no Shuyaku wa Wareware da (Wrwrd)

Shaoron's~ Healed

(He's so adorable, I just can't)

Letting out a short sigh, the well known comfortable yet heavy silence filled the room as you focused on trying to bandage Shaoron’s forearm without managing to hit or push him, which might’ve been easier to accomplish if you weren’t currently straddling his lap with him leaning most of his weight into him, but his insistence to be near, no, attached to you at nearly all times didn’t go unheard and you certainly weren’t going to complain.

It wasn’t uncommon for him to show up in the middle of the night bloodied and bruised after getting into some matches that took a heavy blow, and while you never took the time to lecture him on it, knowing that not much you would say was going to change how things were, you did constantly express your disapproval of him getting hurt anytime you were left to take care of him and clean his wounds.

But if not you, then who else would?

“Y’know, this would’ve been a lot easier if you’d let me help you without having to be attached to your side,” you remarked while taking the chance to glance over from the corner of your eye as you set the spare bandages down.

The exhausted expression on his face made it very evident that every second that passed he was spending trying not to let the exhaustion overcome him and doze off, and after having been in a fight you couldn’t really blame him for that. You knew Shaoron well enough to know how much of a lethargic mess he could become when he was tired, you’ve seen it firsthand many times before, and considering how late it was this was definitely one of those occasions.

“My bad, I should probably cut back on bothering you so much, huh?” The laugh he let out with that remark was enough to make your lips pull back slightly into a small smile, turning back forward towards him only to bring your hands up to cup his cheeks and examine his face. You were glad that apart from the few gashes on his body and bruises/scrapes on his face he was overall okay. His eyes were half lidded and directed up at you, while his mix of black and yellow streaked hair was laying in a slightly messy do that neither of you felt the need to try and fix.

“You’re never an inconvenience, Shaoron. The only thing about you that bothers me is when you show up here hurt so don’t worry about that,” you muttered softly.

His eyes fully shut and his head tilted to lean into the palm of your right hand, seeing his cheeks squish slightly and wondering for a moment due to his sleepy state whether or not he’d fallen asleep without warning, but that was countered by him opening his mouth ever so slightly to mumble seconds later.

“That’s reassuring. Truly, sometimes I wonder why you even stick around me…”

The short lived smile on your face dissipated over the course of a few seconds, being replaced by a light frown that could only be noticeable if you looked closely enough. You weren’t at all surprised by that statement, it hadn’t been the first time you’d heard a similar thought process and you doubted that it would be the last.

You never wanted him to feel like he had no one to lean on, hence why you were always there to try and provide the love in the areas he lacked, whether he felt he deserved it or not. You were his only sense of comfort and his emotional (and physical whenever possible) attachment to you was almost concerning, but you didn’t mind in the slightest. Reassuring him whenever possible, letting him know that you care, being his dependent, all of that you’d become accustomed to and loved. Even having you in his presence was more than enough to make him feel comforted, and something about knowing that you were one of if not the only person he’d allow himself to go soft for and show sides of him no one else got to see gave you a sense of worth and only made you feel closer.

Knowing how to comfort him and make him feel good about himself was supportive in and of itself, and having a constant reminder that he had a shoulder to lean on was more than enough for him.

“I stick with you because I want to, not because I feel obligated to.” Moving one of your hands from his face, you used his tilted head as an opportunity to use a finger to start tracing the visible part of his scars on his neck covering his skin. “I’ll always be here for you whether you feel you deserve the love, which you do, or not, and you know that.”

You didn’t know whether it was your actions or words that had caused him to open his eyes again, but Shaoron looked up at you with an expression you couldn’t quite pinpoint or describe as anything other than being slightly taken aback, taking notice of the calculating look in his tired eyes as if he didn’t know how to respond for a moment and the very light shade of red you could only see covering his cheeks if you squinted. You were sure that last part was due to the touch, seeing as at first you knew he found it weird when you always requested to touch his tattoo but over time he’d grown to like it way more than expected.

“Even if dealing with me can be a nuisance?”

You had to resist the urge to laugh at that, but you knew from the uncertainly in his tone that he really believed that.

“You’re not a nuisance. An idiot sometimes, maybe, but not a nuisance.”

“Even if I become too much of a handful?”

Leaning foreword to kiss his cheek where your other hand had previously been, you shook your head.

“Don’t ask silly questions, you’re lucky I love you enough to put up with your shenanigans.”

“I don’t know, just…I know I worry and disturb you a lot and if you ever stopped caring about me-“

“Shaoron, we both know that’ll never happen, or at least I do, and I’ll keep reminding you that it won’t if I have to. Like I said, I’ll always be here for you, so stop getting so worked up over it, okay?”

Moving your hand back up to his cheek, you could feel his arms lazily slipping down to wrap around your waist and bring you closer to him while scrunching up the back of your top before resting his head on your shoulder and nuzzling his face into your neck.

“I don’t deserve your love…”

“You deserve all of it and more.”

Strands of brunette hair tickled your face and his hidden face rendered you unable to know what kind of expression he was wearing, but you got the sense that he was at ease and uncertain, which you were fine with. A comforting and familiar silence surrounded the room yet again for a long moment before he spoke up again.

“I love you, [Name].”

The voice came out in a muffle against your skin and faint, but you heard it nonetheless. If given the chance, you would’ve responded with the same, but upon opening your mouth you were interrupted by the sound of a light snore and soft breathing, glancing down at his head again only to notice how relaxed he’d become and the loosened grip on the back of your shirt. You decided that it was best to just let him rest. If what he needed was more reassurance then you’d gladly keep it up and make sure he remembered it. Well, in the morning, that is.