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Night was right around the corner. Darkness slowly crept across the sky, countless stars appearing. After a long, tiresome day it should feel like a reward – after all it was the time to finally go rest. Yet, it wasn't the case for the Leader of the Regime; the man was far too consumed in his paper work to even allow himself to think of resting.
As much as Ash aspired to achieve his goals and bring the Regime to its full potential, he had to admit the desk work had gotten annoying. For hours at end he sat at his desk and the papers seemed to only multiply, no matter how long the man had stayed up to take care of them.
A long, frustrated sigh escaped him, eyes narrowing while looking at the text – letters becoming blurrier with each second. The concept of abandoning every single duty of his and just going to sleep became more tempting with every failed attempt at decoding the foggy words. The man pushed the papers aside, letting them fall onto the desk.
– “just for a moment” – he thought to himself, finally closing his eyes. The darkness was relieving, to say the least. It felt almost cooling against the exhausted burn. He could fall asleep like this – Ash was sure that he would if he hadn't heard the obnoxious laughter coming down the corridor. The corners of his lips pushed downwards – it was not the right time to see that man.
The door to his room sprung open, the other not even bothering to knock. Ash looked up to the red panda standing right in the entrance.
– Witam, witam! – Ewron greeted loudly, waving his hands at the Leader. The door closed, gentler than it was opened and the man walked up to the desk. Movements confident and satisfied.
– Do you ever run out of energy? – Ash scorned, observing the hybrid with a rather displeased expression.
– I'm a nocturnal creature – the man chuckled lightheartedly.
– Why are you here? – he leaned in his chair, arms crossed as he glared at the hybrid in front of him. The other didn't seem to mind his demeanour judging by the wide, pleased grin sprawled across his face. The pandas' rather big tail swayed idly from side to side – Ash would be lying if he said it wasn't distracting.
– I'm just visiting, can't I? – Ewron leaned closer over the desk, hands gripping at the edge of it.
– Can't you choose a more suitable hour for this? – he sighed. – I'm working. – Ash pointed out to which the hybrid glanced at the papers scattered across the desk, before his gaze drifted back to the Leader's face.
– Yeah you should probably stop. – he said, shrugging his arms. – bracie, you look terrible. – Ewron announced without much thought and Ash's face turned into a displeased scorn.
– I mean dude, you look tired. – he added immediately. – better to rest, no? – it sounded half like a question and half like a statement. The man looked the man up and down, frowning slightly. His eyes were drawn to the ears sticking out of the hoodie. It wasn’t the first time he noticed how his Blade’s clothes seemed perfectly tailored for him – no unintended loose fabric, everything clings perfectly and the hoods cut out were big enough to fit his panda ears that were perked up. The man felt ashamed to admit how often they caught his attention – every indicator of the other man’s panda genetics managed to strike his curiosity. Ewron’s body seemed to pick up most changes, even those that his mind didn’t even process. Ears moving, adjusting to different sounds, aside they make it quite easy to identify the man’s mood. If, of course, he doesn’t scream about them first. During many of their interactions he noticed how certain things would cause them to either stand tall or lay low against his head.
He was taken out of his thoughts by a hand grabbing his chin, pulling him down slightly.
– Dude! – the hybrid exclaimed angrily. – Eyes down here. – he furrowed, ears turning backwards. Ash instinctively slapped his hand away.
– Sorry, sorry. – he murmured. – Got distracted. – he rubbed his eyes before resting his elbows on the desk edge. Ewron’s glare nearly burned his skin.
– Anyway, get up – the man suddenly ordered. – We are going to sleep now! – Ewron exclaimed.
– Ewron… – Ash started but the hybrid had already grabbed his hand.
– What the hell do you mean we? – the so-scary and so-confident Leader’s voice cracked in confusion. He should have protested more – he should have pushed him away immediately. Instead, the moment Ewron tugged lightly on his arm, Ash stood up without resistance, folding under practically no pressure at all. The other man’s tail swayed and a pleased chuckle slipped past his lips.
– Don’t act so annoyed now. – the hybrid said, leading him towards the neatly made bed. – It’s not as if I’m forcing you. – he teased. The Leader rolled his eyes, though the heat creeping into his face betrayed him instantly.
– Don’t tell me you came here just to sleep in my bed. – Ash frowned, already pulling off his outer jacket. – Did the Poles kick you out already? – the Leader scoffed.
– Not yet. – Ewron replied casually as he climbed onto the mattress, sprawling across it like he belonged there. – But if they do, I should secure my spot in advance, right? – he glanced over his shoulder with a grin so stupidly pleased Ash couldn’t help but look away.
Ash wanted to scold him, kick the man out of his bed and insult for crossing boundaries – yet he didn’t. Instead the man laid on the mattress right beside the panda hybrid.
– I suppose you do… – his words were followed by a tired sigh.
– Exactly! – Ewron dragged out each syllable, tail curling in triumph.
Ash felt warmth creeping higher onto his own face – this is far from what he had expected. Usually, his evenings ended with him unconscious at his desk, buried beneath paperwork and exhaustion. This kind of closeness wasn’t unfamiliar, but it also wasn’t something he knew how to handle. Every little movement suddenly felt awkward, every breath too noticeable. Shame creeped its way across his entire mind and body, overthinking everything he could do wrong.
However these feelings seemed to be one sided – Ewron looked to be completely unbothered by everything happening around him. With slow, yet bold movements he crawled closer to the Leader, resting his head on the man’s chest. He felt his own body stiffening under the red panda’s weight.
– Ewron – Ash muttered weakly.
– Shut up, just rest. – the hybrid murmured in response.
And like that, he felt himself go speechless – his Blade rested on top of him. The warmth of the other man’s body made him feel hot, cheeks nearly burning. Ewron’s hair brushed softly against his chin with every small breath he took, the sensation distracting enough to make Ash’s thoughts stumble over themselves.
His eyes drifted over the other's body, instantly focusing on the yet another distracting part of the hybrid – his tail, long, fluffy, and impossible to ignore, it rested across Ash’s legs, loosely curling around one of his calves. It wasn't the first time when the red panda's tail laid on him.
Whenever the two men happened to share a boat, Ewron’s tail somehow always ended up draped over Ash’s lap, curling there to avoid the cold water. Every single time that happened, the Leader’s mind could focus on nothing else but the weight on him. Touching it had always been tempting – but he recalled Haiper saying how it’s “not proper”. Disappointing.
Right now, though, Ash found himself questioning whether he cared. This moment itself was improper – that man was laying on top of him for god’s sake.
Slowly, cautiously, he lifted his hand and rested it atop Ewron’s head, fingers scratching gently at the base of his ears. The reaction was immediate – the man on top of him shuddered, tail twitching sharply against Ash’s leg, body tensing for a few seconds.
A quiet sound escaped him as the red panda relaxed into the touch, leaning more fully against Ash’s chest while he continued the gentle scratching.
– You’re so weird. – he muttered as the man rubbed his cheek against his chest like an oversized cat.
– You’re the one petting me. – the red panda pointed out lazily, not bothering to stop his actions.
As if offended, the Leader’s mouth fell open, fully prepared to argue, but no response came out. After all, technically, Ewron was right.
His hand was still buried in the soft hair by the hybrid’s ears, fingers moving in slow circles almost absentmindedly now. Each stroke earned him another pleased little nuzzle against his shirt, and honestly, it was becoming difficult to remember why he had wanted to complain in the first place.
– That doesn’t mean you have to enjoy it this much. – Ash still found something to bark out.
– Oh, so now you want me to be miserable? – Ewron gasped dramatically, though his voice was thick with sleepiness – świetnie bracie, świetnie. –
– I didn’t say that… – he sighed.
– That’s what you implied though. – Ewron continued and for a moment the other man wondered whether the hybrid was actually offended, or just teasing him.
– I absolutely did not. –
A quiet laugh rumbled through Ewron’s chest before dissolving into a yawn. The sound alone seemed to drain the remaining tension from the room. His tail shifted again across Ash’s legs, fluff brushing against his calf before settling comfortably in place.
The Leader exhaled slowly.
The room had gone unusually quiet at some point. No arguing, no teasing remarks, no distant chatter from outside the walls. Just the soft rustle of blankets and Ewron’s steady breathing against him. The moment felt nice – too nice even.
– You’re staring. – the red panda mumbled without doing as much as lifting his head.
– I’m not. – the man denied once again.
– You stopped petting me too. – he muttered.
Ash immediately resumed the gentle scratching, earning a satisfied hum in response. – “Spoiled” – he thought, bitterly.
The hybrid practically melted on top of him now, all warm limbs and soft breaths. Ash could feel sleep pulling at his own body too, heavy and impossible to ignore after days of exhaustion. Despite the comfort, one thought still lingered stubbornly in the man’s mind.
– This better not become a habit. – Ash whispered, a faint groan following the words. He felt Ewron smile against his chest.
– Too late. – his tone was drenched in excitement, despite visibly being close to falling asleep. Ash rolled his eyes, though there was no real annoyance left behind the gesture anymore.
After a moment of hesitation, he carefully pulled a nearby blanket over both of them, making sure the idiot sprawled across him was at least somewhat covered. Ewron made a pleased sound at that, instinctively curling closer. The panda’s behaviour should’ve made him tense again, opting to push him off. Yet instead, his fingers slipped once more through the soft hair near the hybrid’s ears, slower this time, growing heavier with exhaustion.
Silence consumed them as neither spoke after that.
Eventually, Ewron’s breathing evened out completely, his tail going still across Ash’s legs. And somewhere not long after, with warmth pressed against him and sleep finally winning the fight, Ash’s eyes closed too.