[ and he's caught. it startles him - his breath catches when he realizes. for as goofy as he felt like it was, to be climbing down a ladder and having jiaoqiu overprotectively standing there like he's a child, when therion fell, he caught him.
it's the difference between the nightmares he has of past and present, and reality. there's someone standing at the bottom of the cliff, someone there to make sure he doesn't crash into the ground and shatter for the first, second, thousandth time. that's reality as much as the first push was, and it's a reality he's starting to come to with a startling amount of clarity. jiaoqiu saved his life today, and maybe that's to be expected of a doctor, but it's so much more than that. for the fist time, for the first real moment, he doesn't feel a shred of doubt in the trust that they've built, because for as stupid as this is, he fell, and jiaoqiu caught him, and his first instinct was to do so instead of to let him fall on his ass and laugh.
it's beyond significant. it's so much so that his fingers curl in jiaoqiu's sleeves on his arms, first loosely, and then tighter, like he's a lifeline. his heart feels like it's going to leap out of his chest. therion looks up when jiaoqiu swears, single visible eye wide. stunned. ]
I -
[ - and, well, thankfully, jiaoqiu picks him up. this is much more normal because now he can be offended. he flusters, two beats too late, cheeks turning red, sputtering like a pilot light trying hard to stay on. a hissing, spitting cat. ] -- I can walk, fluff, I'm fine - put me down!
[ embarrassing!!!! embarrassing, he got all fluttery and now he's being carted out of here like - god, he feels like a maiden, that's the worst!! what the hell!! ]
[ he says, sharply, ear flicking. he will not put therion down, he is in Full Fuss Mode, and if therion's looking, he can probably tell it's because jiaoqiu is a little terrified. they're being hunted down by thugs, therion's in poor shape, they can't access food or water, and it's cold enough that he's not sure their body heat and blanket will be enough. he's been in worse conditions - he lived on a battlefield for most of his life, he knows how to rough it, but the thing about that is it puts him in that mindset.
but it isn't so much the situation as much as he's just afraid to lose therion after everything. he won't, they're both resourceful and they'll make it out, but the thieves right below their feet felt like being electrocuted with the awareness that if they'd been caught, they probably would've died.
so - he doubles down on being protective. he cares, more than anything, about therion, and his safety and his comfort, and of course he caught him. of course. he will never let anybody he loves fall again.
he presses his nose to the side of therion's head, ignoring the hissing, and carries him out to the bed they made, looking to see if the stupid thieves stole his blanket. ]
[ therion opens his mouth, and shuts it. maybe because he's scolded - and frankly, rightfully so - or maybe because he's embarrassed, or maybe it's because he picks up on that little thread of fear. it's hard to say, but he shuts his mouth, the little spitfire dying like someone threw a wet blanket on it.
speaking of. thankfully, jiaoqiu's blanket is still there, though it's mussed up now, thrown halfheartedly on the floor, and the pillow features a stab mark in it, a few feathers on the mattress. it's not a warning so much as it is a thief that was looking for hidden treasure, and there are signs of the cut on the pillow being felt around in, though clearly the thief who was searching through it found nothing but feather down.
therion is still dizzy, and now he's a little mulish on top of that. all the blood in his cheeks makes his head hurt a little further, and he grumbles a little, sliding his good arm across his chest to make some fascimile of folding it with the other one, defanged, declawed, and now a little worried about jiaoqiu, too.
after a beat, he mutters - ] Bed's out of sight of the windows because it's low to the ground. [ it's a good thief hideout, is what he's saying. they'll be okay if they can hunker down, but they need to get down quickly. he's likely not going to be able to sleep no matter what pain he's in after all of that fuss, because the paranoia is going to beat out the need for bodily rest no matter what, but they do need to get down and get jiaoqiu curled up against the cold. therion's not that worried about it himself - he's been through worse with far less, at least in terms of weather - but between that and the injuries and let me take care of you, he's feeling a little more cooperative than usual. ]
[ god, he's so annoyed about the pillow!! his pillow!! how is he supposed to sleep like this!!
no, it's fine. he is grouchy about it, but whatever, he can sleep without one. he'll curl up on the bed and therion can use him as support if he needs to, that's fine. he works his way through all of this quietly as he looks over the carnage of the house being ransacked, ears pinning back, and then takes a deep breath and tries to pull himself out of crisis mode. they'll be okay. he can just contact whoever it is that therion mentioned earlier, and then wait. hopefully it won't take long enough that they get too hungry. that's what he worries about most. not only are they weaker while hungry, but therion needs it to heal, and --
deep breath. okay. stop that. don't let your strategy brain wear you out, jiaoqiu thinks. handle things one step at a time, and don't worry about the future, for now, just what he can get done.
it's sort of wild to care about whether or not he dies. wow.
therion says they can get on the bed, and he nods a bit, tucking him closer as he makes his way across the house. he settles down on the bed with the both of them. makes sure his bag is within reach, grabs the blanket, and pulls it around them. it's about that point, once they're laid out, that jiaoqiu actually starts shivering. from the cold or leftover stress or adrenaline, he doesn't know, but he's doing it and is grouchy about it, burying his face against therion's neck for a moment. a beat, and then, a little less tense and more like himself: ]
... What hurts the worst? [ as he's checking for reopened injuries by checking how wet or dry therion's bandages are. ]
[ grouchy is alid. therion feels jiaoqiu take a deep breath, feels the tension in his body as he moves, and lets him slowly settle them both down, watching jiaoqiu like a hawk. he's seen jiaoqiu in crisis mode before, but this is new. it reminds him, once again, of those two perfectly maintained gravestones, and of jiaoqiu sitting before them like a log, growing moss in the pouring rain.
his head hurts - his heart, too, and as they tuck onto the little bed and he feels jiaoqiu shiver, therion's the one to move himself. he adjusts how he's sitting midway through jiaoqiu checking his bandages, batting his hands away briefly and reaching down for his torn up undershirt, baring his chest and tossing it aside one handed. it's cold, yes, but he knows by now that body heat's going to help, and jiaoqiu can see the bandages a little better, so therion slides his right leg over jiaoqiu's, crawling into his lap to trap some of the heat between them a little better. that, and he - after all of that, he just kind of wants to crawl into jiaoqiu, get as close to him as humanly possible like a wild, feral creature, wants to sink his claws in and not let go. he keeps thinking about it, how stupid this was, about being safe, about i need you to let me know that you won't leave me in the night. he can't just say anything about it, so getting close, as close as he can, is going to have to substitute.
since jiaoqiu's looking, there's some spots that the bandages are bloodied, a place on his chest where the stitches pulled a little tightly, rubbed against the floor when he crawled across the surface, here and there. therion wrinkles his nose at the question, opening his mouth to immediately say nothing, i'm fine, but he looks at jiaoqiu and those pinned back ears, and he looks away. ]
... Still my head. [ the concussion is throbbing, and now that they're not moving as much, it's becoming more obvious. ] Don't really feel the rest.
[ the way therion bats his hands aside gets him to make an angry noise - but he settles down when he realizes what therion is doing. body heat. yes, that works. that'll be better, actually, half because body heat works, but also half because the skin-to-skin contact calms him down in a way he doesn't always expect. jiaoqiu isn't an especially touchy person, and he's definitely not one in public, but with therion he likes the connection. it's grounding, he's found, to have therion in his lap or even just holding onto him in some way, like he'll stop jiaoqiu from floating away just from being there. so when he climbs into jiaoqiu's lap and practically tries to crawl into his chest, it soothes all of the anxiety in his spine and makes him relax about as much as he's going to be able to.
he doesn't take his own shirt off, but he adjusts so that he can unbutton his cardigan and pull therion close, arms wrapped around him. tucks the blankets tightly. therion's wounds aren't overly terrible, and sitting still is going to help, so he doesn't bother fussing about changing bandages or anything for now. therion can rest his head against jiaoqiu's chest, if he wants. listen to his heartbeat, which is thudding a touch too fast, start to slow down.
instead of re-bandaging, he concentrates on getting warm - closes his eyes for a moment, and focuses on the small amount of fire magic he knows so that he can warm his hands. one of those hands, a magical heating pad, comes up to rest against the back of therion's neck, against the base of his skull, trying to ease the pain of his headache. ]
In a few hours, you can have another painkiller. [ the tension in his shoulders is still there, but it's far, far less, now that he's got therion practically pressed into his lungs, against his heart. he presses a kiss to the side of therion's head, soft. with a tenderness that he doesn't feel like hiding. he doesn't have to add a third gravestone. he won't have to, for a long while. ]
I know you won't sleep, but rest. Please. [ ... ] Your concussion worries me.
[ he's kind of ambivalent on the painkiller, just making a grunt of agreement. instead, he reaches past jiaoqiu with his good hand, feeling around for his bag until he can get his hand on his phone, slipping it out of his bag and readjusting where he's now tucked against his chest. burrowed in under the blanket, bare and bandaged but as close as possible, he's able to conserve heat like a cat anyway, a tiny bundle of warmth, sharing what little heat he has. it is reminiscent of the old days, in the strangest of ways - of being a stupid teenager, fresh off of avoiding the law, victorious and full of adrenaline and beaming at his partner. only, here, he's older, wiser, and instead of unbridled adrenaline, there's this sense of safety even in this moment of paranoia and worry, even in the midst of being hurt. it's a light in the dark. it's a home.
the heat at the back of his neck surprises him a little - but it feels good, and it sends goosebumps down his back in twain with the feeling of a kiss at the top of his head. his breath catches, and he exhales out, a little harshly. must be the painkillers, because he feels a little floaty. ]
Not like I'm going anywhere. [ it's an admission as much as any. jiaoqiu's right, he won't be able to sleep, after any of that, and as he pulls his hand free from between them, he tilts his head a little to unlock the phone with one thumb without even looking, then starts to type into the message box. he looks a little disgruntled, squinting at the brightness, the expression akin to a cranky looking cat in a blanket burrito once more.
it looks like he's tapping out some kind of short message to a number, though it's in some kind of code if jiaoqiu peers over to look. ]
[ he hums, soft, when therion's breath catches, and keeps his hand where it is. it seems to help, so he keeps his focus on it. jiaoqiu isn't a mage and doesn't often even really think magical healing is that much better than regular healing - it's just faster. but the abilities that he has have served him well for things like this. for warming headaches, for cauterizing wounds, if he has to. this is gentle, and this is safe, and therion being a tiny bundle of warmth is what keeps his mind here and not in a tent on a battlefield, years ago.
he might need to sleep at some point. he doesn't want to, but he's been up for close to twenty hours at this point and he's faltering, especially as his shivers subside. therion tells him he's not going anywhere, and that makes the remainder of the tension fade. silly, maybe - just like the ladder, just like being caught when you fall - but i'm not going anywhere makes him feel like he could rest, if he needed to.
he squints at the brightness as well - reaches like therion's going to let him turn the brightness down on his phone, disgruntled. after a moment, though: ]
[ he does let him turn the brightness down because that's like, a smart person thing that he was not going to do because he's stupid and he was just going to man through it. the brightness coming down makes it like 20% easier to look at the phone screen, and he taps out the phrase and pauses before he hits send, glancing up at jiaoqiu.
...and after a beat: ] Reaching out. [ he shifts his thumb a little on the screen, pointing to a few of the words. it looks innocuous - a cheerfully written text asking if he's got the right number, talking about a lost phone, and trying to fill in the contact book. it doesn't sound like therion at all. however: ] This part - 'we're at the safehouse.' [ he taps another innocuous part of the message. ] Letting him know it's me.
[ sharing this knowledge is another big sign of therion's trust in jiaoqiu. that, and honestly, jiaoqiu's really smart. smarter than therion, whether he's got street smarts or not. he probably would benefit from being able to pick up on what is basically modernized thieves cant.
sharing it with him makes him feel some kind of way, so. he hits send, tucking his cheek a little closer to his collar. ]
the brightness goes down, and jiaoqiu adjusts his hold, settling his head against the side of therion's to watch him type. he reads the message, and nods a little when therion explains, fascinated. he also feels a bit of a way about having it shared with him - a big secret coded language is the kind of thing you don't give anybody, unless you trust them.
carefully, his tail comes up and wraps around them both, adding a bit of an extra warmth. ]
How long do you think he'll take to get here? [ he asks curiously, voice still low. it's also kind of - ragged, or approaching that. he's tired, and the warmth is not helping. when therion tucks down, jiaoqiu hums, closing his eyes and leaning a little more heavily on him. ] I sent a message to Primrose, also. She's waiting for us.
[ therion can grumble about heathcote all he likes, but he is beyond effective- begrudgingly, he knows how skilled he is, to the point of ridiculousness, so. the only reason it would even take that long is if he has to travel over from bolderfall.
the tail coming up around his back feels like an extra shield. curled against his chest like that, he feels jiaoqiu lean into him, and locks the phone, tucking it into his lap and adjusting the blankets closer. primrose is waiting, huh. sunshade is waiting. home is waiting.
... home. ]
... You should rest. [ he says after a long beat. a little stilted, a little awkward, but it's softened, voice a quiet rumble. he can keep watch, for a little while. ] Quit trying to fight it.
[ home is waiting. their little suite, with all their things, their bed, their kitchen. and then - past that, too. an actual house, if jiaoqiu can find one. their own space, that therion can come and go from. a space where they can rest. it makes his heart do a couple of flips in his chest, and he sighs out shivery.
he keeps his hand where it's been, still warm, and rests his head on therion's shoulder. it's tempting. it's very tempting to sleep, and he knows he probably should. it'll make it easier for him to help them get away when heathcote comes to find them.
he hides a yawn against therion's neck. ]
A doctor should never take his eyes off his patient. [ he mumbles. he's kind of just arguing to argue, though. ]
[ there's zero heat to this - in fact, there's a thread of something very lightly amused, in the stillness of the little safehouse, in the just there rumble of therion's voice. he's still keeping quiet like they're still hiding, and it makes the whole thing feel intimate. maybe it's the exhaustion that makes things feel rose-colored. maybe it's the pain meds. either way, despite the chaos of the past twenty four hours, of the past few weeks, things feel freakishly, weirdly... calm.
he doesn't close his eyes, but he settles there, listening to the sound of his heartbeat - laying on jiaoqiu, instead of the other way around, but familiar all the same. heathcote's coming, he'll have to endure that, but for once in his life, he's thinking not just about his next step, but about the future itself. ]
but therion's got it right in that it feels... calm. less panicked. the thieves have marked this house off their map, so they won't be checking again, most likely. therion is aware, and while he's got a concussion and a stab wound, he's on the way to recovering. jiaoqiu knows how fast he can heal, having treated him more than once. all the adrenaline soaked chaos of the last few hours has worn off, and he - well. he trusts therion. he trusts him with his whole life and more.
and even more so when therion says i've got it. he hears the i've got you. it feels like a warm bath. it feels - it feels good. that he'll be here, and not just because he has to be. maybe just. an hour or two. he can just take an hour or two and doze. quietly, he runs his fingers through therion's bloodstained hair, and sinks back against the mattress, letting himself ease up. ]
Don't let me sleep long. [ he murmurs. ] If anything feels wrong, wake me.
[ and with that, he's going to doze off not too much later, holding therion tightly even in his sleep. ]
[ there's a little grunt of acknowledgement - yeah, yeah. he will. jiaoqiu's tough, he knows he had a lifetime long before therion met him, but he knows just as well that it's been years, and that he also complains when he sleeps wrong. and though he's not much of a comforter or a protector of anything, awkwardly, clumsily, he tries. especially now, after fucking up so, so beyond reason, after finding himself not dead in an alleyway but in a moment of limbo, curled up with a person who he knows, without question, loves him.
so, these are the ways he shows his love. by watching jiaoqiu's back. by keeping them both safe. jiaoqiu's survival instinct terrifies him, sometimes - the fact that he came out here is part and parcel of that - though he'd never admit it, and therion's own stubbornness at clawing his way to staying alive will serve them both, for as long as he can let it.
so. he lets jiaoqiu doze, watching the windows. hazy, but no less focused - everything that hurts feels like an afterthought from the painkillers. the world outside is quiet, the stillness of an evening drenched in snow, and though the raucous thief types come running through the streets once or twice, they're drunk and stupid, bursting out of the local tavern, stumbling over each other in the streets. getting into fistfights, here and there. it's nothing they need to worry about in this little corner, and with his hand settled against jiaoqiu's chest, feeling his heartbeat thump under his hand, he observes, quietly, hurt too much for too many thoughts.
two hours or so pass, uneventful, until - there's a soft, familiar voice in a single fluffy ear, and jiaoqiu will find himself rustled. ] Jiaoqiu.
[ the house is very dark, but therion's single visible eye is nearly luminous in it, bright green. ] C'mon.
[ he sleeps pretty peacefully. it's only two hours, but it's enough - he's good at this, at making sleep count, and even though he complains a lot about his back or various aches and pains, they very rarely stop him. in a pinch, he can make it through the worst conditions without hesitation. so, he curls around therion, and doesn't rouse once, even with the drunken thieves and scoundrels around town. there's trust both ways. he's protected, he knows.
he's practically attuned to therion's voice, even in his sleep, though. so when therion speaks up, he's awake in seconds, blearily opening his eyes with a sucked-in breath. instinctively, he tightens his grip on therion, and meets his gaze, ear flicking. ]
[ well being gripped a little tighter does ruin therion's cool (?) plan of slipping free of him to save himself a little bit of dignity, but he has never been able to do that, ever, so who knows why he was thinking it. the ears flick - he glances up at them briefly, and then shakes his head, starting to shift free. ]
Ride's here. [ a little dryly, as if this is just them waiting for an uber or something. he glances over his shoulder, nose wrinkling just slightly when it makes his head hurt, and it is only then that jiaoqiu might realize there is in fact another person in the room. he's standing a ways to the side in the kitchen area, barely stepping out of the shadows enough to be seen - an older man with well kept facial hair and a very nicely fitting suit, who glances over upon address and offers the hint of a smile.
therion starts to wriggle free, at that - despite everything, he might also notice that his ears are visibly pink in the dark. ] C'mon.
[ oh. huh. that was fast! he's a little embarrassed to be caught curled up with therion, not because he's ashamed of him but because any sort of affection like this is meant for therion and therion alone. but he recovers well enough, letting him wriggle free. his own ears can't go pink (they already are, technically) but the tops of his cheeks go a little red. just a dusting.
he'll pull himself up out of bed with a slight wince, because sleeping sitting up fucked his neck up, and then moves instinctively to help therion up. a beat, and then, voice low just in case, but enough for said older man to hear: ]
[ at least they can both be embarrassed. therion slinks free of jiaoqiu's grip, winces, and then is helped up, which is!!! also embarrassing!!! he huffs a little when he moves and waves it off. it feels like being watched by your dad. not that he would know what that's like, but the point stands.
the elderly man who looks entirely too old to be in the line of work that he is in, merely smiles, hand to his chest. he keeps his voice low as well, pleasant. It's no trouble. For some people, asking is the hardest step, after all.
therion immediately glowers at him, and the elderly man ignores it, still smiling. Mr. Jiaoqiu, is that it? I am Heathcote. Come - there's a car waiting.
and in true butler fashion, he heads to the door first, briefly checking, and then opens the door for jiaoqiu and therion to make their way through! he probably cleared the area, therion notes to himself, briefly sideeying jiaoqiu and looking him up and down to make sure he's alright. there is a nice little car out there, and he even opens the back door for them both, which makes therion make a face, but he's really in no position to complain. ]
[ therion is SO rude to this nice old man, wow........
no, jiaoqiu can sense the no nonsense sort of attitude from heathcote, and it kind of amuses him, actually. this is therion kryptonite. jiaoqiu is unfortunately too polite to let this go without thanking their savior - he's not too proud for this. so, with a little bow of his head, he makes his way out the door and towards the car, sticking close to therion. not just because he's worried about him, but because even though this man is obviously trustworthy, considering therion is going anywhere with him willingly, he's a little paranoid. this city is a wreck. jiaoqiu feels... a little poorly, leaving it behind in such a state. but there's not a lot that one person can do. even if he wants to go find that one guy that stabbed therion and poison him to death.
so, he gives another little thank you at the door being opened for them, and then slides into the backseat, leaving a lot of room for therion to get in. he doesn't crowd up against therion once he's inside, but he settles close, quietly reaching to hold onto his arm out of habit. softly, to therion: ]
Everything alright?
[ how are you feeling. where are we going, what's the plan? ]
this is one of the places that therion and jiaoqiu don't really match - in that this city, to him, is already a lost cause. there's no saving something like this, and he's not really the type to care. sucks for the people who do live here, but therion wants to put northreach into the rearview mirror and never, ever come back, like half the other places he's been. he's spent his whole life in shitholes like this one way or another, and though northreach is maybe the worst he's seen in a while, his focus has always been on his own survival.
(well, mostly. therion has a few people he'd upend the world for. and his soft core means he's suckered into helping others more than you'd expect, even if he's sneaky about it, but he's practical enough that something like this is beyond helping.)
therion slides into the car, shuts the door, drops himself into the seat. his body hurts, but the adrenaline of escaping matches jiaoqiu's paranoia, and he keeps his head on a swivel, glancing out the window, up at the rearview, even as heathcote comes back around and puts the car into drive, heading out through the streets.
the touch to his arm does catch his attention. he glances over at jiaoqiu, glances up at the mirror again, and after a moment... accepts it, huffing softly and turning back towards the window. truthfully, he doesn't feel great, but it's probably just the exhaustion, and if he leans a little more into jiaoqiu's touch than usual, it's probably nothing. ]
'm fine. [ which is not necessarily untrue - he's not any worse than he was a few hours ago. ] Think we're heading to the next town over to catch the train.
[ heathcote's left them be, with all the gesture of a man who is used to driving a car with a fancy lady inside around, though he does comment, from the front: You really ought to take a night before you return. Lady Cordelia would be pleased to have you.
therion scoffs, as therion does, rolls his eyes. ] Yeah, well. She can get over it.
The less traveling we do while you're injured the better.
[ jiaoqiu says, voice soft but insistent. but he's not going to pester - he really does want to go home. he's exhausted, he wants to sleep in his own bed. if therion can make it, that's what they'll do, but if he doesn't feel good, jiaoqiu isn't going to risk his health just because the two of them would rather be back in sunshade. he's keeping a close eye on how therion's moving, what he's doing while they're mostly at rest.
a beat. ]
Lady Cordelia is generous to open her home to us. We'd like to be back as soon as we can, but we'll keep it in mind.
[ there's that military general's right hand coming out, there. his fingers wrap around therion's wrist - nothing more than just holding onto him because he wants to. it makes him feel better. focus on who you can save, he reminds himself, putting northreach out of his mind for now. therion is his priority. ]
[ you know, therion knows jiaoqiu is smart. he knows he's good at navigating complexities, but there's something nice - something attractive, really - about seeing him utilize those skills. for therion, who would rather not talk in most situations, it's especially nice to be able to trust jiaoqiu to handle it, because whether he trusts heathcote or not, he doesn't really want to deal with him right now.
his glance flicks from the rearview mirror to jiaoqiu, as they peel out of the town and off into the night. the hand around his wrist is allowed to stay there - he leans back a little further against the seat, feeling some of the weight and exhaustion of the day starting to weigh on his shoulders, dizzy in the rocking motion of the car.
therion closes his eyes, indicating an I'm Done With This Conversation - his wrist turns just slightly into the fingers pressed to it, and he trusts jiaoqiu to handle it. whether he talks to heathcote a lot or doesn't, he can handle it.
heathcote hums a little in response. "There's hardly a need for the train, then - Master Jiaoqiu is correct. We'll head that for Sunshade directly."
cordelia can wait, because she'll get a full report of everything that happened here anyway, so. off they go. heathcote's as quiet as you might expect as a butler, polite and elegant, and he doesn't necessarily start conversation unless jiaoqiu wants to ask him something of him, but it seems he's fine to take them all the way back. ]
[ he can tell that therion is starting to waver, which is why once heathcote goes quiet, jiaoqiu hums, and shifts so he can be a better pillow. carefully, he nudges therion to lean on him if he wants, and - either way - settles his tail so it's settled over the both of them. comfy. it'll be a decently long drive back, so he's content to rest. he only had two hours of sleep, after all.
and he's a little hesitant to do so only because he doesn't always like to be affectionate where other people can see, but he rests his head against therion's shoulder, and closes his eyes. he's exhausted, so he's going to be out in seconds if nobody talks to him.
he figures he'll need the rest for when they get back. ]
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it's the difference between the nightmares he has of past and present, and reality. there's someone standing at the bottom of the cliff, someone there to make sure he doesn't crash into the ground and shatter for the first, second, thousandth time. that's reality as much as the first push was, and it's a reality he's starting to come to with a startling amount of clarity. jiaoqiu saved his life today, and maybe that's to be expected of a doctor, but it's so much more than that. for the fist time, for the first real moment, he doesn't feel a shred of doubt in the trust that they've built, because for as stupid as this is, he fell, and jiaoqiu caught him, and his first instinct was to do so instead of to let him fall on his ass and laugh.
it's beyond significant. it's so much so that his fingers curl in jiaoqiu's sleeves on his arms, first loosely, and then tighter, like he's a lifeline. his heart feels like it's going to leap out of his chest. therion looks up when jiaoqiu swears, single visible eye wide. stunned. ]
I -
[ - and, well, thankfully, jiaoqiu picks him up. this is much more normal because now he can be offended. he flusters, two beats too late, cheeks turning red, sputtering like a pilot light trying hard to stay on. a hissing, spitting cat. ] -- I can walk, fluff, I'm fine - put me down!
[ embarrassing!!!! embarrassing, he got all fluttery and now he's being carted out of here like - god, he feels like a maiden, that's the worst!! what the hell!! ]
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[ he says, sharply, ear flicking. he will not put therion down, he is in Full Fuss Mode, and if therion's looking, he can probably tell it's because jiaoqiu is a little terrified. they're being hunted down by thugs, therion's in poor shape, they can't access food or water, and it's cold enough that he's not sure their body heat and blanket will be enough. he's been in worse conditions - he lived on a battlefield for most of his life, he knows how to rough it, but the thing about that is it puts him in that mindset.
but it isn't so much the situation as much as he's just afraid to lose therion after everything. he won't, they're both resourceful and they'll make it out, but the thieves right below their feet felt like being electrocuted with the awareness that if they'd been caught, they probably would've died.
so - he doubles down on being protective. he cares, more than anything, about therion, and his safety and his comfort, and of course he caught him. of course. he will never let anybody he loves fall again.
he presses his nose to the side of therion's head, ignoring the hissing, and carries him out to the bed they made, looking to see if the stupid thieves stole his blanket. ]
Let me take care of you.
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speaking of. thankfully, jiaoqiu's blanket is still there, though it's mussed up now, thrown halfheartedly on the floor, and the pillow features a stab mark in it, a few feathers on the mattress. it's not a warning so much as it is a thief that was looking for hidden treasure, and there are signs of the cut on the pillow being felt around in, though clearly the thief who was searching through it found nothing but feather down.
therion is still dizzy, and now he's a little mulish on top of that. all the blood in his cheeks makes his head hurt a little further, and he grumbles a little, sliding his good arm across his chest to make some fascimile of folding it with the other one, defanged, declawed, and now a little worried about jiaoqiu, too.
after a beat, he mutters - ] Bed's out of sight of the windows because it's low to the ground. [ it's a good thief hideout, is what he's saying. they'll be okay if they can hunker down, but they need to get down quickly. he's likely not going to be able to sleep no matter what pain he's in after all of that fuss, because the paranoia is going to beat out the need for bodily rest no matter what, but they do need to get down and get jiaoqiu curled up against the cold. therion's not that worried about it himself - he's been through worse with far less, at least in terms of weather - but between that and the injuries and let me take care of you, he's feeling a little more cooperative than usual. ]
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no, it's fine. he is grouchy about it, but whatever, he can sleep without one. he'll curl up on the bed and therion can use him as support if he needs to, that's fine. he works his way through all of this quietly as he looks over the carnage of the house being ransacked, ears pinning back, and then takes a deep breath and tries to pull himself out of crisis mode. they'll be okay. he can just contact whoever it is that therion mentioned earlier, and then wait. hopefully it won't take long enough that they get too hungry. that's what he worries about most. not only are they weaker while hungry, but therion needs it to heal, and --
deep breath. okay. stop that. don't let your strategy brain wear you out, jiaoqiu thinks. handle things one step at a time, and don't worry about the future, for now, just what he can get done.
it's sort of wild to care about whether or not he dies. wow.
therion says they can get on the bed, and he nods a bit, tucking him closer as he makes his way across the house. he settles down on the bed with the both of them. makes sure his bag is within reach, grabs the blanket, and pulls it around them. it's about that point, once they're laid out, that jiaoqiu actually starts shivering. from the cold or leftover stress or adrenaline, he doesn't know, but he's doing it and is grouchy about it, burying his face against therion's neck for a moment. a beat, and then, a little less tense and more like himself: ]
... What hurts the worst? [ as he's checking for reopened injuries by checking how wet or dry therion's bandages are. ]
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his head hurts - his heart, too, and as they tuck onto the little bed and he feels jiaoqiu shiver, therion's the one to move himself. he adjusts how he's sitting midway through jiaoqiu checking his bandages, batting his hands away briefly and reaching down for his torn up undershirt, baring his chest and tossing it aside one handed. it's cold, yes, but he knows by now that body heat's going to help, and jiaoqiu can see the bandages a little better, so therion slides his right leg over jiaoqiu's, crawling into his lap to trap some of the heat between them a little better. that, and he - after all of that, he just kind of wants to crawl into jiaoqiu, get as close to him as humanly possible like a wild, feral creature, wants to sink his claws in and not let go. he keeps thinking about it, how stupid this was, about being safe, about i need you to let me know that you won't leave me in the night. he can't just say anything about it, so getting close, as close as he can, is going to have to substitute.
since jiaoqiu's looking, there's some spots that the bandages are bloodied, a place on his chest where the stitches pulled a little tightly, rubbed against the floor when he crawled across the surface, here and there. therion wrinkles his nose at the question, opening his mouth to immediately say nothing, i'm fine, but he looks at jiaoqiu and those pinned back ears, and he looks away. ]
... Still my head. [ the concussion is throbbing, and now that they're not moving as much, it's becoming more obvious. ] Don't really feel the rest.
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he doesn't take his own shirt off, but he adjusts so that he can unbutton his cardigan and pull therion close, arms wrapped around him. tucks the blankets tightly. therion's wounds aren't overly terrible, and sitting still is going to help, so he doesn't bother fussing about changing bandages or anything for now. therion can rest his head against jiaoqiu's chest, if he wants. listen to his heartbeat, which is thudding a touch too fast, start to slow down.
instead of re-bandaging, he concentrates on getting warm - closes his eyes for a moment, and focuses on the small amount of fire magic he knows so that he can warm his hands. one of those hands, a magical heating pad, comes up to rest against the back of therion's neck, against the base of his skull, trying to ease the pain of his headache. ]
In a few hours, you can have another painkiller. [ the tension in his shoulders is still there, but it's far, far less, now that he's got therion practically pressed into his lungs, against his heart. he presses a kiss to the side of therion's head, soft. with a tenderness that he doesn't feel like hiding. he doesn't have to add a third gravestone. he won't have to, for a long while. ]
I know you won't sleep, but rest. Please. [ ... ] Your concussion worries me.
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the heat at the back of his neck surprises him a little - but it feels good, and it sends goosebumps down his back in twain with the feeling of a kiss at the top of his head. his breath catches, and he exhales out, a little harshly. must be the painkillers, because he feels a little floaty. ]
Not like I'm going anywhere. [ it's an admission as much as any. jiaoqiu's right, he won't be able to sleep, after any of that, and as he pulls his hand free from between them, he tilts his head a little to unlock the phone with one thumb without even looking, then starts to type into the message box. he looks a little disgruntled, squinting at the brightness, the expression akin to a cranky looking cat in a blanket burrito once more.
it looks like he's tapping out some kind of short message to a number, though it's in some kind of code if jiaoqiu peers over to look. ]
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he might need to sleep at some point. he doesn't want to, but he's been up for close to twenty hours at this point and he's faltering, especially as his shivers subside. therion tells him he's not going anywhere, and that makes the remainder of the tension fade. silly, maybe - just like the ladder, just like being caught when you fall - but i'm not going anywhere makes him feel like he could rest, if he needed to.
he squints at the brightness as well - reaches like therion's going to let him turn the brightness down on his phone, disgruntled. after a moment, though: ]
What are you sending?
[ what dis. what dat. code?? nosy!!! ]
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...and after a beat: ] Reaching out. [ he shifts his thumb a little on the screen, pointing to a few of the words. it looks innocuous - a cheerfully written text asking if he's got the right number, talking about a lost phone, and trying to fill in the contact book. it doesn't sound like therion at all. however: ] This part - 'we're at the safehouse.' [ he taps another innocuous part of the message. ] Letting him know it's me.
[ sharing this knowledge is another big sign of therion's trust in jiaoqiu. that, and honestly, jiaoqiu's really smart. smarter than therion, whether he's got street smarts or not. he probably would benefit from being able to pick up on what is basically modernized thieves cant.
sharing it with him makes him feel some kind of way, so. he hits send, tucking his cheek a little closer to his collar. ]
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the brightness goes down, and jiaoqiu adjusts his hold, settling his head against the side of therion's to watch him type. he reads the message, and nods a little when therion explains, fascinated. he also feels a bit of a way about having it shared with him - a big secret coded language is the kind of thing you don't give anybody, unless you trust them.
carefully, his tail comes up and wraps around them both, adding a bit of an extra warmth. ]
How long do you think he'll take to get here? [ he asks curiously, voice still low. it's also kind of - ragged, or approaching that. he's tired, and the warmth is not helping. when therion tucks down, jiaoqiu hums, closing his eyes and leaning a little more heavily on him. ] I sent a message to Primrose, also. She's waiting for us.
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[ therion can grumble about heathcote all he likes, but he is beyond effective- begrudgingly, he knows how skilled he is, to the point of ridiculousness, so. the only reason it would even take that long is if he has to travel over from bolderfall.
the tail coming up around his back feels like an extra shield. curled against his chest like that, he feels jiaoqiu lean into him, and locks the phone, tucking it into his lap and adjusting the blankets closer. primrose is waiting, huh. sunshade is waiting. home is waiting.
... home. ]
... You should rest. [ he says after a long beat. a little stilted, a little awkward, but it's softened, voice a quiet rumble. he can keep watch, for a little while. ] Quit trying to fight it.
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he keeps his hand where it's been, still warm, and rests his head on therion's shoulder. it's tempting. it's very tempting to sleep, and he knows he probably should. it'll make it easier for him to help them get away when heathcote comes to find them.
he hides a yawn against therion's neck. ]
A doctor should never take his eyes off his patient. [ he mumbles. he's kind of just arguing to argue, though. ]
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[ there's zero heat to this - in fact, there's a thread of something very lightly amused, in the stillness of the little safehouse, in the just there rumble of therion's voice. he's still keeping quiet like they're still hiding, and it makes the whole thing feel intimate. maybe it's the exhaustion that makes things feel rose-colored. maybe it's the pain meds. either way, despite the chaos of the past twenty four hours, of the past few weeks, things feel freakishly, weirdly... calm.
he doesn't close his eyes, but he settles there, listening to the sound of his heartbeat - laying on jiaoqiu, instead of the other way around, but familiar all the same. heathcote's coming, he'll have to endure that, but for once in his life, he's thinking not just about his next step, but about the future itself. ]
I've got it. [ i've got you. ]
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but therion's got it right in that it feels... calm. less panicked. the thieves have marked this house off their map, so they won't be checking again, most likely. therion is aware, and while he's got a concussion and a stab wound, he's on the way to recovering. jiaoqiu knows how fast he can heal, having treated him more than once. all the adrenaline soaked chaos of the last few hours has worn off, and he - well. he trusts therion. he trusts him with his whole life and more.
and even more so when therion says i've got it. he hears the i've got you. it feels like a warm bath. it feels - it feels good. that he'll be here, and not just because he has to be. maybe just. an hour or two. he can just take an hour or two and doze. quietly, he runs his fingers through therion's bloodstained hair, and sinks back against the mattress, letting himself ease up. ]
Don't let me sleep long. [ he murmurs. ] If anything feels wrong, wake me.
[ and with that, he's going to doze off not too much later, holding therion tightly even in his sleep. ]
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[ there's a little grunt of acknowledgement - yeah, yeah. he will. jiaoqiu's tough, he knows he had a lifetime long before therion met him, but he knows just as well that it's been years, and that he also complains when he sleeps wrong. and though he's not much of a comforter or a protector of anything, awkwardly, clumsily, he tries. especially now, after fucking up so, so beyond reason, after finding himself not dead in an alleyway but in a moment of limbo, curled up with a person who he knows, without question, loves him.
so, these are the ways he shows his love. by watching jiaoqiu's back. by keeping them both safe. jiaoqiu's survival instinct terrifies him, sometimes - the fact that he came out here is part and parcel of that - though he'd never admit it, and therion's own stubbornness at clawing his way to staying alive will serve them both, for as long as he can let it.
so. he lets jiaoqiu doze, watching the windows. hazy, but no less focused - everything that hurts feels like an afterthought from the painkillers. the world outside is quiet, the stillness of an evening drenched in snow, and though the raucous thief types come running through the streets once or twice, they're drunk and stupid, bursting out of the local tavern, stumbling over each other in the streets. getting into fistfights, here and there. it's nothing they need to worry about in this little corner, and with his hand settled against jiaoqiu's chest, feeling his heartbeat thump under his hand, he observes, quietly, hurt too much for too many thoughts.
two hours or so pass, uneventful, until - there's a soft, familiar voice in a single fluffy ear, and jiaoqiu will find himself rustled. ] Jiaoqiu.
[ the house is very dark, but therion's single visible eye is nearly luminous in it, bright green. ] C'mon.
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he's practically attuned to therion's voice, even in his sleep, though. so when therion speaks up, he's awake in seconds, blearily opening his eyes with a sucked-in breath. instinctively, he tightens his grip on therion, and meets his gaze, ear flicking. ]
Mm. [ yeah? he's awake. what? ]
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Ride's here. [ a little dryly, as if this is just them waiting for an uber or something. he glances over his shoulder, nose wrinkling just slightly when it makes his head hurt, and it is only then that jiaoqiu might realize there is in fact another person in the room. he's standing a ways to the side in the kitchen area, barely stepping out of the shadows enough to be seen - an older man with well kept facial hair and a very nicely fitting suit, who glances over upon address and offers the hint of a smile.
therion starts to wriggle free, at that - despite everything, he might also notice that his ears are visibly pink in the dark. ] C'mon.
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he'll pull himself up out of bed with a slight wince, because sleeping sitting up fucked his neck up, and then moves instinctively to help therion up. a beat, and then, voice low just in case, but enough for said older man to hear: ]
Thank you, for coming to collect us.
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the elderly man who looks entirely too old to be in the line of work that he is in, merely smiles, hand to his chest. he keeps his voice low as well, pleasant. It's no trouble. For some people, asking is the hardest step, after all.
therion immediately glowers at him, and the elderly man ignores it, still smiling. Mr. Jiaoqiu, is that it? I am Heathcote. Come - there's a car waiting.
and in true butler fashion, he heads to the door first, briefly checking, and then opens the door for jiaoqiu and therion to make their way through! he probably cleared the area, therion notes to himself, briefly sideeying jiaoqiu and looking him up and down to make sure he's alright. there is a nice little car out there, and he even opens the back door for them both, which makes therion make a face, but he's really in no position to complain. ]
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no, jiaoqiu can sense the no nonsense sort of attitude from heathcote, and it kind of amuses him, actually. this is therion kryptonite. jiaoqiu is unfortunately too polite to let this go without thanking their savior - he's not too proud for this. so, with a little bow of his head, he makes his way out the door and towards the car, sticking close to therion. not just because he's worried about him, but because even though this man is obviously trustworthy, considering therion is going anywhere with him willingly, he's a little paranoid. this city is a wreck. jiaoqiu feels... a little poorly, leaving it behind in such a state. but there's not a lot that one person can do. even if he wants to go find that one guy that stabbed therion and poison him to death.
so, he gives another little thank you at the door being opened for them, and then slides into the backseat, leaving a lot of room for therion to get in. he doesn't crowd up against therion once he's inside, but he settles close, quietly reaching to hold onto his arm out of habit. softly, to therion: ]
Everything alright?
[ how are you feeling. where are we going, what's the plan? ]
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this is one of the places that therion and jiaoqiu don't really match - in that this city, to him, is already a lost cause. there's no saving something like this, and he's not really the type to care. sucks for the people who do live here, but therion wants to put northreach into the rearview mirror and never, ever come back, like half the other places he's been. he's spent his whole life in shitholes like this one way or another, and though northreach is maybe the worst he's seen in a while, his focus has always been on his own survival.
(well, mostly. therion has a few people he'd upend the world for. and his soft core means he's suckered into helping others more than you'd expect, even if he's sneaky about it, but he's practical enough that something like this is beyond helping.)
therion slides into the car, shuts the door, drops himself into the seat. his body hurts, but the adrenaline of escaping matches jiaoqiu's paranoia, and he keeps his head on a swivel, glancing out the window, up at the rearview, even as heathcote comes back around and puts the car into drive, heading out through the streets.
the touch to his arm does catch his attention. he glances over at jiaoqiu, glances up at the mirror again, and after a moment... accepts it, huffing softly and turning back towards the window. truthfully, he doesn't feel great, but it's probably just the exhaustion, and if he leans a little more into jiaoqiu's touch than usual, it's probably nothing. ]
'm fine. [ which is not necessarily untrue - he's not any worse than he was a few hours ago. ] Think we're heading to the next town over to catch the train.
[ heathcote's left them be, with all the gesture of a man who is used to driving a car with a fancy lady inside around, though he does comment, from the front: You really ought to take a night before you return. Lady Cordelia would be pleased to have you.
therion scoffs, as therion does, rolls his eyes. ] Yeah, well. She can get over it.
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[ jiaoqiu says, voice soft but insistent. but he's not going to pester - he really does want to go home. he's exhausted, he wants to sleep in his own bed. if therion can make it, that's what they'll do, but if he doesn't feel good, jiaoqiu isn't going to risk his health just because the two of them would rather be back in sunshade. he's keeping a close eye on how therion's moving, what he's doing while they're mostly at rest.
a beat. ]
Lady Cordelia is generous to open her home to us. We'd like to be back as soon as we can, but we'll keep it in mind.
[ there's that military general's right hand coming out, there. his fingers wrap around therion's wrist - nothing more than just holding onto him because he wants to. it makes him feel better. focus on who you can save, he reminds himself, putting northreach out of his mind for now. therion is his priority. ]
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his glance flicks from the rearview mirror to jiaoqiu, as they peel out of the town and off into the night. the hand around his wrist is allowed to stay there - he leans back a little further against the seat, feeling some of the weight and exhaustion of the day starting to weigh on his shoulders, dizzy in the rocking motion of the car.
therion closes his eyes, indicating an I'm Done With This Conversation - his wrist turns just slightly into the fingers pressed to it, and he trusts jiaoqiu to handle it. whether he talks to heathcote a lot or doesn't, he can handle it.
heathcote hums a little in response. "There's hardly a need for the train, then - Master Jiaoqiu is correct. We'll head that for Sunshade directly."
cordelia can wait, because she'll get a full report of everything that happened here anyway, so. off they go. heathcote's as quiet as you might expect as a butler, polite and elegant, and he doesn't necessarily start conversation unless jiaoqiu wants to ask him something of him, but it seems he's fine to take them all the way back. ]
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and he's a little hesitant to do so only because he doesn't always like to be affectionate where other people can see, but he rests his head against therion's shoulder, and closes his eyes. he's exhausted, so he's going to be out in seconds if nobody talks to him.
he figures he'll need the rest for when they get back. ]