Corrupted Dreams

Tired Thought

As the tyrant of a wave pushed us along the rushing river, I attempted a few runes to bend the water to guide us more swiftly and carefully to safety, but there was only so much I could do. The ride consisted of dizzy disorienting water enveloping me with few chances of breaking my head free for a breath before I was dragged under again. Keeping Emiya with me was the only real control I had, so I made sure the water never split us, by clutching him to me as tight as I could, hoping the river would deliver us to safety. It seemed Emiya had a similar goal in mind as his fingers dug securely into my back. Even as the water calmed, he kept a hold on me, and I him.

I surfaced for the final time, gasping in the winter air. Emiya came up too, coughing up water over my shoulder. His body was rigid and frozen, so despite the calming waters, I held him close to give him what heat I could. Emiya never rejected it, probably glad to receive any ounce of warmth I had to offer.

As both his and my breathing evened out, I scanned the horizon. The bridge was far from us now, and I couldn't spot any movement on the bank. It was noiseless too, the only sound I could catch was the sway of the water and the rhythmic releases of Emiya's breath. We were safe, for now at least.

"Come on," I murmured to Emiya, as I tugged at his waist to move to the shore. He complied smoothly to my touch. Once we reached our destination, he let go of me in favor of hauling himself up on land. I watched the muscles of his back shift as he did so. Some of the knives had been ripped out in the force of the water, while a few still clung stubbornly to his flesh.

I lifted myself beside him, taking in a deep breath with my chest no longer restricted by water. "Emiya?" I turned to him.

"Mm?" He gave a vague hum while he was hunched over on all fours, eyes closed and head sagging, as he focused on nothing but his breathing.

"Come here so I can help you with those knives."

Emiya came, obedient and quiet. That river had washed away any stubborn pride he had in him right now. I pulled him in between my legs, bracing one arm across his front while I examined his back. Gripping the first hilt, I yanked it out in one slick jut. Emiya groaned sharply into the cushion of my arm, fingers curling around my bicep. I pulled out the next, and then the last. Once I finished, he huffed a conclusional breath onto my exposed skin, but I never let him go.

"I'm not done yet." Hooking my fingers underneath the helm of his shirt, I pulled the fabric up carefully over the wounded back. Then my fingers paused. I watched in silent shock as tiny blades knitted together the harsh cuts, then I smiled. Hmph, so that's your secret. I eyed the raw and bruised flesh. But there's still work for me to do. But the typical restraint of Emiya resurfaced as he pulled away.

"No, Cu." The words were soft and final. "I know you spent a lot of mana in that last fight. Let's get some sleep and replenish our mana. If you still feel the need to heal me afterwards, that's fine. But not right now."

I pinched my lips together. I hated when Emiya spoke sense against me. "Fine, but only if you let me later."

He huffed a laugh, letting his eyelids fall in a long tired blink. "I'll let you do whatever you want later."

Clicking my tongue, I rocked backwards. "You should be careful what you promise to. You have no idea what 'whatever' implies."

Emiya gave another blunt laugh, turning to stand up. "Come on, Cu. Let's just find a place to stay."

A thought coming to mind, I caught his hand. "Hey, if we're saving mana, I should probably remove our telepathy runes."

Emiya hummed in agreement, coming back down beside me. I lifted a hesitant hand up to his forehead, some unknown part of my mind holding me back, but those restraining strings broke. My thumb swiped against his skin, permanently breaking the rune. The other side of the connection broke, and my heart jumped a beat with the release. I broke my own rune as the emptiness pushed out Emiya from the spot he once held in my head. It was an odd bit of loneliness that you never think about until it hits, like when a house unocustomly goes silent and unoccupied with only you in it. The feeling enticed a nervous tingle in my chest. If Emiya experienced anything similar, he didn't show it. Only gave me a blank face as he stood back up.