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Late at night Cyno lies awake. He stares off into the distance past the walls of the room, he imagines Tighnari perhaps sleeping at his desk again. He imagines Collei tucked away in her small bed fast alseep. He wishes he too could fall asleep as easily as they did. He sat vigilantly in a comfortable fluffy bed yet he found he just couldn't turn off the anxiety filled "General Mahamatra" and come back to being just "Cyno". He gripped the blanket haphazardly wrapping it around his shoulders as a feeble attempt to calm his worries.
Suddenly his attention was shifted to the creak of the door. He flinched ready to grab his polearm that was nowhere nearby. He panicked for a moment, clenching his fists so tight his knuckles turned pale. But as the door swung open there was no enemy, only Tighnari.
Cyno relaxed at the sight and felt guilty for even thinking of violence when looking at him. He decided his lack of sleep was finally getting to his head. Tighnari walked forward with delicate steps. Carefully avoiding the different items strewn about cynos room and sat carefully on the edge of the bed.
"It late, cyno." tighnari murmured " Why aren't you asleep?"
Cyno thought for a moment. Why wasn't he asleep. It's not like he couldn't sleep. He was certainly tired enough and the bed was plenty comfortable so then why had he tossed and turned all night? Was it that he was too comfortable? Was he too accustomed to the dangerous desert and it's extreme temperatures and uncomfortable sleeping positions? It's not like he misses the chaos but it was like there was something missing. That feeling danger was just around the corner was hard to turn off, but without the danger it was just annoying. He didn't need this feeling anymore why won't it just go away?
"I don't know..." he answered both to tighnaris question and to his own thoughts.
Tighnari quirked an eyebrow, it was unlike his companion to not crack a joke at a somber mood. "Alright then come sit closer, I'll braid your hair." Tighnari said patting the spot next to him.
Cyno looked at him, then at his hand patting bed, then back at his face. Something felt a little off with such a gesture, but Cyno decided he wouldn't dare pass up this wonderful opportunity. Cyno had always liked when people would play with his hair. It was a little embarrassing to say out loud so he kept it to himself but at some point tighnari had figured it out anyway.
"Mmmm " cyno hummed
" It's a shame your hair is so knotted, it's so soft. " Tighnari clicked his tongue running his fingers through cyno's admittedly very tangled hair. He pulled and tugged but there was no sign of discomfort in Cyno's expression . If you had only seen his face one would think he was peacefully meditating.
" this is unlike you, Tighnari. " Cyno commented on tighnaris unusual kindness with a smile that was filled to the brim with an indescribable fondness. But then again, his own behavior was also unlikely. He would've liked to make a joke to lighten the mood but he had been to tired to think of anything funny.
Tighnari's hand stopped brushing through Cynos hair for just a moment. When he continued Cyno noticed it was no longer tighnaris hand weaving through his hair but an actual brush. It seemed so normal to him but after he thought for a moment he realized exactly what that would imply. Tighnari had not just come ro check on him but also specifically brought a brush just in case he was to do this. He knew how much he had enjoyed it. It made Cyno's heart melt just thinking about the whole gesture.
Tighnari continued brushing for a few minutes before finally breaking their comfortable silence. "Cyno, you don't have to be on guard here. I know you're stressed in the desert but I can hear any danger long before it reaches our door. So your job here, is to relax. Do you understand me, General mahamatara? " Tighnari whispered sternly while gently brushing out the tangled mess of Cynos hair. Cyno nodded as he felt his eyes burn with tears. It had been so long since he had felt so cared for. In that moment, with tighnari, he thought world really did revolve around them for just a second.
Finally Tighnari set the brush down, and began to, very carefully, braid his smooth hair.
" Thank you tighnari, but if I could, make a request?" cyno asked trying not to let his voice shake.
Tighnari mulled this statement over, still turning hair over in his hands, his tail swishing side to side like a fluffy metronome. " I suppose." he answered with a reluctant sigh finishing off the braid with a small band he brought along in his pocket.
Cyno flashed a smile and tried to forget how embarrassingly cheesy his request would be. " Stay by my side." Cyno hesitated as he felt his cheeks grow hot." I mean, just for tonight, of course. I don't want to force you! " He smiled nervously gazing into Tighnaris face trying to read his expression. Sadly he couldn't decipher a single note of his face.
"That's all?" Tighnari countered.
Cyno nodded hoping tighnari couldn't see his shaking hands. " That's all."
Tighnari sighed, slowly tossing his arms around Cyno's shoulders and pulling him down on the bed.
"That's easy. I was going to do that anyway." Tighnari whispered reassuringly rubbing circles on cynos back. Cyno melted into the touch finally feeling the exhaustion he had held on to for so long.
Cyno yawned wrapping his arms around Tighnari in a long leisurely movement. "Sometimes, I have dreams about you." he paused and quickly added to his statement " Just that you're beside, when I'm alone in the desert. Or that you're there when I eat my meals, or cheering me on at genius invocation, or just that you're with me."
" Really?" Tighnari chuckled quietly "Do you miss me that much?"
Cyno shook his head trailing off " No, much more."
Although he joked Tighnari had experienced many a dream of cyno getting hurt, lost, or back home safe and sound. Whatever the case it felt like his mind was always on cyno's well-being, be that good or bad. Tighnari truly missed Cyno more than he could put to words. Thus it was music to his ears that he wasn't alone in the feeling. So he mustered up what little pride he had left and threw it out the proverbial window. " I have kept all of your letters. I read them over and over when I miss you."
"NO!" Cyno whisper-yelled in shock propping himself on his elbow to look at Tighnari, who was profusely blushing. The stunned look on his face almost immediately faded into something more soft then back to a mischievous grin."Do you really miss me that much?" he mocked mimicking what Tighnari had so playfully said moments ago.
Tighnari nodded and squeezed Cyno tighter in his arms" I miss you way more than you'll ever know. Now, go to sleep!"
Cyno happily closed his eyes and snuggled into Tighnaris embrace. They were at peace in perfect harmony. This lasted less than a minute:
" Tighnari." Cyno peeped.
" mhmm?" Tighnari hissed failing to hide the annoyance in his voice.
Cyno continued," Where do fish sleep?", although Tighnari couldn't see it, he knew the exact look on Cyno's face and what was to come next.
"... I don't know. Where?" Tighnari said flatly indulging Cynos terrible joke and almost instantly regretting it.
" ...on the river bed. " Cyno waiting for a response. Tighnari knew if he didn't laugh he would have the joke explained to him upon why it was funny and that was the last thing he wanted. So he reluctantly gave his teeniest tiniest, laugh.
This mere murmur of laughter made cyno perk up. His words seemed to get caught in his throat and on his tongue so all that came out was a stunned babble. Accompanied by a smile that rivaled the heavens themselves, by Tighnaris perception. Tighnari on the other hand, began to contemplate if maybe he should laugh at Cyno's jokes more often.
Tighnari lightly put a finger to Cynos lips and let out a long shhh noise " Go to sleep." He cooed lightly patting cyno back down onto the fluffed pillows.
And for a few more minutes he did. It didn't last long though, Cyno still had just a few more words left to say. Thus, he bugged Tighnari a little more. This time, however, he waited until he believed Tighnari was fast asleep and couldn't tease his next words.
"Nari. I am so very in love with you. You are my everything. Everything. It hurts me, just how much I ache for you. " Cyno whispered as quietly as his voice would allow. This time Cyno really did shut up and close his eyes. His mind and heart were racing, but he was happy to be in Tighnaris embrace.
Until he heard a whisper in his ear, "I love you too." then Cyno felt the lightest set of lips just barely kiss his own. His entire body froze. He had never planned for such levels of success and therefore malfunctioned like old akademiya tech that couldn't seem to process new software.
Tighnari was still exhausted though, he hadn't staye up so late in a long time and therefore didn't think what had happened was actually real until he landed the kiss. At that moment he recoiled and also froze. But soon enough, both fell asleep with minds full of thoughts about the person mere centimeters away. Both happily tangled together with they legs in a knot and hands squeezed together.