Warning for mild nudity. Also extreme liberties taken in how to dress wounds, yep.
The bandit nearly fell when she stepped back. She clutched her daggers in both hands, their blades well-nicked from their fight. Her bandana loosened from her head, revealing short black hair that was slick with sweat.
These kids had proven to be much more of a hassle than she thought.
The boy in red was really the worst one she had to encounter. His twin swords were long, brimming with an energy she had been lucky enough to avoid. He always seemed to be one step ahead of her. Every time she tried to get his side, he would turn and block and swing with his own weapons. It had been a close call the last time, his blades nearly slicing half her face off. She had been lucky to escape with just a scratch on her cheek, no matter how much it stung. Only now did she notice the Exsphere on his left hand, winking at her from the bright sun at noon.
But the other kid was just as troublesome. The bandit made sure to steer clear away from her. She was never sure how those flying rings aimed at her so well – the girl looked much too young to be handling something like that. She was floating a few feet above ground, pink, translucent wings holding her up from her back. She did not want to stay here and learn why angels were just traveling down the roads like nobody's business.
She eyed the packs the kids had been carrying on the ground. No amount of valuable supplies or Gald was worth this.
"We don't want to hurt you," spoke the boy in red, keeping his swords crossed before him. "You should go."
That aggravated her more than anything. To be talked down to by some brat! And it was worse knowing that she couldn't win against these odds. Why couldn't they have just stood by with their hands up like she told them to earlier? Would've saved them all the trouble.
"Please, we don't have to keep fighting." It was the girl who spoke this time, her long blonde hair framing her face, dressed in proper white clothes that reminded her of the old-time priests of the slowly disbanding churches.
"Fine, we can have it your way," she admitted. She watched as the boy lowered his swords, as the girl's wings allowed her to descend.
If the bandit was one thing, it was that she was petty.
She broke into a dash, running past the swordsman, moving behind the girl. She didn't allow herself to over-think her actions, simply letting the motion of her arm carry her through her swing. She watched the dagger aim for the girl's shoulder, heard the rip of fabric along with a pain-filled scream.
As quick as she had appeared to them on the lonely road, she vanished, running back into the forests, smiling with satisfaction as she wiped away the blood onto her shirt.
"Colette!" Lloyd shouted, immediately dropping his swords to run to her.
Colette swayed on her feet, her right hand reflexively clutching her shoulder. Warmth seeped between her fingers. The ground seemed to shake beneath her.
Strong arms caught her before she fell. Her face pressed into his jacket, catching the woodsy scent–like pine–that he always seemed to carry.
"I'm okay," she whispered, wondering for a moment where her chakrams went. Oh, there they were, by Lloyd's feet. She tried to bend down to retrieve them, and felt her body lurch forward without her consent.
Lloyd held her back up. "Like hell you are!" A hint of a growl deepened his voice. "I can't believe she'd do that and just run off!"
His hand pressed lightly against her wound, but she couldn't rein in the gasp that hissed through her teeth.
"That's it. We need to get you fixed up," he decided. One arm wrapped around her waist, practically lifting her as they made their way to their discarded packs on the road.
"You mean a doctor?" she asked him. She tried her best to match his pace, although he still went slow for her.
"We're too far from Asgard. It'd take like another day to get there."
Through the pain, she imagined the spinning windmills of the town. That was where they had been planning to go to next on their hunt for Exspheres. That is, until the bandit blocked their path.
"What do we do?" She couldn't help the tiny bit of fear slip into her voice. She had seen the bright red blood on her sleeve. There was so much of it…
"Don't worry." Lloyd put on a comforting grin. She knew he did it for her sake, but it made her feel better regardless. "I think I can help."
She blinked. "Really?"
"Yeah! I learned how to fix injuries from my dad. Do you know how many times I got myself messed up before the professor was around?"
His light-hearted tone affected her mood. She giggled, then winced when the movement of her laughter hit one of her torn nerves. She settled for a smile. "Sorry."
"Ah, come on." Carrying both of their packs over one shoulder, and holding Colette tight with his left arm, he slowly moved them both off the road. By the trees was a private clearing, a thin river cutting through the brush with a placid current. "Just take it easy for now."
She took his advice, carefully placing her steps to not irritate her wound any further. It seemed like years before she could be allowed to sit on the grass. Lloyd placed her gently against a bent cypress tree, pointedly on her side than her back.
"Okay, uh… give me a sec." He immediately unfastened one of the satchels, taking out spare clothes, some utensils and some carving tools that he brought along for times of boredom. Colette watched as Lloyd took out all their belongings for their trip across the world. They hadn't brought much when they first started, but with each town they passed through, they bought something new, whether it was just food or equipment.
Out of them both, Lloyd was the higher spender of the two, and would later complain about his aching back as he shouldered his pack. It made her smile, briefly forgetting the pain.
"Where the heck is… Oh, here!" In Lloyd's hands were some bandages, their thick white material wrapped in a loop. He also took out a bottle of some unnamed solution. "Alright, first we need to wash it out so that it doesn't get any worse."
"Okay," she agreed. She shifted herself away from the tree, sidling toward him on the grass.
Holding up the bandages, she saw Lloyd pause for a moment, suddenly uncertain.
It instilled a bit of panic in her. "What's wrong?"
"Um." He looked down, unable to meet her eyes. Red tinted his cheeks. "Just realized that, uh… I'd have to get rid of that." He gestured towards her outfit. "Well, not get rid of it really, just… move it."
It took a moment for the gears in Colette's head to turn. Suddenly it clicked.
"You mean I have to undress?"
She had rarely ever heard Lloyd stutter before. But that's what he did in response to her question. "I- I g-guess so. I mean, u-um, it's k-kind of the only- only-" He swallowed, visibly trying to control himself to speak more steadily. "It'd only have to be the back of dress, if it can open that way."
Yes, that did make sense. She knew that if Raine had asked her this, she would do so without complaint. It was just the idea of Lloyd…
She looked down at her clasped hands. Lloyd shifted uncomfortably, putting down the bandages on a blanket he had set up earlier.
"Colette, you know I wouldn't make you usually, it's just that…"
"I know." Now really wasn't the time to get embarrassed. Her back was still hurting, enough that she was afraid to move her arms. "Just…do you think you can help me with it?"
"Help with what?"
She gestured to her clothes, pulling slightly on her overcoat.
"Oh. Oh! Yeah-" Lloyd coughed suddenly, his voice a little shaky. "Yeah, no problem."
She smiled, moving herself closer. She lifted up the top of her overcoat slightly, prompting Lloyd to take over.
Lips pressed firmly, he did so. Red-gloved hands grasped the material near her collar, and lifted. Luckily, it had no sleeves, so she was able to keep her arms still at her sides. The collar lifted up her hair. She brushed it away from her eyes once the overcoat was completely removed.
"This is kinda heavier than I thought," Lloyd commented absently, laying it straight on the grass. He wasn't entirely sure of the best way to fold it.
"Yeah, but I guess I've gotten used to it." Colette turned herself around so that her back was facing Lloyd, remembering to bring her hair to the front so that none would get in the way. Her hands played with the hem of her dress, suddenly feeling more exposed besides barely having taken anything off yet.
"Okay, so…" She felt Lloyd very, very lightly touch her shoulders, hearing him take deep breaths. "How do I, uh…"
Her uninjured arm reached behind her neck, pointing at the collar of her dress, right in the middle. "There's buttons that go down."
"Gotcha." She heard the shifting of fabric, saw red gloves placed to the side of her in the grass. There was the hint of his bare fingers against her neck as he worked out the clasps as quickly as he could.
Colette wrapped her arms around her knees, doing her best to still her shivering, though some of that was due to her wound than to just plain nervousness. She waited patiently until he got to the third button, feeling him pull the dress open to a small space. Suddenly she felt a sharp sting.
"Okay, easy," Lloyd said as he tried to gently separate the cloth from her bleeding wound. She bit her lip, feeling a vast sense of relief once her wound was free from its binds. But the wind blew at her torn nerves and she shivered again.
"Is it bad?" she asked timidly.
Soft fingers pressed against the outer area of her wound, inches down her shoulder. Was it so big? Was it just a big gaping hole there now?
She heard Lloyd release his breath, not realizing he had held it in.
"It's not actually. She only cut you across a little." A shaky laugh left his throat. "Man, I was worried she actually stabbed you there…"
Colette's heart beat more steadily. She had been worried of the same thing. "So it's all okay?"
"Well, we still need to patch it. The cut's kinda long and a little past the surface." She felt his finger trace around it, determining the length, about an index finger's size. "Shouldn't be too hard though."
"Okay, Lloyd," she said cheerfully. "I trust you."
"Well, of course you can trust me!" he said with mixed pride, which made her smile more.
Water splashed to her side. She turned to see Lloyd dipping what looked like a clean rag into the river's depths, wringing it free of any excess. He brought the dripping rag to her back. An ice-cold sensation hit her skin, but she didn't react until it just barely touched the ragged flesh.
"Ow," she whimpered, digging her nails into her knees.
"Sorry. Almost done." Lloyd's voice was soft. She could imagine his face set in concentration as he worked. She took a deep breath, determined to not whine anymore.
There was a quiet few minutes between them. Colette felt the gentle touch, cooling her inflamed skin with each methodic swipe. There were intervals of Lloyd cleaning the rag in the shallow river, the sound of water dripping. She knew that with the way the dress was open, the straps of her brassiere was very much visible to Lloyd. Thankfully, he didn't mention anything about it, more concerned with dressing her wound as cleanly as possible.
She closed her eyes, feeling very relaxed, the pain now dulled to a throbbing ache. It was a strange combination, of the hint of pain in the background, contrasting with the coolness of water. A strange sort of comfort - perhaps she just liked being cared for…
"Alright," Lloyd finally spoke, his voice breaking her from her sleepy state. "Should be clean now. I didn't hurt you too much, did I?"
"No," she confirmed, turning her head to look at him.
Lloyd then gave an apologetic grin. "Good, because I'm probably gonna have to when I use this." He held the small bottle in his hand, the same she had seen him take out of the pack.
Colette pouted. "How much is it gonna hurt?"
"Well… for me, it's always a lot. I can barely take it half the time." Lloyd said, deciding to be honest.
Colette's face fell. She clutched her knees tightly.
"Don't worry! It's just ointment stuff, so it only hurts at first, but it's supposed to help close wounds like this." Lloyd scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Well, my dad says that anyway. I had some alcohol stuff too, but that's not meant for open wounds. And those hurt way more!" He shuddered, as if at a familiar memory.
Feeling cheered by his words, she nodded. "Well, okay," Colette mumbled. She took a strand of her blond hair, twisting it in her fingers. "If…it hurts too much, can I say to stop?"
"Yeah. Just, you know, actually tell me if something's hurting you." Lloyd's tone had a hint of seriousness, bringing to mind of all the times she had tried hiding the truth.
She knew better than to do such a thing again. "I promise." She turned away, bracing herself for her treatment.
Though she heard Lloyd unscrew the bottle, she could feel his eyes on her back. Somehow, it just felt really piercing. She became a bit flustered, but didn't have a chance to ask him before he already explained his scrutiny.
"Hey, you have a scar here." She felt his fingers ghost against the right side of her back, near her shoulder.
She did? Colette blinked as she looked up at sky. "Really? How big is it?"
"Kinda the size of my hand." There was the gentle imprint of his thumb and index finger against her skin. "It's not that noticeable though. Only when the light catches it good enough."
Colette shifted in self-consciousness. "But… I don't remember getting one. Unless I got it when I was a kid?"
Lloyd was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was hushed. "I think this is from when Kvar hit you. Probably."
"Oh."
She looked down at her knees. Lloyd had been unaware that one of the Grand Cardinals had been conscious still. Before he could strike, Colette had leapt in front of him, taking the force of the attack on her back. She remembered feeling an intense pressure, but nothing more. No, not then. During that time, she had lost all sensations, including pain.
"Guess Raine's magic can't heal away scars," Lloyd commented, his voice more light-hearted. She felt him brush against it again, before quickly drawing his hand back. "Anyway, we should probably fix this wound first."
"Yeah," she agreed.
She kept her eyes on the trees surrounding her, bracing herself for whatever would come next. Even so, she flinched from the sharp, new pain. She felt his fingers press against her, smearing something cool and thick on her back. It was the pressure of her nerves being nudged against that made her shudder, more than the ointment itself, which seemed to try to soothe away any inflammation.
Still, she couldn't help but press her forehead against her knees, trying to control herself. "Maybe give me a sec…"
"Sure." Lloyd immediately stopped, gripping her other shoulder to keep her steady. His palm was still wet from the river. "Whenever you're ready."
She counted her breaths slowly, reaching up to ten before the pain dulled away. She lifted her head and nodded for Lloyd to go back to it.
It was quicker this time. She could tell Lloyd's confidence was building as he treated her. She knew that her faith in him was always well-placed, but it was even better seeing that first-hand as he healed her to the best of his ability.
"Alright, now we just need to bandage this up and you're good to go!" Lloyd announced triumphantly, already reaching for said bandages.
"That's great! Thank you so much, Lloyd," she said to him as she turned.
"Haha, yeah… Oh, almost forgot." He reached for his satchel, rummaging through its contents. She watched him patiently, shivering as the breeze picked up and blew against her exposed back.
It was a slow transformation of his face that told her something was wrong. After a pause, he seemed to try to look through his pack again, slightly upending it to the ground. What fell out were bits of trinkets, some wrapped Apple Gels, and a shirt, but none of these things seemed to be what Lloyd was looking for.
"Ah, crap, I forgot the tape!"
Colette, not understanding, turned fully forward, careful to keep the front of her dress up. "What is it?"
"The tape that's supposed to help keep the bandages in place." Lloyd sighed heavily in disappointment. "I totally forgot to bring it from home."
Oh, that didn't sound good. Lloyd looked so put out by this that her mind frantically tried to come up with solutions, more to make him feel better than out of any concern for herself.
"Could we just have my dress hold up the bandage? If my clothes are on tight enough…"
"Maybe. But… when you're moving, the bandage might fall off. And if your clothes hit your wound, it could get all infected and bleeding again." He shook his head. "I could just hold the bandage for you until we get to town, but that's risky too…"
Colette looked to the thick padding of gauze sitting neatly on the blanket. Next to it was what looked like strips of cloth, probably for helping set in broken bones if such a thing ever happened to them.
"Couldn't you just wrap it on me instead?"
"Huh?" Lloyd stared in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"That stuff's kinda like tape, right?" She pointed. "If we just wrap it around me and the bandage good enough, then it should stay on!"
Lloyd's eyes brightened up. "Yeah, that could –" and then immediately dimmed. "Oh, but then I'd have to…"
Colette stared in innocent confusion, which seemed to just make Lloyd look even more nervous.
"See, if I'm supposed to wrap this around you so that the bandage stays in place… the only way I can do that is if I wrap it around your chest, you know?"
"Oh?"
"Yeah, and I can't do that with your dress and even your-" He coughed again, looking more flustered than she had ever seen him. "I mean, I can't do that when there's clothes in the way… You know what I mean?"
The way Lloyd looked at her, he must have thought she would get mad or push him. Colette tilted her head in thought, then suddenly - an idea! She was just full of them today!
"What if you just handed me the bandages from behind? Like…I'd wrap it on my front and you can just tighten it from the back."
Lloyd stared. A relieved smile broke out on his face. "Yeah! Yeah, that could work."
"Great!" She turned back around, feeling excited at how they both solved this problem together. So excited she almost pulled out of her sleeves right there, but stopped just in time.
"No peeking, Lloyd!"
"Hey, I wasn't going to!"
"I remember the hot springs," she stated.
"But- I told you! Th-that was a misunderstanding!" She heard him shift anyway, the grass rustling under him as he turned around. "It's all Zelos' fault…" came a grumble.
While Colette did believe him, (she knew such an idea would never enter Lloyd's head, at least not without help) she liked teasing him about it. Careful to hold in her giggles, she set about to pull off her dress from her front, keeping it placed on her knees. But when she reached around to undo the clasp to her top, her nerves screamed in pain unexpectedly.
"Ow!" she said, louder then she meant to.
"What happened?" She heard Lloyd shift his legs, but nothing more, still remembering of how she might look.
"I can't really…" she tried again, but her muscles bunched up in her back, right where her wound was. She shuddered, tried to use her other hand, which was opposite her injury, but her fingers couldn't let loose of the clasp and only fumbled. "Um, Lloyd…could you actually do this for me?"
"Do…what?" His voice sounded so far away.
"Help me get my top off. I'm sorry, I just can't seem to…"
"Um…" Lloyd cleared his throat. "Yeah, sure."
There was the sound of him turning back to her. He moved closer, allowing one hand near the strap that wrapped around her middle. "So, here?"
"Yeah, there're hooks there. Just help get that off and I can do the rest?"
"Okay." He let out a deep breath, the warmth of it tickling her neck. Soft fingers brushed her back. She felt the clasp unhook immediately before she could even flinch.
Lloyd turned back around. "Should be good now."
Colette carefully let the straps fall off her shoulders. After hiding the top within the folds of her dress, she then brought her outfit up to cover her front, making sure to also slightly cover her sides.
"Okay, I'm ready."
"Alright." Lloyd moved towards her again. She saw his hands reach for the bandages and cloth on the blanket sitting next to her. "I'll try to be quick."
"That's okay… You know, you removed that pretty fast, Lloyd! Maybe Zelos is rubbing off on you," she teased.
She could just hear the pout in his voice. "Colette, that's seriously the meanest thing you ever said to me."
"Oh! I should apologize then, huh?"
"Well, yeah! Why would you not say sorry now?!"
Either way, her little jokes were working. Lloyd was already pressing the bandage on her, automatically stretching out the cloth that would be used to keep it in place. A strap of it went over her shoulder, and another around her waist. She would take them both, bringing the end back to Lloyd by her side as he attempted to tie the cloth together, having to put down her dress while she did so. They continued the pattern, looping the cloth around her shoulder and chest so that everything would stay in place. She tried to ignore the heat of her cheeks when his fingers passed over her skin, but all her actions moved by rote, until she barely thought about how the cloth had to cover over her left breast, or how stiff her upper torso felt with the work.
"Alright," she heard Lloyd say, then give a relieved sigh. "I think we're finally done."
A hand pressed against her back, over the patched-up wound. Still a little tender, but it brought a warmth that spread through her limbs in a strangely pleasant way. She turned to him and smiled. "Thank you so much, Lloyd!"
He gave a smile back, nervous as it was. "Heh, yeah, sorry it took longer than I thought it would. If I didn't forget the tape…"
"That's okay. It all worked out, right?" She held up her dress over her chest again, turning around just a fraction to see him better. "You're always looking out for me. And I was supposed to help you on this journey instead-"
"Don't even think about apologizing," Lloyd interrupted, his voice a mix between playfulness and frustration. "You are helping me. Honestly, this journey would probably be a lot more boring if you weren't around!" He blinked, realizing the situation. "Um, not that I think you getting hurt is good or anything-!"
Colette giggled at his flusters, soon devolving into laughter until Lloyd had to join her. After a while, she winced, pain briefly flaring in her back, but not as bad as it used to be. "Guess I should be careful when doing that."
"Yeah." Lloyd's eyes drifted to her crumpled dress that she held, blood-stained and frayed. She was facing him fully now, which he was only now aware of. "Um, do you…have other things to wear? That's probably not good anymore."
"Oh, you're right." Colette brought the ruined dress tighter around her. "Can you get me new clothes? They're in my pack."
Lloyd quickly did so, almost stumbling on his knees as he grabbed Colette's satchel, which was not as bulky as his own, and went to searching. He raised an eyebrow. "Um, how many of these dresses do you have, Colette?"
"I have one for each day of the week! Like you!"
Lloyd grinned. "Hey, that's smart!" He quickly handed over one outfit to her, obediently turning away as she dressed.
Once she was all properly clothed, she hugged Lloyd from behind, making him start a little from the contact, having not seen her do so to expect it. The pain was still there, but she pushed through it. "Thanks again, Lloyd. I feel so much better now."
"Hey, cut it out," Lloyd mock-grumbled, but she felt a hand press against one of her arms- repaying her embrace with a small one of his own.
They both stayed like that a for a while, content in their silence, unsure if they wanted to break it. Colette felt something nameless move through her chest, until a thought suddenly crashed into her. She looked around at the forest floor at their feet.
"Oh! Lloyd, where are your swords? I don't see my chakrams around either."
She felt Lloyd stiffen in her arms, giving her warning to loosen them before he jumped to his feet. "Dammit, I left them back out there!" He rushed off, back to the dirt road in hopes that their weapons hadn't been taken during their session.
Colette saw that as time to gather up their supplies, and methodically put everything back in their place. She carefully folded her ruined dress, knowing she couldn't just leave it here in the forest as litter.
Her mind wandered to Lloyd's hands and how they had been gentle with her. She remembered it being so whenever he held her, or when he accepted her charm back in Flanoir. If only she could be the same way, but her clumsiness had a habit of making any gentle actions result in her falling over herself, or Lloyd. It made her movements slow, made her stare at the river, and let her feel the breeze roll across her neck.
"Um, Colette?" She picked her head up at his voice. "I got one of your weapons, but your other is stuck up in a tree and…"
"Oh, I'll get it!" she shouted back, brushing away her previous thoughts. She packed away everything and followed Lloyd back out in the road, her pink wings blinking behind her to help with her weapon's retrieval.
Lloyd couldn't help but feel a little proud for what he had been able to do for Colette. Once they got to Asgard, they decided to have Colette checked out by an actual doctor (female), who had commented on how well he had treated her wound. "You were very creative with what you have," she had said, giving a boost to the boy's young ego.
Which, later on, only made him feel guilty for the thoughts that kept popping in his head from time to time.
It had not been the first time Lloyd had seen Colette in such a state of undress; the incident at the hot springs had been one occasion, (which had not been his fault) and when she had been suffering from her sickness. Lloyd still remembered when Raine had lifted away the torn shoulder of the girl's dress, her feverishly sleeping away as Lloyd looked closely at the crystal fossilizing over her skin. Too worried to care how revealed she was, too scared for her life, too guilty in the knowledge that his necklace for her had brought it on.
Repairing her wound was a necessity for his own guilt, as well as for her own well-being. And he'd felt happy making her feel better, and liked leaning into her embrace after it was done. But the sensation of touching her bare skin was impossible to forget, and when she had turned around with a smile, just barely covering her chest, letting him see the curve of her collarbone…well, it took all the will he had to keep his eyes on her face. Colette, grateful for his help, didn't seem to notice.
When night came, his thoughts would wander to that forbidden place, especially when he was left alone. Sometimes when on first watch, Lloyd would find his eyes straying to Colette's huddled sleeping form, turned to the side. How her blankets would have fallen off her shoulders, revealing a clothed-back, her blonde hair draped over her shoulders.
He'd then come to his senses and turn away. Crap, maybe Zelos really is rubbing off on me.
That wasn't fair to Colette, he knew. Part of him wondered if it would be best if the next time they went back to Iselia, that they would separate before he did something stupid. But Lloyd could also be selfish- the thought of her not being around was something he didn't want to dwell on. So he resolved to completely ground away these feelings, no matter how long it took.
So focused was he on his goal, that even Colette, cheerful despite the grimness and monotony that their journey could bring, had begun to notice.
"Hey, Lloyd," she once asked him. "You'd tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you?"
Lloyd's grin was practiced, coming easy to him. "Yeah, of course!" Years of watching Colette put on a show had taught him a few of the basics.
A few months passed before they made their way to Luin, the town now a far cry from the ruined state it was once in. Grateful to the heroes that had given all they had toward its reconstruction, they were offered free rooms at the inn. It was one of the reasons why both Lloyd and Colette tried to divert their paths their for the most part of their journey (with Altamira being the highest ranking due to Regal's kind influence).
Grateful he didn't have to set up camp, Lloyd laid back on his large bed, sighing happily. "Man, I'd forgotten what pillows felt like!"
Colette smiled, looking both tired but cheery. "I know! Look, they even left little chocolates on them, too!"
"Oh? Where?" Lloyd turned, soon realizing he was laying on top of said chocolates. "Uh, whoops."
"Aw. You can have some of mine!"
"That's okay." He dumped the now flattened chocolates on his nightstand. "I'm super tired anyway."
Colette yawned in agreement. She headed for the door that connected both of their rooms, brushing away a lock of blonde hair around her ear. "Well, good night."
Lloyd gave a wide yawn back, waving to her as she left through the doorway. The soft clicking of the lock told him it was safe to sigh. Somehow, even the thought of her just being a room away instead of with him was disheartening.
It's better they gave us two rooms anyway, he reasoned sadly. Now she won't have any creeps watching her sleep.
After getting out of his jacket, he crawled underneath his covers after extinguishing the gas lamp, sinking into cotton softness, staring at the lightly-colored patterns made in the quilt. In the shadows of his room, he detailed the dressers and knick-knacks that lined across their surface. The walls had their own work of art, depicting painted winged beings uplifted by the clouds. Not all knew the truth about the angels, even if the Church of Martel was not as powerful as it once was. But it wasn't like they weren't allowed to draw any art about it.
The cozy, colorful room was still not very comforting though. An hour passed, maybe two, and all Lloyd could do was close his eyes and try his best to will himself to unconsciousness. Even though his body was exhausted, his brain had other plans.
It wasn't just the strange, warm thoughts he would have of Colette that kept refilling his guilt. The bandit that day had been quick, but his reflexes, fueled by his Exsphere, should have been quicker. She had been right next to him, and yet he had allowed the woman to dodge past, to sink her blade into Colette's shoulder and get away with it.
If it had been anyone else, nothing of the sort would have happened. Kratos would have disarmed the bandit before she could do anything else. Regal would have blocked the dagger's path. Raine would have whispered a spell long before-hand. Even Zelos would have probably distracted the bandit long enough to keep Colette out of her way. Lloyd had instead stood around like an idiot, watching everything happen in slow-motion, his limbs locked into place. Colette's yell had finally spurred him to action.
You're always looking out for me, she had said. But… shouldn't he be doing a better job at it by now?
Just when his eyes began to finally feel heavy, did he hear a knock come from his door. He snorted a little, stuck between the space of sleep and wakefulness, and rubbed his face. "Wha-?" he said, slightly loud.
"Lloyd?" He blinked several times, looking toward the door. Not the one that led out into the inn's hallway, but the one that connected his and Colette's room. "Lloyd, can I come in?"
Her worried tone instantly brought his mind to full attention. "Uh, yeah, it's fine."
The moonlight shining through his window was bright, highlighting all the furniture, leaving no need for the lamp. In that silver light, he saw Colette standing by his bedside, dressed in a loose fitting nightgown, as modest as her traveling clothes with its long-sleeves, along with its own separate pants for her.
Still, it was different than their nights camping out, where she would keep wearing her traveling dress in case of monster attacks in the night, her chakrams close at hand. But Lloyd would not let his mind wander now, not when she looked so uncertain.
"Colette, is something wrong?"
Instead of answering right away, she stared at the ground, one arm hugging herself. "I think… No, no, it's nothing really."
"Hey, tell me," Lloyd said gently.
"Um…" She raised her head. "I think my back might be hurting again. Or…something like that. I don't know." Even in the shadows, he could see her face flush from her neck to her ears. "I'm sorry, this sounds weird."
"It doesn't." But the mention of her back hurting brought her past injury to his mind. What if it hadn't healed correctly? Had he done something wrong? He started to get out of bed. "If there's something wrong, then we can just go see a doctor-"
"No, I don't want-" Colette said quickly, then interrupted herself. "No. Can't you just, um…"
Lloyd remained still, one leg placed on the floor with the other still under the bed covers. He held his breath, though unsure as to why.
"I think…I'd rather you check, if you don't mind?" Colette's face looked completely red, as if she would soon faint from the rush. "If- if you don't want to, that's okay, too."
He looked at her, remembered her smiling up at him with only the slimmest of coverings, remembered her sleeping a few feet away from the campfire, turned away from him.
No, he wouldn't sink into that. Besides, Colette looked so lost suddenly that he thought saying no would do more harm than good. "Yeah, no problem." He patted the spot in front of him on the bed, able to give a light-hearted grin. "You don't have to be such a dork about it."
Colette smiled, looking vastly relieved. Taking a breath, she gingerly climbed up on Lloyd's bed, arranging herself properly on her knees. She moved her long hair to the front of her right shoulder, giving him a clear view of her neck.
Since there was no buttons this time, Lloyd tried to pull the collar of her nightgown down by just a fraction, his eyes scanning for anything abnormal. He couldn't see much besides a few freckles here and there. "Hold on, let me just go turn on the light." He shifted to do so.
"Wait!" Colette whispered desperately. The force of it was so much that Lloyd started at the sound, his hand in mid-action to turn on the small lamp. "I…don't think I want that."
Lloyd couldn't understand at all. "Huh? Why not?"
"Because…" She bowed her head. He heard her breathe rapidly. "Lloyd, I…"
Lloyd sat still, unable to do anything. Shyly, Colette reached out one hand behind her, taking one of his own to bring to her lap. She trembled as she did so, as if it took all her strength.
With the moonlight shining off her hair, coloring it silver, he brought his other arm around her waist. His embrace was gentle, but firm. He found himself shaking too, and then dared to bring her body near his chest.
He could feel the motion of her breathing, quick and slightly labored. For a moment, he was certain he did something and slightly loosened his grip. But Colette kept his arms around her, bringing both her hands to his own, pressing them against her stomach tightly.
The silence in the room was so thick. He had to speak. "Colette…"
"I'm sorry for lying, Lloyd." She sounded close to tears. "I just…I just wanted you to hold me. Because…your hands feel very nice and I didn't know how to tell you…"
With patience, Lloyd brought one hand out of her grasp. He placed it against her back. If he really valued their friendship, he would not do this. But her voice just now seemed to… "You sure that's all you wanted?"
She didn't answer. She slumped forward just slightly, strands of her blond hair tumbling down her backside.
For that moment, Lloyd became very daring. It was something he had feared he would do, his mind too overfed from Zelos' stories, from half-remembered dreams in the morning. He let his hand wander to her side, slipping underneath the hem of her gown that was bundled around her legs. His palm pressed against her warm skin, sliding up her back. She shivered at his touch, but didn't flinch away.
When he had lifted up the entirety of her nightgown top from her back, bare and white in the dark, he could see just the faintest of scars, one on both her left and right side. On the left was a slant, mostly healed over. The right scar was a white streak, reflecting from the moonlight. It was jagged, more so than he realized when he had first noticed it. He ran a finger across its shape, of a different smoothness than the rest of her skin, slightly dipped. He remembered the blood from that day at the ranch, the hard thump of the staff striking against her back, of her stumbling into his arms with a shameful smile. Sorry for making you worry…
He wondered, did her wings slip from her back through these scars? Did it hurt to do so each time? If he had been quick enough, if he had paid attention, then she would not have had to suffer these. A protector should be better than this.
Blinking away tears, not knowing when he started to cry, he pressed his lips against the scar. Colette gasped sharply, but didn't move away. He felt her lean into him instead. She was still so warm, pressing against him with the smallest of tremors. His lips traveled to her shoulder, her neck. His arms went back to encircle her waist again. He felt her shift to face him, letting him kiss her, her mouth open and inviting and full of a strange sort of desperation.
"You could've…just asked me," he breathed against her, kissing her soon after to take away her apologies. She was shivering so much, reaching out to him as her arms wrapped around his neck. All he had ever wanted was to make her feel better, and that was all that was on his mind as he brought her closer than before, to him and the softness of his bed, to the sheets painted with starlight.