but Narcissus didn’t think so.
Rakovanite’s arms felt so real under him. His chest felt so solid against him… Narcissus leaned to lay his head against the agent’s shoulder. He remembered wondering if everyone had made it home from the village. It was impossible to assume there had been no deaths, and Rakovanite had been captured and held prisoner by the creature… He could have easily been among the most vulnerable. It wasn’t like Narcissus had seen him after the battle.
“I missed you,” Narcissus breathed softly, lashes fluttering closed as he settled against Rakovanite’s chest. “I worried. I wondered… A-and now you’re here. You found me. I-I was going to die- die from that monster. You found me. I’ve never been happier to see anyone, I don’t think.”
Every slight jostling made the tiniest spark of pain light in his chest, but it was nothing compared to when the monster had been inflicting it. The wound stung, and his fingers and toes felt cold, but the sensations were muted in a way that Narcissus knew should be worrying. His mind wandered like flipping pages through a book, not quite catching and holding onto anything, so much as being aware that there should be more he was comprehending.
“You still can’t teleport with both of us? Even outside that world?”
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Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:32 am
Rakovanite glanced quickly down to the man in his arms before refocusing on the path ahead. Narcissus had always been a bit of a rambler, so maybe there was nothing especially unusual about this line of conversation, but… It still left Rakovanite feeling uneasy. Shouldn’t the senshi be worried about his well-being?
“You should be more careful,” he commanded quietly. “It was only happenstance that I found you.” Another handful of minutes later and it probably wouldn’t have mattered if Rakovanite had come upon them. He probably would’ve only found a gutted carcass.
He didn’t want to dwell on it, in the same way he didn’t think it necessary to dwell on that warm and welcoming sense of being wanted, of being missed. Narcissus was happy to see him after so many months- Though of course he was, given the situation. He would’ve been happy to see anyone who could save him from the youma. Rakovanite tried not to think about it.
“No,” he admitted. “It is not something I try very often, and I would rather not risk leaving you behind again.” Like the last time he’d tried to teleport with both of them.
“It will only be another minute.”
What was he going to do when they got there, though? He couldn’t very well walk into the hospital while they were both still in their powered guises, and he doubted Narcissus felt so comfortable with him to power down while Rakovanite was still there. The security cameras would see them if they got too close, so Rakovanite couldn’t drop Narcissus at the door and leave him to power down after Rakovanite left. It felt like the only thing to do that would conserve both of their identities was to leave him far enough away from the cameras and just hope that he could walk the rest of the way...
“...How do you want to do this? Can you walk at all?” Rakovanite asked.
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Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:33 am
“How do I want to…?” It took him a moment to realize the predicament. He barely even registered that he did still have something to hide. They didn’t know each other, not really. Despite living together for practically a month, this side was still all they knew. And it shouldn’t even be the most prevalent side, at that. “Uh, I-I can… I can walk a little, I think.”
He definitely didn’t want to burden Rakovanite more than he already had, and he couldn’t assume the agent wanted to do anything that might compromise his identity.
“Yeah, yeah,” he agreed with a little more certainty. “J-just get me close enough, and I can…” Basyl worked in the hospital. He could just call someone to come out and find him. He didn’t know how he’d explain getting into this predicament- or why he would’ve apparently walked to the hospital instead of calling an ambulance, but maybe no one would ask about it-
Right, yeah, his actual civilian friends wouldn’t ask what the hell he’d been doing that caused all this.
But that wasn’t Rakovanite’s problem. The agent had done enough just by saving him from the youma and bringing him this far, and- And Narcissus really was so happy to see him. A shuddering sigh rolled out of him, and Narcissus lifted an arm to curl over Rakovanite’s shoulders. “God, I- I really am… So glad you’re here.”
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Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:34 am
They were getting about as close as Rakovanite could imagine being out of the cameras’ view while the hospital itself was still in sight. Rakovanite eyed the building as he stood on the grassy patch just outside of the hospital’s huge parking lot. He knew that Narcissus was a doctor in his civilian life. He could work in this very building.
But what Narcissus didn’t know was that Nataniel also worked in this building, serving under a licensed dietician during his internship. And when he came in for his shift tomorrow…
Rakovanite studied the injury on Narcissus’s chest, his gaze scraped up and scoured over the set of his lips, deep-set magenta eyes ringed in tired bags, tangles upon tangles of unruly lavender hair. Nataniel would be able to figure out Narcissus’ civilian identity when he showed up for work tomorrow. He would be able to see who had come in at this time by looking at this admission log. Maybe one of the nurses would even just outright tell him if he asked.
He would know, and he could see how civilian Narcissus behaved around him without any of the pretext of the month they’d been together. He could know what Narcissus thought of him as a person and not in a time of immediate fear that necessitated clinging to whoever was closest for support.
Rakovanite steeled himself and carefully set Narcissus down on his feet in the grass, keeping both arms on him to keep him steady while he righted himself.
He raised a hand, carding his fingers through unkempt lavender bangs as he brushed his pal over Narcissus’ cheek. “I am… happy to see you too,” he admitted quietly. “I wish the circumstance was different, but given this is what we have, I will not keep you long. I will go, so you can power down and make it to the hospital. Please, call someone once I have left… As soon as I am gone.”
He couldn’t stay indefinitely. Narcissus’ injury was oozing and dark. Rakovanite felt confident there wasn’t any damage to his organs, else he probably wouldn’t have been talking to him, but it was still messy, bloody, and gruesome-looking. He must be in pain.
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Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:35 am
God.
God, god, god-
Narcissus cinched the arm he had around Rakovanite’s shoulders as he was set down. He drew himself to be pressing to the agent, chin over Rakovanite’s shoulder as he held him, because he didn’t think Rakovanite understood this surge of stupid, giddy, reckless, high abandon he felt because he was alive and Rakovanite was here, and even through the injury he felt almost euphoric at just- seeing him.
And he didn’t think he wanted to not see him, didn’t think he wanted Rakovanite to simply leave him here.
But that was how it had to be. Narcissus knew that.
Their identities weren’t something they could just share with anyone. Narcissus thought he trusted Rakovanite, but it was hard to trust his organization, and he was sure that as prickly as the agent was, Rakovanite probably didn’t trust him. No matter what they’d been through together, already. No matter how they’d lived together and slept together and kissed and held each other…
That was months ago, and what may as well have been a world away…
His fingers curled into the back of Rakovanite’s coat and he drew them close enough so that he could plant a very firm kiss to the side of the agent’s jaw. Narcissus didn’t want to be left, he didn’t want to be alone for even the time it would take one of the nurses to come retrieve him, but he knew there was nothing to be done about.
“I-I want to see you again.”
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Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:37 am
He could almost be convinced to lose his resolve. Narcissus’ arms wrapped around him, and Rakovanite could almost fall into how easy it would be to just let them both power down and pick him up and carry him the rest of the way, and what would really be the harm? They would know each other’s secret… And Narcissus would have the same information Rakovanite had…
To do with whatever he wished.
Or Rakovanite could keep his secrets, not compromise anything. Just express patience, and he would be the one holding all the cards tomorrow. So long as Narcissus even made it into the building, which frankly seemed like a huge gamble.
Lips touched to his jaw, and Rakovanite immediately turned to catch his lips against the senshi’s. They had kissed before. There was no reason to be ashamed of it now, if Narcissus was initiating… He touched his forehead to the other man’s, taking in a steadying breath to remind himself that he did not like being the one taking risks in things as finicky as personal relationships and feelings.
He could not be so attached to Narcissus until he had more information, until he felt confident that whatever intimacy they shared wasn’t just a factor of the dreadful world they’d lived in.
“You will,” he promised softly.
Tomorrow. He only had to wait until tomorrow.
“You will call someone as soon as I am gone,” he reminded the senshi briskly, using all of his willpower to disentangle himself from Narcissus’ arms and step away. There was no point in lingering. He’d said what he needed to say. He’d done what he needed to do. Narcissus knew what he had to do if he wanted to see himself treated.
Rakovanite flicked away, teleporting far enough that Narcissus wouldn’t sense the presence of his aura, though not so far that he couldn’t see the young man’s figure through the dark of night. He couldn’t make out anything more specific than where he stood, but that was enough to ensure that someone would retrieve him and that he’d make it inside.
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Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:38 am
How, how.
Narcissus wanted to demand how Rakovanite could say it with such certainty. Each time they’d met so far was only by accident, and they were always months apart and always while something bad was happening
Rakovanite was injured, or Narcissus was fighting a youma, or they were trapped in a terrifying village or Narcissus was injured. Someone was always hurt or they were desperate for a way to escape and clinging to each other because they was what they had, but-
But Narcissus just wanted to see him and talk to him like a normal person and just feel what it was like to be next to each other without the threat of something terrible nipping at their heels. He just wanted to relax alongside someone he thought he wanted to know better, someone who he thought he could be comfortable with if only the citation wasn’t a freaking terrifying one.
And he knew from all of their conversations previous, that Rakovanite wanted that companionship…
The agent stepped away from him, and Narcissus nearly fell over at the loss of support. He winced at the feeling of something lodged in his skin, and slapped a hand over his injury, immediately going dizzy at being left to stand on his own two feet.
He had to call someone… One of the nurses he knew was on shift tonight. They’d rush to come get him. He nodded at Rakovanite’s command, and though he wanted to protest, he didn’t.
Rakovanite disappeared in a flicker of energy, leaving Narcissus standing alone in the grass.
He immediately crumpled to the ground. He didn’t even bother trying to feel any auras nearby, just let the power of the Mirror melt away to leave only a civilian boy curled on the grass. The instant it was just him, Basyl immediately felt much too weak to even function. Without Narcissus’ magical support, he found he could barely lift his arm- And it hurt, now worse than it had when he’d been powered.
But he pulled out his phone anyway, managed to call one of his friends in the hospital, and explained in raspy, uneven breaths that he was outside, hurt, and didn’t think he could make it in.
He needed help.
It was only a scattering of minutes later that she was outside, along with two others, and amidst the berating of ”why would he do this! Why hadn’t he called an ambulance, why hadn’t he said how bad it was! He shouldn’t be walking- And his foot too, even! He looked terrible! How, why?” they helped him inside, laid him down in a room, and promptly filled him with enough painkillers to fell a horse.
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