The air in the cave was stifling, thick with the metallic tang of blood and the acrid scent of scorched rock. The glow of molten lava illuminated their battered forms, highlighting the sweat glistening on their skin and the ragged edges of their torn clothing. Both Tianyi and Zhi Yue had collapsed onto a stone ledge, their breaths uneven and labored.
Zhi Yue sprawled back with a groan, draping an arm over his eyes as though they'd just completed a leisurely stroll rather than survived a fight for their lives. "Well," he drawled lazily, his voice tinged with mockery, "I'd say that went about as well as it could have. Nothing like a fiery death match to make you feel alive."
Tianyi shot him a sharp look, his jaw tight. "Alive? You call this alive?" He gestured vaguely at his torn clothes and the gashes streaking his arms. "If we'd been even a second slower—"
"We weren't," Zhi Yue interrupted smoothly, pulling his arm down to flash a grin. "You're welcome, by the way. I'd hate to see you as a celestial barbecue."
"Mock me all you want," Tianyi muttered, rummaging through his pouch. "At least I wasn't the one who got pinned under the beast's claws."
"Oh, please," Zhi Yue replied, lounging against the stone with a smirk that danced in the firelight. "That was a calculated maneuver. Adds a bit of drama to the fight—makes me look more heroic."
Tianyi snorted but didn't respond. He retrieved a small jar of medicinal cream and began applying it to a deep wound on his arm. The ointment stung as it met the raw skin, and he sucked in a sharp breath, his movements stiff but methodical.
Zhi Yue tilted his head, watching with a glint of mischief in his eyes. "You know," he said, his voice lilting with amusement, "for someone who claims to be a celestial, you're hilariously bad at this whole self-care thing. I mean, I've seen mortals patch themselves up better."
Tianyi ignored him, though his lips pressed into a thin line. The sting wasn't just physical—it was a blow to his pride.
Zhi Yue sighed dramatically, sitting up and holding out his hand. "Alright, give it here."
"What?" Tianyi looked up, startled.
"The cream," Zhi Yue said, wiggling his fingers impatiently. "You're clearly hopeless. Let me do it before you hurt yourself even more."
"I don't need your—"
"Tianyi," Zhi Yue said, his voice dropping into a low, commanding tone that made the air feel heavier. "Stop being stubborn and give it to me."
For a moment, Tianyi hesitated, his pride warring with the logic of Zhi Yue's words. Finally, he relented, handing over the jar with a scowl. "Fine. But be quick."
Zhi Yue took the jar with a victorious smirk and moved behind him, his fingers brushing Tianyi's shoulder in a way that sent an involuntary shiver down his spine. "Quick? Where's the fun in that?"
Tianyi glared over his shoulder, but Zhi Yue's hands were already working, carefully pulling away the tattered, blood-soaked cloth covering his back. The sight made Zhi Yue pause. His teasing expression faltered as he took in the deep gashes and bruises marring Tianyi's skin, raw and jagged like a battlefield carved into flesh.
"Reckless," Zhi Yue muttered under his breath, almost too softly to hear.
Tianyi turned his head slightly. "What did you say?"
"Nothing," Zhi Yue said quickly, his smirk returning. "Just admiring how good you are at getting yourself half-killed. It's a talent, really."
Without waiting for a response, he dipped his fingers into the cool ointment and pressed them gently against Tianyi's back. The cold touch against the heated skin made Tianyi flinch, but Zhi Yue's hands were firm, steady.
"Relax," Zhi Yue murmured, his voice low and almost hypnotic. "I'm not going to hurt you. Unless you keep squirming, of course."
Tianyi closed his eyes, his breathing uneven as Zhi Yue's fingers moved with surprising care. The touch wasn't just practical—it lingered, tracing the edges of the wounds with a tenderness that felt far too intimate.
"This feels…familiar," Tianyi said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Zhi Yue's hands paused for the briefest moment before resuming their work. "Oh? Having flashbacks, are we?"
"I don't know," Tianyi admitted, his tone uncertain. "But it feels like…you've done this before."
Zhi Yue chuckled, the sound low and rich. "Maybe I'm just naturally good at this," he said, leaning in slightly, his breath ghosting against Tianyi's ear. "Or maybe…" He let the sentence trail off, his smirk returning.
"Maybe what?" Tianyi asked, his voice sharp despite the strange heat pooling in his chest.
"Maybe you just like having me this close," Zhi Yue teased, his tone dripping with mockery.
Tianyi stiffened, his cheeks flushing despite himself. "You're insufferable."
"And you're predictable," Zhi Yue replied, his grin widening.
He finished applying the cream, his hands lingering a moment too long before he capped the jar and leaned back. "There," he said, his voice softer now. "All done. Try not to rip yourself apart again, though. I'd hate to ruin this…moment."
Tianyi turned to face him, his expression unreadable. The flickering glow of the lava painted Zhi Yue's features in shades of mystery and firelight, his smirk softer now but no less infuriating.
"Why do you do this?" Tianyi asked suddenly.
"Do what?"
"Mock me. Fight beside me. Heal me. Why?"
Zhi Yue's eyes met his, and for a moment, something unspoken passed between them—a flicker of vulnerability, quickly masked by his usual arrogance. "Let's just say I have my reasons," he said, his voice low and enigmatic.
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting," Zhi Yue replied, his teasing tone returning. He leaned closer, his lips quirking into a smirk that was both infuriating and undeniably magnetic. "Now, stop overthinking and get some rest. You'll need your strength—for the next time I save your life."
Tianyi sighed, leaning back against the stone. Despite himself, a faint smile tugged at his lips. Their banter might have been sharp, but beneath it lay a strange, fragile thread of trust—one that neither of them was ready to acknowledge but both could feel, woven through the shadows and flickering firelight.