erased || dottore ✓

two

"Alrighty, I'm afraid we're going to have to walk the rest of the way."

Dottore glanced at the fork in the road. He already knew why they were stopping, but he decided to ask anyway.

"Why? Are we not going straight to town?"

"No," she pointed to an incline, "I live up at that hill. It's a little away from the village itself, but it's actually a short walk."

"Why isn't your home situated with everyone else?"

Y/n rubbed her head sheepishly. Her laugh coming out a bit forced, "w-well, my granny was actually a reckless alchemist back in the day. And a lot of her stuff blew up most of the time, so some of the villagers helped her build a home that was a safe distance away from the village. Oh, but of course it's not too far away in case of emergency. In fact, if you yell loud enough from where my house is, everyone in the village is bound to hear."

"That so..."

"Mmhmm," she came around to the end of the cart, easily pulling herself up as she steadily walked over to give, careful not to slip on the blood that had already started to pool beneath his leg.

"Is your grandmother still around?"

"..no, she passed away recently. It's just me and my brother now. I used to have an older sister as well, but, well, she passed away too.. it's a long story I would much rather not get into. Though, her husband does come to check on us every once and awhile."

Dottore hummed at her answer, "apologies for your loss. I didn't know that they had passed."

Wrong, he already knew that.

"It's- it's alright. I think of them a lot, but I know they are in a happier place," she uttered, bending down to help him up.

"Have you ever considered finding a house more in the village," he asked, deciding to change the subject, "because you don't seem like the alchemist type."

She chuckled at his amusing tone, "You're right about that, I'm definitely not an alchemist. To be completely honest, I don't have the knack or the brains for it. As for the first part .. no. That home has all of my childhood memories in it, leaving it just doesn't sit well with me. And my little brother feels the same way I do. ...besides, moving everything down the hillside sounds like a pain in the butt."

He let out a laugh, but he was quick to wince in pain the moment the two managed to get off the cart. The slight jarring in his broken foot and ankle making his teeth clench.

Still worth it, he thought. His arm slung over her shoulders as he slightly gripped at her side. Her own arm holding his waist to steady the both of them.

"S-sorry, are you alright?!"

"Just a little pain, I should be alright for now."

"Ok, let's get going. If you need a break, be sure to tell me, alright?"

"Will do," he said a bit too cheerily.

The two set up the hillside. The path being a bit too narrow for the both of them, but they somehow managed.

One might wonder as to why they won't just head to town. That they he could still be in the cart and they could just go to a merchant and or villager and get any medical supplies they need.

Well, y/n thought it best not to lug around a fatui agent into the village. Mainly because she knew that the other villagers absolutely loathed the fatui and won't bother to help the man at all. Not to mention that the doctor wasn't even in the village at the moment.

So, y/n ended up thinking it was best to just take him home. That way none of the villagers will have a pissy fit of a fatui lingering around them.

"Can we stop here?"

She broke out of her thoughts. Her eyes glancing worriedly at the man who was holding onto her.

"Sure."

The two moved over to the side a bit. Y/n falling back a little so they can lean against a tree. She didn't want to let go of him in fear of him falling over and tumbling down the hillside whilst probably breaking his other foot and ankle in the process of doing so.

"I must apologize again, y/n."

"What for?"

"This would be so much easier on you if I wasn't with the fatui. Then you can just take me to town."

"I- uhm-"

He chuckled while reaching over. He couldn't resist the urge to press an index finger under her chin to close her mouth.

"There's no need for excuses. I am well aware that the fatui aren't welcome here, or even well liked for that matter," he let his hand drop from her chin. Careful there, fool. I can't let anything slip up. Not yet, at least...

"Sorry...maybe I should of taken you to the village after all," she started, completely unfazed by his action, "but- but! I didn't want them to turn you away. Or- or even hurt you even more than you already are. It's true that the villagers don't like the fatui and that we avoid you at any given moment when in the woods scouting or hunting, but I don't think that is any reason to not help out somehow who is injured."

"It's alright, y/n. I understand. This will be easier anyway. Granted, this hillside of yours is an absolute monstrosity."

Way easier indeed..

Her lips quivered before quirking up into a smile, "You're telling me. You should walk this thing yourself once your foot is all healed up."

"No thanks, I think I'll just have you carry me again."

"Rude."

The two laughed. Honestly, Dottore was glad he was able to keep this up for so long.