"Ow! It's cramping up!"
Tighnari frowns as he waits for the elevators to open to the seventh floor, your arm slung over his shoulders as his own arm rests around your waist. Although there were some initial objections on your part, he eventually managed to convince you to carry that little metallic beetle that bit you.
Your calf muscle has inexplicably started to cramp up after the bug bite, quickly and agonizingly. It incapacitates you to the point Tighnari has to support you to keep off of your bad leg.
"Your room is a similar distance from the elevator...I don't want you walking on it anymore, you might end up pulling a muscle and causing more damage," Tighnari decides, surprising you into turning to face him.
He says that, but...then how are you supposed to get back to the hotel room? Roll like a barrel down the hall? Find a wagon or wheelchair? Presumably, all the wheelchairs are at the reception desk downstairs, and there's no point walking all that distance when your room is closer anyways.
Oh, is he going to let me climb onto his back like he did in Chinvat Ravine?
"Alright then, turn around and I'll just-" you start, only for Tighnari to shake his head, more than confusing your initial assumptions. "No?"
"No. Not like that," he confirms, before surprising you by readjusting his hand against your shoulder blades and scooping you up by the underside of your thighs.
There's still a soreness from how they were grabbed the other night by the worst lover known to man, but it's almost as easy to ignore as the pain of your cramping calf when you find yourself linking your free arm around Tighnari's neck for an anchor. Once you find your balance with his help, your eyes flick back to him where his face is now dangerously close for someone who's essentially still an acquaintance.
At the very least, he doesn't seem to concern himself with the state of your shirt.
"Like this," he simply answers, meeting your gaze with little concern for the proximity or the fact he's got you in his arms bridal style. You can feel a warmth roll over your face and body, but Tighnari is otherwise unaware of how nervous you've gotten. "It's easier to support your thighs this way. If I carried you on my back instead, my hands might slip forward and apply pressure to your calf."
I don't think that's any different than what might happen here. His hand still might slide forward as he walks.
The elevator doors ding and slide open into the hallway, Tighnari turning so he can carry you out without hitting your legs against anything.
"A-Aren't I too heavy like this?" You ask nervously, somewhat ashamed at the thoughts that relentlessly cloud your mind when you do. He carried you easily the last time, it's just...this position holds a more intimate connotation.
At least based on all the romance manhwa you've binged in the past month. It makes the butterflies in your stomach all the harder to ignore.
Furthermore, even though your physique doesn't often bother you, the culture that surrounds you still sinks in its claws occasionally after years of hammering beauty standards into your mind. Weight, fitness, body structure- it's a toxic mindset you fight to push away when it rears its ugly head. Half of the time, you know logically that it's criticizing something that's not a concern in the first place.
Tighnari gives you a funny look after the elevator doors shut behind you. He pauses in his stride and makes a point by gently bouncing you just enough to get a better grip. You tremble a little, worried he'll drop you.
"Exceedingly," he answers with all the dryness of a crisp brown leaf in the fall. "Why, I wonder how I'm able to even pick up my bow and use it."
"Okay, I get it- not heavy," you laugh a little, before realizing just how hard it is to focus on anything else with how close he is.
"What a ridiculous question. I'm only carrying you like this so you don't get hurt. The other method, again, wouldn't be ideal," he repeats, allowing his feistier side to fade into something calmer. "Just bear with me until we reach your hotel room, yes?"
I still don't think there's any real difference...is that really true? That I'm more likely to slip in his arms when I'm on his back? He didn't have an issue when he was climbing up the wall of Chinvat Ravine with me, and he wasn't supporting my legs at all back then.
Then again...what reason does he have to lie? It's not like he wants to carry me like this, right?...I'm obviously letting my imagination get the better of me.
"Okay, Tighnari."
He seems pleased by your reply, as mundane as it is, looking away to continue walking. With his eyes no longer on you, you bite your lip and decide to discreetly crane your neck over his shoulder to give his back a quick peek. Granted, it's hard to be secretive of what you're doing when you're in his arms, but the payoff should be worth it as always.
At the bottom left leg of his pants, you can see his tail wiggling under the loose fabric, making you smile and turn back to see Tighnari side-eyeing you with knit eyebrows. Although he looks annoyed, the view has both satisfied you and eased some shadows of concern lingering in the back of your mind. You're still having thoughts that he might find you difficult to be around.
He said what he said in the stairwell, about enjoying your meetings together and finding you fascinating. It's a relief, but...what if he changes his mind? What happens when you stop being interesting?
Will he forget you too?
Don't think about that right now. You're having fun, remember? Look at that face of his, don't tell me he's not basically asking you to tease him more.
"What are you looking at?" he says more than asks, his voice a flat deadpan that clues you in on the fact he knows exactly where you were staring.
"Proof," you answer without hesitation, watching as confusion blooms across his fair features and washes away any retort he might have prepared to combat a normal excuse.
"'Proof'?" He repeats, watching with mild suspicion as you keep smiling at him. "Of what?"
"Proof that you aren't as annoyed with my ridiculous tendencies as you pretend to be," you answer plainly, reaching up to gently poke his nose playfully.
Paired with your words, you watch as a light hue of red dusts over his cheeks at your words. His ears are twitching under his hood, flicking much stronger than they usually do and nearly pushing his hood back. Seeing this, you reach up and pull it down more along his head so it doesn't fall.
"You...!" He growls a little, thoroughly embarrassed as you crane your neck over his shoulder again. "Don't look back there!"
His tail is still wagging. If anything, it's wagging even more violently than before, just like his ear twitches. Wow, if you had to guess, he must really find you fun to be around. He's just such a stiff that he won't let loose normally, will he?
It looked like he had fun chasing you yesterday when you brought him to your hotel room...maybe he doesn't usually behave like that.
Still, it's amusing. More than that, it boosts your mood significantly.
"Seriously though, if I was able to see how my friends felt when I would talk to them, I probably would have realized earlier they didn't need me arou-"
You abruptly cut yourself off, even releasing your hand from your torn shirt to cover your mouth in surprise. You're still leaning over his shoulder, and at this point you don't think you'll be able to pull back where he can see you.
Well. Now he knows you don't have friends. How pathetic. He must think you did something wrong- that you must have chased them away by a fault of your own. That there's no point in befriending somebody that no one wants around. That can be easily replaced with a better version. Better yet, that can be replaced with a vase that fulfills the same boring role without the caveats like "hurt feelings" and "different opinions".
Tighnari's going to ask you questions...he must be curious. He-
"But you can tell I want you around, right?" He asks, his voice like a cleanser to the festering decay that threatens to take hold of you. His tone has changed completely, becoming warm and at ease. You're doing everything in your power to not feel so vulnerable beside him. "If you need to look at my tail again, then be my guest."
He's being serious.
Taking his advice and peering over his shoulder...his tail hasn't ceased its movements. It's less of an intensity than it was moments before, but it's still going nonetheless.
What if it's out of pity?
"You're only moving it to be nice," you mumble despite the flutter in your chest from the change in his demeanor. He approaches your hotel door and turns to press his back into it, waiting as you fish the card key from your bag and slip it into the reader.
"I'm not, don't be like that," Tighnari laughs gently, watching as you turn the knob so he can push the door open. "If I didn't want to be around you, believe me, I wouldn't have bothered to seek you out in the first place."
He waits as you reach back over his shoulder to lock the door, only continuing once you give him the go ahead to keep moving.
There's a distinct change in your mood as you leave the hallway, one that you can't quite put your finger on. It's not because of Tighnari offering comfort, it's something else. The room feels like it's become warmer, and it kind of smells nice...maybe housekeeping came in while you were out?
The bed is still unmade though, wouldn't they have cleaned if they were here?
As Tighnari sets you down on the bed, he gives you a distinct 'roll over' motion with his hand and pulls his tail back out of his bottoms.
"Let me take a look at your leg. You said you felt like something was inside, right?" Tighnari asks as he takes off his hoodie to hold it out to you. Once his ears flick back up to their natural position, you take his hoodie from him and gesture for him to turn around. Thankfully, he doesn't need much prompting, and his back faces you as you do a quick change of your ruined shirt for his top.
You're gonna need to shed this bashfulness if you want to be a pole dancer.
Of course you know that, but you're not going to be working anytime soon. You need to practice at the work out facility first. Then you can worry about destroying your modesty for something more confident.
On that note, it's a good thing you had to change into shorts for that pole dancing audition, because you don't have to struggle with taking off jeans for him to examine your leg.
Though...maybe the jeans would have given you more of a shield back when that pseudo-bug bite happened.
The fabric of Tighnari's hoodie has a soft fabric on the inside that hugs your chest, a divine linen that contrasts the almost water-proof outer layer. Is it resistant to water? It probably is. Maybe that oil he puts on his tail to make it waterproof is also on his clothing too.
"All done, just be careful with my leg," you say after you're covered, rolling over half on the bed for support and holding your bad leg out a little. Just this little pose makes it start cramping up, but you hold back your curses for the sake of keeping Tighnari's worries at bay. He rolls his eyes as he turns back around.
"Of course I'll be careful, what do you take me for-" Tighnari cuts himself off. You can see his ears perk up suddenly when his eyes land on you, the words dying on his tongue as he casts you a bewildered look of disbelief.
He looks kind of shocked to see your position, and although it occurred to you initially upon his request, you didn't think he would have noticed or had a reaction.
"Don't start up about my hedonistic tendencies. If you're thinking of anything dirty, that's all you, I'm only doing what you asked," you casually respond to his gobsmacked expression, watching as he quickly reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Unfortunately for him, the scarlet hue of his features is all too noticeable as he gets down and props your lower leg up carefully onto his thigh.
"I didn't say a thing about it," he says.
"Maybe not out loud, but your red face says it all- ouch!" You bite off from your teasing, gritting your teeth as you curl your leg up and wait for the tightening cramp of your calf to settle. It only makes it feel worse. "Fuck...!"
"Now, don't pull back, you're going to hurt yourself. Just relax it and don't try to move around," Tighnari scolds you without much force, maybe even a little amusement, allowing you to attempt to rest your leg back on his thigh where he's kneeling on the floor.
"Did you do that on purpose?" You ask with a slight pout, somewhat suspicious until he meets your gaze and says your name in an almost chastising manner.
"I'm not going to abuse my position and hurt you just because you're teasing me a little, that would be unethical. And reprehensible," he adds, before reaching over to throw the hood of his shirt up over your head rudely. As the darkness inside the hoodie covers your vision, you make a grunt of disapproval. "There. Now we're even."
This is what he calls being even?
"At this rate, I'm gonna start believing you enjoy getting teased," you half laugh, only to earn a flick to the back of your head. Curiously, he neither affirms nor denies your claims- which probably won't help any of your future urges to get a rise out of him.
"Mmm...there's definitely something in there, but the removal process will require specific tools currently unavailable to us."
Oh joy. If anything, you've probably been bugged...pun not intended.
"Special tools like forceps?" You ask, feeling your expression drop. "Yeah, we're not getting our hands on that...unless I go to a hospital. And I wouldn't put it past these people to stop that from happening somehow."
"Is that so? This must be one powerful government if that's the case," Tighnari murmurs, making you pause and turn to look back at him as he applies that special cooling ointment onto the raised skin where the bug had bit you.
"You have no idea how powerful most governments in this world are," you answer, a grimace making itself known on your face- this time not for the reason of the bad cramping of your calf and thigh muscle. You can see your phone on one of the nightstands by the bed, too far to reach for the moment. Although you don't think you'll be able to get your hands on forceps, you have this urge to try and find some using Amazon. Amazon technically has everything, doesn't it?
So whoever is behind this, whether it's the government or a secret institution unrelated to them, since we don't have substantial proof yet...they clearly wanted to monitor us closer than normal. For the most part, they've only let me loose in the Avidya forest around Tighnari thus far, so what's the purpose of only putting in a tracker only now?
...If I were to get into trouble for reasons unrelated to their examinations...would the people behind everything interfere?
Hmm.
"...So," you start as he starts wrapping a bandage around your ointment covered calf. Although the cooling sensation helps with some of the pain, it's still quite unbearable whenever you feel the muscle of your calf involuntarily twitch and cramp up. "If they're in here observing us, what do we do?"
You haven't told him your speculation of them owning the entire resort. You also haven't told him about how you're homeless or how you got a spectacular grand prize raffle ticket to be here. The coincidences continue to swirl about in your mind, leaving you with more questions than answers.
To be fairly reasonable, even if you said something as alarming as that and agreed to leave the resort hotel, you probably shouldn't move your leg anymore than you already have. Tighnari would have to carry you around more- and although it's not uncomfortable to be carried by him, he'll probably keep carrying you bridal style...and that's just way too embarrassing to allow.
Even if it does satisfy some kind of carnal fantasy in the back of your mind that's better left ignored.
"I don't know. With your leg like this, you're not in any shape to go anywhere," Tighnari says, tying the bandage off and allowing his eyes to flick back up to you. "I was hoping you'd guide me around a portion of your city- maybe to find us somewhere else to stay. It's quite massive and I don't believe we'd be able to see all of it in one day, but for the sake of getting accustomed to it in case of a repeat visit..."
He trails off, shaking his head and sighing as he stands back up. At your apologetic gaze, he turns back to take your arm and help you sit properly on the bed without straining your leg.
"Don't worry about it. I was also thinking I could go out for a while to scout the area some more on my own, but I'm not familiar enough with your world to navigate it by myself, to be fairly honest. I can see currency is an important aspect though," he explains, before his eyes wander over to the window. His forest eyes are stuck there, studying the urban landscape of the city in thought. Although you were making fun of him earlier, your eyes start to gloss over, distracted by his appearance compared to the city scape outside.
Wait...weren't the window blinds closed before you left?
There was light coming in when you woke up, remember? No, wait, these aren't blackout blinds though. Light could still come in if it's bright enough, like floodlights or daylight. I can't remember if one of us opened it or-
"You know, for you to be the one that's been teasing me all this time, you stare at me a lot," Tighnari continues after a moment, making you snap out of your thoughts to see him looking right back at you in amusement.
"Sorry. Stop being so good looking, then I'll stop," you plainly state, even though you weren't actually staring for that reason this time.
You have no idea why you said it. Or well, you do. To make Tighnari squirm a little. What you're more confused about is that this bold comment comes out of your mouth faster than your brain can process it. Your heart kind of throbs when you see his body lock up in disbelief.
"Where in the world do you get the kind of nerve to just say that to someone's face?" He asks, stunned but not offended by the looks of it. You're glad- you don't want to accidentally make him upset.
"Think of it this way. What do I have to lose by admitting I think you're attractive? I don't mind being rejected," you explain simply, trying to relax your nerves even though you're playing it cool.
You wouldn't want him to know his rejection might be a little more painful if only because of your attachment to him right now. At the same time, you don't want him to be influenced out of pity.
You don't mind being rejected probably because you're used to rejection in every capacity. If you're worried about his rejection, why are you asking for it?
Tighnari turns away from you, staring out into the window like he's trying to distract himself.
"...You are unbelievable," he eventually gets out past the scarlet hue that inevitably climbs up his neck, which does more than calm your nerves into something less intense.
He's not rejecting you.
It's a hopeful observation, one that you quickly shove aside for the sake of progressing the conversation
"So, about the currency here. This is just one state of fifty in the United States of America, a country where you need to pay to eat, live, sleep, and die. It's all about capitalism here. Hence why things are so awful. If you need a heart or liver transplant, that costs money. If you want a proper burial in your future for yourself and a loved one, you have to fork over your life savings to do it," you start, pulling out your wallet and barely opening the clasp before Tighnari is talking again with revitalized vigor.
"A heart transplant?! Excuse me? Exchanging organs...with artificial organs, or with another person's organs? What about the incompatibilities? How do you keep a person alive if you have to remove the heart? How do they preserve an organ while it's outside the body? How long does it take them to wake up afterwards?" He asks, shifting closer as he scans your features for answers. Obviously his curiosity has spiked, because his tail is whipping about behind him as he waits for an explanation.
"Um...well, medical science isn't really my field, so I'll only answer what I know. There's no artificial organs yet, I think. I know they temporarily hook people up to machines that take over the tasks of the heart while it's outside the body? Or something of the sort. At that point, it's just a matter of hooking the new heart in place- and we don't have incompatibility issues since our medical science can match people with viable organs," you explain. At his last query, you scrunch your face up a little in thought. "I don't know how they preserve organs. Not sure about the length of time people are usually out either. When the body is healed enough and the drugs wear off? I don't know, I've never had surgery before, so..."
"That's amazing," Tighnari says, tail whipping around behind him again. You only notice because it hits the side of your arm with its full fluffy weight just before Tighnari grabs and holds it in place on his other side. "Oh! Sorry! I swear, that thing has a mind of its own sometimes."
You bite your lip as he pins it down, watching his tail continue to wriggle.
"It's alright...it's cute," you press your luck and say, laughing a little when that embarrassed hue of red dusts over his cheeks.
"I'm sure it is from where you're sitting," he answers dryly as he turns his gaze to you. After a moment, you reach into your wallet and extract a card from it. You adjusted the amount of money in a few of your cards just to not hold all your eggs in one basket, with one holding only a tenth of your payout.
Sure, it's a lot of money, but Tighnari's smart. He should be able to weigh the value of something versus its cost and adjust himself accordingly.
"I have a thousand US dollars in this card. You can use it anywhere, even for the subway or train. I can probably ask the receptionist down in the lobby to get you a map to the city too. Or at least give you directions on where to get one," you say, holding the card out to him and watching as he stares at it and then looks back up at your face. It takes only a beat for him to lower your arm back down to your lap.
"I would prefer to go with you," he answers, patting your hand and refusing the card. "Going out now would be too complicated for me."
This immediately strikes you as odd, and it must be obvious on your face since Tighnari clears his throat a little.
So far he's proven he's smart enough to understand the nuances of modern society pretty well, to the point he could easily learn with more exposure. He even knew about how important currency is. I don't think he'd struggle since he has an observant and calculating nature.
"Well, not 'complicated', that's probably not the right word. I just..." he pauses, fiddling with the end of his tail that he's pulled around into his lap. "I don't want to leave you here alone and find that something happens while I'm out. You already got robbed once before I joined you, and now there's this with the metal insect and your leg. What if it happens again?"
What a considerate bunny.
"I see...well, if I can't convince you otherwise, then I'm happy to have you around. I like your company," you answer, making him perk up enough that his ears spring up from their original semi-drooped position. You hadn't even noticed his ears were doing that till now, his face had your undivided attention the entire time.
"Yes, I believe these accommodations are best left as they currently stand," Tighnari answers, looking content as he brings his tail into his lap to brush his fingers through his fur. "Besides, I can monitor you for any other symptoms that may come up. That being said, I may as well ask you a few more questions now that some time has passed."
Tighnari surprises you by getting up again, standing in front of you and removing his gloves. Seeing his bare hands, you feel your body tense up slightly. He chuckles lightly at your wariness.
"You don't have to worry, my nails won't be scratching you again, I promise," he says, showing you his hands and flexing his fingers. The domes have been pulled in to the point the sharp tips rest on his nail bed. To your surprise, even as he flexes them like you had earlier, his nails don't extend outward. "See? I'm not going to hurt you."
He lets you hesitantly reach up to run your fingers over his, your thumb gently attempting to worm under the point on his nail bed. Although you make a decent effort, making sure you're not hurting him, you can't get the sharp tip to lift over your finger even slightly, it's pinned there completely.
"I have special muscles on the first knuckle of my fingers that can pin my nail in place. If I want, I can also do the reverse and keep them out while my hand is in a relaxed position," he elaborates, allowing you to feel around of your own volition. It's while you're quietly investigating that he suddenly lets out a small laugh, cutting himself short before you tilt your head up to him from where you're seated. He seems sheepish, waving your questioning gaze off. "Excuse me, it's nothing. Just thought of something funny."
You smile at that, looking up at him earnestly. You're not sure if it's because of his good mood or if it's just your silly crush getting the better of you, it feels like your heart is starting to pound compared to its initial flutters.
No, it doesn't "feel like it", it's definitely pounding.
"What were you thinking about?" You ask as you pace your breathing to calm your heart, your curiosity piqued.
Tighnari doesn't say anything at first, making you vaguely aware of his own quick breaths. When he finally finds his voice though, it's not what you expect to come out of his mouth.
"I was thinking that you're staring at my hands similarly to how you were staring at my face," he says with another short chuckle, the volume of his voice having dropped like he's embarrassed to admit it.
I can't believe he's able to say something like that out loud. Is there something going on to make us behave this way? Or...does he like me too?
"Be careful, or I'm gonna start thinking you're trying to flirt with me," you reply as your fingers drag up along his to see his fingerprint. The bottoms of his hands are exactly like yours, nothing appearing too different. Although he has a slender hand, it's still notably larger than your own and easily encapsulates yours as he laces his fingers with- wait.
"Me trying to flirt with you? Which of us has been the one doing all the teasing since we woke up?" Tighnari asks, pinning your hand down on the bed so he can lean forward and meet your eyes directly. He's kind of smiling, like he thinks you've made yourself an easy target this time around. You're not imagining this, right?
Tighnari...he's got sass, but you're confident you can unravel that pretty quickly with little effort. You've already humiliated him a few times, what's one more to make sure he knows what he's getting into?
"...Do you want to be humbled?" You ask, peering at him suspiciously with a tiny smile. "Just say you want a kiss, I don't mind."
And just like that, Tighnari's bravado collapses completely. His cheeks flush a red of the likes you've never seen before, turning him into something quite like a frowning indignant tomato. Even the green highlights of his head resemble a tomato stalk with leaves.
"I- that's not- I wasn't-!" He stammers, remembering his hand on yours and looking down at them to quickly release you. He clears his throat to compose himself, though it does nothing for his quick breathing. "I'm not asking for a kiss."
"Of course not, you just want one by default," you're quick to reply, having way too much fun watching his rapidly twitching ears. Behind him, his tail has gone rampant, swishing about in a frivolous motion. If you had to guess based on how lively it is, he either thinks this is a lot of fun, or he's super annoyed.
And connecting what he told you on your way into the room though, it can't be annoyance...even if your brain is whispering it in your ear to lower your self-esteem.
Does he like being teased then?
"No!" He complains with a deeper scowl, the blush on his face not letting up whatsoever. "No kisses."
"Hm...I wouldn't mind one from you though," you cheekily add, already expecting a swift "no" on his end.
Maybe you're pushing it by saying so much. You're definitely toeing that boundary you yourself set up, but you can't help it. Was there something else in that artificial bug bite you got? Is that why your heart is trying to outpace you? Why your breathing is so fast? You're definitely already attached to Tighnari. It's a bad idea implying you want something like a kiss, even as a simple teasing remark.
This isn't right. Remember you said you have to be careful? If something were to develop, you might stay longer. You're not staying here for long.
But it feels nice...
Indulging in your attachment for a little wouldn't hurt, right?
You're so lost in thought you don't even realize Tighnari is staring at you curiously until you feel his hand rest over yours on the bed again.
"J-Just...a little one then?" He suggests nervously as he leans a little closer, his walls coming down briefly as his eyes scan your features for any signs of an honest refusal. It's such a flip-flop of his declaration only a moment ago of there to be "no kisses". "I've never...I'm just curious, okay? That's all. I may as well take you up on your offer."
Oh, just for curiosity's sake, huh?
It can just be a quick peck. A flash of warmth against your lips that you can hold close in your heart and treasure for as long of a time as you will allow yourself to have.
...No. Something isn't right.
As Tighnari leans forward, you force yourself to press your fingers gently over his mouth and stop him. To your surprise, the weight of your hand feels like a cinder block, like your body is fighting against the saccharine temptation to just let it happen.
But you have to ask.
As much as you want a kiss from your familiar stranger, he's still very much a stranger.
This isn't unusual for you, not with how you're looking for sexual partners to distract you. Those are just flings though, and it feels wrong to do that to Tighnari compared to those other people. Why? Well...you like him. You know you do. It's not based on much, but you want to know more about him- which is very unlike how you would feel about a one-night stand.
Furthermore...isn't this weird for him to be doing? He seemed to have zero reservations about kissing you the moment you said you wouldn't mind, and he doesn't strike you as the type to jump in suddenly like that. Wouldn't he be more likely to think about it first?
Your heart is beating faster. Abnormally fast, to the point it's starting to hurt.
"Tighnari...is something wrong?" You ask, breathless despite the fact you're more or less stationary where you sit. "I feel weird- and not in a good way."
At that response, Tighnari forgets about the kiss and shifts his attention to immediately scan you critically. His expression screams business now.
"Describe your symptoms," he orders, his own breath still somewhat fast. Not like how fast yours is getting as you finally give up trying to control the pace.
"Uh...it's...hard to breathe and...my heart is pounding. It hurts," you answer, clutching at your thorax uncomfortably. His eyes follow your hand up to your chest and narrow there.
"May I?" He asks first, lifting a hand and motioning it towards the area of your chest you're touching. You nod, moving your hand so he can reach in from the collar of his hoodie to rest his palm against your heart. Your skin tingles at the contact.
He's so close. If I just lean forward a little, then...
You can smell the Avidya Forest on him still, far more intense than the lingering scent clinging to his hoodie shirt you're wearing.
After he pulls his hand out, he rests two fingers along your neck to check your pulse. He frowns after mouthing the count to himself.
Tighnari pauses for a moment and then reaches up to press a hand to his own chest pensively. Once he has a moment of silent thought, he stands up and starts pacing around the room quickly, sniffing the air every now and then like he's looking for something.
"You haven't set up anything aromatic like scented reed diffusers or candles, correct?" Tighnari asks, earning a head shake of "no" in response. "Hm. I assumed it smelled nice because of that. What about the staff taking care of the room? Do you think they might have come in and added a fragrance?"
"They would have made the bed and organized things to be more presentable. What does it smell like anyways? I don't smell anything," you reply, watching him stop beside your bed suddenly.
He scans your expression of discomfort before getting down and lifting up the long comforter to peer under the bed.
"...Interesting," he says, turning to line himself along the side of the bed. When he looks up to find you, he's greeted by the sight of your legs in front of him instead. At that, his ears flatten back and he laughs awkwardly with an apologetic look. "Sorry..."
"You can look," you tease despite your aching chest, much to his visible embarrassment and annoyance.
"Not letting it rest even when you're ill, I see..." Tighnari sighs, turning away before you can finish seeing the red color sweep across his cheeks. Only his arm has gone under the bed, with his eyes focused on anything but you as he feels around underneath. Why doesn't he just crawl under more so he can see what he's doing? "There's a wooden base, but I found a small segment has been cut out into it. I'm just checking to see if-"
He cuts himself off and pulls away from the bed, his arm following and extending out to something he's clutching in his hand.
When he turns it upwards to give it a look, you realize it's a strange looking metallic sphere, lined with a ring of several black spouts the size of a tooth. At the peaks, you can see there's a plume of smoke gently flowing out of it, and you quickly realize it's probably what's causing you to feel like you're about to have a heart attack.
With a small noise of objection, you scramble back and pull the collar of his hoodie over your nose. Your leg immediately cramps up in objection to your sudden movements, prompting a pained whine out of you as your escape comes to a halt.
"W-What the hell is that?" You blurt out, watching him stand up and duck his nose under his arm. He doesn't answer at first, instead taking it over to the balcony of your room and opening the doors wide to ventilate your room. You can see him set the strange sphere on the furthest point of the balcony outside, watching the lavender-gray hue of smoke get carried off with the San Francisco wind.
"I have no idea, I'll take a look at it later," he says, before reaching back to tuck his tail away and run into the bathroom. "Let's get out of here for a bit."
"Wha- but my leg...?" You point out, your comment petering off upon hearing the sound of a towel being ripped.
"I'll carry you, of course. I'm still against having you walk on your own until your leg cramp subsides," he calls back, moving around quickly and coming back out with his ears pinned back under a thick series of ties from strips of the towel, it doesn't look amazing, but until you can maybe find him a hat or a thick headband, it'll have to do. "We can probably get up to the roof if we're fast enough...and if those pinheads don't decide to chase us around in there again. Do you think you can unlock the door the way you did before?"
Your eyes land on your phone by the nightstand as he's about to pass it, making you perk up.
"Can you toss me my phone? It's that little rectangular thing to your left," you breathlessly say, watching as he eventually swipes it up and tosses it in your direction. You fumble to catch it, movements somewhat sluggish as you let the phone settle against your chest and let out another deep controlled breath to pace yourself. "Thank you..."
"So, can you?" He asks again, waking you up from fidgeting with your notifications for a second. Your visible confusion makes him repeat the question. "Can you unlock the door to the roof, or not?"
"Ah, y-yes, I probably can...as long as the door is the same as the doors that go up the entire stairwell," you confirm, looking back down at your phone and deeming it of less importance compared to paying attention to Tighnari- and not only because he's trying to make sure you're safe or anything.
Once you have your phone secured in your bag, you look up to see Tighnari shoving the extra materials he normally wears into the leather bag around his waist. He pulls his quiver and bow over his shoulder, which quickly has you brainstorming for a solution until you decide there isn't one. Face it, there's no hiding that massive bow or those arrows over his shoulder so...the cosplayer excuse will have to do for now.
"Okay, come here," he says, pulling you up despite your embarrassment to be once again carried bridal style through the hotel...even if it is just through the stairwell. Which you're not exactly thrilled about to have to go through again after what happened. "Don't worry. If they try to mess with us again, I'll have my weapon to retaliate. Trust me, I have a fantastic aim. Not that it would seem very fantastic towards the other end of my arrow, but..."
You laugh at that, something that seems to perk him up considerably. Considering how he's carrying you again, you have to focus on not staring at his face since he's so close.
The door opens and he exits the room, allowing you to eye his good mood (despite the circumstances) thoughtfully. It's almost a pity you can't see his tail wagging when you're in his arms, unless you lean over his shoulder- which he doesn't allow you to do. According to him, permission to look was a limited time offer which has now expired.
"What do you think that sphere was?" You ask after giving up on trying to see his tail wagging, settling with an arm around his neck as he climbs up the last steps to the door. He kneels so you're at level with the edge between the door and the frame.
"No idea. I think it was left in our room while we left and got stuck in the stairwell," he answers, his knee supporting your legs enough for him to pull his hand from under you. "I'm going to check you again, okay?"
He doesn't wait to slip his hand into the collar of your top, but you don't mind. You want to mention the pounding feels like it's getting better, but quickly feel it kick start upon his hand resting over it again.
Maybe it's better not to say anything just yet, or he might tease you successfully for a change.
Once he retracts his hand with a sigh of concern, he nods for you to open the door. You turn away from Tighnari to press your card into the space of the door crack, jutting it against the side of the handle latch until you get it inserted far enough to push it completely out of the way. A light tug later and the door opens for Tighnari to step out under the sunlight.
He takes a few steps towards the side, and you feel your entire body relax. Now he doesn't have to carry you like this anymore.
"Alright, you can put me down now," you say, patting his shoulder with the thought that it's all over.
Instead Tighnari looks at you, eyeing your features like you'd just done before. It's almost embarrassing, the way he seems to study you in search of something. Following the moment of silence, you blink in confusion and wait for him to put you down. Eventually he has to, right? It would be weird if he didn't.
And yet he's not moving.
"Do you read romance novels by any chance?" He suddenly queries, catching you off guard as you try not to think about your position in his arms.
What? What does that have to do with anything?
"Um...yes, I do," you say, gesturing to the floor for him to set you down. Your voice has gotten a bit weaker, even as your breathing is slowing to something a little less concerning. Despite that, your heart is still skipping like a rabbit. "Are you gonna put me down?"
He grins at that point, surprising you with the glint of smugness in his eyes after your reply.
"I was wondering why you've been making such a strange face. Initially I assumed it was that bug bite or the incensed sphere that's thrown you off-kilter, but now I see. What's wrong? Surely you're not embarrassed to be carried around like some kind of princess, are you?" He asks, his amusement growing when you're unable to fight off the embarrassment forming along your features. "Oh, that expression tells me I've hit my mark. I never miss, remember?"
"S-Shut up," you can only say, horrified that your confidence has completely gone into hiding with how close his face is. Still, you reach for any available excuse no matter how feeble. "I already said I liked you, you're picking at something so obvious. Is that all you can come up with?"
"All I can come up with? So you want me to keep going? I'd be happy to serve you a dollop of your own medicine," he answers, all smiles as he sits down...with you still in his arms. You feel your cramp just barely object to the movement, but it quickly eases when Tighnari adjusts you so you're somewhat cradled on his lap. "We can just sit here together like this then."
You take a few breaths, though it does nothing to calm your heartbeat. After a moment, you finally find your voice.
"Tighnari, you're making this way too easy for m-" you start to say, another attempt to humble him until he cuts you off. His eyes narrow on your neck.
"I think it's time to check on you again," he says, lifting his hand to your neck to check your pulse. "Don't speak."
So you don't.
But you know what he's going to find by examining you. His own heavy breathing has already calmed, as has yours. From how he had touched his thorax in the room, it's easy to guess his heart had also been racing from whatever that smokey incense was. And yours? Is still running off into the sunset like there's no tomorrow.
"Hm," he hums, the humor in his forest eyes fading as he frowns in thought. When he goes to slip his hand down the collar of the hoodie, your heart skips another beat. "Still abnormally fast..."
"That's your fault. You're doing that," you explain with a sigh, before falling silent at his bewildered expression. You're not saying it to tease him, so that might be the reason for his surprise.
...He wasn't behaving like this before the incense.
You're a little scared to ask based on that note.
"Hey, so...for the sake of clearing up some of this mystery. I'm not joking when I say I'm attracted to you," you repeat, watching as his posture goes stiff. He looks like he's about to get worked up again, so you lift a hand to halt him. "I'm not teasing you right now, so let's keep this mature for a second. Because after I got into the room with you where that incense was, I know my comments got to be...a lot less tame than usual."
He nods, his posture relaxing as he keeps your back supported. He still looks kind of embarrassed to talk about it.
"I don't know why you're so flustered. You don't consider yourself attractive?" You ask curiously.
"I...I've just never thought about things like this. Pretty girls don't just go out and say that kind of thing where I'm from- actually, nobody does. Most people make subtle implications, work their way up depending on what level they're on with whoever they're attracted to. They don't just say things like, 'let's kiss' or 'I like you' to a person they barely know," he says, yet again making another opening for you to needle him with.
He's calling you pretty.
You don't point this out, if only to keep the conversation on track.
"Sounds structured and organized. Some people do it that way here, but a lot of people are more than comfortable saying it as it is and skipping the whole 'will they, won't they' dance. What can I say? Welcome to the land of the hedonists," you say, patting his head with a stiff smile. You're done stalling. "You only started trying to make me flustered after we were exposed to the incense in the room," you finally get out after a pause.
...
"I can't tell if you're trying to make me embarrass myself again, or if you're trying to get a legitimate answer for the sake of identifying what the purpose of that incense was," Tighnari states plainly, eyes shifting from your face to the floor and back.
"Well, if you were only behaving in that way because of the incense, there's nothing to be embarrassed about."
Tighnari finally looks at you head on, staring at your face in contemplation. He's thinking, like he doesn't want to answer you for whatever reason. After a second, he sighs and glances up at the sky in frustration.
"Look, I..." he stops himself, scowling at the ground next. You feel like you're about to be rejected. "I don't know you well enough. Not for this. I think you're a nice girl, and you make me feel things I'm not used to- and I don't know if it's because of some incense that loosens our inhibitions, or makes us like each other more. If you want me to say the incense might have played a part in how I'm behaving now, then yes. If that's its purpose, it's possible. At the same time however, I believe my behavior isn't artificial in nature. Perhaps if I had less reservations..."
That's a relaxing enough answer. It doesn't disappoint you to hear any of it, and he couldn't have rejected you any better. Maybe because it's not a total rejection on his part.
You tap his shoulder, making him turn to face you again. He looks hesitant, like he's expecting you to be upset with his response.
Instead, your body is on autopilot as you sit up against your leg cramp, ignoring the bite of pain that climbs up from your calf as you stretch your neck and wrap your arms around him in an embrace.
"Before those reservations return then, I'd like to indulge a little more," you say with your head tucked over his shoulder, smiling when you notice his neck start pinking with warmth. Soon it's his whole face radiating heat, which he turns away to hide from you with a scoff when you finally pull back to look at him.
"You're an insufferable flirt," he remarks sharply, but his tone doesn't really carry any of the indignance it should.
"I'll relax when the incense wears off," you lie.
Of course you won't.
But you still have to wonder what was injected into you and what was left in your room for Tighnari and yourself to breathe in. Will it hurt you in the coming hours? Or will it produce symptoms further along the line by the time Tighnari is sent back to the Avidya Forest?
You peek up at him where he's lost in thought, his gaze locked on the bustling forest of concrete towers ahead. He must feel somewhat homesick, right? The city is drab compared to his beautiful forest...
It's a selfish thought to hope you can keep him for another day, but you cross your fingers anyways.
~ Fin ~