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Cyno watched as the Avidya forest burned, giant clouds of black smoke filling the sky as flames rose from ground to treetops. Sumeru city had been evacuated, most residents being relocated to Liyue, where they could reside more comfortably. Those who chose otherwise were taken to the Desert, where camps were set up to house those who refused to leave Sumeru.
Cyno had stayed behind to help, being the General Mahamatra he felt as if that was his duty. He also stayed in hopes of finding Tighnari, and their daughter; Collei.
The forest watchers had been the first to report the fire, and the first to request support from Hydro users. Knowing Tighnari (and in turn Collei), they were insistent on staying behind to help as well, no matter how dangerous it was.
He watched as another cart of pedestrians was wheeled closer to the Grand Baazar, which had temporarily turned into an infirmary. A doctor from Liyue- whom he vaguely remembered was named Baizhu -and a deaconess from Mondstat had rushed in to offer assistance, as well as countless other healers and vision-users, considering the mass amount of burn patients that arrived every day. Their wounds were to be treated, and then they were to be rushed away to safety. Leaving burns untreated was dangerous, at least that’s what Tighnari always said.
Cyno was quick to help people out of the cart, lending a helping hand for those who couldn’t walk and guiding them to stretchers.
As he helped a forest watcher lay down, he heard a piercing wail, and a broken shout of “Papa!” . He turned, his eyes widening as a head of sage green hair came hurtling towards him. He opened his arms without a moment of hesitation, and wrapped the little sapling up in a tight hug the moment she was within arms reach.
“Collei .” He breathed out, pushing his nose against her hair. She reeked of smoke and burnt hair, but she was alive, she was okay.
Collei sobbed into his neck, clinging to him as if he would disappear in a moment's notice. She grabbed fistfuls of his hair, it being the only thing she could manage to grip. Cyno rubbed her back, rocking her back and forth as his gaze flicked around, trying to spot the tall ears of his lover.
“Collei, baby,” he said softly. “Where’s Dad, honey?” He asked, pulling away just enough to wipe her tears and push her hair away from her face.
“ I don’t know !” Collei sobbed, her whole body trembling. “I don’t know, Papa!” She pushed herself back against his body and shoved her face into the crook of his neck. “I want Dad!”
Cyno’s heart sank. Tighnari almost never left Collei without telling her where he was off to, especially if either of them were in danger. He took a deep breath before pressing a firm kiss to Collei’s head.
“I know, LeiLei.” He whispered. “I want him too, but for now it’s just us. He’ll come find us, he always does.”
Cyno lifted her up as he stood, keeping her body close as he went to find an empty cot. He sat down, holding his beloved daughter in his lap and continuing to rock her back and forth.
“Are you hurt anywhere, Collei?”
She shook her head. “Just icky.” She said quietly before sniffling.
“Good.” He sighed as he combed his fingers through her hair in an attempt to detangle it.
Cyno is unsure of how long he sat there, just holding Collei and rocking her. At some point she fell asleep, her head on his shoulder and her hands gripping him tightly. He watched as people came and went, but he made no move to get up. Call him selfish, but all he cared about at that moment was his daughter.
He desperately needed to find Tighnari, to ease both Collei’s worries and his own. He prayed to the dendro archon herself that Tighnari wouldn’t turn up dead, burnt to a crisp and barely recognizable. He sighed to himself, turning to kiss Collei’s head.
Outside, he heard a loud commotion. He could vaguely make out people shouting at one another, but there wasn’t an ounce of care he could give. He made no move to get up, only to tighten his hold on Collei.
The doors of the Grand Baazar slammed open, and another stretcher was wheeled down into the vast space.
“General!”
Cyno’s head snapped up, his eyes widening as he heard Nilou shout for him. He gently placed Collei on the cot as he stood, smoothing over her hair as she stirred. He shushed her softly.
“I’ll be right back.” He whispered, as the shouting grew louder.
“ Cyno!” Nilou’s voice sounded desperate.
Cyno was quick on his feet as he followed the redhead’s voice. As he approached the stretcher and the cluster of medics his heart plummeted.
“ Oh, Tighnari…” He thought to himself as he stared at the man he loved.
The sight of the burns nearly made Cyno sick. The skin bubbled and blistered, and any open wounds were far past cauterized. The hair on the side of his head had been singed, and more burns crawled up the Fox’s face and neck. His clothing was burned through, leaving carefully moisturized skin vulnerable.
Cyno’s whole world moved in show motion. From that moment on he was no longer General Mahamatra, he was just Cyno, Tighnari’s partner. And the fennec fox was no longer General Watchleader, he was Cyno’s most beloved spouse. He began to panic as he reached for his love, only for one of the volunteers to pull him away. Cyno watched with wide, frightened eyes, as the doctor from Liyue began chest compressions, and he made out the distinct sound of Tighnari’s ribs crunching under the pressure.
He could make out Nilou shouting for him, but the words fell on deaf ears. He felt her hands grab him, and at the moment he realized he had been reaching for Tighnari again, desperately trying to grab the fox. He barely realized he was screaming, or crying, or pushing at Nilou’s arms.
He watched in horror as Baizhu shouted orders at one of the other forest waters. They came running as the doctor cut open Tighnari’s shirt- or at least what was left of it. Tears clouded his vision as defibrillators were placed on the fox’s chest.
“Clear!” Baizhu shouted before electric currents were sent through Tighnari’s body, causing him to jerk violently. Then, a brief pause. “Again- clear!” With that, his body jerked again.
Baizhu paused again, for what Cyno felt like was an eternity, before nodding curtly. “I’ve got a heartbeat!”
Cyno wanted nothing more than to see Tighnari healthy and safe again. On the other hand a part of him, just for a millisecond, almost wished death upon his partner. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain the fox was in, whether he was conscious enough or not.
He remained frozen in place as the fox was wheeled away to seek immediate medical attention. He could vaguely make out Baizhu calling to the Deaconess, Barbara, and requesting her assistance immediately. He heard them say something about preventing infection, and salvaging what skin they could, and getting a blood transfusion as soon as possible.
He felt as Nilou gently turned him away, instead having him face her. She cupped his cheeks with her palms and brushed away his tears.
“He’ll be okay, darling.” She spoke softly, her own tears gathering in her eyes. “He’ll be okay.” Her hands left his face and reached into her pocket, producing a familiar dendro vision. She pressed it into his palm.
Cyno looked down at the vision, brushing his thumb over the green stone. It emitted a dull glow- a sign of life within its owner. He sniffled, bringing the vision to his lips and pressing a kiss to it.
“Lord Kusanali give him strength.” He whispered.
Nilou rubbed his bicep gently, a sad smile on her features. “Let’s get you back to Collei and lay you down, you deserve some rest, Cyno.”
For once he didn’t argue, didn’t try to fight it. It was as if his body moved on autopilot as he turned on his heel and made his way back to the cot Collei was napping on. Wordlessly, he laid beside her and curled his body around hers, holding her close to his chest and burying his nose in her hair. Beneath the smoke, she smelled like Tighnari and his shampoo, which did nothing to ease him.
Cyno sighed, closing his eyes and willing sleep to come. After what felt like an eternity, he finally succumbed to the iron grip of slumber.
Cyno woke to a gentle hand touching his arm. He stirred, his brows furrowing as he blinked his eyes open. At his bedside was the blonde Deaconess from Mondstat, her hand gently patting his bicep. When she noticed he was awake, she pulled her hand away and placed it in her lap.
“Good morning, General.” She spoke, her voice delicate and kind. “Your daughter went to help gather food with other Forest Watchers, but she requested someone accompany you until you awoke.” She told him. “But it’s getting quite late in the morning, I suppose you don’t want to oversleep too much.”
Cyno frowned, but nodded slowly. He pushed himself up from the cot, cracking his back in the process. Collei was young, and if she hadn’t earned a vast amount of knowledge from Tighnari he would have been concerned, but as long as she was with other rangers he would allow it.
“My name is Barbara, I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced.”
“I know who you are.” He grumbled.
Barbara’s smile didn’t flatter. She watched him carefully, as if analyzing his every move. She shifted, turning to face him more.
“You’re very close to the fox gentleman, are you not?”
Cyno nodded slowly and shifted his gaze down to his hands, where he was twisting his fingers in his lap. In that moment he wished that he wore the ring Tighnari had given him, maybe it would bring him comfort when his love was fighting for his life. But alas, it had probably been lost in the fire. It usually lived in his bedside drawer in Tighnari’s hut, where up until recently it was safe.
“You’re more than just close, aren’t you?”
He looked up when Barbara spoke. She seemed genuinely concerned for him, which struck him as odd considering they barely knew each other.
“Everything I do is for him.” Cyno spoke softly, his heart aching with every word he spoke. “Ever since I met him, my actions weren’t for me, they were for him. Anything he needed, I would provide.” He clenched his jaw for a moment. “If it wasn’t for him I would be living in solitude in the desert. Every day I work and I bring people to justice just so I can rest easy knowing there’s one less person out there capable of harming him.”
Barbara watched him carefully, tilting her head as she listened. She nodded slowly, before standing and smoothing out her dress.
“Come, he stabilized early this morning, I’m sure your presence will aid in his recovery.” She said with a soft smile. “His condition is…less than favorable, but he’s alive and he’s taken well to treatments. His body reacted well to Doctor Baizhu’s healing, I presume due to his hypersensitivity to dendro, but nothing helps one just as much as another’s love.”
Cyno nodded, quickly getting to his feet. His body ached and his clothing was terribly uncomfortable, but all of that was irrelevant, he needed to see his spouse. He followed Barbara as she led him to what used to be backstage, but now housed intensive care patients. The young woman pushed back a curtain, revealing Tighnari and Baizhu.
The doctor was placing flat and smooth leaves over the Fox’s wounds, hands moving gently and methodically. He looked up for a brief moment, a kind smile curling over his lips.
“Good morning, General.” He hummed. “Thank you for your time, Miss Barbara, you can continue with your duties now.”
Barbara nodded and bid them both goodbye, pulling the curtain closed as she left. Baizhu turned his attention back to Tighnari, and continued fretting over his wounds.
“He’s covered in second and third degree burns, the majority on his legs and his right arm, but some even extend here- up his shoulder and neck. Matra found him in the forest trying to protect small creatures, and those creatures did their best to protect him as well. By the time people came to his aid he was on the ground unconscious.”
“What kind of small creatures?” Cyno asked as he approached the bed, his fingers itching to card through Tighnari’s hair and stroke his cheek.
“I’m not quite sure, even the Matra seemed uncertain. They don’t sound like anything back home in Liyue. One man told me they almost resembled mushrooms.”
“Aranara.” Cyno thought to himself. “Tighnari was trying to save aranara…”
“I expect him to make a full recovery, his body has responded well to my means of treatment.” Baizhu said as he took a step back to gaze over Tighnari. “That being said, there will be many lasting effects. He inhaled a lot of smoke, and his lungs no doubt will see lasting damage. The sites of the second degree burns should recover nicely, albeit scar pretty severely, but the third degree burns are what concern me.” The doctor took a deep breath. “In those areas, especially on his legs where it was particularly bad, are more susceptible to nerve damage and infection, they might even require amputation, but luckily in Tighnari’s case he should be able to keep both legs. He will require a lot of physical therapy and most likely be disabled for the rest of his life, but I suspect a full recovery.”
Cyno stared with wide eyes at his love, frozen with shock. He couldn’t quite comprehend what the doctor was telling him. He couldn’t imagine Tighnari unable to leap and climb trees, and assist other forest watchers with ease, and rush to Collei’s aid whenever she needed it. If the fire didn’t kill him, the shock would.
He nodded slowly, carefully reaching to brush the pad of his thumb under Tighnari’s eye. The skin was filthy with soot, but the left side of his face remained relatively unharmed. The right side of his body suffered a few minor scrapes and smaller burns, but was luckily spared from more severe injuries.
“What…What are the leaves for…?” He asked quietly.
“Gentler than typical bandages, they don’t cling to the remaining skin as harshly. I’ve infused them with dendro, hopefully to speed up the healing process.” Baizhu folded his hands behind his back. “I’ll leave you two be, I suspect you’ll need some alone time.” He said with a small smile. “I’ll be back in a little while to check on him, if you need me I’ll be attending to other patients.”
Cyno nodded, pulling up a stool to sit beside his partner. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Baizhu left, leaving him alone with the love of his life. He sniffled quietly, dragging his knuckles over the Fox’s cheek.
“Oh, Nari…” he breathed out. “Oh, my love…”
He reached up to carefully touch his partner’s ears, which suffered from some singed fur and irritation, but were mostly spared from major damage.
“Your heart's too big for your body, darling.”
Cyno leaned in to press his lips against Tighnari’s brow. He sniffled quietly, tears collecting on his white lashes. He took a shaky breath in, then laughed quietly to himself. It was painful, his chest ached and his head was throbbing, but nothing could compare to the pain he could only imagine Tighnari was going through.
“You’ll be okay.” He cried quietly, leaning his head against Tighnari’s. “We’ll be okay…”
Cyno was unaware of how long he had laid there. Maybe it was thirty minutes, maybe an hour, maybe multiple hours, but regardless he didn’t care. At some point Nilou came to notify him that Collei had returned and was keeping other children company, but he didn’t move. Collei was safe, she was content, so he could remain there. He didn’t want her to see her father like this, not yet at least.
He might have dozed off for a while, he didn’t know, but the moment he felt Tighnari twitch he was wide awake and alert. He sat up, staring down at his partner with wide eyes.
Tighnari stirred, albeit only slightly. Slowly, his eyes opened, only for his brows to furrow and his eyes to squeeze shut again.
“Hi, Nari.” Cyno pushed the Fox’s bangs back and stroked his forehead gently. “You’re okay, you’re safe, try not to move.”
Tighnari made a small noise in the back of his throat, to which Cyno slipped his hand into the Fox’s and gave it a gentle squeeze. He pressed his lips just below his love’s heterochromatic eye.
“I’ve got you, baby.” He whispered. “Are you in pain? Do I need to get Doctor Baizhu?” He asked, only to quickly backtrack. “Don’t speak, just uh…blink once for no and twice for yes.”
Tighnari stared at him, soft wheezing accompanying his breathing. After a few moments, he blinked twice.
“Okay.” Cyno gave Tighnari’s hand another squeeze before getting to his feet. “I’ll be right back, I won’t be gone long.” He kissed his partner’s forehead. “I love you.”
The corners of Tighnari’s lips twitched upwards, which made Cyno smile. He only made it a few steps away before he was turning on his heel and going to press another kiss to the Fox’s face.
“I love you so much .” He whispered against the other man’s skin.
Cyno hesitated for a moment, then quickly speed-walked out to find Baizhu. He twisted his fingers together, trying to spot the tall male. Finally, after what felt like forever, he saw the head of mint green hair.
“Doctor!” He called, squeezing past people and muttering apologies as he went. “Tighnari’s awake and he’s in pain.” He said once he had gotten the man’s attention.
Baizhu’s eyebrows shot up. He quickly excused himself from whom he was speaking with and turned his attention to Cyno. “We can’t have that now, can we?” He gestured for the Matra to lead the way back to the fox, and moved as quickly as he physically could.
As they approached the cot, Tighnari’s eyes fluttered open again. He watched them carefully, then tried to reach for Cyno the moment he was within arms reach. Cyno shushed him softly and took his hand, sitting back at his bedside and kissing his knuckles.
“I’m here.” The Matra whispered. “Doctor Baizhu is going to help you, I promise.”
Baizhu worked quickly, speaking in a hushed tone to the pearly white snake around his neck. He disinfected his hands before carefully administering pain medication through the IV line in Tignari’s neck.
Cyno could only watch the doctor for so long until he had to avert his eyes. He instead stared down at his love’s face, a soft smile gracing his own.
“You’ve got schmutz all over you.” He said lightheartedly, brushing soot off Tighnari’s nose. “I’ll clean you up best I can, like a good husband.” He said, his voice trailing off to a whisper.
His heart swelled when he saw Tighnari’s lips twitch into a small, attempted smile.
“Once his injuries begin to scab over, a bath will be absolutely necessary.” Doctor Baizhu said as he adjusted the nasal cannula on Tighnari’s face. “We cleaned his wounds when he arrived to help prevent immediate infection, but the risk will continue to grow until he can be cleaned properly.” He explained. “I may be able to get a sponge bath provided, given we have the supplies available.” He offered.
“That would be great, thank you.” Cyno said gratefully. “And um…our daughter, Collei, can you make sure she’s alright? I know she doesn’t have any serious injuries, I checked myself, but can you give her a once-over? She’s uh, she’s got green hair and last I checked she was in a- a brown jumper.” The Matra jumbled over his words, too busy fussing over Tighnari’s bangs and making sure they remained out of his eyes. “She’s- she’s got pretty magenta eyes too, and a birthmark on the side of her face.”
Baizhu nodded, folding his hands behind his back. “Do you wish for me to send her back here when I’m done?” He asked.
Cyno was quick to shake his head. “I can’t let her see Nari like this, not yet. It’ll break her.” He sighed. “As long as she knows he’s alive and stable. I just…I can’t traumatize her even more.”
The doctor laid a hand on Cyno’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “You can’t keep this from her.” He said. “You may be her father, but so is Tighnari.”
His hand fell from the Matra’s shoulder. He gave Cyno a small smile before excusing himself and taking his leave.
Cyno sighed, staring down at his husband with furrowed brows. His brushed his thumb up and down the bridge of Tighnari’s nose, starring into those beautiful turquoise-y hazel eyes he had grown so fond of. The fox blinked slowly at him, as if trying to force himself to stay awake. The pain medication must have been kicking in.
“You can sleep.” He whispered. “You’re safe, I’ll be here when you wake up.” He breathed out before leaning in to kiss the fox’s forehead.
“I love you, Nari.”
———
Cyno gnawed on his lip, anxiously twisting his fingers together as he went to find Collei. He had stayed with Tighnari long after he fell asleep, but the guilt of keeping this from their daughter was eating him alive. Tighnari would be out for a while, according to Doctor Baizhu, so Cyno had time to speak with Collei about the state of their beloved Forest Watcher.
The General Mahamatra was too lost in his thoughts to hear the soft patter of footsteps quickly approaching him, and he had no time to react before a pair of arms wrapped around his middle from behind. He froze for a moment, before he noticed the chipped nail polish and ratty friendship bracelet around his attacker’s wrist.
“Papa!” Collei chirped. “Ms. Nilou said they brought Dad back! Can I see him? Please!” She asked, leaning her head against his back. “She said he was hurt, which- which isn’t good, but I know first aid! We can take care of him!”
Cyno’s heart sunk into his gut. He ran his hands over his face before turning in his daughter’s hold and kneeling down in front of her. She was old enough to understand the severity of Tighnari’s condition, but that wasn’t his concern. He didn’t want to break her sweet little heart.
He reached to cup her soft cheeks, which had been cleaned from ash and dust since he last saw her. He brushed his thumbs over her constellations of freckles as he let out a shaky sigh. There was no private area they could do this, minus the intensive care ward where Tighnari was. He had seen so much grief over the last few days, others would not be phased by his interaction with Collei.
Cyno sniffled, unaware tears had dripped down his cheeks until Collei wiped them away. “Papa…” she breathed out. “What’s wrong…?”
“Dad is…Dad is really, really hurt.” He began, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. “Like, really bad. I don’t want to keep you from him, and I don’t want to keep him from you, but until he starts to get a little better, I think it’s for the best.”
Collei stared at him with wide eyes, her bottom lip trembling. “But…But how will he know I’m okay?”
“I’ll tell him everything, don’t you worry, my brave girl.” He leaned closer to rub the tips of their noses together. “And when he gets a little better you can tell him yourself how strong you are.”
The young girl sniffled, a tear rolling down her cheek. She reached her arms out and wrapped them around Cyno’s neck, hugging him tightly. He looped his arms around her small body and held her in his lap.
“It’ll be okay.” He whispered, even if his voice cracked and his own tears began to fall down his face. “We’ll be okay, I promise.”
Cyno rocked his daughter back and forth, whispering sweet nothings into her ear. The guilt was suffocating. He hated having to keep her from Tighnari, but he knew the fox would try to fuss over her even despite his current condition. Collei would without a doubt fuss about him too, it was inevitable, they were two peas in a pod.
He looked down at Collei, watching as her eyelids began to droop and her breathing began to even out. He slowly got to his feet, his sapling held protectively against his chest. He pressed his lips against her forehead before taking careful and calculated steps towards their cots.
He settled down on his cot, keeping Collei curled against his chest. He leaned back against the wall, brushing his fingers through her sage green hair. He kissed her forehead, his lips lingering for a moment.
“I love you.” He whispered. “I know I don’t say it nearly enough, and I’m sorry, but never doubt that my heart is yours, until the day I die.” He sniffled and wiped his eyes. “I would do anything for you, my sweet girl, don’t you forget that.”
———
“Good morning, handsome.” Cyno cooed as he watched Tighnari’s eyelids flutter.
He watched as the fox’s eyes squeezed shut, his brows furrowing a moment before his face smoothed and his eyes opened properly. His eyes flicked around the room, before settling on Cyno.
Tighnari’s fingers twitched, then curled around Cyno’s hand and gave a light squeeze. His chest rose and fell with a deep breath.
“Your breathing is sounding better.” Cyno said as he reached with his free hand to adjust the cannula over the fox’s face. “Less crunchy.”
Tighnari’s eyes narrowed, and his grip on Cyno’s hand went slack. He averted his eyes, refusing to look at the Matra.
“Oh come on!” Cyno laughed. “It wasn’t an insult! Nari!” He held his partner’s hand between both of his own, and brought it to his lips to kiss his knuckles.
Tighnari’s eyes flicked back over to him. A small smile curled on his lips, and he reached his hand up to gently brush his fingertip over Cyno’s cheek. The General turned his head to place a kiss on his love’s finger, a soft smile on his face.
“Are you feeling better?” Cyno asked, studying the fox’s face. “Doctor Baizhu said we could try a sponge bath once you’re feeling up to it, but I don’t want to stress your body out too much.” He explained.
Tighnari stared at him, blinking slowly. He curled his fingers against Cyno’s face, nodding to the best of his ability as the Matra leaned into his palm.
“Okay.” Cyno hummed, turning his head to kiss his spouse’s palm. “Don’t strain yourself too much, just try to relax.” He cooed. “I’ll go get some water, okay? Sit tight.” He took Tighnari’s hand and kissed his palm once more. “Or sit loose, it’s up to you.” He said with a chuckle, snorting when the fox narrowed his eyes once more.
Cyno flashed his love one more smile before shuffling out of the small room to fetch a pitcher of water and sponge, ones set aside by Baizhu for whenever Tighnari was ready.
He thanked one of the members of the Matra as they warmed the water with their pyro vision. He carried the pitcher with such care, after profusely thanking the Matra again and again.
He made his way back to Tighnari, smiling to himself when the fox came back into view. He placed the pitcher on the bedside table before submerging the sponge.
“I’m going to leave most of your bandages on, Doctor Baizhu hasn’t shown me how to change them yet.” He said, sitting on the bed beside Tighnari. “And you’re in no state to change them yourself, don’t pretend you aren’t.”
Tighnari watched his every move, wheezing quietly with every breath. He brought his hand up to brush his knuckles against the bare skin of Cyno’s waist, not without his brows furrowing from the effort.
Cyno smiled as he squeezed out the sponge. “Hey, baby.” He cooed, carefully taking hold of Tighnari’s wrist and wiping over any part of his arm that remained uncovered by leaves and bandages. “Let me know if I hurt you.” He cooed, dipping the sponge into the water to remove the ash and dirt it had collected from the fox’s skin.
He did his very best to wipe away any trace of dirt from his husband’s skin, apologizing quietly every time the fox winced. He made it way up to Tighnari’s face, smiling softly. He brushed Tighnari’s hair back and wiped over his face, careful not to irritate his skin any more than it already was. He wiped under the fox’s eyes, then leaned in to press kisses against the freshly cleaned skin.
“You’re so handsome.” He whispered. “I love you so much.” He cooed, his heart aching as he stared into his husband’s eyes.
Cyno could feel himself getting emotional again. He couldn’t cry again, he had shed so many tears over the last few days. Tighnari had been making so much progress in his recovery, there was no use in dwelling on the past, but his chest ached every time he looked into Tighnari’s eyes.
He leaned down to press his lips against Tighnari’s, smiling into the kiss when he felt the other male lean into it. He chuckled softly as he pulled away, taking a moment to rub their noses together.
“Everything will be okay.” He whispered. “I’ll make sure of it, yeah?”
With that, he pressed once more kiss to his husband’s lips.
———
Tighnari grunted as he heaved himself up from bed. He put most of his weight onto the forearm crutches clutched tightly in his hands. He breathed heavily, hanging his head as he tried to steady himself.
“Nari,” He heard Cyno breathe out. “Let me help you, hon.”
“I’m fine .” He snapped back, his ears pressed back against his head. He didn’t have to look to know Cyno wore an expression that could mirror a mopey desert fox.
It had been weeks since he got caught in the fire, maybe even months at this point. He couldn’t recall the first couple of weeks of his recovery, at least not in full. He had been so out of it and heavily medicated for most of it, all he could really recall was Cyno’s doting comfort and care.
He knew Collei began to visit him once he was lucid, and he could recall most of those interactions. He missed her dearly, and his heart yearned for his daughter. She had been spending the recent few weeks in Mondstat with her dear friend Amber. He wrote to her weekly, and he couldn’t wait for her to return.
Finally, after being confined to the small room in the Baazar for what felt like a lifetime recovering, he was allowed to go home.
Well, home was surely destroyed in the fire. Tighnari didn’t want to think about it too much, how all his life’s work and his most precious belongings were gone forever. All that mattered was Cyno and Collei were okay.
For the time being he and Cyno were planning on living in Cyno’s small apartment in the city, at least until Tighnari was well enough to return to Gandharva Ville and rebuild his hut.
“Tighnari.” Cyno sighed. “You’re shaking, how about you sit back down for a moment?”
Tighnari didn’t protest as Cyno placed a hand on his back and urged him to sit back on the bed. He sighed deeply, refusing to raise his head and look at his husband.
He hated feeling weak, feeling unable to act independently. He adored his husband, of course he did, he couldn’t imagine a life without Cyno, but he couldn’t help but feel worthless like this. Even with Cyno’s assistance, he still felt helpless.
“I can’t do this…” he breathed out, his voice barely above a whisper. “How am I supposed to do anything like this ?”
“You’ve only just started rehabilitation.” Cyno said gently, placing his hand on Tighnari’s knee. “You walking right now is all you need to worry about, and when the time comes we’ll worry about your forest watcher duties.” He leaned down to try to meet the fox’s gaze. “The other forest watchers have got you covered, don’t worry about them. Just worry about you .” Cyno reached up to smooth his hand over Tighnari’s ears. “You’re still recovering, you can’t expect your body to bounce back right away. We’ll take it one step at a time, okay?”
Tighnari nodded slowly, his eyes glassed over with tears. Saying he was frustrated would be an understatement, but Cyno was right.
“Do you need me to help you up?” Cyno asked. “Whatever you need, I’ll be here.”
The fox took a few deep breaths, swallowing thickly before nodding. He lifted his head, adjusting his hold on his crutches. The anxiety in his chest dissipated slightly when Cyno’s arm wrapped around his waist and grabbed his waistband.
“Ready?”
Tighnari nodded, then inhaled deeply as Cyno heaved him up to his feet. He stumbled slightly, putting the majority of his weight onto the crutches.
“You’re doing great, Nari.” Cyno cooed, his grip loosening slightly. “Do you want me to keep holding onto you?”
Tighnari clenched his jaw, his brows pinched together. He nodded slowly, allowing himself to relax slightly when Cyno’s tight grip on his waist returned.
“I’ve got you, don’t worry.”
The fox staggered slightly, leaning into Cyno for support. He took a few careful steps, his arms shaking slightly under his own weight.
“Don’t you dare let go.” He hissed, but any malice in his words dissipated.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Cyno said sweetly, his eyes watching Tighnari’s feet as he stepped, fully prepared to catch him if he fell.
But…he didn’t.
Tighnari continued to move, allowing Cyno to support him more and more with each step. He was hard-headed to the core, but deep down there was a tiny fox begging for help. Despite that, he powered through the pain and the stiffness in his joints, all with the help of his husband by his side.
“If you let go of me, I’m going to die.” He grumbled under his breath.
“No such thing will happen.” Cyno said with a soft smile. “I wouldn’t dream of letting you go, not now, not ever.”
…
“No matter what happens, I’ll be by your side. In sickness and in health, right, Nari?”
“Mm, right, Cy.”
…
“Nari?”
“Hm?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Cyno.”