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Lohen did not often find himself in Nasha Town, even during his tenure as a member of the Favonius expedition. The hustle and bustle of daily life, however chaotic and unregulated, simply did not suit him as much as the Abyss-infested valleys of Ashveil Peak.
And yet, he thinks to himself that there was no other place he would rather be at that moment, as he basks in the company of one Lightkeeper Squad Captain.
To say that Lohen was anything less than giddy right now would be an understatement. Illuga had invited him out under the pretence of getting groceries for dinner, but Lohen knew it was just an excuse to spend more time with him. The process of masterfully turning this simple outing into a romantic one proved to be of little challenge, and they were already well onto the third item on Lohen’s personal date itinerary.
He waited as Illuga sorted through the new arrivals at the bookshop, hoping to pick up the next entry to a series he had just caught up on. Illuga had told him about it on the journey over, and how it had been a source of great inspiration for his Tabletop Troupe campaigns. Lohen was now too similarly invested, if only to listen to his beloved nightingale’s voice recall the story in detail.
“It’s not here…” Illuga mused to himself as he turned towards Lohen, seeming a bit disappointed, “I asked Dhabit, and he mentioned that he won’t be restocking anytime soon. Something about focusing on his investment business…”
The knight felt his stomach sink a little at the sight of a small frown, and made a mental note to put in a special request for the Favonius’s next supply run.
“Don’t worry about it, birdie~ It’ll get here eventually,” Lohen reassured him, as he casually led them to the lift and onto their next stop.
“Ah, Ineffa! Look! It’s Illuga! And Lohen!” A familiar voice cried out just as they stepped into the square. Aino skipped over with Ineffa in tow, holding a box filled with various metal parts and the like.
“Hello, Miss Aino. Miss Ineffa.” Illuga greeted them politely as Lohen smiled and waved in lieu of words, “What brings the both of you here today?”
“Aino needed some materials and tools for her new project,” Ineffa said, nodding towards the two, “We had just run out of ingredients for krumkake as well, so a trip to Nasha Town was deemed to be a necessity.”
“I see. We’re just here to run some errands, too,” Illuga replied with a tinge of uncertainty and nervousness in his voice. Lohen shrugged noncommittedly. Perhaps Illuga had long caught on to Lohen’s scheming, and had just been pretending to be none the wiser about their little date. They had, after all, spent at least a good two hours more than necessary in town if they had only intended to get groceries, with none of said groceries in hand.
The knight smiled fondly to himself. Always so observant, always trying to act so nonchalant, yet ever so indulgent.
“Oh, and since you’re here! I’ll have to remind you to attend the seminar next week, Illuga.” Aino huffed with abrupt sternness, arms to her sides, “You skipped last week’s lecture, and also the one before that! At this rate, you won’t be able to keep up with the lesson!”
“Ah… so sorry about that…” Illuga had shrunk towards him upon hearing the word “seminar” – how cute, “But you know how it is, with the Wild Hunt, all the logistics, paperwork, and the sort… I’ll try to make it to class next week, but I’m pretty sure my schedule’s full.”
Ineffa observed Illuga with unnerving silence as he floundered. Lohen could imagine the invisible gears in her head click in place as she stepped up to present her findings.
“No eye contact. Visible apprehension. Lack of confidence and clarity in your tone of voice. It is safe to say that none of your claims hold any merit.”
Ineffa paused, no doubt for dramatic effect.
Lohen snorted.
“In conclusion, you will be available to participate in the lecture next week, Mr. Illuga, should there be no surprise matters of urgency or sudden bouts of illness.”
His poor birdie was ever so terrible with excuses, and even worse with lies.
Illuga groaned, eyes drifting over to Lohen – a silent plea for help. Lohen smirked, nudging his head towards a little shop near the town square.
The Lightkeeper perked up, sensing and recognizing an opening out of his predicament as Lohen finally stepped up to defend him.
What a knight in shining armour.
“Hey Aino, why don’t we get you one of those sugar sculptures over there? It’ll be on me.”
“A sugar sculpture?” Aino repeated, immediately distracted by the allure of a sweet treat, “Yay! Ineffa, let’s go!”
It took no more than one colourful heart-shaped confection to placate the young genius. Illuga let out a sigh, having escaped from Ineffa’s mechanical deconstruction of his pitiful excuses.
“Would you each like one as well, gentlemen?” Hunajatta offered, finished with Aino’s request.
“I’ll pass, but Illuga will have one. It’ll be my treat, as well,” Lohen replied before Illuga could even consider it. He had seen Illuga’s eyes scan over the candy displayed across the stall with great interest as he and Aino chatted. And who was he to deny any of Illuga’s wants or desires, few and far between as they were.
“Certainly. Coming right up!”
Illuga stepped in line next to him, brushing his shoulder against Lohen’s in appreciation as Hunajatta busied herself with a new order, making no effort to lean away when Lohen responded with a brief knock against Illuga's gloved knuckles.
And so there they stood, shoulder to shoulder, arms nearly flush against the other.
Lohen turned around.
Ineffa had been watching them carefully, those same imaginary gears spinning as if to confirm a theory she had long suspected to be true, and made eye contact with Lohen. With a knowing grin, Lohen squinted his eyes and put a finger to his lips.
Illuga, none the wiser.
“We’d best get going, Aino. There’s much to do back at the workshop.” Ineffa straightened as she rose, retrieving the box she had been carrying earlier with ease, “We’ve taken up too much of Mr. Lohen and Mr. Illuga’s time as well.”
“Oh right! Thanks again, Lohen!” Aino chirped, jumping excitedly as the two men waved their goodbyes. The young girl waved back enthusiastically, right as they started to take their leave.
“And Illuga! We’ll see you at the lecture next week!”
“Ah…” Illuga deflated in exasperation. The poor Ratnik could not appear more tired even if he tried.
“Looks like you’ll need to come up with a new excuse. I could help.” Lohen chuckled, arms crossed in front of him, “Though maybe it’d do you good to stop skipping those engineering classes I’ve been hearing about. I’ve seen you go to town on your equipment every time they break.”
“But it works every time!”
“Sure it does.”
They fell back into their usual routine with the ensuing banter. Not long after, Hunajatta handed Illuga an intricately designed sugar sculpture, made in the spitting image of one proud and loyal messenger bird.
---
They had moved to a quiet corner for Illuga to enjoy his newly acquired treat, away from the crowd. Lohen settled underneath the cool shade, letting all the sounds and vistas of the bustling town waft through his senses.
How can the stillness of mundane life be so boring any other day, yet be so comfortable by your side?
Adorno would have been relieved to see him like this.
He glimpsed over to find Illuga holding the sculpture carefully, admiring.
“That’s a pretty little bird. Looks just like Aedon.”
“Doesn’t it? Ms. Hunajatta’s an amazing artist.”
An approving whistle emitted from the signal lamp secured at his hip.
Lohen watched Illuga take a small bite, brows lowered and content. A relaxed Illuga was an incredibly rare sight to behold. He dutifully filed this moment into a special folder in his chest, filled with small but fond memories of their time together for him to look back to during his inevitable return to Mondstadt.
Beside him, Illuga continued to eat, a faint blush dusting his cheeks.
Lohen felt a grin form as impulse rippled through him.
“Hey Illuga. Care to let me have a bite?”
“Sure.” Illuga paused, letting the sugar melt in his mouth, “You know, you could have just asked for one if you wanted-”
Lohen had crept forward before he could even finish his sentence.
Illuga froze as he registered an unexpected yet tender sting, blooming on his left cheek.
Lohen was biting his face.
Licking the raised flesh, Lohen noted the chill of Illuga’s skin on his tongue, replaced quickly by a growing heat. The Lightkeeper shivered in his grip, letting out a hitched gasp as Lohen tightened his jaw slightly, clenching down just a bit further.
He stayed there for a second longer before releasing Illuga. Feeling just a bit too smug and satisfied, he took a step back, nodding in appreciation of his latest masterpiece.
Startled, Illuga had dropped the half-eaten sugar sculpture, and was now staring at him in shock, mouth agape. Looking so flushed, so bewildered, and so, so lovely.
“Lohen!”
“Tastes good.”
“What are you doing?!”
“Taking a bite? You said I could.”
“What if someone sees us!” Illuga hissed, hand darting up to cover his teeth-marked cheek.
“That’s your concern?” Lohen was absolutely delighted, shifting even closer. His little birdie was so cute, so flustered beneath his gaze.
Illuga groaned, moving backwards. Lohen simply leaned towards him, mischief dripping out of his smirk.
“Come on, birdie. Everyone here already knows about us.”
“Everyone???”
“Yeah. The Lightkeepers, the Knights, everybody in Piramida, Nasha Town, the Frostmoon Scions-”
“But I haven’t told anyone!”
“Neither did I.” Lohen purred, pressing the advantage and cornering Illuga into the wall. He could faintly feel the heat radiating off Illuga’s skin as he inched forward, cutting him off from any attempts to escape. Raising an arm, he moved Illuga’s hand away to cup his face, briefly closing the gap between their lips.
How soft.
“But I made sure everyone knew anyway.”
A hand pressed protectively over his back. A burning gaze across the table as the meeting ran its course. Fingers grazing over exchanged reports. A kiss to the top of his head at the back of the strategy tent, just out of the periphery of the moonlight.
Illuga stared back at him – sputtering, wide-eyed, and blushing wildly. So adorable. He wanted to push a little further, tease him a little more.
“Are you embarrassed, birdie?” Lohen whispered into his ear, “Too shy to let the others to know about us?”
A miscalculation.
Lohen felt the temperature surrounding them drop as Illuga stiffened. For a moment, the knight worried that he might have gone too far, biting and prodding at the young Lightkeeper.
He watched as conflict played between frantic blue eyes, until they lowered into something resembling melancholy.
His stomach dropped.
Surely he’s not actually…
…
“Is something the matter, birdie?”
A pause. Illuga fidgeted in place as Lohen’s concern grew.
Illuga took a deep breath as he slid down the wall, cradling his knees to his chest when he landed on solid ground. Lohen followed, crouching down before him so that they were once again level.
“I… I know you’ve been wanting to tell the others. I want to, too.” Illuga began, searching for the right words, “And for the record, I’m not embarrassed. About us.”
Lohen hummed, both in understanding and acknowledgement.
“I’m not used to all of this. I think I’m just a little overwhelmed,” Illuga said finally, “It’s scary when you’re always expecting to lose everything at any given moment.”
Lohen knew that Illuga had both witnessed and experienced the cruel hand life had dealt upon those who simply wished to love and be loved. He himself had perhaps once similarly grieved over a family, a home, that he no longer remembers. Putting a name to and announcing such precious things probably felt like a surefire way to cast fate’s ire upon them.
Warmth enveloped over his knuckles, snapping him out of his thoughts. Illuga had reached over to hold both of Lohen’s hands in his, squeezing slightly. Lohen’s heart swelled. He could tell that Illuga was trying his best to step out of his comfort zone, making efforts to initiate intimacy in his attempts to keep up with Lohen’s flagrant demonstrations of adoration.
The brushing of a knee underneath the dinner table. A fond smile over the banquet spread. Head tilted towards his in laughter during a joint night of merriment. A quick peck to his cheek under the cover of night, illuminated only by the stars.
Illuga had never suggested it, but Lohen wouldn’t mind taking things slower. He was more than happy to lead Illuga through foreign territory, until the nightingale could keep up and soar alongside him at his own pace.
Just as the young Ratnik had done for him during his early days in Nod Krai.
“I don’t want anything to change between us. I… like it just the way it is.” Illuga murmured after a while, clearing all of Lohen’s doubts as if he had just read his mind, “And we’ll tell the others about us. Officially. Eventually.”
“I just need a little more time.”
Relief washed over him. Lohen rubbed soothing circles against Illuga’s palm in reassurance, resisting the urge to kiss him once more, right then and there.
He likes it. He likes the way it is. The way you are.
“I got it, birdie. Take as long as you need. You know I’ll always wait for you.”
“Even if it takes forever?”
“Even if it takes forever.”
Lohen sees the way Illuga’s eyes narrow, softening as he finally settled into a small, hesitant, smile.
“…Thank you, Lohen.”
“Don’t thank me. It’s a given.”
“I know. But I appreciate it a lot, still.”
Illuga tilted his head upwards, closing the distance. They parted soon after, the kiss short yet sweet. Lohen swore he could still taste the lingering sugar on Illuga’s lips.
“I love you.”
He was beaming at Lohen, looking absolutely radiant under the clear sky and sweeter than any bubblegum or candy could compare. The knight’s heart skipped a beat. It was as though he had fallen for the Lightkeeper all over again.
“I, well.” Lohen paused, taking in the words, “I love you too, Illuga.”
He averted his eyes, unable to bring himself to properly respond or stare directly into his sun – how lame. He could hear Illuga trying to bite back mirth, amused at having rendered Lohen wordless and basically down on his knees.
“You can be surprisingly shy at times. It’s quite cute.”
“Ah, stop that. Don’t call me cute with that face.” Lohen shoved Illuga playfully, the edges of his mouth upturned uncontrollably.
“I kinda like it when you’re like this.”
“Like what?”
“Shy. Cute.” Illuga continued teasing, “Adorable.”
“Sure I am.” Lohen muttered, getting up and walking away to hide his persisting grin, “Come on. We still have plenty of other places to go on our date.”
“I knew it!” Illuga exclaimed, smile widening as he practically sprang up, “I knew you were taking me on a date!”
“Was it not what you wanted?” Lohen tilted his head back, “You’re the one who invited me out in the first place.”
Illuga looked sheepish, letting out a short, nervous, laugh. All but confirming Lohen’s suspicions.
“Let’s go,” Illuga said, catching up to Lohen, “We won’t make it back to Piramida in time for dinner at the rate we’re going.”
Changing the topic to get out of a situation? Taking a page out of my book, I see. Ineffective. But I’ll bite.
“Where are you taking me next?”
“The greenhouse. I’d like to get something to replace the Cecilias I got you.”
“I managed to salvage one of them in time. Mr. Flins suggested that I could make bookmarks out of them, so I have it pressed in a book,” Illuga sounded pleased, “I’ll think of you every time I see it.”
“Awwwh, birdie~” Lohen’s steps grew lighter, thrilled over the thought of Illuga’s gentle gaze fixed upon the pressed Cecilia, thinking only of him, “Already planning on missing me while I’m still here?”
He’ll see to delivering Illuga an even greater variety of flowers from Mondstadt along with his letters, once duty calls him home. And if they don’t survive the trip, Lohen could always have them frozen or preserved before sending them off again.
After all, he was nothing if not tenacious.
Laughter and chatter echoed between them throughout the rest of their date, as they soaked in the warmth of each other’s presence. At the end of the day, Piramida welcomed them beneath a night sky filled with the blessings of the Moon Goddess – arms full of flowers, trinkets, and food.
And if anyone had taken a good enough look on the imprints left on Illuga’s face as they strode around and shot Lohen an apprehensive glance, then it would be a secret that Lohen will be sure they keep.