Chapter 451 - 452: Hope.

Chapter 451: Chapter 452: Hope.

For all the time Binny’s spend tending to Khobi’s various cuts, bruises and various ugly injuries, it’s kind of nice to be the one on the receiving end for a change.

Although, considering how often he’d told him to quit being a baby or to stop fidgeting while his wounds were getting cleaned, hopefully he never finds out that Binny’s just as bad of a patient as he is.

It’s not his fault that he squirms though; he’s still getting used to the aches and pains, and everything else that comes with being a soldier. Like, for example, no longer being exempt from Drogger’s scary rules.

​"It’s brutal, Vector," he exclaims morosely, perched on the edge of Vogrid’s bed in nothing but his trousers; back bared so that he can have someone check to make sure his latest battle scars are healing nicely.

They both know that he would’ve been able to do the same thing with a mirror, but that’s a little something they’ve decided to keep to themselves.

"Y’know, I just thought they were big old whingers, but I’m starting to think they were onto something. I was only a couple of minutes late today; do you know how many laps I had to run this morning?"

​"Maybe you shouldn’t have been late," Vogrid points out stonily, which is the exact opposite of the kind of validation Binny was going for.

​" Vector, you’re not supposed to be on Drogger’s side! "

​"Why? You were late. I would’ve done the same thing."

​"So cold, Vector~" " Ow, that stings !" He’s being dramatic, and from the reproachful look he receives for whinging Vector gives him, he’s well aware of it, but he does ease up on the pressure just a little.

It’s probably the deepest wound he’s ever taken, and he is in absolutely no rush to get another one. It’s going to scar up pretty bad and hurts whenever he moves.

How Khobi and Loac consistently carve each other up like this and then get right back up like it’s nothing, Binny has no idea.

​Pain aside, this is kind of nice; having someone to patch him up, that is.

Usually he’s the one doing the patching, and while he’s sure his sister would do it for him if he asked, he doesn’t want to worry her needlessly.

​The change has been tough, but he knew that it would be. Ynoro is a good teacher –if easily distracted –and while Binny’s acutely aware of the way some of the soldiers look at him, they seem to know better than to speak their minds about it with a superior in earshot.

That’s not to say they don’t say it when there isn’t, or in other ways. It’s a good thing that Binny’s made some scary friends.

That, and well, he’s started to get a bit of a reputation for making mouthy soldiers look bad.

​More than ever, he knows that this is what he wants. The life he wants.

​It hurts a bit, but that’s just part of the fun.

​"Y’know Vector, it could be fun if you came and joined us sometime," he remarks conversationally.

It’s been something he’s been thinking about more and more; in the nights they spend training alone together.

It’s nice, getting to spend that time as just the two of them, because the opportunities to do just that are rare and precious to him, but it’s been a long time since Binny got to see Vector go all out against someone, so can he really be blamed for wanting to witness it again.

And if Khobi and Rogard get to spend their days ogling their...affiliated parties, so to speak, then why can’t he?

​Unfortunately, the idea makes Vector’s expression pinch like Binny has just held a bug up to his face and told him to eat it.

Which obviously makes Binny laugh.

​"No need to make such a scary face," he splutters, waving away the sour look, "It’d be good for you.

And them, probably." For someone who’s so dedicated to his craft, Vector sure seems to be trying to get out of coming to training. His Majesty has Bongo to take care of things, and the princess hardly needs to be minded while she’s at the training grounds.

She’s amongst her father’s soldiers; she’ll be safe. And Montrel wouldn’t dare do anything inappropriate there –none of his fellow soldiers would ever let him live it down.

​(Binny likes that that includes him, now.)

​"Aw, come on Vector, what happened to I will do my utmost."

​"I don’t sound like that."

​Binny’s a little offended. His Vector impressions are perfect.

It’s just a shame that Vector’s the only one he ever gets to do them for. For now.

​"All the same," he shrugs, and a small, fond smile creeps out across his face as he thinks of the soldiers laughing as they smack him around in between drills, and then laughing louder when he smacks them back.

But then, when Drogger calls them to attention, to attention they stand; solemn, proud soldiers of a proud kingdom.

"...They’re working hard, too. I even think some of them would give you some trouble these days~"

​That makes Vector bristle. Exactly as he’d intended. Binny’s always liked when Vector surprises him, but there’s something to be said for his predictability, too.

​"You doubt my abilities?" he scoffs, handing him his shirt to let him know that he’s finished up with his bandages even though Binny knows very well that he’s been done for quite some time now. But it’s cute that he thinks he doesn’t know that.

​"Not at all," Binny snickers. Silly Vector, he should know that he of all people has always been a great believer in his strength. " –But I don’t doubt theirs, either." Vector considers this, and doesn’t seem to like it.

​"...Did Loac put you up to this?" he inquires suspiciously, and Binny can’t help but raise an eyebrow at the unexpected turn of conversation.

​"Why would Loac put me up to it?" he asks back, leaning back against the thick blankets of Vogrid’s bed and tucking his hands up behind his head. It hurts a little, but not quite as much as it did yesterday. "I miss training with you, is all."

​"We train together."

​Binny rolls his eyes. There he goes, misunderstanding on purpose.

​"You know that’s not what I mean," he chides, letting out a long, nostalgic sigh. "...Those were the times, right? Chasing down Loac and Rogard and tryin’ to drag them back to lessons?" Vogrid’s expression pinches into a grimace.

He remembers. "It was fun, wasn’t it?"

​"I think you are misremembering."

​"Oh, I’m the one misremembering? I remember Vector training nonstop for weeks when Rogard knocked him down that one time."

​There’s a pause, followed by a disgruntled, "...I don’t know what you’re talking about."

​"...I suppose you don’t remember crying, either?"

​" Binny."

​Oops, Binny . He only uses that tone with him when he’s about to be in trouble for teasing.

​"Don’t worry, I haven’t reminded him," he chuckles, because when did that ever stop him when it came to Vector? "Besides," he adds airily, tipping his chin so that he settle Vogrid with a rare, totally honest, totally open look; grey eyes twinkling just this once without mischief, "I know at least one guy who would kinda like to get to fight with you again.

That makes Vector’s eyes soften. So slightly that you’d probably miss it if you weren’t looking. But even without his eyes, Binny would have seen.

He knows where to look, after all, and what to look for.

​What a treat that would be; getting to fight with Vector again, like they were equals.

That’s the sort of thing they’d done when they were kids, because kids didn’t care who your father was until their own fathers made them care.

Kids cared if you could jump really far or do a backflip off a bench or liked the same games as them.

And even if young Vector never seemed to care about those sorts of things either, he still joined in regardless.

​"Is that so?"

​Binny hopes that one day he will again.