AN: Thanks so much notasongfic and TaintedBloodLily for reviewing the previous chapter! On a completely random note, I got new glasses this weekend and I was like "Holy shit, I can see!" Anyway, enjoy reading!

Chapter 36:

Stumbling into the room, Axel helped Jhon limp over to the bed as Tobyn tried to clear the area, giving Lynus space to do his work, as well to make Jhon comfortable. After that he began to aide Jhon in the removal of his armour as Axel moved to step outside in order to push the other concerned guild-members back.

Lynus lifted his bag from his shoulder and dropped it onto the foot of the bed. Everything he needed - bandages and medicine – was right there. But first, an inspection. He needed to see what he was dealing with.

"Lie on your back," Lynus instructed Jhon, who managed to do so while brushing off Tobyn's hands.

Lynus could easily see the grimace on Jhon's face and the pain in his eyes. Yet, like the first time he had met him, he refused to show it. Jhon didn't want to cause Tobyn to worry, so was swallowing down his pain in order to give the blond-haired Survivalist a reassuring look.

While it was admirable as it was, Lynus would not be able to fully assess Jhon's condition when he's trying to comfort Tobyn.

"Tobyn?" Lynus said gently. "I think Hamza would like your opinion on that monster."

Tobyn gave him this…startled and desperate look. It appeared that he didn't want to leave, and yet he seemed uneasy. Almost as if he was afraid to see what kind of injuries that Jhon might have sustained while protecting him.

That was why Lynus was asking him to leave. Not because he was in the way, but because he was still upset by what happened.

"I'm ok," Jhon said as he offered him a small smile. "Go."

Tobyn glanced over at him, simply taking a moment to look at him. Finally, he nodded. "…Ok."

"I'll call if I need any help," Lynus comforted, placing his hand on Tobyn's arm and giving a light squeeze.

Tobyn turned to look at him for a moment before nodding silently again. Lynus watched until Tobyn left, closing the door quietly behind him, before he turned his attention to Jhon and began to fuss over him.

With Tobyn out of the room, the tension on Jhon's form dissipated and he sunk against the sheets on his bed. He looked pale, the grimaces of pain on his face far more potent.

Lynus frowned as he checked him over, starting with the gash on his forehead that had managed to clot thanks to the brief periods of healing he managed to do while fleeing.

"Do you want to go to the hospital?" he asked him.

"Do you think I should?"

"Only if you think you'll feel more comfortable," Lynus said as he took an antiseptic wipe from his bag, carefully cleaning around the wound on his temple. "You're ok with just me?"

Through a wince, Jhon managed a smile. "I'll be fine here."

"Ok," Lynus said, returning the smile.

They lapsed into silence as Lynus cleaned up the blood from Jhon's temple, noting that while the gash was rather jagged and uneven, it wasn't all that deep. From the small pieces of earthy debris, Lynus was satisfied that it wasn't from the monster, but rather when Jhon was thrown backwards.

Should be easy enough to heal.

Now, onto that leg of his.

Peeling back the armour, Lynus was surprised to note that the steel armour was not as damaged as one would have expected. It was somewhat reassuring, to be honest. It meant that Jhon's leg did not take the full weight of the monster. Perhaps the soft snow was a factor?

"Can you move your toes?" Lynus asked as he carefully ran his fingers down Jhon's calf and shin. There was no obvious breaks and while the limb was swollen (no surprise, really), there were no recognizable distortions. "Where does it hurt?"

"My knee, mostly," Jhon replied, wincing when he curled his toes and rolled his ankle to show that he had rather a good range of motion.

Lynus placed a hand on his kneecap while he reached down to seek out the pulse in Jhon's foot with the other. At first, he couldn't find it and he searched around a little. Thankfully, though, he was able to locate a pulse at the bottom of his foot. Although the limb was slightly cold, it wasn't anything that caused Lynus great concern. He had a pulse, so blood was getting down there.

So that meant no pinched vessels.

Focusing his attention on the patella, or kneecap, he immediately noticed that it seemed a little loose and wobbly. Maltracking would be the medical term.

"I think your kneecap popped out but popped back in," Lynus explained. "It's going to be sore for quite a while."

Jhon pressed his lips together tightly. "A dislocation?"

"Close, but not fully," Lynus replied. "Still would have hurt like hell when it happened."

Jhon gave a half chuckle, half groan. "No kidding."

"I don't think your injuries are too serious," Lynus stated after ensuring that Jhon's only injuries were his left leg and the wound on his temple. Lucky, considering what he had been through. "Your leg and head I'm worried about, though. How's your vision? Blurry? Seeing double?"

"Blurry."

"Ok," Lynus nodded his head, gently prodding at the skin of Jhon's head and neck. "I can't sense any fractures, which is very good. You appear to have a concussion, though. Stage 1. Not too serious, but serious enough."

"I won't be exploring for a while, huh?" Jhon commented, his eyes looking quite tired and droopy.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Lynus muttered, almost daring Jhon to refute him in some way.

Instead, Jhon simply chuckled and closed his eyes. He appeared tired, Lynus' gentle healing easing his pain for the moment. Sleep would be good for him, but he had a concussion. He needed to stay awake for a little while longer.

"You scared the hell out of him, you know?" Lynus commented as he strapped up Jhon's knee and leg. It was obvious who he was referring to.

"Yeah," Jhon breathed, a sense of guilt in his voice. "I just reacted."

"You don't have to explain yourself," Lynus interrupted him while a knowing smile. "It's what you do, isn't it?"

Jhon peered up at him through one eye. "Tobyn can be a bit reckless at times," he said with a sigh. "He's a Survivalist, I understand that. But…ever since his mentor…"

Jhon trailed off, wanting to say more, to speak his mind, but was respectful as the information he was about to tell Lynus wasn't really his to tell. But Lynus had already heard the tale of Tobyn's mentor.

"He's mentioned him to me," Lynus said, getting a rather surprised look in return. "It kinda came up in conversation."

"He did?"

Lynus nodded his head before smiling. "You really worry about him, don't you?"

Jhon was silent as he stared up at the ceiling. He then sighed, reaching up with his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I just want him to understand that he deserves protection," he unexpectedly confessed. "Ever since his mentor died, he's been adamant that he won't take anyone with him should he meet the same fate. He's always got to do things on his own."

Lynus allowed Jhon to simply talk, telling him things he had, no doubt, been trying to get through to Tobyn for a while. Gently finishing the wrappings around Jhon's leg and knee, Lynus sat on the edge of the bed.

"…Tobyn doesn't want to feel responsible for putting someone else in danger," Lynus commented, recalling his previous conversation with the Survivalist. "But, keep trying. He'll see himself as worthy one day."

Jhon sighed again, giving Lynus the indication that he knew what Tobyn was thinking quite well. "Yeah."

Lynus placed his hand on Jhon's arm in a reassuring manner. "Well, I've done all I can for now," he said. "You need rest, and quite a bit of it. I'll inform Hamza and the others that you'll be fine so they won't worry. We can't have anything happen to our Protector."

"Make sure you tell Tobyn that, ok?" Jhon requested.

"I will," Lynus replied as he gave Jhon's arm a slight squeeze before he removed his hand and stood up, gathering his belongings while leaving out a couple bottles of medicine for just in case. "I'm sure he'll be seeing you for himself. Get some rest."

Slipping his bag onto the usual place on his shoulder, Lynus turned to give Jhon one last look, noting with some relief that he wasn't as pale as before. He didn't seem to be in too much discomfort, either.

Which meant he was going to be all right. It might take a few days, a week even, before he could stand on that leg of his. But knowing how strong and determined Protectors were, he'll recover in no time.

Stepping out of the room, Lynus wasn't at all surprised to see Tobyn lingering just outside the door, leaning on the wall opposite. He was still dressed in his adventure gear, light smears of blood on his clothing and on his face. The blood wasn't his, though.

"Tobyn?"

Pushing away from the wall he was leaning against, Tobyn turned to face him. "…How is he?"

Lynus smiled comfortingly. "His only injuries are an injured knee, a cut to his temple and a concussion. Remarkable, really."

Not surprisingly, Tobyn's shoulders sagged with relief. What did surprise Lynus, though, was when Tobyn unexpectedly and wordlessly walked over to him and wrapped his arms around Lynus' neck and shoulders.

Lynus was speechless as Tobyn hugged him, pressing his face against the curve of his neck. However, a smile returned to his lips and he gently returned the hug when he felt a light drop of moisture against his skin.

While Tobyn appeared endlessly annoyed with Jhon, he still cared about him in return. He was just afraid to show it. He didn't want to get attached because of his fears.

"He's going to be ok," Lynus stated without hesitation. "He has a minor concussion, so will need someone to observe him. Do you think you can?"

"Sure," Tobyn murmured as he pulled back, making no attempt to hide the redness of his eyes. "Thank you."

"Go," Lynus said as he gently pushed Tobyn toward the room he shared with Jhon. "It'll be all right."

Tobyn nodded before quickly making his way over to the door leading to his room. He seemed rather hesitant at first, but he soon pushed the door open and stepped inside, the door swinging shut behind him.

Lynus took a moment to gaze at the door, still smiling softly. He was glad that everything had worked out, that it wasn't as tragic as it could have been.

Knowing that Jhon was ok, Lynus turned away. The other guild members would be most interested to know of Jhon's condition, no doubt startled by the fall of their powerful protector.

… … … … …

It took Lynus about an hour to reassure the others that Jhon was going to be ok, that he was able to get away with only a few injuries. Although they were concerned, they were also pleased to hear that Jhon was able to get away from an attack that should have been deadly with minimal injuries.

It only proved how strong Jhon truly was. And, in a way, that was also quite reassuring.

Still, Lynus was slightly worried. So, before he retired for the night, he went to check up on Jhon once more.

He approached the door and lifted his hand to knock. But, for some reason, he hesitated. He couldn't hear anything inside and wondered that, perhaps, they were sleeping. Or was Jhon the one sleeping and Tobyn was simply watching over him?

Placing his hand on the door handle, Lynus slowly popped the door open and peered into the dark and silent room. Despite the dim lighting, he was able to make out two figures on the bed. Jhon was lying on his back, in the same position that Lynus had left him. But now he had Tobyn curled up on the bed next to him, Tobyn resting his head on Jhon's shoulder while Jhon had an arm wrapped loosely around his shoulders.

Deciding that it would be best not to disturb them, sensing no discomfort from either of them, Lynus silently closed the door. He turned on his heel and made his way back to his room, where Axel was getting ready to retire for the night as well.

"Lynus?" Axel questioned softly as Lynus walked into the room.

Lynus let the door swing close behind as he wordlessly made his way over to Axel. He then lifted his arms and wound them around Axel's neck, pressing himself against his chest. Immediately, Axel's own arms moved to wrap around his waist, holding him close and pulled him into a kiss, one that Lynus was more than willing to return.

They didn't say anything as words weren't necessary when their actions spoke volumes. What happened today was frightening in retrospect. Jhon could have died. They all could have.

But they didn't. They lived another day.

And that was worth celebrating, right?

… … … … …

"Hey, Jhon," Axel greeted as he jogged over to the blond as he stumbled out of his room for the first time in a couple of day. He reached out and took him by the arm, placing it around his neck as he helped Jhon to walk without putting too much pressure on his leg. "How are you feeling?"

"A little stiff, if I am to be honest," Jhon answered, giving Axel a grateful smile as he leaned heavily against him. "I needed to get up and move around."

"Don't push yourself or you'll have both Lynus and Tobyn hovering over you," Axel retorted teasingly as he helped Jhon to the empty tea room, a room that seemed to undisputedly belong to the Guardians now.

Jhon rolled his eyes, but was still smiling nevertheless. "Where are they anyway?"

Axel couldn't help but chuckle. It was obvious that neither Lynus nor Tobyn were anyway in the Inn as there was no way Jhon would have been able to leave his room on his own if they were.

"Lynus is at the hospital looking for some crutches for you," Axel explained as he helped Jhon to the couch, releasing his hold on him so that the Protector could get himself comfortable. "But knowing him, he'll push himself into the middle of a medical emergency, so who knows how long he'll be."

Jhon chuckled at that as he leaned back into the cushions. He seemed pleased to hear that he could be receiving some form of walking aid in the near future, granting him the ability to walk around more. "And Tobyn?"

"He's restocking his kit at the Stitoth Trading," Axel finished as he plonked himself down onto the other end of the couch, his arm hanging casually over the back.

"The others are in the Labyrinth, I presume?" Jhon asked, although it didn't really sound like a question, merely a confirmation.

"Steering well clear of that monster," Axel answered before noting a slight sense of guilt and frustration in Jhon's posture. It wasn't all that surprised, though. Explorers were a unique breed and don't like sitting still for very long. "Doesn't hurt to have a few days off."

Jhon gave him a wary smile before muttering something almost incoherent under his breath. "At least the girls will leave me out of any further matchmaking attempts…"

Axel furrowed his brow, not entirely sure he heard correctly. "Wait…Matchmaking?"

The look of surprise on Jhon's face was almost comical. "Shit."

Axel narrowed his eyes slightly. Jhon, the sophisticated and polite white-knight just swore. "…Explain."

"Sorry," Jhon said as he winced sheepishly and sunk into his seat in a defeated manner. "Look, it was the girls' idea. They made a request, with the persuasion of a reward, and Hamza accepted. Although he hasn't done a single thing to help…"

At first all Axel could do was nod his head slowly, feeling somewhat bewildered. Was that really real? Who were they playing matchmaker for and why wasn't he informed about any of it?

Wait…

"They asked you to play matchmakers for me and Lynus?" Axel asked, his eyebrows reaching up toward his hairline.

"Right," Jhon answered, giving Axel a smile that said that he was finding it difficult to understand himself. "Although, Macerio seemed to be their chosen matchmaker to act on their behalf."

Again, Axel grew silent. "…That would actually explain a lot," he murmured.

The closet. The trek to the first floor of the labyrinth. Macerio shooting at Simmons. The private lunch for two – with music. Thinking back, it was actually quite obvious that something was going on.

"Have you collected the reward yet?" Axel found himself asking, somewhat amused by this revelation. Really? Two little pink-haired girls ordering around a guild of seasoned explorers was just plain funny.

"No," Jhon said, sounding and looking grateful that Axel was taking the whole thing rather well. "They want undeniable proof."

Once more Axel nodded his head slowly before shrugging carelessly. "Sure, alright," he said as he pushed himself up to his feet.

"Pardon?"

"I'll give them their proof," Axel explained, once again giving a careless one shoulder shrug. "I don't care."

He then went in search for the two munchkins in question. They were sure to be lingering around somewhere. But with Macerio with Hamza and the others in the Labyrinth, they probably weren't going to try anything. Just a bit of plotting and scheming maybe.

Walking through the lobby, Axel instead nearly collided with Tobyn, whom of which was looking frazzled and silently furious. Axel hid a grin when he realised the reason for Tobyn's appearance. After all, he just came from the direction of the rented room he shared with Jhon.

"Hey, Tobyn," Axel greeted, blatantly ignoring the Survivalist's narrowed eyes. "Is Lynus back yet?"

"His room," Tobyn tersely replied. "Now where is he?"

"Jhon? Tearoom."

"How did he get there?" Tobyn practically hissed as he stormed off, no doubt ready to give Jhon an earful.

Axel had to chuckle to himself before resuming his search. It didn't take him long to find Binah and Becky at all, the two girls in an empty room of the inn, scribbling on pieces of paper with pencils and crayons.

"You two," Axel called out, immediately getting their attention. "Come here."

Binah blinked at him, tilting her head to the side in confusion. She shared a quick glance with Becky before shrugging and hopping out of her seat, Becky doing the same.

"Why?" Binah asked as Axel led the two out into the hallway. It was just luck that the girls chose a room that was located quite close to his and Lynus'.

"I want to show you something," Axel answered simply before stopping them and indicating for them to hide around the corner. "Now, stand here and don't make a noise."

Binah continued to look at him in confusion. "What is it?" she asked. She didn't sound worried or concern, just curious. Ok, incredibly curious.

"I said, don't make a sound," Axel answered mysterious, smiling slyly.

The two girls shared a baffled and curious look before they huddled against the wall, peering around the corner in anticipation. Axel chuckled before he straightened himself and moved down the hallway, reaching the open door to his and Lynus' room in a couple of easy strides.

Sure enough, just as Tobyn had so briefly told him, Lynus was in his room. He seemed to be fiddling with a set of crutches, adjusting the grip on them and seeing if the height would be enough for someone as tall as Jhon.

"Lynus."

"Hey, Axel," Lynus greeted easily with that beautiful smile of his. "I managed to get the crutches. I just have to adjust the height. He's about your height, right? So-"

"Come here for a sec."

"Hm?" Lynus uttered as Axel took a gentle hold on his arm, making him lose his grip on the crutches, letting them drop to the floor with a soft thud. He looked mildly confused as Axel tugged him just passed the threshold of their room. "Wha-?"

Lynus made the most adorable sound of surprise when Axel abruptly took him into his arms, his lips pressing against his, kissing him. At first, Lynus stiffened out of surprise before sighing and all but melting in Axel arms. He wrapped his arms around Axel's neck, one hand grasping the back of his shirt while the fingers of the other threaded through Axel's hair. He tilted his head ever-so slightly to the side, eagerly parting and moving his lips against Axel's.

Axel ran his tongue over Lynus' bottom lip before pulling back. He didn't want the kiss to be too heated and passionate. Not in front of the two young girls.

Lynus panted slightly and when his eyes fluttered open, gave Axel a slightly bewildered look. "What was that-?"

A string of undeniable girlish giggling interrupted whatever Lynus was going to say. His eyes widen and a crimson blush immediately flared up on his cheeks. He made a soft, squeaky sound, pulling himself out of Axel's arms. He spun around, his gaze instantly falling on the pair of pink-haired girls that were in the very same spot Axel had instructed them to stay.

"B-Binah? Becky?" Lynus spluttered.

"Yay!" Binah suddenly cheered as she skipped out of her hiding spot, rushing over to Lynus and throwing herself against him in a hug. "Finally!"

"H-huh?"

"You and Axel make a good couple," Binah stated with unsuppressed glee, nuzzling her cheek against Lynus' chest. "I'm so glad that you're happy."

"Binah…" Lynus murmured and Axel wisely took a step back, allowing the scene to unfold.

Axel watched as a smile that radiated nothing but warmth slipped across Lynus' lips and he wrapped his arms around Binah, returning the hug. He then lifted his head, looking at Becky, who was also standing at the distance. He lifted a hand out toward her, gently indicating for her to come closer.

Shyly, Becky moved toward the two, not entirely sure what to do. When she was close enough, Binah unexpectedly snared her by the wrist, dragging her into the hug. With one arm wrapped around Lynus' waist, Binah wrapped the other around Becky.

"Thank you," Lynus said as he hugged both girls. "Both of you."

"See?" Binah giggled as Becky began to relax, even going as far as hugging Lynus back. "Lynus is like a teddy bear."

Axel came up behind Lynus, slipping his arms around him as well and rested his chin on Lynus' shoulder. "He's my teddy bear now. You can't have him."

Lynus laughed softly. "Axel…"

The girls giggled as well and removed themselves from the embrace. They muttered something about telling 'mama' before skipping off, their movements happy and joyous.

Lynus watched them leave, shaking his head. "What was all that about?" he asked, squirming in Axel's arms, just so he could turn around to face him.

"They were playing matchmakers," Axel said as he interlocked his fingers against the small of Lynus' back.

Lynus slipped his hands along Axel's arms before coming to a rest on his shoulders. "Matchmakers?"

"Jhon explained the best he could," Axel explained, unable to stop a chuckle from escaping when he recalled how uncomfortable the Protector appeared in confessing. "Apparently, the girls roped the guys into helping."

"…Well," Lynus said slowly, letting the words seep in. He smiled after a moment of silence "That explains a lot actually."

Again Axel chuckled. He said the exact same thing.

Giving Lynus a quick kiss to the lips, Axel looked him straight in the eyes. "You're ok with this?"

"Yeah," Lynus replied softly, easily, as he gently trailed a fingertip along Axel's jawline. "I'm happy."

Touching the side of Axel's face, Lynus initiated the next kiss by leaning forward and gently brushing his lips against his. And Axel slipped his hands up Lynus' back, more than willing to deepen the kiss.

However, the sound of someone giving a pained grunt caused the two to pull apart, Axel on alert and Lynus in healer mode. Reluctantly stepping away from each other, they peered down the flight of stairs and watched as Macerio limp into view, his hand on his back and his lips pulled into a thin line.

"Ugh," he uttered.

"Macerio?" Lynus questioned as he quickly descended the stairs, reaching Macerio's side in a matter of a couple of strides. "You guys are back. What's wrong?"

Macerio turned and gave Lynus this purely disgruntled look. "The twelfth level sucks," he answered simply.

"What happened?" Axel asked as he, too, descended the stairs, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

"Ice," Macerio all but sneered. "Once you step on it, it's hard to stop until you literally hit a fucking wall! We were bouncing all over the place."

"Well," Lynus said as he managed to stifle a chuckle at the mental image that short description would have produced. "Let me have a look at you. Where are the others? I'll have a look at them, too."

"They're in the tea room," Macerio said, indicating in the direction with the up turning of his chin. "Apparently, Hamza has something he needs to talk to us about. A mission or something."

Axel frown and Lynus looked unsettled. "…Ok, I'll check up on everyone there."

AN: My god, this was another long chapter! Gah! Please review!