In Blackened Maws

xii // reconciliation

Archer laughed.

Xena's hand flinched from his cheek, head tilted curiously. It was her, though, looking the same as when he'd first met her. The only difference was the pulsating labradorite gem in her chest and the neon blue veins surrounding it.

Archer cut off when he was struck with a sudden bout of coughing. He laid back down. While there were pools of black ink around his body, there was also crimson, blood of his own. Distantly, he was worried. He'd never been gravely injured before, but he knew that that much blood wasn't anything good. He couldn't focus on that, though, not when he was technically still breathing.

Xena didn't seem to think the same. He heard her squeak, a silly little sound that made Archer chuckle.

"You're- you're bleeding!" she exclaimed.

Archer gave a curious head-tilt of his own. "I am."

"Hold- hold on."

Archer watched as Xena delicately lifted him up to lean on the tree he'd come careening towards. Archer had to hold himself back from pitching forward and into the dirt again, his head was both light and throbbing all at once. She was quiet as she adjusted him, pulling back his clothes to reveal the deep punctures she'd made in his arms and chest. She hissed as they were exposed, looking away for just a moment.

"Hey, s'fine," Archer slurred out, startling her from her stupor. "You're back now."

Xena stared into his eyes before letting out a breathy laugh of her own. "I know."

She put her hand in the black goo and brought it to his chest. "This will help," she explained before lightly covering his chest.

Archer tensed but didn't fight her.

Xena softly rubbed it over his wounds. It felt like mud. There wasn't any pain, though, it just sat there. Xena quickly moved over to the punctures on Archer's arms.

"Do you remember what I said earlier?" Archer blurted out. Maybe it was blood loss, maybe it was the sudden feeling of relief and excitement at seeing his friend again, but he wanted to at least have a proper conversation about what had happened with her.

Xena's hands stilled a moment before she continued. "I do. I remember what you said," she whispered.

"I meant it," Archer admitted. "What you did did kinda suck, but I get why you felt the need to. And I shouldn't have been a jerk like I was."

"You had a right to be concerned," Xena murmured. "I hurt you."

"Yeah, but it wasn't you," Archer pressed. Xena's hand moved away from the wounds for a moment, but she avoided his gaze. Archer continued on, "Look, we both messed up. We were both lonely and scared and didn't know what the heck to do. What in the past, we can't change that. But...ya know? Maybe we don't have to." Archer paused as what he was saying sunk in. "Maybe it's best that things turned out like this."

"I'm sorry I left you in the dark," Xena blurted quietly. She quickly rubbed the rest of the ink off onto Archer's arm before putting her hands beside her. It was funny, kinda: if she was in her wolfish form, Archer bet she'd have her tail between her legs.

"I know," Archer murmured before perking up. "But hey! Now it isn't so dark, not with your glowing heart."

Xena's demeanor shifted at that, as if that was something she hadn't noticed before. She sat up straighter, glancing down at her chest. She stood suddenly, entire form shaking but only dripping little bits. Archer shifted to put his clothes back on, but Xena's gaze snapped to his.

"Archer," she started, and he couldn't tell if she sounded excited or terrified, "Archer, where did you get this?"

"I found it. I was wondering the forest to get home when-"