"Just stay awake for a couple more hours," Ilya said, unwrapping Nataniel's arms from around his neck and tucking him in under the covers. He stared into Nathaniel's eyes, trying to figure out if his pupils were dilated from pain, a concussion, or the dim lighting. "How's your head? Do you want me to grab you some painkillers?"
"Feels like it's being cleaved in half by an axe, so not the worst pain I've ever felt. Painkillers would be nice…" Nathaniel continued staring at the ceiling, keeping his mind occupied with random things because he wasn't supposed to sleep.
Ilya nodded and breezed into the bathroom, returning with a glass of water and two small white tablets. He pressed them into Nathaniel's hands. "Here you go. Can you talk to me? It's easier to tell when you're about to slip off if I can hear it in your voice."
Nathaniel swallowed the painkillers and yawned again. "What're you wanting me to talk about?" He asked, sitting up and leaning against the backboard.
Ilya sat down at the foot of the bed, crossing his legs and settling into a more comfortable position. "How did you wander into fairy woods? And what made you decide to fight a demon when you can't fly?"
"In my defense, I didn't actually know they were fairy woods. The demon showed up and was taunting me, so I started beating his ass. I'm good at fighting on land, but I'm helpless in the air. He saw my wings, grabbed me, and carried me up pretty high before letting me fall." Nathaniel set the water on the side table.
Ilya stifled a laugh with his palm as he tried and failed to imagine someone as fragile as Nathaniel fighting a demon. No wonder it had gone badly. "What on earth made you think you could take a demon? You're, like, a wet kitten in terms of immediate danger."
Nathaniel huffed, crossing his arms. "I have to stay in practice… to prove I can still fight. I've fought demons before, but it's a little harder when I'm crippled and unarmed and he's got a sword."
Ilya laughed even harder at his huffiness. "He had a sword and you still decided that was a fight worth having? Do you even have a preservation instinct?" He paused, sizing Nathaniel up. "Y'know, you can always come spar with me, if you'd like. It's much safer than antagonizing demons out in the woods."
"He was pissing me off…" Nathaniel mumbled. "And thanks for the offer, but I don't think I'm really in any condition to spar right now, much as I'd like to."
Ilya smiled, smoothing down the blankets around Nathaniel's legs. "I didn't mean right now, silly. I meant that once you've healed up, you can spar with me instead of picking fights that are too dangerous for you and getting hurt."
"I'll have to make a new sword… I dunno where my other ones are. Probably because I'm concussed. Do you have an anvil or metals?" Nathaniel looked up at Ilya curiously, flexing one of his wings a bit.
Ilya looked up at the ceiling, trying to remember what he kept at this cottage. "I don't have any right now, but I could definitely get some. You'd have to carry the anvil though, I can't touch it."
"Why not? I mean, I'm fine with carrying it, I'm just curious." Nathaniel watched Ilya, confused. "Is that a fairy thing?"
Ilya nodded. "They have iron in them, it'll burn my hands if I touch it." He scratched at his hands unconsciously like he was trying to peel something off them. "I mean, I can do it if you really don't want to, but it'll hurt me pretty bad."
"I can do it… we'd have to wait until I heal, though, since I can't carry an anvil with broken ribs and who knows what else." Nathaniel yawned a bit, running his fingers through his fluffy hair, which looked very soft. "Can I sleep now?"
Ilya hummed, crawling a bit closer and trying to make eye contact. His pupils were less dilated, but Ilya didn't want to take any chances. "You can sleep in just a second, okay? Just answer a couple questions for me?"
"Sure…" Nathaniel sighed. "What do you want?" He folded his wings again and fidgeted with his hands, trying to stay awake.
"Do you have any ringing in your ears or dizziness? Or maybe nausea?" Ilya carefully looked into Nataniel's eyes one last time before he fluffed up the pillows and started to settle into bed beside him.
"Uh… yes." Nathaniel said after thinking for a moment. "The nausea isn't bad though. Probably just unsettled from being dropped."
Ilya hummed, giving him a considering look. "Well, I guess you have to sleep at some point. Um… I'll wake you up in the middle of the night, okay? Just to make sure you're still functioning."
"Okay…" Nathaniel lay his head down and soon fell asleep, his breathing soft and relaxed. He lay on the side that was less injured, for obvious reasons.
Ilya watched him carefully for a while, reaching out to brush some hair out of his face or keep him from rolling off the edge. Eventually, he crept out of bed, wandering the house for a few hours until he figured he should check up on Nathaniel. "It's time to get up," He murmured, shaking him gently. "Please tell me you didn't die in your sleep. I don't have enough room in my garden to bury you."
(Lmao)
Nathaniel didn't wake up yet, since he was a deep sleeper, but he was clearly breathing. If nothing else, he was alive. He yawned and shifted a bit in his sleep, but woke with a start at the sharp jab of pain from his ribs when he'd laid on them.
Ilya winced at Nathaniel's pain, rolling him onto his back and breaking into a radiant smile when he realized he was awake. "Good! I was worried because you wouldn't wake up; do you want some more painkillers?" He pulled away a bit, realizing his hands were bloody. "And I probably need to redress your wounds."