Work Text:
Cyno dreaded nights like this. Silent nights where he had to watch his footing so carefully as to not disturb one’s slumber. Nights where the only moments he spent with him were when he’d slip into bed like this when Tighnari had already retired for the night. Soft snoring floating out of the small room. Nights where he had to leave at the crack of dawn, leaving nothing in his wake. Only able to offer a kiss in parting.
If there was something about Cyno’s job that he had a grievance about. If it wasn’t the reputation that it had settled him with, or the entitlement that some scholars carried, thinking they were above these rules..it was how often it kept him far away from Tighnari.
Ever since Cyno had regained his position, he was barely able to catch a glimpse of him. Some missions lasted him days or even weeks before he returned. Only leaving him with a small window of free time before he’d be off again.
But this one night. Once he had ducked his head inside, ready to settle underneath the sheets and finally relax. Tighnari wasn’t in bed, but rather at his desk. Scanning over an old textbook like the ones he would pour so much studying into during his time at the akademiya. Cyno’s footsteps stopped abruptly and that was when Tighnari turned to face him.
“Thought you could sneak up on me?”
Cyno propped his polearm against the wall, lifting his cowl up over his head and placing it neatly by the wall as well. “Aren’t you meant to be asleep by now?”
Tighnari folded his arms. “Can you blame me for getting a bit caught up? I swear I intended on getting to bed just as soon as I finished this chapter.”
Cyno settled into the bed as he always did, just with the absence of a body beside him. He silently watched Tighnari slip back into deep focus. The small notebook by his side gradually filled up with notes and doodles.
“I haven’t seen you studying a textbook like that since you graduated..”
Tighnari let out a soft sigh, he closed the book before leaving his chair to head to his bed. “I was asked to give a lecture at the Akademiya this week, so I’m preparing a lesson plan.”
“They approached you about teaching again?”
“Yes, but this is a compromise we could agree upon. I’m not doing any more than I have to.”
Cyno’s only reaction was staring off somewhere. Kind of insensitive of them to ask for a number of reasons. One of them being Tighnari refusing to be part of their faculty and actively defying their regulations, only to be justified in doing so. It’s something that they had both grown tired of , especially since that meant routine check in by Cyno himself to see if this ‘behavior’ had continued.
His reaction was just as Tighnari expected it to be. Slightly concerned, but only for Tighnari’s sake. Not wanting to see him go out of his way to do something that he wouldn’t be happy with. How much he wanted to take the man by the shoulders and kiss him right then. Afterwards telling him there was nothing to worry himself about.
The mattress dips inwards as Tighnari gets into bed with him. Cyno slightly lifts up his arm to allow two to secure themselves around his waist and pull his hips back against the other's body. Moonlight seeps into the small hut with the two laying entangled with eachother in complete silence for a moment.
“I really missed this. I missed you.” Tighnari whispered into the darkness, though the only one to respond would be Cyno.
“I missed seeing you while you were awake..for once, I hate having a job to do.” He all but mumbled into the pillow beneath him.
“This is the second instance where you’ve been so willing to give up your position for my sake.” Tighnari’s chin rests on Cyno’s shoulder. “Keep it up and the Akademiya might start getting ideas.”
Something about that scenario was so unbelievable, it caused Cyno to audibly laugh. With Alhaitham still holding the position of Acting Grand Sage, he of all people would know that Cyno wasn’t so easily disposable. Doing so would be illogical in his mind. However, in the past this couldn’t have been more true by his own departure.
“I doubt it, now at least.”
Tighnari offered a slight chuckle at this ridiculous thought as well and the two remained quiet once again. Simply existing in each other's company without care or worry about striking a conversation. Because they didn’t need to. Being this close, they were already content. Cyno would eagerly watch Tighnari simply be in his element in a heartbeat, and vice versa. Tighnari would never deny the chance to hear Cyno detail the current ‘meta’ in Genius Innovation. Simple moments like these were just so endearing.
“You need a haircut.”
Hands slowly ascending upwards till they met silky white hair. Cyno’s eyes were already getting heavy from the lack of sleep. As much as he tried to push through his exhaustion, it would not work for long.
“Do I? Will you help me cut it..” He mumbles, a yawn cutting through his words.
Tighnari had clearly decided that he wouldn’t allow this man to fight sleep any longer. The blanket was swiftly pulled up over their shoulder and the light clicked off. The final touch was a soft kiss planted on Cyno’s forehead. So gentle, but filled with so much tenderness and care that only Cyno could recognize. Which made it all the more easier to lay himself to rest.
The tension in his shoulders subsides in one long deep breath. It was as if he had finally taken off his last piece of armor. After his helmet, after his polearm..hell, even after his cold and ruthless demeanor. His last piece of armor had protected his security, his comfortability. Tighnari was the only one who had the power to help him let his guard down.
Once Tighnari saw him become more relaxed, a bit of his own worry had faded with it. “I’ll cut your hair in the morning. Let’s go to sleep for now.”
Tighnari had been taking up more lectures so he’d be closer to the Akademiya to visit Cyno. Not like properly educating his juniors when he had the opportunity wasn’t also a valuable priority for him. That he’d be quick to refute. But if he was being truthful..Tighnari missed Cyno deeply and seeing him so rarely recently was only going to grow more upsetting. So, when a couple scholars had reached out, who was he to refuse such a straightforward solution?
What concerned Tighnari a bit more was Cyno’s response to it. How would he feel knowing that he only took this opportunity partly because he just wanted to see him more. He could just see that guilty look on his face, despite him not doing anything wrong. But it would be insulting to not tell him all the facts. Tighnari felt this overwhelming need to ‘come clean’ about it in the morning.
So, he had Cyno sit at his desk. And while he took his time, carefully combing out the kinks and knots from his hair, slightly trimming ends or taking off short lengths..Tighnari had detailed what his plan had been.
Cyno could easily say still, keeping himself occupied by reorganizing a new deck. When he was finally able to look back at him, Tighnari resisted the urge to seize his lips that instant.
“Are you sure you’re fine with doing that?”
‘I'd be fine with a million different things for your sake.’ Is what Tighnari wanted to shout out into the world but he opted for the less dramatic option.
“It’s really not an issue for me to give a few lectures. Besides I don’t think I can ever go on missing you so much when the opportunity is right within reach!” Tighnari slumped into him, arms draped over his shoulders and chin resting on Cyno’s head.
“You would’ve been fine.” Cyno insisted, with a serious expression to match his tone. Tighnari wasn’t buying into it though.
“I would not be, neither would you.”
“No..” His lie quickly fell to pieces. “I would not have..I can’t stand being able to see you only when you’ve already gone to bed. I would literally perish.”
“That’s too dramatic, even for you and you know that.” Tighnari lifts up off of him. Shuffling about the room until he finds a large wooden basket. “Come with me out to the river, would you?”
Quite a few clothes were now hanging above their heads on a wire to air dry. Tighnari turned out to be the only one washing clothes as Cyno was more content with clinging onto him like a baby koala.
“I asked you if you wanted to go out to the lake with the expectation that you would help me with the laundry.”
“I am aware. I never intended on doing them.”
“I am going to intend on shoving you into this river.”
Cyno fakes a drawn out gasp, before his face changes into that of a sinister smirk. But before he could get another word in..
“I am going to kiss you on that stupid mouth of yours if the next words that fall out of your mouth are a joke.” Just to rub it in, his tail even bats at his face.
“That’s not even a threat anymore! I’ll just continue to make more! You got tail fur in my mouth..”
Tighnari’s arms folded over his chest as he looked back toward Cyno. “All I need to do is find another solution then. Like throwing you into the river.”
Cyno clenched imaginary pearls, shock and disbelief plastered into his face. Deeply hurt by his partner’s words. How could he say such a thing?
“You absolute monster!”
Tighnari had completely finished the laundry by then, now able to sit and relax in Cyno’s company once more.
“This monster's only offense is wanting you to do the laundry and mildly threatening you.” Tighnari himself even chuckled at the ridiculous statement.
Cyno treated his laughter like a golden ray from the sun. The most precious thing on this earth. Cyno’s heart would almost do somersaults from just hearing it.
Cyno’s grip on Tighnari’s hips grew tighter. He pressed his face into the others back as his cheeks grew a darker shade.
“I’m crushing on you so hard..” Even when Cyno whispered, Tighnari caught all of it clearly. “I really do love you a lot.”
“How do you have a crush on me when we’re already together?”
“I just do. Don’t make fun of me.”
“I swear I’m not making fun of you! I'm just asking!” A little chuckle escaped Tighnari’s lips which only made Cyno more embarrassed.
“You can’t say that while laughing. This is the only scenario where I don’t want you to laugh.”
“I’m not making fun! In fact..I have a crush on you as well.”
Cyno leans back, and raises his eyebrows. The slight change in expression, though rare, told Tighnari all he needed to know. This was now a challenge. One that Tighnari should prepare himself to conquer.
“If that’s so, then prove it to me.”
Tighnari began to clear his throat. He had no doubts in his mind about it. Being a true scholar at heart, Tighnari would never shy away from a good debate. No matter what, he’d prove his case.
“I have such a crush on you, that I go through my day constantly reminded of you. In the back of my mind I think..’Cyno would be so fascinated by this…I should ask Cyno about this later..maybe Cyno would be interested in this strategy I’ve come up with.’ So much mention of you, Kaveh could make a drinking game out of it.”
As he saw the smile grow on his partner’s face, he knew he should keep going. Even just to make that smile last a little longer.
“Then when I get home, and I shed off my duties..even as I’m alone.. my last thoughts are about you. Before I even shut my eyes, I thank Lord Kusanali for getting to be so close to someone like you. I always hope I catch a glimpse of you, even for a short while before I drift off to sleep.”
Cyno was stunned at the least, he almost crashed into Tighnari’s embrace. Face buried deeply into the other's shoulder.
“You’re head over heels. You’ve really fallen hard, just like I have..”
Tighnari kisses his temple.
“I definitely am..it’s too embarrassing for me to tell. So don’t you dare say anything.”