fic: Bandage and Banter
Jul. 9th, 2020 05:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bonnefoisTitle: Bandage and Banter
Series: Fire Emblem: Echoes
Character/pairing: Kamui/Leon,
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 5k
Summary: When Kamui gets grievously injured in a blow that was meant for Leon, Leon bandages him up afterwards.
Author's note:
This was one of the prompts from EvilMuffin from chocolate_box. I had it basically all planned out, but ran out of time to actually post this one. It was something about bandaging a wound? I don't have it handy to copy it exactly. Anyways, I finally finished it. I guess that makes this the Valentine's day candy that you forget about and find months later and go "score, free candy!"
It's basically some mid-game missing scene.
Personally, Kamui didn't exactly see why they had to spend so much time around in abandoned caves and graveyards. Sure, he didn't get paid to complain, as Leon reminded him daily, but it generally seemed like a bad idea, considering they were always crawling with brigands and monsters and the undead. And maybe he was less than surprised when a whole horde of undead emerged from the graves. Except, what he didn't see coming was that these were much stronger than the usual creatures around the priory.
At least there wasn't any Necrodragons around here? It was a small mercy, to be sure, but at least it was something.
The fanged, clawed, shambling undead crawled up from the disturbed earth by the dozens. Drool hung from their rotted mouths as they lurched forward, hunger in their red eyes. In seconds, their whole bad was surrounded by the things.
"Watch out, Mae!"
A spark of flames came from Boey's fingertips, summoned up from quick incantations as a rotted hand nearly gripped Mae's ankle. She let out a shriek, and brought forth a torrent of flames which finished off the creature before it could even fully emerge.
"We're surrounded already," Saber said.
"The only thing we can do is fight through them," Celica said.
From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Leon drawing his bow. No surprise, he was finding himself constantly distracted on the battlefield and off by the guy. He blamed his hair, personally. It just looked so silky and soft, and was such a striking color, that anyone would be distracted.
A few reinforcements stumbled out from the trees right next to Leon. Leon didn't even realize, his focus on that creature right near Valbar.
Kamui clutched his sword tight. He was filled with a sudden desperation, so intense that it felt almost painful as the creatures came closer. Their claws were unsheathed, and a soulless hunger filled their red eyes.
Without even a second thought, Kamui set off on a run. A spark of fire soared over him, from Mae, the battlefield was filled with the sound of clashing metal. But, the creatures were too close for Kamui to simply warn Leon. Already those claws were within arm's length.
There was only one way out of this.
Kamui put himself in front of Leon, hard enough to almost knock Leon off balance in the process.
"Watch it-"
He felt a spike of pain through him as those teeth sunk deep into his skin. He kicked out, knocking the creature off him, and shoved his sword deep in its rotted gut. The first creature melted into smoke and ash, but before he could even slash at the next, two others were upon him. The pain intensified. He flailed, cutting his sword into more and more as the creatures surrounded him. He was quickly getting overwhelmed.
Leon wouldn't have been able to defend himself at all. Just the thought of him helpless to all these creatures hurt more than the intense pain in his arm and chest.
But, too much more of this, and he'd be a goner. He should've known it was a bad idea to take on this job. He should've stayed at that bar and taken on something smaller, like guarding a merchant.
Then again, if he hadn't, Leon probably would've gotten himself killed. And all the seeming safety in the world couldn't erase that thought from his mind.
An arrow stuck out of the eye of one of them. A spark of flames consumed the rest, called forth by Celica herself.
Kamui gasped for breath as the last of the things fell away from him. More lingered at the edge of the forest.
"Kamui! What the hell are you doing?"
"Saving your life, apparently? ...You're welcome, by the way," Kamui said.
Kamui reeled, barely able to stand. He'd lost so much blood that he felt woozy.
"Here, lean on me," Leon said quickly.
Kamui didn't make any protest, and not just because every step was hard. Somehow, his head felt even more strangely light around Leon.
"Genny is busy healing the others. I'll deal with this myself. I've got enough healing potions to fix this...we just need to put some distance between us and the battlefield, okay?" Leon said.
Kamui gave a vaugely affirmative nod. The pain had intensified, and his head felt even worse. There were others, he could see now. Celica was worried, and Mae exclaiming, and Valbar saying something he couldn't hear.
He did catch what Leon said next, as he was close enough.
"Go on, Valbar. I'm dragging this fool off of the battlefield before he gets himself killed. And stay safe out there, Valbar--and all of you."
Maybe it was progress if they'd gotten to the point of him not wishing Kamui would die.
"I'll distract the rest, and make sure you aren't followed," Saber said.
"Good. The last thing we need is yet another ambush."
"An ambush a day keeps the healer at bay," Kamui said. His attempt at humor, however dark, didn't even get a laugh.
The graveyards were lost in the distance, and the sounds of the undead with them. Kamui stumbled in step with Leon. Through his hazy mind, he couldn't help but think it felt awful good to be leaning against Leon like this, even if the circumstances were less than ideal.
*
Leon helped guide him down to sit on the ground. And without a word, he gathered up a few sticks from the nearby trees. Just enough to catch the sparks from the pieces of flint he kept in his pack.
They'd left footprints in the soft soil behind them, and would be quite easy to track. That was one little comfort that the group wouldn't leave them behind. After all, Leon was here. They wouldn't leave him behind.
Kamui knew he was expendable, just another mercenary, but even this proximity to Leon was both killing him by degrees and saving him. Maybe it'd even be funny, except he'd have to wait until maybe a few years down the line, when he wasn't about to faint from pain and lack of blood.
Leon pulled a match from his satchel, and lit it. The bundle of sticks and twigs wouldn't last long, but it'd help keep the creatures away for a little while. They weren't going to stay here overnight anyways.
Leon gave him a sharp look. "Why'd you have to go and do that?"
"So sorry I'm not Valbar," Kamui said.
Leon gave him a look, as if he should've already known this. "You save someone's life, you're bound to them forever."
"So? We're in an army. Surely we've saved each other's lives plenty of times. That should disprove the theory pretty soundly."
Even if it hadn't been quite that direct, they'd all helped out a fellow soldier here and there.
"Not like that," Leon said.
"By your theory, literally any healer would be bound to literally every single one of us." Kamui grimaced at the thought.
"You're missing the point," Leon said.
"There was a point? I sure didn't see one."
Except the one where he wasn't Valbar, and Leon always held that against him. That exhausting little fact that was stuck so deep, that he couldn't stop being bothered by.
Even though he shouldn't even care. Valbar was just another boss who one day he would barely remember, and Leon was just another soldier. He'd be deluding himself if he ever thought he'd forget someone like Leon.
"You know what this is," Leon said. Leon bent to poke at the fire, and keep it going. This fire would keep the creatures away, both wild and undead. At least, it was supposed to. Kamui wasn't sure he trusted these things anymore. He'd paid some gold for an amulet from a dock fortune-teller, just to be safe. It was supposed to ward away evil, but then he'd gone and gotten dragged into this whole endevor, and come face to face with evil on a daily basis. The only reason he hadn't thrown away the damned thing was he paid good money for it, and he wasn't about to completely waste it.
(And Leon complimented it once. The only compliment Leon had ever given him without a caveat.)
Kamui wasn't even sure what Leon was going on about this time, except he was pretty sure that Leon suspected this was another flirtatious overture. Kamui could hardly breathe without Leon giving him that look as if Kamui had just made a move on him.
Where he got the idea, Kamui couldn't fathom. They were just on the same side, and even more, Kamui wasn't any hero. He was just a mercenary looking for a paycheck. Nothing more and nothing less. Kamui had no illusions of grandeur here. He was just another hired sword, a nomad without a cause outside of making enough to pay for the next meal and inn. When the list of heroes was written up, if they ever managed to survive this whole fool's errand, he'd be a footnote at best. And he'd only be included because he'd stayed with Valbar and Leon.
And hey, of course he was going to ask about Valbar. He was the only other guy traveling with them for ages. What else were they going to talk about? The finer points of killing for hire? The ingredients in that last soup? Besides, Valbar was Leon's favorite subject, and probably favorite person in the world. At any given opportunity, he'd wax poetic about how Valbar was some bronze-armored god come down from heaven, perfect in all ways.
Which left a bit of a bitter taste in his mouth. Because who could live up to something like that? Especially when it wasn't even true. Which wasn't a slight against Valbar. He'd paid Kamui and treated him well enough, but he wasn't even half as great as Leon said he was.
(He remembered the old saying, love is blind. It'd never really personally affected him before. But nowadays, it kind of grated how Leon thought Kamui couldn't even manage to be half the man Valbar was. It was awful hard to measure up to someone Leon routinely deified.)
And that desperation he felt? Well, he must've accidentally gotten a little attached after all, despite all his attempts otherwise. Which was a real problem, considering his contract wasn't going to be up anytime soon. Kamui tried to never stay in any mercenary company too long. Because, in his line of work, he'd either have to watch his friends die, or have to fight them when they got drafted to another cause.
It was much better to just cut and run when he'd gotten his gold, and keep traveling. It hurt a lot less losing someone when they were just names and faces, and he had little more to connect than I worked with that guy for a week or two. That was just how a nomad and mercenary had to live to keep safe along the way.
And love? That was laughable. Kamui had seen plenty of women in the world and not a single one interested him. When he'd been much younger, over ten years ago, he'd even tried at it. There was this one female shepard who he'd gotten on with well enough. She'd had a thing for him, and everyone always talked about how they'd end up married.
He'd given it a try, only to find romance wasn't for him. Even the memories of the wooden and awkward attempts at loving was shudder worthy.
Thankfully, just a few months in, she'd been completely wooed away by some new shepherd which moved in from another settlement. Kamui was supposed to be heartbroken, but all he'd felt then was relief. The last thing he'd want to be tied down in marriage with a girl who was perfectly nice, and a good friend, but he couldn't muster any romantic feelings for. He might not be the nicest and most caring guy around, and some (Leon) may have even insinuated more than once that gold was the sum of his morals, but he didn't want to see anybody's heart broken.
He swallowed as Leon came closer. He really was delicate, in a way. And his hair looked so very soft. And yet, he was lithe and graceful, with a surprising strength. Even if he'd make Kamui carry the supplies most of the time.
"Hold still," Leon said. he took ahold of Kamui's arm, and the warm was sudden and surprising.
Leon looked at his arm like he'd never seen an arm before--or more precisely, Kamui's arm before.
"What, am I growing branches out of there? You're looking at me weird."
Leon cast his gaze downwards. "It's a deeper wound than I realized," Leon said softly.
"Yeah, it happens," Kamui said. "That's battle for you." He forced a smile, to put on a brave face. It hurt like hell, but with Leon so close, he forgot about the pain, and everything but their proximity.
Leon set his satchel on his lap and pulled out some kind of medicine. He poured out the clear gel from the brown vial on his palm, and began to slowly rub it into Kamui's wound. The warmth of his skin was downright distracting. Leon's fingers traced over the wound, yet it was painless as the skin began to instantly heal. Kamui licked his dry lips. His heartbeat kept growing faster at each touch.
Leon kept rubbing more and more of the medicine there on his bicep. Even though the wound had healed, he pulled out some bandages from his satchel and slowly began to wrap Kamui's arm in them.
Kamui's breath hitched.
"What, did it hurt?"
"Gnn--no."
"Good, the vulnerary is working."
"Frankly, I'm pretty surprised you care about things like that," Kamui said.
"I'm not a monster," Leon said.
"Never said you were," Kamui said.
"No, you just are painting me out there like some kind of evil cackling wretch who cheers at your pain," Leon said.
"Face it, most of the time you don't exactly seek out my company," Kamui said.
"Annoyance at your continued obliviousness doesn't mean I want you to die. In fact, I very much do not want you to die," Leon said.
"You want everyone to live--wait, continued obliviousness?"
Leon gave him a look.
"Oh, gods above, this again," Kamui said.
Leon reached into "I wasn't aware that ever stopped," he said.
"It never was there to begin with," Kamui said.
"Uh-huh," Leon said.
Kamui stared at the fire and not Leon. He was so damn aware of the closeness of him, the softness of his touch. He forced his breathing to be even, but even that was a trial and a half. He kept reminding himself that all this weirdness was just from the medicine, and the lingering shock of Leon almost being hurt. The feeling of his blood pulsing? That had to be from the medicine, too. Or maybe the shock of it all.
(Which didn't explain all the weirdness with how he and Leon usually interacted--fought, really. He hadn't been slathered in vulnerary then, but he ignored that little bit of logic.)
"You got bit in the chest, too, didn't you?" Leon said. There was a slight tremble in his voice. He cleared his throat. "Right?"
"Uh-huh. Need me to take off my tunic?"
"I can't apply the medicine without it."
Kamui peeled off his ruined tunic, and tossed it to the ground. Between the undead and the bloodstains, there would be no salvaging it. Fighting Necrodragons had ruined his last pair, which meant he'd be wearing a blanket over his shoulders and shivering until he got to the next town.
Unless someone offered him a shirt. Though, no way Leon would do that. Leon was way too attached to his clothes to let Kamui wear them out, and get them ripped up in battle. Kamui wouldn't fit in them anyways. He'd probably rip them out just trying to move, and then Leon would be even more pissed at him than usual.
Leon took a sharp intake of breath. His hand hovered over Kamui's chest, like he might get burnt if he dared touch Kamui's skin.
"What? The wound worse than expected? At least I've still got my organs on the inside. Mostly, anyways."
"Nothing," Leon said. He cast his eyes downward, his cheeks were flushed bright red.
Kamui kept his eyes closed as Leon rubbed the vulnerary into his chest. Because if he didn't focus on the sound of the crackling of the fire, he'd focus on completely stupid things. Like the thought of Leon straddling his lap to keep up this, which felt great in a way Kamui had never felt before. Because it was always a big nothing when women touched or flirted with him.
And he was definitely feeling something now. (The vulnerary, he reminded himself.)
Or focus on the fact that despite his wounds being probably healed, Leon still touched him, still bandaged him up enough to use up the entire roll. Like he mattered or something, like Leon wanted to keep touching him.
Which Kamui knew were utter bullshit thoughts, both of them. Leon had been real blatant in how much he wasn't into him. And it still hurt, though Kamui never cared if people liked him or not. For some reason, his inability to get Leon to think of him as anything than an annoyance was like a sore he couldn't stop reopening. It just seemed so wrong. Sure, he wasn't a hero, he wasn't a god, but he wasn't horrible. How the hell did he piss off Leon so much, anyways?
His heart still felt--fluttery--or something like that. It was a side effect of the medicine, it was a side effect of the medicine, Kamui reminded himself over and over, as if he could will it to be true. Like some kind of magic. (Except, Kamui never had any talent for spells.)
And it got even worse as Leon touched him, right over his chest.
"Your heart is beating so fast."
"Just trying to calm down after battle," Kamui muttered.
"Uh-huh," Leon said.
Because, what other reason would he be getting all hot and bothered by? Leon?
Leon sure seemed to think Kamui had a thing for him, which was laughable, really. Kamui didn't settle down for anyone. He'd met plenty of women and never been tempted by a single one. Which really proved that he just wasn't that kind of guy.
"You make it sound like we'd be soulmates or something because of this," Kamui said, like it was some kind of joke. He waited for the laugh, because he and Leon together would be so hilarious, except he couldn't stop thinking about it. Because it was so funny and impossible and completely ridiculous. Him happy and in love? Him kissing Leon every single damn day and defending him and running his hands through his silky hair...
Kamui swallowed at that thought.
But, Leon certainly didn't look amused.
"Saving someone's life is no laughing matter," Leon said coldly.
"Who's laughing?"
Certainly not Leon, that was for sure.
"It's a fate worse than death: I'll have to owe you one."
"One what? Bag of gold? One instance of buying me dinner? It doesn't sound like a big deal to me. I'd even share the food with you."
Actually, the thought of eating dinner with Leon was pretty nice. He could just see Leon brushing his hair back and giving him a sure little smile as he commented about the menu.
Leon rolled his eyes heavenward at this. "Honestly, I think you'd marry gold if you could."
Kamui chuckled. "Sure, why not. It's not like there's anything else going on."
Leon raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
"What?"
Leon gave him a pointed look. "You really don't get it?"
"Ah, shit. This again. Look, I saved you because you're my comrade, okay? No other reason. And this time, I'll let you go free of charge. But, keep it up and you're going to get a bill."
Leon rolled his eyes. "I should've known."
"It was a joke."
"With you, I could hardly tell."
Leon's hand was still splayed at his chest. And Kamui kept getting distracted by the heat of the contact. He was half surprised that Leon didn't draw away like he'd been burnt, considering that most of the time he treated Kamui as if he was particularly loathsome and smelly.
(Which was pretty unfair. He bathed the best he could, considering they were on the battlefield. It wasn't exactly easy to come out smelling like flowers when they were fighting living corpses. And Valbar's armor sure didn't smell too great after a long march, and Leon never seemed to mind.)
And frankly? That was pretty insulting. Sure, Kamui didn't settle down, but he knew he wasn't hideous. Plenty of women had made flirtatious overtures at him in plenty of ports over the years.
And he hadn't really been interested, had gently turned them down. His usual line was I'm just not that kind of guy. Not one to settle down with a wife, or even a lover. The last thing he wanted was to be tethered to some place. Some had said he'd lose this wild streak and settle down, but Kamui didn't see it happening anytime soon.
Though, that left this weird--sadness--in his chest. Because that'd mean he'd have to go separate ways from Leon. And sure, they fought all the time, but the thought of him being just a memory was definitely bittersweet. Hell if Kamui knew why he'd gotten so attached to this one sharp-tongued guy. Maybe he just needed to move on, until he came to his senses.
More than that, but Kamui didn't even have the words to express the kind of feeling he had. Because of all the women he'd left behind so easily, he'd never felt that. He didn't even think he worked that way.
"Why do you have to make everything so hard?"
"What, physically or metaphorically? You're going to have to narrow it down here."
"Both," Leon said.
"I don't know. I guess we're just oil and water," Kamui said.
The thought that there was something unsalvagable about them and they were destined to just go separate ways, and that Leon probably wouldn't even miss him left Kamui strangely sad. Maybe it was the loss of blood getting to him, because he'd never grown attached to a single fellow mercenary before. The thought that Leon could've somehow gotten under his skin like that was laughable, really.
"If you say so," Leon said.
"If I say so? You can't spend a single minute with me without getting into an argument," Kamui said.
"You know the saying? It takes two to dance," Leon said.
Leon patted his arm. "There. You should be better."
He missed the contact of Leon's fingers against him. No, just another symptom of the medicine, or the loss of blood, or some other reason.
"Guess we should rejoin the rest, before they leave without us," Kamui said.
"Valbar would never forget me," Leon said.
"Yeah, he's a pretty good guy. I guess he wouldn't forget you, at least."
Leon narrowed his eyes. "What is that supposed to mean? You think Valbar would just leave you?"
"I'm just a mercenary who got pulled into something way deeper than I intended. That's all. I don't kid myself and think that any of you are staying up late at night worrying about me. Eventually we'll all go our separate ways when this is all over and you'll all barely even remember my name," Kamui said.
Leon sighed. "Sometimes you say the stupidest things, Kamui."
"You say that daily, if not hourly."
"And you always stun me with new wild things you come up with. Just, don't get yourself killed out there."
Kamui grinned. "Why, would you miss me?"
A slight blush tinged Leon's cheeks. "Because you're my comrade and that's all--isn't that what you said? Nothing but your oh so friendly buddy comrade? I certainly wouldn't want my buddy to die."
"W-well, yeah," Kamui stammered out. He rubbed at his cheek. Somehow, he'd stumbled into something he hadn't meant to. And he knew damn well they were inches from another fight.
And even more, Leon was inches away from his lips, too. He licked his lips, and looked away before that thought could complete itself.
"Then come on, comrade. We need to get back and make sure everyone else is okay."
He began to pack up the rest of the satchel. Kamui bent to help, but Leon swatted his hand away. "The last thing I want is for you to reopen your wounds. Let me hand this, all right?"
"Okay, for this time," Kamui said.
Somehow along the way, he'd ticked off Leon. He tried to think back and couldn't figure out what he'd done to set the guy off this time.
Maybe he'd just have to figure that Leon, and this weird attachment was too mysterious to put into words. They weren't really friends, but he found himself coming back to Leon's side, over and over, and seeking him out. He even craved spending time with him, and felt the lack of him when they'd been away too long.
Which were all very unfamiliar and new feelings for Kamui.
He stole a glance to Leon as they headed back.
He had to admit, he kind of liked the idea that he and Leon would be bound together. Were these kinds of bonds lifelong? Did they end when Leon saved him? Was it like an I owe you? If he saved Leon again, would it continue or multiply, until they were stuck like this for the rest of their lives?
Leon hadn't explained on all of those, and he probably wouldn't, because they'd end up arguing along the way, and twice more before they headed to bed. And he knew they'd probably argue over breakfast, too. And it was a comfort, somehow. That Leon would still be there for another day, and another, and another.
Usually, this was his cue to exit, but he'd gotten caught up in this whole thing, and he wasn't about to run out like a coward. Even if a sellsword like himself didn't fit among lost royalty and heroes.
Besides, he didn't exactly want to see Leon dead. And knowing him, without Kamui there to watch his back, he'd probably space out in battle looking at Valbar's shiny armor and get eaten by the undead.
Just the thought made something tense and ache inside. Not just the thought of him being hurt, but the thought of him watching after Valbar, knowing that Valbar didn't return that feeling felt so wrong. It was a shame, that was all. Leon deserved someone who really adored him. Someone who'd take a blow for him, who'd gladly face death for him. Someone who couldn't stop thinking about him and spent the whole time treasuring him.
But, Leon was a handsome and unforgettable guy. Surely he'd find someone eventually.
Kamui scrunched up his nose. The thought of Leon finding some other guy left him strangely unsettled. But as he questioned himself, Kamui couldn't figure out why. It wasn't really any of his business who Leon ended up with. Besides, soon enough when this war was over, Kamui would be back to wandering and Leon would be just a memory. An anecdote Kamui told at the campfire to other mercenaries he'd never get too close to. All up until he died on the battlefield, or of old age: whichever came first.
Which was another sad truth, but one nonetheless. Whatever myths about bonds Leon found aside, Kamui didn't see any future where they were on the same continent, let alone close friends.
He stole another glance at Leon. He'd stay a bit longer, maybe even once the war was over. Not just because the pay was decent, but because for the first time that he could remember, he didn't want to leave. And he didn't want Leon to be nothing but a memory.
Not yet, at least.
"I see the campfires. We're almost back. Thankfully, these battles are horrid on my skin," Leon said.
"You look fine," Kamui muttered. Leon didn't hear him, or didn't dignify that with a response. Fine didn't even begin to cut how Leon looked--unforgettable and striking, gorgeous in a way that didn't meet words. In so many ways, the way Leon talked about Valbar applied more to himself than Valbar.
But Kamui said none of that as they closed in on the camp, and rejoined with everyone else. He'd sleep off this strangeness, and go back to the new normal of these endless marches and often clashes with brigands and monsters.
And he wouldn't let Leon go alone on the battlefield, not for a second.
Series: Fire Emblem: Echoes
Character/pairing: Kamui/Leon,
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 5k
Summary: When Kamui gets grievously injured in a blow that was meant for Leon, Leon bandages him up afterwards.
Author's note:
This was one of the prompts from EvilMuffin from chocolate_box. I had it basically all planned out, but ran out of time to actually post this one. It was something about bandaging a wound? I don't have it handy to copy it exactly. Anyways, I finally finished it. I guess that makes this the Valentine's day candy that you forget about and find months later and go "score, free candy!"
It's basically some mid-game missing scene.
Personally, Kamui didn't exactly see why they had to spend so much time around in abandoned caves and graveyards. Sure, he didn't get paid to complain, as Leon reminded him daily, but it generally seemed like a bad idea, considering they were always crawling with brigands and monsters and the undead. And maybe he was less than surprised when a whole horde of undead emerged from the graves. Except, what he didn't see coming was that these were much stronger than the usual creatures around the priory.
At least there wasn't any Necrodragons around here? It was a small mercy, to be sure, but at least it was something.
The fanged, clawed, shambling undead crawled up from the disturbed earth by the dozens. Drool hung from their rotted mouths as they lurched forward, hunger in their red eyes. In seconds, their whole bad was surrounded by the things.
"Watch out, Mae!"
A spark of flames came from Boey's fingertips, summoned up from quick incantations as a rotted hand nearly gripped Mae's ankle. She let out a shriek, and brought forth a torrent of flames which finished off the creature before it could even fully emerge.
"We're surrounded already," Saber said.
"The only thing we can do is fight through them," Celica said.
From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Leon drawing his bow. No surprise, he was finding himself constantly distracted on the battlefield and off by the guy. He blamed his hair, personally. It just looked so silky and soft, and was such a striking color, that anyone would be distracted.
A few reinforcements stumbled out from the trees right next to Leon. Leon didn't even realize, his focus on that creature right near Valbar.
Kamui clutched his sword tight. He was filled with a sudden desperation, so intense that it felt almost painful as the creatures came closer. Their claws were unsheathed, and a soulless hunger filled their red eyes.
Without even a second thought, Kamui set off on a run. A spark of fire soared over him, from Mae, the battlefield was filled with the sound of clashing metal. But, the creatures were too close for Kamui to simply warn Leon. Already those claws were within arm's length.
There was only one way out of this.
Kamui put himself in front of Leon, hard enough to almost knock Leon off balance in the process.
"Watch it-"
He felt a spike of pain through him as those teeth sunk deep into his skin. He kicked out, knocking the creature off him, and shoved his sword deep in its rotted gut. The first creature melted into smoke and ash, but before he could even slash at the next, two others were upon him. The pain intensified. He flailed, cutting his sword into more and more as the creatures surrounded him. He was quickly getting overwhelmed.
Leon wouldn't have been able to defend himself at all. Just the thought of him helpless to all these creatures hurt more than the intense pain in his arm and chest.
But, too much more of this, and he'd be a goner. He should've known it was a bad idea to take on this job. He should've stayed at that bar and taken on something smaller, like guarding a merchant.
Then again, if he hadn't, Leon probably would've gotten himself killed. And all the seeming safety in the world couldn't erase that thought from his mind.
An arrow stuck out of the eye of one of them. A spark of flames consumed the rest, called forth by Celica herself.
Kamui gasped for breath as the last of the things fell away from him. More lingered at the edge of the forest.
"Kamui! What the hell are you doing?"
"Saving your life, apparently? ...You're welcome, by the way," Kamui said.
Kamui reeled, barely able to stand. He'd lost so much blood that he felt woozy.
"Here, lean on me," Leon said quickly.
Kamui didn't make any protest, and not just because every step was hard. Somehow, his head felt even more strangely light around Leon.
"Genny is busy healing the others. I'll deal with this myself. I've got enough healing potions to fix this...we just need to put some distance between us and the battlefield, okay?" Leon said.
Kamui gave a vaugely affirmative nod. The pain had intensified, and his head felt even worse. There were others, he could see now. Celica was worried, and Mae exclaiming, and Valbar saying something he couldn't hear.
He did catch what Leon said next, as he was close enough.
"Go on, Valbar. I'm dragging this fool off of the battlefield before he gets himself killed. And stay safe out there, Valbar--and all of you."
Maybe it was progress if they'd gotten to the point of him not wishing Kamui would die.
"I'll distract the rest, and make sure you aren't followed," Saber said.
"Good. The last thing we need is yet another ambush."
"An ambush a day keeps the healer at bay," Kamui said. His attempt at humor, however dark, didn't even get a laugh.
The graveyards were lost in the distance, and the sounds of the undead with them. Kamui stumbled in step with Leon. Through his hazy mind, he couldn't help but think it felt awful good to be leaning against Leon like this, even if the circumstances were less than ideal.
*
Leon helped guide him down to sit on the ground. And without a word, he gathered up a few sticks from the nearby trees. Just enough to catch the sparks from the pieces of flint he kept in his pack.
They'd left footprints in the soft soil behind them, and would be quite easy to track. That was one little comfort that the group wouldn't leave them behind. After all, Leon was here. They wouldn't leave him behind.
Kamui knew he was expendable, just another mercenary, but even this proximity to Leon was both killing him by degrees and saving him. Maybe it'd even be funny, except he'd have to wait until maybe a few years down the line, when he wasn't about to faint from pain and lack of blood.
Leon pulled a match from his satchel, and lit it. The bundle of sticks and twigs wouldn't last long, but it'd help keep the creatures away for a little while. They weren't going to stay here overnight anyways.
Leon gave him a sharp look. "Why'd you have to go and do that?"
"So sorry I'm not Valbar," Kamui said.
Leon gave him a look, as if he should've already known this. "You save someone's life, you're bound to them forever."
"So? We're in an army. Surely we've saved each other's lives plenty of times. That should disprove the theory pretty soundly."
Even if it hadn't been quite that direct, they'd all helped out a fellow soldier here and there.
"Not like that," Leon said.
"By your theory, literally any healer would be bound to literally every single one of us." Kamui grimaced at the thought.
"You're missing the point," Leon said.
"There was a point? I sure didn't see one."
Except the one where he wasn't Valbar, and Leon always held that against him. That exhausting little fact that was stuck so deep, that he couldn't stop being bothered by.
Even though he shouldn't even care. Valbar was just another boss who one day he would barely remember, and Leon was just another soldier. He'd be deluding himself if he ever thought he'd forget someone like Leon.
"You know what this is," Leon said. Leon bent to poke at the fire, and keep it going. This fire would keep the creatures away, both wild and undead. At least, it was supposed to. Kamui wasn't sure he trusted these things anymore. He'd paid some gold for an amulet from a dock fortune-teller, just to be safe. It was supposed to ward away evil, but then he'd gone and gotten dragged into this whole endevor, and come face to face with evil on a daily basis. The only reason he hadn't thrown away the damned thing was he paid good money for it, and he wasn't about to completely waste it.
(And Leon complimented it once. The only compliment Leon had ever given him without a caveat.)
Kamui wasn't even sure what Leon was going on about this time, except he was pretty sure that Leon suspected this was another flirtatious overture. Kamui could hardly breathe without Leon giving him that look as if Kamui had just made a move on him.
Where he got the idea, Kamui couldn't fathom. They were just on the same side, and even more, Kamui wasn't any hero. He was just a mercenary looking for a paycheck. Nothing more and nothing less. Kamui had no illusions of grandeur here. He was just another hired sword, a nomad without a cause outside of making enough to pay for the next meal and inn. When the list of heroes was written up, if they ever managed to survive this whole fool's errand, he'd be a footnote at best. And he'd only be included because he'd stayed with Valbar and Leon.
And hey, of course he was going to ask about Valbar. He was the only other guy traveling with them for ages. What else were they going to talk about? The finer points of killing for hire? The ingredients in that last soup? Besides, Valbar was Leon's favorite subject, and probably favorite person in the world. At any given opportunity, he'd wax poetic about how Valbar was some bronze-armored god come down from heaven, perfect in all ways.
Which left a bit of a bitter taste in his mouth. Because who could live up to something like that? Especially when it wasn't even true. Which wasn't a slight against Valbar. He'd paid Kamui and treated him well enough, but he wasn't even half as great as Leon said he was.
(He remembered the old saying, love is blind. It'd never really personally affected him before. But nowadays, it kind of grated how Leon thought Kamui couldn't even manage to be half the man Valbar was. It was awful hard to measure up to someone Leon routinely deified.)
And that desperation he felt? Well, he must've accidentally gotten a little attached after all, despite all his attempts otherwise. Which was a real problem, considering his contract wasn't going to be up anytime soon. Kamui tried to never stay in any mercenary company too long. Because, in his line of work, he'd either have to watch his friends die, or have to fight them when they got drafted to another cause.
It was much better to just cut and run when he'd gotten his gold, and keep traveling. It hurt a lot less losing someone when they were just names and faces, and he had little more to connect than I worked with that guy for a week or two. That was just how a nomad and mercenary had to live to keep safe along the way.
And love? That was laughable. Kamui had seen plenty of women in the world and not a single one interested him. When he'd been much younger, over ten years ago, he'd even tried at it. There was this one female shepard who he'd gotten on with well enough. She'd had a thing for him, and everyone always talked about how they'd end up married.
He'd given it a try, only to find romance wasn't for him. Even the memories of the wooden and awkward attempts at loving was shudder worthy.
Thankfully, just a few months in, she'd been completely wooed away by some new shepherd which moved in from another settlement. Kamui was supposed to be heartbroken, but all he'd felt then was relief. The last thing he'd want to be tied down in marriage with a girl who was perfectly nice, and a good friend, but he couldn't muster any romantic feelings for. He might not be the nicest and most caring guy around, and some (Leon) may have even insinuated more than once that gold was the sum of his morals, but he didn't want to see anybody's heart broken.
He swallowed as Leon came closer. He really was delicate, in a way. And his hair looked so very soft. And yet, he was lithe and graceful, with a surprising strength. Even if he'd make Kamui carry the supplies most of the time.
"Hold still," Leon said. he took ahold of Kamui's arm, and the warm was sudden and surprising.
Leon looked at his arm like he'd never seen an arm before--or more precisely, Kamui's arm before.
"What, am I growing branches out of there? You're looking at me weird."
Leon cast his gaze downwards. "It's a deeper wound than I realized," Leon said softly.
"Yeah, it happens," Kamui said. "That's battle for you." He forced a smile, to put on a brave face. It hurt like hell, but with Leon so close, he forgot about the pain, and everything but their proximity.
Leon set his satchel on his lap and pulled out some kind of medicine. He poured out the clear gel from the brown vial on his palm, and began to slowly rub it into Kamui's wound. The warmth of his skin was downright distracting. Leon's fingers traced over the wound, yet it was painless as the skin began to instantly heal. Kamui licked his dry lips. His heartbeat kept growing faster at each touch.
Leon kept rubbing more and more of the medicine there on his bicep. Even though the wound had healed, he pulled out some bandages from his satchel and slowly began to wrap Kamui's arm in them.
Kamui's breath hitched.
"What, did it hurt?"
"Gnn--no."
"Good, the vulnerary is working."
"Frankly, I'm pretty surprised you care about things like that," Kamui said.
"I'm not a monster," Leon said.
"Never said you were," Kamui said.
"No, you just are painting me out there like some kind of evil cackling wretch who cheers at your pain," Leon said.
"Face it, most of the time you don't exactly seek out my company," Kamui said.
"Annoyance at your continued obliviousness doesn't mean I want you to die. In fact, I very much do not want you to die," Leon said.
"You want everyone to live--wait, continued obliviousness?"
Leon gave him a look.
"Oh, gods above, this again," Kamui said.
Leon reached into "I wasn't aware that ever stopped," he said.
"It never was there to begin with," Kamui said.
"Uh-huh," Leon said.
Kamui stared at the fire and not Leon. He was so damn aware of the closeness of him, the softness of his touch. He forced his breathing to be even, but even that was a trial and a half. He kept reminding himself that all this weirdness was just from the medicine, and the lingering shock of Leon almost being hurt. The feeling of his blood pulsing? That had to be from the medicine, too. Or maybe the shock of it all.
(Which didn't explain all the weirdness with how he and Leon usually interacted--fought, really. He hadn't been slathered in vulnerary then, but he ignored that little bit of logic.)
"You got bit in the chest, too, didn't you?" Leon said. There was a slight tremble in his voice. He cleared his throat. "Right?"
"Uh-huh. Need me to take off my tunic?"
"I can't apply the medicine without it."
Kamui peeled off his ruined tunic, and tossed it to the ground. Between the undead and the bloodstains, there would be no salvaging it. Fighting Necrodragons had ruined his last pair, which meant he'd be wearing a blanket over his shoulders and shivering until he got to the next town.
Unless someone offered him a shirt. Though, no way Leon would do that. Leon was way too attached to his clothes to let Kamui wear them out, and get them ripped up in battle. Kamui wouldn't fit in them anyways. He'd probably rip them out just trying to move, and then Leon would be even more pissed at him than usual.
Leon took a sharp intake of breath. His hand hovered over Kamui's chest, like he might get burnt if he dared touch Kamui's skin.
"What? The wound worse than expected? At least I've still got my organs on the inside. Mostly, anyways."
"Nothing," Leon said. He cast his eyes downward, his cheeks were flushed bright red.
Kamui kept his eyes closed as Leon rubbed the vulnerary into his chest. Because if he didn't focus on the sound of the crackling of the fire, he'd focus on completely stupid things. Like the thought of Leon straddling his lap to keep up this, which felt great in a way Kamui had never felt before. Because it was always a big nothing when women touched or flirted with him.
And he was definitely feeling something now. (The vulnerary, he reminded himself.)
Or focus on the fact that despite his wounds being probably healed, Leon still touched him, still bandaged him up enough to use up the entire roll. Like he mattered or something, like Leon wanted to keep touching him.
Which Kamui knew were utter bullshit thoughts, both of them. Leon had been real blatant in how much he wasn't into him. And it still hurt, though Kamui never cared if people liked him or not. For some reason, his inability to get Leon to think of him as anything than an annoyance was like a sore he couldn't stop reopening. It just seemed so wrong. Sure, he wasn't a hero, he wasn't a god, but he wasn't horrible. How the hell did he piss off Leon so much, anyways?
His heart still felt--fluttery--or something like that. It was a side effect of the medicine, it was a side effect of the medicine, Kamui reminded himself over and over, as if he could will it to be true. Like some kind of magic. (Except, Kamui never had any talent for spells.)
And it got even worse as Leon touched him, right over his chest.
"Your heart is beating so fast."
"Just trying to calm down after battle," Kamui muttered.
"Uh-huh," Leon said.
Because, what other reason would he be getting all hot and bothered by? Leon?
Leon sure seemed to think Kamui had a thing for him, which was laughable, really. Kamui didn't settle down for anyone. He'd met plenty of women and never been tempted by a single one. Which really proved that he just wasn't that kind of guy.
"You make it sound like we'd be soulmates or something because of this," Kamui said, like it was some kind of joke. He waited for the laugh, because he and Leon together would be so hilarious, except he couldn't stop thinking about it. Because it was so funny and impossible and completely ridiculous. Him happy and in love? Him kissing Leon every single damn day and defending him and running his hands through his silky hair...
Kamui swallowed at that thought.
But, Leon certainly didn't look amused.
"Saving someone's life is no laughing matter," Leon said coldly.
"Who's laughing?"
Certainly not Leon, that was for sure.
"It's a fate worse than death: I'll have to owe you one."
"One what? Bag of gold? One instance of buying me dinner? It doesn't sound like a big deal to me. I'd even share the food with you."
Actually, the thought of eating dinner with Leon was pretty nice. He could just see Leon brushing his hair back and giving him a sure little smile as he commented about the menu.
Leon rolled his eyes heavenward at this. "Honestly, I think you'd marry gold if you could."
Kamui chuckled. "Sure, why not. It's not like there's anything else going on."
Leon raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
"What?"
Leon gave him a pointed look. "You really don't get it?"
"Ah, shit. This again. Look, I saved you because you're my comrade, okay? No other reason. And this time, I'll let you go free of charge. But, keep it up and you're going to get a bill."
Leon rolled his eyes. "I should've known."
"It was a joke."
"With you, I could hardly tell."
Leon's hand was still splayed at his chest. And Kamui kept getting distracted by the heat of the contact. He was half surprised that Leon didn't draw away like he'd been burnt, considering that most of the time he treated Kamui as if he was particularly loathsome and smelly.
(Which was pretty unfair. He bathed the best he could, considering they were on the battlefield. It wasn't exactly easy to come out smelling like flowers when they were fighting living corpses. And Valbar's armor sure didn't smell too great after a long march, and Leon never seemed to mind.)
And frankly? That was pretty insulting. Sure, Kamui didn't settle down, but he knew he wasn't hideous. Plenty of women had made flirtatious overtures at him in plenty of ports over the years.
And he hadn't really been interested, had gently turned them down. His usual line was I'm just not that kind of guy. Not one to settle down with a wife, or even a lover. The last thing he wanted was to be tethered to some place. Some had said he'd lose this wild streak and settle down, but Kamui didn't see it happening anytime soon.
Though, that left this weird--sadness--in his chest. Because that'd mean he'd have to go separate ways from Leon. And sure, they fought all the time, but the thought of him being just a memory was definitely bittersweet. Hell if Kamui knew why he'd gotten so attached to this one sharp-tongued guy. Maybe he just needed to move on, until he came to his senses.
More than that, but Kamui didn't even have the words to express the kind of feeling he had. Because of all the women he'd left behind so easily, he'd never felt that. He didn't even think he worked that way.
"Why do you have to make everything so hard?"
"What, physically or metaphorically? You're going to have to narrow it down here."
"Both," Leon said.
"I don't know. I guess we're just oil and water," Kamui said.
The thought that there was something unsalvagable about them and they were destined to just go separate ways, and that Leon probably wouldn't even miss him left Kamui strangely sad. Maybe it was the loss of blood getting to him, because he'd never grown attached to a single fellow mercenary before. The thought that Leon could've somehow gotten under his skin like that was laughable, really.
"If you say so," Leon said.
"If I say so? You can't spend a single minute with me without getting into an argument," Kamui said.
"You know the saying? It takes two to dance," Leon said.
Leon patted his arm. "There. You should be better."
He missed the contact of Leon's fingers against him. No, just another symptom of the medicine, or the loss of blood, or some other reason.
"Guess we should rejoin the rest, before they leave without us," Kamui said.
"Valbar would never forget me," Leon said.
"Yeah, he's a pretty good guy. I guess he wouldn't forget you, at least."
Leon narrowed his eyes. "What is that supposed to mean? You think Valbar would just leave you?"
"I'm just a mercenary who got pulled into something way deeper than I intended. That's all. I don't kid myself and think that any of you are staying up late at night worrying about me. Eventually we'll all go our separate ways when this is all over and you'll all barely even remember my name," Kamui said.
Leon sighed. "Sometimes you say the stupidest things, Kamui."
"You say that daily, if not hourly."
"And you always stun me with new wild things you come up with. Just, don't get yourself killed out there."
Kamui grinned. "Why, would you miss me?"
A slight blush tinged Leon's cheeks. "Because you're my comrade and that's all--isn't that what you said? Nothing but your oh so friendly buddy comrade? I certainly wouldn't want my buddy to die."
"W-well, yeah," Kamui stammered out. He rubbed at his cheek. Somehow, he'd stumbled into something he hadn't meant to. And he knew damn well they were inches from another fight.
And even more, Leon was inches away from his lips, too. He licked his lips, and looked away before that thought could complete itself.
"Then come on, comrade. We need to get back and make sure everyone else is okay."
He began to pack up the rest of the satchel. Kamui bent to help, but Leon swatted his hand away. "The last thing I want is for you to reopen your wounds. Let me hand this, all right?"
"Okay, for this time," Kamui said.
Somehow along the way, he'd ticked off Leon. He tried to think back and couldn't figure out what he'd done to set the guy off this time.
Maybe he'd just have to figure that Leon, and this weird attachment was too mysterious to put into words. They weren't really friends, but he found himself coming back to Leon's side, over and over, and seeking him out. He even craved spending time with him, and felt the lack of him when they'd been away too long.
Which were all very unfamiliar and new feelings for Kamui.
He stole a glance to Leon as they headed back.
He had to admit, he kind of liked the idea that he and Leon would be bound together. Were these kinds of bonds lifelong? Did they end when Leon saved him? Was it like an I owe you? If he saved Leon again, would it continue or multiply, until they were stuck like this for the rest of their lives?
Leon hadn't explained on all of those, and he probably wouldn't, because they'd end up arguing along the way, and twice more before they headed to bed. And he knew they'd probably argue over breakfast, too. And it was a comfort, somehow. That Leon would still be there for another day, and another, and another.
Usually, this was his cue to exit, but he'd gotten caught up in this whole thing, and he wasn't about to run out like a coward. Even if a sellsword like himself didn't fit among lost royalty and heroes.
Besides, he didn't exactly want to see Leon dead. And knowing him, without Kamui there to watch his back, he'd probably space out in battle looking at Valbar's shiny armor and get eaten by the undead.
Just the thought made something tense and ache inside. Not just the thought of him being hurt, but the thought of him watching after Valbar, knowing that Valbar didn't return that feeling felt so wrong. It was a shame, that was all. Leon deserved someone who really adored him. Someone who'd take a blow for him, who'd gladly face death for him. Someone who couldn't stop thinking about him and spent the whole time treasuring him.
But, Leon was a handsome and unforgettable guy. Surely he'd find someone eventually.
Kamui scrunched up his nose. The thought of Leon finding some other guy left him strangely unsettled. But as he questioned himself, Kamui couldn't figure out why. It wasn't really any of his business who Leon ended up with. Besides, soon enough when this war was over, Kamui would be back to wandering and Leon would be just a memory. An anecdote Kamui told at the campfire to other mercenaries he'd never get too close to. All up until he died on the battlefield, or of old age: whichever came first.
Which was another sad truth, but one nonetheless. Whatever myths about bonds Leon found aside, Kamui didn't see any future where they were on the same continent, let alone close friends.
He stole another glance at Leon. He'd stay a bit longer, maybe even once the war was over. Not just because the pay was decent, but because for the first time that he could remember, he didn't want to leave. And he didn't want Leon to be nothing but a memory.
Not yet, at least.
"I see the campfires. We're almost back. Thankfully, these battles are horrid on my skin," Leon said.
"You look fine," Kamui muttered. Leon didn't hear him, or didn't dignify that with a response. Fine didn't even begin to cut how Leon looked--unforgettable and striking, gorgeous in a way that didn't meet words. In so many ways, the way Leon talked about Valbar applied more to himself than Valbar.
But Kamui said none of that as they closed in on the camp, and rejoined with everyone else. He'd sleep off this strangeness, and go back to the new normal of these endless marches and often clashes with brigands and monsters.
And he wouldn't let Leon go alone on the battlefield, not for a second.
