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cynosfunnyjokes · 1 year ago

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Just a Little More

Characters: Cyno, Tighnari, Dehya (Collei is mentioned) Ship: Cyno x Tighnari Genre: Angst (Bring tissues) CW: Major character death, mention of injuries, a bit of violence (I’m sure I missed something.)

Summary: Cyno just wants to hug Tighnari a little bit more. Notes: This was written based on one of @phaesporia__ 's angst posts on twitter! Please be sure to go check them out :)

Words: 2637

The desert heat was not often something that most people could withstand. The sun itself could be brutal during the day, the hot temperatures often being enough to send even the scholars running back to the city’s safety with their tails tucked between their legs. Even those blessed with cryo visions would start to succumb to the heat as it began to seep into their bones.

“Ugh…” Tighnari’s voice rang out, catching Cyno’s attention. “It’s too hot out here… I think I’m losing consciousness…” Even with him having shed his extra layers on top, he still felt miserable as the temperature continued to seep into him, leaving him breathless. A sheen layer of sweat covered his flushed skin, ears pinned back to his head as he panted lightly. Hand reaching up, he pulled at the fabric of his top, trying to cool down to no avail.

Sharp, amber eyes flicking over to Tighnari, Cyno’s gaze softened as he raised an eyebrow at the male. “How many fingers am I holding up?” he asked as he held up two of his tanned fingers. Even with the worry bubbling up in the Mahamatra’s stomach, his gaze stayed sharp and attentive as they focused on the forest watcher. Eyebrows furrowed slightly in concern, he frowned softly.

Tighnari paused, eyeing Cyno’s hand with uncertainty, eyes drooped and unfocused, “Three…?” It sounded more like a question than an answer, but it was wrong nevertheless.

Cyno’s concern grew as he heaved a sigh, shaking his head, “Look at you now,” he deadpanned. “Clearly I told you that you shouldn’t come with me to the desert, no?” Even if his voice was stern, it still held a level of concern to it. They both knew that the fennec wasn’t able to withstand the heat like Cyno- but even with the situation, he was content with spending time with Tighnari; he always enjoyed being around him.

“Well… uhm…” Tighnari swallowed thickly as he looked over at the other male, ears drooping- was he mad? “I just… I didn’t expect the place to be that far…” He paused, face scrunching up in discomfort and worry, “Yet I wanna make sure you’ll be safe, too.” Another pause, but a bit longer, “I’m sorry.”

Cyno blinked at him, expression stoic and unreadable. Tighnari could feel the guilt bubbling in his chest. Was he mad? He began to worry more.

The Mahamatra sighed, moving to grab the other male’s legs to heft him onto his back.

“Cy- Wha?!” Tighnari gasped out, hands immediately flying to grasp at his shoulders, fingers clutching at the thin fabric. All he received in response was a small ‘Stay still’ as he was properly situated on the other’s back. He blushed, hand moving to cover his face, “Cyno… You don’t have to do this…”

He felt like his heart could burst from his chest at any moment with how fast it was beating- but the feeling was shared between the both of them.

“Of course not,” Cyno’s voice was uncharacteristically soft as he began to make the trek back to Aaru Village, “but I want to.”

The rest of the walk was silent save for the sound of their panting and the soft sound of stepping on the sand.

The fact that Tighnari had gone silent as he slumped against Cyno had the Mahamatra worried- he picked up the pace as soon as Aaru Village came into view.

“Oh, we’re here.” The sound of Tighnari’s voice rang out, not sounding as breathless as before- to which Cyno internally thanked the Sevens. “You can just drop me there and get back to work.”

Cyno stayed silent for a moment, still walking as his hands gave Tighnari’s thighs a gentle squeeze. “Are you sure?” His voice was stoic, but a hint of worry rang through it regardless. Of course, he would be worried. The fennec fox had a soft spot in the General’s heart.

“Mhm,” the forest watcher hummed, “I feel a lot better now, thank you.” His face was still flushed- but whether it was from the heat, the proximity between him and his boyfriend, or both- he couldn’t tell.

As soon as Tighnari was out of the sun and in the safety of the building, he sat on the plush seat, heaving a sigh of relief. He took a moment to relax his tense muscles, ears flicking lightly atop his head. “You’re gonna go to the east, right?” he sighed, voice light with a hint of concern, “Make sure to pack my essential oil with you.”

Silence.

He furrowed his eyebrows, eyes flicking up to the other male, “Cyno?”

Before he could even blink, Cyno suddenly moved forward to wrap his tan arms around him securely, “Woah, hey-!” Tighnari’s voice was surprised, eyes widening as his own arms found their way around the other’s back, returning the embrace. “Are you okay?”

It was silent for a moment, the Mahamatra’s arms simply tightening around his waist as he buried his face into the other’s shoulder. “A little more,” Cyno suddenly mumbled out into Tighnari’s shoulder. “Let me stay here with you… Just a little more.”

His voice was uncharacteristically shaky but soft.

Tighnari sighed, inwardly cooing at Cyno. He was so cute… He hummed softly, resting his head against the other male’s as his arms tightened a bit. “Alright, alright.” he smiled, nuzzling his nose into his gray hair.

“Just a little more.”

‘When I’m in his arms, it all feels like a dream…’

“Cyno! Cyno?” Someone was yelling…

‘But one day, I’ll have to wake up…’

“Hey… You hear me?!”

Cyno snapped back from his thoughts, heart thumping loud and hard in his chest. Even with the mask obscuring his vision, he could still recognize the other person- Dehya.

“Cyno! Stop hiding!” Dehya’s voice sounded desperate- pleading, “I know it’s you! Please, just…!” She frowned, eyeing him sadly, “After you left the Akademiya, everyone was so worried… We’ve been looking for you everywhere-”

Cyno simply turned, back now facing Dehya as he started to walk away, “Leave me alone.” His voice was cold and sharp, sending shivers up Dehya’s spine as she shook her head, moving to get closer.

“Cy, come home with us!” She pleaded desperately, her voice full of pain. They had spent so long looking for Cyno- they didn’t have leads until recently, “I can understand why you left… but what about Collei?”

Her next words sent a shiver up Cyno’s spine as he went stiff; “Do you think Tighnari would be happy if he saw you like th–” He didn’t even give her a chance to finish, turning and aggressively swinging his staff at the wall next to Dehya. It cracked through the stone, some debris scattering to the ground.

“I said ‘Leave,’” he seethed, gritting his teeth as he kept his polearm firmly planted into the crack in the wall. “Go while I still have the patience.” How dare she use that against him?

“Tsk, you stubborn bastard…” Dehya stared nervously at the polearm just beside her head, gritting her teeth as she turned her gaze back to the male in front of her. “Fine. If you don’t wanna talk, then let's fight. But I’m not leaving unless you come with me.”

‘No, Dehya.’

Cyno scoffed as Dehya darted forward with her weapon, his own raising to block.

‘There are many things you can’t understand- that you won’t understand.’

Thick, suffocating smoke filled the air, easily filling Cyno’s lungs and leaving him breathless as he fought back the coughs from the burning in his chest. Hands held him back as he tried to get out of them, thrashing around in a desperate attempt. But his mind was full of only one thing- he needed to get to Tighnari.

“Cyno! Don’t-! He’s not Tighnari anymore!” The voices rang loud in his head, but he ignored them, still attempting to twist away from the hands keeping him back- keeping him away from his lover. “Someone help me! Hold him, now!”

More hands grabbed at him in a desperate attempt to pull Cyno away- but he couldn’t-

More of the suffocating smoke filled his senses as the fires raged on, but his feet stayed firmly planted in the grass as he stared ahead into the eyes of what used to be his beloved.

‘You will never understand.’

Tighnari was bound, limbs tied back as he snapped and lashed at the people who were working on the knots. His face was scuffed up, covered in small cuts, dried blood, and dirt. A cut ran down his lips- the lips that Cyno would kiss softly in the morning before he left. The lips that always felt so pillowy soft against his own- the ones that always greeted him when returning to Gandharva Ville.

His usually soft and neat hair was disheveled, the green and black strands knotted and dirty from the ash and his earlier struggles, and his ears were downturned as he growled, baring his teeth. Cyno’s hands itched to run his hands through Tighnari’s hair- to hold him close.

And his eyes… They were usually so soft and caring, his green and brown irises shining brightly with his pale pupils- Cyno had always found himself getting lost in them- but they were now dull and lifeless. His left eye itself was faded, almost purely white as if his iris simply dissolved away- and maybe it had.

They didn’t expect such an outcome. Cyno never expected to come to Gandvarva Ville to see this. To see his lover in such a disheveled state- to see him not be himself.

‘Tighnari. My Tighnari.’

“He’s infected! Do not let Cyno touch him! I repeat, do not…!” He could barely hear the voices anymore, ears ringing loud as he continued to thrash in their hold, completely focused on trying to get to Tighnari. Frustrated tears were beading at the corners of his amber eyes as he yelled out his lover’s name desperately.

There had to be something they could do, something to help him.

‘Tighnari that everyone adores. Tighnari that scolds me every time I get hurt.’

The hands that restrained him seemed to only tighten more as he twisted, still keeping him away from the flames that danced around Tighnari, as if taunting him. Why did he have to be so far away? Why did they all have to hold him back?

There had to be something they could do, some way to help him.

“Let me go!” Cyno yelled out, tears cascading down his tanned cheeks as he firmly dug his bare feet into the ground, trying to get closer. The heat of the fire licked at his face, smoke still billowing around unpleasantly,

The pain was easily ignored- he only had one thing in mind, and that was to get to Tighnari.

‘Tighnari who couldn’t even stand the desert’s heat…’

Cyno knew his struggle was useless- but he didn’t care.

Tighnari stood ahead, limbs bound with sturdy rope as the fire licked at his skin, singeing his clothes, hair, and the fur on his tail- His tail that always wagged so cutely when they were with each other. His tail that was only reserved for Cyno to touch- but it now hung limp, the usually vibrant green fur burnt and matted.

He couldn’t have been more than twenty feet away- but it felt so far- so unreachable.

Cyno’s eyes flickered up from his tail to Tighnari’s eyes and his heart all but shattered upon noticing the tear building up in his normal eye- his face was almost shocked- calmer than what it was as if he had a moment of clarity.

He stared into Cyno’s eyes, the tear cascading down his cheek as a small smile spread on his lips- as if reassuringly- causing tears to uncontrollably leak down the Mahamatra’s cheeks.

Suddenly jolting forward, the hands loosened in shock just enough for him to take off running towards the fire. To his lover- his home.

“Cyno! No!”

‘... Now standing in the burning flames.’

Tighnari… The stern and sassy man that he adored so much- the soft side he got to see in private. It all made him want to cry. The memories themselves were heartbreaking to think about.

They would never happen again.

‘Sorry, Dehya, I didn’t know how to explain it to you.’

The sharp tip of Dehya’s blade pressed to Cyno’s neck, tears cascading down her cheeks as she looked at him in distress. He didn’t put up a fight- it was almost like he had given up.

‘How does it feel when you can save the whole world…’

They stood there motionless before Dehya lowered her blade back to her side, eyeing him closely. He seemed so… unphased. His scarred face remained stoic- and even if she could see his eyes behind the fabric covering them, she figured they’d be unreadable.

‘But cannot save the one you love most.’

“Hey, you won. Don’t cry.” Cyno easily picked up on her sniffles, his keen hearing making it easy. He didn’t know what he expected to happen from the fight itself- but he held back, not having the willpower to try.

How could he?

“Don’t expect me to kill you, Idiot.” Dehya’s voice was steady, but laced with hurt as she tried to wipe away her tears. Her eyes flickered up, eyeing his scarred flesh with uncertainty. She paused, thinking about her next words. “Doctors said your case was really lucky.”

Gesturing at his tanned skin, she continued, “People who jump straight into the fire like that… Probably would never have the chance to survive.”

“Is that so?” Cyno raised a hand, the sun illuminating the scarred skin- sometimes, it felt like he could still feel the burn of the flames from that night. The pain of the memories filled him as he wondered what could have been done to change what happened. “Well, perhaps Lord Kusanali had heard my prayers back then.”

“Oh? But…” Dehya started, quickly cutting herself off as she stared at him with furrowed brows.

“I know I don’t have the right to change anyone’s fate,” he started, still inspecting his scarred hand, “I do believe in the Gods’ judgment.”

She blinked at him, confusion swirling in her eyes. She paused again, unsure. “Then what did you pray?”

Everything blurred as Cyno was back in the forest, surrounded by the fire as it licked at his skin- but he ignored it, paying attention to Tighnari’s limp form in his arms. His arms wrapped around the other in a tight hug, his chin pressed to his shoulder as he sobbed freely.

‘Oh, Archons… Please… A little more.’

He buried his face into his lover’s shoulder, sobbing as his arms tightened- he didn’t want to let go. Everyone continued to yell for him, but he ignored it, shaking his head as he begged the Seven, wanting his lover back- wanting Tighnari to wake up and call him a ‘Lummox’ for being so reckless for jumping into the fire.

“At least let me hold my Tighnari…”

But it would never happen. He would never hear the warm voice of his lover again. No more soft mornings or relaxing times. He would never get to feel his warm embrace. All of it was gone, burning like the forest around them.

Even as the others finally came over to him, Cyno kept his tight grip on Tighnari, refusing to let go as he buried his face into the crook of his neck, sobbing. Hands grasping the fabric of the back of his shirt, he prayed- begged the Gods.

Hands tried to pull him away as he thrashed against them, only holding on tighter. Didn’t they understand? Why couldn’t they leave him alone? He sobbed desperately into Tighnari’s shoulder.

‘...Just a little more.”

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