Threatening Violence
Relationship(s): Xaden Riorson/Violet Sorrengail/female!reader
Summary: When you accidentally get hurt during a sparring session with Xaden, Violet's overprotective side shows.
Warnings: Blood and injury, Iron Flame spoilers, arguments, reader has chronic pain and stiffness in her fingers. Established poly relationship, unspecified setting.
For the anon who asked for riorgail x reader with an injury or the reader feeling left out because of the bond. And I think this could also count for day 2 of @empyreanevents's Riorgail week? Idk, the bond isn't the main focus, but it does play a role.
AO3
It's fortunate the gym is practically empty at this time, if only because it spares others the slew of curses you let out as you slump onto a bench near the mat you'd been sparring on with Xaden. What few people were there had glanced over at your shout of pain, and quickly decided they had somewhere else to be upon noting the expression on Xaden's face. He still raised a wall of shadows to shield you from prying eyes until everyone filed out, at the same time hovering over you and gauging the severity of your injury.
The sight of the blood welling from your side has panic flaring bright in his eyes, so you ignore the pain pulsing in your wrist and set about soothing him.
"I'm okay, Xaden. No need to freak out."
"You're bleeding," he replies, and yep — he definitely is freaking out. "Fuck, I'm so sorry. I don't know how that could happen."
His hands are trembling ever so slightly, so you pluck the bloodied blade from him with your uninjured hand, wiping it on your pants and sliding the dagger into its sheath before he can hurt himself, too.
"It's just a scratch. And it wasn't your fault. I tripped."
The fact that you haven't yet collapsed from blood loss and are fully coherent seems to help with Xaden's panic, but it does nothing to ease the guilt in his eyes.
"I told Violet to bring Brennan," he says, ignoring your reassurance. Did he even listen, if he was talking to Vi over their bond? "They'll be here in a few minutes, okay?"
"I could have gone to the healers, Xaden. My legs are working just fine, you know?"
"A mender is better than a healer," he insists.
You sigh, not sure why you even tried to argue. If Xaden feels the need to fuss, then he will, no matter what you say. You can't entirely blame him for being shaken after that accident — to him, is must have looked as though he'd actually stabbed you when you tripped and fell right into his dagger. It was by sheer luck that the blade only grazed your ribs, instead of sinking between them.
Noting the way you're cradling your arm, Xaden frowns. "Is your arm hurt, too?"
Despite your repeated assurance that he isn't to blame, Xaden practically exudes guilt, and you hate giving him even more reason to feel bad, but there's no point in lying. It'll only make things worse if you try.
"My wrist," you admit.
Xaden had been holding it, expecting you to move closer to him and twist free of his hold while taking the dagger from him with your other hand, just as you'd been practicing the past quarter hour. But when you stumbled, your momentum had taken you in the wrong direction, wrenching your wrist into a painful angle because Xaden hadn't had time to let go.
"I'm sorry," Xaden says for what has to be the dozenth time at least. "How bad is it? Broken? Dislocated?"
"I'm not sure. I never broke or dislocated anything before, so I wouldn't know what it feels like."
You immediately realize it was the wrong thing to say — if Xaden looked guilty before, now he's absolutely miserable.
"Fuck. Now you did, and it's my fault. I'm so sorry."
"You don't know that. Maybe it's just... twisted or something," you say, but it's mostly just to reassure him. Considering how much your wrist hurts, it seems entirely plausible it really is broken. "And even if it is, that would be my own fault, not yours."
Xaden shakes his head, still frowning. "I should have been more careful. The previous two attempts you pulled that move off so flawlessly, I was sure you'd manage it this time, too, or I would have let go and caught you."
"I know that, Xaden. You can't blame yourself for me stumbling over my own shoelace!"
But of course, he absolutely can. He's a master at blaming himself for things that are out of his control.
"I should have considered that you would fall right into the blade if you didn't get it right. And I should have noticed immediately when you tripped, and let go of your wrist fast enough to not snap it in half. If I'd just made sure your shoes were properly tied in the first place—"
"Xaden," you groan in exasperation, "don't you think that's taking it a little far?"
"No," he says, crossing his arms. "I know you struggle to lace them tight enough sometimes because of how stiff your fingers get."
"So what, are you gonna tie them for me from now on?"
Xaden looks like he's actually considering it.
You can't deny the idea has a certain appeal — tying your shoes can be a real pain when your fingers are giving you trouble. But that doesn't mean you're going to let Xaden add lacing your shoes to his endless list of responsibilities. You know you can ask him or Violet for help on the days you really need it, but most of the time, you can manage it yourself, thank you very much.
Luckily, Violet comes rushing into the gym just then, her brother in tow.
"What the fuck happened?!" your girlfriend demands before she has even reached your side, her ever attentive-gaze immediately registering the bloody cut at your waist. It's almost twice the length of your hand, but not very deep — certainly not life-threatening. With some stitches, it would heal just fine the natural way.
You try to smile through the pain. "Hi, Vi. Sparring went a bit sideways, but it's nothing to worry about."
Violet isn't reassured in the slightest. If anything, she seems to get more agitated at your display of what she lovingly refers to as your self-neglecting bullshit — a condition both you and Xaden suffer from, according to her. Not that she ever listens when one of you points out that she herself is just as bad.
As Brennan sets about examining the wound, the blood flow from which has already slowed to a trickle, Violet immediately whirls on Xaden, knowing you're in good hands with her brother.
"How could this happen? You were supposed to help her train, not stab her," she hisses at Xaden.
It's been a while since you've seen her this angry.
"Vi, that's not fair," you say before your boyfriend can answer. "We were practicing how I can disarm him, and I tripped right into the blade. It happened too fast for Xaden to do anything about it. Besides, it's not even that bad and—"
Brennan's prodding at your wound has you interrupting yourself with a hiss, and Violet's eyes narrow.
"You're in pain."
"You're in pain all the time," you counter. "It's not a big deal, love."
"You're bleeding!"
"A little, yes. But I'm okay. I swear I am." You look to Brennan for help, certain the mender is currently the most reasonable person in the room. "Could you please tell those two they're making a fuss over nothing?"
He takes a moment to assess your wrist first, then turns to your worried lovers. "Well, I wouldn't say nothing, but it really isn't that bad. The cut is shallow, except in this spot." He points to where the wound ends, right on top of a rib. "Easy to fix. But the wrist is fractured right at the joint."
Damn it. Now Xaden is forever going to feel bad about being responsible for your first broken bone, no matter that it wasn't actually his fault.
Violet isn't helping. Still in overprotective mode, she glares daggers at him, and though she doesn't say it out loud, you can read the words she's probably hurling at him through their bond in her eyes: You snapped her fucking wrist?!
Xaden rakes a hand through his hair, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy. How Violet manages to stay mad at him with that look on his face is beyond you.
"Would you start mending her already," Violet demands, turning her attention back to Brennan for the moment. "Please."
"On it," her brother placates, wise enough not to try and argue with her. He starts with the cut, instructing you to lean back so he can better access it.
"Sorry they're making such a scene. I told Xaden I could just go to the healers, but..." You shrug, vaguely gesturing to your boyfriend's miserable expression and the shadows clinging to you.
Brennan gives you an understanding smile, more than used to how overprotective the three of you can be of each other. "It's not a problem. I'm happy to help."
Just as he predicted, the wound across your ribs quickly closes under his hands without trouble. When he gets to your wrist, however, you have to grit your teeth against the pain and itching sensation of the bone knitting itself back together. It almost feels worse than the initial break, but with both Xaden and Violet watching like hawks, you refuse to let any of your discomfort show.
By the time your injuries are all mended and Brennan quickly excuses himself after instructing you not to strain your wrist for the next couple days, Violet is calmer, but still angry, the tension evident in every line of her body.
Rising from the bench, you step in front of her and lightly put your hands on the sides of her upper arms. Frowning down at the bloodstain drying on your shirt, she doesn't loosen her arms from where they're folded across her chest.
"Vi, won't you stop making that face?" you say softly, lifting one hand to trace a finger over her creased brow line.
"What face?"
"Like you want to murder someone."
The frown deepens for a moment, then clears away as she sighs, pressing a quick kiss to the corner of your mouth.
"I'm sorry. I just—" She shakes her head, turning to glare at Xaden once more. "I don't know how you could let her get hurt like that."
"I was too slow," Xaden mutters. "I'm sorry."
It clicks for you then, why he's taking it so hard. He's always been the fastest on the mat, predicting his opponent's every move thanks to his second signet, but in this case, it had been useless. You hadn't intended to trip — didn't even notice you had until you were already falling. And in typical Xaden-fashion, he thinks of that as a personal shortcoming of his.
"It was an accident," you say, desperate to get it through both of their thick skulls. Violet will calm down soon enough, and then feel bad about blaming Xaden for what happened, but he won't be as easily convinced that it wasn't his fault.
"An accident that shouldn't have happened!"
"Pretty sure that's the definition of what accident means," you joke, but it falls flat.
Violet just keeps glaring at Xaden, and you realize they're having one of their silent conversations again — though in this case, silent argument would probably be the more accurate term.
You sigh. It's hard not to feel left out when they do that. Your own dragon is gloriously single, and though you could never begrudge your loves the mental link they have thanks to theirs, sometimes you really wish you could be part of that connection.
You can only guess at what's being said between them right now, but judging by their expressions, it's not the sweet nothings they usually like to exchange this way.
"Why don't we just all take a deep breath and calm down," you suggest — no reaction.
When it becomes obvious they don't intend to switch to talking out loud again any time soon, you try again. "There's really no need for this. Come on!"
Again, nothing. Like you're not even there; subject of their conversation, but not allowed to be part of it.
You've had enough.
"Hey!" you snap. "Can you two please stop ignoring me?"
They turn, surprise etched into their features. It's rare for you to raise your voice like that, and you immediately feel bad about it. You know they weren't ignoring you on purpose, know their silent communication thing comes so naturally to them they never think about it twice. It's not like they ever intentionally exclude you from conversations — they just have a tendency to forget that you're not privy to what's being said over their bond.
"I'm sorry, baby," Violet starts.
Before she can say more, you squeeze her hand and say, "It's okay, I get it. But I don't want you two to argue because of me. It really wasn't Xaden's fault, love."
She sighs, expression softening as she finally relents. "I know. I just— I guess I don't know how to cope with you getting hurt. Either of you."
"I know. If one of you got hurt during sparring I'd be freaking out on the other, too. But I promise I'm okay. All mended, see?"
You hold up your other hand and rotate the joint. It still feels a little sore, but otherwise fine.
Violet nods, and takes a deep breath to calm herself. Sighing, she takes Xaden's hand with the one not held in yours, and presses a kiss to it — she doesn't stand a chance of reaching his face without him ducking his head.
"I'm sorry I overreacted."
Shaking his head, Xaden leans down for an actual kiss. "It's okay. Pretty sure I would have acted the same way if the roles had been reversed."
You take his free hand in your injured one, so all three of you are connected. He gives you a kiss, too, soft and apologetic. You can't have that.
"It was not your fault, Xaden. If you want to blame someone, blame my shoelaces. I'll even let you cut them into little pieces or set them on fire as punishment if it makes you feel better, as long as you just stop with the self-loathing. You can't always control everything around you, and you don't have to."
"Okay. I can't change the way I feel, but I'll try to stop blaming myself."
"Thank you. That's all I'm asking for."
