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“...”
Illuga had grown accustomed to silence whenever he was around Flins, contrary to his usual hectic daily schedule, moments with him were like a familiar cloak that kept him warm on a cold winter night.
This being said and kept in mind, there was the right kind of silence and in contrast the sort of silence what he was currently experiencing.
“I'm sorry.”
Illuga fidgeted with the bandage Flins had just applied. The bleeding had stopped already, but the emotions on his colleague's face were still fresh.
Just as he went to grab his coat, Flins snatched it from him and sat him back down. “Heading back to work already?” He questioned, and the lack of a reply was enough of an answer to him. “It would be ill advised for you to continue tonight's shift, dear Illuga.”
“You know I can't simply walk out on my shift midway.” Illuga said, knowing it was already an unwinnable argument. “I’ll be more careful, I promise.”
“I make it no secret that I hold tremendous faith in you, Illuga...” Flins sat down next to him with a bucket of water he planted on the smaller man's lap. “As a warrior you are irreplaceable to the Lightkeepers,” he mustered a fragile smile, continuing. “and you're equally if not more irreplaceable as a friend.”
“As do I you, friend.” Illuga replied. “Does that mean-..?”
“Then you must acknowledge how deeply I regret finding myself hesitant to let you go given how you've not been upholding your promises lately.” Flins patted him on his leg. “This, disregarding the minor injuries you've tried hiding from me, of which I'm acutely aware.”
“Would a pretty; no, the prettiest of pleases convince you I'd do better?” Illuga tried to worm his way into freedom, Flins recognised. He had tried and succeeded at it enough times before for him not to let him get away with it now. “Pretty, pretty please, my dearest?”
“I wonder.” Flins leaned in, almost skin to skin with his face. “Do you take my genuine worry for granted? Is it that I come across as vain or too softhearted that lets you disregard my words, Illuga?”
“What- No..? No?! Such a misunderstanding is uncharacteristic of you!” Illuga turned pale, wondering if he had pushed himself and Flins too far. “Keeping my status in mind, I make it no secret you're my first reference whenever I or anyone else is in need of advice. You know that…”
“Ah. I see.” Flins returned to his chair and averted his gaze.
“You understand now?” Illuga exhaled of relief, he thought of going in for a hug and gently stealing back his coat, however this endeavor was fruitless.
“Being the well established Captain you are now, I see you consider my advice warranted only on your own terms.” Flins turned the other way, his back now facing Illuga, his coat further away from reach.
“Hold on, you're jumping to conclusions again, no such thought crossed my mind..!” Illuga panicked, not used to this particular side. The lack of eye contact, the awkward silence. He did not like it.
“Oh, my advice was not noteworthy of your consideration in any instance? I suppose I ought to be grateful for this new insight into your honest feelings, Captain.” Flins retorted sternly. He prepared to stand up, with the brown coat folded neatly over his arm. “The mutually beneficial solution now would be to take you up on your invitation, and usurp you of your title. Perhaps then and only then will you heed my words?”
Illuga usually did not stammer, he never was at a loss of words and he had never not known what to say before. At least so when it came to Kyryll Chudomirovich Flins.
All that vanished, like sand sinking through the palm of his hand.
“Cold…” Illuga softly spoke, eyes adrift amidst the water inside his bucket. He shivered, despite having gone through much colder nights than this. “I'm sorr-”
Then, under the impression it was a bolt of lightning that struck down right outside the window, Illuga instinctively shut his eyes and covered his ears.
Coincidentally, what followed up was a familiar warmth he had never longed for as much as he had tonight. It was a warmth that cloaked entirely around him, hiding away his smaller posture.
“In the interest of preserving your well-being, I let myself get carried away and achieved the direct opposite.” Flins whispered. His voice was gentle, as if he genuinely believed the walls had ears, though none but them and fellow Ratniks would be awake at this time at night.
He hugged him tighter, Illuga noticed, and glanced to see he was on his knees. Unsure whether to hug back, or allow them both to process what just happened and was happening.
He felt a hand caressing the back of his head, in a circular, repetitive motion; just the way he liked that brought him most comfort and put him at ease most quickly.
Illuga nuzzled his way deeper into Flins’ arms. “You’re not at fault.” He sighed, eyeing his coat on the floor. “I'm the stubborn one.” He sniffled, choking back a tear.
“I am of the opinion determined is a more flattering term to describe oneself." Flins mused, tilting his head ever so slightly to rest his head on Illuga’s shoulder, his lips brushing against the scar normally hidden beneath his coat.
“F-Flins…” Illuga shivered again, this time with no thanks to any cold.
“Determined,” Flins sang again. “Passionate… Headstrong… Considerate,” he continued, each compliment followed up with another kiss on his soft skin. “Hopelessly self-sacrificing, not to mention indescribably pleasant on the eyes.”
Illuga flinched, physically feeling his smirk against the crook of his neck. His gentleman colleague wasted no time exploring every scar he's gained lately, ensuring none could feel left out.
His face’s paleness faded, replaced with a blush that complimented his fierce ruby red ear jewelry. Noticing this, Flins guided his pecks closer upwards as he tucked his hair behind his ear.
Illuga’s gaze was hazy, a little taken aback, flickering between Flins’ lips and meeting his eyes. “Wow.” He exclaimed, laughter following his breathlessness. “Heh… Umm… Just, wow?”
Flins cupped his cheeks, caressing them as gently as he could. “Won't you reconsider? The midnight breeze seems quite unwelcoming out there, if you were to ask me.” He suggested, to which his Captain chuckled. “I, however, will respect your decision either way, on the condition I may escort you for the rest of tonight.”
Illuga made it a habit to watch his behavior whenever he was with treasured company, but he couldn't help but roll his eyes.
His fingers fidgeted with the buttons on Flins’ attire, undoing them one by one, with a disappointed however very pleased expression on his face.
As soon as he was done, he wrapped his arms around him, disappearing inside his coat. He looked up and shook his head at the hint of a smirk on Flins’ lips. “You seem a little too satisfied for someone who'll have to take responsibility for this incident first thing tomorrow morning, Master Flins.”
Flins lifted him up, just slightly.
“I will most certainly be additionally courteous when reporting the finest details to my superior, Young Master Illuga.” He waltzed towards his bed, landing back first onto the bed with that said superior on top of him.
His sleeveless shirt Illuga soon dropped on the floor as he sat straight up on top of Flins on the bed with all his upper body scars on display. “Chilly…” He laughed. “Maybe taking that off wasn't my brightest idea, huh?”
“On the contrary.” Flins covered his face, unable to hide his amusement.
Illuga’s eyes widened. “Oh.” He said. He looked down at his torso. “Is it possible you are…”
“Young Master…”
“You are, aren't you?” Illuga smiled, his fingers sliding across his body as if to showcase his once shameful scars that caused so much worry; as trophies.
“This contradiction is most shameful on my end.” Flins lured through his fingers, gradually removing his hands and placing them somewhere more comfortable. “I strongly urge that you do not take this as an invitation to go and decorate yourself some more.”
“Hmm… I will abstain from making any promises.” He teased, pulling away Flins’ hands and inviting them both closer to himself. “Don’t let that discourage you from appreciating them at the present moment.” He shifted forward, wrapping them both around his waist. “That’s what I always try to do, after all; appreciating the present moment.”
“Then appreciate; I shall.”
The urge to let himself completely drown in those deep, sometimes lifeless however always observant yellow eyes was tense. If he had been any more impulsive, Illuga knew he had just let himself do exactly that.
Quickly his lips reunited with those underneath him, he gently brushed, his fidgety fingers ensuring a polite level of distance between the two of them.
Flins noticed he had kept his eyes shut, finding himself fixated on his earring and how it dangled ever so slightly in the process.
He whispered something, something mischievous only he'd understood to earn himself Illuga's attention, whose eyes widened as a result as soon as he heard those words, like clockwork.
“Wh-” before he could inquire, Flins’ thumb gripped onto his chin and used that opportunity to penetrate his mouth, locking eyes with his flustered Captain. “-Mmhp?!”
Illuga felt himself melting.
One hand patted him on his back, the other grabbed him by the back of his neck; Loose enough for him to escape if so desired, yet with enough force to deepen this more and more each passing second.
“Fli- Mmp- Nnhn… S-! Ahh..!”
Flins applied even more pressure.
“S-slow- dowmmnnh!”
Illuga knew. If he could bring himself to, he'd apply even more pressure, those yellow eyes of him assured him of that much at least. In the interest of feeding into pleasure, however, Illuga took it upon himself to pull Flins closer.
Flins knew. If he could bring himself to, he'd have pushed away already. In the interest of the preservation of his lungs, however, Flins took it upon himself to push Illuga away.
“Perhaps a miniscule break would do wonders, for both of us.” Flins suggested.
In the same breath, he eyed Illuga’s body again, choosing to force him closer against his chest so he'd at least be out of his line of sight. For now.
“Hah… Hah… Yeah…” Illuga composed himself, taking a few quiet but noticeably dry breaths. “Maybe so.”
A chuckle.
“..?” Illuga climbed up. “May I be enlightened on what humored you so, Master?”
“Nothing. Pay it no mind.” A smile. Flins smiled. “A suggestion; let us end it here tonight, Young Illuga.” He smirked. “Any further agitation past this point will result in a higher likelihood you won't wake up in time for your shift tomorrow morning.”
Of course. The look in his eyes suggested anything but satisfaction with that suggestion.
Illuga unbuckled his belt. That was his answer.
“Very well.” Flins helped him. “If you're so inclined.”
“You're handling… The paperwork?”
A young Ratnik asked after Starshyna Nikita informed him Illuga would not be leading today's expedition. He had knocked on the door and was welcomed inside, though he was sure he heard two voices before knocking.
“...Huh? Oh.” Illuga clasped his hands together and gestured towards the stack of files on his desk. “I did promise you I'd escort you today, didn't I..? What to do…”
Before the young Ratnik could comment any further, he felt a hand on his shoulder, scaring the daylights out of him. “When did you-”
“You left the door open.” Flins then walked towards Illuga’s desk, his steps followed up with the wooden floor shrieking. Odd. They didn't make that sound until now… “It is only natural defenses that are left unguarded find themselves breached, is it not?”
Illuga noticed he was looking directly at him as he said it. He pouted, hiding his face behind a sheet of paper.
“Master Flins, why don't you escort today's expedition?”
“...” His lips parted at the suggestion.
Was this his way of conveying his frustration with him..?
“That's settled then.” Illuga swallowed his breath and gestured towards the young Ratnik. “Master Flins has my full endorsement, I'm absolutely certain he will take the greatest care of you.”
“...Are you speaking from firsthand experience, Captain?” The young Ratnik asked innocently.
Flins wasted no time letting another chuckle escape upon hearing that.
“Most. Certainly.” Illuga winced. “Do report back to me if he misbehaves. Master Flins will never allow you to get hurt, but he has his own sense of humor…”
Flins walked the young Ratnik out, sparing one last glance over his shoulder as he gripped the door knob. “Don't we all?” He said, disappearing just as fast.
Plenty more Ratniks visited him that day, all confused why the outgoing Captain Illuga suddenly stayed behind, though none minded or felt he was undeserving of a harmless working day like this.
He urged them not to worry and get back to work while he himself focused on his paperwork.
At the end of the day, he was finally finished.
Illuga wiped his mouth.
Behind his arm hid a semblance of a smirk.
“I hope you're happy.”
A lantern lit up, a familiar face emerging from the dark corner of the room. A smile, a glance.
“Never more.”