All Is Fair In Love And War

Chapter 13

He slowly made his way to the bedroom. Everything sounded echoey and far-away, like he was underwater. There was a slight uncomfortable pressure in his ears but he ignored it for the most part. He was going to be fine.

He walked into the room and promptly collapsed on the bed. He burrowed under the covers, stomach churning with anxiety. What was happening? Was this a stress thing? Did it have something to do with his... death?

Carter closed his eyes and pushed those thoughts away. He'd worry about it later. Faintly, he heard the bedroom open and shut. Then the mattress dipped with a new weight and slender arms wrapped around him. Carter smiled to himself and leaned into Douxie, relaxing in his comforting embrace.

Douxie pressed a kiss to his hair, cuddling into him. "Hi."

"Hi." Carter whispered, lacing their fingers together.

"You okay?" Douxie asked softly, burying his nose into the crook of his neck.

"Don't ask me that." Carter grumbled. "Too tired for questions."

Douxie laughed softly, breath fluttering across his neck. "Okay." He pulled Carter closer to him, kissing the back of his neck gently. "Love you."

"Love you too."

*~*

Carter woke a few hours later to agonizing pain splitting through his ears again. He flinched violently out of Douxie's arms, nearly falling off the bed. The ringing thundered through his head loudly, canceling out any other sound. He slipped off the bed and onto the floor, covering his ears but it did nothing to drown out the ringing or help the pain. A few tears trickled down his cheeks as the ringing got louder and the pain got worse.

A hand suddenly, desperately, grabbed his shoulder. Carter felt the floor shake with a thud and he opened his eyes, seeing Douxie in front of him, eyes wide and frantic, saying something he couldn't hear. Douxie cupped his face, thumbs wiping the tears away as he asked over and over again the question Carter couldn't answer.

A sharp spike of pain shot through his ears again. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to level his breathing as everything got worse for a few moments before dulling again to something more bearable.

The ringing lessened and now he could hear Douxie frantically asking what was wrong.

Carter shakily opened his eyes, taking his hands away from his ears. "Doux..." He said, voice low and hoarse. "I think-" he took a deep breath, swallowing thickly. "I think something's wrong."

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock." Douxie said, gently moving his hands towards his ears. "How long have you been in pain?"

Carter tried to think, but it was hard. He still felt dizzy. "Well, the pain just started and it's-it's not even that consistent. But I've had this ringing in my ears for a few weeks now."

Douxie pursed his lips. "Has it gotten worse?"

Carter nodded. "Over the last few days? Yeah."

"It might be tinnitus." Archie piped up, sitting on the bed, watching them. "Explosions and gunshots aren't good for your ears."

Carter frowned. "Douxie was exposed to all of that too."

"Yes, but a wizard's magic protects them from suffering any long-lasting injuries from stuff like that." Douxie explained. "And you... you got caught right in the middle of that explosion. I wouldn't be surprised to find out it may have damaged your hearing."

Carter stared at him. "But when I came back all the injuries I had were healed."

"External ones, anyway." Archie said, voice grim. "Maybe the damage to your inner ears was insignificant at the time so your father didn't see the point in restoring that."