--Cultivate--

[eyesofaproxy]

[When Wise was very young, or at least younger than he is now, he'd gotten lost in the forest outside Helios. He was only saved by a passing wandering cultivator, and to this day he's wanted to meet the man again to thank him. It doesn't matter that Helios fell and he and Belle moved to Yunkui Summit, he wants to find that man and thank him for what he did that day. He changed the trajectory of Wise's life, he's pretty sure, and he deserves to know that.

Granted, a wandering cultivator isn't why Wise (and Belle) is now the heir to Yunkui Summit, that is entirely because of Yixuan-shifu and their own unique abilities, but all the same. That man inspired Wise to get with Belle to create Phatheon, a nameless somebody who is able to hire people to handle things the larger temples and sects can't or won't.

Right now, though, Wise is not acting in the guise of Phaetheon. Wise is acting in the guise of a very annoyed older brother being strongarmed into going down the mountain for an annual check up, since apparently the doctors are all afraid of coming up the mountain after last year's run-in with Eous the spiritual monster rabbit. Cowards.]

I don't need to go right now, Belle, really.

Yes you do! And because there's bandits on the road, I even hired you a bodyguard!

Belle...

Comments

[eyesofaproxy]

Good. Though I'll be in bed for a lot of it, or in a chair.

[He gestures to his legs.]

They got me good.

[fuegor]

...

[He wanted to lay a hand on Wise's legs. But he didn't want to let go of Wise's hand either. He just wanted to do so in a wordless apology. The look in his eyes said enough.

Still, Lighter tried to keep a small smile up.]

Looks like I'll need to carry you around a lot then, huh?

[eyesofaproxy]

Or that.

[He smiles a little.]

It isn't your fault, Lighter. Okay?

[fuegor]

Wise...

[Lighter just kept thinking on What If scenarios. Worst case scenarios. It happened to him before and now he can't help but catastrophize and self blame.

He laced his fingers between Wise's with a small sigh, just letting himself be calm in this moment. Letting Wise's words set in to allow him to forgive himself...]

I love you.

[eyesofaproxy]

I love you, too. Oh--the comb, did you get the comb?

[fuegor]

Oh!

[Lighter didn't have his scarf on at the moment, but whoever set him up in bed here had it right beside him. He shuffled through it to pull out the comb Wise bought for him and show it off with a much stronger smile this time.]

I said it before, but... You really didn't have to, you know.

[eyesofaproxy]

Yes I did. Yunkui Summit's proposals tend to involve hair decorations, but you don't wear your hair up much.

[fuegor]

[?????????]

... Proposals...?

[eyesofaproxy]

For courting or marriage.

[Courting right now, obviously.]

[fuegor]

[Okay... okay that's less... intimidating but he's still blushing and fumbling hard.]

... If it's something I got from you, I don't mind wearing my hair up more often.

[eyesofaproxy]

Only if you want to. The comb...if you want to keep it, that's enough.

[fuegor]

I do want to.

[Both wear the comb and let Wise court him. He's been dying for it, really.]

You'll have to help me out a little with putting my hair up, though.

[eyesofaproxy]

Of course.

[He kisses the back of Lighter's hand.]

When I'm less tired, though, and after they're sure I'm not hallucinating. I swear I saw Inky grow to the size of a tiger.

[fuegor]

... Did he not?

[Well now Lighter isn't so sure, but he saw Inky carrying Wise on his back to Yunkui again. Was he seeing things after being so worried and mad? Who knows.]

[eyesofaproxy]

Wait, you saw it too?

[fuegor]

Yeah. At least I'm pretty sure I did. I don't think a normal sized Inky would've been able to bring you back to Yunkui...

[eyesofaproxy]

What?

Eh! Nah-eh-en!

[Wise looks at Eous, baffled.]

He's a what?

Nah-eh-en.

A spiritual cat?!

[fuegor]

Wait, seriously?! Even I wasn't able to pick up on that, he just looked like a regular cat.

... He really cares about you though. Before I made it to you he was fending those Exaltists off...

[eyesofaproxy]

Eous said Inky's around here somewhere now, guarding the temple while everyone cleans up the town. I guess I have a spiritual animal now?

[fuegor]

Heh, looks like it.

[Lighter squeezes his hand.]

You've got Inky. And you've got me.

[eyesofaproxy]

I do. And when I'm allowed up and about...maybe we can spend sometime alone? At one of the smaller temples?

[A vacation.]

[fuegor]

Sounds perfect to me. Just the two of us...

[eyesofaproxy]

Just the two of us.

[And Inky, who decides he is never leaving Wise's side, apparently.

It takes a few months before Wise and Lighter are both recovered enough to be allowed on their trip. The Exaltists aren't gone, not entirely, but they've been chased from the region and shouldn't be back for a while. The temple they're going to isn't too far, just a two or three days ride away, but it's private. There's a forest surrounding it and a lake with a waterfall feeding it.

Wise smiles as they approach on their horses.]

I love this place.

[fuegor]

[It's a good thing considering Lighter was getting restless, holding back as much as he could while both of them recovered. He'd gotten used to having his hair up, though a tail still hung a bit past his shoulders.

He smiled as he looked at the temple and its surrounding nature. It was beautiful to be sure, but he looked at Wise and found himself smiling wider.]

Probably should have expected you knew about a place like this. You are Phaethon after all.

[eyesofaproxy]

Believe it or not, this is where Belle and I stayed for a while after the fall of Helios. In fact, this is where we first reached out to you.