westwhere | [ CLOSED ] Twisting, constricted

"...by a dragon," Anduin agrees, softly. "But she is gone now. And you are not her."

Stepping forward, he reaches out to place a gentle hand on the crest of Wrathion's brow, stroking his head as he might run his fingers through his hair -- in what he hopes is a reassuring gesture. He certainly means for it to be one.

"You are kind," he says. "And gentle. You care for me, as I care for you. I have trusted you with my life, and I still do. I would have you know that."

He gives Wrathion a moment to process this before he continues, "Now let me fix this for you. Are you ready?"

He never would have thought of himself as kind or gentle, but it is true he cares for Anduin. It is true he would never harm him, would protect him, has held him in his arms just to feel the reassuring weight of his body leaned against his own.

"... I am ready," he allows, and pre-emptively tenses himself -- lets his eyes slide closed as he waits for the rush of Light to burn its way over his injuries.

Anduin nods himself, even if the dragon cannot see him now with his eyes closed. He gives Wrathion's brow one more stroke of his hand before he takes a step back, bracing himself for the spell that is to come. Where he usually focuses his healing where the injuries are if he can, Wrathion's wounds are all over his body and -- well. This is going to need a more powerful spell in general, he thinks.

Murmuring a soft prayer to the Light, he channels it forth into his body. He can feel it build and swell within himself, before he holds his hands out toward his companion, funneling it forth into Wrathion himself. Around Wrathion. A halo of white-hot healing Light.

His breathing picks up as the Light burns over his injuries, close them and soothes the evidence away. There's always a rush of adrenaline with being healed, and it's no different for being in his true shape. He shivers as the warmth eases away his tension, as the sear gives way to a feeling of contentment.

Wrathion waits until he can feel the spell has begun to fade, opens his eyes and turns to nudge Anduin closer into his side. It's the closest thing he can do, in this shape, to leaning into him and holding him.

"... Thank you."

Healing Wrathion in this shape is... More of a drain of mana than healing him in his other shape. But Anduin had expected that, and is thus prepared for the feeling of weakness that follows.

As Wrathion nudges him, with that big dragon nose, Anduin finds himself tipping into his side, reaching out to catch his balance on Wrathion's shoulder and then -- staying there.

"You're welcome," he replies, stroking his hand along the scales on his side, over a patch that has healed. Hesitating a moment, before he slides down to sit, leaning back against Wrathion's shoulder, moving to rest a hand on his -- enormous clawed foot.

"You are... Definitely not the round little whelp I remember anymore," he says, after a moment. "It almost feels wrong, that I still feel the need to protect you, when -- you are probably four times the size of me. Five?" He shakes his head, huffing out the breath of a laugh and splaying his fingers wide over Wrathion's foot, as if to demonstrate the difference.

"I was not round," Wrathion protests.

(He was in fact round, but we're not saying it out loud.)

He shifts his weight, stretches out one wing and folds it down over Anduin like a blanket. The feel of one hand against his foot is pleasant, and he spreads his claws a little as if they might mimic twining fingers together. A silly desire, he thinks, but one he cannot help but feel anyway. It is... pleasant to feel as if his dragon form is not offensive to Anduin in any way, that he is not too frightened of it. That he is willing to sit with him this way, despite all that he has suffered.

Anduin hums softly, making no comment in response to Wrathion's protest. Instead, he slides his hand down to wrap his fingers around one of Wrathion's claws. As far as they will wrap around, anyway. It may not be quite the same as twining their fingers together, or holding hands, but this is nice too, and being able to just -- be together, in whatever form they so choose, and not have to worry about anything for just the moment.

"I distinctly remember you promising to take me flying, once," Anduin says, after a long moment. "To take me to fascinating places where we might have adventures together. I don't suppose that this is... Quite what either of us had in mind, but. Perhaps we shall hold on to that thought, and aspire to it."

"Ah," Wrathion says, and turns to nudge Anduin again -- a gentle huff of warm air blowing at his blond hair. "You are keen to use me as a steed?"

Not that he minds, he did offer, but its fun to ease him about it. Perhaps it may go someway to lightening the unease that Anduin feels, the unease that Wrathion himself still feels on some level.

It would be nice to go flying, just the two of them. It would be nice to fly without being chased, for that matter. To stretch his wings just for the pleasure of it.

Anduin wrinkles his nose slightly, reaching out to gently shove at Wrathion's nose, though in honesty he doesn't mind Wrathion nudging him and the gesture is mostly just for show.

"Ugh," he says, a noise which describes exactly what he thinks of the idea of calling Wrathion a steed. Or Wrathion calling himself one, for that matter. "Please. I'm fairly certain anything falling under such a description would be far better behaved, for one thing."

Better behaved? Better behaved?

"Tamed, you mean. Better tamed. I should hope you don't want me tame."

Surely he would be interested in Wrathion at all if he wanted something tame in his life. He's self-aware enough to know that he is a source of trouble, that he makes life difficult for himself and everyone around him.

Still.

He noses Anduin more gently, an affection touch rather than a push this time.

"When it is safe, I will happily take you flying wherever you wish."

No, he certainly does not wish for a tamed dragon in Wrathion. Anduin shifts the hand that he had used to shove at Wrathion's nose to rub at it instead. Is this right? It will take some time to figure out exactly how to be affectionate with such a large dragon, but he's willing to learn.

"I would like that," Anduin says, softly. "Although you are free to take me anywhere you wish, for that matter." He raises his eyebrows slightly. "Perhaps you might surprise me."

It is nice to consider such things. The future. A future for the pair of them together, after all this is behind them.

He lets out a rumble of contentment, eyes sliding closed at the gentle rub to his nose.

"I'll have to find somewhere worth flying to," he says. So far, he hasn't really been anywhere he'd particularly recommend. Taravast wasn't so bad in the end, but he's aware that it may hold a lair of unease for Anduin specifically who still fears the fallout of his choices. "In the end, the location may not matter as much as the company of course."

He's just saying -- as long as he's with Anduin, things will be tolerable at minimum. Pleasant, potentially.

The rumble is nice. It sort of reminds Anduin of a very deep purr, from a very large cat. So he does it again, rubbing Wrathion's nose as he considers this.

"It is not about the destination, but the journey. Isn't that how the old saying goes?" Anduin asks. The corners of his mouth turn up, and he shifts to lean further back against the dragon's shoulder, petting his nose as he does.

It is comforting, to sit with him here like this. Distracting from the fact that they are in this cave, in hiding from all of the terrible things waiting for them once they leave. He can almost forget about it all, if he doesn't let himself think too hard.

Almost.

"I have been worried," Anduin says, after a long moment's pause. "About you."

Ah.

It's difficult to process an answer to that while being so comfortably tended to. Wrathion shuffles to curl around Anduin a little more, as much as he can in his currently less flexible shape, and considers that.

"I appreciate your concern."

Should he say something else...? What should he say?

"I have missed your company, our nightly chats."

There. Is that right? It's good, he thinks, to reassure the man he hasn't been content out here alone? That he'd much rather they were together?

Edited (Belated typo correction ) 2022-04-20 08:45 (UTC)

Anduin moves to tuck himself further into the curve of Wrathion's shoulder, as the dragon curls around him, his lips quirking up into a smile at his companion's turn of phrase.

Our nightly chats.

"I have missed them as well," Anduin replies, softly. "And our games. I am sorry to say that I left the board behind in my room, where I thought it would be safe. Although perhaps it is for the best, for now."

He moves to place his hand flat on the side of Wrathion's jaw.

"Jihui was not designed with dragons in mind. And. I would not ask for you to change your form just yet. It is good, to be able to get to know you like this as well."

"You do appear to have recovered from your nerves."

His head tilts into the touch, another low rumble of pleasure escaping.

"I would happily trade Jihui for time spent like this."

Time spent having Anduin gently explore his draconic shape, getting himself to a point where he is as familiar with it as Wrathion's visage. Where Wrathion knows the sensation of Anduin's hands over his scales as well as the touch of them against skin.

Anduin can't help but smile at the way that Wrathion leans into the touch and rumbles -- not unlike a cat, he notes to himself with amusement. A very big cat. Anduin finds himself overcome with the urge to pet him like one as well, and he lets himself give in, scratching his fingers along the curve of his scaled cheek.

"I have never been cuddled by a dragon before," Anduin points out. "It is hard to be nervous about my surroundings with you making noises at me like that."

Would Wrathion be upset if he called it purring? That's definitely what it sounds like, in a very low and deep rumbling sort of way.

Making noises at him? Wrathion hadn't really been doing it on purpose, truth be told, so the prompt makes him think a little more about it. Is it... soothing? That's a useful piece of information, to know he can soothe Anduin if he wants to.

"Well," Wrathion prompts, "Not all dragons are as companionable as I am."

Also, he might be jealous if Anduin had been cuddling other dragons -- but he won't draw attention to that.

"No," Anduin agrees, smiling as he rubs his hand over Wrathion's face. "They are not. I certainly would not get away with being able to pet most of them as I am now."

For that is certainly what he is doing now. Anduin can't decide whether he's more like a big cat, or a big dog. He supposes he will need to stop looking for comparisons to animals he knows and simply learn dragon behavior instead.

"You are remarkable..." Anduin murmurs, flushing slightly once he realizes he has said so out loud.

"As are you."

He's not too proud to make the compliments mutual. Pressing his face into the touch he lets out another grumble of contentment, absorbing the contact like a flower leaning into the sun.

"However, I can change if you prefer."

Now that he's healed up, and had a little rest, he could take on his more familiar shape if Anduin prefers.

Anduin leans forward to press his forehead against Wrathion's. The gesture is a little tentative -- Wrathion does have horns, and big teeth, and any number of other large, dangerous parts that could seriously hurt him if he wanted to. But as they have established, Anduin trusts that he will not.

He trusts him.

"What I want," Anduin says softly, "is to spend this time together with you. Now is your time. You do not have near enough opportunity to choose, and although these circumstances are hardly ideal... It is the least I can do."

A pleasant thing, choice.

He lets out a low rumble of contentment, then draws away a fraction -- leans back just enough that as smoke begins to curl around him and his form reduces down he's not entirely on top of Anduin.

A moment later his human form is reaching over for the one blanket he has with him, drawing it around his shoulders and then enveloping himself around Anduin in turn.

"There we are," he murmurs, "you came all this way to heal me and make sure I am safe. This is the least I can do, I think."

Hold him for a moment, offer him warmth.

It is a strange thing, to be leaning up against the shoulder of such a large creature in one moment -- and then to be wrapped up in Wrathion's arms in another. It will take him some time to adjust to the idea that the two beings are one and the same. But he will enjoy having the opportunity to do so.

Anduin leans back into Wrathion's chest, tipping his head back against his shoulder and reaching to rest a hand on one of the arms around him.

"I came to see you safe," he agrees, "and... just to see you."

He turns to glance at Wrathion over his shoulder for a moment, flashing him a self-conscious smile before he continues, "It is... Not as easy as you might think, to sit back and wait for news."

He hums in acceptance at that, squeezing Anduin a little tighter and tipping his face forward to rest against blond hair.

"Inaction was never something I would have associated with you," he agrees. "Forgive me for keeping you waiting."

No doubt he was worried. Unhappy. Afraid. Wrathion cannot prevent such a thing, when the world here is so turned against them, but he still regrets that it has happened this way.

"You don't need to apologize. This is not your fault," Anduin reassures, squeezing his hand on Wrathion's arm in return. Wrathion hadn't asked for this target to be painted on his back, but it had been there nevertheless, since the moment he had set foot in this world. Still... It wasn't fair. It isn't fair.

Anduin squeezes his eyes shut. It won't do -- he can't afford to think like that. It doesn't help either of them, and he knows in a few hours' time, or the end of the day, or perhaps even tomorrow if he is very convincing, he will have to leave him here and go back to the village. Alone. And they will have to repeat this cycle again.

"The tension in the village is building," he says, after a long moment's pause. "It won't be long before it reaches a breaking point. I cannot say for certain what will happen when it does, but knowing what we have already uncovered thus far... I fear for them. And for you. I am just one man, Wrathion. I..."

Try hard as he might, he cannot save them all. But where does he draw the line?

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