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In his field of work, it’s not a rare occurrence to watch people stand at death’s door, whether it’s their own fault or not. It’s how it works here in Snezhnaya. No one is safe, not even when they’re under his protection. A bear remains to be a bear, after all. It still gets hungry, and will eat anything it thinks can seal its appetite. A bear protects what it deems as priority, keeps them safe, but not even a bear stands a chance against a force quicker or stronger than it. It wouldn’t be able to beat a race against a bullet directed at the very center. It also wouldn’t be fast enough to save a companion from the predicament.
He was fast, faster than he himself could keep up with. Half of his troops helped evacuate the auditorium and the performers, while the other half went to chase after the culprit, and he should do the same, knowing all too well who the culprit is, but his feet lead him in the opposite direction. His feet thump impactful on the fancy carpet below them as he puts all his weight into the motions, unwillingly trying to beat his own record in speed.
He does not feel panic whenever he's in such a scenario, not even when the gun is aimed at him. This time, however, it eats him alive.
“NOY!”
He shouts involuntarily, the name escaping his mouth as he dashes through now empty rows of seats, trying to reach the other. He does not think of what he thinks, does not think of what he says, does not think of what he does. All he has in his mind is that he has to get to him.
“Noy!” He repeats, this time softer, this time making less heads of evacuees turn as he's within a fair distance from the other, kneeling down in the cramped path between seats the moment he reaches the red haired divinity that lay there.
“Valeriy…” it's hushed as his name spills from the Fae’s lips, like it was a struggle to get words out, but also like it was a must. He tilts his head up just slightly, enough so that his near vibrant red eyes can meet the other's dull blue ones, the red ones now somewhat drained from life. It's faint, soft, but he smiles. He smiles as he keeps pressure on his left rib. There's another bullet somewhere in one of his legs, but the ones at his rib and in his right side are of more importance. “Shouldn't you be after the culprit?”
How does he even dare ask that?!
“Culprit be damned,” Valeriy said in a voice lowered only for them to be in this conversation. He reached up and brought a hand to the gushing wound in Noy’s side, regretfully adding to his suffering by putting pressure on that one as well. “You really think I'd leave you here to die?”
Noy chuckled, albeit strained. “You're still on the job, yet your professionalism is slipping. How unbecoming of you.”
Valeriy sighed, bringing his body down as his chest released the air, getting just a little bit closer to his companion. “There is no professionalism necessary when you're around,” he murmured, continuing to gaze into those captivating, red irises. “You know that.”
“That, I do,” Noy’s smile widened, and he brought his free hand up to cup one side of Valeriy’s face. He watched as the other relaxed in his gentle caress, closing his eyes and leaning even closer, close enough for their foreheads to touch, exchanging both of their warmths that should be obnoxious when paired together, but with the state of their relationship, was a comfort instead. “You're beautiful…” He couldn't help but voice his thoughts aloud.
“Shut up,” there's still people here goes unsaid. He's well aware of the now small, innocent crowd that had yet to be removed from the room looking at them with curiosity even though Valeriy’s troop is trying to get them to safety whilst following regulation. He's well aware of a photographer sneaking pictures for the newspapers, both of the crime and the closeness of the two men in between the seats that were filled with an audience mere minutes ago. But he does not care. All he cares about is the caress on his cheek and the presence and the survival of his beloved. They lay there, connected and taking in each other's comfort despite the predicament until aid arrives. Valeriy reluctantly lifts his head, feeling Noy’s hand slip away, and he stands to help the medical staff get Noy to their vehicle. He does not care about the blood slowly staining his clothing. He does not care about the difficulty of walking the narrow path between the seats while carrying a person.
As soon as Noy is on a stretcher, and two of the medical staff immediately go ahead with inspection and give the Fae the needed treatment that can be done, Valeriy allows himself to calm down. Not much, just a little, but enough to convince himself that his beloved is in safe hands now, because that's the current fact, and he should plan ahead for his next course of action concerning the attempted assassination. Of course, with how the medical staff had found them in the auditorium, he's offered to stay in the vehicle and ride with them to the nearest hospital, to which he doesn't object. During the ride, the first time that he glances at Noy, the Fae looks at the metal ceiling of the vehicle as he's being given a minimum treatment. The next time he glances over, the near vibrant red eyes are on him. No words are exchanged, which on one side, makes Valeriy a bit tense again, but on the other side also relieves him, because he knows that Noy shouldn't talk despite his liking for the communication. Valeriy watches as the medics require Noy to keep looking up, and their eye contact is broken.
‘Dear Tsaritsa, please, I beg of you… Don’t let him go.’
𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶ♦️🐻 ྀིྀ
He heard the hushed murmurs around him as he sat slouched in a chair in the waiting room.
“Isn’t that Sir Valeriy?”
“Seems so… I wonder what he’s doing here.”
“Wow… Do you think it has to do with the gentleman that got shot at the opera?”
“Did he catch the culprit already?”
“What is Sir Valeriy doing here so soon after a crime?”
He decided to block out everything, everyone. He doesn’t have the right state of mind to truly speak up, or assert the dominance he knows he can carry to make the other hospital visitors quiet down. Luckily, no one has the heart to ask what he’s doing here, or ask if he’s okay if they take just a short moment longer to analyse and find the tension and worry written all over his face.
There has never been a person that Valeriy has truly, deeply cared about outside of family. His job goes first, that’s always been the truth. His loyalty to the Tsaritsa goes above anything. That’s what he thought until he met Noy. At first, he saw Noy as just another person checking in and out of his life. Just another person to make acquaintances with before he vanished in a matter of either a few weeks, or a few days. Valeriy was way too busy to keep connections, anyways. But for some reason, they met again and again, and Noy started treating him like a companion rather than an acquaintance, even though they mostly met while Valeriy was busy with work. The small chats Noy squeezed between them held a lot of meaning, a lot of connection. Valeriy hadn’t meant for things to escalate, hadn’t meant to find someone that was willing to stick around. He hadn’t meant to fall in love. But he has no control over his heart. He can be in denial, refuse things, and ignore to his brain’s content, but he cannot drown out the things his heart tells him. Even the largest, most aggressive bear can be tamed if it’s done right, if it’s treated right.
And now he just sat here, waiting for news about Noy. It doesn’t matter how long he’ll have to sit here, how long he’ll neglect his work in order to ensure the wellbeing of his beloved.
As time slipped, so did Valeriy’s energy, and eventually, his consciousness as well.
𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶ♦️🐻 ྀིྀ
“-riy?”
He was shook gently, bringing him out of his rather restless, light slumber.
“Sir Valeriy? Good afternoon, sir,” A doctor retracted his hand from Valeriy’s shoulder. “Mr Noy is open for visitors now, if you wish to see him.”
Valeriy sat up from his slumped position, and the doctor moved aside so that he could stand up. “Thank you.” He said curtly before going to the room he already knew Noy was in. He peeked around the corner first, an automatic thing most people did to make sure they had the right room before straight up entering and possibly having the wrong room. There he saw the Fae, lying in a hospital bed. It felt… odd. Very wrong. He’s seen plenty of his troops end up in such a state, but never…
“Val,” It’s spoken softly, and when Valeriy leaves his mind to return to the present, he sees those red eyes looking at him once again, this time with life returned to them.
Wordlessly, Valeriy entered the room, keeping the door open just in case a doctor was needed spontaneously, even if he doubted that.
The closer he got, the more relieved he was to see Noy faring well. His chest and abdomen were wrapped in gauze, and he bet his leg was as well, but other than that, he looked fine. It was probably some Fae feature that helped him heal faster.
Continuing to stay quiet, Valeriy sat down on the very edge of the bed (next to Noy’s uninjured leg) after the Fae beckoned him by patting the bed. He took a moment to look the other up and down, truly seeing no other injuries, and seeing only a healthy body that was pale just because it was Noy’s normal skin.
“You’re worried,” Not a question, a statement said as Noy lifts an arm and puts a hand on Valeriy’s head. He puts pressure on it, making Valeriy fall on his side on the bed, avoiding resting his head on Noy’s chest. The hand that was on his head moved to cup his face carefully, keeping his sharp nails in mind as to not accidentally nick that pretty face. “I’m alright.”
“I see that now,” Valeriy sighed, closing his eyes. Now that the tension has left him, he felt exhaustion settle in again, even though he’d just unwillingly taken a short nap.
He could feel Noy’s soft, genuine smile on him.
“I apologise for the inconvenience,” Noy said, but as soon as he’d said the last word, Noy sat back up, and leaned closer to him until their lips touched.
Valeriy didn’t put pressure on the kiss, kept it as light as a feather. They stayed like that for long enough for Valeriy’s love to reach Noy. “In what world could you ever be an inconvenience?” He breathed against the other’s lips. “I’d run to your side time and time again if it’s your life that’s on the line… Even if it isn’t, I’d still run towards you… Even if it’s me that’s dying… I’d still run to you.”
Noy huffed, his cheeks growing ever so slightly flustered. “Why do you always manage to swoon me like this? Go to sleep, you need it,”
He stayed silent as Valeriy got back to his lying position, guiding Noy’s hand back to his face. The silence stayed, growing comfortable as the bear slowly gave into slumber, this time one that was better due to dissipated tension and worry.
When Noy thought that the other had succumbed to sleep, he whispered:
“I love you, Val.”
“...I love you too, Noy.”