“Did that hurt, Mr. Half-Nasod?” he asks. Raven shrugs lightly.
“A bit. Don’t worry about it. And don’t call me that,” he adds.
Ain quickly catches himself. “Ah, I’m sorry, Raven.” It was something he had only recently started changing. No one in the El Search Party really knew where his newfound insistence upon calling them their names instead of his self-given titles came from, but none of them minded it, either. (what they didn’t seem to realize, was that in a very clumsy and very ain way, ain was trying to apologize, steadily. even in little ways such as being more polite, like this. apologizing was something he still had yet to master.)
The bandage wraps twice more around Ravens bicep, and Ain ties it off. Raven notices his same glittering Eids manifest with a flick of his finger.
“Is the wrapping really necessary if you’ve got that?” Raven questions him. Ain tsks.
“I’ve got to stop the bleeding first. Or at least… It’s better to. When I use them during fights, it’s more temporary. This will work better, I think.” he says.
“Makes sense.” Raven hums.
Now, being in this quiet moment together with Raven, Ain notices the feeling in his chest that he had yet to put a name to. It feels fluttering and aggressive, like it wants to make its way out of his chest and into the air between them. He doesn’t understand it. His hands slow over Ravens arm.
He watches Ravens eyes close, sees how gentle and tranquil he looks like this. It’s such a contrast from how he usually is. Not that he could much help it, given how they constantly seemed to be in high-stress situations. The feeling in his chest intensifies. He doesn’t understand this, either.
He feels the warmth of Rein reverberate through him, and hopes Raven can feel it as well. Rein was always at least somewhat pleasant. He doesn’t like the silence in the room, though. So, he starts humming, making up a tune on the spot, not following any real rules.
Ravens eyes drift open. “What’s that?”
“Hm? Oh, nothing, really.” Ain feels very flustered, suddenly. He feels his cheeks prickle and burn and his heart beats faster. This emotion was embarrassment, he thinks. (the heartbeat is something he’s still not used to. he occasionally feels it hammer at his ribcage, all of these things entirely new to him, and is overwhelmed with how very alive and very human he is. now is not one of those times, fortunately.)
Ravens eyes close again. Ain feels rather nervous. He still doesn’t know why.
His eyes scan over Ravens form. He’s long since abandoned any form of shirt, scarred muscle on full display. He has bandages wrapped around his stomach, also applied by Ain. For some reason, the sight makes the heat in Ains face worse, and he swallows hard. He feels like he shouldn’t be touching Raven, now, another thing he doesn’t understand, but it helps the healing along…
Still, though, for whatever reason, his hands on Ravens skin felt far too warm, and so did his face. But something in him wanted only to touch him more, to graze his fingers across the scar on his cheek, to trace the scars on his chest and stomach. (wait, what was this supposed to be? this emotion, whatever it was, was making his chest feel like it was going to burst.)
He feels that his Eids have nearly finished their work, and gets an urge that he seems barely able to control.
He waits until he’s certain his Eids have done all they can do, then presses his lips ever-so-softly to the bandaged part of Ravens arm.
When he lifts his head up, he sees Ravens wide-eyed expression, and feels a pit in his stomach. He can tell he’s now mirroring the very same face.
“...Ain?”
“I-I’m sorry.” Oh, the stutter was new, as well. Everything happening right now was so endlessly confusing, and it made it all that much more distressing.
“What wasー”
“I don’t know why I did it! I justーyou make me feel soー” Ain stands up abruptly. “I’ve got to take care of Ms. Elf and Mr. Ancient. Excuse me.”
And he makes to leave. However, Raven isn’t having it. He gets up, albeit wincing slightly as he does so. His hand wraps around Ains wrist, and Ains heart feels like it's going to beat out of his chest.
“How were you saying I make you feel?” Raven asks, tone firm. Ain doesn’t want to look him in the eye. That wasn’t usually a problem for him, eye contact…
“IーYouーConfused. You make me feel very, very confused.” Ain slumps back down onto the cot, defeated. Raven follows soon after, hand still on Ains. Ain doesn’t want to look at that, either.
“Confused?”
“Yes! My chestーmy chest feels strange, like it’s full of something buzzing, and I just don’t understand it.” Ains tone is tight with frustration.
Raven blinks once, twice. Suddenly, he looks flushed. “Ah, I… never noticed you felt that way about me. I’m sorry.”
Ain still doesn’t understand. He felt what way about Raven? He still didn’t know what this feeling even was! Although, he supposed he could just…
“What way do I feel about you?” Ain asks. “I don’t know what it is.”
Raven gets even brighter. “I… Oh, I don’t know how to explain this to you. I think you’re..." he sighs. "Would it be safe to say you love me? I’m… sorry if that’s presumptuous of me.”
Ain cocks his head, then feels his face heat up even more. Love? He didn’t think that was possible for someone like him… Then again, he was an anomaly in several waysーhe experienced an absurd amount of things that should be impossible for an angel. This wasn’t any different, huh…? Even so, he didn’t understand love, much less so suddenly like this.
“Is that… alright? Is it bad of me to be… in love?” He asks. Raven looks like he’s about to die.
“IーWell, no, but… I’m afraid… I would need a bit of time to sort out my own feelings before I can do anything with you, okay?”
Ain can’t wrap his head around what this means, but he nods slowly anyway. “Alright.” Then, after a pause, “Does this change anything?”
Raven runs his hand through his hair. His cheeks are still warmed. “I… suppose not. A little crush is harmless, isn’t it… It wouldn’t be a problem unless we made it one.”
Ain finally smiles again. It’s small, but present, and shines through the previous tension in the air. “I’m glad, then.”
Raven clumsily returns the smile as best he can. “Right. Shouldn’t you be going to Rena and Add now?”
“Oh!” Ain cries. “Yes, that’s right! Thank you, Raven!” He says hurriedly, before standing up once more and heading towards the door. “For more than just reminding me,” he adds. It’s almost as if he’s completely forgotten about what’s just happened.
Raven looks utterly dumbfounded. Perhaps... this was something he could deal with another day. For now, he suddenly feels exhausted. He had a lot to think about.
