His Crimson Eyes (Tangtho AU)

Chapter 6

They managed to get the bed in place with only a few small mistakes, and by the time they finished, night had fallen. Impulse and Zedaph bid Tango and Etho goodnight with all the cheer in the world, leaving an awkward air behind them.

"Uh... well. I guess we should get to bed," Tango said after a moment.

"Yeah," Etho agreed. 

But as he got under the covers, his mind wouldn't stop buzzing with feelings and thoughts. For the first couple of hours, Tango was the one on his mind. The demon had turned toward Etho in his sleep, and Etho couldn't help but watch him, listening to his slow, easy breathing. At one point, he began letting out a quiet, deep rumbling sound, like some sort of purr. 

He was cute. 

Etho quickly shoved that thought away, but not before a small smile had appeared on his face. He forced himself to turn away and try to let his mind rest. But he still didn't fall asleep, his mind this time drifting to a topic he'd been trying to avoid. 

When was he going to visit his family, and what would they think when he did?

Etho knew staying away too much longer wasn't an option. Already he felt guilty enough for not seeing them immediately to let them know he was okay. Deep down, he knew they wouldn't reject him for something he didn't have much of a choice in, but his doubts overshadowed that feeling. 

He managed to fall asleep, though he didn't sleep well. By morning, he was in pain from his wounds being moved too much in his tossing and turning, and his mind was a mess. Sitting up, he let out a soft groan, running a hand through his hair.

"You okay?" 

The concerned voice surprised Etho, much more so when he realized it had come from Tango, staring back at him with soft red eyes.

"Uh... yeah," Etho responded, wondering if he should tell Tango what was going on.

"Your wounds acting up?" Tango guessed. 

Etho nodded—that was part of it, after all, though something was weighing heavier. 

"We could go see if Impulse is up yet," Tango offered. "He should be able to heal you more since his powers have had time to regenerate." 

"Nah, it's okay," Etho said quickly. "I don't want to waste his powers. What if something else comes up and he'll need to use them?" 

"I don't think anything will come up, and it wouldn't be a waste if you need the healing..." 

"I'll be fine, Tango," Etho murmured. 

"Alright, then," Tango sighed.

Dropping out of bed, Tango kneeled next to the dragon egg and picked it up, then pulled it into an embrace. He began stroking it and murmuring to it, not at all caring that Etho was watching him.

"How do you know it can hear you?" Etho asked curiously.

"I don't," Tango admitted. "But I like to think it can. I know it's close to hatching, at least. I can feel it moving around. The only thing it needs is a thunderstorm." 

Etho hummed thoughtfully. Those didn't happen often. He wondered if he'd be around to see the dragon hatch, or if he'd have moved on by then.