Chapter Text
Siren had a reputation for being incredibly stubborn, especially when it was about her injuries. She also had a pretty good case of haphephobia. The fear of being touched. She knew that for her it wasn't painful, like it could be for others, but it felt like the touch lingered on her skin- a dull buzz that wouldn't go away even after hours of being alone. For some reason though, physical contact in battle never bothered her. It could have been the fact that she was too hyped up on her own adrenaline to feel pain, much less someones touch. Or maybe it was the knowledge that the one who touched her on the battlefield wouldn't live till the next sunset. Or the next minute if they happened to touch her wings.
Like most avians Siren's wings were highly sensitive, and were considered her entire soul. To touch them meant death, no matter which side of the battlefield you were on.
Today was no different from any other, the battlefield slick with blood and air filled with soldiers dying screams. Siren truly earned the title Angel of Death as she forced her blade through soldier after soldier to pierce lungs and hearts. "Getting through the ribs was the most difficult part." She thought,sighing as she wrenched her sword from- oops. An ally. While she was distracted the man started making a wet raspy sound, his last words probably. Then Siren's world faded as something hit the back of her head. "It was a warning." Was the last thought she had.
*********************************************************************************************************************************************
Siren woke to absolute agony. Her wings were a mess of bloody and torn feathers, and she couldn't really reach to fix them. She sat up and flinched back when she saw a shadow in the corner of the tent. She was guessing it was a tent by the cloth wall beside her, since her vision was still blurry. As it cleared she relaxed a bit, realizing the shadow was a man in the same uniform as her.
"How're you feeling?" He asked as he leaned forward to see her wings. "That looks like it hurts. Name's Red. You're welcome for saving you." With the reminder of her wings Siren let out a muffled squawk as the pain washed over her again. She leaned back against the side of the tent as she tried to process what was happening through the haze of pain only to cry out again as the tent wall gave way and she landed hard on her already beaten wings.
Red's laughter was not at all muffled as he walked over and picked her up off of the floor. Siren shuddered at the buzzing feeling under his hands as tears pricked at her eyes. She yanked herself from his grasp, careful not to fall on her wings this time and took a swipe at his face with her talon-like nails.
Red ducked just in time to avoid losing an eye and shoved Siren back to the ground. "What on Earth are you doing? I was trying to help!" He hissed.
"Don't touch me." Siren hissed as she got back up off the ground and onto the bed, pulling her blood stained wings around her to check the damage. They were sore and it was going to be a while before she could fly again. A long gash on her right wing made sure of that. Cleaning them would take forever.
A cold hand on her left wing had her instincts screaming at her to move. Of course it was Red. Before she could jerk away he was straightening bent feathers for her in places she couldn't reach. The relief of finally getting her wings preened was warring with the feelings of wrong, and not flock. She hissed and twisted but Red was pinning her in place as he muttered about how she needed help and he wasn't going to sit and watch her struggle. Her wings puffed up in an attempt to ward him off, but it just made it easier for him to slip his hand between feathers and towards the fluffy down that kept her warm.
After struggling for what felt like hours Siren finally gave in and relaxed letting him do what he wanted. The feeling of cool air against newly formed feathers as he scratched the sheaths from them was amazing and she couldn't help the little coo she let out. Even the buzzing became bearable.
Red did this every night until Siren could do it herself. As well as many nights after.