He still couldn't hear a word she said and he hated it. He needed her voice. He needed her company. He dragged her closer as much as he could, even though the movement pained him, he needed her close. He could see her worried expression. His wounds meant nothing, seeing her like this pained him most. He had to reassure her that they'd be safe. "We'll be safe, so long as we stick together." He croaked, his throat barely allowing him to put a string of words together. His mind brought him back to the moments before his first encounter with the cave's other residents. The moments in which, he was alone. "Just never leave me again." He continued, he was angry but tried to not let it show. How he felt was not important, he needed her more than anything else. "Eira?" He said, looking dead in the eye that was facing him. He knew that he wouldn't be able to hear any response, so he didn't wait for one. "I Love You."

"Speech"

She was dragged ever closer, and though initially she squirmed slightly, she soon relaxed and simply gave in, allowing herself to be held tightly, as strange and uncomfortable as it felt. But it was also... comforting. Yeah. As she felt his soft fur against hers and his forelegs gripping her tightly, she realized she'd rather be nowhere else.

She wouldn't rather be watching over them. She wouldn't rather be saving the world from the plague of demons that haunted it. No. She'd rather be here. She'd rather this moment last forever. She never wanted this to end... Her eye cracked open slightly as she heard his voice, torn apart by his grating throat. "I'll protect you," she repeated, this time directly into his ear, her warm breaths tickling the fur just slightly. "And I'll never leave, not ever. Not after this..."

She wasn't sure whether he could hear her or not by this point, and that made anger rise with the helplessness in her chest. Her heart pounded frantically, but she kept her breaths calm and didn't let it sneak into her voice. She couldn't let it break out here. Anywhere but here. The otter curled her hind legs into her belly, and wrapped her muscular tail around Kimen in what she hoped was a comforting way.

And then she heard his words. Everything froze. Her heart kept pounding, missing beats. And the blood drained from everywhere it was needed. "You... huh...?" She strained to understand. To figure it out, to reply. But her stoic and stubborn nature got in the way. For a moment she stayed there, her mouth opening and closing nervously. She'd begun to tremble slightly, and lowered herself. "I... I... I..." The words died in her throat, so instead she carefully she nuzzled her head into his neck. Her small paws entangled in his thick fur.

"I lo-... I'll always be there for you." she stuttered finally, embarrassed heat radiating from her in waves and soft tremors. But inwardly, she couldn't understand it.

Why did the words just refuse to come out?

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@Kimen

Kimen was relieved that he had said what he did. A weight was lifted from his shoulders and his feelings no longer had to be held back. He had felt this way for sometime, he only realised it after they had left Monoceroes, during their wanders together in the tunnel between their birthing place and Orion. Still unable to hear properly, Kimen felt his partner push into his neck and he assumed that the affection was shared. He felt a tear fall from his eye, not one of pain, but one of happiness and joy that they were together in this moment. That he didn't have to be in pain alone. Every moment that followed this was irrelevant to him. Right then and there he forgave her for leaving, after all there was probably a good reason. He didn't bother to question it though, he didn't want to. Instead he lay in his blood stained cloth nuzzling into his companion, his friend, his Eira. "speech"

@eira

"Speech"

Eira didn't know what to do. Her chest ached, powerful feelings pushing it almost to bursting, yet she fought with all she could to keep it contained. Why? Not even she could find the answer. Not even a hero. Yet still she fought. Those feelings fought back. One side of her wanted to speak, the other tried to pass it off as weakness.

And thus, both sides ended up losing.

Eira breathed out a sigh, leaving her inner turmoil left unspoken as she curled her battered, slender body close into Kimen. It didn't matter now. nothing mattered now. In this very moment, the world belonged to them and them alone. She understood now that he couldn't hear her, and that was a relief. saved her the embarrassment of failing to say even three simple words.

But the shame was there all the same.

Curled over his belly, her face buried in the thick fur on his neck, Eira was finally succumbing. Exhaustion and agony was rife, even as she struggled to stay vigilant and to protect them; to protect him.

One of her eye sockets was hollow now, the lids closed over emptiness. She was covered in scratches and bruises; her blood oozed out onto his fur. The lid over her remaining eye drooped. She opened her mouth, briefly, trying to say, please, keep me awake...

...Nothing emerged but a choked sigh.

She might have seemed to grow heavier in Kimen's arms, or drooped like a damp piece of string. She might have seemed cold, dead to all the world. But soft breaths fell even, stirring the fur around her muzzle.

The world around her slowly faded into white.

-Exit Eira-

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@Kimen

Even though he had only just woke up from a deep coma, Kimen's wounds left him weak and tiresome. Eira had already fallen asleep on top of him and so there was not much else to do. He hoped that they would be safe as they slept, given the amount of his blood that was around them any prey would take them as easy pickings. Even in this state though, he doubted that they would become food without so much as a fight, Eira especially. He didn't want to ever see her in a fight, he imagined she'd be ferocious in such a situation. Kimen closed his eyes. Tiredness and exhaustion getting the better of him. He relaxed his body with unease, hurting all over. Unwarranted his mind thought back to the moments before his attack and he knew that his rest would be a difficult one. =Exit Kimen= "Speech."