Crowned

Arc 1, Chapter 15: Quiet Morning.

A world once protected all

Crashed down to that of dust

Only when the world is to fall

The boy will rise through hope and trust.

With a heart now pure after sorrow and despair

He will rise up and rule all with care

I place my trust in him when the world is at its end

Because he selflessly cares for all despite if it's foe or friend.

Hear my plea as I pass my power onto you

And forgive my selfish acts as my life ends,

And I pass this burden onto you.

I'm sorry.

———

Balloon's soft breathing carried throughout his room as curled up more in the blanket he was lying within. The object in his arms was huddled at his side, though he snored considerably louder. That was a given, considering Balloon hadn't snored much at all. His wings weighed down on both of them, it would've been like a blanket, if it hadn't been the face that each clump of feathers rolled under flesh connected to each respective muscle. A necessary function for flight, could be unsettling if thought dwelled upon it for long. However, it was relatively easy to overlook while one was in the land of sleep. Nickel occasionally nuzzled closer to the other boy, perhaps not by the will of being actually close to another person, simply just wishing to find warmth itself. Blood loss had chilled his body to its core, after all. The contact of another was simply a result. A positive result. He could feel the warmth beneath skin that had still ached—or would have, should he still have been awake.

Soon light crept through the window, and poured into his face. His wing adjusted as he shifted away from the light. His large feathery limb curled over his head, jostling Nickel at his side. He had now been shielding his own form from the light. He wasn't ready to wake up yet. Yet to his great misfortune, his eyes crept open despite his attempts to return to sleep. Perhaps it was pain setting back into his bones.

He looked groggily at his surroundings, and then down at the boy who was beside him, having realized he slept the night in his bed. He smiled slightly, though a nervous thought or two soaked into the bone of his skull. An unfortunate thought of how it could've been accidental, and it would be in good faith to wake him up. Alternatively, on the off chance it was a purposeful feat, waking him could prove to be bothersome regardless. Perhaps he should pretend to remain asleep. Something about the thought of even thinking in such a manner made his face betray a sense of embarrassment he hadn't known to be possible. He could not quite understand the feeling. Albeit the way he was being treated so gently by Nickel now made him feel safer. More welcome. If only the fleeting moments he was by his side. Once he couldn't be bothered to sought desperately approval so potent. He knew he was disliked, and while it was bothersome and upsetting, he found a way to live with it. However, now, the very thought of abandonment felt like dying. Despite their differences the fact Nickel was with him now, made his heart melt. The anxiety and bitter taste in his mouth he'd once gotten around Nickel then had completely disappeared. Or at least, for the most part. The occasional circumstances in which times arose could bring him anxieties. But it was nothing as extreme as it was before. After all, it was kind of difficult to hate someone who saved your life. Twice.
Though, he could shrug off the thought in the meanwhile. Mornings were times of rest. Easing into the day. He'd let it be that.
He felt the warmth... The body heat of the other, it had not been enough to make him forget about his problems, but it dulled them and allowed them temporarily fade into the backdrop.
The past. His past. Something he could temporarily abandon. And therefore allowed his eyes to open.