Dwell In Two Bodies.
(What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies
Aristotles)

"I can walk," Genis says for the third time, but he doesn't struggle to get down this time, not wanting to fall down again.

"Sure you can," Lloyd says, and Genis also does his best not to feel guilty at how tired Lloyd sounds. Lloyd pushes him up and Genis tightens his hold around his neck for a moment. Noishe, by their side, makes a soft, pained whining sound, and he feels guilty too that the poor dog has had to carry him too when he's also exhausted. "I'd just rather you didn't, for now."

Genis stays quiet for a moment and then, in a soft voice, he adds. "I'm sorry, Lloyd."

"You're starting to sound like Colette."

"Huh?"

"Apologizing for stuff you don't have to," and he can hear Lloyd's smile, even more than the warmth of his back that has little to do with the sun as they approach Triet dessert, still behind Colette and Raine and Kratos for at least a day, but hopefully, when they reach Triet... "It's not as if you wanted to hurt your leg. We just have to catch up with the Professor and she can fix it for you."

And then they sort of stay quiet for a while, and Genis tries to find the way to say how sorry he is for everything that has happened since Iselia without actually saying when Lloyd speaks again, still smiling if his voice is anything to go by, but his voice warmer.

"Besides, it's what you do for your siblings, right?" And then Genis can't say anything at all, knowing that Lloyd is smiling and holding him a little tighter as he speaks.

The awful part of him wonders if Lloyd would still say stuff like that if he knew that he's a half-elf, that he has been lying to him for as long as they've known each other. At least the bigger part of him is just feeling thankful that all that Lloyd lacks for a brain he has it in the size of his heart.

And if it's true that blood is thicker than water, well. He and Lloyd caused enough blood to be shed so that it counts for them too, a little.

So he nods instead, doing his best – and failing – to not let his voice come out rough and chocked up as he tells Lloyd to hurry up, then, beause he's hungry and he still has to make them something to eat.