A faint tingling sensation tickled Luhan’s feet with every step he took on the downy grass just at Lay’s doorstep. Lay himself stood close by, arms outstretched, body in an awkward stance, ready to catch Luhan in any way he would possibly fall.

Luhan scoffed and flicked one of Lay’s hands away. “I’m not a fawn anymore. I can walk on my own, thank you very much.”

Lay pouted (disgustingly, in Luhan’s opinion) and pointed to the whole jungle of flowers that trailed behind Luhan. They grew thick and unruly, looking like mini-hedges in some areas, ugly green stems choking the blood flowers. A far cry from the beautiful singular buds that Luhan would usually let sprout.

“You were so focused on standing upright you let your flowers run wild. Come on, let me help.” Lay extended his arms further. He could feel Luhan’s body straining to not collapse right then and there; it was one of the things that came with being a Healer. Though it wasn’t the best ability ever, being able to feel other people’s condition, it was the most helpful and he couldn’t deny the fact.

But he could feel other things too, not just the physical strength of others. If he tried hard enough and concentrated hard enough, emotions would come and join the party, running him over as soon as he opened the doors. On rare occasions, sensations of touch would slink in uninvited and corrupt the mix. But he could never sense thoughts. They were sacred, private things and Lay was beyond grateful he hadn’t been cursed with that particular gift.

In Luhan’s case, Lay could feel Luhan’s legs still unstable from the sudden burst of magic, and he barely had to try to feel the waves of pain and anger and sorrow and regret battering his soul. But Luhan didn’t know that, so he kept up his cheerful mask and pretended that Luhan’s emotions didn’t affect him at all.

“Fine.” Luhan grumbled after a bout of childish silence, sinking into Lay’s strong hold. The Healer felt relief coursing through Luhan’s body, overtaking fatigue’s strong grip on his muscles and allowing his magic to finish healing.

Lay sighed thankfully and easily hoisted Luhan up into his arms while the deer crossed his arms and fumed, tips of his pointed ears bright red from embarrassment.

“Great. So, where did we need to go again?”

***

“We’re lost! I told you to ask for directions! Now we’re gonna die in this place!” Luhan pounded Lay’s chest with his weak fists as Lay calmly turned another corner of the dirt path.

“Hush, you. I know exactly where we’re going.” Lay stepped off the small road, having no idea in the slightest where they were going.

Luhan threw back his head and let out an exhausted wail.

“We’re dead! You’ve killed us all and now-“

“We’re here.” Lay laughed forcedly as he stumbled into the large clearing. “I didn’t get lost. Oh wow, I didn’t get lost.” His strained giggles continued as he kneeled to set Luhan down onto the thin grass. Luhan’s anxiety nibbled away at his mind and he thoroughly ignored it in favour of harnessing all the energy he could from the different pools concentered around certain parts of his body, like the area between the neck, shoulder, and the collarbone. He could sense enormous amounts of pain nearby and healing whatever wounds causing it would not be easy from any angle he looked at it.

There was silence for a few minutes where Luhan picked awkwardly at the ground.

“The- the injured.” Luhan uncertainly started. “They’re over there. I- I’m sorry.” Luhan bowed his head, completely different from before in Lay’s arms.

Lay squeezed his eyes shut and took a shaky breath to prepare himself for the worst. “I knew it.” He discerned several different beings, three in fact (one deeply wounded, another not so much), and another one just a mass of depressed emotions not too far away.

“Humans. You brought me here to heal humans. Really? I expected better, Luhan.” Lay’s fist balled in whatever sparse grass he could grab and pull from the ground. He clenched his teeth, feeling the loss of life sparking weakly from the blades that were already near death.

“No, wait, Lay. I’m sorry.” Luhan gasped as he pulled his body into a semi-kneeling position, the action sending painful tremors up his legs as the magic protested against the disruptive movement. “I’m sorry. I had to. There wasn’t ano-”

“I will not touch the humans, Luhan. I made a vow to all of my people at their graves, the resting site forced mercilessly upon then by the humans.” Lay spat viciously, cutting Luhan off. “They killed my people, my family. I do not heal violent beasts.” He released the bruised vegetation, stood up, and turned, heading back home.

“No! Lay, stop! You look at them! Look at them and tell me they’re violent beasts.” Luhan strained a hand towards Lay, making the sparse grass in front twist around Lay’s ankles in an effort to stop him. Lay gritted his teeth and drained the life from his living restraints, fully aware that Luhan could feel the emptiness left behind, as he could. Luhan gasped behind him, a heart wrenching noise of shock and sorrow, and Lay ripped the dead grass from the ground as he strode forward without a backward glance.

“Lay, please. Give them a chance.” Luhan choked helplessly through unshed tears. He was half-crawling, paying no attention to how pathetic he looked. He just wanted... just...

Lay’s back grew smaller and darker with every second. Or maybe it was just him, because now his world was melting in front of his eyes, dripping down his vision like oil paint on wet canvas. Gravity seemed to have ten times the usual effect on him, pulling him down like water would to a damaged boat. His great antlers made deep grooves in the ground as he collapsed onto the dirt floor.

Somehow, he knew this was all Lay’s doing. Lay had pulled the energy from his body so that he wouldn’t be able to go after the Healer. Luhan cried out in pain as he felt his liveliness and strength extracted thoroughly from his body. It hurt, so much. But he knew Lay could feel it too. That was the only consolation.

Luhan scratched the floor with his fingers and tried to stand, feeling like his head was going to explode from the effort. And still the overwhelming fatigue relentlessly dragged him down time and time again, no matter how much he wanted and tried to get up.

Finally, after an eternity of resisting, he gave way to the darkness.

And when he awoke in a sunlit room that smelled of old books, he was in a bed, and there was a letter addressed to him by his bedside, in Lay’s handwriting.

************

woah i didn't expect that to happen this is writing itself

I'm so sorry for abandoning this ^^" But now I've got everything roughly planned out (it's gonna be rlly intense wow I haven't written anything like this before) I'm gonna hopefully spend more time on this because wow I forgot how I really like writing this

Thanks to AJ9854970, star_x, and Missfreak for upvoting and thanks to everyone for subscribing and commenting it really makes me so happy _(:3 ｣ ∠)_