Work Text:
It hardly comes as a surprise that there‘s only one bed when they enter the hotel room. After all, it would have aroused suspicion if they had requested two beds. Even the fact that the bed is queen-sized rather than king-sized is something that Cyno was mentally prepared for. Budget places in this country tend to come with smaller beds. Their division can hardly afford luxury for them unless it‘s necessary to keep up their cover. And newly-wed husbands who are only just starting to get a grip in the business world surely would rather save up on money and squeeze closer together.
So far, so good. However, as Cyno moves around the bed to put his suitcase down, he notices a very crucial detail: There is only one blanket.
In the three months since they went undercover, Tighnari and he have shared beds before. Of course they have, or they would have long since blown their cover. But they‘d always had their own respective blankets, meaning it was easy enough to avoid touching each other. With only one blanket—
„Something wrong?“
Cyno hadn‘t realised he‘d frozen right in the middle of putting down his suitcase to stare at the bed with mild horror. He clears his throat, and sets aside his luggage, making sure to avoid Tighnari‘s gaze.
„There‘s only one blanket.“
A small exclaim of realisation comes from Tighnari, as if he only just now noticed.
„Well, this place truly is for people with a tight budget,“ he laughs, „Not a problem though. Right?“
Yes problem. Definitely problem. Cyno wants to say, but he swallows down the words, and replaces them with a vague grunting sound that could be interpreted as anything.
„I could always go down to the reception and ask for another blanket?“
Tighnari has always been good at reading Cyno and spending the entire last three months together has just honed his perceptiveness even further.
„No, no need. We would just draw attention.“
„It‘s not entirely unlikely for a couple to require two blankets? Perhaps you‘re a blanket-hog and I don‘t want to spend my night fighting my husband in order to not freeze to death,“ Tighnari argues, a small grin on his lips as he speaks the last sentence. He takes way too much pleasure in teasing Cyno.
A blush creeps up Cyno‘s cheeks that he cannot even fully explain himself. Everything Tighnari does these days seems to leave him flustered, but Tighnari calling him his husband is a sure way to get Cyno‘s heart doing somersaults.
They have been partners at work for nearly a decade, which made them the perfect candidates for this undercover mission. After all they‘ve been dubbed „old married couple“ at the police station already either way, so making them act as newly-weds wasn‘t a far stretch at all.
The case they’ve been assigned to is important. They have been collecting evidence for years and being chosen to play such a central role in gathering the last few pieces necessary to close it is a huge honour. One Cyno could never possibly have turned down, despite being aware of the perils. Perils that have nothing to do with the criminals they‘re trying to get close to, and everything with the feelings Cyno has been trying his hardest to keep contained for the better part of half a decade.
This assignment is a double-edged sword. On one hand, Cyno gets to be with Tighnari, to indulge in what it would be like to have him as his husband. They hold hands when they walk outside, Tighnari steals his food and feeds him some of his own in return, and if Cyno pouts and refuses, he‘ll get a kiss pressed to his cheek and a sweet smile as peace offering. They hold dinner parties for co-workers and friends where Tighnari spends the entire evening by Cyno‘s side, his arm wrapped around Cyno‘s waist while Cyno‘s arm rests around Tighnari‘s shoulders. It is a bittersweet dream.
Because on the other side, it‘s all a game of make-believe, an illusion. Nothing of it is real, no matter how real they manage to make it seem for everyone watching at any given moment. This assignment will, eventually, come to an end. They are not actually married. They‘re not actually in love.
Or at least, Tighnari isn‘t.
Which is why he crawls into the bed that night without a single sign of hesitation. He doesn‘t have any second-thoughts about sleeping in such close physical proximity, because he doesn‘t suffer from the emotional turmoil Cyno goes through. Tighnari even goes as far as to flip open the blanket on Cyno‘s side of the bed and patting the mattress to beckon him to join him, seeming downright enthusiastic. Cyno does as told, with a hint of a smile he hopes doesn‘t look as much as a grimace as it feels.
The days are on the brink of winter, and they‘re keeping the window slightly opened because Tighnari tends to sleep better in the cold. The air is crisp but Cyno still feels as if he’s burning up. The mere knowledge that Tighnari is lying so close to him, not even a layer of blankets separating them… Cyno is just glad that he turned off the lights before climbing into bed next to Tighnari because he’s sure that he is as red-faced as if he just ran a marathon.
Tighnari wishes him a good night, and Cyno‘s response comes out as little more than a croak. His throat is bone-dry and he feels as if he‘s swallowed his own tongue.
Next to him, Tighnari shifts onto his side to look at him in the dark. It doesn‘t exactly help Cyno‘s pulse calm down.
„Are you okay? You sound a bit hoarse. Want me to get you some water?“
„I‘m fine,“ Cyno lies, „Just, lots of talking. You know? First day of the conference, lots of introductions, lots of networking. Must have strained my voice a bit.“
Cyno can feel Tighnari‘s gaze on him, but he refuses to turn onto his side to face him. Instead, he stiffly remains on his back, staring at the ceiling as if it can save him.
„Well, a good night of sleep should be enough to get you back to normal then,“ Tighnari says, and after repeating his goodnight wishes, he turns onto his other side and Cyno finally manages to release the breath he‘d been holding.
He‘s well aware that Tighnari is wrong on both counts. A night of „good sleep“ will not make Cyno „normal“. He‘s doomed around Tighnari—which is also why he knows there will hardly be any sleep for him that night.
__
Cyno has shared beds with Tighnari before, so he knows that Tighnari is not exactly a „peaceful“ sleeper. Even in the huge two metre bed in their home, Tighnari manages to invade Cyno‘s side pretty much every night. But with his own blanket wrapped tightly around his body like a protective cocoon, Cyno can usually ward off any overly awkward situation. Not tonight, however.
Cyno doesn‘t know when he actually fell asleep, but he must have drifted off at one point because when he wakes up again, the blue-ish light of sunrise is creeping through the curtains. It takes Cyno a second to realise that there is a weight on his chest. He slowly looks down, fearing the worst—he comes eye to eye with his biggest dream and his worst nightmare. Tighnari is draped over him, breathing softly against his clavicles. Cyno‘s arms, to his utter mortification, are wound tightly around Tighnari‘s waist as if to make sure he stays in place.
Cyno‘s brain jumps from drowsy peacefulness to disorientation straight to panicked overdrive as he frantically tries to figure out how to disentangle their bodies without waking up Tighnari. He can’t have Tighnari realise the position they are in. Suddenly, the stampede of thoughts skids to an abrupt halt, every single voice inside his head falling silent as a quiet murmur wafts to his ears.
Is Tighnari... saying his name?