Work Text:
Mud sucked his boots to the ground with each of his steps; water seeped through his leg warmers as he carried yet another crate back to the Cliff’s warehouse. The howling winds they faced announced the storm picking up again, so Illuga urged his two partners to pick up the pace.
As they approached the construct, another ratnik opened the doors for them and Illuga dispelled their shield. He grunted, set his load down on the metallic floor and tossed his torn coat aside. He sighed as he led the others out, and as drops of rain came to greet them, landing right in their eyes. He pressed his lips together, and raised his shields back around them.
It was all an unfortunate series of events: the messenger tasked to inform the headquarters of their Wild hunt-induced deficits in both, khuuvaki fuels and provisions, had sustained some injuries due to an enraged moonbeast. Fortunately, the accident had happened not too far from the Keep, but while the ratnik got it all checked out and some other men were sent out, the time it took was enough to add a few days' delay to their supplies run. Illuga had been informed of it two days later, which meant he'd had to ration and redistribute their month's supplies — then most importantly, communicate the changes — as well as dispatch some men on gathering missions in a very short timeframe. Before it could all snowball. Although it had all still snowballed quite well.
A relentless storm had also picked up a week prior to their replenishment, making the terrain nothing short of hazardous for any type of moonwagons getting in the perimeter. But they couldn't wait much longer, so to avoid any landslides or conveyors getting bogged down, they had to resort to carrying the crates by hand, mobilizing all ratniki with useful protective visions to make multiple trips from the plains and back to camp. Groups had been formed, ratniki had been deployed by the road and knights had been asked to keep an eye on Kipumaki. The entire situation being one big, messy and dripping snowball.
When his team neared the door for their last drop off, the man broke into a waddling scurry — much similar to a duck’s jog — and the woman voiced this exact thought, also telling him to stay close lest he wanted to give Illuga a headache. Illuga chuckled and just warned them not to fall or break the valves.
They waited for the doors to open, all three with varying degrees of relief on their faces and, finally, they were able to set their last crates down.
Illuga congratulated his team and told them to eat and shower as the other superiors and him assessed the situation. The man gave him a sweaty half-hug, ruffled his wet hair in the same motion, while the woman patted his shoulder and told him to also take care.
He would have — his shoulder had started acting up and, honestly, he could've collapsed right there. Had he not witnessed the second group’s shielder slip and fall first. So...just like that, he was out for yet another three rounds.
With Aedon off to scour the lands and with his shields constantly up, when he put his actual last crate down Illuga could confidently say he was thoroughly washed, mentally and physically. Enough so that, the moment he set foot in the meeting room, he didn't even have the time to say hello that another squad leader ushered him out. He couldn't even sit down first, he was just told he was better off directly laying down instead of dozing off with a pen in hand.
But maybe he’d just come to sit…
—
The first thing he did when he entered his living quarters, was to get rid of his leg warmers. They were falling off and had made him almost trip on multiple occasions. Not to say but… they’d also seen better days. His shoes had already muddied up his entrance and now the brown wool was dripping down and spreading up the dirt on the floor. Illuga miserably watched them drip, feeling a heavy sigh rise in his chest.
He had three options in mind. Either the leg warmers stayed by the entrance, and he dealt with it later; or, he brought them with him, and he sullied his floors further; or, he pressed his lips together, he made use of his torn coat and wrapped it around the leg warmers.
A voice of reason, weirdly similar to his old Pops’, resounded somewhere in the back of his mind. It said: a clean space to return to is always helpful in case you lose your marbles. And he felt like those marbles might actually be in the vacuum cleaner.
Illuga let the sigh out. With heavy eyes, heavy limbs and much reluctance, he wrapped his leg warmers and mourned his coat. At least it made one less thing to worry about later… But then he realized even his socks and pants were wet so he ended up undressing directly in the hallway anyway.
He let the ball of fabric fall somewhere near the clothes basket and took his shower. He guiltily didn't bother further with the ball as he toweled his hair dry, and he made peace with his choice of interior decor once he pulled a shirt over his head. He crashed out soon after, not giving it much more thought; he let the cover absorb the cold that had seeped through his bones. The day had made even a metal, creaking bed feel luxurious.
—
The door opened and closed; Illuga’s eyes fluttered open. The quarters weren't big at all, a bed and table — with many papers — and the door to a functional bathroom were all there was in the main room, so in one quick glance he was able to see who it was. And he relaxed back into the pillow. The slurred “Trouble’s here” with a definitive sly smirk further confirmed his observation. But he didn't stay conscious long enough to also make conversation. Most he could've done — felt himself doing — was groan.
—
The second time he woke up, it was to the sound of the washing machine turning and to the feeling of something poking his cheek. Illuga didn't know if he wanted to open his eyes yet. He was content catching up on sleep…
The poking stopped. Instead, the mattress creaked and dipped by his side and the poking gave way to a hand sliding under the cover, rubbing away at his back.
"Illugaaa.”
“Mhh…”
The hand moved up and down in firm but lulling strokes; he felt his consciousness slipping again — before the hand painfully pulled it back as it started kneading into his sore muscles. Illuga tried to escape into the mattress as a whine was kneaded out of him.
“Illugaaaa.”
When the hand neared his neck, Illuga’s hand shot out from under his pillow to grab Lohen’s wrist, feeling the imminent danger. But it was to no use. Lohen kept on kneading away in spite of his plaintive protests. It felt good but painful at the same time and it definitely didn't make for a pleasant waking method.
He’d bent one of his legs at the knee and screwed his eyes shut, squaring his shoulders protectively and hoping for the mattress to swallow him. “What?”
Ow ow ow.
The mattress did no such thing, instead, it dipped near his head, there where Lohen leaned his weight on his other hand. There where he leaned down to see how the torment affected Illuga's face. “Hungry?”
What...? Clearly not.
Illuga let go of his wrist, opting to stuff his face into the pillow and groan, to accept his fate and suffer in silence. He shook his head to answer the question.
Lohen leaned away and his strokes returned to their lulling rhythm. “Mh. Guessed so.”
“Then what did you wake me up for?”
He didn't grumble, but his tone wasn't particularly cheery either. Illuga turned his head to look at Lohen, and the other had seemingly stolen one of his shirts. This actually made him frown and Lohen smiled with lazy eyes.
“Some guys from your squad handed me food for you." After a pause he mockingly added, "they're adorable."
The hand had stopped near Illuga’s waist, cupped it, and now he could only feel a thumb draw slow circles into his skin. It only slightly distracted him from the words. Food and Lohen in his shirt meant nighttime. Which wasn't good because he hadn't attended the meeting and didn't know if he'd been assigned the night or dawn patrol. But he'd taken those shifts the nights before—
“Maybe ask me,” Lohen raised his eyebrows, unimpressed.
“Ask you what?” He raised himself on his elbows, still a bit groggy, and the thumb shifted to his lower back. He looked up over his shoulder, to catch Lohen's eyes. “And, keep your hands to yourself, please.”
Only the thumb moved, and Lohen smiled, seeming genuinely amused by the comment. “You’re not on guard duty.”
Illuga’s eyes widened. "Oh…” Was he that predictable? He pressed his lips into an apologetic smile and scooted a bit towards the wall, making some space for Lohen to sit on the bed properly. With the shift, the hand slipped away and retired to Lohen’s lap. Illuga missed its warmth a little. He cleared his throat. “Is everything alright then? Did you attend the meeting?”
“Mhm,” Lohen nodded vigorously. “I even took notes for you, Captain,” he said, all proud. “Can you believe it? Every word exchanged has been jotted down.”
“That's…really…”
“Sweet and touching?”
“Suspicious. Who did you terrorize?" Illuga inquired instead, chuckling at Lohen’s playful glare. Who also let out a reprobatory hum.
"Hm. I sense some distrust."
"Hm. I wonder why," he teased back.
Their eyes remained locked together, neither backing down. Not that Illuga would back down, it really was suspicious and his smile had etched itself onto his face.
But, maybe, he did break eye-contact. For less than a second. To glance at Lohen's lips.
A muted conversation happened from then: Lohen raised one eyebrow with a clear, ‘what are you on? Think you deserve it?’ that Illuga followed by jutting out his bottom lip, ‘please?’ and Lohen rolled his eyes. He still leaned down to peck Illuga's lips though. Illuga grinned and caught his lips for a second kiss.
He only pulled away slightly, to look up into Lohen’s eyes again. Murmur between them a quiet “Thank you.”
This time, Lohen stole a last one, tenderly pushing against Illuga’s lips. “Sure.”
Illuga laid back down and turned on his side, still looking up at Lohen. “I take it you weren't hurt?”
Lohen shook his head. “You don't see me bleeding, do you?” He got up to kill the main light, leaving the bathroom’s on. “There weren't many apparitions anyway. It was kinda boring since we couldn't instigate either. We just had to stand in the rain and be on the lookout.”
He returned to the bed and took the spot Illuga left. He’d really changed entirely in Illuga’s clothes; having no mind to leave from the start.
Illuga huffed a laugh, “good job description," his breathing was already slowing through the words... "Although I don't think you would've preferred my side of things.”
“Don't think either.”
They rearranged their limbs so as to fit together on the cramped bed, and Illuga’s head found itself laying on Lohen's arm this time around, as Lohen’s hand found his hip again. He didn't mind being the cuddled one... Illuga yawned and used Lohen’s shoulder to stifle it.
The machine still turned in the background with his uniform, its sound slow and repetitive…
“I’m out…” he mumbled.
He got a kiss on the head. “Bye-bye.”
“Dummy,” Illuga chuckled airily, and Lohen did too.