He felt so warm.
It was the first thing Shirayuki noticed as she held him in her arms. The shivering had all but vanished even as his shoulders shook with the force of his tears, and she could see that the terrible paleness in his skin had been replaced by a healthy flush of pink when she drew back and offered him her name.
"Zen. My name is Zen," he whispered in return, his eyes averted from hers as though afraid of what he might see.
She allowed her smile to broaden, pleased to have learned something - anything - about him. "It's lovely to meet you, Zen. I'm glad you're feeling a bit better." He glanced up at her, his blue eyes - really she'd never seen such a vibrant shade of blue - widening slightly, as though it were a completely unexpected answer. She cocked her head to one side slightly, wondering at that look, but decided not to comment on it. "How do your wounds feel?"
"They… They're alright," Zen mumbled, glancing away. "Just a bit sore."
Shirayuki nodded in understanding. "Do you mind if I take a look? I should probably change the bandages."
"…Okay."
"I'm going to get some food," Shirayuki's grandfather called, walking towards the door. "I'll leave you to take care of him."
"Right. Thanks, Grandfather," the red-haired girl replied with a bright smile before returning her attention to Zen. "Uh… Are you okay? You seem really flushed; do you have a fever?" Shirayuki frowned, reaching forward to press the back of her hand against his forehead.
"N-No, it's nothing like that!" Zen stuttered, his cheeks darkening further as he dropped his eyes. "I… I just wasn't expecting him to leave us… alone."
Shirayuki blinked at him, uncomprehending for a few seconds. Then her eyes went wide, her cheeks burned pink, and she reeled back with a startled squawk that sent her tumbling off the far edge of the bed.
"Shirayuki! Are you- Agh!"
The young herbalist popped back up as quickly as she'd fallen down. "Oh my gosh, are you okay?! Are you in pain?"
Zen stared at her, those blue eyes of his wide, then he snorted, barely clapping his hand over his mouth in time to hide his broad grin. "You just took a spill and you're asking me if I'm okay?"
"W-Well, I heard you cry out l, so what was I supposed to do?!"
"Maybe take care of yourself a bit first before worrying about others?"
"Oh I'm fine, not even a scratch, you just caught me off guard is all."
"Yeah… Sorry about that. I've just… I've never been alone with a girl my age before."
"Never?!" Shirayuki gaped at him, daring to come around the bed and sit next to him.
"Never ever," he confirmed with a tired smile.
"Well then… if I promise not to do anything weird, will you take your shirt off so I can change your bandages?"
"S-Sure."
She could see the tint of pink on his cheeks, but he was obviously trying his best to be mature about things as he reached up to his collar and pulled the fabric carefully over his head. Shirayuki quickly picked the knot at his right elbow free, then gently unwound the fabric to expose the wound itself. He gasped softly, his eyes widening as he took in the full length of the scar.
"I… I didn't realize it was so bad," he murmured.
"It looks worse than it really is. Especially with my sloppy stitching," Shirayuki shrugged, her eyes downcast as she reached for her bag and rummaged for her painkiller and anti infectant.
"Are you kidding? Shirayuki, without you, I would most certainly be dead now." Shirayuki looked up once more, her eyes wide with surprise, staring straight into his stunningly blue ones. He smiled, a newfound confidence seeming to touch his expression in the process. "Thank you, for saving me," he murmured.
The young healer's blush returned full force. "Y-You're welcome," she stuttered, quickly turning back to her task of gently cleaning the wound and reapplying the salves. By the time her grandfather returned, she had finished his arm and was in the process of unwinding the bandage on Zen's shoulder.
"Nice to see that the two of you are getting along," he smiled, placing a tray on the dresser piled with bread, fried eggs, and a couple of small salads. "Hungry?"
"Yes, sir," Zen nodded fervently, eliciting a small laugh from the older man.
"I dare say that's a good sign. I've never known a hungry man to be terribly sick."
"I'd say that depends on the type of illness, Grandfather. A stomach illness may keep you from feeling hungry, or it might just make it so that you can only eat a little bit at a time. Or some illnesses like pneumonia may not do anything to how hungry you are, but they can still be really dangerous," Shirayuki commented absently as she cleaned the arrow wound. It wasn't showing any signs of infection, so that was good, but by the way Zen twitched under her touch, it probably still hurt a great deal.
"Trust the expert to correct you," her grandfather chuckled, and Shirayuki's head snapped up, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Oh, I didn't mean to sound like I was criticizing you, Grandfather! I just… I spoke without thinking."
"No, no, that's alright, dear. I'm glad that you're so passionate about your work."
"Yeah, it really is amazing," Zen agreed, smiling faintly. "I wish I had something like that; something to work on and work towards."
"Oh, it… it really isn't anything all that special. Just things that I've picked up over the years."
"If this is all just stuff you've picked up, then I can't wait to see when you've really trained," came the reply, Zen's small smile turning into a grin. "You'll be a wonder to behold when that day comes. I know it."