Chapter Text
Lohen shivers when he gets out the car, walking up the house and shrinking into his royal blue turtleneck.
It hasn’t been cold enough for the snow to settle properly, but the temperature dips further today. A snowstorm is said to come later in the day. Lohen hopes they’d manage to avoid it on their drive to the vacation.
He doesn’t bother ringing the doorbell. Illuga usually leaves the door unlocked when he knows Lohen’s coming, and sometimes forgets to lock it completely.
Terrible habit if you ask Lohen.
It doesn’t matter how safe Illuga claims the neighbourhood is. What if someone breaks in?
…What if Lohen breaks in?
He pauses with his hand on the doorknob.
Hm.
Maybe the next time he should. Just to rearrange the furniture a little and see how long it takes Illuga to find out.
Aedon is waiting by the door when he pushes the door open, with his favourite squeaky banana in his mouth.
“Hello,” Lohen greets him, brightening immediately, “You ready for an adventure, pup?”
Aedon is wearing a cream-coloured jumper that looks oddly familiar, answering him with happy little grunts.
“Huh…”
“Lo?” Illuga calls from upstairs
“I’m making myself a coffee,” Lohen shouts back.
“Make me one too.”
“As you wish, young master!”
Lohen snickers when he hears Illuga groan in annoyance.
By the time Illuga gets to the kitchen, Lohen is at the coffee machine, finishing the latte art on the flat white.
“Morning,” Lohen greets, turning just in time to catch Illuga stealing a sip from his black coffee. He makes a face at bitterness.
Lohen rolls his eyes and slides the flat white across the counter to him.
“Mm——“ Illuga hums as he takes a large sip, knowing Lohen has added the sugar for him, and then observes the latte art on the surface.
“You’re getting better at this.” He stares at the slightly wonky leaf.
Lohen only shrugs to the compliment. Shocking, who would’ve thought having steady hands of a surgeon transfers to barista skills.
Coffee in hand, they lapse into a quiet, easy silence.
They load everything Illuga packed into the car. Aedon’s dog bed included, since he refuses to sleep anywhere else, even after they got him an identical one.
Illuga hums along the music under the breath, more out of habit than attention.
His mind drifts. It’s been happening more often lately.
Thoughts about Lohen surfacing without warning, then disappearing again before Illuga can properly examine them. Or that he pushes the thoughts away deliberately, it’s hard to say.
He has a feeling Lohen’s noticed.
Nothing ever escapes his eyes really, especially when it comes to Illuga.
“Lua,” Lohen says after they’ve been on the road for a while.
“Yeah?”
“Did you lock your door?”
“My door…?” Illuga blinks, then the words catch up to him. “Shit! My door!”
“How long we’ve been driving? Can we turn back——“
He turns to Lohen, and catches the grin immediately.
Illuga narrows his eyes, “What?”
Lohen pulls Illuga’s keys out from his pocket, a red four-pointed star dangling from them. He spins the keys on his finger.
“You’re unbelievable,” he shakes his head. “Why do you always forget to lock your door and leave your keys behind?”
“Shut up.” Illuga snatches the keys back, heat creeps up his cheeks. “I live in a very——“
“A very safe neighbourhood. Yes I know all that. Blah blah blah.”
The keys are still warm from Lohen’s pocket.
Illuga pauses, thumb brushing over the metal.
“…You did lock my door, right?” He asks eventually, looking at the keys rather than Lohen.
Lohen gives him a look. “Of course I locked your door.”
And the owner of Speranza, Kayta’s words surface. Call it whatever you want, but that’s not nothing.
Illuga pushes it away.
“Thanks.”
He puts the keys away. The warmth on them lingers. It burns a hole in his pocket.
They grab something quick for lunch on the way, nothing memorable.
The snowstorm starts when they’re close to the resort. Aedon watches the snowflakes gather against the window, utterly mesmerised.
They’re much farther north than the city. Up here, the snow settles thick over everything.
A cosy cabin sits amidst the snowy forest. Lohen pulls into its driveway.
The moment Illuga opens Aedon’s door, he bolts.
The dog dives straight into the nearest drift, disappearing completely before bursting back out, snow flying in every direction. He doesn’t pause, just plunges straight back in.
Illuga stares, stunned.
Aedon tears across the clearing, carving through the powder before doubling back so sharply he nearly loses himself in his own tracks.
The car door slams shut behind Illuga.
Lohen laughs, “I think he likes snow!”
“Lo——“
Too late.
Lohen steps straight off the cleared path and sinks into the snow up to his calves. He grins anyway.
“Come on,” he calls, dropping into a crouch. “Again!”
Aedon barks happily and charges at him——
Only to swerve at the last possible second, spraying snow all over Lohen.
“Hey!” Lohen laughs and twists after him, nearly slipping. “That’s rude! Where’s your manner?”
Aedon loops back around him in a tight circle, brushing against his legs before snapping away.
Lohen laughs louder this time and gives chase without hesitation.
Aedon zigzags wildly through the snow while Lohen tears after him a step behind, lunging but missing every time.
His laughter carries easily across the clearing, bright and unrestrained. The hospital rarely sounds like this.
Lohen, however, always does.
“Come here, you little menace!” Lohen calls.
Aedon barks back and runs even faster.
At the edge of the clearing, Illuga watches them chase each other through the snow, breath fogging in the cold.
Snow kicks up in quick bursts with every sharp turn, and scatters across Lohen’s hair and clothes. But he doesn’t care in the slightest. He laughs, breathless and bright.
Aedon darts past him again, kicking snow all over his trousers.
Lohen retaliates with a handful of snow
Illuga laughs at how it misses completely.
Lohen turns at the sound instantly, eyes bright.
“There you are,” he says, like Illuga has been part of this the entire time. “You joining us or what?”
Illuga shakes his head, “Not a chance.”
“Coward,” Lohen declares lightly, and then turns straight back to chasing Aedon through the snow.
Illuga watches the duo, smiling.
By the time Lohen and Aedon done chasing after each other, Illuga is nowhere in sight. Their bags are gone from the car.
He leaves Aedon out on the porch, not wanting him to track snow everywhere, and pushes the door open.
Warm air hits him immediately. The fireplace beside the couch is already lit.
“Lua?”
Illuga emerges from the kitchen a second later, and stops.
“…What did you do to yourself?” A chuckle escapes before he adds, “You’re covered in snow.”
Lohen looks down at himself.
That’s an understatement. Snow clings to his hair, eyelashes, and clothes. Half of it already melting. He shivers despite himself.
“And you’re missing all the fun.”
His cheeks are still flushed from the cold, the colour lingering as he grins. The light catches sharply in his eyes.
They shine too bright with the wild smile. Illuga looks away first.
“I did bring extra towels,” Illuga says, crouching to dig through the bags. “Just didn’t realise I had brought two toddlers out on holiday.“
Lohen answers by flinging snow all over him.
“Hey!”
Laughing, Lohen grabs the towels from him. “Thanks. I’ll dry Aedon first.”
He steps back outside before Illuga can argue, pulling the door shut before too much cold air slips in.
Aedon is already waiting, snow clinging stubbornly to his fur.
“Alright, pup,” Lohen mutters, crouching down, “Let’s deal with you first.”
Drying Aedon turns into a losing battle almost immediately. Halfway through, Aedon shakes hard enough to spray snow right back onto Lohen.
“Great. Thanks for that.”
When they finally come back inside, Illuga has already laid another towel out by the fire.
Lohen peels off his soaked turtleneck and black jeans and toss them near the fire to dry alongside Aedon’s jumper. He puts on the first pair of trousers he finds in his bag.
In a black undershirt and grey trousers, he sits on the floor in front of the fire, stretching his frozen hands towards the heat. Warmth stings back into his fingers.
A moment later, Illuga returns and hands him a mug.
“Thanks.” Lohen says as he takes a sip.
Illuga doesn’t sit. He leans against the back of the couch instead, gaze drifting to the damp clothing by the fire.
There’s far more snow clinging to the back of Lohen’s sweater than the front.
“…Did you fall?”
“Aedon tackled me.” Lohen says immediately.
Illuga raises an eyebrow, “Oh, did he?”
At the sound of his name, Aedon lifts his head, tail thumping proudly against the floor.
“Good boy.” Illuga mouths.
“Oi. Don’t encourage him.”
Illuga lets out a soft laugh.
Lohen shifts, stretching his legs closer to the fire. The fabric of his trousers pulls slightly as he move, just enough to look off.
Illuga’s gaze catches on it,
And lingers.
“…Is that my joggers?”
“Huh?” Lohen looks down at himself, like he hasn’t noticed until now.
He tugs lightly at the waistband. “Oh, yeah, they are. Thought mine shrunk in the wash.”
“Could just be that you got fat.”
“Fat shaming is a low blow, doc.”
Illuga looks at the joggers sitting on Lohen’s waist for a second too long. “I was looking for them the other day.”
Lohen glances down at the joggers again, then shrugs lightly, “Oops.”
“Anyhow,” Illuga says eventually, “Go take a hot shower before you catch a cold.”
“Yes mom,” Lohen sighs, but gets up anyway.
Lohen finds Illuga in the kitchen after the shower, towel on his neck and hair still damp.
Illuga doesn’t even turn, immediately putting him to work, “Could you chop the potatoes, please?”
“You’re literally just texting.” Lohen lifts the lid of the pot. The aroma of soup fills the room.
“It’s Lohikeitto.” Illuga says, still typing, brows faintly drawn together.
Lohen flashes him a smile and starts on the potatoes.
After observing for a moment, Illuga comments, “You’re really terrible with knives.”
“I’m a surgeon.”
“None of them are the same size.”
“This is way too big and way too heavy of a knife for anyone’s hand,” Lohen waves the knife to make his point.
Illuga gives him a look. “That’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard about a chefs knife.”
He continues, “Chicken? Maybe. But I don’t think you can cut potatoes with a scalpel. With that knife skill, you’re gonna bring tears to my eyes, and I’ve already cut the onions.”
“Shut up.”
“How eloquent.”
Illuga finishes his text and puts his phone away.
Then he notices it.
Lohen is still wearing his joggers.
They sit differently on Lohen. Just enough to draw attention.
Slightly too short on the ankle, and slightly too tight on the thighs. His gaze lingers a little too long.
“You stare this much at everything I wear?” Lohen says, not even looking up properly.
Illuga nearly chokes on air. “I wasn’t——I, just cut the potatoes properly.”
Heat creeps even higher onto his face when Lohen winks at him.
Lohen looks far too pleased with himself.
Then again, Illuga’s reaction have become increasingly entertaining lately.
Especially the blush, Lohen thinks. He looks nice like that. The colour high on his cheeks suits him.
Illuga turns back to the stove, misses the ladle when he reaches for it, and nearly drops the lid when he checks on the soup.
Lohen doesn’t comment on that, but Illuga knows he saw everything with that widen grin.
Lohen drops the potatoes in the pot when he’s done. Smirk still on his face.
The sound of them hitting the broth feels louder than it should be.
They finish the rest of the cooking in the usual way.
Lohen gets in the way. Aedon lurks underfoot. And Illuga swats both of them for trying to steal the food.
The windows fog from the heat in the cabin while the snowstorm thickens outside. Long before they finish dinner, night settles fully over the forest.
They don’t really decide to move. They just end up on the couch after washing up the dishes.
Lohen drops onto one end, flipping through films on the TV. Aedon settles by their feet. Illuga sits down without looking at the screen, and pulls blankets over all three of them.
The windows reflect the firelight back at them.
“Hey, hey, Lua,” Lohen shakes Illuga awake, “You’re gonna get a neck crank if you sleep here for the night.”
“…What?”
“Come on. I lit the fire in the bedroom already. Take Aedon as well, he’s drooling everywhere.”
Lohen steers him toward the bedroom before he’s awake enough to properly process anything.
“Uh? Oh…What about you? Have you taken your meds?” Illuga asks half-lidded.
“Yeah, I’ll join you in a bit when the meds kick in.”
“Kay…’night.”
Lohen watches Illuga nearly walk into a wall, then apologising to it. Aedon trails after him to the bedroom, where Lohen has laid out his dog bed already.
Lohen catches himself drifting off, and then turns the TV off. He puts out the fire and checks all the doors.
By the time he pushes the bedroom door open, he’s already half asleep on his feet.
He finds both beds occupied. Separately, by Illuga and Aedon.
He stares at them for a long second, his sleep-fogged brain taking too long to process the situation.
Aedon, who usually refuses to sleep anywhere else but his dog bed, has decided tonight is the night to take Lohen’s bed. He’s sprawled across it, occupying the entire thing.
Lohen’s too tired for this, so he tries to shove Aedon to one side.
Aedon immediately starts to whimper.
“Shh——Shh——Dude what the hell?!” Lohen whispers, “You’re gonna wake Lua up!”
He glances over. Illuga stirs, but settles again eventually.
Aedon stretches, and somehow lies even more spread out.
Lohen mutters, though the scolding breaking off into a yawn halfway through, “You’re a spoiled——brat, you know that?”
“Why are you in my bed?! You like Lua more.”
Aedon whines again. That makes Lohen stop his scolding immediately.
“…Little brat.”
Lohen turns to look at the other bed, where Illuga sleeps soundly——on one side of the bed.
There’s plenty of space for him…
He eyes the door for a second, already knowing he’s not taking the couch. Not with the fire out and the cold.
The bed looks warm.
And very tempting.
Whatever, why not. He’s usually up before Illuga anyways.
He tells himself that as he slips into Illuga’s bed.
And falls asleep the moment his head hits the pillow.
All will be tomorrow’s problem.