#I only remember lying in a cradle and feeding squirrels

[bronson]

omg this should be fun!! can you please write something for injuried lysandra and a very worried aedion

GAH okay i’ll try not get too angsty!!! also i think i’m just gonna do a one shot for this, fuck the bullets

“I’m fine,” Lysandra uttered through clenched teeth. “It’s just a scrape.”

Aelin looked at her. “Your leg,” she gestured down, “has the bone exposed. So shut up and let me get the healer.” She began to lay her friend on the daybed in the front room.

“The upholstery!” Lysandra began to protest until Aelin cut her off with an incredulous look. Aelin began to lay the torn leg on a pillow and Lysandra released an unrestrained growl. It wasn’t human–more the growl of a ghost leopard, the form out of which she had only half-transitioned. This brought a brief look terror to Aelin’s eyes, which the shapeshifter tried to quell by waving her hand and mouthing “It’s fine, it’s fine.”

“What was that?!” the females heard a male voice call from above.

Lysandra looked to her queen with pleading eyes. 

“Please, I don’t want him to fret over me!” she begged. “Don’t tell him what happened!” Her tail wrapped around Aelin’s hand. 

“Lys…” Aelin started. But she met her friend’s eyes which were more golden than the usual emerald. Aelin sighed, then groaned. “Fine. But I’m not gonna just outright lie to him. I just won’t say anything. Now,” she removed her hand from Lysandra’s half-faded tail, “I’ll go get the healer and try to calm Aedion down.” She walked away grumbling. 

Lysandra let out a sigh of relief…which triggered a pang in her leg. She bit her lip to keep the cry inside. Mother above, I’m such a godsdamned idiot. She tried to will her body to shift fully back but it refused to cooperate, and honestly it hurt to try. She couldn’t really tell which parts of her were leopard, but she felt the ears and fur on her arms. In fact, her left hand (the same side that the injured leg was) was no hand at all; it was a paw. She rolled her eyes and stretched it. 

She heard Aelin’s telltale giggle. As Lysandra whipped her head around, glaring, Aelin whispered, “The little toebeans. So cute.” Lysandra narrowed her eyes. 

“They have claws you know.” 

Aelin raised her eyebrows. “Is that how you want to treat the person who’s bringing you some much needed medicine and even tarts?” 

“Oooh tarts!” Lysandra grinned and reached for the box Aelin held, but grimaced and sucked in a breath at the pain that radiated from her leg. 

“Miss, don’t move!” The healer, Aragyn if Lysandra remembered correctly, who looked no older than fifteen, bustled over to the lounge chair. She was holding what looked like six different vials of medicines, tonics, and salves. Lysandra shot a pained look over to her friend. Aelin shrugged.

“You shouldn’t have been in that tree.” 

“Well you shouldn’t have dared me to climb it.” 

“Because I thought leopards were supposed to be graceful!” 

“I am graceful! The squirrel surprised me is all–AH!” Her defense was replaced by a shriek as the healer set her leg. Her eyes quickly darted to the second floor, where Aedion was residing. Aelin shook her head.

“He’s out for a walk. Don’t worry,” she reassured her, but mumbled, “Though I’m not sure why you refuse his help…” 

Lysandra pretended not to hear her, and clenched her teeth as Aragyn began to spread a numbing salve over her calf. She tried to reach up and brush her hair out of her face, but realized that her claws had sunk into the wooden frame of the daybed. She retracted them and pried her paw up. Stretching it again, it returned back into her slender human hand. 

The healer had just begun to bandage up Lysandra’s leg and Aelin was feeding her the tarts when they all heard the door unlatch. 

The shapeshifter’s eyes went wide as the door opened to reveal Aedion. The anxiety already on his face turned into almost panic when he saw Lysandra laying on the bed. The flowers he was gripping in his hand fell to the floor as he rushed to kneel by her side.

“IcamebackbecauseIsawbloodandIwasworriedbutGodsnoLysandraareyouokaywhathappened?Aelinwhatdidyoudo?Howhurtareyou?OhMotheraboveare–” Lysandra cut him off by bringing her hand to his cheek.

“Hush, I’m fine.” She smiled, but it did little to relieve the tension on his face. 

“Whoa,” Aelin muttered under her breath. “She was right, you are crazy.”

Aedion’s hair nearly whipped Lysandra in the face as he turned to his cousin, baring his teeth and faintly growling. 

“Hey!” Lysandra smacked his bicep. He turned back to her, his anger subsiding to concern. He brought his hands to her face and brushed her hair out of the way, cradling her cheeks. 

“Are you okay?” he whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear. 

“Yes, yes, I’m fine.” She smiled. Though it was a bit much, his worry and concern for her did melt her heart. Just a little. 

He pressed his forehead to hers. “I was out picking flowers and then I spotted the blood beneath the tree and I was so scared–”

“You were picking flowers?” Lysandra asked. “For me?” She hated how sappy she sounded, but he never stopped surprising her with his kindness. 

“Yes, for you.” He breathed in her scent and kissed her nose before whirling on Aelin. “What happened?!”

“Oh, don’t get mad at her,” Lysandra protested.

“Somehow I get the sense that she’s behind this mishap. Huh, Aelin?”

“Uh, I’m your queen,” Aelin retorted back. “So be careful what you accuse me of.” Aedion rolled his eyes. “But I guess, yes, I did dare her to retrieve my ring from the tree…in her leopard form.” Aedion grumbled, but turned to Lysandra. 

“Did you get it?” he asked. She grinned and nodded. He grinned back and high-fived her. 

“But then she fell,” Aelin continued. “And she switched forms too fast and landed wrong on her leg.” 

Aedion turned back to his love and murmured. “Oh no, sweet Lys. Is it feeling better? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Aragyn has been amazing.” She smiled at the healer and the girl blushed and smiled back. 

“No trouble at all, Miss. That’s what I’m here for.” She started gathering up her supplies. “And it looks like I’m done here. Here’s a tonic for the pain,” she handed Lysandra a vial, “and one for sleeping, should it be an issue. Don’t hesitate to grab me from my quarters should you need me!” She tossed another smile to Lysandra before walking away. 

“Well,” Aelin began. “Now that that’s settled, I’ll head out, too. I need to get ready for dinner with Rowan.” 

“Be sure not to tell him that you almost lost your mating ring until after you get home,” Lysandra said, wickedly. “I want to be here for the fireworks.” 

“Who said I was going to tell him at all?” Aelin winked. “Thanks for grabbing it for me, by the way.”

“Oh, no problem at all, my queen,” Lysandra retorted back, sarcastically.

Aelin laughed and leaned down, past Aedion, to give her friend a hug. “There’s more tarts in the kitchen if you need any.” Lysandra hugged her back, a forgiving embrace. 

Aedion didn’t remove his eyes from Lysandra’s face as Aelin left, searching for any signs of discomfort. 

“Aedion, I’m fine. Stop worrying! Look,” she raised her leg. “It’s all bandaged up and should be healed in a few weeks. And the salve really did work, I can barely feel a thing.” 

“Are you sure there’s nothing I can get you?” he asked, tracing his thumb over her face. 

“Well…I would love some more tarts.” Aedion grinned. “And I can’t exactly walk up the–” She didn’t bother finishing her request, as Aedion was already scooping her up in his arms.

“To the kitchen it is.”

As he began walking she yelped. “Ow!”

His terrified eyes met hers and she laughed.

“Just kidding.” He harrumped. “It’s just so easy.”

hope this was good enough nonnie!!!