Chapter 8
Ja'far burst into Sinbad's hospital room in a flurry of robes, all awash in sweat and panting. Somewhere along the way he'd begun clutching his blades and his eye's darted round the room wildly, so frantic, he felt near feral.
"Ja'far, calm down," Yam said without looking at him. She was standing near the doorway, eyes fixed towards the center of the room where Sinbad lay. With great effort, Ja'far took a deep breath to harness his composure as she suggested. He relaxed the fists he'd formed around his blades and straightened his posture.
Ja'far tried to follow Yam's gaze but to his chagrin, two medics hovered over the bed and blocked Sin from view. "Yamuraiha, Is what Hinahoho said true? Is Sin awake?"
Looking closer at Yam, Ja'far realized the unnatural coloring of her eyes, pale-yellow and practically glowing. She gripped her fish-eye staff with white knuckles, paying him little mind as he crept to her.
"What do you see?" Ja'far asked. He paused a few feet back, not daring to take another step lest he disturb her spell. He could feel the prickly power from it ruffling the air around them.
"I see Sinbad's magoi. I-I can't believe it but it's practically back to normal. He's recovered!"
Ja'far's heart leaped into his throat as he looked expectantly back towards the bed. To his overwhelming elation, he was able to see that Sinbad's eyes had come open. The king was nodding his head gingerly as the medics spoke to him in quiet tones.
"The theory was right then!? Sinbad's broken the cycle of magoi depletion!" Ja'far hardly dared believe something so wonderful could be true.
Yam blinked away the spell and turned teary eyes on him. She nodded excitedly. "He must have! It's remarkable!"
Ja'far's world stilled for a moments time, a breath of emotion loud in his ears as it puffed past his lips like wind through trees. Sinbad is okay. He's done it.
He might have stayed frozen forever if not for the sudden commotion at the door. He was reeled back to the present as Hinahoho, Drakon, and Pisti swooped loudly into the room, Masrur and Spartos not far behind them. Ja'far couldn't help but grin as Hinahoho took his shoulders in his massive hands to lean over for a better look. "Oy! Would you look at that? I told you Sinbad was awake!"
"I knew he was going to be okay the whole time!" Pisti said, jumping up and down on her heels, tugging at Ja'far's sleeve for balance as she rose to the very tips of her toes.
"That's our king for you," Spartos said with an assured nod.
Sharrkan wheeled into the bay last, puffing with exertion. "Hey! Were any of you going to come tell me Sinbad was awake!? You all ran right past without a word!" He paled when Yam gave him a daggerish glare.
Ja'far wasn't sure how Hinahoho had managed to spread the news so quickly but the happy bustle was more than fitting.
One of the older healers bustled forward to subdue the racket they were causing. She held out her finger threateningly "Quiet down! You all need to leave this instant! The king has only just woken and now is not the time to overwhelm him with visitors! He needs to rest,"
"No, it's alright," Sinbad said, his quiet words capturing attention at once. His voice sounded thin and scratchy from three days disuse, but his expression was light and his skin wasn't blue like ice any longer. He was slowly working into a sitting position with the help of a medic. Ja'far inched forward but was stopped as the bristling medic turned her finger on him. "Not another step!"
"It's okay, let them come in. I think I've kept them waiting long enough," Sin said with a smile, but the effect was dulled as he broke into a series of coughs. One of the healers handed him a glass to drink from and patted his back.
"You see?! He needs time to recover before you get him all excited. Out! Out, all of you!" She spread her arms in preparation to shoo each of them out the door.
"Aw come on, lady," Sharrkan protested.
Sinbad cleared his throat and handed the half emptied glass back graciously before addressing the disgruntled medic by the door. "You worry with good intention but I'd appreciate it if you let my generals be. I'm fine to see visitors. Truly,"
The old healer stared back at the peaky king in disbelief before throwing her hands up in a frustrated sigh. "The things I put up with," She groused, reluctantly stepping aside.
With her out of the way, all the generals rushed forward at once.
"We shoulda known you'd pull through just fine," Sharrkan said, coming to stand at the baseboard, hands on his hips and a broad smile on his face. Hinahoho rounded the side of the bed and placed a giant hand on Sinbad's back.
"We really should have but damn, Sinbad, did you have us worried!" Hinahoho boomed with laughter.
"Indeed," Spartos agreed, nodding fervently.
"I was concerned as well but I never lost faith in you, King Sinbad," Drakon said, showing a determined fist, his ruby earring swinging violently as he bobbed his head up and down.
Pisit threw herself over Sinbad's lap, bubbling with laughter. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Yes, we're all glad you didn't die," Masrur said bluntly.
Sinbad laughed and hugged Pisit back as she threw her arms around his shoulders. Hinahoho took the cue and bent forward to gather them both in a massive bear hug. Yam, Spartos, and Sharrkan joined in willingly while Hinahoho took the initiative to grab Masrur and Drakon into the pile when they made no effort to advance.
Ja'far stood apart from the group just basking in the relief of it all. Sin was truly recovering and he couldn't be happier. Ja'far reached up and pretended to scratch his nose while discretely wiping away the tears forming in his eyes. He looked upon the pile of generals fondly until Hinahoho reached out and caught his sleeve. Ja'far yipped in protest as the Imuchakk warrior gave him a forceful jerk, pulling him into the embrace as well.
It couldn't be helped. He fell in with the rest of them, somehow managing to find Sin's hand in the spill. He squeezed it hard and was glad no one was able to see the salt tears he let slip.
The medics fluttered around them nervously, urging them to be gentle but the advice fell mostly on deaf ears. No one could deny how happy the King looked in that moment.
They visited until the sun dipped low in the sky. Sinbad was his usual self, laughing, joking, and already making plans to go out drinking with Sharrkan whenever he managed to prison break his hospital room. It was almost like he hadn't been near-dead for the last three days. The relief was almost more than Ja'far could handle. He sat back happily and listened, adding simple comments here or there when addressed, but mostly just working to keep his happy tears in check. Yamuraiha and Spartos hadn't been quite so strong, but Sinbad had simply smiled at them and apologized profusely for causing everyone such worry.
It was with reluctance that the generals began filtering out near sunset and soon Ja'far was the only general left at hand with a single healer remaining.
The medic was giving Sinbad a quick scan, shining light in his eyes and checking his pulses. She was young and delicate and only gave the slightest frown when Sin began speaking through her exam.
"Well Ja'far, it looks like I've managed to do it again," Sin had that care-free grin on his lips. The kind that made it hard to believe he was the conquerer of seven dungeons, and founder of the Seven Seas Alliance. It was a smile that would have been more fitting on a child's lips than a king's.
Ja'far shook his head but couldn't help himself from smiling back. "Do what? Get yourself into an impossible mess and somehow manage to avoid the consequences?"
"Precisely," Sinbad said, his grin widening.
Ja'far rolled his eyes, "One of these days your luck is going to run out, Sin. You're much too flippant if you ask me. Oh, and don't think you've avoided all consequences, You Highness. I still have a few choice words to say about that stunt you pulled,"
"Oh, but I thought you promised not to be furious?" Sinbad said before complying with the medic and taking a series of deep breaths as she listened to his chest.
Ja'far's heart rate rose as Sin's words seemed to reference the intimate conversation they'd shared. A part of him was still fearful he'd imagined the whole thing. He swallowed and responded as casually as he could, deciding to keep quiet for the time being, especially with the medic present. "I won't be furious but this doesn't mean you won't receive the proper scolding from your Chief Advisor,"
Sinbad laughed. "Very well. I guess it's the least I deserve for the trouble I caused you,"
The medic grabbed Sin's attention back to her with a gentle tap to the shoulder. She bowed at him and folded her hands together politely. "Your health assessment checks out, King Sinbad but I have been instructed to remain with you for the night to keep watch should your condition change in anyway, oh-" She gasped as Sinbad took her hands in his and squeezed them gently. She was slight and pale and her cheeks grew noticeably red as he spoke to her, purposefully lowering his tone to turn his words to silk. Ja'far felt his stomach sour ever so slightly at the way Sin flirted with her. The jealousy was easy to ignore, of course. He'd had enough practice doing that over the years.
"Thank you for all you've done, but there is no need for you to weary yourself by keeping watch over me tonight. I mean to give you leave," Sinbad said smoothly.
"But, your Highness, I've been told that I must-"
Sin didn't give her the chance to say anything more. He gave her hands a little squeeze, his golden eyes hypnotizing. "I order you to take the rest of the night off. A woman as beautiful as you must have someone eagerly awaiting your return home and I do not mean to keep them waiting any more than necessary. Now, go on. My Chief Advisor will be with me to keep watch. You won't be in trouble, I promise,"
The medic's blush deepened before she finally nodded, mumbling a flustered stream of thanks and bowing deeply. The door shut softly behind her as she left.
Ja'far pursed his lips. "That was a sly trick, Sin. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you hate healers more than I do,"
"I confess, I'm not a fan," Sin chuckled before falling quiet. His hands had moved to tug aimlessly at the sheets. He worried a stray thread with his thumb and first finger, his eyes going distant.
"Ja'far?" Sin's hesitant voice caused the ex-assassin to raise a brow.
"Yes, King Sinbad?"
The little string in Sin's hands snapped clean from the blanket. He cleared his throat and flicked the thread aside, looking up to meet Ja'far's gaze. His stormy eyes were sunset orange in the dimming room. "You know I sent her away for a reason. I wanted to speak with you privately. I need to ask you something... After I collapsed on the dais, I recall waking for a brief moment. You were with me and we spoke of some important matters. Tell me that wasn't just something I dreamt?"
Ja'far blinked a few times, feeling his skin rise with gooseflesh. He spoke his next words carefully. "That wasn't a dream."
Sin's face paled a bit and he laughed. A thin breathy thing. "Not a dream, huh? Then I really told you that I love you?"
"You did." Ja'far said rigidly, "And I told you that I love you back,"
He waited to see what Sin would do next, a sort of anxiety roiling in his gut. Our conversation wasn't a dream but does Sin regret what he said? What if it was a mistake? He hadn't considered that possibility before. Ja'far's mind was suddenly racing. Sin wasn't in a right state when we spoke. He was hardly awake for five minutes! What if it was nothing more than a delirious gesture?
Ja'far's palms were becoming sweaty in his sleeves and had begun to shake.
Despite his own internal panic, Sinbad looked to remain calm. He simply nodded as if he'd heard enough and swung his legs over the bed. He rose from the mattress, gripping the banister for support as he stood before taking an unsteady step forward.
"Sin, you really shouldn't be out of bed yet-" Ja'far moved forward to catch Sin as he stumbled, but as it would seem, it was Sin who had actually caught him. The king straightened with ease and clutched Ja'far like a mouse in a trap.
Ja'far stiffened as Sin rested his chin down atop Ja'far's keffiyeh.
"I'm glad that wasn't a dream. It's always more difficult to let go of a secret that's been steeping, and I'd had that one in hot water for practically 15 years. Telling you was the hardest part. I never imagined that you might feel the same way too,"
Ja'far felt the tension rush out of him at those words. He meant what he said. Unbelievable. Ja'far let his arms move to encircle Sin's waist, hungry for the contact.
The embrace was just like Ja'far's dream, only this was much better, much more real. He breathed deeply, letting Sin's scent envelop his senses and even that was better. A richer more tangible aroma. It was filled with pine, florals, and spices, but it also carried the musk of sleep, blood, and sweat. The realness of it made his head spin.
Ja'far closed his eyes and rested his head onto Sin's breast. The heartbeat that greeted him was steady and rhythmic and proof of Sin's vitality. He was truly alive, not the marble statue he'd been for the better part of three days.
"I'm sorry it's taken me so long to wake," Sin said as if reading his mind.
"I was worried," Ja'far admitted into the folds of Sin's robes, his voice muffled from being pressed so closely. "The medics weren't even sure if you would recover. It was all a gamble and I could barely think straight while you were like that. I'm surprised the country's still standing. I was hardly fit to rule. I haven't even been able to work on my scrolls,"
Sin laughed deep in his chest. It sounded like thunder the way it echoed in Ja'far's ear. "Not your scrolls! That is truly a testament to your distraction. You'll have to take a break from your papers while I'm there next time. It's not fair if you only do it while I'm not around,"
"You act as if I wanted the break! I'd work straight for an eternity if it meant never needing to go through that again!" He pushed back from the other man, just enough to look into Sin's face while their chests still touched. Sin grinned down at him and the invisible cord gave a happy shiver.
"Gods, Sin, it was torture waiting for you, especially after what you'd told me,"
"Mmm, the rukh must have known of our unfinished business," Sin lifted his arm to trace Ja'far's jawline with his fingers. He ghosted past the freckles peppering Ja'far's nose and over the swell of his lips.
"It feels so good to have the truth out. I've no idea how I managed to hold myself back for so long." Sin said, smiling when the skin beneath his touch heated. "You really are beautiful,"
"You're one to talk," Ja'far said, flustered by the compliment.
Sin laughed at that. "And charming too. How long have you been in love with me Ja'far? I never would have guessed,"
Ja'far breathed heavily and let his head fall back onto Sinbad's chest. "Ages Sin. I've loved you for as long as I can remember, but I avidly hid my feelings. I knew they wouldn't serve the kingdom, or you, or my place as a general. I thought you'd fire me as your advisor if you ever found out, in all honesty,"
"How could I ever do that? You are my most dedicated subordinate,"
"To a fault," Ja'far said in exasperation.
"Perhaps you're right. You hardly ever leave my side. It's made it extremely difficult to control my emotions over all these years, you know," Sinbad said playfully.
Ja'far snorted. "How do you think I felt, watching you invite women to your bed nearly every night,"
"That was a distraction. If I didn't have my vices, I might have invited you on accident,"
Ja'far rolled his eyes. "Let's just acknowledge that we are both extremely talented in hiding our feelings and agree to never do it again,"
"It's a deal so long as you never tell me to take a wife again. Unless that wife is you, of course" Sinbad said, and with strength Ja'far couldn't fathom a man who just woke from a coma could muster, Sinbad caught him beneath the crook of his knees and swept him off his feet. Ja'far made an undignified squawk as he lost contact with the ground. The king lifted him like a bride and plopped them both down onto the bed, somehow managing a lithe grace as he caged Ja'far with his body, hair streaming down over his shoulders in purple ribbons.
Ja'far's eyes went wide and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed against a throat that had gone suddenly dry. Sin's eyes were locked onto his. They were soft and warm and glowed like iron in a forge. Ja'far was rarely close enough to notice the flecks of gold peppered into those amber-brown pools. He had to remind himself to breath.
"Might I be so bold as to-" Sin started, his words deep and sultry, but Ja'far didn't let him finish.
"Just kiss me," Ja'far growled, brimming with a mix of lust and impatience of equal parts. He wasn't one of Sin's blushing play girls he had to win over with pretty words. Ja'far was his advisor, and this, he most certainly advised.
The ex-assassin arched up to meet Sin. Their lips crashed together as he pulled Sin down on top of him. The kiss was everything that over a decade of waiting will do to a couple. It was hungry and passionate and to a degree, desperate. Ja'far would have kissed Sin forever if not for the troublesome need to breath. He broke away panting, loving the color he saw in Sin's cheeks.
"I think I could get used to this," Sin said breathily.
Ja'far reached up and ran his fingers through Sinbad's mane.
"Agreed," He said.
His sly grin was smothered as Sinbad dipped low to catch him once more.
Woah cut scene right there this is rated T
Apologies for missed spelling/grammar/sentence structure issues I missed in editing (as always)
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