You moan as you recline on the pillows. "That's enough, Alice, it feels better." You're attempting to keep your eyes open at me, but you're too fatigued; the instant your head touched the pillows they drooped down.
"Anything else I can do?"
"Nah, I'm fine. Just give me a coupla hours to snooze and I'll be right as rain."
My fingers grip each other as I murmur, "I'm really sorry we weren't...I wasn't prepared..."
"We weren't," you correct me, shifting to get more comfortable on the pillows. On the edge of the bed I'm simply trying not to fall off my seat as you move around. "An' really it was all my fault for getting in close quarters with that witch."
That was really reckless of you, but I know why you did it. In Asia, you could do it quite often, always knowing that when you got injured I would be able to heal you; and if my energy was exhausted, then Master Zhuzhen would heal you. But this time, we came with too few items and no one realized it until we were battling one of Bacon's lackeys, the black witch Olga, and really needed them. She attacked you so viciously that I am certain you would have died had Keith not been there, helping to ward off her attacks and even draining some of her blood to weaken her. Somehow, despite Master Zhuzhen's magic being completely spent and mine nearly gone, we managed to keep everyone alive and finally defeated her. It was barely a moment after she had disappeared that you collapsed from your injuries, and Keith, being in somewhat better shape due to his blood-drinking, carried you back to the hotel.
"You could have been a bit more polite to Keith," I mention while my mind is on it. "He was hurt badly too."
"I don't like being carried like a baby."
"Swearing at him was still not appropriate. He could have simply dropped you there, you know." And my face had turned red at some of the swears you'd used after you'd woken up and were struggling to get down, but Keith only laughed and said some of your 'colloquialisms' were rather amusing. I didn't know long strings of imprecations were considered colloquialisms, but I was thankful for Keith's patience. When you became too troublesome he nipped you on the neck, and that kept you quiet for a little while. The fresh blood kept Keith going until we reached the hotel room, at which point he set you down and then fell into his own bed, asleep before his head even hit the pillow.
You sigh, your eyes fully closed now. "He got me back though, sucked my blood...hope it tasted sour...like a lemon...but it's sweet when you drink it...so maybe my blood...it needs some soy sauce..." and your muttering only stops when you realize I'm giggling. "Huh? Wha's funny?"
"I think your brain's asleep but your mouth's still awake," I tell you, still laughing. "Just rest, Yuri. I'll heal your wounds in the morning."
"S'not needed...all I gotta do is...sleep..." With that your muscles relax. Sleep overtakes you in mere seconds; I can tell by how little time it takes for your mouth to drop open.
You always look so vulnerable when you sleep, especially now, with a dark bruise on your cheek and your shirt all ripped up by the witch's earth magic. Most of the scratches underneath were healed, but the flesh is still pale, and they will probably remain as scars. Perhaps they'll remind you to be more cautious next time, but more likely they won't.
After a moment of thought, I rise from the bed and tuck you in with blankets, as gently as I can so to not put pressure on any of your bruises. Your hair, always so messy, falls into your face and I brush it back behind your ear. If Margarete were here she'd tease me, but I don't think I'd mind. I like taking care of you; it's really the only way I have to show gratitude.
You've done so much for me. You've rescued me twice now, and more than that, you've always been there, even when I've felt sad. I know I've been difficult in the last few days, returning to Rouen. There are bad memories here for me, and I'm worried sometimes that I'm burdening everyone with my sorrow. But, even earlier today, when I thought I wanted to be alone, you came to find me...and I realized I didn't want to be alone; I wanted to be with someone who makes me feel as safe as I felt when Father was alive.
I'm still looking for the right way to tell you that. The graveyard in your heart showed me what you thought of yourself, and though I don't think you consider yourself weak anymore, at the same time you don't see yourself as a protector. But that is exactly what you've been to me.
Do you know, Yuri, that every night when I pray to the Lord, I thank Him for sending you into my life? And I explain why I'm grateful...I'm searching for an adequate explanation of how I feel, practicing because one day I want to tell you. The Lord knows all, and He knows what I mean even if I'm not sure myself, but for you I have to find the perfect words or you'll brush them off with a laugh and never take them to heart. I already know that even though you are a godsend, I could never say it that way or you'd just brag about how godly you are, or some silly nonsense like that.
But, someday, I hope I will find the right words and tell you. I hope that day I can make you smile, just as you've made me smile so many times, and that you will feel proud of yourself.
And for now, I'll show you my gratitude in any little way that I can.
Author's Note: This was inspired by one of A Lifeless Beauty's drawings...which, she explained to me afterwards that I had completely misunderstood it and Alice was giggling, not worried like I thought. But my first impression was that Alice was smiling but sad at the same time…and it eventually led to this. Sorry Nadia, I'm just bad with art.