Never Too Late

[Nox]

Oriena spoke about loyalty to the Ascendancy. Her tone implied he didn't need to put his trust in the man either. It wasn't trust or loyalty, much more about fear. Nox didn't trust the man any more than Nikoali Brandon trusted him. It was a give and take relationship and one that had been advantageous to both of them over the past few months. Nox wasn't going to take stake in anything other than it benefitted him at the moment.

He watched as Oriena left the scene for whatever reason he didn't fathom, but he imagined it had to do with the Ijiraq that hijacked her. Their plights similar in mechanism but so far from each other that Nox didn't know how best to help Ori. His love for her stretched beyond the familiar and friendship and into concern for her well-being even if she would never reciprocate. It wasn't romantic or even platonic -- was something entirely different. It wasn't like Thal, or Raffe or even a one night stand -- Oriena was a beast unto herself. And Nox was pretty sure she'd be happy with that fact.

Jensen offered him a hand and Nox took it as he eased back into bed and relaxed -- relaxed as much as he could with an IV needle jammed in his arm. He missed Raffe. Nox wished Ori hadn't left but there was nothing she would offer him that was comfort or even a lull in his anxiety for being in a hospital room once again.

Nox tried to follow the weaves as Jensen made them. But it was far more complex than the weave Manix had done to heal his cut arm so many moons ago. It hadn't even been that long -- just felt like forever. So much had happened since he met Aria and her ragtag bunch of connections. He'd made many more since then. So many connections it was hard to believe it wasn't even a year -- maybe a little over. Nox could never tell.

The weave sank into him and he expected to feel tired, but this time it was different. He'd been healed many times before by a female -- was that the difference. Nox didn't think so. He may not ever understand it -- healing was never his thing. He felt rejuvinated even as he felt the distinct feeling of his insides knitting back together. It was even worse when he couldn't see the problems, but he knew it was happening. Felt it happening. He almost wanted to scream -- it wasn't pain, but it wasn't comfortable either.

When Jensen was done Nox took a deep breath. The scars remained but whatever had been wrong was gone, he felt cooler than he had in days. The IV stung in his arm, the only indication that he even needed to be healed -- short of the scars.

Nox reached for the power -- the sedative burned away finally. Nox sighed with relief. "I fucking owe you. Please tell me what I can do to repay you?"