Purotekuta

CHAPTER SEVEN

I have been working on expanding the perching board that Father had installed, turning it into a whole platform since I was getting too big for the original board.
          I am almost finished with the platform. All there is left to do is to put all the decorations and furniture up there to make it useful.
          Akio is sitting on my bed while I carry some blankets, pillows, and some extra furniture I have laying around my room, up to the platform.
          Standing back, I look at my work. It's good enough for now, I guess. This is only for a day anyways. We will be moving into the dorms tomorrow.
          I glide down to Akio on my large, black feathered wings, and sit next to him on my bed.
          My wings were aching when I got home, but I had to be careful when stretching them.
          I ended up knocking over a plastic decoration from a countertop, unfortunately. It's hard having wings.
          The pain has mostly gone away, too.
          "You like it, Akio? That's where you're going to be sleeping tonight!" I say to him, smiling.
          He looks up at the platform, a spark in his eyes.
          I still haven't been able to treat his wounds yet, he won't let me treat them down here. He wants to be somewhere safe and away from harm. He looks up at me and nods.
          "Can we... go up?" It's the first words I have heard him voluntarily speak since I met him. My face lights up, a giant smile on my face.
          "Of course, Akio! Would you like me to carry you up? You probably can't fly, right?" He nods, a small frown on his face.
          "How can you get up there? You don't have wings..." I qhickly realiz that I haven't revealed my wings to him.
          "Right. About that, Akio." I reveal my wings to him and his eyes widen.
          My wings twitch, my tail tucked into my lap. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, I just didn't want everyone to know who I am at the exam. I probably won't show my wings that often in school, either. They're still there and functional, just not visible." I explain to him, averting my gaze from his eyes.
          Akio relaxes and sighs something that sounds like relief.
          I stand up and offer him my hand, smiling, wings fluttering.
          He smiles a small smile back at me, and takes my hand. I hoist him up off the bed and pick him up. He's so light.
          I fly him up to the platform and set him down carefully on the pile of blankets I had made into a makeshift bed, trying my best not to touch his blood-covered wings.
          He let's go of me, testing out the blankets. I had picked some of my favorite blankets for him to have up here to make it as comfortable as possible.
          "Hey, Akio. Do you think you could let me treat your wounds? I don't want you to get an infection. If you don't put a brace on your broken wings, the damage will be irreversible, and you won't be able to fly again." I urge, reaching a hand out to stroke his hair.
          Akio looks at me kindly, a small smile on his face, nodding. His personality has changed since I brought him here; he seems more open and trusting. I wonder why.
          "Okay, Hajime." He whispers, leaning into my touch. He's like a lost kitten. Cute.
          I smile at him and move to leave the platform. The air around him changes drastically within a matter of seconds. It was happy and trustworthy, now it's scared and fearful.
          Akio takes hold of my hand, holding me back. "W-where are you going, Hajime?" He panics, breathing heavily from the pain.
          I look back at him, tears in his eyes again. I don't like to see him like this, so I pull him into a hug. I know we only met a few hours ago, but I already feel like I've known him for an eternity.
          "I'm going to get the bandages and medical kit. Don't worry, I'm not going far. It's in my drawer down there." I say, pointing to the drawer next to my bed.
          I always kept some spare bandages and medical supplies in here so I could bandage myself up after training. I look at him in the eyes, and he looks back at me, nodding.
          His fear has returned, so his voice has disappeared again. I smile at him and glide down to the ground, opening the drawer next to my bed and grabbing the first-aid kit.
          I spread my wings and fly back up to him, landing just at the foot of the blankets.
          Walking up to him, I sit down. I look at him for his consent, just to make sure I haven't forced him to do anything.
          He looks back at me and nods. I start to clean off the wound on his face, trying my best not to hurt him as much as possible, but it is inevitable.
          Akio sucks in a breath, shaking. I finish bandaging his face and let him rest for a bit before I start on his wings.
          He looks up at me, his eyes watering. He isn't upset, just in pain.
          "Are we done...?" He whimpers.
          I feel so bad for Akio, but unfortunately, we're not done yet.
          I shake my head and he closes his eyes and tilts his head back, exhausted
          Once I'm done working on his wings, I can move on to the smaller cuts and bruises that cover the rest of his body if he feels up to it.
          "Your wings are the only big things left to fix. After that, it's your choice whether you want me to treat the smaller cuts and bruises." I tell him.
          He looks at me and nods, his whole body shaking. "Is it okay if I start now?" I ask him. Akio nods at me, and closes his eyes, biting his bottom lip.
          I take the first-aid kit around to his back and start working on his wings, trying to be as gentle as I can with him.
          The wings are sensitive if they're injured, but they heal faster than the rest of your body.
          Akio's wings are bent at odd angles, so I have to move them back into the right place and put a bandage on them to hold them in the correct position to heal.
          I feel really nad about what im about to do, but it must be done.
          Taking two ends of a section of his ledt wing thats bent the wrong way, I whisper to him.
          "Hold your breath." Snap. I move his wing into the right position as he cries out in pain.
          Akio's shaking worsens, but I can tell that he's trying his best to keep his wings still so I can properly work on them.
          Quickly, i place a splint and bandage on the wing, and move on to the next one.
          I finish in about ten minutes, and by that time, Akio is sobbing on the blankets in pain.
          I pick up the first-aid kit and head back around to face him. "All done, Akio," I comfort him. He looks up at me and smiles a small, wet smile.
          I embrace him, wrapping my wings around him as he wipes away his tears with his sleeve and rests his head on my shoulder, breathing heavily.
          Letting go, I look down off the edge of the platform at the clock on my bedside table. 10:30. Akio yawns, his eyes drooping down low.
          "Hajime... I'm... Tired..." I move behind him and fix the blankets that I messed up while bandaging his wings.
          Luckily, i didnt get any blood on the blankets.
          I take his hand and squeeze lightly. "Here, Lay down. Careful not to lay on your wings." Akio carefully lays down on his side, gently placing his head on the plush pillow I gave him.
          I help him spread out his wings on the floor behind him, moving slowly.
          He yawns again and closes his eyes. I turn off the light and start to head to the edge of the platform.
          "Hajime... Stay, please... I'm scared...." He whispers.
          I look back at him trying to hold his eyes open and look at me. I smile at him and nod.
          I left a few extra blankets and pillows up here in case he got cold, so I use those to make my makeshift bed next to his and lay down. "Thank you," he says.
          "No problem, Akio."
          I lay there awake for a while, waiting for Akio to fall asleep before I do, so that I don't make him worry more than he already is.
          Hearing his breathing slow to the steady rhythm of sleep, I am soon to follow.