Tooru opens his eyes only to find himself up in the air, surrounded by an unknown, but at the same time pleasing warmth. He blinks a couple of times and wonders whether he is dead or not, because he doesn't remember the last time he has felt this way.
Then, the pain shoots through his whole body and he whimpers and groans, his body shaking.
He is definitely awake.
Death isn't supposed to hurt this much.
The strong hold against his waist tightens even more and he is pulled back against metal. His back is sore; there are surely marks on it already, although different than the ones he is used to.
"You are awake."
Tooru turns his head to the side, glancing at the man behind him, and he remembers.
He wants to speak to him, but the strength to do so doesn't seem to be within him, so he closes his mouth. It is not like he has anything to say. He tries to think about everything but how he is feeling.
He grips the saddle harder and immediately proceeds to look around himself, wanting to understand where he is. The world is not white anymore, but green, which explains the overall mild temperature. And immediately Tooru knows they must be far from where Wakatoshi collected him.
His voice just doesn't want to come out if not in groans every now and then, as he shifts on the dragon's back, trying to look for a more comfortable position, but the lack of space just doesn't allow him to do so. His legs are in a pain he has never felt before; his right knee especially.
But despite how hurt he is, he still can't deny that the ride is magnificent. He sees everything; every forest, every lake, every river they fly over. In front of them, there is a large volcano and Tooru focuses on it. He has always read about them, but he has never seen one in his entire life; Aobajōsai is only made of forests, fertile fields and a few rivers, nothing more.
Tooru suddenly feels warm breath over his shoulder, the loose shirt he is wearing covering very little of that part of him – he wonders how he managed not to die from the cold – not really shielding his skin from the man's breath, and realizes that Wakatoshi's hands are all over him; one still holding the wound to prevent more blood from spilling out, the other one gripping the saddle with his ones, their fingers brushing ever so slightly.
They are getting closer to the volcano, and they have lowered quite a bit. Tooru doesn't understand what is about to happen until the dragon roars and immediately speeds up. He feels Wakatoshi's hold on him tighten even more as he tells him not to panic.
Tooru blinks and immediately they are changing direction and going right towards the large crater, and the beast lets itself fall right into it, its large wings not moving anymore.
Tooru gasps and wants to scream, because there is only darkness now and the fall is fast, but the only thing he is able to do is close his eyes and grit his teeth, his hands now both gripping at Wakatoshi's armored forearm.
When everything comes to a stop, Tooru opens his eyes and finds himself in a cave, a dark cave. He looks up and sees the crater bring the only source of light to it and he immediately breathes. The large wings of the beast are flapping again and Tooru feels his stomach drop all over again.
When they land, there is a weird noise and Tooru immediately looks down. His eyes widen as he notices the largest pile of gold and colorful gems he has ever seen in his life. His memory immediately goes to retrieve the moment when his father brought him into the secret chambers of their castle where all their coffers used to be. They used to have a lot of gold, sure, but never this much.
The dragon struggles to get its balance right, but eventually it stills and lets out a low growl.
Tooru's shoulders shake and he doesn't know what to do. But his leg is in pain, so he shifts slightly.
"Do not move," Wakatoshi speaks and Tooru immediately freezes, his gaze lowering on his hands, still gripping onto the man behind him.
He lets go.
"I will help you climb down," Wakatoshi tells him and the deep voice next to Tooru's ear makes him shiver. He nods.
Wakatoshi then moves behind him, his skilled hands gripping onto the quills on the beasts neck, which he uses as a leverage to get off the saddle and jump down. The gold coins underneath him move and make noise, but the beast doesn't seem to be fazed by it.
"Come," Wakatoshi says at a certain point, and Tooru finds him right where he landed, with spread arms, motioning for him to come down. Tooru bites his lip.
"Throw your right leg on this side and let yourself fall. I will take you before you fall."
Tooru hesitates, but as the dark knight doesn't move, he finally follows the instructions. Raising his right leg proves to be more difficult than planned, because it is heavy and doesn't move properly, but eventually he manages. He closes his eyes when he lets himself fall and when Wakatoshi's large arms wrap around him, he hisses in pain.
"I apologize," Wakatoshi mutters, before finally letting him stand.
The gold underneath him shines and he wants to move, but he doesn't know whether he is allowed or not to. Five years of punishments for every single thing he did have become more than enough of a reason for him to think before acting. Besides, he still doesn't know anything about this man.
Of course, as Wakatoshi lets go of his waist, the blood resumes to come out, staining the white fabric of his shirt even more.
Tooru curses.
"Are you able to walk?"
Tooru nods weakly, but he doesn't manage to take one proper step before he shakes his head. His back faces Wakatoshi and he doesn't turn around even when he feels loud slamming on the floor; one, two, three... Five loud slams of metal against metal and then he feels arms around his shoulders and legs, and he is raised up as if he weighted nothing. And the feeling is different.
Wakatoshi has removed his armor, he finds out. Nothing hard is sinking into his tender flesh and when he finally looks at him, Tooru finds him wearing plain, black clothes, very tight on his broad shoulders and chest from what he can see.
Wakatoshi walks away from the dragon, down the pile of treasure and Tooru just observes the place as he slowly discovers it.
They are in a giant cave, empty despite the place they are in. Tooru has read lots about extinct volcanoes, but he'd never thought they could become something like this. The place is lived in, because Tooru spots various items, such as candles, some ancient books, boxes of all kind, all organized neatly. There aren't many things, no, but they seem enough not to miss anything.
The candles' light is not very strong, but he supposes it is simply not enough to contrast the bright rays of the sun coming from the crater above them.
In the center of the cave, there is a large natural pool, full of water and Tooru's eyes spot steam coming out of it, revealing its high temperature.
He hopes it is possible to bathe in it.
He would really like to.
His body is still trembling slightly, despite Wakatoshi's heat and the cloak he is still wearing along with his clothes. Tooru only hopes his mind isn't playing tricks on him and that all this isn't just a mere dream full of hope that could shatter as soon as he wakes up.
Wakatoshi carries him close to the pool and then makes him stand there. Tooru would like to sit, but the thought of bending his legs isn't helpful.
"I must treat your wounds now. You have already lost too much blood."
Tooru licks his lips and finally manages to open his mouth to speak. "How do you know how much blood I've lost?" It is a stupid question, because it is obvious he has lost much. But for some reason, his brain is not processing his words, and that was the first thing that came to mind when Wakatoshi spoke to him.
"You are impossibly pale. Besides, I have seen many people die like this. So I know."
Tooru holds his breath. Well, he didn't expect an answer like this - or an answer at all - though he really should have. Surprisingly, he doesn't like the sound of it and the realization that he doesn't have much of a choice sinks even deeper.
"I need you to remove your shirt," Wakatoshi tells him, standing in front of him and Tooru finally has the chance to see what he looks like. There is not much difference in their heights, but Wakatoshi is much more muscular, with broader shoulders than his, strong arms and legs. His hair is neatly trimmed, of a dark brown color and it suits his face, with its strong jaw and aquiline nose. But what strikes him the most are his eyes, with their sharp look and bright gold color. He had seen it right the first time.
The sharp look he receives in return makes him swallow all the saliva he had in his mouth until now.
"I can't feel my shoulder," he confesses to him, eventually.
Wakatoshi nods and takes a step closer to him. "I apologize in advance," he says and before Tooru can ask for explanation, those large hands are pushing off the large cloak and then taking a hold of his shirt and pulling. He tears it in two with just a few twists of his wrist and lets it fall onto the rocks, exposing Tooru's torso, pale skin stained with all kinds of dark colors.
Gold eyes immediately move to see the open wound on his abdomen and his lips press in a thin line. Tooru doesn't dare to look down. His hands instead go to his pants and he moves them past his hips to let them fall down his legs.
His right knee is swollen, the skin bright red – that Tooru dares to look at. And it is not a good sight.
But, he finds out, Wakatoshi's eyes aren't focused on that. Instead, they seem glued on Tooru's marked thighs and what is left of Suguru's activities before he managed to escape. The crusted cum on his thighs is making his skin sticky and Tooru feels embarrassment taking over him slowly. He looks away after kicking off his shoes.
Wakatoshi apologizes for staring and then proceeds to help him to sit down, before rushing to one of the boxes Tooru saw earlier and bringing it next to him.
The former prisoner finds out that it contains all kind of medical items. There are lots of creams and bottles of ointment, and bandages as well.
"I need to clean you up first, to prevent infections," Wakatoshi explains as he takes a hold of a clean cloth. Tooru just nods absentmindedly, not really caring anymore. His strength is leaving him once again and he feels sick with himself and his own body, though it is not really his fault.
When the warm, damp cloth comes in contact with his skin, his muscles immediately start to spasm. The open wound burns and stings and he lets out a groan, but forces every cell of his body to stay still as Wakatoshi wipes it clean. Hazel eyes are lost in the movements of the man, until he calls his name, breaking their attention.
"Yes?"
"Put your clothes behind yourself and lie down."
Tooru does so without complaining, lying on his back and exhaling a broken breath as the flexing of his abdomen shoots another twinge all over him. Wakatoshi shifts until he is sitting at his side, and he grabs now one of the smaller containers, which reveals to be holding a cream as soon as it is opened.
"I will have to patch it up now, then burn the skin to prevent infections," Wakatoshi tells him and Tooru swallows, the anxiety devouring him slowly, because he heard many soldiers of Suguru's being healed like that, though most of them died anyway.
Wakatoshi turns around and looks at the dragon, who is now lying on top of its treasure. He speaks in the foreign language again and the beast turns its heat towards a pile of wood in the most distant corner, spitting fire. But it is not the same amount it was on that field.
Tooru watches it spread on every flammable item in the zone.
He says nothing.
"This will be painful," Wakatoshi warns then, and Tooru already knows. His words don't make the expectation easier to bear. "Would you like a cloth to bite?"
"No," Tooru mutters and closes his eyes.
Wakatoshi has already prepared the needle and the thread and has put a hand next to the open wound. "Alright."
As expected, Tooru's voice comes out in a scream when Wakatoshi pierces this skin with the needle for the first time. He screams, because Wakatoshi is careful, but not gentle. He doesn't lose time with reassuring words and sweet promises as Alisa used to, the few times when she has to simply disinfect his wounds.
Tooru had enough to endure in these last years, both physical pain and psychological pain and at some point, after twenty soldiers raped him when he first tried to escape, he though there would be nothing that could hurt him more than that did.
He was wrong.
Every pierce of the needle makes his body shake violently, his sight blur, but Wakatoshi's free hand is pressing against his chest, holding him down against his clothes, so only his arms and legs are moving. His right hand is gripping onto Wakatoshi's wrist, his short nails digging into exposed tanned skin.
"Pl-please! Stop... Please stop!" Tooru begs, eyes wide and blown out, his brain not even processing what he is saying.
Wakatoshi keeps going. "You will bleed out if I don't close the wound,"
"Then let me d-," Tooru whispers, his voice cut off by another scream.
"There are two stitches left now."
It is over quickly, but to Tooru it feels like an eternity, and once Wakatoshi ties the thread into a small knot to make sure it won't open, he pulls away. Tooru falls back, his breathing erratic, broken by sobs. His eyes are burning and he can feel hot tears running freely down his cheeks. His throat hurts and all he wants to do is doze off. Why couldn't he faint? Why couldn't he lose consciousness and avoid all of this?
"I have to cauterize it now."
Tooru stops breathing.
Wakatoshi stands up and walks to the burning fire and Tooru sees him pulling out a knife from it. He doesn't burn himself, Tooru notices, despite the fact that he is standing there, with flames dancing all around him.
He comes back and Tooru finally decides to take a hold of his torn shirt and he puts it in his mouth, biting hard – his jaw is trembling.
The metal against his abdomen makes him cry even harder, his eyes tearing up even more and his body starts to convulse from the inflicted shock and it continues even when the blade is away from him.
Wakatoshi's free hand moves from his chest to his hair, his thumb gently brushing over his forehead to remove long bangs from his face. He gives him a moment to collect himself, but the shaking doesn't stop, so he helps him to sit up, and Tooru's skin feels horrible, so he leans on the man's arm for support, because he needs it even though he has nowhere to fall.
"P-please... No more."
Wakatoshi adjusts him against himself, turning him around carefully until he is facing his back. "I still have to take care of the other wound."
"N-no," Tooru says, shaking his head.
He can't feel his shoulder, and he knows he needs to stop the bleeding as soon as possible, before an infection pops up and damages it beyond repair.
"The wound does not require stitches. It will hurt only for a moment."
Tooru grits his teeth. The damp cloth cleans his wound, wiping the blood flowing down his back and Tooru sees it then flying over his shoulder and into the water, before Wakatoshi stands up, goes to heat up the knife again and returns, just like before.
When he presses it against Tooru's shoulder, the latter screams again, but this time, he forces himself not to move. This time too, he is left breathless and trembling. But when the knife is thrown away after being used, he feels relief, because it is over.
Tooru's lungs fill themselves with air now, properly, and he is fine, more or less. Wakatoshi sits next to him, washing the cloth in the clear, warm water, and then he proceeds to clean the rest of Tooru's skin. He begins from his nape and moves down to his shoulders and collarbones, gently rubbing against his bruised skin. He then lowers down his spine, all the way to his lower back and then cleans carefully the flesh covering Tooru's ribs.
As the sweat is wiped away, some small cuts emerge, along with hematomas of various sizes, from the one of a fist to one of a fingertip.
Tooru lets the pleasing sensation take over him, and he lets his arms fall to the sides, resting his hands against the smooth surface underneath him.
"Your back is clean," Wakatoshi lets him know before he moves in front of him, and they are facing each other all over again, Tooru losing himself in gold, allowing it to hypnotize him.
He gasps, only because of the surprise, when the warm cloth comes in contact with his tearful face. Wakatoshi gently wipes down his cheeks, his split bottom lip, but he uses his free hand to touch his skin, to feel the damage under callused fingertips.
Tooru tenses when those fingers arrive to his nipples, covered in bite marks and fingerprints, and caress them gently, brushing over sensitive skin without applying pressure. Tooru holds his breath as Wakatoshi touches him – he doesn't remember the last time he was touched this way -, his gold eyes following his own fingers. And then he is cleaning there too, and Tooru shivers.
He lowers to his abdomen, but before he is able to reach even further, Tooru blocks his wrist.
"I... I'd rather clean myself on my own now," he stutters, not even recognizing his own voice until Wakatoshi tilts his head to the side, giving him a confused look. But Tooru insists, biting his lip. His eyes still stare at the stains of cum on his thighs and he needs to wipe it off himself. Now.
"Alright," Wakatoshi says and hands him the cloth.
Tooru thanks him. "Can... Can I sit in the water?"
Wakatoshi blinks. "I am afraid it is hot for you."
Tooru raises an eyebrow – Wakatoshi had managed to put his hands in just fine. He moves forward and does the same. It is warm, but not as hot as Wakatoshi describes it. It feels like a hot spring, sure, and he wouldn't bathe in it all day long, but ten minutes just to clean himself up... That he could manage just fine.
"I don't-"
"Your knee."
Tooru raises an eyebrow.
"I meant it would not be good for your knee. It is inflamed and should not be put in warm water. But if you really wish to, I will help you to go in."
Tooru understands then, and nods. "Just a few minutes. I need just a few minutes."
Wakatoshi stands up, wrapping his arms around Tooru's frame and raising him up like before. This time, he makes him stand on his feet. "Watch where you stand. The rocks are quite slippery, I'm afraid." Wakatoshi's warnings are rather endearing, and Tooru listens to them. He takes slow steps and holds onto Wakatoshi's hand as he climbs down the few stair-like stones to get in.
The warmth enveloping his muscles is pure bliss. He barely resists the urge to let himself fall forward, until he dives in, but he knows that in his condition he is not capable of swimming, or even stay afloat. So he forces his thoughts away and focuses on his balance. It is hard to keep it. His right leg throbs in pain whenever he puts even the smallest amount of weight on it.
"You can sit there," Wakatoshi tells him, pointing at a spot on the rocks. "The water should not reach your abdomen. You must be careful with the stitches."
Tooru nods and sits down, letting out a heavy breath.
Wakatoshi is behind him in less than a second, with another cloth in his hands. Tooru turns around to look at him and his eyes widen when he finds the damp cloth pressing against his hair. Wakatoshi clutches it, letting the water fall onto him.
Tooru's eyes close and he sighs, adjusting himself in a proper position so he can let him do whatever he wants.
Wakatoshi washes his hair of the sweat and leaves, while Tooru proceeds to scrub his thighs clean, making sure not to leave any part of skin between them untouched. Wakatoshi takes out a bottle from the large box he has next to himself and he pours the content on his hands.
"What is it?" Tooru asks quietly, but Wakatoshi doesn't answer and instead proceeds to spread it over Tooru's hair, gently rubbing his scalp and making sure he is wholly coated.
Tooru lets him without expecting an answer.
His eyes now move to the dragon, who is peacefully lying on top of its treasure, its red eyes staring at him without blinking.
Tooru feels intimidated.
It wouldn't be normal not to feel that way. Tooru can finally appreciate its figure: the strong wings, the giant head, those dark, shiny scales...
Another amount of warmth pouring over his head makes Tooru blink, distracting him from his admiring. Wakatoshi washes away the ointment carefully, and it completely melts in the water. Tooru watches it disappear, wordlessly, along with all the dirt that was covering him.
"You ought to come out now. Your knee must be treated properly before it worsens."
Tooru doesn't even replay, because Wakatoshi is already pulling him out by hooking his arms under Tooru's and raising him up without a trace of fatigue, despite being on his knees. He stands up then, walking close to the dragon's treasure, where another case is. He pulls out a large, white towel and brings it to Tooru, wrapping it around his shoulders. Then, he pulls out some bandages from the previous box and hands them to him.
Tooru watches Wakatoshi kneel in front of him and lets him help to get dry and then proceed to carefully wrap bandages around his chest and shoulders, to cover the first painful wound. "It is to help you sleep."
The fabric is fresh and smells like cleanliness and Tooru just stills and follows his instructions on how to move when needed. The thought of sleeping is appealing – he hopes he won't feel too much pain, because he craves rest more than anything else.
There is a long moment of silence before Tooru finally dares to speak again. It happens after a lot of thoughts and considerations, but it is needed. Tooru needs to know.
"Why did you save me?" he finally asks.
Wakatoshi stops with his movements, his eyes lost in a spot of Tooru's shoulder. Tooru follows his gaze to check if there is something wrong, but finds nothing. Wakatoshi must be thinking, or choosing his words perhaps. But what is there to think about? He should know why he risked his life to save someone he never met before.
"You needed to be saved," the man replies eventually.
And Tooru's breath hitches in his throat. "But... You don't even know me!"
Gold eyes meet hazel. "I do not believe it is relevant. You would not have survived against an army on your own."
After fixing the bandages around his chest and making sure they won't fall even when Tooru moves in his sleep later, he proceeds to wrap his abdomen as well, and Tooru finds himself hissing, because it is more than uncomfortable. The warmth from before has increased his sensibility and he is feeling it more than ever.
"They will not find you here."
Tooru chuckles. Suguru will most likely look for him, even if it meant going to the edge of the world. He was a valuable prisoner – and his favorite toy - and there is no way he will let him escape so easily. Satori will obey his every wish, no matter what it takes.
It is only a matter of time.
"And how do you know that?"
Wakatoshi's lips curve up ever so slightly. "Because we are hundreds of miles away from Nohebi."
Tooru holds his breath. "Where are we?"
"Shiratorizawa."
Tooru's jaw drops.
Oh.
He's heard tales about a kingdom where winter never comes, when nature is at its fullest strength and development, where animals of all kinds live... He's heard about castles made of rocks and trees, fortresses no army could ever destroy, and dragons who protect it all...
But he thought they were all legends.
And yet, that legendary beast is there, in this very cave, with them, lying on its treasure elegantly, observing his every move.
Tooru takes a mental note not to believe what his books say too much. They were obviously very wrong.
Wakatoshi's hand comes in contact with his swollen knee then, and Tooru yelps, his instinct making him pull his leg towards himself, but as he bends it, he regrets it and immediately straightens it again, though the throbbing doesn't stop. Wakatoshi takes a hold of his calf, holding him still until he calms down.
He proceeds to bandage him carefully, making sure the bandages are tight enough to support him, to hold the articulation still. Tooru bites his lip for the whole time, and when finally that too is over, he lets himself collapse on his back, exhausted.
He needs to sleep.
His eyes travel to the crater and he sees that night has already fallen on them and his eyelids are getting heavy. He won't last long at this point.
"You should not sleep here," Wakatoshi tells him, and although he agrees that the rocky surface underneath him isn't exactly the most comfortable of places, his cell was worse. So he doesn't mind - he can handle it for a night. Besides...
"I can't move."
He hears a quiet sigh and then there are arms all over him for the umpteenth time that day, and they carry him to a hollow in the rocky wall, where Tooru finds fur of every kind of animal, probably the result of many successful hunting trips.
It looks like heaven to the wounded man and he sobs quietly, only once, as he realizes he will be sleeping in a warm bed for the first time in ages.
Wakatoshi lays him down gently and then covers him properly, without bothering to offer Tooru some clothes to put on. When Tooru wants to ask, Wakatoshi explains it to him before he even manages to let out a sound. "Your wounds need to breathe. They will heal faster that way," he explains, and, frankly, Tooru doesn't care at all. Wakatoshi takes a hold of a glass and a jar, filled with cold water. He grabs another small bottle next to it and pours a few drops of the content in it. Tooru raises an eyebrow.
"It is mandrake. It will help you sleep by dulling the pain," Wakatoshi says before he offers the beverage to Tooru, who drinks it eagerly, motivated by the promise of a peaceful sleep. He lies down then, sighing when his head comes in contact with soft fabric.
Hazel eyes look for Wakatoshi and find him there, just looking at him.
And he can't help it.
"Thank you."
Wakatoshi offers him a slight curve of his lips and he pulls the covers up to his chin.
"I shall prepare you some food when you wake up," he announces and Tooru can't wait.
His wounds hurt, but he doesn't have any more strength left to submit himself to the pain. Besides, it is only a matter of time, so he closes his eyes and exhales, lets the sleep overcome him.