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They finally got back to the ship. It was quite the struggle to keep Bam's true power hidden and to pass the test without the administrator getting mad or suspicious at them. It seemed like people on the upper floors didn't really know how Jue Viole Grace looked entirely, which was a win on their part. At the end, they managed to pass the test and get home, everyone was exhausted and ready to take a nap. Endorsi made her way to the back of the ship where her room is, almost carrying Anaak like a potato sack. Hatz decides that the kitchen was his best bet to relax, before going back to training again. Shibisu leaves somewhere outside, he had to run some errands for the whole team, it was his turn to do.
So that leaves Bam, Khun and Rak at the entrance of the ship. Rak is the first one to withdraw to their shared room, making a quick comment saying that their leader is going to take a nap. This is the first time Khun sees Rak this silent. He won't tease or complain this once as he really needs the peace too, instead of the alligator's screeching.
Khun turns around to face Bam, blue eyes, dulled from tiredness, locked with molten gold ones. He smiles a little, it doesn't reach his eyes but it lulls Bam into a sense of commodity. Bam returns the smile, stepping forward to trail behind Rak, but a hand on his sleeve pulls him back. Khun points wordlessly to the study room they had on the ship. It wasn't always there, Khun found the door accidentally: he was leaning on the wall where the door was hidden and the pressure made it crack open. Since then, they kept most of the team meetings there or just used it as a quiet place for research purposes.
Bam takes a few seconds to weigh the possibilities but even if a good sleep after a floor test sounds tempting, he can't say no to the silvery blue haired man. He sighs, stretching his whole body upwards and nods. When they reach the room, both of them sink into the chairs that were placed in front of each other at the desk. The room was cozy, it was small but warm and welcoming, probably from all the light-hearted meetings the team had. The chairs were cushioned, the walls had maps of the ship on them and there were bookshelves… bookshelves and maps. it was surreal seeing this type of stuff, after all they had pockets, lighthouses, observers even, but this is what made the room so pleasant.
"Woah! This test has to take the top of the cake. It was horrible." Khun growls, unable to contain his reactions anymore. He places a hand on top of his eyes and lets his head fall back. "... and we can't even go to rest, we would mess our sleep schedule."
This makes Bam chuckle. So that was what it was about. He feels a bit refreshed, talking between four eyes with Khun. Being this close to Khun always charged his batteries. The lightbearer was most of the time silent and analytical, a tease, maybe a jerk sometimes, but to Bam he felt so real, so perfect that he just wanted to stay by his side. "Yeah, it was a rough test. It's only the 70th floor. I can't help but wonder how it will be in the future." Bam finally speaks, his voice a little rough from not talking in a long time.
"People make it this far in hundreds of years, so us reaching floors in such a short amount of time is something. We, you of all… we deserve a rest…" But both Bam and Khun know that there is no such thing as a break. Time for themselves was the only thing they couldn't afford, so all the small chats, drinking at night and just staying in the presence of each other and the team were sacred memories that they hold dear. "It will only get harder and messier." Khun's hand taps slowly on the table in front of them. Seconds later he realizes that he might have put more unnecessary weight on Bam by speaking up his mind.
"I'm sorry Bam, you shouldn't have left me to blubber like that." He waves his hand in Bam's direction, discrediting through the action his own thoughts.
"No… It's alright. I like hearing your thoughts unfiltered." Bam didn't mind what he already knew from the start. So he shakes his head, chuckling again.
Khun stands up swiftly. He doesn't have any intent to swipe what Bam just said under the rug, but he has a good idea. "Wait here! I'll make some tea for us. Since we finally have the privilege to have a small break. We have a reason to talk more like this." He says, showing the wave controller a big grin. The sapphire eyes man walks to Bam and places a hand on his shoulder, then makes his way to the kitchen.
Bam waits for a little bit, falling into a comfortable silence, until he can hear bickering in the hall. He instantly recognizes the voices of Hatz and Khun. The lightbearer is approaching the room and the swordsman moves into another direction, probably to the training grounds. Khun finally enters, an annoyed puff coming from him. He sits down with the tray and places a mug in front of the brunette.
"What even was that?" Bam says amused, enjoying when Khun gets heated up because of small things Hatz would do.
"He is so annoying, he won't stop picking on my earrings and my fashion style. I mean… look who's talking!"
"Haha! You know? You always judge his swordsman morality."
"Okay! I get that, but he also calls me a kid for refusing to eat vegetables."
"You also told him his cookie sucks and-"
"Who's side are you on?!" Khun argues back like a small kid with no bite to his word. It makes Bam happy, seeing as the other finally seems to not stress that much anymore. He looks at Khun that has his arms folded and looks anywhere but in front of him. Like this, the wave controller takes his sweet time admiring the way light reflects on Khun's deep ocean irises. Bam feels like every time that happens, he might just uncover a little bit more from the mystery that was his lightbearer.
Bam takes the mug in his hands, sighing softly when the warmth engulfs his hands as well as his face. He brings the cup closer to his mouth taking small sips. When he puts it down, he can see the other one in front of him, looking pretty surprised at him. The brunette shakes his head in confusion, making Khun to look at his mug and then to his own.
"What's wrong, Khun?" Bam breathes out as he observers the other's eyes landing once again on his mug, an almost invisible pout on his face.
"Give me your hand." The lightbearer puts his hand on the table making grabbing motions in his direction. Without a second thought Bam just places his hand in Khun's palm. Khun maneuvers their hands so both palms are aligned. He dramatically gasps, which makes Bam really confused even though he knows all too well that Khun is faking it.
"I can't accept this! Your hands are bigger than mine. Look at this!" He shows Bam how the point of Khun's fingers are a little lower than Bam's. It takes a few seconds for the realization to sink into Bam as he is taken by surprise. He bursts out laughing like a child after they made a sneaky move, his shoulder bounce and all the tiredness dissipates making him look young, like when they met on the floor of tests.
"I'm growing up more than you! Even my height might be a little taller." He says with a big eye smile that could conquer all the bad in the tower.
"There's no way I can accept this!" He yells but again with no malicious intent, only wanting to make Bam happy.
"You have to suck it up, me thinks." Bam responds in a way, the lightbearer knows that he might have heard from Isu.
Khun groans in defeat, but the bulb above his head lights up. He smirks a little, their hands were still against each other. So one by one he closes in his fingers and intertwines them with Bam's. Finally he is holding the wave controller's hand, without it being to pull him back from harm's way or just stopping him from doing something reckless. His hand is still cold against Bam's but it seems like the other doesn't mind, doing the same as Khun. They sit like that, devoid of any worry, full of this warm feeling of belonging that both of them seemed to seek until now, realizing that they do belong to someone and that someone was closer than they thought.
It was in the person Khun swore he would bring up to the top, the person he wanted to be besides. It was in the person Bam cherished the most, the one that showed him what true friends are.
"I can't believe this, you have become such a tease." Khun snorts as he speaks those words and he checks Bam's reaction. The brunette decides to respond with a wink that throws khun into a fit if giggles. The lightbearer looks at his pocket realizing how late it is. "We should go to re-"
"Can't we stay like this a little more?" Bam pleads, his puppy eyes giving a more irresistible look, to which Khun nods with a smile.
They keep their hands intertwined and talk, both falling asleep with their heads on the table. Blue eyes shoot open and soften at the sight before him, he stands up, freeing his hand from Bam's strong grasp. He walks closer to the irregular, leaning forward to face him closer. He moves the bangs from his eyes, only so he can press his lips against Bam's forehead. He taps on his shoulder a little to wake the other up. When Bam raises his head in confusion, Khun points at the pocket and says in whisper. "Here, let me carry you on my back to our room. I bet the bed is a bit more comfortable than the table." To which Bam stands up a little, his whole body falling limply from grogginess on Khun's back. He wraps his arms around the lightbearer's neck and hides his face in the white shirt, nostrils filled with the other's perfume. Khun picks him up and speeds to their shared bedroom where they can already hear Rak's snores.