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“Maybe when you’re taller, Alphi~”
Honi had teased, oh so long ago. He often wished to join her battles, be by her side even if death claimed them. Viera’s were taller, women specifically. She had been full grown when she reached her thirteenth summer, forgoing the healing arts of the mothers in exchange for bruises, the bloody knuckles and breaking bones.
Oh, how those words were biting her in the ass.
It had become a thing, even if he was allowed to do as she. The phrase would fall from her lips with a wink of her lavender eyes, and a pat atop the head. Only he had knew her truth, they were the same age, with him being older at most by moons. Still, the Scions hadn’t known. Not until her long time friend had decided to rat her out!
Oh, how she missed that knight…
But now, meeting his far too amused blue depths, his white hair pulled back in its custom style as the blue fabric clinging to his form revealed the truth of those training sessions. Because his body remained on the Source, this was his soul. His soul… was much taller than she. Mayhaps if she straightened her ears?
“Well isn’t this a twist, my friend?” He purred lowly, stalking —stalking!— towards her with intent enough to make her dark cheeks warm. “What was that phrase you always told me?”
Honi could merely swallow, muscles limp as he gently lifted her hands. His healing magic soothing the inflamed swelling upon her knuckles as was natural when she would arrive from battle. She swallowed, mouth dry as he spoke lower than she ever heard before.
“Maybe when you’re taller?” He echoed back at her, and Honi finally shook herself free of his spell. Ripping her hands away before he was finished healing and crossing her arms under her chest. Looking away as heat continued to lick her face. His laugh rang like bells, and she hated the way something inside her warmed at the notes. “You haven’t changed a day, Honi.”
Has her name ever sounded so sweet upon his lips? Has she ever craved someone to speak her name again and again? Desire curled as the ghost of touches edged her mind, she wondered… What would her name sound like rasping? Dark, and filled with desire and heat? What would it sound like falling from his lips like a prayer in an empty room, a storage closet, wherever she didn’t care. But she suddenly needed a very large, very cold drink. Or maybe she should vault herself into the nearest body of water?
“Yes well, that’s what happens when you’re soul-snatched and I remain to fight a bloody war against an entire nation. Alone.” She grumbles, earning a snort as his hand finds its way to the top of her hair. His fingers running along the soft fur of her ears as he hummed. “A-Alphi?!”
“Ah!” He ripped his hand away without a second thought, his own cheeks red as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Forgive me! I was just… your ears look soft, and I couldn’t seem to help—“
He couldn’t finish. Honi smirked, gently grasping his hands in hers and raising them to her ears. The floppy gold appendages twitched into his loose grip and she swallowed when his fingers put the tiniest bit of pressure in just the right way. Or wrong way, depending on the look of things.
“They’re just—“ she stuttered, breath catching when he rubbed a circle at the base inside her ears at the same time. Eyes nearly rolling back as she breathed, “Ssssssensitive.”
He paused for but a moment, an embarrassing whine leaving her throat before she could stop it. Alphinaud didn’t give her time to do anything, his chuckle low and throaty as he started once more. If her cheeks were on fire before, they were an inferno now. Time seemed to slip from between her fingers, her head moving into his hold and resting upon the muscles of his chest. Wasn’t he a healer? Why did he have muscles? That didn’t make sense.
Before she could try for something else, a comment, a thought his voice was a low rasp and her imagination from early was sorely lacking when he spoke her name.
“Such a pretty sound you made for me, Honi, can I draw out another?”
What the fuck?
How was this fair?
Although it was a question, it didn’t seem to be directed towards her. No, he asked as if speaking his thoughts aloud. Something he doesn’t do unless he was serious, unless he was lost in the moment. By the Twelve…
Her thoughts came to a crashing stop, a high keen leaving as he added pressure to the sensitive spot of her ears. His chuckle followed, this time breathy and low and right in her ear.
“It seems, there are some benefits to being taller than you, is there not, Honi?”
She couldn’t find it in herself to answer, her tongue lead in her dry mouth and liquid heat pouring through her veins. Then it all stopped, the touch, the pressure, the warmth of his frame she hadn’t noticed till it was gone. She hadn’t even realized she all but melted against him. When had her legs stopped supporting her?
“Ah, there you.” The words were familiar, the voice so similar to the one she had heard but not a week ago. Alisaie. Alphinaud’s twin sister, and her fellow bold scion. “The others were tempted to begin a search party for you two.”
“Ah, mine apologies.” Alphinaud spoke, scratching the back of his neck. As if nothing had happened. What magic was this? Honi demanded a refund, how was any of this fair?! “I notified our friend lagging, and hoped to make sure she was feeling alright after that last battle.”
Alisaie’s sharp eyes looked them over, blue orbs narrowed as they searched for something that wasn’t there. Or maybe it was, because after staring over Honi she frowned, sauntering into the room and pressing a cold hand to Honi’s forehead.
“Are you alright, Honi? Were you injured in the last battle?”
No, but she couldn’t very well tell the Elezen that her brother was a devious fucker now, could she? However, there was something she could do. Especially since she could hear the approaching footsteps of their fellows down the halls.
She shrugged, stepping back silently as her hands -bruised, swollen, and still bleeding covered her side. Her fight with the emissary in Zenos’ corpse had resulted in a small wound, she just… had never gotten around to seeing it properly taken care of minus the hasty potion and the quick wrapping from Ishgard’s chirurgeons.
As she expected the others turned the corner right as Alisaie ripped her hands from her side, ignoring Alphinaud’s outraged cry as she all-but yanked open her makai coat. Agile fingers trained and ready to tear off her corset next.
Alisaie’s curse was followed by her shoving Alphinaud at Honi’s exposed torso, earning a heated flush that made Honi delighted. Until he paled, lips frowning as his eyes narrowed. Brow furrowing as he leaned down to carefully inspect the red bandages. Wait… red ?
Honi glanced down to her side, surprise exposing her truth in her lilac irises as Thancred and Ryne froze where they stood. Urianger a few feet behind them, paused mid-question at the sight of her exposed torso. She was bleeding, mayhaps she should’ve properly gone to a healer after all? Opposed to climbing out of her bed and shouldering her way to Mor Dhona with a farewell hug to Aymeric, and a message to Estinien about vaulting away before she could thank him for the save. Cheeky ass.
“What in the blazes?!”
The words echoed, her ears twitching and sharp eyes taking note of the hooded figure approaching behind everyone. Oh great, just what the monk needed. Another person seeing her wounded and flushed, even better yet. This one controlled her quests, because of course. The Exarch would follow the sounds of yelling. Perfect.
“Honi, answers. Now.”
Honi knew the steel in those words, meeting the narrowed, angry brown of Thancred’s eyes as he crossed his arms. Oh, she was not getting under the attention of Dad-cred, especially since he was officially a dad with little Minfilia following him along. No thanks, she chose life. Not that this was the first time she was injured in a battle, this just happened to be the first time they saw the wound itself in her haste to retrieve answers. Idiot , she silently scolded, even as she opened her mouth to speak aloud. She didn’t think a simple shrug would suffice for this.
“The last summon,” Honi’s words were quick, subconsciously hopping from foot to foot until a cool hand gripped her hip firmly. Glancing down to glaring blue eyes, she ignored the added burn to her cheeks. “I was dueling Zenos, well… Elidibus wearing his corpse… which isn’t any better.”
“Point being.” Alisaie cut in before Honi could lose herself to the thought, say what you will about the warrior of light. Only the Scions were quite aware of how easily distracted she was.
Honi shook her head, focusing as well as she could with the way Alphinaud’s fingers seemed to caress her tan skin, his healing magic soothing despite the goosebumps it arose.
“Twas mid-battle.” Honi shrugged, ignoring the way the Archons froze at her words. Thancred’s form tense, Alisaie’s eyes popping open as Urianger pinched the bridge of his nose. Even poor Minfilia seemed to understand something bad had happen, hands to her chest while the Exarch’s grip was white knuckled on his staff. “One of his attacks caught me when my vision went dark. I woke up in Ishgard to Aymeric thanks to Estinien. My side was wrapped, but the chirugens had their hands full.”
The silence made her skin crawl. The memory playing like a twisted dream before her eyes. Realization making her hum, Aymeric had probably intended for her to see a healer after he left. But instead-
“Instead of seeing a healer, you did what?” Thancred gritted out, narrowing his eyes on her. Oh, had she said that aloud. The looks around her said yes, she did in fact say that out loud.
“Insteaad…” Honi hesitated, licking her lips as she stared to the ceiling. Her ears hiding parts of her face from their sight as she rushed, “Instead I knocked back a potion and went to Mor Dhona to come here.”
Silence. If the silence earlier was uncomfortable, this was stifling. Honi dared not peak, not whilst Alphinaud continued to heal her whispering worries into her stomach. Fingers digging into her bronze flesh when all hell broke. Urianger and Thancred teamed up to scold her for endangering her life, to go over basic health safety that was more than common knowledge. Whilst Alisaie demanded she get thoroughly examined for any other pressing wounds, switching between threatening to drag Honi by the ear to the Crystarium’s healers and ordering Urianger or Alphinaud to check her over. With force if necessary. The Exarch was offering his own healing hands, and Ryne was asking Thancred and Urianger if she should help in some way.
Honi was starting to wish she had just said Alphinaud was being a devious little tease who was dead set on killing her. It’d be better than this nonsense, dammit.