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Wavechaser Plains.
Not the worst place Lohen has ended up, but not the best either.
Varka sent an invitation his way to come to Nod-Krai and, in truth, he was bored back in Mondstadt. He's trained with the same few knights not afraid to challenge him, always beating them easily, and he needs a challenge because, frankly, there is no one in Mondstadt strong enough for him. He needed mental and physical stimulation to get this itch off his skin.
When Lohen and his small squad arrive at Favonius Keep, Varka's no where to be seen. It's slightly irritating to Lohen since the Grand Master was the one who invited him in the first place, but he's not torn up over it. He wanted to spar with Varka since the other is a challenge to his abilities but he can track down the man later when it's more convenient to him.
No one tries to stop Lohen as he stalks his way out of the keep, walking down the dirt path as he tries to find something, anything, to engage in battle with. He readjusts his dark blue straps that keep his boots up to his thighs as he walks, which probably looks a little goofy but no one is there to see him so he doesn't care.
Honestly, he's more surprised by the lack of threats down the path. No slimes, no hilichurls, nothing. He's spotted two squirrels mingling and a lazy brown creature laying on its side, sunbathing, but he's not one to kill animals. Others can hunt for him, he's not about that. He likes things that can fight back, it makes the hunt more thrilling.
Looking ahead, Lohen spots what looks like a camp and that feels promising. He can see someone standing near the front of the camp from across the bridge, his heels clacking against the metal. Lohen doesn't think the bridge feels that sturdy since it feels like shoddy scrap metal, however, he's not going to complain in someone else's territory. Not his business and he's just picky.
When he manages to cross the bridge, Lohen looks satisfied. The camp looks spacious, though not overly homey, but Lohen doesn't care about a warm welcome. His own Grand Master couldn't even be bothered to stick around for his arrival.
He curiously steps forward to inspect the oven that is currently lit, loaves of bread just sitting out in the open in sacks. Lohen finds that quite stupid, since they should be stored better, but there's no point in complaining in something he doesn't have control over.
Lohen can feel the Ratnik's gaze on him, watching him as if waiting for him to cause a ruckus, but he isn't confronted. He knows of the Lightkeepers from Varka and from in passing, they seem to have an amicable relationship with the Knights of Favonius, so there's no point in starting a physical fight. Yet.
The man looks like he could put up a fight with his muscular build and taller height, not that height determines strength. Most people who haven't been around Lohen tend to look at him, see his height, and mistake him as an easy opponent because he looks young. He just calls it having good genes, not his fault nor his problem.
"Hey, who's the camp leader here?" Lohen calls out to the brown-haired man, not bothering to ask for a name since he won't remember it. He never remembers names unless they give him something to remember. He folds his arms across his chest, glancing at where the silent man points, and notices a small group. "Tch, thanks."
Lohen can see two people immediately from where he stands as the cement stairs covers most of the small area; a taller man wearing all black, clearly a Ratnik, and another smaller man who he almost misses due to him being fairly short. He notices two more men in all black, one sitting on a crate while the other casually stands, as he approaches.
Frankly put, he's not impressed by any of the individuals in front of him, but he speaks up anyways as he motions to the taller man. "You the one in charge?"
The man, Vlaicu, stares at him with a raised eyebrow before motioning to the shorter man in front of him.
Lohen's eyes flicker to Illuga before smirking a bit. The guy is the same height as him but he thinks he looks more like a child than a captain. He snorts, motioning his thumb towards the unamused captain. "That's your captain? Wow, didn't know they let children into the Lightkeepers."
"Illuga's not a child." Vlaicu quickly says when he notices the way Illuga's eye twitches.
"Illuga, is it?" Lohen leans forward, almost getting in his space, head tilted with an shit-eating grin on his face. "So you're the captain? How'd you get the position? You look like you'd trip over your own feet."
Illuga's face remains calm, though it's clear there's anger underneath the surface as he turns to properly face Lohen. "And you are?"
Lohen places his hands on his hips, his smirk never leaving his lips as his eyes seemingly stare into Illuga's soul, sizing the captain up. "Lohen, Vice Captain of the Fifth Company. We specialize in range weaponry. I'm just visiting to see what Nod-Krai has to offer and, well, no one ever rejects an invite from Grand Master Varka, after all."
"I see," Illuga replies, staring right back without breaking the eye contact. "Illuga, Squad Leader of Nightmare Orioles. We are an investigation squad within the Lightkeepers. If there's anything you need help with, feel free to ask me."
Beneath the polite words, Lohen can tell Illuga is fuming which riles him up even more.
"You're seriously the 'squad leader'? You look way too soft to be one." Lohen replies with an almost sarcastic tone. "Fine, if you claim your position as the one in charge, duel me."
Illuga's stoic gaze falters at his words, eyebrows now furrowed. "Why would I duel a Knight of Favonius? That's a waste of both of our times."
Lohen's smirk fades into a rather unamused expression, staring at Illuga before folding his arms across his chest. "All I see in front of me is a coward. What's the matter? Afraid of getting royally embarrassed in front of your teammates? How pathetic. You look weak, but it seems you're mentally weak too."
There's a silence amongst the camp for a moment and in a split second before Lohen can blink, the sharp pointed tip of Illuga's polearm lightly touches the front of his throat. Illuga's grip is firm on the weapon and his control is steady, calm.
Lohen almost laughs as he mockingly puts his hands up in surrender, head tilted. "Hey, no need to get so angry, pretty boy. I was merely kidding." His voice is almost like a seductive purr, making it easy to quickly reach out and wrap his fingers around the polearm's rod, movements quick as he twists it out of Illuga's hands.
Illuga gasps as his back lightly hits the back of the cement stairs side, eyes widened as Lohen now stands between him and the wall, a hand next to his head and a leg nestled between his own while the polearm rests stabbed into the dirt next to them. "Bold move, I liked that."
"Get off of me." Illuga scowls a little, clearly not impressed by Lohen's behavior. He's not used to someone so blatantly invading his personal space like Lohen is.
"I'm not on you." Lohen replies back, clearly enjoying the way Illuga fumes.
Illuga bristles under the close contact. "Then get away from me."
"Where's the please?" Lohen hums, sizing up Illuga with the close proximity.
Illuga does look young to him, though Lohen wouldn't be surprised if they're the same age because he's not an idiot. From his own experience, he can tell that while Illuga looks young, his soul feels older as if Illuga has been wounded before—he just purely wants to mess with the other man by calling him a child. He finds no harm in making friends with the Lightkeepers.
Illuga forces out a heavy sigh, clearly annoyed, before gritting his teeth. "Please get away from me."
"Good boy." Lohen chuckles as he takes a few steps back, placing his hands behind his back as he watches Illuga brush off his clothing. He finds the action amusing since he didn't even touch Illuga technically.
The other Ratnik's who witnessed the scene look downright offended for Illuga which Lohen finds admirable. To him, it means they respect Illuga enough to feel something while watching their leader be made a fool of.
"…Why are you here?" Illuga asks after taking a moment to calm himself down.
Lohen rolls his eyes, waving the air dismissively. "Can't a Knight of Favonius see what's going on with the Lightkeepers? Or is that only reserved for Grand Master Varka?" He teases, resisting the urge to tug at the front of Illuga's outfit. "Or maybe you really are too young to share a drink with me?"
Illuga narrows his eyes, clearly feeling a tad bit insulted by the insinuation, before glancing at the Ratnik's watching them. He doesn't want to lose composure in front of them so calmly, he clears his throat. "…Why don't we talk elsewhere?"
"What? Afraid of losing face in front of your subordinates?"
Lohen almost trips over himself as Illuga grabs his wrist and yanks him forward, up the cement stairs, and to the corner with a planning board and table where he's forced to sit down on the metal bench. He smirks a bit, resting his elbows on the table as he leans forward a bit, watching Illuga. "Well, that was a little rough of you."
"You seem to enjoy rough." Illuga flatly replies before calming sitting down across from Lohen. "If you've come here just to mock me and my team, I might report this to your superior."
That gets a laugh out of him. "You're going to tell Varka that I so kindly took time out of my day to come and see you?"
"Kindly?" Illuga groans, rubbing his gloved fingers against his forehead. He's clearly trying to stay calm but it's difficult with Lohen's personality. "You're trying to make a fool of me."
Lohen dramatically places a hand against his chest. "I would never, Squad Leader. However, you did make a fool of yourself by letting my words catch you off guard. Rule one in a battle is to never let your guard down."
"I thought it was to not underestimate your enemy." Illuga rolls his eyes, rubbing his wrist. He didn't hurt himself when Lohen twisted the polearm out of his hand but it did catch him completely off guard.
"Hah! So you do know a thing or two about fighting." Lohen smirks, sitting up straighter so he can fold his arms across his chest, resting his right leg over his left. "So, why won't you duel me? Confident you'll lose?"
Illuga is quiet for a moment, rubbing his nose bridge. Lohen is stressing him out and they've only known each other for less than ten minute. "I do not want to duel you because it's pointless. You should be saving your energy for the real enemies."
Lohen can't technically argue the logic behind storing energy for a potential attack, especially with Cliffwatch Camp being so close to the Wild Hunt. "I see. Not the answer I want, but I'll accept your reasoning… for now. You'll duel me one way or another, Illuga, and I will make sure of it."
"What's your problem?" Illuga bluntly asks, not wanting to be rude but Lohen wasn't like any other Knight of Favonius he's come across. He thought Varka was a bit over the top but no where near as ridiculous as Lohen.
"Problem?" Lohen actually laughs at that, the usual smirk on his lips. "I can assure you that I have no problem at all. I prefer to assess a person's will through battle rather than words. Weapons are like a method, if it achieves victory, does it really matter what weapon you use? That's why I like battling anyone and everyone regardless of what weapon they use, though, it seems we prefer the same one."
Illuga closes his eyes for a moment, embracing his inner calm, before opening them to stare at Lohen. "I suppose that explains your quick movements earlier, yet you mentioned you specialized in ranged weaponry, so why a polearm?"
"Ah," Lohen taps his chin in faux thought. "Simple. I prefer up close and personal. For me, a battle is hardly exciting if it's done at range. I need to feel and hear the sounds of metal hitting metal, the brute strength required to tear down your enemies."
"…That's a bit unsettling."
"Heh, is it?" Lohen shrugs, clearly not bothered by it. "You get the feeling though, don't you? It's irritating enough to be mistaken for a child all the time."
Illuga's eyes narrow at the mention of being mistaken for a child. "…It's happened a few times clearly, but you realize I'm an adult, yes?"
"Yeah," Lohen casually replies, completely disregarding the fact he called Illuga a child a few minutes ago. "You're like myself, short and talented. Underestimated because of our youthful appearances, perhaps it's something we can bond over, pretty boy."
Illuga lets out a tiny laugh, almost embarrassed at Lohen's boldness and usage of the nickname again. "Do you not get ashamed?"
Lohen's expression turns more serious as he places his arms against the table again, leaning forward as he speaks low enough for only Illuga to hear. "Why would I feel ashamed of being who I am? If you live life feeling ashamed of everything you do, you'll never grow as a person. Confidence and charisma go a long way when dealing with others, you know."
There's a thoughtful look on Illuga's face as he actually digests what Lohen is saying and, for the first time since meeting him, he agrees with the other. "I suppose you're not entirely wrong…"
"I'm never wrong," Lohen replies cockily, suddenly reaching out over the table to touch the mole underneath Illuga's eye, a smirk on his lips. "Say, do you believe in fate?"
Illuga flinches, moving his head away from Lohen's hand after a split moment before sighing. "Fate? If fate was real, then it surely is cruel, isn't it? So many lives lost before they're meant to go." He frowns, thinking back to all the comrades he lost under his watch.
Lohen moves his hand back, watching Illuga carefully and funnily enough, those last words give him a better picture of Illuga as a person. "So I wasn't wrong about you being a little soft, huh? Not that it's a bad thing so don't think I'm insulting you. You seem to carry a lot of regrets on your shoulders."
"If I thought Varka was a bit much, you really are too much…" Illuga sighs. He doesn't deny Lohen's words because they're true, but it's still annoying. "It's not my fault that I care about my squad members nor is it an issue."
"Hey, that's not what I said." Lohen quickly replies, heaving out a sigh. "I never said you're weak because you care about your squad members, what kind of vice captain do you take me for? If I ruled my team like that, they'd never listen to a damn thing I say."
Before Illuga can apologize, a black-haired Ratnik rushes over, alerting Illuga of a nearby threat. "…I apologize, but I need to leave. I'll have one of my men escort you back to Favonius Keep if you wish."
Lohen smugly waves his hand, not bothered by it. "I'll have to decline. It's not that far of a walk and just like you, I'm a big boy who can handle myself."
Illuga just rolls his eyes before he runs off to gather his men.
Lohen didn't expect the squad leader to be so fun to tease.
Varka still isn't back by the time Lohen arrives at Favonius Keep which sours his mood further. He didn't get to fight Illuga because the other simply refused even after putting a polearm to his throat, which he found rather attractive, but now he doesn't get to release all of his pent up feelings into a solid duel either. He could beat up a training dummy but it wouldn't make him feel good.
Honestly, he's not sure dueling Varka would make him feel good right now either.
It's only been a few hours since his first encounter with Illuga and he can't get the other man out of his head. It's rather irritating that the other is plaguing his mind, not that he's meant to really be doing anything at this moment. He knows Varka invited him and some of his knights to Nod-Krai for a reason but he's not bothered with details for now.
All Lohen can think about is fluffy, short, silver-beige hair that has a mix of burgundy near the nape, bluish-grey irises with red pupils, and the mole underneath his eye that resembles his own closely.
And frankly, it's pissing him off now since he's sitting here, wasting time, when he could be out fighting something. Illuga is fun, and rather easy, to taunt with his words but now he's the one who feels taunted.
By his own thoughts, nonetheless.
For now, he figures it's best to retreat for the night into his tent and determine what to do next depending on if Varka plans on showing his face or not.
✧✦
Lohen gets news that Varka isn't even on this isle of Nod-Krai, not for another few days, so he has nothing to really do. He's got business in Nasha Town and Lohen half expects it to be because he's busy downing drinks in the inn.
"I'll be back later." Lohen casually says to a fellow knight before stalking off down the path he took yesterday to see what the squad leader is up to.
If there's anything Lohen is, it's persistent.
Illuga doesn't notice him at first as he's busy reading a letter from a fellow Ratnik, so Lohen makes his way over casually, ignoring the stares from those who were unfortunate enough to witness the previous day. He quietly stands behind the very focused squad leader, moving to rest his chin against Illuga's shoulder. "What are you reading?"
"What the?!" Illuga practically jumps out of his skin when he feels the contact and quickly moves away, now staring at Lohen. His look of surprise turns a bit sour upon noticing Lohen, sighing. "You again. Should have known…"
"Ouch, not happy to see me?"
Illuga only frowns. "It's not that, Vice Captain. I'd just prefer it if you didn't get so touchy. We barely know each other."
"A problem that is very easy to solve." Lohen leans against the wall of the building next to him, watching in amusement as Illuga folds the letter back up before tucking it into his coat. "Unless you don't like solving problems. I'd have to say your leader skills would be lacking at that point."
"If you've come to mess with me, you can just leave." Illuga replies, unable to hide the annoyed expression on his face.
Lohen debates on quipping back to annoy Illuga further, but he has an inkling that the letter he was reading earlier is the reason behind Illuga's annoyance.
Instead, he steps closer to Illuga and folds his arms over his chest while lowering his voice a bit. "Something bothering you? You're not being fun to tease right now."
Illuga glances at Lohen with a look of surprise. He's bewildered that Lohen bothered to ask if he was feeling decent, but also a little offended the other only seems to want to tease him and make a fool of him. He debates on telling the other to leave and go back to the Favonius Keep, however, Lohen's abilities could be of use.
"I've gotten report of Wild Hunt in the area and leaving it unattended could cause problem for us in the future, so I must be heading out soon with my team." Illuga is too proud to directly ask Lohen to come with him, not that he wants the other there with him in the first place, but the intrigue on Lohen's face is apparent as day.
"Good thing I've got a lot of free time until the Grand Master returns." Lohen smirks, watching Illuga as if daring the other to disagree with him. When Illuga doesn't say anything, Lohen's smirk widens. "So where are we going?"
✧✦
Illuga almost regrets letting Lohen tag along.
Almost.
Him and his squad can only watch in utter disbelief as Lohen takes zero safety precautions, doesn't bother to listen to Illuga's plan, and simply charges forward to fight against the enemies with his polearm in hand.
"Lohen, are you insane?!" Illuga calls out to him and frankly, he is very convinced the other is insane. He orders his men to deal with the second group of Wilderness Exiles while he assists Lohen. If there's anything he won't allow, it's Lohen to get killed under his watch.
"Finally come to try and show off your skills?" Lohen smirks, feeling Illuga's back pressed against his own.
"No, I'm just making sure your stupid self doesn't get killed," Illuga replies, his grip on his polearm firm. "The Wild Hunt aren't like Mondstadt enemies, they're harder to get rid of."
Lohen laughs a bit, lunging forward to jab his polearm into the ghoul's chest, stepping back at an even quicker pace to avoid being hit. "Resilient little things, aren't they? I might have to stay in Nod-Krai a little longer."
Illuga is baffled because Lohen seems as if he's having fun.
He'll ponder the thought later, blinding one of the enemies so that Lohen had the opportunity to strike with ease, and as much as Illuga hates to admit it, he and Lohen work almost well together. Almost. He still didn't appreciate Lohen's brashness towards battle, however, he accepts that the other is strong and capable of handling himself.
An hour passes and Illuga has retracted his prior statement of Lohen being capable of handling himself.
"You're so stupid, how could you run head first, by yourself, without even thinking? Do you ever think? Is there a single logical thought in that head of yours? You could have been injured even worse or killed or—"
"Hey, twinkle toes, calm down. It's just a scratch." Lohen replies back with an almost bored tone, hissing when Illuga angrily presses harder on the bloody wound he's currently tending to. "Hey, watch it."
Illuga's movements pause as his eyes lock onto Lohen's. "Calm down? You want me to calm down? Are you always this reckless? If you'd gotten severely wounded under my watch, I would never forgive myself for having let you come with me."
Lohen watches Illuga carefully, analyzing the other man, before sighing heavily. He's a bit of an asshole, mostly depending on who he is interacting with, but he can tell that Illuga's not being annoying to be annoying. It's clearly because he's worried. "Yeah, yeah… you're right. I was a bit careless."
Lohen agreeing with him has him speechless before he gently rubs the cloth against the Vice Captain's wound to clean the blood before applying a cool liquid to the surface. "Sorry," he mutters when Lohen's eye twitches a little, a small detail he managed to notice so close to the other's face, and he doesn't want to admit it but Lohen is attractive.
The mole under Lohen's eye reminds him of what Lohen mentioned prior.
Soulmates.
It's a silly concept and Illuga doesn't believe in it, yet the idea is nice. He's watched Flins interact with the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius several times and the way Flins hides his smile behind his gloved hand when he laughs makes Illuga quite envious. Flins hasn't directly mentioned being involved with the other, but that much felt obvious to him as an observer.
Illuga's face heats up slightly when he realizes Lohen said fate, not soulmates, the other man in question oblivious to his rather not-so-professional thoughts. He clears his throat before standing up straighter, digging through his medical supplies kept at the base to apply it to Lohen's wound.
The other man doesn't notice and if he did, he's pretending not to which Illuga is grateful for. He doesn't want to acknowledge that being closer to Lohen physically like this was making him think stupid.
"You're lucky you weren't gutted, you'll be fine." Illuga's voice is softer, quieter, as he pulls back from the other, not wanting to acknowledge the way his heart thumps against his chest. He's too busy for thoughts like this, especially because he doesn't know Lohen well enough to determine if he really can tolerate the other man. He's reckless and that puts him at endless worry, even if he doesn't want to admit it.
Lohen cackles at that, waving his hand dismissively as he stands up, stretching his arms. "You know, you worry a lot about someone you claimed was annoying a few hours ago. Or do you secretly enjoy the fact that I keep coming back to bother you?"
Illuga's cheeks flush a light pink, the other angrily pushing past Lohen to avoid eye contact. "Stop assuming things like that, it's not like that at all."
The other stares at the back of Illuga's head, his own head tilting to the side as he sighs, leaning back against the side of the nearby wall. "…You're not very truthful to yourself, are you? You may be able to look at others and lie but that doesn't work on me."
Illuga tenses as he adjusts his collar, turning to face Lohen with his usual calm demeanor. "I don't know what you mean, Vice Captain. It's not kind to make assumptions about someone you've only met a few times."
Lohen rolls his eyes at that before moving over to grab Illuga's arm, tugging the other closer to him so that they're almost chest-to-chest. "I'm really good at reading people like you. The way you avoid my eyes, the flush on your cheeks, the way you don't tell me to ever leave even when I am clearly bothering you. I intrigue you, but I also scare the living shit out of you."
The gasp that leaves Illuga's lips as he's tugged forward is anything but manly, his eyes wide as he processes the lack of space between them. "Lohen, this isn't appropriate."
An eye roll.
"Who cares about appropriate or inappropriate, don't change the subject on me." Lohen says, a bit of annoyance in his tone, knowing that Illuga is trying to pull away from him.
"Why would I be scared of some… battle-crazed maniac?" Illuga tries to sound angry, though he knows he's not convincing Lohen or himself.
"That's exactly why you're scared of caring about me," Lohen smirks, leaning in just enough so that he and Illuga's noses touch. "Because I'm a careless, battle-crazed, maniac as you so kindly put it. You don't want to get close to me because you're afraid you'll lose me."
Illuga despises that Lohen is correct. He's already lost so many comrades, so many people he considered more than just subordinates, that getting close to Lohen and watching the other throw himself into battle without care scares him.
The silence is enough to confirm Lohen's theory, the man sighing as he places the back of his hand against Illuga's head, wishing he didn't have gloves on to feel the softness between his fingers, before gently forcing the other's forehead against his shoulder. He can feel Illuga tensing, though he doesn't pull away, so Lohen takes that as a go ahead to bury his nose into the soft locks.
"You're such a big baby," Lohen mutters, his tone almost soothing, as he holds Illuga close to him. There's a satisfied smile on his lips as he closes his eyes, enjoying the small intimate moment between them. "Not an insult, by the way. I think it's endearing."
Illuga doesn't pull away, nor does he really want to, as It's been a long time since someone has simply held him gently. He finds it ironic that the man holding him is one that usually uses his hands to fight but he doesn't dwell on that thought. "I'm a grown man, not a baby."
Lohen huffs out a laugh at that, pressing a light kiss onto the top of Illuga's head. "I know," he mumbles before pulling away from the embrace, folding his arms against his chest. "Not trying to treat you like a baby, but you're the type to worry about everyone else and forget about yourself. I can tell."
Illuga isn't going to think about what the chaste kiss means to Lohen because he doesn't want to know. All he knows is that he'll be thinking about it when laying in bed, unable to sleep.
"I'm not." Illuga says with a bit of an argumentative tone before heaving out a sigh. "Okay, fine, yes. Sometimes."
Lohen chuckles, placing a finger against the underneath of Illuga's chin, tilting his head upward a slight amount. Lohen isn't much taller than Illuga, but his shoes give him a little bit of an advantage. "You should put more care into yourself. Ironic coming from me, however, you have a lot of people who care about you. Respect is hard to earn, yet you've earned it here, and that shows you're capable of leading."
Illuga rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "Receiving a compliment from you isn't what I expected today… but thank you, it means a lot to me. You're… not so bad, Lohen."
"No 'Vice Captain' this time? I think that's progress between us." Lohen smirks, tucking a small strand of hair behind Illuga's ear. "If you're ever free, feel free to stop by the Favonius Keep. Or I can just keep coming here. I still haven't gotten that battle from you."
"Of course you ask for that…" Illuga sighs, though he sounds less annoyed this time.
"Would you prefer it if I stayed and cuddled you instead?" Lohen teases, his eyes glimmering with mischief.
"Can you leave?" Illuga groans, hiding his face behind his gloved hands after he pulls away from Lohen's touch.
Part of him wants Lohen to stay, however, that would be too scandalous for now.
"Yeah, yeah… I'm leaving. See you." Lohen smirks, waving goodbye as he saunters off back to the Favonius Keep to see if Varka was finally on the way back.
It seems he'll be staying in Nod-Krai longer than he anticipated either way.