Author note: I don't own the Last Story, nor Therius or Count Arganan.

This fic may or may not be expanded into a two-shot or three-shot. XD

Warning: Count Arganan survives the Outsider!AU, spoilers, post-game-ish, made up backstories, TheriusxArganan of sorts

Constructive Criticism would be great, and I hope that you read, review and enjoy! Thanks! XD

Never Again

Summary: Count Arganan survived the Outsider's power but is bedridden while recovering. Therius has to stay by him and tend to him, and the two end up talking and reveal something about each other in the process. Arganan realizes how badly Therius wants to live up to General Asthar's standards of being a knight. Therius realizes that the Count was never entirely power-hungry from the start.

Characters: Count Arganan, Therius

Pairings: Implied Count ArgananxTherius?

Count Arganan survived the power of the Outsider.

No one precisely knew how. Therius just assumed that it was due to the Arganan blood that he already shared with Calista or something like that of the sort.

However, that entire experience left the Count incredibly weak. He couldn't even walk when he first became conscious from being overwhelmed by the Outsider—Therius and Calista had to carry him to the safest place possible themselves before joining in the fight against the invading Gurak.

They didn't realize how weak he was until after they came back to Lazulis from defeating Zangurak (and Zesha, and Zepha, and Dagran) that the physicians informed them that although Calista's uncle had survived somehow, he was going to be stuck recovering for a long time. That he might not even recover fully before the time came for him to pass from this world (which would be, when? Who knew?).

Therius overheard things, from nurses, doctors, physicians, servants, that the Count had no strength to do anything when he first woke up in the castle's hospital wing. The Count couldn't even get himself to utter a word that he was in pain, though the looks he made with his face were more than enough to emphasize it. Therius heard how the Count had begged them (hoarsely) not to touch him, not to reveal the scarred part of his body, to stop touching his metal arm and leg, to just stop because it was just so painful and he couldn't handle it and he—

All those servants, physicians, doctors, nurses...they all seemed to say such things with a sneer to them.

That's what he deserved, they would say, for someone who craved power so badly.

Therius knew even before Count Arganan tried to get the Outsider's power that Arganan was, well, power-hungry in a way. But he never expected it to get that bad, or to the point that he'd even attempt such a feat. But all the Count got for his efforts was to have his health completely set back and nothing else.

In a way, Therius pitied the older man. Yes, he abused his power (and his niece and Zael and so many others) but Therius could not bring himself to think that the Count ever deserved anything like that.

No one deserved anything like that.

Hence why the white knight was the one doing the majority of caring for Arganan. As soon as the physicians and healers and others said that it would take a long time for the Count to recover, no one seemed to really care to help him, forcing Therius (and Calista on occasion when she could bring herself to even look at her uncle in such a state) to be the only ones that actually did any caring for Arganan and his health. Most of the time, however, it seemed to really be only Therius that took care of the Count.

Today was one of those days. The white knight entered the Count's chambers swiftly. It was early in the morning, about seven or eight or so.

"Count Arganan? Good morning." The white knight approached the Count, who looked asleep. From a distance, he seemed at least somewhat calm. Upon further inspection, though, it appeared that all was not well. The Count was sweating rather excessively as he held his head with his hand of flesh, his jaw clenching painfully as his one eye laid shut. Therius quickly laid a hand on Arganan's forehead before pulling it away.

Arganan's forehead was warm. The Count had taken a fever overnight. Therius couldn't stop himself from swearing, and he looked to Count Arganan.

"Forgive my speech just now...Count Arganan? How long have you felt this?"

The Count opened his one good eye to face the white knight quietly. Therius noticed that the Count had his large eyepatch on from last night, to hide the scarred side of his face. "Last night." The older man managed, shuddering. He coughed, and Therius couldn't help but wince. "Thought I could sleep it off..."

Therius walked as fast as he could to one of the shelves in the room, taking out a vial of medicine, before rushing back to the Count, uncapping it and holding it to the Count's lips. Arganan grimaced as he drank, slowly, not liking the bitter taste, but he managed to swallow it all. Only weeks ago, Arganan would have probably thrown up moments after swallowing said medicine, or any other consumables.

There was silence as the older man gave a shaky breath, looking up at Therius who helped him sit up, propping pillows up behind him. "Thank you."

Therius tried to smile. "You're welcome..." He put a hand to Arganan's forehead, and the older man seemed to grimace at the touch. Therius frowned gently as he traced the black eyepatch with a hand. "Is it alright if I remove it, Count? I doubt it would do you any better for cooling down this fever if you keep it on."

Arganan looked reluctant, before he nodded. Therius slowly peeled the eypatch off the older man's face, unable to help but gaze at the scars that lay beneath, the empty socket where there once was an eye.

These injuries hadn't been sustained in the war between the Gurak and Lazulis over the Outsider. It happened in the war before that (the war where Asthar's one subordinate rebelled and destroyed those villages—one of them being Dagran's own), and as far as Therius remembered hearing about it, the Count was one of the few that survived the brunt of horrid fire magic brought upon them by the enemy at the time. It severely burned the left side of him, rending his left arm and leg completely useless, his left eye destroyed. Ever since then, he never fought on the battle field ever again.

The Count noticed Therius gazing at his scars, and a breathy laugh escaped him. His one eye was half lidded, from exhaustion and grief all mixed together. "Can't help but look, I see."

Therius looked up to face him properly. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"No, Therius. You know. I'm...weak." The older man whispered softly, before he coughed. He took a few breaths before looking up at the younger man. "I've always been weak, Therius, no matter how much I want to be stronger. After losing my limbs, I—" He coughed a bit, looking straight into Therius' emerald eyes. "I knew I couldn't handle being the younger brother that couldn't do anything, c-couldn't have a title, couldn't even fight and make Lazulis proud I just..."

I just wanted to be something.

I didn't want to be weak.

That was what Therius read from the older man's quivering voice. Arganan coughed again, and it took the white knight a moment to realize that the older man had broken into tears. The white knight held him quietly, letting him cry.

After a few moments, Arganan looked up at him again, still letting the white knight hold him. "Wh-why did you stay?" He asked, voice as raspy as grief itself. "You have every opportunity to leave, Therius. You don't have to be here if you don't want to."

Therius frowned. "Count Arganan, it wouldn't be right of me to leave you. A true knight always helps those in need of it..."

"And General Asthar would find it unbecoming of you to leave me?"

Therius went stiff at that. Arganan looked down.

"Apologies. I shouldn't have mentioned him." The older man managed.

Therius hesitantly placed a hand over Arganan's hand of flesh. The older man turned to face him, surprise echoing in his expression as Therius took a deep breath and spoke up.

"Count Arganan, even I was not a knight, I wouldn't leave you. Not like this." He looked the Count in the eye. "You never deserved this."

Arganan looked straight back at him, chest heaving with renewed breath. "But—"

"You never deserved to be bedridden like this. You just wanted to be stronger." He gripped the older man's hand, lifting it to touch Therius' scar above his left eye. "This scar I have, it...it's a constant reminder of my parents' deaths. I used to live in a family. Not rich, but not poor either. More on the wealthier side. We had knights hired to protect our home. But one night they decided to steal everything. They killed my parents and gave me this scar by bashing me hard in the head, and I swore that day I'd be stronger, I'd be better than they ever were."

The white knight paused to see if the Count was listening. He was.

Therius took a deep breath, closing his eyes, before opening them as he finished up. "General Asthar saved me from death that night. I lost both my parents, but I gained a second father and what a true knight really is. I'd devoted my life to living to his standards of a true knight, but...now that he's passed on I don't know how I will. But I will find a way. And you can find a way too."

There silence, nothingness for a second.

Therius then felt Arganan squeeze his hand, still keeping their gazes locked as he touched the scar. The white knight could feel some lingering hope reignite within the older man, perhaps surging through Therius' own being also.

"Never again." THe older man coughed, before reiterating. "Never again are we going to be weak. W-we'll grow stronger. Both of us."

Therius couldn't help but smile slightly at that. "Yes, Count Arganan. Never again."