[center][h3][color=cyan]『𝕊𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣』[/color] [color=8493ca]『ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕤』[/color][/h3][/center][center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/xp0eIcQ.png[/img][img]http://i.imgur.com/Kxn0drf.png[/img][/center]
[hr][center][color=silver]ℂ𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 ℙ𝕠𝕤𝕥𝕤   / /   [@RedDusk][@January][/color][/center][hr][hr][center][color=silver]𝕎𝕖𝕕: 𝕆𝕔𝕥. 𝟟, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝔹𝕒𝕝𝕕 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕   / /   𝕃𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖   / /  ~𝟘𝟝𝟚𝟘[/color][/center][hr]

Glancing into the stormy weather outside the lighthouse window as the he emerged from the trapdoor, Sander felt a cold dread crawling up his spine. Had this been a wise choice? He didn’t know. With another group fast approaching and an unknown somewhere above them, he wasn’t sure anymore. Maybe they would have had better luck bunkering down at the mansion?
 
Doubts brewed at the back of his mind, and Sander turned to Christmas, pulling the healer into his arms.
 
“[color cyan]Maybe we should just…stay here.[/color]” -He whispered into golden hair, eyes still glued to the cold morning outside.

Shivering in the cold, Christmas stayed in Sander’s hold and hoped a solution would magically appear before them—well, even more magically than the powers they had at their disposal. Instead he rubbed his cheek against the soft gray of Sander’s shirt.

[color 8493ca]”…Do you…n-need blood?”[/color] An old question, and so different now.

“[color cyan]I do.[/color]” -Sander managed to keep his voice neutral, if only just.

[color 8493ca]”Can take…m-mine.”[/color]

“[color cyan]Not yours.[/color]” -A cold hand gripped the nape of Christmas’ neck, pressing the blond boy’s face against Sander’s chest –“[color cyan]Remember the first day? You are important. You must be protected.[/color]”

It didn’t feel good this time, to be held by Sander like he was treasuring an object instead of the measly boy Christmas was. He blinked, wondering when he had started to think that he deserved more and feeling instead the cool fingertips against the back of neck and the thudding heartbeat against his cheek. 

[color 8493ca]”I want…you to be protected, too,”[/color] he mumbled into the folds of fabric, trying to insist.

“[color cyan]I’m fine.[/color]” -Flashes of past defeats and near deaths and mistakes told him that he wasn’t, but for Christmas, he would do anything. So he lied –“[color cyan]I’ll be fine, okay? I promise. You should stay where’s it safe.[/color]”

[color 8493ca]”N-near you,”[/color] the blonde insisted.

“[color cyan]I’ll be alright.[/color]” -And Sander insisted right back -”[color cyan]Really.[/color]”

[color 8493ca]”Please…”[/color] Because no matter what happened, he wanted to be near.

“[color cyan]It’ll be fine. Cmon.[/color]”

The healer’s grip on Sander’s shirt tightened through shaking hands and he stopped trying to argue with words, instead holding fast, afraid Sander would leave him there. With no other option, the blood mage only sighed before allowing himself to absorb a paltry amount of blood through the bare skin of Christmas’ neck. Though little, the blood was flash fire in his veins, and Sander gritted his teeth, taking a few moments to calm himself. 

“[color cyan]Look.[/color]” -He held out his hand and tried to summon the armor. It worked. The heat crawled up and enveloped the skin of his left arm, wrapping it in the physical manifestation of his power. The jagged, dark red plates had an almost metallic shine, and even though it looked crude and rough, he knew he could depend on it. He tapped the armored hand against the back of Christmas’ neck -”[color cyan]Here.[/color]”

Christmas turned to look, surprise on his face as he stared at the tessellated plates of gleaming red on Sander’s hand. 

[color 8493ca]”M-More?”[/color]

“[color cyan]It’s enough.[/color]”

[color 8493ca]”Is—Is it really?”[/color]

Sander did not answer. Instead, he kept his bare hand on Christmas’ back, rubbing soothing motions there. With a small shudder, Christmas let go reluctantly, knowing he, especially, had no way of helping Sander in a fight other than healing. 

[color 8493ca]”If you…n-need healing…”[/color] he trailed off, looking up expectantly.

“[color cyan]I won’t.[/color]” -Sander brought a hand to the healer’s cheek -”[color cyan]My power heals too, remember? And it protects. I’ll be alright.[/color]”

[color 8493ca]”But…what if—”[/color]

Sander didn’t let the blond boy finish his rumination. Instead, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Christmas’ forehead. 

“[color cyan]Don’t worry.[/color]” -He said as he pulled away -”[color cyan]Please.[/color]”

It wasn’t much assurance and Christmas only worried more at the faint red glow of Sander’s eyes. He felt the thrum of his own power waiting to heal on command, its effect still circulating through Sander’s body, but not currently active, the usual white veil around the torso missing. With a slow drop of his head, Christmas stared at the ground, lips trembling with the fear that he couldn’t do much more than this.

There was no agreement for Sander to go, only the flare of the healer’s magic finally appearing around both of them, one for the source and the other lasting for the target’s next few moments. It was all he manage as permission to go, because he couldn’t bring himself to say it was okay this time.

With a last lingering touch on the side of Christmas’ face, Sander turned and once again focused on the scents around him, trying to to get a handle of the situation. One thing needed to be addressed first. He needed blood, and he needed it now. He was starving. 

But who?