Babel's Magic-Khadgar FanFic

World's Apart

The morning sun hadn't even peaked out from behind the moon when Fain sluggishly stirred. Under lit with the fire's embers hardly holding onto the energy they had, the room felt like a hidden secret at the top of the steeple. Aware of the chilly early morning air that settled in the study while they slept, Fain was conscious of how warm her body was. Not only the warmth but shifting under the blankets caused a stirring moan from the slumbering mage and Fain realized with a jump that her body was tucked snuggly into his like a letter in an envelope. Khadgar's heavy arm was draped mindlessly over her waist and Fain could feel his chest rise and fall with soft shallow little breaths against her back and shoulders.

Indeed mindful of the slow thudding pain on her upper left chest area, Fain was reluctant physically to peel herself away from the warmth of her sleeping companion. Mentally though she wanted to be far away on the other side of the room and away from him as quickly as possible. Warily Fain shifted her body so she was more on her back than side. Not a peep out of Khadgar as he's lips puckered slightly and his pink tongue slipped past them momentarily to wet his chapped lips before lulling back to still sleep.

One step further Fain lifted her right arm, tentative to watch for any movement of the man, and delicately took his hand that rested on her side. Holding it for a moment Fain stopped and observed the pure serene look on his pale sleeping face. Still she reflected on what Fain had only seen during those months observing him through a distorted looking glass worlds away from this one she was on. Now though. seeing him up close, every hair between his bushy eyebrows, the stubble lining his square jawline and round cheeks, even the rough and short mustache that set right above his full cerise lips. Fain wondered what his ranking was amongst the humans of this world. Never would any man be caught dead with unkempt facial hair back in her world. But as Fain gazed over at him, she just stared at how fuzzy his face was and, well, she seemed to enjoy it.

Unnerved by the feeling, she disregarded the need to be meticulous and brushed him off of her. Rolling out from their conjoined cot she scooted away when he was muttering and she was sure he had been woken.

"Mmm-" a groan as Khadgar childishly rubbed his fists into his eyes and stretched up waking at his own pace seeing the woman not even half an arms length away from her, "You're awake?" propping himself up on one arm Fain looked over in disgust realizing they'd shared a pillow. Not heeding his question instead Fain looked away and a unconscious hand reaching in and rubbing her swore wound, "Oh, careful-" Khadgar a little groggy still, took her hand not wanting Fain to reopen the cautiously sealed wounds, "I don't know how good my spell was, careful not to open them," Looking down at his hand clasped to hers Fain jerked away without a word.

"....Thanks," is what she mustered even though she spat it at him through tight lips.

However still worn out he was Khadgar sat himself up entirely on the bedding and looked at her with those brown eyes that Fain just felt her blood boil and freeze all at once inside her, "I'll always help a friend."

Tilting her head Fain gave him a questioning look even in the dim light of early morning she could see the sincerity on his face, "You....you think of me as a friend?"

That slightly lopsided smile spanned over his lips and Khadgar couldn't help such a smile so early in the morning, "Of course I do, you tried to save me. Friends only do that kind of absurd thing."

Flushed with color on her cheeks Fain swiftly looked down and away from that grin, "I guess the cats out of the bag now."

"Seems like it," Khadgar tousled his hair with a slight scratch of his scalp and looked over at Fain, "How's your chest?"

Regarding the pain on her chest Fain pulled down the side of her tunic to show her warped scar to him. Khadgar leaned in and looked at her making sure it was ok before reaching out and tenderly tracing his fingertips over the still knitted skin. No fresh blood seemed to have seeped from the cut overnight and his spell held well enough that her own body was fixing it, he was satisfied with the status of it and moved back to his seated position on his blankets.