Flicker

Although Lexi had just returned, her ears were already flooded with gossip. Loud whispers of Marco returning with a naked, unconscious, Sasha and how she set a castle on fire while slaying a giant. Worst of all, Lexi heard how Marco yelled at Sir Galath. And hearing that alone sent her into a full sprint right towards Marco's tent, arriving there in no time. She immediately burst open the flaps and screamed his name. Although now, she wished she had not.

"Oh," Lexi said embarrassed and a bit dejected. "Sorry guys."

"It's no problem, Lexi," Octavian smiled warmly while he continued to comb his hands through Marco's hair. "Come in." Marco himself said nothing, he just laid across his cot with his head nestled firmly in Octavian's lap.

Lexi honestly wanted to leave, but she was too flustered to find an excuse that would not make her exit so awkward. Instead, she sucked in a mighty quick breath and walked right in. Marco still did not say anything as he started to rise up so that Lexi could sit next to them on the cot. As they always did.

"No, no," Lexi said quickly. "I'll just take the desk chair. You relax for now." Marco did not protest as he would have usually done. He just nodded his head and laid back down again.

She hated seeing him like this. Marco was not the soldier boy Octavian was or lazy nuisance Sasha was either. To Lexi, Marco was just… Marco. The one who tried harder and cared more than any other vampyr. The one who was easily flustered but stood stalwart when the time was needed. The one who Lexi knew she could depend on. But now… Marco was a wreck. She could tell from his red eyes he had been crying and to see his expression so sullen and just lifeless made Lexi want to hold all the more. But it was obvious Octavian beat her to it as he normally did.

"So," Lexi began as she sat backwards in the chair, doing her best to dissipate the heavy atmosphere. "When did you get back Octavian?"

"About twenty minutes ago. Found our little knight standing outside the medical tent watching his damsel in distress from a distance," Octavian said gazing down at Marco, rubbing his ear as he spoke. "Had to pull him in here before the gawkers started spreading more rumors."

"Tuh," Lexi scoffed with a wave of her hand. "Lucky I wasn't there, or I would have burned them all to a crisp."

"That's not funny!" Marco suddenly yelled, leaping right out of Octavian's lap. Lexi was frozen in place, even Octavian was noticeably stunned. But the silence that followed did not last long as Marco quickly realized what he had done. He looked down to his side ashamed.

All Lexi knew were just rumors, pieces of the whole truth. But even still, beyond the outburst, she could tell that whatever happened to Marco clearly traumatized him. He was still unevenly huffing out breaths, his hands were clenched in fists so tight that they were shaking, his eyes watered as if he were about to cry again, and he had fear written all over his face. Lexi's heart panged. Her body instantly jumped out of the chair, knocking it over as she rushed to hold him. She wrapped her arm around his back and brought his head with her other hand down to her shoulders, allowing him to begrudgingly cry and hold her back.

Lexi finally held him, and yet she felt neither excitement, joy, or even jealousy when Octavian came to hug them as well. All she felt was worry. She did not care that to Marco, this was only a friendly group hug. She did not care for his outburst, or what even led to it. All that mattered was that she was there for him now and that whatever lied ahead, she would have the chance to be there for him then too.