🌻COVERING YOU🌻

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Hey,

I don’t rush my words. You know that. I’ve always believed that the things worth saying should be carried carefully, like a flame in both hands. But when it comes to you, even my silence feels full.

I chose you—not just to walk beside, not just to guard the light, but to stay close enough that your warmth reaches me too. When the dark presses in and the path disappears, I don’t just hold the fire for you. I hold it with you. I want you to feel that you don’t have to be strong by yourself anymore.

There’s something about the way you keep going that pulls me in. Not loudly. Not all at once. Just… steadily. You don’t realize how bright you are, even when you’re convinced the light is gone. I see it every time you look back, searching to make sure I’m still there. I am. I always will be.

If love is a promise made without shouting, then this is mine: I’ll stay. I’ll walk at your side, shoulder to shoulder, close enough that if you stumble, you fall into me—not into the dark. And when you’re tired, when your hands ache from carrying too much, let me take some of the weight. Let me be the one who reminds you that you are wanted, chosen, kept.

You don’t have to ask me to stay lit for you. You already are the reason I do.

— Torchbearer

In the action, he had not noticed that Torchbearer was looking for him outside the tent, head swiveling and brows creased with concern. Why couldn't he find Axel? Had something bad happened to him? Did the Bishops find a way to steal him once more out of Torchbearer's sight? His heart hammered up until the low hiss of frustration came from the medical tent he was looking in front of. Torch wasted no time in flinging the doorway open.

"Axel!"

Axel froze as he looked up, face meek with a half smile as he had begun to hold out his palm and rub some of the salve the Banditos had made to ease the pain of such wounds. The sight of blood make Torchbearer's eyes widen as he sped to his lover, sitting on his knees alongside Axel as he took his hand in concern. Axel, knowing the thoughts racing through the other's mind, giggled and shrugged.

"It's not too bad. I just had an incident with the canning lids. I'm totally fine, Bear."

"You're bleeding pretty deep." Torchbearer did not sound confident in Axel's casual explanation, "Here, let me help you get it cleaned up."

"Oh," Axel blushed, "Sorry if it's trouble. You really don't have to."

"If it was trouble, I wouldn't have offered." He flashed that brilliantly sweet smile at Axel, the one that wrinkled the corners of his eyes and made him show a small line of his perfect teeth as he assured the other through his genuine tone. It was enough to ease Axel's shoulders and allow his lover to finish rubbing the salve over the wound, wiping the blood off of his fingertips, and wrapping it in gauze.

Torchbearer's hands were careful with Axel's. They were rougher and harder, but the gentleness with which they worked on him always made Axel's heart flutter. While Torch focused on bandaging his hand, Axel focused on his lover's face instead.

"There." Torchbearer said all to quickly as he double checked the work of his wrapping. Once satisfied it wouldn't pull off, he looked up at Axel with a worried expression, "Will you take it easy today and maybe do something that. Doesn't require two hands?"

"I can try," Axel exhaled almost against the idea, "For you."

"That's all I want." Torchbearer laughed as he brought Axel's wrapped hand to his lips, placing a tender and meaningful kiss on his knuckles as he did so. The action felt soft on Axel's skin, and it turned his cheeks a brilliant shade of red as the adoration seemed to shoot from lips to heart. He couldn't stop his smile as he reached out to pet Torchbearer's head softly.

"I always got you, Bug." Torch assured as he peppered a few more gentle kisses across the expanse of Axel's hand, "You'll always have me."

Axel could finally say something with confidence after:

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