Waver hugs him tighter, pressing his face against the base of Iskandar's throat and taking in his scent with every deep breath. He doesn't even care about the mud or blood or anything else. Yet.

"I'm just... so happy I found you. I don't know what--" He can't even say it. Iskandar calls him brave, but Waver doesn't remember courage. Only the sick worry and terror pushing him forward, hours and days blurring together unrecognizably, marked only by Iskandar's absence.

"I love you," he whispers, voice quivering again. "There's nothing that could scare me more than losing you. When- when I couldn't reach you on the Watch, and the Bond felt so messed up... the only thing I could think about was needing to see you in front of me."