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Stay calm. Illuga marched over to the entrance of the Lightkeeper’s Headquarters, waiting for a squad of people from the Knight of Favonius in Mondstadt to come help them out with missions. You can’t mess this up. You have to make a good impression for the rest of the Lightkeepers all around Nod-Krai. His grip increased on his almost broken polearm. He would have gotten a new one by now, but there was just no time, and he didn’t want to take any of his other fellow lightkeepers’ polearms when he could work just fine with his for now. Weren’t they supposed to be here by now? What do they even look like? My old pops and Flins told me nothing about these guys!
So, for the next ten minutes, he stood at the entrance, awaiting the arrival of the fabled knights. Is it true that knights have shining armor like in kids’ fairy tales? …Probably not. Even Aedon had started to get bugged, perching himself in Illuga’s hair. If they’re going to take so long, maybe I could just rest my eyes for a while. I’m sure I’ll be able to hear them once they come. Illuga leaned against the wall and looked up at the night sky before letting his eyelids drop.
“Hey!” A loud, slightly unhinged voice called out. Illuga’s eyes instantly shot open. “Why are you sleeping on the job? Varka told me you lightkeepers were ever so hardworking and that us knights should follow in your example.” The man (or was he a boy? He looked really young…)’s crimson eyes with a slight green tint examined him. “Tch. Clearly not.”
“I was just resting my eyes.” Illuga rolled his eyes, and observed the person standing in front of him. At a second glance, he did appear to be around the same age as himself. He wore a decorated uniform, covered in blues, white, and gold. Even if he is annoying, he’s clearly a high-up big shot. Illuga held out his hand to introduce himself. “I’m Illuga, Squad Leader of the Nightmare Orioles. And you are?”
“Lohen.” Rather than accepting the handshake, the knight placed his right hand on his chest and took a small bow. “Vice Captain of the Fifth Company. And here I was expecting that other guy the Grandmaster told me about. Apparently, he’s got these weird ears and purple hair. Do you know him?”
“You mean Mr. Flins?” Illuga tilted his head. “Oh. I wouldn’t say he’s a high-up. Not that he’s not powerful, or anything! Just that he works alone most of the time, guarding a cemetery.”
“A cemetery? Nod-Krai really is a weird place.” Lohen scoffed, following Illuga inside the headquarters. “Every single battle here’s a million times better than Mondstadt though.”
“Huh?!” Illuga whipped his head around to face this madman of a knight. “You mean the monsters in Mondstadt are even worse than Nod-Krai?!”
“What? No!” Lohen seemed to find Illuga’s outburst very entertaining. “The monsters in Mondstadt are nothing compared to this. That’s why I like it here.”
“Right…” Illuga slowly turned his head back. Are all knights like this?! Wait a minute, where’s the rest of his people? The Fifth Company, right? “If you don’t mind me asking, are you the only knight who’s supposed to come to Lightkeeper Headquarters?”
“Nope.” Lohen’s eyes looked anywhere but forward, constantly noting his surroundings. “They were too slow. I got bored. So, I decided to finish the yap so we can all go to battle together sooner.”
“Do you have any idea how irresponsible that is?!” Illuga started running back to the entrance. “The Wild Hunt are all over the area, they could be in danger!”
“Calm down. They’re fine, the Grandmaster’s with them too, he’s gonna make a quick stop here before he heads back to the Favonius Keep.” Lohen grabbed Illuga’s wrist. “Although, I wouldn’t mind heading into the battlefield already. Then I can see your true strength.”
Illuga’s left eye twitched. “Fine.”
“Really?!” Lohen looked like a hyperactive child who had just been given a toy. “Let’s go! You’ll spar with me?”
“Yes.” Illuga mumbled. “The rest of your squad isn’t here, and I cleared up my schedule for the whole day to greet you all. So it’s not like I have anything better to do.”
“Aw, how thoughtful of you.” Lohen mocked, before looking at Illuga’s polearm. “What’s up with that stupid stick of yours?”
“It’s my weapon.”
“Doesn’t look like one. Looks like a shovel to me.”
“It is not.”
“If you say so.” Lohen shrugged, as he picked up his standard issue Favonius Lance and raised it at Illuga. “You’re lucky I don’t have my favorite polearm right now. Just this boring old one.”
“It looks perfectly fine to me.” Illuga took his position across from Lohen on the sparring mat. “Anyways, are you ready?”
“Yep.” Lohen charged forward, and Illuga blocked his hit with his own polearm… That is, until the polearm broke. “Heh. Told ya it sucks.” Lohen raised his lance down. “Normally, I’d continue beating up my opponents, even in a situation like this, but–” Lohen handed the lance to Illuga. “You seem strong. Here. Guess we’ll just have to finish this off another time.”
“What? Ah, no, I really don’t need this.” Illuga pushed the lance back to Lohen. “I’m sure you need it more than I do anyways, at least until you have your normal weapon back.”
“What are you talking about?” Lohen pointed to the crossbow on his left arm. “I’ve got all I need. And that’s not the only weapon in my arsenal. Besides, that shovel of yours really did suck. Didn’t fit your fighting style at all. You’re better off with this.”
“...Thank you.” Illuga took the lance into his hands. Unfortunately, Lohen was right. It was much easier for him to handle than his old weapon, which just so happened to be called the Prospector’s Shovel (not that Illuga ever intended to admit that).
“It’s nothing. After all, if I’m going to have to work with you for the next something months, I’d rather see your full strength.” The noise of a group of people heading towards the headquarters filled the area. “Oh! Must be the rest of the knights. I should probably go talk to the Grandmaster before he goes on and on about being reckless or something.”
“I don’t think he’s wrong.” Illuga laughed slightly. I guess he’s not that bad.
“And here I thought you were on my side. Could I have your hand?” Lohen asked. Illuga nodded, but the smirk on Lohen’s face made him believe he was going to regret offering it in the first place. The knight took his hand and placed a light, quick kiss on it before turning around at running back to his squad, leaving Illuga stunned into speechlessness.
“W-What was that for?!” Illuga called after him, while he hoped the red flush that was crawling up onto his face wasn’t visible at a distance.
“That?” Lohen stopped running and turned back to face Illuga. “Oh. Well, technically, you’re of high status, so it’s natural for knights of the old to do that sorta stuff. Usually only to women though, but what difference does it make?”
Illuga resisted the urge to throw the newly acquired weapon right into that stupid knight’s skull.
“Illuga.” Lohen poked the lightkeeper’s cheek to get his attention as they were on night patrol.
“What now?” Illuga sighed, turning around and holding up his lantern.
“Where’s your bird?” Lohen pointed at Illuga’s shoulder. “You always have it with you during battle, so why not now?”
“You mean Aedon? He’s right here.” Illuga tapped on his lantern.
Lohen took the lantern into his hands and observed it. “He lives inside a lantern?”
“Well, no, it’s more like he just comes in here sometimes.” Illuga tried to explain the nature of his bird he himself didn’t fully understand. “He helps light the way.”
“Can you get him out?” Lohen aggressively shook the lantern. “Come on! What’s it take to get a little bird out of this thing?!”
“No! Not like that!” Illuga took the lantern back into his own hands. “You have to ask him.”
“Fine.” Lohen crouched down so he was at the same height as the lantern. “Bird, get out.”
“Maybe try saying his name instead?”
“Aedon, get out.”
“Ask nicely.”
“Aedon, please, get out.” Suddenly, the bird shot out, and pecked Lohen’s nose. “Ouch! Hey! What was that for?!”
“I don’t think it liked it when you shook the lantern.” Illuga covered his mouth. “You should apologize to him.”
“Alright, alright.” Lohen looked at the bird still floating near his nose. “Aedon, I apologize for shaking your home… or something.” Aedon chirped, then flew up and nested itself into Lohen’s hair. Lohen made a little humming noise. “Does he usually do that?”
“Only with me.” Illuga shrugged. “I can get him off if you want–”
“Nah, it’s fine.” Lohen continued walking, with the bird still resting in his hair. “He reminds me of you.”
“Really?” Illuga blinked, failing to see the resemblance. “How?”
“Because when we first met, you looked really pissed.”
“I was not!”
“Yeah, you were!” Lohen took the bird into his hands. “But then, you tolerated me. So it’s the same.” He patted the bird’s head. “Plus, he’s cute.”
Illuga stared at him, while Lohen continued walking, completely unaware of the effect his words caused.
“What?” Lohen tilted his head. “You’re staring.”
“I am not.” Illuga crossed his arms in front of his chest.
Lohen squinted his eyes. “Are you blushing?”
“No.” Illuga averted his eyes.
“You are!” Lohen held up Aedon close to Illuga’s face. “And you can’t say I’m lying, because your bird gives off so much light, it’s obvious.”
“I am not blushing.” Illuga batted Lohen’s hand away, although the intense red on his ears completely betrayed him.
“Whatever you say, Birdie.” Lohen grinned, letting Aedon rest in his messy hair again.
“Birdie?!” Illuga froze. “I don’t need a nickname!”
“Yes, you do.” Lohen smiled deviously. “Because I said so.”
“Okay then.” Illuga put his hand to his chin, thinking of a retort he could use against the stupid knight.
“What are you thinking about?”
“A nickname for you… Bunny.”
“Bunny?!” Now it was Lohen’s turn to be flustered, though he hid it a lot better than Illuga. “That’s terrible! At least mine made sense!”
“No, Bunny definitely fits you.” Illuga took Aedon out from Lohen’s hair and back into the lantern. “You’re hyperactive, reckless, and your hair looks like an unkept forest animal. So, you’re Bunny.”
“Have it your way…” Lohen kicked the ground, before turning back to Illuga. “Birdie!”
“Shut up!”
For the rest of the patrol, those were the only names they called each other.
Illuga was trying to focus on the mission briefing. Really, he was. But, that was extremely hard when a certain knight kept blowing bubblegum bubbles.
“Bunny.” Illuga glared at Lohen, who was standing next to him. “Stop it.”
Lohen popped another bubble. “Why?”
“It’s distracting me.”
“I thought you said I always distract you.”
“I–” Illuga turned away and tried to focus on the briefing instead of coming up with something to say against that statement. “Just focus on the mission report.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Lohen groaned, looking up front.
Pop… pop… POP… pop…
Illuga’s grip on his polearm increased. “Stop blowing those stupid bubbles before I impale you with this polearm and make you.”
“I gave that to you.” Lohen tapped the tip of the lance. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“I would dare.”
“I know you too well, you wouldn’t even hurt a fly.”
“Wouldn’t I?”
“Yeah?” Lohen’s grin faltered, before he spit out the gum into a tissue. “Fine.”
“That’s it?”
“Yep.”
“No more bubbles?”
“No more.”
The briefing continued.
…
No noise. No distractions. It was silent.
Good.
…
Why was it starting to get to him?
“Meeting dismissed!” Sergeant Major Marushkin exclaimed, leading everyone to disperse. Illuga started to walk back to his tent until Lohen tapped his shoulder.
“Hey, Birdie!” Lohen was holding something in his hand behind his back. “You missed the bubbles, didn’t you?”
He noticed?! How?! “What makes you say that?” Illuga hoped his face wasn’t giving it away.
“You looked on edge, like you were waiting for something to happen.” Lohen took Illuga’s hand and placed something inside. “Here. It helps pass the time. Maybe now, even if I’m not there, you won’t be such a nervous wreck.”
“I was not a nervous wreck!”
“Keep lying to yourself, Birdie~!” And with that, Lohen ran off, ready to do who knows what.
Illuga looked at the piece of wrapped bubblegum in his hand. He’d never had it before. It was a pink diamond with a little teal center.
There’s no harm in trying it… right?
Illuga popped the gum into his mouth. …Mint. So that’s why his breath’s always minty. It’s not half-bad.
The next day, he decided to have another piece of the bubblegum as he walked to the Favonius Keep to deliver a letter for Flins.
“Illuga?” Varka raised an eyebrow. “Oh no, he didn’t.”
Illuga looked confused. “He? You mean Lohen?”
“He gave you bubblegum, didn’t he?” Varka sighed, rubbing his temples. “When he gave it to me, I tried it out, and my tongue was dyed bright blue-green for the rest of the day.”
“Really?” Illuga threw the gum away, and stuck his tongue out. “Mine’s still pink.”
Varka’s jaw dropped. “You’re serious?”
“Yes?”
“You didn’t just ask him for normal gum, did you?” Varka shook his head. “Scratch that, that rascal would never agree to do something like that.”
“He just gave it to me.” The mint taste still lingered in his mouth. “He said it helps pass the time.”
“Yeah, for him.” Varka put his hands on his hips before letting out a whistle. “He’s got it bad.”
“Huh?”
“Ah nothing, don’t worry about it.”
A couple of weeks later, Illuga and Lohen were stationed at separate fields. They weren’t too far apart, they could still visit each other during the day, but they sure did spend a lot less time together. For once, maybe Illuga would be able to get some work done.
“Squad Leader.” A lightkeeper handed him a letter. “This is for you, from the nearby Favonius camp.”
“Hm?” Illuga looked at the letter. No return address? Weird. “Thank you, I’ll be sure to read it.” He flipped over the letter, trying to find any information about the sender.
CONFIDENTIAL! TO BE READ IN THE PRIVACY OF ILLUGA’S QUARTERS.
Confidential? Illuga furrowed his eyebrows. Maybe it’s a direct order from the higher-ups? Don’t know why it’d need to be secret though…
Illuga opened the letter, only to be greeted by surprisingly neat handwriting and a simple note.
~~~
Hey Hi What’s up Dear Birdie,
You must be terribly bored attending those stupid mission briefings without me around. Hopefully the bubblegum reminds you of me.
In case you’re wondering why I bothered to send you a letter, it’s because I’m bored too. Now, I’m stuck with only these stupid drunkard knights. All they want to do is get wasted. At least you’d always tag along with me to slaughter the Wild Hunt. Varka doesn’t let me though, so I’m kinda trapped here.
Tell Aedon not to get used to staying all calm inside his lantern, because I’m moving back to your field two days after this letter should reach you.
Don’t die on me,
Lohen
~~~
Illuga felt his burning face after he read the whole thing. So that’s why he said it was confidential.
He read it again.
And again.
And one more time.
Well then, since you decided to take some time to sit at a desk for once, Illuga took a pen and paper into his hands. I guess it’s only fair that I do the same.
~~~
Dear Bunny,
Thank you for somehow managing to sit at a desk and write a letter for me. I bet you were still chewing that obnoxious bubblegum while doing so, but still, it's an improvement.
You were right, the mission briefings have been significantly less entertaining without you. Also, I think Aedon misses your hair. (As I am writing this, he is currently nestled in my own hair.)
When you come back, please inform me of what your favorite food is. I’ll make it for you for dinner.
Don’t do anything stupid,
Illuga
~~~
Illuga stepped out of his tent and handed the letter to the lightkeeper from earlier. “Please hand this over to Sir Lohen of the Knights of Favonius.”
“Yes sir!” The lightkeeper saluted, before continuing on with his other duties.
I wonder what he’ll think of the letter. Illuga smiled to himself as he went back to his tent to write up something a lot less fun. Paperwork.
Once the letter reached Lohen’s hands, he instantly ripped it open and scanned it five times. Huh… What is my favorite food? I’ll have to think about it.
Wait a minute. Lohen froze in his tracks. Does he know that I— nevermind. He carefully folded the letter so it would fit inside his left breast pocket. There. It’d be pretty hard to lose if I keep it here.
Several days later, as Lohen was walking from his daily early-morning fights with the Wild Hunt, he noticed a couple of Frostlamp Flowers growing in the wild. Now, normally, Lohen wouldn’t even bother to pay attention to those sorts of things, but now…
These should be good. Lohen picked up a couple of flowers and tied them together with a blue ribbon he had on hand. Maybe now, he’ll finally notice.
Of course, as he walked over to Piramida, he definitely got some weird looks, but it was worth it. Come on, Birdie… if Varka was able to tell I liked you, why can’t you?!
He walked up behind Illuga and gave him a little bonk on the head. “Birdie~”
“Ow, Lohen, what do you—” Illuga’s eyes widened at the sight of the bouquet. “Are these for… me?”
“Yep.” Lohen handed over the flowers to Illuga, hands lingering just a bit longer than they should have. “I found them over at Hiisi Island.”
“Frostlamp Flowers, right?” Illuga watched as Lohen quickly nodded, like he was waiting for a reaction. “Thank you. I’ll keep them somewhere safe. They’re beautiful.”
“Well, I figured it’s only fitting.” Lohen shrugged before poking Illuga’s chest. “But their beauty could never compare to yours.” He’s got to take something away from that!
“Oh.” Illuga’s face was as red as Lohen’s favorite snack to eat on adventures, Jueyun Peppers (he knew they were called Jueyun Chillis, he just refused to change his wording.) “…Thank you.”
Lohen tried to hide the disappointment he felt as he turned away. “Yeah, no problem.” Right… of course.
Maybe he really doesn’t get it. Or worse, maybe he does.
“Wait, Lohen!” Illuga ran back over to him. “It’s getting late, you shouldn’t be going out alone in the dark.”
Lohen had a small smile on his face. “Alright. You can come along too then, I guess.”
Their walk was unusually quiet. Maybe because Lohen wasn’t talking at all. That was probably it.
Is he upset? Did something happen to him? Illuga glanced sideways to look at Lohen. He was staring ahead, marching into the night. No jokes, no teasing, no ‘Birdie’, no complaints about being bored, nothing.
And that left Illuga feeling increasingly concerned.
“Lohen?” Illuga tapped the knight’s shoulder, before whispering to Aedon to get out of his lantern and sit on Lohen’s head. “Are you okay?”
“Hm?” Lohen glanced back, finally looking at him. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“It’s just that, you’re not talking, you’re not annoying me, you’re not doing anything.” Illuga let out a small laugh. “It’s almost like you’ve been replaced by a zombie or something.”
“Have you ever dated someone?”
“Huh?” Illuga was confused by the change in topic, but if it got Lohen talking again, there couldn’t have been any harm asking. “No, I haven’t. I guess I’ve never really thought about that in this line of work.”
Wait a minute, maybe he’s dating someone back in Mondstadt! Did something happen to them?! No wonder he’s upset!
…I kind of hope that’s not the case though.
I suppose the only way to find out is to ask him, then.
“But what about you?” Illuga continued speaking, filling the silence. “Have you? Dated someone?”
“Nope.” Lohen kicked a pebble in the ground. “Too busy fighting endless foes to do something like that.”
“Oh.” Illuga felt his heart skip a beat. Weird… “Would you want to date someone?”
“There is one person I want to date.” Lohen answered, looking directly into Illuga’s eyes. “But, I don’t know if he knows.”
“I’m sure he would.” Illuga wondered how Lohen acted with this mysterious crush of his. “You must act differently with them, right?”
“Yeah, I do.” Lohen’s eyes sparkled in a way Illuga had never seen before. “I talk to him more than I should, constantly tease him, send him letters, and I even gave him a nickname. And he gave me one back.”
Illuga’s steps slowed. Teasing, talking, letters, nicknames… he’s left something out. “And you gave him flowers.”
“Yeah.” Lohen paused and turned around to face Illuga, the tips of his ears colored red. “So, you finally noticed.”
“Finally?” Illuga blinked, his heart beating far too quickly for it to be considered normal. “What do you mean, finally?”
“Well, I mean, I thought I was obvious.” Lohen cheeks started to turn the same color as his burning ears. “The first time I saw you, I thought you were pretty, so I gave you the hand kiss. The lance too, because by then I knew I was going to have a blast annoying you for the rest of my life.”
“Wait, I thought that was just–”
“Historical tradition?” Lohen scoffed. “Yeah, but no one ever really uses it. I’d never done it before. And then, the nicknames were so we’d have something special to call each other.”
“But that’s a normal thing friends do, right?”
“Friends call each other Birdie and Bunny?”
“I THOUGHT SO!”
“I gave you the bubblegum so I’d always be on your mind.” Lohen dug his hand through Illuga’s left coat pocket and held up a piece of the very same bubblegum. “See?”
“I didn’t know you were so possessive.”
“I can be when I want to.” Lohen smirked, before briefly placing his hand on the left side of his chest. “And the same sort of thing was what I was trying to do with the letter. But, I also just wanted to talk to you.”
“And the flowers?”
“Never have I ever in my life received flowers or thought to give them to someone.” Lohen took out another Frostlamp Flower he had hidden inside his uniform and placed it behind Illuga’s ear. “I thought you’d finally figure it out if I was that direct. Guess it sort of worked.”
Illuga’s hand wandered over to the flower now in his hair. “Yeah…”
“You don’t have to say anything.” Lohen turned back around, the slightly somber expression from earlier returning. “I just thought you deserved to know, that’s all.”
Illuga didn’t say anything.
Instead, he grabbed Lohen’s hand and forced him to look him in the eye.
Then, he placed a featherlight kiss onto it.
Illuga had never seen Lohen look that stunned, happy, and flustered, all at the same time.
“Y-You–You just–” Lohen stuttered, giving off the exact image of a very confused bunny.
“I just what?” Illuga felt a smile growing on his face. He was going to have to fluster Lohen more often, his expression was priceless. “Where’d all your confidence go?”
“Nowhere! I just didn’t expect… that!” Lohen exclaimed, though his hand was still in Illuga’s. “You could have warned me!”
“You didn’t warn me when you did it.”
“That was different! At least I had historical reason to do it then!” Lohen pouted, trying to look upset. “You just did it to flirt!”
“And you weren’t?”
Lohen opened his mouth, then closed it. “You could at least be nice about it.”
“I was nice about it.” Illuga lowered his hand as they walked together. “Come on, we’re almost to the camp.”
“Fine… I’m hungry.” Lohen rested his head on Illuga’s shoulder, now completely confident in his abilities to invade all of Illuga’s personal space.
“Do you want Lohiketto?” Illuga messed around with Lohen’s hair in his free hand as Aedon moved back over to Illuga’s head.
“You remembered?” Lohen’s eyes lit up at the mention of his favorite food.
Illuga ruffled Lohen’s hair at the knight’s disbelief, although it didn’t make his hair look any more messy than before. “Of course I did.”
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ bonus bit ᰔ ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
They reached the camp not long after and finished their dinner. Illuga reluctantly let go of Lohen’s hand to place his things away and settle down for the night.
“You’re still here.” Illuga rolled his eyes and turned around to look at the Vice Captain, who was waiting for him at the entrance of the tent. “Go rest. I’ll keep watch tonight.”
“But you forgot something.”
“I did?” Illuga frantically looked through the tent, trying to find anything he might have missed. “I’m sure I brought everything along with me.”
“Nope.” Lohen closed the tent flap behind him and stepped inside.
“Then what is it?” Illuga stared at him, noticing how Lohen sat down in front of him so their faces were dangerously close to each other.
“You forgot to give me something.” Lohen inched even closer, so their noses touched. “Do I need to spell it out?”
Illuga’s expression softened. “I think I got it.” He grabbed Lohen’s face and pressed their lips together. Lohen’s hand moved behind Illuga’s back, holding his neck for support, while Illuga’s hands stayed on Lohen’s face. Hm… mint.
When they finally pulled apart, they just stared at each other in complete silence and disbelief, blushing like two teenagers until they heard a voice.
“LOHEN!” Varka’s voice bellowed outside the tent. “That kid… Where the hell are you?!”
“...I should probably go.” Lohen mumbled as he tried to untangle their limbs and compose himself.
“Oh, right… probably.” Illuga briefly saw his reflection in the mirror and noticed how disheveled his hair looked.
This bunny’s going to be the death of me.