No. 20: Blanket | Found Family
"You two have taken doing everything together to another level," Nikolai said, standing over his two most trusted friends where they sat side-by-side on the floor of the berth deck. They couldn't very well climb into a hammock with broken ribs.
Tamar just gave a blithe shrug, only to wince at the movement. "We wouldn't be in this fix if Tolya hadn't intervened."
Her twin brother scoffed. "I saved your life."
"I had it handled."
"Clearly."
"You broke my ribs landing on me."
"And mine are broken because I took the brunt of the damage," Tolya rejoined. "Which would have obviously broken more than your ribs had I not saved you."
Nikolai shook his head in fond exasperation. "We need to add a Grisha Healer to the crew." He'd make that the priority when next they docked in friendly ports. For now, he had some recalcitrant friends to look after.
"Come on," he said, bending over to give Tamar a hand up.
She furrowed her brow at him. "Where are we going?"
"To my cabin."
"That's not necessary."
"I deem it is. Are you going to disobey a direct order?"
"If it's a stupid one."
Nikolai arched a brow and merely stood there, half bent over, waiting her out. Tamar finally huffed and took his hand, and he carefully pulled her to her feet. She winced and wrapped an arm around her ribs. Nikolai reached for Tolya next, who was a bit harder to help since he was so much larger, but both managed, and then Nikolai was herding them up the companionway.
"Need anything, Captain?" his first mate called.
"Not at the moment, thank you," Nikolai replied.
Once inside his room, he ushered his friends toward the bed.
"Try not to poke each other's broken ribs," he warned. "It's a small bed."
"Sturmhond…" Tamar began.
Nikolai held up a finger. "Ah."
She heaved a put-upon sigh as Tolya gingerly settled himself on the bed. Nikolai didn't miss the way his body could finally relax with proper support. He went to dig out some extra blankets while Tamar eventually relented and lay down next to her brother. Nikolai spread the blankets over them.
"Since when are you this fussy?" Tamar said.
"Just repaying the favor. Isn't that what family does for each other?"
Her expression finally softened. "Family doesn't keep count."
"No, in fact they don't even say 'thank you' when you save their hide," Tolya put in.
Nikolai's mouth quirked as Tamar scowled at her brother.
"Thank you for breaking my ribs, Tolya, when I clearly had it handled."
"You're welcome."
Nikolai shook his head and went to take a seat at his desk. Out of all his crew, the twins were the ones he was most drawn to, the ones he had entrusted with the truth of his identity. He supposed it was because they had the kind of relationship he had always wanted for himself. But Vasily's idea of sibling rivalry had been to try to poison Nikolai when he was twelve. There was no love lost between them, nor much love to be found in his entire family, really. But out here, he not only had the freedom he'd always craved, but the love of a found family whose devotion could never be bought or sold. It had been earned, but in that earning it had become unconditional and unwavering. Like Grisha steel, forged and tested. There wasn't anything Nikolai wouldn't do for this family.
"Maybe you could read from one of my poetry books?" Tolya suggested.
Tamar groaned, but Nikolai smiled.
Yes, even that.