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1.
Of course, Illuga had heard the rumors.
The menace of a man that led the Knights of Favonius' Fifth Company.
Some people said that he would kill a person that looked at him the wrong way, not out of actual offence but because he would jump at any excuse to shed blood. Others said that he had a body count in the thousands-- regarding murder, of course. Varka once said that he was tougher than himself. Considering Varka's strength and his, ahem, body that was well-suited to toughness, it was difficult to believe. Illuga had even heard that he was the ranged weapon of the Fifth Company.
That all being said, Illuga would have been perfectly content with never meeting the ominous man in his life, instead only being a glimpse of a face or a familiar name to him.
However, Nod Krai's nothernmost island falling under persistent attacks by a resurgence in Wild Hunt activity, even after the death of the Rächer of Solnari, was not an expected or easily manageable situation.
Mondstadt's extremely necessary aid during the crisis that befell Nod Krai instilled a more certain comradery between the nations, so an act of goodwill by the Acting Grand Master had the Fifth Company of the Knights returning to provide the Lightkeepers with support during such trying times.
Illuga, along with the other Squad Leaders, was sent to formally greet the arrival of the Fifth Company under the order of the Starshyna Nikita.
Typically, only the Sergeant Majors would be tasked with this, however the intensity of Wild Hunt attacks were sporadic, with some areas affected more than others, so the specialized region expertise of the Squad Leaders would come in handy.
At least, that's what Nikita said, but Illuga was nobody to refuse such orders.
Despite the fact that deep down, he was a bit nervous to meet the rumoured man, it was nothing compared to the overpowering desire to keep his men safe from the terrors of the Wild Hunt. If he had to deal with an intimidating man for a while to protect his people, he would do it eternally.
Much to his surprise, the Captain was... Lithe. A few centimeters taller than Illuga, if even. His polite smile seemed shallow as he stood before the Squad Leaders, but he didn't seem disingenuine apart from that.
He hardly seemed like the loose cannon that he was so frequently described as.
Illuga tried to mask his thoughts with a content expression as they made their introductions. If anything, he seemed like a decent colleague-- one that would spend a few weeks in Nod Krai fighting the Wild Hunt before returning to Mondstadt, never to be seen again.
"Illuga." He held out his hand to shake. "Squad Leader of the Nightmare Orioles. It's a pleasure to be working with you."
"Illuga, hmm?" The man gripped his hand with a startling amount of force. "I'm Lohen. I've heard good things about you." His smile widened. Illuga spotted sharp canines before redirecting his gaze.
"Is that so?" He chuckled nervously, trying to not let his discomfort show. "W-Well, the Nightmare Orioles keep watch over Kipumaki Cliff, which has faced the worst assault from the Wild Hunt--"
"I'm aware." His gaze was intense, never leaving Illuga's eyes. "Is it true that you survived a huge Wild Hunt attack completely unscathed, even while your comrades were slaughtering one another?" Mirth entered the man's voice, but along with it came admiration.
"I--" Illuga's chest tightened at the memory. "That's none of your business." He snapped. It came across far harsher than he intended. Momuntarily, he wondered if he ruined the diplomacy between the factions.
A beat of silence, before--
"Eh, you're right." Lohen finally released Illuga's hand. He didn't look annoyed, instead dismissive of the topic. "I'll just have to see you fight in person to make my judgement." He smiled widely once more.
"Well." Illuga straightened, trying to keep some professionalism. "The Nightmare Orioles appreciate the aid of the Fifth Company greatly."
"The pleasure's all mine." Lohen purred quietly before turning to greet Gabieta.
Perhaps Illuga needed to reevaluate the situation.
2.
The Nightmare Orioles would be in close collaboration with the Fifth Company. That was to be expected, considering the scale of damage that was currently being inflicted upon Kipumaki Cliff by the Wild Hunt.
Illuga and his men were sent to stay at Cliffwatch Camp for the time being; partly to be prepared for any invasions, and partly to be closer to Favonius Keep for diplomatic meetings.
It wasn't a problem. Illuga had himself a small, private lodging, unlike the rest of his Ratniki who were forced to room together.
He was halfway through a thick stack of paperwork outlining the next initiatives regarding protection against the Wild Hunt when there was a persistent knocking at his door.
He sighed and pushed his weary body off of the desk-- paperwork really wasn't his friend-- mentally preparing himself to help one of his men move a cart or organize the campfire lighting or something of that caliber.
He was not expecting to be greeted by Lohen, smiling widely and holding a large crate in his hands.
"Uh." Illuga coughed awkwardly, folding his hands behind his back. "What can I do for you, Captain?"
"Illuga!" Lohen chirped. "Have you set up my space yet?"
Illuga blinked, dumbfounded.
"I'm sorry?"
"Don't act so coy~" Lohen grinned maniacally. "The space you've left for me in your cute little abode?"
"Um." Illuga definitely did not set aside a space for Lohen. He hadn't even finished unpacking himself. "Sorry, did I miss some instructions? You're staying... here?"
Lohens face dropped to one of utmost seriousness. Illuga straightened instinctively. Archons, that came across as accusatory, didn't it? "It's part of Mondstadt culture."
Illuga mentally cursed. He had no idea about any special Mondstadt culture, and Lohen looked downright murderous.
"Two leaders of allying factions stay in the same place. It's a long-running tradition in Mondstadt culture. It's mostly for strategic purposes, so the decision-makers can be in the same place in case of disaster." Illuga nodded frantically along to Lohens words.
"Of course, of course, that makes sense. So much sense." He stammered, hastily stepping back to let Lohen inside. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive--"
"I'll allow it this one time." Lohen sighed, entering and dropping his crate in the corner of the room. "But don't let it happen again."
Illuga was already planning on purchasing a book on Mondstadt traditions the next day. He was sweating bullets. "Uh, I don't-- I don't have a spare bed. This camp is scarce. But I can just sleep on the--"
"It's fine. It's no problem." Lohens spirits seemed to have picked up instantly upon coming inside. "Ooh, who's this?"
Illuga hovered awkwardly by the door. "Oh, that's Aedon. My bird."
Aedon was perched atop a lamp on Illuga's desk, cocking his head curiously at Lohen's presence.
"What a shiny birdie!" Lohen giggled, honest-to-Archon giggled, and carefully approached the bird like a cat approaches its prey.
"Careful." Illuga warned. "If you scare him, he'll hate you forever." He'd seen it happen first-hand with Linnea. The sweet girl was just far too intensely excited for Aedon.
"I would never." Lohen hummed with a small grin, closing in on the poor thing.
The two freeze in a strange stare-off for a moment. Illuga could only watch in bewilderment, wondering if he should interfere.
Lohen took one decisive step forward and Aedon startled, darting to hide in Illuga's lamp.
Illuga didn't blame him. The Captain gave him a similar look earlier that afternoon and he wanted to do exactly the same.
"Awh, man!" Lohen pouted, dropping back into Illuga's bed and splaying his arms out across the covers.
"Don't take it too personally." Illuga tried to console, cautiously approaching the lamp to rub its side, the way Aedon liked. "He doesn't like many people."
"Mm, a hard nut to crack?" Lohen wondered. "Like yourself, birdie?"
It took Illuga an embarrassing amount of time to process Lohen's words. "I'm not a--"
"Shh, don't fight it. Unless you want to fight me. I would be more than willing~" Lohen smiled widely up at him from the bed.
Illuga didn't know why he flushed. "I'm not going to fight my ally." He murmured.
Lohen only smiled. "We'll see."
3.
Illuga tried to keep his interactions with the other man as scarce as possible. Something about the Captain unsettled him, stirred something strange in his gut.
It didn't work very well, considering they literally lived together for the foreseeable future. It seemed as foreign to the other Ratniki as it did to Illuga, but he just assumed that they were all grossly uncultured regarding other nations and pencilled in a Cultures Class as part of their routine, starting after the Wild Hunt fiasco ended.
Still, it took a few days before another direct interaction. Lohen was typically gone before Illuga woke up-- he slept on a makeshift mattress on the floor and let his guest take the bed-- and came back incredibly late, spending most of his time at Favonius Keep or with the other Squad Leaders since the Wild Hunt's assault had calmed near the Camp compared to other regions.
It was the middle of the night when it happened.
Illuga woke after the first cry rang out from outside. He was a light sleeper, constantly haunted by nightmares, so he sprung up without hesitation.
Grabbing his lantern and startling Aedon awake, he swung the door open to see a Wild Hunt intrusion of a scale he hasn't seen since-- since--
Behind him, Lohen staggered out of bed and spurred on Illuga to take action.
"Wild Hunt invasion. A big one. " Illuga explained rapidly, tugging the half-awake other man through the door and taking in the scene before them. "Go alert your Company, we can hold them off for now--"
"Are you sure?" Lohen was grinning like a freak beside him. "I can slaughter them all--"
"No. This is only the first wave." Illuga staggered deeper into the camp, Lohen hot on his heels. He sounded the invasion alarm, hoping to wake any remaining men.
"But--"
Archons, this guy is a nuisance. Illuga swung around to grip Lohen's coat tightly, yanking him down slightly to make direct eye contact. "Shut up. Go. Now!" He pushed the Captain away firmly, turning to bark orders. "Nightmare Orioles! Gear up! Enter third position! Hold off the Wild Hunt until Mondstadt support arrives!"
Thankfully the man heeded his orders and darted through the crowd.
~~~
It was a grueling and vicious battle. The Wild Hunt pressed in from all sides, nothing like the minor assaults they had faced in the days leading up to it. Illuga held the front line with as much grit as possible. It was near impossible to block out the screams of his wounded comrades.
He could not save them now. He could not tend to their wounds.
He just had to fight. Fight to hold off the Wild Hunt. Fight to protect every other Ratniki, every other soldier.
His mind clouded with memories of that night. The night where he could barely save even one person. The night where he couldn't escape without countless sacrifices being made.
The cries of agony from the comrades of the past and the present blended together in Illuga's ears, in his brain, rattling him to his core.
His arms tired. His vision blurred. Men and monsters fell left and right. He couldn't even tell who was winning anymore.
But it seemed the Archons were smiling upon him, as the stamping of countless footsteps signified the arrival of the Fifth Company. Of support.
The support Illuga only wished would arrive that one night.
But that night was in the past.
He could not save his men then, but he can save them now.
~~~
With the aid of Mondstadt's ranged support and medics tending to the wounded, the fight eventually ended in victory.
The Wild Hunt's assault ceased. The only thing that was left of them were random remains that didn't disintergrate with the rest of their fallen bodies.
They scattered the ground atop the blood shed from the Ratniki.
There were no deaths. But there were countless heavily wounded men that were at its doorstep.
Illuga did not sleep for the rest of that night and neither did any of his able-bodied and mostly uninjured men. They cleaned up the Camp, organized support for the wounded and oversaw the paperwork to be sent out the next day.
Illuga mostly handled the latter. It didn't help that he was itching to be out in the fray, to discuss with the medics and to help dispose of the broken armour. He didn't get much paperwork done at all.
He ran into Lohen, kneeling beside a wounded Mondstadter in his examining of the makeshift hospital tent.
"Hi, birdie~" Lohen smiled, but it wasn't playful or malicious. A bit more tired, seemingly more genuine but with a lilt of mirth.
"Captain." Illuga bowed in appreciation. "Thank you for your aid tonight. Without the help of the Fifth Company, we would undoubtedly be in a far worse position."
"Ah, it's nothing! Really. It was fun." Lohen beamed, a dangerous glint in his eye. Right. Illuga remembered how Lohen tore up half of the monsters without getting a single hit on him, laughing all the while. Even then, his body was covered in splatters of crusted blood.
"It's not fun for the dying people." Illuga murmured, casting his gaze down to the man on the cot, bandaged up and unconscious.
"Oh, this guy? He'll be fine." Lohen nodded nonchalantly. "Us Mondstadters are tough. Tougher than you special princes in Nod Krai." He giggled.
"I-- hey!" Illuga couldn't help but feel affronted. "You can't make that claim. We held off against the Wild Hunt for a long time, the same way we have for years."
"Sure." Lohen rested a hand on his chin to gaze up at Illuga with a smile, who flushed a little under the scrunity. "You're certainly tough, birdie~ You were cute when you bossed me around."
Illuga felt the tips of his ears turn red. "That wasn't--" He stammered. "I was just taking charge of the situation."
"Mhm~" Lohen grinned. Illuga once again became familiar with his extra pointy canines. "You've surpassed my expectations, birdie."
Illuga wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he turned on his heel and stalked off.
He ignored how his heard thudded precariously in his chest.
4.
Lohen came home early the next evening.
"Birdie~" He chirped, approaching Illuga from where he was diligently working (struggling to stay awake) at the desk.
Illuga hummed noncommittally, copying down the recorded injuries of a Ratnik from the haphazard medic notes to the official logbook.
"Alert all of your men. It's time for another Mondstadt tradition."
That made Illuga perk up. "Yes?"
"Tell them that those who are able should come to Favonius Keep at their earliest convenience." Lohen nodded solemnly. "That includes you and your jumpy pet."
"I--" Illuga chewed his bottom lip. "Can I stay out of this one to continue my work?"
"Are you really going to disrespect Mondstadt traditions again?" His voice took on that chilling tone.
Illuga shivered. "No! No. Of course not. I'll send out the message right now."
"Perfect!" Lohen beamed. "I knew I could count on you~"
~~~
"Lohen."
"Yes, birdie?"
"Your important Mondstadt tradition..." Illuga was perfectly still as he took in his surroundings, "that I had to interrupt my work and bring my men here for..." He could barely believe his eyes, "is drinking together. Getting drunk."
"That's right! Mondstadt is both the land of freedom and the land of drinkers. After a difficult battle, it's tradition to drink together in celebration. " He smiled widely.
"I'm going back. I have far too much work to do." Illuga turned on his heels before an arm looped in his and pulled him forward, towards the large ring of drunken men around the campfire.
"I won't let you! Unless you want to fight me for it? I'd accept a duel! It would be so much fun!"
Illuga could hardly keep his eyes open. The thought of sparring with the hyper man made his body physically recoil. How on Teyvat did he have so much energy? He didn't get any sleep either. "Mm. No."
"Then stay with me~ Let's loosen up together! You look like you need it."
Illuga was helpless to do anything but allow Lohen to drag him into the circle, sit him down and push a beer into his hands.
~~~
"Lohen." Illuga's head was spinning. Why was it spinning? Heads shouldn't do that...
"Yes, birdie?" A familiar voice rang through his ears. He couldn't make out Lohen's figure very well by his side, just a mix of greys and blues.
"You haven't drunk once." Illuga rightfully accused. It was not fair. He brought him here but was refusing to drink himself.
"And you've drunk many times, Squad Leader." He could somehow tell that Lohen is smiling that stupid way again.
"Stop it."
"Stop what?"
"I know you're smiling. I don't like it."
"What's wrong with my smile?" Illuga made out a flash of white teeth through his hazy vision.
"Sharp." That's right. Lohen had sharp teeth. Perfect for tearing up chunks of raw meat, like a caveman or a wild animal. "But you've evolved too much." to be a wild animal or a caveman. It was unsettling.
"You're not talking any sense, birdie~"
"Doesn't matter. You never talk sense."
He felt a familiar warmth under his fingers distracting him from the conversation. He stroked Aedon lovingly, softly.
"You're strangling Aedon."
"No, I'm not. I love him too much to do that." A familiar disgruntled squawk sounded out from his lap. Perhaps he was putting too much pressure on the delicate thing. He lets go carefully, upset that he hurt his bird.
"Aww~ Look at that pout~" Something warm pinched his cheeks.
"Hey!" Illuga huffed. "Leave me alone. Go bother someone else."
"I dunno about that one, Chief. You look like you'd fall over at a gentle breeze."
"Nope." Illuga blinked wearily. "It would take more than that. Heaps more. At least a tornado."
"Jeez," Lohen giggled maniacally, "you're really out of it."
"Yeah, because you spiked my drink." Illuga had no idea whether or not Lohen spiked his drink, but it was nice to pin the blame.
"I didn't! I only spike the drinks of people that can't cut me off because I'm a higher rank than them in the Knights. We're an equal rank, so I wouldn't risk it."
"That's not good of you." Illuga frowned. The more time he spent with this guy, the more he realized that he was a real freak.
"I'm a freak in more ways than one, birdie~"
Curses. Did he say that out loud?
"Gross." Illuga's sense of direction seemed a bit off. "I don't want to hear about that."
"Easy!" Lohen laughed out loud. Illuga felt a warmth around his chest. "You were going to crack your head open on that rock! At least let me do that for you! Please?"
"Never." Illuga definitely wasn't pouting. "Let me go. I'm tired, and I'm sick of you. I want to go home. Aedon--"
He fumbled around but couldn't feel the bird in his lap.
"He's on my shoulder~"
"What?! He hated you five minutes ago!" Illuga huffed. Aedon wasn't super friendly towards just anyone.
"Well, at least I didn't strangle him. If you want to do that, you should do it to me--"
"Lohen. I want to go home."
The silence felt both like a brief moment and a thousand years.
"Okay~ I could never refuse that face."
A few indeterminate beats later and Illuga found himself heavily supported as he stood up.
"Let's go home, my birdies~"
5.
Illuga could tell that something wasn't quite right.
Ever since the last Wild Hunt assault two weeks ago, things had been quiet. There had been talks among the Lightkeepers of that fight being the last one of that intensity potentially forever.
Theoretically, it seemed likely. The Rächer of Solnari was dead. The only Wild Hunt left were the dregs of his corruption in the land.
Illuga could tell that something wasn't quite right. But he wasn't sure if it was just his paranoia speaking.
Still, it came of no surprise to him when Lohen received an envelope from Favonius Keep penned in delicate cursive.
They sat together on his bed-- the bed they'd been sharing since Illuga apparently demanded it of them that night when he got wasted and they'd never bothered to go back-- as Lohen read it aloud.
"Due to the magnitude of the last Wild Hunt attack on Cliffwatch Camp and the subsequent lack of Wild Hunt activity, the Acting Grand Master requests that the Fifth Company of the Knights of Favonius returns to Mondstadt under the impression that the Wild Hunt will not return at such a large scale."
Illuga nodded carefully. He could tell that Lohen was watching his expression, examining It-- It threw Illuga off when the other man was silent.
Illuga didn't want to share the wary feeling that sunk in his chest. "What do you think?"
"Me? I think Grand Master Jean is being her typical self. Never lets her Knights have any fun. All business."
"I don't think that requesting a retreat after the threat has ceased is unreasonable." Illuga murmured, staring at the bedspread between them.
"You're the Wild Hunt guy. Do you think the threat is gone?" Lohen's earnesty came as a surprise to Illuga. It was foreign.
Illuga sighed. "Theoretically, it should be."
"I'm not one for theories, birdie."
"I don't know. I just have a bad feeling." Illuga didn't even know why he was sharing. "But I think it's just my paranoia speaking."
"Hmm?"
Illuga gnawed his bottom lip. "I just don't want to let my guard down and to be taken advantage of. I don't want this support to leave and then be ambushed without aid."
"I thought you Nod Krai folks are tough enough to fight 'em off yourselves." Lohen's stare was more intense than normal, which was truly saying something.
"Y-yes. We are." Illuga nodded decisively to himself. "I'm just overthinking it. The Fifth Company should return to Mondstadt at the earliest convenience."
"I can always tell Jean to suck it." Lohen smiled.
"Don't disrespect your Acting Grand Master like that." Illuga sighed, adjusting his fringe. "She'd never provide Nod Krai aid again."
"She would if I asked her to, birdie." Lohen's demeanor was off-putting. Like he was trying to get Illuga to say something specific.
"It's fine. We'll be fine. The threat is most likely gone." Illuga knows that he can't keep the Fifth Company in Nod Krai based off a bit of fear.
"Okay~ If you say so." Lohen slid off the bed, flicking Illuga's forehead as he went. "I'll go tell my men to start packing up camp. We'll be out of the Lightkeepers hair by dawn tomorrow."
"Yes. Do that." Illuga kept his face straight. His chest clenched strangely.
He ignored it.
~~~
A rapid knocking at Illuga's door.
He dismissed the déjà-vu of the situation as he stood, all too pleased to abandon his work for a moment. There was no way it was Lohen. The Fifth Company departed Cliffwatch Camp that morning to start the journey back to Mondstadt. The departure was strangely upsetting, but Illuga dismissed it as missing the support that the Knights provided during their time of need.
He swung the door open.
It was Lohen.
"What?!"
"Hey~" Even as the Captain was puffing and sweating with exertion, he managed a manic grin. "Did you miss me already? You did, didn't you?"
"Lohen." Illuga worriedly examined the other man. No visible injuries. "What are you doing here?!"
"Huge Wild Hunt attack at Piramida." Lohen waved a dagger in his hand haphazardly as he explained. "Bigger than the last one. At the very base of the northern island."
"I'll ready my men." Illuga was already slipping his coat on and grabbing his lantern and pole arm from beside the door.
"The Fifth Company is working with the Snowfield Falcons to hold back the assault, but it's intense." The man looked far more excited than bothered by this fact.
Illuga sounded the invasion alarm once more, hoping that it would be the last time for a long, long while.
"But you were right, birdie," Lohen trailed Illuga attentively, even as the Squad Leader all but ignored him to shout orders at his men. "I knew you were right. I stalled my men on purpose, and I'm glad I did."
"I-- What?? Why would you do that?" Illuga paused his actions momuntarily.
"Because I knew you were right. Did you not listen?" Illuga huffed at Lohen's response before barking out the positions that he wanted his men to take in their descent to Piramida. "You're too shy to ask me to stay with you for longer, but I can read you like a book."
"Stop saying such irrelevant things." Illuga beckoned for Lohen to follow him to lead the Squad through Nod Krai.
"You asked, and I answered, birdie~"
Illuga pouted but used the reminder to free Aedon from the lantern and use him to scout ahead.
They trekked along at a swift pace. The Lightkeepers are nothing if not efficient in their travel, especially the investigation Squad of the Nightmare Orioles.
"Wait." Illuga broke the silence between the two men at the front of the group.
"Hmm?" Lohen hummed in his sing-song voice.
"You love fighting."
"That I do~"
"But you left the most intense fight behind to alert the Nightmare Orioles instead of sending a Knight to do it?"
"Mostly correct!"
"What did I get wrong?" Illuga casted the man a sideways glance to find him already staring.
"I left the fight behind to alert you. I couldn't care less about your men."
"Why is that more important to you than fighting?" Illuga couldn't hide his bewilderment, stepping over a kuuvakhi plant in his brisk walk.
"Because you're hot when you fight~"
Illuga spluttered. "You're pulling my leg."
"Nope!"
"But you'd see me fight either way. You still could have just sent your subordinate and gotten the same result."
"Did I forget to mention that you're also hot when you boss your Squad around?"
Illuga flushed unintentionally. "You're ridiculous."
"I'm honest~"
Illuga truly doubted that.
~~~
"Orioles! Seventh combat position!" Illuga shouted behind him as he spotted the battle just up ahead.
A chorus of voices responded. "Yes, sir!"
Lohen was right. It was an immense assault. At least double the number of Wild Hunt monsters as the last fight, but thankfully the Fifth Company and the Snowfield Falcons were knee-deep in combat already.
It looked perfect for someone like Lohen. The man was basically vibrating with excitement at Illuga's side.
As expected, he had something coy to say. "What's my command, Captain?"
Illuga pondered it. He doubted the man would listen, anyway, But-- "Just don't get hurt."
"Wha--"
Lohen's words were drowned out by the stampede of footsteps as Illuga led his Squad into the gruelling battle.
+1
Illuga cursed beneath his breath. Blood dripped from the large gash in his thigh onto the torn up grass beneath his feet.
His body swayed uncertainly as he shifted his weight onto his uninjured leg, nimbly dodging the attack of the monsters near him.
Movement itself became a struggle, let alone battle against the onslaught of the Wild Hunt. Illuga was far from any medics-- he couldn't walk that distance, not with his leg.
He knew that he shouldn't have strayed so far from everyone else. As the fight progressed, battle formations became more of a suggestion due to the sporadic and uncontrollable nature of the monsters.
Illuga barely managed to slaughter the Wild Hunt closest to him before using what little energy he had left to duck behind a nearby mound of boulders, away from the prying eyes of the bloodthirsty mutations.
Archons. It looked bad.
A deep slit stretched straight down his right thigh, clearly cutting through the muscle. Illuga tried not to faint as he spotted bone.
His fingers fumbled as he sliced strips from his sweater to wrap around the wound.
He was far too slow. The blood gushed through the makeshift bandages, causing his spinning mind to become even woozier.
He was fighting consciousness with every passing moment. His breathing was heavy, but he tried to tamper it down to not alert any passing Wild Hunt. He could hear them, close by.
He was going to die here. He was going to die behind a bunch of rocks, either by blood loss or by a monster putting him out of this misery.
His eyes were slipping shut when he heard a familiar timbre.
That was Lohen, wasn't it? He recognized that voice, even if it was just grunts and pants as the man presumably tore through the nearby monsters.
Illuga couldn't tell how close he was.
If he called out, Lohen might not hear him. A monster might instead.
Curse it.
"Lohen!" Illuga tried. It was a pathetic cry for help, and he bit down a whimper immediately after as his thigh throbbed with pain.
Archons, that was a lot of blood.
"Lohen, please!" Illuga couldn't help the tears streaming down his face.
He heard footsteps approaching and could only pray that it was him.
"Illuga!" Lohen crouched down in a split second, taking in the man's wounded state.
"Lohen." Illuga was useless to say much else. "Lohen, it hurts--"
"Shh, shh." He soothed, wiping the tears from Illuga's cheeks before rapidly retrieving bandages from a pouch attached to his belt.
"Lohen--" Illuga could hardly think, clutching onto the man before him as bandages were hastily unwound from the roll.
"It's okay, it's okay--"
Pain tore through Illuga's leg. He couldn't help but thrash and gasp as Lohen tightly wrapped the white cloth around his thigh.
"Quiet, quiet-- Be quiet."
Illuga knew he needed to shut up lest he draws the attention of prowling monsters, but he couldn't help it. As another torturous, stabbing pang ripped through his body, he bit down on Lohen's shoulder to keep silent.
If it were anyone else, it would not have been the right move, but Lohen didn't flinch. He ran a trembling hand down the back of Illuga's head as he pulled out a few pills and a flask of water.
"Lohen, are--" Illuga tried, even as his body shook with pain.
"Yes, Illuga? Tell me." Lohen whispered, rubbing Illuga's wet cheeks.
"Are we w-winning?" He forced out before groaning from the exertion.
Despite it all, Lohen grinned as he put the pills in Illuga's mouth and brought the flask to his lips. "Yeah, birdie. We are."
That was all Illuga needed to hear before he gulped down the pills and slipped into unconsciousness.
~~~
"Ah! You're awake!" Lohen beamed from where he was kneeling by Illuga's side.
Illuga blinked a few times to get his bearings.
"Mm. Hi, Aedon." Illuga reached up a shaky arm to stroke his pet from where he perched on Lohen's shoulder.
"Hey! What about me? I've been with you for days!"
Hmm. What about Lohen? Illuga wondered.
Lohen, who saved Illuga's life. Lohen, who carried his unconscious dead weight of a body to a medic whilst slaughtering any monster that stood in his way. Lohen, who demanded that Illuga be seen to first. Lohen, who apparently sat without sleep by Illuga's side until he awoke.
Illuga couldn't help but smile a little, reaching both hands up to cup the sides of Lohen's face. "I'm not sure. But I have an idea."
"Yeah?" Lohen barely made the word out before Illuga pulled him down into a kiss.
After a few heated moments, Lohen bit Illuga's bottom lip and he yelped, pulling away.
"Lohen!" Illuga panted. "You're such a freak."
"Oh, birdie~ You haven't seen the half of it~" Lohen grinned with those sharp, sharp teeth.
Illuga didn't really think he minded.
+1 More
"Wow, Illuga! That's great news!" Varka barked out a laugh.
Illuga smiled softly, twisting the engagement band around his finger. "Oh, don't act as though you didn't know, Grand Master."
"Ah, you caught me!" Varka grinned, nursing his beer. "Lohen paraded the rings all around Mondstadt before he proposed. He asked for everyone's opinion."
The Lightkeepers and the Knights of Favonius were at the Angel's Share together, a 'diplomatic meeting' that was really just one long social event.
"As if anyone could say anything negative about them." Illuga laughed, picturing his fiancé excitedly going from person to person with the velvet boxes.
"Haha, exactly right! Nobody would dare, or Lohen would use them as target practice for his Company."
Illuga smiled at that, reflecting on their relationship. "It's funny, you know. We probably wouldn't have fallen in love if it weren't for a Mondstadt tradition."
"Oh, yeah? Which one?" Varka took a hearty swig of beer.
"The one where two leaders of allying factions must stay in the same place. That proximity made us a lot closer." Illuga smiled, but it faltered with Varka's blank expression.
"I'm not too sure what you're talking about, there."
"You know. For, uh," Illuga tried to recall what Lohen said all those years ago. "Strategic purposes?"
Varka shook his head. "Still not sure."
Illuga froze in realisation.
"Lohen, my love?" He called out sweetly across the bar to where his fiancé was definitely spiking Huffman's drink, considering the way the poor Knight was swaying from side to side.
The man smiled from across the room before practically bounding over with excitement, pinching Illuga's cheeks and sliding into the booth beside him. "Yes, my birdie?"
"Varka here said something very interesting." Illuga kept his fake smile strong. He could tell how Lohen faltered a little.
"What's that?" Lohen smiled back.
"He says that he's never heard of this Mondstadt tradition that requires allying leaders to stay in the same abode."
"Ah! That's because I made it up."
"Lohen!" Illuga dropped both his fake expression and his head in his hands. "Why?!"
"Because I wanted to stay with my light~" Illuga could tell that he was grinning. "My everything~"
In front of them, Varka coughed awkwardly. "Lohen, did you really lie about that to our allies..?"
"It doesn't matter now. It worked out, didn't it?" Lohen draped his arm over Illuga's distraught shoulders.
"I'm divorcing you." Illuga muttered.
"That's not possible! We aren't married yet!"
Varka could definitely sense the potent tension between them, so he abortedly shuffled out of the booth and headed towards the bar.
"Unless..." Lohen whispered close to Illuga's ear. "You want to elope tonight?"
Illuga wished the idea wasn't as tempting as it was. He raised his head to glare half-heartedly at the other man. "No way. You just proposed yesterday."
"Life is short!" Lohen smiled earnestly. "And I would rather die than spend it with anyone but you."
Illuga hated that he was actually mulling it over. "I don't know."
"If we do..." Lohen purred quietly in Illuga's ear. "I'll do that thing that you wanted me to do the other night..."
...
They eloped that night.