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Boots crunch; snow falls.
But no matter how strong the wind howls, nor how thick the whiteness around him gets, Illuga refuses to turn back. His solo patrols are too important to cancel because of a small storm such as this one. Never mind that he doesn’t need to do this anymore. Force of habit.
His vision is still fairly clear, and the cold is nothing he isn’t used to—hardly reasons to go running back to camp, synonymous with abandoning his duty.
These patrols matter.
It’s often on these patrols that he comes across the unlucky traveler stuck in the plains buried in the dangerous white cold or in the clutches of the ever-persistent Wild Hunt. It’s on these patrols that he can ease the exorbitant amounts of well-concealed stress he usually has during team patrolling.
The underlying fear of losing another squadmate will always stick to him like an ugly, second skin, after all. It matters not if his squad members are all fully capable on their own.
He is captain. He bears the responsibility for their safety, no matter what.
Aedon soars just a little overhead, his golden glow softening the harsh lines of the darkening night. Illuga is preparing to take out his lantern as well, when he smells it. Feels it.
Blood.
Human blood; the kind he’s all too familiar with, with its tangy notes that spread fast in snowfall and a consistency that paints all things crimson.
The sharp cry Aedon gives is the second sign that something is wrong. That familiar, purple mist mixed with occasional hallucinogens starts to blend in with the currents of the snowstorm.
Wild Hunt.
Illuga got the shorthand memo from Varka that the Wild Hunt would be nothing but aimless Abyssal monsters now, and that theoretically, no further large congregations of them should appear out of nowhere. The Grand Master said he’d probably be back to help deal with the remains, but that he trusted the Lightkeepers to keep up their good work as they’ve always done.
It’s strange, to think of a time where the Wild Hunt might not be an overarching problem for them anymore. They might have been turned into aimless beings, but what of the Lightkeepers once the last of the Abyss-originated monsters are dealt with?
Will their role become obsolete? (Will he finally be able to rest?)
He snaps himself out of it. Focus on the present. He still is within reach to help the current situation.
Illuga does not need to call out to his bird companion at all; the trusty creature knows what to do, and flies ahead. A boost of illluminating kuuvahki will help whoever is in need. The silver-haired man picks up his pace as well, trudging through the snow with practiced experience.
The unmistakable sounds of fighting reach his ears, as well as what he thinks is frenzied, uncontrollable laughter. He frowns—he’s imagining that, right?
He reaches the battlefield, and is immediately appalled at the sight that greets him. The large clearing is enclosed by snowy, rocky terrain common to the Ashveil Peak area.
There is so much red. There is so much red that Illuga immediately wonders how the person isn’t dead already.
The silhouette in dark blues and whites (and splattered in red) is clashing up ahead against the largest of the remaining monsters. A great number of corpses evaporating in purple flames and magenta ashes litter the ground.
Illuga blanches. There are no human bodies amongst the fallen, thank the moon. But that can only mean one thing—a single person dealt with all of this, completely alone. Without backup.
Reasonably, there probably was no time to call for backup. Ashveil Peak is more or less secluded already from the rest of Nod Krai thanks to its mountainous landscape, and Cliffwatch Camp has a very specific patrol route and rotation (that Illuga willfully ignores during his personal patrols) that makes it hard to save everyone.
Illuga’ll be damned if he doesn’t try, though.
He tightens the grasp on his polearm and stabs into the clawed hand that was inching towards his foot, watching it jolt and wriggle to a stop.
He swiftly engages into close-combat battle, taking down two smaller Wilderness Exiles, moving towards the figure that he now recognizes.
Although they’ve never been introduced officially, Illuga has heard of Lohen through Varka. Low-lidded eyes of red and aquamarine, unruly viridian blue hair—no mistaking those features, that’s definitely the 5th company’s Vice Captain.
Last he heard, though, the knight was supposedly sent back to Mondstadt with the first batch of the 5th Company after the Nod Krai affairs settled.
Apparently not…?
Varka wasn’t lying about Lohen being tougher than he was, though. The blood that spilled can only be the Captain’s, and yet here he is, vigorously sweeping through enemies like it’s nothing, with what can only be described as a very wide grin on his face. A Cryo Vision gleams pale blue on the man’s back.
He should’ve expected the Vice Captain to be a Vision holder too. Unfortunately, with his own Vision being Geo, there’s no chance of any synergy. He can still offer Crystallization, at least.
Illuga clears the rest of the smaller fry before finally entering Lohen’s periphery.
Their eyes lock.
Lohen’s gaze hardens, the maniacal smile slips as Illuga begins supporting him with Aedon. They take down the Hunter that Lohen was engaging.
Illuga is just about to congratulate the knight and ask about injuries, but is met with a suspicious glare.
“I was managing fine on my own,” Lohen snaps at him. “Who’re you?”
Illuga pulls back, eyes wide. Does he suppose I'm an illusion?
“Captain of the Nightmare Orioles,” he replies automatically, “Investigation squad of the Lightkeepers.”
“Ooooh,” Lohen drawls, twirling his weapon in the most careless fashion, “Sir Illuga, then, is it?”
Illuga blinks. There is a new gleam of interest and recognition in the knight’s unfathomable eyes. A concerning patch of blood on his forehead is slowly dripping down.
And amidst all that, Illuga can't help but notice the particular, melodic cadence of the knight's manner of speech.
“Yes. And you’re Sir Lohen.”
The man brushes past any kind of formal introduction, opting instead to thrust his lance precariously in Illuga’s direction. “Heard good things about you,” Lohen considers him, eyebrow raised, “I can forgive your interruption if you agree to a spar. You're good with a spear, aren't ya?”
“I am,” Illuga trails off, lowering his arm at the same time, eyes tracking the tip of spear currently centimeters away from his nose. “You’re gravely injured, though. You shouldn’t–”
“What, this?” Lohen gestures incredulously at his own slashed up body and torn, bloodied clothes, then tilts his head and laughs. It’s a shrill, pitched sound of glee. “This is nothing! Never felt better, honest. It's just b'cause there were way too many of 'em. Nothing I couldn't handle. Now come on, pretty boy!” he goads, “Let’s see what you’re made of!”
Illuga quickly dodges three blows in quick succession, barely registering the term of endearment. He enters a short, morbid dance with the other man in the midst of howling snow and crumbling bodies.
“Hang on, Sir Lohen, you’re still bleeding–!”
“Thanks for noticing,” the man’s eyes form brief crescents, sarcasm lacing his tone, “Now,” Slash. “Fight,” Swing. “Back!”
The clang reverberates around them. Illuga finally has his polearm up in a defensive stance. Aedon chirps worriedly somewhere above.
“Sir Lohen, please.” At this distance, Illuga can see just how bad of a state he's in. A gash directly across his chest, still bleeding; a long scratch up his left thigh; the head injury, and the dried trail of crimson trickling across his chin. He even coughed up blood, then.
And Illuga isn't able to tell if anything was broken. The knight is moving much too fluidly to signal any of that.
But the basis is that the flesh wounds are all Wild Hunt inflicted, which promises follow-up infection if there isn’t rapid treatment.
“You need healing,” he insists, edging forward until he’s on the higher angle, and more in control of the stand down. It brings him to the same height as Lohen. “Come back to Cliffwatch Camp with me. Your injuries will fester otherwise.”
“Oh, I’ve dealt with these plenty’a times already.” Lohen rolls his eyes, grin creeping back up his lips. “Don’t worry, I’m fine~ Fit as a fiddle!”
“You’re stumbling,” Illuga flatly remarks. Lohen is stumbling, if very slightly. He can also tell that the knight isn’t putting all of his strength into pushing back against him. The angle between their spears steepens.
“Who’s stumbling now?” Lohen smirks before kneeing Illuga in the stomach with his bad leg through the gap of their weapons. It’s a very strong kick. Too strong, for an incredibly injured leg.
Illuga, taken completely off guard (because seriously, who uses a bad leg on the offensive?), staggers backwards. Lohen, however, already weakened and on one leg now, subsequently loses his balance because of the way their weapons are locked.
Illuga inadvertently pulls him down.
“Ah, fuck–” red and green eyes flutter considerably.
Illuga feels the press of the man’s weight on him as they fall in tandem and operates quickly—he disarms Lohen (whose eyes widen even more) with a wrench and shoves their polearms both to the side to avoid any accidental impalement.
He’s glad he’s going down first, at least. The snow cushions him slightly, and he in turn cushions Lohen, thankfully. He would’ve hated for any more damage to befall the hurt man. The impact might’ve been too much, though, because Lohen is clearly in no shape to even roll over, and Illuga can feel the knight's hair grazing his neck; his shallow breath near the shell of his ear.
“Hey, you okay?" Illuga hesitantly presses a hand to the man's back, wary of any open wounds there too.
“Sorry… I think,” Lohen mumbles, “Adrenaline’s running off… that was totally your fault, by the way.”
And on that lovely note, the man promptly passes out on top of him before Illuga can retaliate the snark. He idly considers correcting Varka’s uses of adjectives next time. ‘Tough’ isn’t exactly the right word for this guy. Try ‘crazy’.
His protective instincts kick in, though, soon enough. (He cannot lose someone else, and have their death on his conscience as well, even if it is someone who is half a stranger.)
He administers a very quick first aid with the available material he has on him; mainly wrapping up the man’s leg and head. He can’t do much for his torso without removing clothes, that’ll have to wait until they get back to camp.
Illuga curses the light layer clothes on the knight, though. Did this idiot actually come out to battle Wild Hunt alone in a snowstorm without being dressed properly for the weather?
He frowns to himself. Crazy. Crazy.
(Illuga completely ignores the part of his brain reminding him he’s quite literally doing something similar. Albeit more well-clothed.)
He carefully detaches Lohen’s front cloak, draping it over him like a blanket. It’s a bit small, but it will have to do. Aedon warbles something nearby, and Illuga looks up; their discarded weapons are still a problem. He devises something fast—Lohen’s lips are steadily being coloured a freezing violet and the storm isn’t letting up anytime soon.
With both polearms crossed on his back, and Aedon safely in his lantern, he picks the knight up as best as he can without disturbing the more prominent wounds.
Thus starts the trek back to Cliffwatch Camp.
It takes both an eternity and just a few moments before he's at the Statue at the opening of camp. Illuga squints through the snow. Several silhouettes are huddled in front of it, the kuuvahki energy from it pulsating with warmth.
“Captain, sir!"
“Captain Illuga!"
“Sir Lohen?"
“Lohen!"
“Oh, thank Barbatos!"
There's a trio of Favonius Knights, amongst a few of his anxious sqad members. Anleifr comes up to him to quickest.
“Honestly, Captain…patrolling alone again? In this weather?"
Illuga doesn't answer, instead looking down. He can tell that Anleifr wants to shake him up and down for the decision, but luckily, the injured Lohen (now a human shield) in his arms prevents any further form of chastising.
A blond Knight comes up as well, distress evident in his body language. “Oh, thank goodness you found him, Sir Illuga!"
“Does he do this often?" Illuga inquires, marching towards the nursing cabin, the crowd following suit. He doesn't need to precise anything, the Knights know exactly what he means.
“Unfortunately, he does…We all collectively agree that the Vice Captain is terrifying–uh, please don't tell him we said that."
"He's a danger magnet, to say the least." a voice Illuga doesn't recognize adds from behind.
“–and I keep telling him not to run off alone to find battle!" the third of them rambles, “Of course it'd turn out badly one day! Good thing Captain Illuga was there, otherwise…"
A collective shudder passes through the Knights and Lightkeepers alike.
The loss of a life will always be a concern in these regions, even with the dwindling Wild Hunt numbers. The Abyss isn't limited to one creature type, after all.
“Where's Valdis?" This question, he directs towards Anleifr, who opens the door for him.
“On his way, sir. I alerted him to a potential patient."
“Good."
Ivar is at Piramida currently, so Valdis is the camp's healer.
In the doorway, he turns to the Knights still lined up behind him, “Give me a few moments, and I'll arrange something for you here tonight. I know Favonius Keep isn't that far, but I'd rather you stay here than risk yourselves in the overnight blizzard."
“Thank you very much, Sir Illuga," the armoured woman with the glasses answers, “We greatly appreciate the care you have for all of us."
Illuga nods. Of course. They're practically neighbours.
That does make him wonder, though, just as he lays Lohen down on a vacant bed, how he has never come across this man on a patrol before. If his subordinates are to be believed, he pulls this kind of stunt a lot. Perhaps it just never went this badly before, so there was no chance for them to cross paths.
Illuga does recall encountering vestiges of battlefields a few times in the past years. How many of those were vacated by Lohen, and he'd just missed the man?
The dark-haired ratnik enters, and Illuga lets the medic do his job.
“Valdis is the best healer we have here," he tells the Knights, “We'll have to leave him to it."
“I trust his work if you do, Sir Illuga," the brown-haired Knight nods.
Illuga smiles wanly. “Come, I'll lead you to your temporary quarters."
There's a guest cabin just opposite of the medical one, and despite the rather cramped space for three people, the Knights are content.
“Thank you again, Captain Illuga," the blond one who introduced himself as Ekbert clasps his hands in his, “Truly."
“Of course," Illuga blearily waves away the gratitude. “Even with the threat lessened, we should still look out for one another."
All three Knights nod vigourously.
"Captain Lohen was the first to volunteer to come back," Ekbert explains, apparently the best acquainted with said knight out of the three. "After the celebrations for the first batch of returning expeditionary knights, he began getting really…bored."
For lack of a better word.
"He left without alerting the Grand Master, actually," the woman in the ponytail supplies, "Ekbert here had to double back to Nod-Krai."
"Oh," Illuga says, "He's causing quite a bit of trouble for you, then."
"We're used to it," the Knights clamour in unison. They all laugh.
Illuga leaves them be, with the promise to alert them if anything comes up with Lohen. He returns to the cabin housing the latter.
He's relieved to see that colour has returned to Lohen's face, the toasty interior of the place invigorating him somewhat. Illuga sits down in the corner, letting Valdis continue the administrations.
Maybe another hour passes before the threat of lasting infections is gone. There are copious amounts of salve over the knight's body, and Illuga notices that Valdis gave the 'outsider' treatment rather than the Nod-Krai one.
The only difference being that there isn't any kuuvahki infused into anything. Most of the Mondstadters can't take much of it in their systems, and until proven otherwise, they can only assume the same for Lohen.
Valdis pats him once on the shoulder, nods, and heads out without a word. A good sign.
Illuga looks towards the now sleeping Lohen, taking in the more neutral expression gracing his admittedly winsome features. What he'd give to know what the knight was thinking back there, with that wide-eyed, teethy grin of… euphoria, practically?
He's rarely seen that kind of expression on battle-hardened soldiers such as the expeditionary Knights. Well, 'hardly' being 'not until now'. Even the Grand Master, with all his usual bubbly attitude, takes a much more serious stance once he wields his claymores.
Lohen is of an entirely different breed, in the brief moments Illuga got to know him.
Crazy. Reckless. Charismatic, in a way.
Illuga couldn't help but be immediately drawn to Lohen's volatility. It was fascinating. Aedon hops out of his lantern, choosing to settle on his favourite spot (Illuga's lap) and gives a faint, questioning cheep up at him.
Illuga chuckles lowly, gently stroking the golden prismatic bird on the neck.
"I think he'll be just fine."
✴︎✴︎✴︎
Two days pass with Lohen still slumbering.
Illuga keeps to his bedside for some unfathomable reason. He knows there's no danger of death. But he can't help it.
He's in one of his light, half-asleep states, still upright in the chair, when the bed creaks with a jolt. Illuga snaps, alert. The absence of Aedon is the first thing he notices; he'd been there when he closed his eyes. Probably retreated back inside his lantern.
The second thing he sees are Lohen's two-toned eyes, gazing back at him in the semi-darkness.
"Are you feeling alright?" he settles on asking. Before he can even process it happening, Lohen is out of the bed and right in front of him. The man moves as quiet as snowfall, without all the armour.
Illuga finds himself staring up.
"You still owe me that spar, birdie," Lohen says, leisurely as can be. As if he isn't 40% covered in bandages right now.
Illuga furrows his brow lightly, suddenly spotting the mole right under Lohen's right eye, focusing on that. "I don't really owe you anything. If anything, don't you owe me, now?"
"I'll repay th'debt by going up against you unarmed, then."
And for some reason, the grin pisses Illuga off. It's not quite arrogance, that Lohen exudes, though. He can't put his finger on it.
He stands up, not that it's much more imposing. Lohen has maybe an inch or two on him, after all.
"Are you always like this?" Illuga scowls.
"Like what?"
His scowl deepens. "So…foolhardy."
Lohen tilts his patched up head, "Could say the same for you."
"Excuse me?"
"You were out alone too, weren't ya?"
"Well," Illuga begins, "That was–" but he stops, knowing he can't come up with an excuse.
Lohen hums. "You're smart. I like that."
Illuga splutters. "You can't just– you–!"
The man giggles. Giggles. In a flash, he's fitted a spare coat over his bare, bandaged skin. "Meet you outside!"
Illuga sways a little on the spot, processing...Lohen, in his entirety. Is he concussed? But Valdis didn't mention anything about a concussion.
He heads outside, dazedly. The horizon is barely alight yet, and the camp is quiet, the fresh snow blanketing the sounds of the world. Illuga can spy a drowsy Egle at the lookout station.
Lohen, in all his glory—barefooted glory, Illuga rectifies with something akin to horror—is skipping away to the designated sparring grounds. Barehanded too, like he said.
Illuga didn't even think to take his weapon. He'd left both polearms back in the cabin they just exited.
It's not like he was actually planning on fighting the convalescing man.
He's just about to try and convince Lohen to head back to the comfort of his bed when pain blooms across his jaw, his head swiveling to the side.
Did he just…?
Illuga looks to Lohen in sheer disbelief, only to see him sporting that smug little demented grin again, flexing his wrist, eyebrow raised.
Clutching his sore cheek, Illuga glares harder than ever before. A rare flare up of competitveness sparks within him. He's falling for the egging on, he knows this.
But Lohen's behaviour is erratic. It's almost a danger to himself.
"You want a fight? Fine, I'll give you one then." Lohen probably won't give this up. He'll just have to teach him a lesson, since that's what he wants so badly, and not Illuga's overbearing worry.
Lohen lets out a madman-like laugh. "That's more like it, birdie! You can bite, after all!"
Instead of replying, Illuga throws a right hook aimed straight for the nose. To his utter dismay, Lohen doesn't sidestep it at all, taking the collision in full.
Blood starts dripping from his nose.
Illuga cries out in frustration. "Are you serious?" He throws another half-hearted punch. What's the use, if he's going to be like—
"I'm not Serious, I'm Lohen."
—that.
"Not. Funny." Illuga grits out.
"You should see your face," is all Lohen replies mirthfully before smashing their foreheads together.
What the fuck.
Well, if Lohen isn't on his second concussion by now… Illuga certainly has one. He feels gravity working its wonders on him for the second time since he's met the knight.
He refuses to go down alone, though; the first time was purely an accident. He grabs onto the fur lapel of the standard ratnik coat Lohen swiped and tugs harshly, startling the latter and pulling him off his feet.
Illuga's back meets the ground, head still throbbing. Without missing a beat, he tightens his hold on Lohen's collar and throws him sideways.
The scuffle ends with both of them breathless, and Illuga on top of Lohen, half-straddling his waist and pinning the man down by the neck.
Lohen's dark red pupils are blown wide, his lips parted slightly.
Illuga stares him down. "Happy?"
Lohen gives an aborted chuckle, and it erupts into full blown laughter soon enough.
"What the fuck," Illuga mutters in lieu of a proper answer to whatever that is. The pain in his head echoes around him. "What in the Celestia-loving fuck is your forehead made of?"
"Wanna find out?" a blinding smirk shines up at him. The man's blue hair spreads like a halo around him.
Illuga attempts to roll his eyes. Attempts, because the attempt hurts his head even more. "What does that even mean?" he grumbles, letting go of his spar partner? guest? acquaintance? and picks himself up, shaking off the accumulated snow on his knees.
"Cut my head open, I dunno," Lohen shrugs as best as he can, grin still hanging off his teeth, unmoving from his position on the snowy stone ground, "Anything goes, really."
Illuga pinches the bridge of his nose. It has to be the concussion talking… It has to.
"I'm bringing you back to bed," he declares in his most commanding tone. He takes Lohen by the wrist in a vice-like grip, in an effort to pull him back up. The knight is entirely uncooperative. Illuga raises an eyebrow.
"Are your injuries finally getting to you?"
Without waiting for another nonsense answer, he picks Lohen up, notes the lighter weight without all the gear, and throws him over his shoulder. No comfortable carrying for him.
"Are you coming onto me?" the knight sounds perfectly elated.
"Wh-! Oh my Archons." Illuga drags his free hand over his face, very nearly avoiding a kick from Lohen's stray foot.
Trying to communicate with this strange, strange man is too hard. Illuga gets the feeling that Lohen's jumping wavelengths every two seconds. They're not even on the same plane of thinking right now.
He makes a rapid return to the lodge, before any of his waking squad mates might witness his ridiculous plight.
"I really wouldn't be opposed to that, y'know!" Lohen follows up.
Illuga can hear the smirk in the timbre of his voice. "Stop talking and rest." He refrains from throwing Lohen back onto the bed. He could. He wants to. But he won't. Worry for the man's wellbeing is still prevalent, despite his endeavours to not do so.
He very carefully places Lohen down on the bed. An arm stays hooked around his neck, and Illuga is all at once very aware of just how little space there's been between them.
He steps back as calmly as he can. "Rest," he repeats, "We can discuss further after." Full stop. End of story.
"Yessir," Lohen drawls, leaning against the bedside, eyeing him with a hooded look. Still beaming cockily.
Despite himself, Illuga feels heat crawling up his neck.
"R-Right, then," he stammers, fingering subtly at his turtleneck and inching a step nearer to the door. He feels the fight from minutes ago evaporating within seconds—replaced with another kind of fire that flips his stomach, that he does not want to examine too closely.
Damn this Knight and his somewhat attractive insanity.
Illuga really wants to find a hole to crawl in right now, and Lohen's languid gaze is telling him that the man knows exactly why he's sqiurming; that he's all the more happy for it.
He clears his throat a bit too loudly, "Make sure you eat the food Valdis brings you later. Uh, he's our healer, by the way. Dark hair, dark eyes? Stick to the diet he gives you, or risk his wrath," he pauses for a second, adding as an afterthought, "And mine."
"Mmkay!" is the sing-song response he gets back.
The rhythm to Lohen's voice really is one of a kind. Illuga escapes the confinement of the four walls before he can dwell on more of it.
He believes he hears a faint little, "See ya'round, birdie!"
Illuga scoffs at himself. Get ahold of yourself.
✴︎✴︎✴︎
"You aren't eating." Illuga's arms are crossed as he reprimands the bedridden man for something he warned him of only hours earlier. It's around dinner time, and poor Valdis is on the side, wearing a forlorn expression.
"No offense to Dr.Valdis," Lohen surveils his nails, giving the vibe of someone who means full offense, "But the food combos he prescribes are truly awful."
Said man winces.
Illuga knows that well enough; he's been on the receiving end of said combos. He pats the dark-haired Lightkeeper on the shoulder apologetically, "They really do work, though," he directs at Lohen.
"Never said they wouldn't," Lohen shrugs, "It's not your word I doubt, birdie. It's the capacity of my stomach to withstand whatever the doc' comes up with."
Illuga sighs, dismissing the unfortunate, dejected Valdis. There's no more need for him, and Lohen clearly doesn't want the man here either. "That's fair. But you still have to eat, sir Lohen."
"I will!" Lohen assures, "As long as it doesn't poison me~"
"Stop exaggerating. Valdis' dishes aren't that bad."
"Are too."
"…" This Knight really is something.
"See? You agree."
Illuga gives a weak glower, knowing it'll have zero effect. He's not even the injured one, and he's tired out. How about that. And knowing Lohen now, the next thing that will come out of his mouth is probably…
“Hey, take me out then, won't ya?”
…that. Not what he expected, actually.
“Uhh,” Illuga sputters, very eloquently, “In… In a fight?” It wouldn't be outlandish of the knight to ask something like that. Because he can't mean—
Lohen giggles in that special, unhinged manner of his, “You’re cute, birdie. You can take me out in a fight, sure. I’d let you," he agrees easily, leaning in, “I meant for dinner, though. Weren’t you going on and on about how I should eat? Make me eat."
Illuga splutters on incoherently.
“Take me out," it sounds like a challenge, coming from Lohen's mouth, “I can tell you want to.”
His head spins. Probably from the lingering concussion that Lohen gave him. (But in a good way. He didn't know 'dizzy' could feel this nice, to be honest.)
Lohen's so close that Illuga can see exactly where his eyes split from red into to teal. He inhales the scent of petals on the wind. When did he draw so near?
"I– well, it's a bit late to bring you anywhere," Illuga swallows slowly, "There's nowhere close around here to…take you out to. I can whip something up, if you'd like."
"Hm," Lohen leans in further—Illuga swears his heart stops for a fraction—and murmurs, "Even better."
The world stills around him. He doesn't dare breathe.
Lohen gives a single, satisfied little huff, and retreats back to the bed. "Looking forward to it, Captain."
Illuga feels like he needs several more seconds to convert everything that just happened into strings of information that his very fried neurons can process properly.
He uses the kitchen cabin on complete autopilot, Aedon grilling him on one instance before he could burn his own hand. He has to promise neck scratches later, before the meal gets ruined too.
He makes the usual batch of Nightwatch Soup, the smell of it pleasantly drafting all around camp.
"Captain!" Egle calls out from nearby, tone confused but pleasantly surprised, "It wasn't your turn to cook tonight."
Illuga hums, adding a smidge more smetana into the mix. "I just felt like it. You've all been working very hard."
Vlaicu, on standby, comes in too. "I think we don't tell you enough how much we appreciate you, Captain Illuga."
Illuga chuckles. "Only every day. I appreciate you guys too."
A wave of warmheartedness rolls over in waves as the rest of the patrolling team comes back. The Favonius trio also joins, and Ekbert lights up at the fire-water bottles that Anleifr stacked up.
"Thanks for the food, sir Illuga!" the blond calls out, "Captain Lohen is alright, then?"
"He's fine," Illuga sighs, "He just needs more nutrients in him and he'll be good to go, probably. He's antsy enough. Truly nothing can keep him from the battlefield, huh?"
"He's always been very obsessed with battle," confirms Erminie, the knight in glasses, "He climbed up the ranks super fast thanks to that, I think. The captain's got a mind of his own." the woman shakes her head.
"Cold as a blizzard," nods the third knight, Piet.
Illuga fills a portion for Lohen, wondering about that last remark. He supposes that the fact that the knight captain is missing from the dinner gathering is an obvious sign pointing towards how he's generally withdrawn from large crowds.
What was it that he's doing with Illuga, then? Why him?
Illuga waves at the group at large, a pang of sorrow hitting him square in the chest.
A part of his heart, the one where every lost soul's name is etched upon, grieves the empty spaces where previous squadmembers should have stood.
He should visit the graveyard again.
Illuga shakes off the abrupt anguish that overtook him just now, letting the joyous blabber and the smattering of spoons against bowls soothe him before he goes to Lohen.
He's barely surprised to find the cerulean-clad man out in the open—boots on this time at least—swinging his polearm in what must be the Favonius bladework patterns.
"Hey."
Aaand he has a spearpoint in his face again. Illuga grabs onto it, wrestling it out of Lohen's (admittedly flimsy) grasp, and offers up the bowl of steaming veggie soup.
"Dinner is served."
"Hah," Lohen huffs, "You have to stop doing that." it's but a mumble under his breath, it's quiet enough around them, however, that Illuga catches it perfectly well.
"Stop what, sorry?" Illuga keeps the bowl out of reach as Lohen reaches for it.
The knight's grin widens. "This. Stop doing this to me."
"Don't know what you mean," and he really doesn't. He's only teasing him as revenge for being so aggravating.
"…You're really something, aren't ya, birdie?" That glint is back in his eye.
"Back at you." Illuga responds simply. He thought it earlier, after all.
He watches as Lohen all but sits down in the snow to savour his bowl. Illuga laughs instead of commenting on it.
"You're…bizarre," he whispers, more to himself than anything, "I like it, though."
"Didja say sum'?" Lohen asks, mouth half full of potato, with the air of someone who heard exactly what was said.
Illuga clicks his tongue. "Nothing, you maniac," he dismisses with way too much affection, "Sleep early, alright? Your body needs it. And stop overexerting yourself, or I'm taking away your lance."
Lohen drops his spoon in mock outrage. "You wouldn't!"
Illuga raises his brow, swiveling Lohen's weapon in his left hand. "If I recall, I've already disarmed you twice now. I'd say I could easily do so."
Lohen sets the bowl down, burying his face in his gloved hands. Whatever he says is too muffled for Illuga to catch. He then picks the bowl back up like nothing happened and finishes the soup.
"Can you stand?"
Lohen maintains eye contact as he springs up. "You wound me."
"Ha. Ha."
They make an exchange: an empty bowl for the spear.
"That was delicious."
"Glad to hear it."
Lohen leans in. He likes doing that, Illuga notes. That, and the gods-damned smirking.
"G'night, Illuga."
…Dropping formalities already? Well, to be fair, Lohen has barely adressed him by 'sir' so far. It was always 'birdie', wasn't it?
"Goodnight…Lohen."
The knight's expression becomes triumphant, and he turns back to the cabin. Illuga is left contemplating many, many things beneath the pale moonlight.
✴︎✴︎✴︎
"Will you quit following me? You were supposed to rest."
"'M booored, birdie."
"And is that my fault?"
"Illugaaa," Lohen pouts. Audibly. No, he literally whines. It takes all of Illuga's self restraint to keep walking instead of tearing him a new one. Again.
Valdis let Lohen know earlier that he needs at least three more days of rest. He's scarring nicely, at least. Lohen, however, is very vocally unhappy about it, and has been bugging Illuga to spar all day.
Aedon has been very agitated about this, for some reason, constantly flitting around Illuga on patrol and looking back at Lohen, who's tagging along. (Just to continue irritating him, clearly.)
If the bird had an expression, Illuga would say that he's actually glaring.
The patrol is quiet for the next hour, surprisingly. Illuga copies his bird companion, and looks back at Lohen every so often. The latter sends him a winning smile each time, though. Too innocently.
He's up to something.
And surely enough, just as they're circling back to camp, Aedon zooms off in a flurry, screeching an alert signal.
Illuga twists around just in time to block an incoming blow.
"Aw, your lil' friend warned you. How sweet!" Lohen chimes in a saccharine tone.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Illuga growls.
"If that's what gets you to fight seriously, then yeah!"
Their subsequent clashing echoes in the rock formations all around. Lohen has that crazed spark in his eyes once more. Illuga can't help but compare his fighting to the tempest of that first night; unrelenting, heavy and blindsiding.
He narrowly avoids being sliced at least five times, and he actually breaks a sweat—he realizes that he forgot when was the last time he had this fun of a spar.
Just as he thinks that, blood is finally drawn. The sharp edge of Lohen's lance snags on his face, just below his mole, and cuts off a bit of hair to top it off.
Not so fun anymore.
Illuga gasps, livid, "You ruined my fringe!"
"Vain, are you, pretty boy?" Lohen smirks, not stopping his swings.
"Asshole!" Illuga rams the butt of his polearm once into Lohen's stomach and once into his chest, completely forgetting that the knight has a recovering injury there.
Lohen grunts, but his broad smile only grows, showing teeth. Illuga presses his advantage and knocks Lohen's weapon away with a winding maneuvre.
"Ack–!"
Illuga swiftly hooks his leg behind Lohen's. He trips him, immobilising him to the ground with a foot on his midriff and the tip of his polearm trained between the man's eyes.
The red-green swirls don't break contact with him once, though.
Both are breathing heavily.
Only Lohen's cheeks are a blazing crimson; his laugh hysterical. "You–" he snorts, "You were more furious over your hair than me trying to kill ya?"
"That was just the last straw. You've been pissing me off since you got here."
"Hehe, twas my pleasure, birdie."
"You're insufferable."
Lohen smirks up at him.
Illuga doesn't imagine it (although he swears he does): Lohen lets out a breathy 'fuck me' before yanking sideways on the polearm a hair's breadth away from his face and kicking upward into Illuga's side. With his still healing leg, of course, because why wouldn't he?
Illuga, caught off guard both by the heated admission and by the impetuous move, is suddenly the one being pinned horizontally. It's oddly reminiscent of a few days ago, when they first met officially.
Except this time, Lohen is fully conscious and completely in control, fingers splayed near Illuga's collarbones. The other hand holds onto his weapon, directing it towards somewhere above his right ear.
And Illuga would absolutely be lying to himself if he said his insides aren't fluttering to the high heavens right now.
"Say my name again, would ya?"
Illuga abides by his request. Because what else is he to do?
"Lohen."
"Again?"
"…Lohen."
"Illuga," Lohen's eyes are up in crescents again, "How amenable are you to being choked out?"
Illuga is barely phased anymore. "Right now?"
"Anywhen," is the easy reply.
Illuga considers this. "I…I think I'm fine with it if it's you?"
He watches Lohen chuckle darkly. "Birdie, you can't just say things like that."
"Like what?"
Instead of answering, Lohen removes a glove and swipes a thumb against the graze on his cheek. Aedon shrieks indignantly somewhere over their heads, and besides flinching at the skin-to-skin contact, Illuga laughs nervously.
Any second now, Aedon might actually swoop down for an attack—
Lohen licks the blood off his finger.
And gets a faceful of gold kuuvahki feathers.
"Pffft." Illuga tries sitting up again to laugh properly, but Lohen's frame traps him down. Aedon doesn't let up, sqawking furiously and messing up the offending Knight's hair.
"Ha, haha," Lohen makes a grab for the gold bird, but misses.
"Hey, no harming Aedon!" Illuga chastises, though he clicks his tongue at Aedon as well, tapping at the lantern at his hip.
The bird returns, albeit with much dithering.
"What did you think would happen?" he deadpans at Lohen, who's still laughing his ass off.
"Your friend's got a hidden viciousness, hm?" Lohen says instead, wiping a fake tear, "Quite like you, birdie."
"Uh-huh." Illuga grabs onto Lohen's hand before it can touch his face again. "That's not sanitary."
"Your blood tastes nice, though," Lohen sulks.
"I… did not need to know that."
"Wanna taste mine?"
"You're not harming yourself for this," Illuga frowns.
"What if I wanna?" Lohen taunts.
"I'm not letting you."
"And who're you to order me around?"
But Illuga can sense the rhetoricality; Lohen is loving every second of this.
"Let me up."
"But I like it here~" Lohen sings, fingers dancing right above Illuga's heart.
"We still have to get back." Illuga struggles to get ther words out.
"Hmph," the knight grumbles, "Party pooper. Gimme one more taste, then?"
Illuga rolls his eyes, wordlessly brushing hack his now uneven bang of silver-red hair.
He doesn't see it coming. He really should've, by this point.
Lohen brings his entire tongue to the cut, licking one large stripe directly on Illuga's cheek, orver his beauty mark.
"Are you a dog?!" Illuga demands hotly, shoving the man back and settling back up, "
"I can be your dog," Lohen tilts his head, finger to his chin, all smiles.
This guy really has zero filter. Illuga sighs, "Did you pull anything? Your chest wound…"
"It hasn't reopened, don' worry your pretty little head. It's cute that you care, though."
"I couldn't care less, actually" Illuga snaps, "You're too much of an idiot."
"And all I'm hearing is denial~"
"Archons."
Lohen's giggling follows him all the way back to camp.
✴︎✴︎✴︎
The next morning, the viridian-haired captain is nowhere to be found. Illuga anticipated this one, honestly.
He had paperwork to attend to all morning, so he couldn't check on Lohen. He'd assumed that the man would come to him, if he really wanted to continuously annoy him. Turns out, he simply wasn't in camp anymore.
Valdis confirms that he cleared him earlier when Illuga brings it up. "He's pretty much fully recovered. Healed fast, that one. He also, uh…implied some things he'd do if I didn't let him go–?"
Illuga internally begs for patience. Next time he sees Lohen, he really needs to rebuke him harsher. He has no right threatening Illuga's subordinates.
He later joins the trio of Knights at the camp's entrance.
"You guys are leaving, then?"
Ekbert only looks resigned. Used to this. "Yep. Captain's out again, no doubt. He heard Sir Anleifr say there was a spike in Wild Hunt activity north-east from here and bolted."
"Incorrigible," Erminie mutters, not without some fondness.
Illuga waves after them, and waits until they're around the bend. He minces his lips.
What's with this feeling cramming his lungs? Perhaps he hoped Lohen would say goodbye, at least. But that's stupid. Why would he? He truly embodies the spirit of Mondstadt—going where the wind takes him.
Illuga can only hope the wind takes him back around here sometime.
Aedon settles on his shoulder, sensing his woe. The bird nudges into his cheek, making him chuckle.
"Aedon, you can't say that! He wasn't… that bad."
The bird chirrups indignantly. Illuga's jaw drops.
"My type is none of your concern!"
Aedon turns his beak up.
"Nope. Not discussing this with you."
If griping were a sport, Aedon would be a champion.
Illuga returns to his papers,
✴︎✴︎✴︎
On a night some days after, a knock sounds on Illuga's door at Cliffwatch Camp.
He frowns, not expecting anyone.
Everyone's turned in for the night already, and Rollon took leave earlier to visit his brother.
Who could…?
Illuga reaches the door and smells blood. It triggers the alarms bells in his head and he quickly wrenches at the knob to see—
"Lohen?!"
The man is covered head to toe in blood. It's obviously not human, though, and Illuga relaxes infinitesimally. He adopts a surly expression instead. Seriously? He communicates through his eyes.
"Evening, birdie," Lohen grins, "Busy night?"