"I missed you too," Waver whispers, lips damp with tears against Iskandar's throat. Waver presses a kiss to his pulse, eyes closed, and slowly his shaking steadies and dies away, the tears quieting down.

It's only then that he begins to realize that the scent of blood is fresher than he'd noticed at first, not simply a result of the many wounded around them. No, it smells like Iskandar's blood. And it's sharper than before.

Waver lifts his head, wiping his face on his sleeve and leaving streaks of tears and dirt.

"Y-you're hurt..."