"The most painful goodbyes are the ones that are never said and never explained."
-Xamdú
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Fariel walked into Ake's room with some herbal ointment made from grounded leaves and a bit of water. It would act as a salve and help close up some wounds that had not been healing properly since that time in sky. Fariel sighed at the thought and scooted a chair up by his bedside. Ake's head was turned away from him, but he knew he was awake and alert.
"Ake, come. Let me dress your wounds before Karos figures out where you are at. It was hard enough to separate him from you then. It will be harder now, especially when he sees you like this."
Ake turned his head towards him and looked at him with sweat coming down his forehead. There was dried smeared blood left around the corners of his lips causing him to fill with some strange form of anger.
"Why had you done that? Tell me, Ake. Why? He could have--! We could have handled this all."
Ake did not answer him causing him to shake his head and turn Ake to his side where a great deal of wounds from the griffins had happened. There were four, no five, deep gashes going from his side towards his back. They were such vicious creatures. He applied the salve evenly and calmly despite Ake's constant hissing and moving.
"... Fariel... "
"Yes?"
"Make him take it out... Convince him for me." Fariel's eyes closed at the meaning behind those words. "If you care for him, you must," he said, his voice laced with pain.
"He had already taken it out... "Fariel answered as he swallowed dryly. It would hurt him to lie to his dear friend once more. Finally, he had regained his lost trust and Ake is now making him jeopardize it once more.
"... That is good then... "
Fariel wished he could leave it at that and say no more. He would have some time ago. He used to take any opportunity to wedge them apart, but not like this. Not anymore. It was far too late now.
"He had taken it out because of his injury he had gotten in Gasa. He did not want to jeopardize your life if Hinem's sword had pierced through a vital organ," Fariel murmured. "You must take care of yourself for now on. No more battles. Think of how— think of how Karos would feel if you... "
"You had wanted this for so long and look at you now," Ake feigned amusement as he sat up gritting his teeth. "Hurry and bandage me before he sees me like this."
Fariel did as he wished and started wrapping a clean bandage around the wounds and tied it together. He wiped away his forehead full of sweat with a small cloth and sighed again. Who was he trying to fool, exactly? Karos would see through this.
"The healing process to rid you of the poisons spreading through your body will only take a week. If only if you would just—"
"I had not realized it then," Ake said cutting him off, "what Alastar's words meant then... "
Fariel looked at him.
"To be human and a dragon all the same..." Ake looked at his hands and frowned. "It was the price Oraanu had spoken of, but I would pay any price to be with him," Ake breathed. "Because I love him, deeply and so much that it hurts."
Fariel tried to keep a straight face but his eyebrows kneaded together and his throat had gone dry.
"The gem being away from you had... " Fariel looked at his hands. "I am the same."
"You had not given your gem to a human."
Fariel was dumbstruck when he saw tears flooding down Ake's face. He quickly wiped them away and sighed. "But I regret nothing. If I had the chance to change everything that had happened, I would not."
"Ake if only you just rest... " Fariel pressed knowing his words were falling on deaf ears.
"Just tell him to keep it with him... it is his and it will always be his... Tell him this for me, please."
Fariel nodded beside himself just as he heard Karos rushing through the door.
"Ake!" He cupped his face in his hand and kissed his lips before bringing him into a light hug. "You are well?"
"I am," Ake murmured. Ake smiled and hugged him back sinking his face deep into his shoulder.
For once, he would do as Ake wished and tell him. "He has some aches and pains, but nothing to worry over, Karos," Fariel said almost choking on his lies.
"Why are your eyes so red, and what is this beside your lips?" Karos asked as he wiped away Ake's dried blood.
"Of all the things in the world, you are my most loved thing," Ake smiled causing Fariel's heart to tighten. He pressed a hand to his chest and squeezed with downcast eyes. "Do you know this?"
"As you are mine," he heard Karos mumble back. He was not so keen on showing emotion, but with Ake, such soft words as those came spilling from his lips.
"So you must take care of yourself," Ake said. "And love yourself and cherish others and those around you. The world is not so cruel of a place, Karos. You just have to be willing to find the goodness in it."
"You say such things though you are the one with the most bandaging," Karos said as he hugged him tighter and whispered something into Ake's ear. Fariel could only look away as he saw Ake's eyes filling with tears. "And I know now the world is not such a cruel place and there is good in it because I had met you. And you are mine. The world became beautiful then."
"As I will be forever."
"Ahem," Fariel cleared his throat and motioned to Karos. "A word, Karos. Ake needs all the rest he can get."
Karos walked away from him and followed him out the door and a little ways down the hallway.
"What is it?" Karos asked.
"You know he is unwell."
"I do."
"So you must keep him here at all costs. Whether he ends up despising you or not, you must if you want to keep him alive." Karos took in a deep breath and looked away from him. "I know you do not like imposing your will onto others, but this time, it is a matter that should be decided by you and not him. He values his people too much as you tend to undervalue yours."
Karos stayed silent causing Fariel to continue.
"Because of your decision, the gwasas had overrun the first gate and are approaching the second. Soon they'll be at the third along with the griffins."
"Then you stay here with him. No dragon would dare to disobey him beside you. Keep him here, no matter what. Do this for me," Karos said causing Fariel to nod. If something were to happen to Ake while he was with Karos the king would look at it no other way than to blame Karos for it. It was the only reason why he had told him. Ake would understand.
"Analia will come with me, so do not worry for me."
"And Rakkaus?"
"Yes... him as well."
"Your ribs—" Karos moved his hand away from himself.
"—I am fine. Really, I am and I do not know why."
Fariel closed his eyes as Ake's words finally dawned on him. Instead of saying anything more, Karos started to walk away but Fariel grabbed the top of his arm stopping him.
"Wait, are you not going to say goodbye to him?"
Karos' lips pursed and eyebrows kneaded together before he went and shook his head.
"I cannot... "
"Why—"
"—Just tell him for me," he said quickly. He took the back of his hand and wiped his eyes.
"Karos... " Fariel sighed and walked back inside the room checking on Ake. As he walked near his bedside, Ake's eyes opened and stared at him before looking behind him for Karos.
"He is checking on things. He will be back soon."
"Things... "Ake mumbled as he hoisted himself up again.
"Lay back down."
"No," Ake growled. "Where is he?"
"You need to rest and calm yourself." Fariel could very well see the anxiousness growing inside of him. He did not want Karos to go out there without him, Fariel knew that. However, Fariel could not seem to understand why those same thoughts would not occur to him when it was Karos worrying for his health and his safety.
"I want to see him."
"He will be back." It was like speaking to a child. Fariel could empathize with him, though. He wanted to Oraanu just as much. It has been some time since he had last kissed his lips. It was chaos out in the world and it made him worry.
"Fariel..." he heard Ake's voice breaking. He was far too emotional in all this. Was all his thoughts filled with negativity?
"Ake, he will be fine."
"There are griffins out there. They will— they will tear them to shreds."
"The dragons will help them. You know that."
"No... No-no-no." Ake rose from the bed and started towards the door, but Fariel pushed him back.
"You cannot leave out this room."
"Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?" Ake yelled and smacked his hand away from his chest. He tried walking the other way, but Fariel blocked his path at every move. Fariel was staying clear of his hot spots as best as he could but Ake was relentless. He squeezed his injured side causing him cry out in pain.
"Unlike Karos, I do not care if I have to hurt you to make you understand." Ake looked up at him with a scowl written across his face causing Fariel's eyes to narrow. "I could have told him that you are suffering from his injuries as well, but I did not. I could have told him that he is making you suffer and become like this. Would you like for me to—"
"—No."
"Then behave yourself." Fariel picked Ake up from the ground which only made Ake push away from him. "Ake, go to your bed and stay there or do I have to put you there myself? You are only so big."
"You think you can talk to me this way because you hold a place in Karos' heart?" Ake hissed.
"No, I talk this way to you because I have always disliked you. Such a haughty, vain, insolent, little thing, you are. You never listen. You never learn." Just as Fariel turned around and walked closer to the door, he was tackled to the ground. Red hair covered his face and he could barely see anything until Ake moved away from him and towards the door. Fariel grabbed his leg and dragged him back, but Ake kicked him in the face and rose just as he let go.
Fariel quickly got up and ran even faster to the door causing Ake to be blocked by his body once again.
"See, like I said, you never learn," Fariel breathed through pants.
"I have to be with him."
"Ake... "
Ake still struggled to get passed him but Fariel continued to stop him each time. Eventually, he would tire himself out.
"He means everything to me!" Ake sobbed as he hit against his arm. Fariel could already tell his strength was waning.
"... I know, Ake."
"So why are you doing this to me?"
"Because this is what he wants."
Ake's eyes lowered to the ground as a steady flow of tears kept coming down his face.
"You cannot just sacrifice yourself for him because you love him, you stupid fool. You are a prince, the crowned prince, of a fallen kingdom. They do not need their future king lying in a pool of his own blood for a human. Think of them through all of this madness."
Fariel realized that in order to keep Karos alive he would have to keep Ake alive as well some time ago, but he never thought he would be actively keeping Ake away from danger and away from Karos like this. After all the times he had asked for this day to come, there was nothing but a vile taste left in his mouth. It made his heart hurt seeing such a prideful person become so broken and in pieces like this.
He bent down and lifted Ake's face up before wiping away some of his tears with his thumb. Karos meant the world to Ake, but Karos was his only friend for so long he was like his world too. He had just recently come to learn to share it with someone else.
"Dry your eyes now. He will be fine, Ake... "
"If he is not, I promise to Mercy, himself, I will kill you."
Fariel sighed away a fleeting smile. If only Oraanu was here to talk some sense into him. He was no good at it, but Oraanu had a knack for pacifying an angry dragon. His smile disappeared as soon as he heard Ake's cries growing louder and worse.
"Calm yourself. Calm yourself. When this is all over, you have all the time in the world to spend together. He cares about you and he loves you, Ake. Take all of this into consideration and get some rest. Get well enough so that next time you see him you can greet him properly outside of a bed."
Ake was such a child, Fariel thought with a sad smile.
"I did not get to say goodbye," Ake sobbed.
"You have no reason to. You will see him again."
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[A/N]
Aw, Ake... This definitely did tug at my heartstrings. Karos should have at least told him that or left him with a kiss. He knows how Ake is. :/ And Fariel is definitely not the man for the job when it comes to comforting him. Gods, no.
Leave me your thoughts on this, guys! ❤️