Ben laughed, and it sounded like before. The sound of it now was a wrench to his chest. Ari swallowed quietly, praying that Ben was well enough and unhurt enough and didn’t hate him enough to not make a scene.
“Just passing through,” Ari said, still frowning, as he tried to comprehend where the pain had sparked from – his shoulder, or his side? It was difficult enough to think clearly, when it was torture just to see him now... What were the chances, though? Ari might have steeled himself to see him in certain places, but – out here, in the muggle world? Never mind the horse; they were both spooked enough. Some terrible accident, he knew – but it was almost as if he was still bound by some old pull, some sense in him always looking for Ben.
“I can’t use magic here,” Ari muttered just loud enough for Ben to hear, clenching his jaw and trying to stay focused on the immediate issue (and not on trying to scan Ben’s face for some clue to how he was these days). “Or apparate us. Do you think you can stand –?” How badly had the horse clipped him on the way down?
“Just passing through,” Ari said, still frowning, as he tried to comprehend where the pain had sparked from – his shoulder, or his side? It was difficult enough to think clearly, when it was torture just to see him now... What were the chances, though? Ari might have steeled himself to see him in certain places, but – out here, in the muggle world? Never mind the horse; they were both spooked enough. Some terrible accident, he knew – but it was almost as if he was still bound by some old pull, some sense in him always looking for Ben.
“I can’t use magic here,” Ari muttered just loud enough for Ben to hear, clenching his jaw and trying to stay focused on the immediate issue (and not on trying to scan Ben’s face for some clue to how he was these days). “Or apparate us. Do you think you can stand –?” How badly had the horse clipped him on the way down?
