You literally just told me you almost attacked someone in a bar full of thieves, I don't want to hear it.
[ SIR!!! DON'T EVEN!!!! unfortunately he is more than aware of jiaoqiu's lack of self-care when it comes to things like this, which. fine. if jiaoqiu wants to be fussy over therion and complain and make sure he doesn't hurt himself worse or open an injury or get gangrene or something, then therion will be the one to grab him by the scruff of the neck and yank him away from getting hurt. mutual care!
he makes a little noise when jiaoqiu starts moving, but mostly because he's not ready for it - a soft hiss, but he settles after a second, still tucked against his shoulder, blanket now pulled up almost to his nose. between that and his bangs, he's relatively safe from the light burning his eyes out and making the concussion worse. his legs curl, until his bony knees are resting on jiaoqiu's thighs - curled up, protective of self, but with his underbelly turned directly towards the person beside him.
as for that oh - he makes another, aggrieved noise. ]
He's never going to fucking let me live this down. Again.
[ wow!! he sulks slightly at the accusation but it's not like therion is wrong, he did indeed do that. he's behaving himself now, though. maybe he doesn't have a lot of preservation, but he has enough to make it so that therion doesn't cut him loose. he can't be a hypocrite.
he also murmurs a sorry when therion hisses, petting him a bit to soothe. once he's settled again, jiaoqiu wraps his arms around him and keeps him warm. occasionally he reaches to gently make sure therion hasn't opened any wounds or isn't too hot in various places before resting his hand back on the back of his neck, right at the base of his skull. easy, now. rest. ]
Who are you talking about? [ he very nicely does not say that he'll probably join the not letting therion live this down crowd in the future. ]
[ it's a real big "i'll fucking do it but christ alive" kind of energy here
therion closes his eyes again - he'd grind his teeth if he felt any better - but the hand at the back of his neck is undeniably comforting, and jiaoqiu can feel even with his irritation about whatever he's about to tell him, his body is starting to slowly relax, piece by piece. he allows himself to be cradled, and in being cradled, some of that world weary, bodily exhaustion chips off. he's really made himself a home in the vulnerable places therion has, and it's one he's going to get to stay in.
therion's not gonna dally too much about this, so he just sighs and internally looks at the ceiling. ]
A butler. [ just. so deadpan. ] It's a long story.
[ okay, look, he is amused by this, he can't help it. ]
Ah... extravagant. [ he teases, gently. ] You can tell me the story when your brain isn't bruised.
[ it is nice to know they have some sort of help, though? he's not going to argue about who this person might be, because if therion trusts them, that's about all the reassurance he needs. therion's standards are much, much higher than his. ]
I will message him, then, if you think he can help. I certainly can't carry you for very long, so we'll need it.
[ yeah that sounds good. maybe he can rely on this concussion to keep him from having to say words.
as for the painkiller bit, though, therion finally opens his working eye to glance up at jiaoqiu from where he is just burrowed into the blankets. ] Are you going to keep asking?
[ he mutters, but it's not like there's any actual heat or anything to this - he just sounds resigned like. yes. okay. i am being nagged.
besides, it's not like he's going to feel any more paranoid than he already feels. that, and with the tentative feeling of allowing someone to have his back, maybe... maybe he doesn't actually have to be in pain. the normal level of pain is zero.
[ he says in response, voice light as usual. he peers down at therion when he looks, lips twitching a bit at the sight of him bundled like he is. like, therion's in pain, he knows, but he's kind of cute like this, too. maybe that's jiaoqiu's healer instincts kicking in.
thankfully, therion gives in - and jiaoqiu hums, reaching for his bag. he digs around in it for a moment, and finally pulls out a pill bottle. the bag's a little sparse as far as items in it - there's an extra pair of clothes for jiaoqiu and a lot of medical supplies, plus therion's scarf and knife, but not much else.
still. he's got enough painkillers for therion to not suffer too horribly. so, he taps out two, and then hands them to therion, with a water bottle. drink. slowly. ]
[ "you don't have to suffer" gets an eye roll, because he is not suffering, only the eyeroll hurts his head so he doesn't get to do it as much as he likes as he is, once again, immediately proven wrong. therion could probably learn a lesson from this. he will not.
and, he's about to take the painkillers dry when the water bottle appears in his vision, halfway to his mouth, and after a beat, he will take the water. and like a good boy, he will drink it slowly after he knocks back the painkillers properly, then slowly settle back down. his energy is starting to run out - jiaoqiu is right, in that his body needs to rest, recover from all the blood loss and the emotional and physical exhaustion - and he curls a little closer to him subconsciously, tucking his face against jiaoqiu's shoulder. he's still burrito'd up in the blankets, all of his sharp edges officially sanded out, and only half able to be a brat, so this is maybe the cutest he could ever be.
as he settles back into place, he thinks about that little bag, and when he thinks jiaoqiu's busy putting stuff away, he asks, a little hesitantly - ] ...When did you find out where I was?
[ yeah that's what he THOUGHT, you were gonna take them dry. not today!!
therion sinks back down and hides his face against his shoulder again, and jiaoqiu hums soft, tucking him in. he can relax. those painkillers are the heavy duty kind, and he's hoping it'll help him sleep, because he needs it. jiaoqiu probably needs to sleep, too. he hasn't since he got here, and it's starting to take its toll, but. he's okay for now.
the question gets a little eyebrow raise, as he's putting the painkillers away one handed. a beat. ]
[ it's not really surprising, but there's something about the image of jiaoqiu rushing here so fast he didn't bother to bring anything, really, that tugs at his heartstrings. he doesn't have much of an explanation for why he's asking, so he just makes a little noise, noncommittal, and fels that ache get even worse at being tucked in, of all things.
god. this is pathetic? it's the head injuries, definitely, and not that he is just deeply, deeply uncool and every bit of genuine sweetness is as new and novel as anything. so. he settles in like that, lightheaded and this time not at all from a concussion.
in a low grumble, eyes closed again, he presses his cheek to jiaoqiu's shoulder. ] 'm only gonna sleep if we do it in shifts.
[ not for himself - though it serves two purposes - but for jiaoqiu. ]
[ therion is so funny, of course he came running. if there was any sort of hesitation, it was gone by the time primrose looked even just the slightest bit worried. if anything, it made him more anxious to get to the train, to find his way here.
the noncommittal noise gets him to look a little like ? at therion, confused as to why he asked, but he doesn't press. instead, he rests his head against therion's, hugging him. ]
Yes, alright. [ he says, after a moment, with a sigh. ] You first, though. You'll heal faster if you allow your body to do so.
[ you can bet your ass he'll try to wriggle out of letting therion do a watch shift with a concussion, but for now, he can agree. he turns his head to press a kiss to the side of therion's head. ]
Do you want me to stay? I'd thought I'd try to find us food and water, but I don't want to leave you alone.
[ ughhhhhh he doesn't NEED to eat, he could just not eat. or drink. or do anything that could involve leaving this little safe zone for the next twenty four hours. that seems like a good idea to therion, but he knows jiaoqiu won't let it pass.
it hurts his head to think it over, but he's quiet as he does, feels that kiss reverberate far further than the top of his head. ]
They're going to be looking for you right now. [ is his eventual answer, the more pragmatic one. ] ... 'm not sleeping if you're not staying.
[ which. the second it comes out of his mouth, it feels a little embarrassingly childish, but maybe the underlying, threaded i want you to stay answer is enough to keep him out of harm's way for a few hours. if jiaoqiu disappears while therion's conscious of it, he's just going to want to get up and follow him. ]
[ he's not wrong. they will be looking for him, and it's not like he's hard to spot. he's not worried about that so much, but that isn't what makes his decision. what makes his decision is therion all but asking him to stay. if it means that therion will sleep if jiaoqiu stays, then he won't go anywhere. if it means therion is more relaxed, he won't go.
he can't say he blames him. if therion wanted to get up and go somewhere while jiaoqiu was out of commission, he'd protest it, too. sometimes it feels better to just... know exactly where the other is.
with a little hum, he sinks down further into the bed. ]
Then I'll stay. [ he says, soft. ] ... You do need to eat, eventually. It'll help clear your senses, and you'll be able to go home that much more quickly. But for now, I'm here.
[ therion generally doesn't like to eat, let alone when he's hurt, but he also knows jiaoqiu will continue to point this out because this is something he nags him about normally, let alone while he's got too much outside blood.
on the other hand, it's like. kind of nice to be nagged about something familiar? this is something that crosses his mind, and therion makes a face to himself, because fucking what. that's how he knows he has a head injury, because if he's enjoying being nagged, then something clearly has to be wrong. he makes a little disgruntled noise to himself and shuts his eyes, letting jiaoqiu sinking into the bed lead him down a little lower, too. curled up close, finally warm, and relatively safe, he says he'll stay, and that's good enough, for now. ]
Wake me up in an hour or two. [ though his tone suggests he doesn't think jiaoqiu will - he curls in close, cuddled into his side, finally actually getting (relatively) comfortable. ] If you don't sleep, you're going to start hallucinating.
[ like half of his existence has been trying to get therion to eat - mostly because he really does believe that eating food that tastes really good helps the healing process. it's part of his whole discipline, and therion gets the brunt of it because jiaoqiu is fussy about his health. he doesn't mind. it's part of taking care of him, and he likes doing it.
a huff, though, at that. ]
I'm not going to start hallucinating. [ he says, amused. he's not that far gone, he thinks, even though it has been at least a day or so since he's slept. he's been too anxious to. there's really nothing stopping him from dozing while he's curled up here, too - he'll try not to, because he does need to keep watch, but therion is so warm against him, and he's actually comfortable, despite their sort of dire residency, right this second.
he just hums, and strokes therion's hair until he falls asleep. keeps an eye out for fevers, for nightmares, too. ]
[ it's sharp, but like usual, its his way of worrying in return. though, his sarcasm is seriously limited by how downright sleepy he sounds tucked in here, all of his remarks starting to lose their usual bite when the painkillers take hold. but, now that he's comfortable - bundled up with jiaoqiu's tail draped warmly across his lap, his injuries tended to, and alive, and safe, the adrenaline crash finally hits him properly. what starts off as a doze lapses easier than he'd ever expect.
with the help of the medicine, and the help of safety, he's out. stone cold asleep, unbothered by a movement, by jiaoqiu adjusting or shifting - like being chosen by a particularly fussy cat, therion falls asleep curled against his chest. though he fusses occasionally in his sleep, this time, his free hand comes up and curls, unconsciously, in jiaoqiu's clothes, and holds there. ]
[ jiaoqiu holds him the whole way through, slumped heavily against the wall. for a while he just kind of zones out, trying not to fall asleep as he stares at the wall. he's lulled, a little, by the way therion's curled up on him.
eventually, in an attempt not to fall asleep, he reaches for his phone, and starts slowly tapping a message. primrose gets an alert - found him, injured badly, recovering now, laying low. will look for way out tomorrow. and that's about when therion reaches up to curl into his clothes. jiaoqiu hums, and carefully rests his hand on top of therion's, keeping it there.
the absolute knocked out nature of his sleep is satisfying, honestly. it makes him feel warm - it almost means as much as all the feelings they exchanged, today. and those - all of that, he thinks about too. he drifts, absently, thinking about finding a place when they get back. making therion dinner, and insisting he stay home for a week so he can nap in therion's lap like a particularly spoiled housecat. break in the new bed, too - that thought amuses him a little, because he's sure he can think of a few ways to make that happen.
somewhere in there, though, his ear twitches as he hears shouting over the wind outside. it's getting dark, and, nervously, he makes sure his phone is hidden, and they're out of view of any windows. no light, no nothing. he holds therion close, eyes open, just a little tense.]
[ primrose's response doesn't take too long - as ever, she's succinct, a simple Be careful. See you soon. May faith be your shield. three short sentences with a world of meaning, worry, and of course, a successful escape from wherever they're holed up, with all of the faith of house azelhart behind it.
an hour or two passes. it's starting to get very dark indeed, which is not necessarily as much of a blessing as you might think, because thieves and bandits tend to make their best at night - therion is certainly much of the same. streetlamps flicker on, and with it, the town starts to get a little louder, a little rowdier. you can practically hear the sound of doors slamming shut and locking across northreach.
sure enough, jiaoqiu's hearing picks up on the shouting. it's not too close, but it's getting closer, the sound of yelling, pushing, thudding footsteps. as the voices close in around the house, he'll hear snatches of their conversations. "Shit, you got humiliated, huh?" "Shut up and keep looking!"
that can't be good! distantly, there's the sound of someone banging on a nearby door, and yelling at the people inside about harboring fugitives.
if jiaoqiu looks down at all, he might feel that therion's also gone completely still where he's being held - good eye opening quickly, roused almost immediately out of his deep, deep sleep. he makes eye contact if he can, but he says nothing, dead silent. ]
[ he stays silent, but - he pulls therion a little closer, making eye contact. his ears are pinned back, and he's tense, but he's not panicking. it's fine. they'll make it.
carefully, he says, so, so soft right against therion's ear: ] Stay?
[ despite not having a single animalistic gene himself, therion is a little wolf through and through - he is so keenly used to dealing with these situations that he's holding himself tense, every muscle ready to spring into action, pain be damned. he knows, logically, they can't stay here, just as logically as he knows he can't move fast enough to avoid an entire mob.
jiaoqiu's voice is as soft and smooth in his ear as silk, and he shifts a tiny bit, enough to lean further out of the way of the window, pressing himself to jiaoqiu's chest. it hurts his arm, but the ache is just an afterthought, as he pays close attention, and turns his head closer. just as quietly - ]
How many?
[ trusting jiaoqiu, here, and especially trusting his hearing. can he tell how many voices there are approaching? ]
[ he's not super confident in his ability to fight, here. he's got fire, he can bite and scratch and get away, but he's not a hand to hand fighter or. a fighter at all, really. he's a combat medic, and that's about it.
he rests his hand on therion's neck again, at the nape of it, just holding. he's still, eyes closed as he focuses. how many voices? he's not sure, it's hard to tell. but - he picks out one. then two, then three - if there are more, he can't tell the difference between them.
so, soft: ] Three. Might be more.
[ he's not sure they can knock out three fast enough to not alert the others. but he's willing to try. ]
[ therion watches the light of a cellphone shine into a window a few doors down, pressing closer to jiaoqiu - he can likely hear his heartbeat thumping against his hand - and looking around the house itself. there's a closet. an attic pull, likely, on the inside, but it's a gamble. he can climb one handed if there's a ladder but bringing it down might make noise, and he could pull himself up silently without one, if he wasn't hurt. the closet itself might be the better choice.
his eyes track to the windows, pulling a bit of an annoyed face. ]
Down to the ground to crawl. [ with a slight move of his head towards the closet. ] Keep your ears down.
[ crawling is. going to be bad for his injuries, but therion's already prepared himself for whatever pain he's going to feel. it's fine. better to feel pain than to be alive. ] Avoid the confrontation if we can.
[ if it comes down to it, he can help therion up - he can hoist therion onto his back long enough to get up into an attic if need be. it might be better to stay up there regardless, even after the men leave, but for now, it's priority just to get there. he hums his assent, frowning a little because he knows therion is going to have a hard time crawling.
it upsets him a bit to think that therion's going to reopen his wounds this way, but. they've got to. so, carefully, he lets go of therion - not before pressing a kiss to his forehead - before sliding down the the floor, keeping his ears down like he was asked.
he's not injured, so it takes next to no time for him to crawl to the closet and open it just enough for them to get inside. the voices get a little louder, and he has to grab his tail to stop it from anxiously swishing across the floor. he'll check to see if there's an attic pull, just in case. ]
[ *dead, not alive, what an unfortunate typo up there
anyway. down they go. therion's watching the window from where he's settled, ignoring the way his head is pounding to watch jiaoqiu safely traverse the small space, watches him hold his stupid fluffy tail - serves him right for all the times therion's ended up practically eating it when they share a bed, he would think in a much less dangerous situation - and then slowly eases off the bed himself. it hurts, trying to get down, every muscle and injury screaming in protest, but he tests the floor with one foot to make sure the boards aren't squeaky, and then carefully lowers himself down.
this is what he did before jiaoqiu showed up, so frankly, it's easier to do it now that he's warm and bandaged. in that cold church, he pulled himself off that shitty altar and dragged himself into the corner to survive. that's all he's ever wanted to do - live, survive, like the cockroach that he is - and his stubbornness serves him well because of it. he moves without wincing, even if he feels stitches pull, even if his arm hurts where it touches against the ground briefly, but he slides under the window with relative ease and makes it to the door, where he pauses.
"Oi. We check this one yet?"
"Nah. Didn't even know it was out here. Might have some loot we didn't take yet. Forget the little guy."
despite this extremely concerning series of conversation and chatter outside - there's the sound of a fist banging into the door, loud and violent - therion seems mostly unbothered as he pulls himself around and inside like liquid, letting the closet door creak shut behind them. it's a very small closet, but above their heads, dangling, there does appear to be an attic pull. there's also some moth-bitten clothing in here. it smells bad! but hey. at least it's something.
while the thieves outside are making a ruckus, therion, still on the ground, mutters just loud enough to be heard by jiaoqiu - ] Think they'd at least learn my name by now.
[ because apparently he can still be sassy? like this? but he jerks his chin up to the attic pull. ]
jiaoqiu watches him pull himself across the floor with an expression that is absolutely Unhappy. he does not like that therion is having to hurt himself to get safe. but - it'll be okay. he'll fix it, once they're safe. he can do as much as he can to make sure that therion doesn't make it that much worse, in the meantime.
the voices get him to tense, ears flicking violently. therion, at least, doesn't look like he's having that bad of a time here, but jiaoqiu knows it's mostly just because he's used to this sort of thing. with a little sigh, he rubs at his face as the door closes, and then jumps and slaps a hand to his chest like an old man at the fist banging on the door. jesus.
there's a little jolt, as he thinks about how he left the blanket and pillow out there, but. he brought his bag with him, at least. they can't steal that much, and they hopefully won't know that someone was just in the building.
therion gets a little huffy look at the sass, and then very, very carefully stands up in the closet to try and pull the attic open. slowly, quietly as he can. it's pretty decently soft, considering he's not built for stealth, and though it creaks slightly when he eases it down, it doesn't seem to alert anybody. with a deep breath, jiaoqiu glances down at therion, and then shifts so therion can climb onto his back. he'll help him on, of course, but - there's no way he's going to be strong enough to lift him up above his head.
they can get up into the attic. he'll figure out what to do with the pull once therion's up and safe. ]
[ this is very undignified but it's fine. therion's done a lot of undignified things in his life! there's not even enough time to react to the way his injuries are throbbing from that crawl over here, the adrenaline too high, the danger senses too strong. all he does is press up close against jiaoqiu in the very limited space, setting his good hand on the doorknob, just in case, as jiaoqiu fiddles with the attic pull. he can't hear that well, but the foxian hearing can likely pick up on the sound of something jingling and one of the thieves making fun of another one for being slow, but the lock catches.
in the meantime, therion's pride thinks he can get up the ladder perfectly fine by himself, at the moment - he gives jiaoqiu a little bit of a look when he offers his back. there's not exactly room to complain, though, and honestly, it shows even more how much he trusts him, to allow for this. putting himself on jiaoqiu's back leaves him very vulnerable in case that door flies open, and he does not like that, but carefully, he props himself up against the door, and then climbs onto jiaoqiu one handed, lowering his head near his ear. ]
Step to the back of the ladder steps. [ therion murmurs, his voice barely a whisper. less squeaking, that way. less chance of making more noise. sneaking 101 from a thief.
there's the sound of a door opening - his grip tightens on jiaoqiu, a nonverbal hurry. ]
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[ SIR!!! DON'T EVEN!!!! unfortunately he is more than aware of jiaoqiu's lack of self-care when it comes to things like this, which. fine. if jiaoqiu wants to be fussy over therion and complain and make sure he doesn't hurt himself worse or open an injury or get gangrene or something, then therion will be the one to grab him by the scruff of the neck and yank him away from getting hurt. mutual care!
he makes a little noise when jiaoqiu starts moving, but mostly because he's not ready for it - a soft hiss, but he settles after a second, still tucked against his shoulder, blanket now pulled up almost to his nose. between that and his bangs, he's relatively safe from the light burning his eyes out and making the concussion worse. his legs curl, until his bony knees are resting on jiaoqiu's thighs - curled up, protective of self, but with his underbelly turned directly towards the person beside him.
as for that oh - he makes another, aggrieved noise. ]
He's never going to fucking let me live this down. Again.
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he also murmurs a sorry when therion hisses, petting him a bit to soothe. once he's settled again, jiaoqiu wraps his arms around him and keeps him warm. occasionally he reaches to gently make sure therion hasn't opened any wounds or isn't too hot in various places before resting his hand back on the back of his neck, right at the base of his skull. easy, now. rest. ]
Who are you talking about? [ he very nicely does not say that he'll probably join the not letting therion live this down crowd in the future. ]
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therion closes his eyes again - he'd grind his teeth if he felt any better - but the hand at the back of his neck is undeniably comforting, and jiaoqiu can feel even with his irritation about whatever he's about to tell him, his body is starting to slowly relax, piece by piece. he allows himself to be cradled, and in being cradled, some of that world weary, bodily exhaustion chips off. he's really made himself a home in the vulnerable places therion has, and it's one he's going to get to stay in.
therion's not gonna dally too much about this, so he just sighs and internally looks at the ceiling. ]
A butler. [ just. so deadpan. ] It's a long story.
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Ah... extravagant. [ he teases, gently. ] You can tell me the story when your brain isn't bruised.
[ it is nice to know they have some sort of help, though? he's not going to argue about who this person might be, because if therion trusts them, that's about all the reassurance he needs. therion's standards are much, much higher than his. ]
I will message him, then, if you think he can help. I certainly can't carry you for very long, so we'll need it.
[ a beat. ]
Can I convince you to take a painkiller?
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as for the painkiller bit, though, therion finally opens his working eye to glance up at jiaoqiu from where he is just burrowed into the blankets. ] Are you going to keep asking?
[ he mutters, but it's not like there's any actual heat or anything to this - he just sounds resigned like. yes. okay. i am being nagged.
besides, it's not like he's going to feel any more paranoid than he already feels. that, and with the tentative feeling of allowing someone to have his back, maybe... maybe he doesn't actually have to be in pain. the normal level of pain is zero.
so, begrudgingly, he holds out his hand. ]
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[ he says in response, voice light as usual. he peers down at therion when he looks, lips twitching a bit at the sight of him bundled like he is. like, therion's in pain, he knows, but he's kind of cute like this, too. maybe that's jiaoqiu's healer instincts kicking in.
thankfully, therion gives in - and jiaoqiu hums, reaching for his bag. he digs around in it for a moment, and finally pulls out a pill bottle. the bag's a little sparse as far as items in it - there's an extra pair of clothes for jiaoqiu and a lot of medical supplies, plus therion's scarf and knife, but not much else.
still. he's got enough painkillers for therion to not suffer too horribly. so, he taps out two, and then hands them to therion, with a water bottle. drink. slowly. ]
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and, he's about to take the painkillers dry when the water bottle appears in his vision, halfway to his mouth, and after a beat, he will take the water. and like a good boy, he will drink it slowly after he knocks back the painkillers properly, then slowly settle back down. his energy is starting to run out - jiaoqiu is right, in that his body needs to rest, recover from all the blood loss and the emotional and physical exhaustion - and he curls a little closer to him subconsciously, tucking his face against jiaoqiu's shoulder. he's still burrito'd up in the blankets, all of his sharp edges officially sanded out, and only half able to be a brat, so this is maybe the cutest he could ever be.
as he settles back into place, he thinks about that little bag, and when he thinks jiaoqiu's busy putting stuff away, he asks, a little hesitantly - ] ...When did you find out where I was?
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therion sinks back down and hides his face against his shoulder again, and jiaoqiu hums soft, tucking him in. he can relax. those painkillers are the heavy duty kind, and he's hoping it'll help him sleep, because he needs it. jiaoqiu probably needs to sleep, too. he hasn't since he got here, and it's starting to take its toll, but. he's okay for now.
the question gets a little eyebrow raise, as he's putting the painkillers away one handed. a beat. ]
Not too long ago. A few days. Why?
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god. this is pathetic? it's the head injuries, definitely, and not that he is just deeply, deeply uncool and every bit of genuine sweetness is as new and novel as anything. so. he settles in like that, lightheaded and this time not at all from a concussion.
in a low grumble, eyes closed again, he presses his cheek to jiaoqiu's shoulder. ] 'm only gonna sleep if we do it in shifts.
[ not for himself - though it serves two purposes - but for jiaoqiu. ]
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the noncommittal noise gets him to look a little like ? at therion, confused as to why he asked, but he doesn't press. instead, he rests his head against therion's, hugging him. ]
Yes, alright. [ he says, after a moment, with a sigh. ] You first, though. You'll heal faster if you allow your body to do so.
[ you can bet your ass he'll try to wriggle out of letting therion do a watch shift with a concussion, but for now, he can agree. he turns his head to press a kiss to the side of therion's head. ]
Do you want me to stay? I'd thought I'd try to find us food and water, but I don't want to leave you alone.
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it hurts his head to think it over, but he's quiet as he does, feels that kiss reverberate far further than the top of his head. ]
They're going to be looking for you right now. [ is his eventual answer, the more pragmatic one. ] ... 'm not sleeping if you're not staying.
[ which. the second it comes out of his mouth, it feels a little embarrassingly childish, but maybe the underlying, threaded i want you to stay answer is enough to keep him out of harm's way for a few hours. if jiaoqiu disappears while therion's conscious of it, he's just going to want to get up and follow him. ]
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he can't say he blames him. if therion wanted to get up and go somewhere while jiaoqiu was out of commission, he'd protest it, too. sometimes it feels better to just... know exactly where the other is.
with a little hum, he sinks down further into the bed. ]
Then I'll stay. [ he says, soft. ] ... You do need to eat, eventually. It'll help clear your senses, and you'll be able to go home that much more quickly. But for now, I'm here.
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[ therion generally doesn't like to eat, let alone when he's hurt, but he also knows jiaoqiu will continue to point this out because this is something he nags him about normally, let alone while he's got too much outside blood.
on the other hand, it's like. kind of nice to be nagged about something familiar? this is something that crosses his mind, and therion makes a face to himself, because fucking what. that's how he knows he has a head injury, because if he's enjoying being nagged, then something clearly has to be wrong. he makes a little disgruntled noise to himself and shuts his eyes, letting jiaoqiu sinking into the bed lead him down a little lower, too. curled up close, finally warm, and relatively safe, he says he'll stay, and that's good enough, for now. ]
Wake me up in an hour or two. [ though his tone suggests he doesn't think jiaoqiu will - he curls in close, cuddled into his side, finally actually getting (relatively) comfortable. ] If you don't sleep, you're going to start hallucinating.
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a huff, though, at that. ]
I'm not going to start hallucinating. [ he says, amused. he's not that far gone, he thinks, even though it has been at least a day or so since he's slept. he's been too anxious to. there's really nothing stopping him from dozing while he's curled up here, too - he'll try not to, because he does need to keep watch, but therion is so warm against him, and he's actually comfortable, despite their sort of dire residency, right this second.
he just hums, and strokes therion's hair until he falls asleep. keeps an eye out for fevers, for nightmares, too. ]
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[ it's sharp, but like usual, its his way of worrying in return. though, his sarcasm is seriously limited by how downright sleepy he sounds tucked in here, all of his remarks starting to lose their usual bite when the painkillers take hold. but, now that he's comfortable - bundled up with jiaoqiu's tail draped warmly across his lap, his injuries tended to, and alive, and safe, the adrenaline crash finally hits him properly. what starts off as a doze lapses easier than he'd ever expect.
with the help of the medicine, and the help of safety, he's out. stone cold asleep, unbothered by a movement, by jiaoqiu adjusting or shifting - like being chosen by a particularly fussy cat, therion falls asleep curled against his chest. though he fusses occasionally in his sleep, this time, his free hand comes up and curls, unconsciously, in jiaoqiu's clothes, and holds there. ]
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eventually, in an attempt not to fall asleep, he reaches for his phone, and starts slowly tapping a message. primrose gets an alert - found him, injured badly, recovering now, laying low. will look for way out tomorrow. and that's about when therion reaches up to curl into his clothes. jiaoqiu hums, and carefully rests his hand on top of therion's, keeping it there.
the absolute knocked out nature of his sleep is satisfying, honestly. it makes him feel warm - it almost means as much as all the feelings they exchanged, today. and those - all of that, he thinks about too. he drifts, absently, thinking about finding a place when they get back. making therion dinner, and insisting he stay home for a week so he can nap in therion's lap like a particularly spoiled housecat. break in the new bed, too - that thought amuses him a little, because he's sure he can think of a few ways to make that happen.
somewhere in there, though, his ear twitches as he hears shouting over the wind outside. it's getting dark, and, nervously, he makes sure his phone is hidden, and they're out of view of any windows. no light, no nothing. he holds therion close, eyes open, just a little tense.]
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an hour or two passes. it's starting to get very dark indeed, which is not necessarily as much of a blessing as you might think, because thieves and bandits tend to make their best at night - therion is certainly much of the same. streetlamps flicker on, and with it, the town starts to get a little louder, a little rowdier. you can practically hear the sound of doors slamming shut and locking across northreach.
sure enough, jiaoqiu's hearing picks up on the shouting. it's not too close, but it's getting closer, the sound of yelling, pushing, thudding footsteps. as the voices close in around the house, he'll hear snatches of their conversations. "Shit, you got humiliated, huh?" "Shut up and keep looking!"
that can't be good! distantly, there's the sound of someone banging on a nearby door, and yelling at the people inside about harboring fugitives.
if jiaoqiu looks down at all, he might feel that therion's also gone completely still where he's being held - good eye opening quickly, roused almost immediately out of his deep, deep sleep. he makes eye contact if he can, but he says nothing, dead silent. ]
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carefully, he says, so, so soft right against therion's ear: ] Stay?
[ do they stay, try to hide? or do they go? ]
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jiaoqiu's voice is as soft and smooth in his ear as silk, and he shifts a tiny bit, enough to lean further out of the way of the window, pressing himself to jiaoqiu's chest. it hurts his arm, but the ache is just an afterthought, as he pays close attention, and turns his head closer. just as quietly - ]
How many?
[ trusting jiaoqiu, here, and especially trusting his hearing. can he tell how many voices there are approaching? ]
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he rests his hand on therion's neck again, at the nape of it, just holding. he's still, eyes closed as he focuses. how many voices? he's not sure, it's hard to tell. but - he picks out one. then two, then three - if there are more, he can't tell the difference between them.
so, soft: ] Three. Might be more.
[ he's not sure they can knock out three fast enough to not alert the others. but he's willing to try. ]
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his eyes track to the windows, pulling a bit of an annoyed face. ]
Down to the ground to crawl. [ with a slight move of his head towards the closet. ] Keep your ears down.
[ crawling is. going to be bad for his injuries, but therion's already prepared himself for whatever pain he's going to feel. it's fine. better to feel pain than to be alive. ] Avoid the confrontation if we can.
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it upsets him a bit to think that therion's going to reopen his wounds this way, but. they've got to. so, carefully, he lets go of therion - not before pressing a kiss to his forehead - before sliding down the the floor, keeping his ears down like he was asked.
he's not injured, so it takes next to no time for him to crawl to the closet and open it just enough for them to get inside. the voices get a little louder, and he has to grab his tail to stop it from anxiously swishing across the floor. he'll check to see if there's an attic pull, just in case. ]
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anyway. down they go. therion's watching the window from where he's settled, ignoring the way his head is pounding to watch jiaoqiu safely traverse the small space, watches him hold his stupid fluffy tail - serves him right for all the times therion's ended up practically eating it when they share a bed, he would think in a much less dangerous situation - and then slowly eases off the bed himself. it hurts, trying to get down, every muscle and injury screaming in protest, but he tests the floor with one foot to make sure the boards aren't squeaky, and then carefully lowers himself down.
this is what he did before jiaoqiu showed up, so frankly, it's easier to do it now that he's warm and bandaged. in that cold church, he pulled himself off that shitty altar and dragged himself into the corner to survive. that's all he's ever wanted to do - live, survive, like the cockroach that he is - and his stubbornness serves him well because of it. he moves without wincing, even if he feels stitches pull, even if his arm hurts where it touches against the ground briefly, but he slides under the window with relative ease and makes it to the door, where he pauses.
"Oi. We check this one yet?"
"Nah. Didn't even know it was out here. Might have some loot we didn't take yet. Forget the little guy."
despite this extremely concerning series of conversation and chatter outside - there's the sound of a fist banging into the door, loud and violent - therion seems mostly unbothered as he pulls himself around and inside like liquid, letting the closet door creak shut behind them. it's a very small closet, but above their heads, dangling, there does appear to be an attic pull. there's also some moth-bitten clothing in here. it smells bad! but hey. at least it's something.
while the thieves outside are making a ruckus, therion, still on the ground, mutters just loud enough to be heard by jiaoqiu - ] Think they'd at least learn my name by now.
[ because apparently he can still be sassy? like this? but he jerks his chin up to the attic pull. ]
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jiaoqiu watches him pull himself across the floor with an expression that is absolutely Unhappy. he does not like that therion is having to hurt himself to get safe. but - it'll be okay. he'll fix it, once they're safe. he can do as much as he can to make sure that therion doesn't make it that much worse, in the meantime.
the voices get him to tense, ears flicking violently. therion, at least, doesn't look like he's having that bad of a time here, but jiaoqiu knows it's mostly just because he's used to this sort of thing. with a little sigh, he rubs at his face as the door closes, and then jumps and slaps a hand to his chest like an old man at the fist banging on the door. jesus.
there's a little jolt, as he thinks about how he left the blanket and pillow out there, but. he brought his bag with him, at least. they can't steal that much, and they hopefully won't know that someone was just in the building.
therion gets a little huffy look at the sass, and then very, very carefully stands up in the closet to try and pull the attic open. slowly, quietly as he can. it's pretty decently soft, considering he's not built for stealth, and though it creaks slightly when he eases it down, it doesn't seem to alert anybody. with a deep breath, jiaoqiu glances down at therion, and then shifts so therion can climb onto his back. he'll help him on, of course, but - there's no way he's going to be strong enough to lift him up above his head.
they can get up into the attic. he'll figure out what to do with the pull once therion's up and safe. ]
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in the meantime, therion's pride thinks he can get up the ladder perfectly fine by himself, at the moment - he gives jiaoqiu a little bit of a look when he offers his back. there's not exactly room to complain, though, and honestly, it shows even more how much he trusts him, to allow for this. putting himself on jiaoqiu's back leaves him very vulnerable in case that door flies open, and he does not like that, but carefully, he props himself up against the door, and then climbs onto jiaoqiu one handed, lowering his head near his ear. ]
Step to the back of the ladder steps. [ therion murmurs, his voice barely a whisper. less squeaking, that way. less chance of making more noise. sneaking 101 from a thief.
there's the sound of a door opening - his grip tightens on jiaoqiu, a nonverbal hurry. ]
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