Archive of Our Own

Just to set the record straight: Illuga knew that Flins was fae.

He had known for quite a while in actuality. There was something about Flins that had puzzled him ever since Illuga had left the innocence from his childhood fully behind it. It was the way he moved, the way he spoke, the way his old man regarded him as an equal in status - or as if Flins stood above him, despite Nikita being the current Starshyna.

Illuga might have taken a while to piece all the signs together, but still. That particular puzzle had been finished for a while now. Had he said something to Flins about it? No, of course not. He wanted the other man to offer that information himself. Illuga had only attempted to get Flins to admit to it once - only that one time had he asked him whether he was human or not. Illuga liked to think that the question had slipped out because he’d been in a… state. Full of worry, his anxiety rearing its ugly head. The thought of Flins being cursed, having to stay back in Nod Krai and to deal with such a formidable foe had been nearly too much to bear. He hadn’t been thinking straight, so the question had slipped out without him meaning to. But the way Flins had talked in circles around him had managed to calm him down at least briefly. It was what he was used to from him, at least.

Illuga did his best not to think of Flins at all when he left Nasha Town that day. Or when he told Old Man Nikita that they had to evacuate Piramida. Or when, eventually, Illuga found himself on a boat, the icy shores of Snezhnaya on the far horizon.

He failed on all accounts.

Really, how could he not think about Flins as he left him behind to fight this impossible battle? Flins had allies, sure, but would they watch his back as Illuga would have? Would they care enough to make sure he wasn’t left behind if the impossible came true? Illuga felt like the worst kind of coward for leaving behind a person he cared about once more, and with every second that passed and with every meter of water that grew between them it got worse.

“It’s terrifying, isn’t it? That one person is capable of so much destruction…” Nikita had walked up to Illuga, standing by the railing and looking back the way they’d come. They had a perfect, nearly unobstructed view of one of the unnatural domes covering the land they called home. The size of it was incomprehensible.

“Do you think they’ll live?”, Illuga asked softly. He didn’t speak up for fear of the evacuated citizens overhearing him. Not many of them were out on deck, but Illuga didn’t want to take any chances. Perhaps, just maybe, he also was afraid of voicing his fears out loud.

“I don’t know”, Nikita said honestly. “They make for a ragtag group of people, going up against a Fatui harbinger gone rogue. I suppose we can only hope.”

Illuga swallowed thickly. He clenched and unclenched his hands, as if that would help ease his anxiety.

“Did you get to speak to Flins before we left?”, Nikita asked suddenly. Illuga cast him a surprised look before looking away again. “No. The last time we spoke was when he told me about the evacuation order”, Illuga said softly. “I…”

He fell silent again. The words gathered on the tip of his tongue, making it feel leaden, making him feel like he was about to explode from the force of keeping them inside. Illuga let out a shuddering exhale and looked further aside, so Nikita wouldn’t even see his mere profile.

Illuga hadn’t said goodbye to Flins. He had expressed his worry, his anger, had urged Flins to promise that he would come back and hadn’t received it. Flins, always so careful with his words. Of course a fae would never make a promise, not that easily at least. Illuga should have said goodbye, but he hadn’t wanted to. For a moment he had understood the fae’s obsessions with words, for if he spoke words of farewell to his dear friend, surely he would speak their permanent parting into existence? And that was the last thing Illuga wanted.

Now he regretted it more than anything else.

“Illuga, I’ve known you half your life now. More than that”, Nikita sighed after a long moment. He had looked ahead at the waves as he spoke now. His features were wary, his voice gravelly, and in that moment he did seem a good bit older than he was. “You’ve grown so much, kid. I often thought that I should have offered you a better life, a better family, but I could see even when you were young that you would not have liked it. At least around the Lightkeepers, you had people that would treat you as their own, who could be family, who understood. You had such a hard time letting anyone close when you were younger. You never called Piramida home. I noticed, you know? I never blamed you for it. Nobody did. We knew you were just scared.”

Illuga hesitantly looked back at Nikita. He wasn’t sure what had inspired this talk, and it terrified him. He didn’t want to speak about this. Not now, not ever.

“Things changed when you joined the Lightkeepers. When you got your first squad. When your squad died.” Illuga flinched and would have faced away again, had Nikita not suddenly looked back towards him. His face was gentle as he kept talking. “I was very worried for you back then, kid, I’m not gonna lie. I thought you might not bounce back from that. I’m very glad you did, and I’m glad that you’ve made Flins' friendship since then.”

“What’s that got to do with it?”, Illuga muttered quietly. Nikita only chuckled. “Isn’t it obvious? You always keep to yourself, Illuga. You care for others more than yourself, whether it be their interests or safety you look out for.”

“I’m not any different around Sir Flins”, Illuga sighed. After all, he had just been worrying about him.

“Perhaps not”, Nikita said. “But I think it runs a little deeper with him, doesn’t it? You care deeply about him. You often go out of your way to visit him. It’s only natural that you worry now.”

“I–” Illuga flushed and looked down. Down at the railing, down at the freshly disturbed water beneath. Emotions were warring within his chest. An ugly swarm of fear and trepidation, of guilt and remorse. Anxiety wrapped around his heart like a poisonous snake. Past experiences led him to believe that Illuga was repeating the same old mistake that had cost him many loved ones already - his inaction dictated that Flins was sure to die. Illuga had fled, as he had before. Time and time again. Did he never learn?

Of course Nikita had sought him out now. Talking about Illuga’s past, how he had grown. How they could only hope for the best for those that had stayed behind in Nod Krai to fight. The realization hit Illuga that Nikita, his old man, knew as surely as himself that it was over. This was it. Illuga had left, without saying goodbye, and it hadn’t helped. A choked sound caught in his throat as he tried and failed to hold back the cry that wanted to come out. Tears gathered at his lashes unbidden.

Maybe Nikita had come, knowing that he would have to catch Illuga as he fell, because this loss would hit harder than most.

~~~

Flins sighed as he leaned back into his seat at the bar. He raised his glass to his lips and took a lingering sip, his eyes roaming around the celebrating Flagship. New friends were gathered all around, young and old. Cheering for what they’d won, raising toasts in silence for what they'd lost. It reminded Flins of banquets in the mead hall on Piramida.

Just for today, this would be a closed party. Not that many other people could join them, considering people were only slowly coming back to Nod Krai from Natlan and Snezhnaya.

Just as Flins thought so, the door to the bar was shoved open. More than one person turned towards the noise as someone came barrelling inside. The person only briefly stopped to cast a look around before they quickly kept going. “Captain Illuga?”, Lauma tentatively called out to the young ratnik, watching him full of worry, but the young man uncharacteristically didn't answer. He didn't even seem to hear the moonchanter, though they were friends. No, the lightkeeper who likened himself to the sun had a singular goal, and Flins watched with a small measure of amusement as Illuga headed straight towards him.

“Young master, have you missed me so?”, Flins asked, faintly touched. He would have said something else, teased the young ratnik who had grown on him as he usually would have, but he was stunned into silence. Illuga had stopped only right next to his chair, a concerned frown on his face, and a moment later he pressed against him. Flins startled as thin, yet strong arms wrapped around his waist. Illuga pressed his face against Flins’ arm, rendering him half immobile on that side because he did not wish to disturb Illuga at that moment by moving.

“Oh my. Master Illuga, were you quite this worried for me?”, Flins asked gently. The fact that Illuga didn't immediately admonish him for using that title had him quite concerned. “Did I not tell you that I could never refuse your express wishes? I was always going to come back.”

“But you didn't promise.” Illuga’s voice was uncharacteristically choked. It made Flins reach out with his unoccupied arm, gently yet firmly placing his hand on Illuga’s shoulder. Perhaps he could understand now where the issue lay. But he couldn't get to say anything before Illuga went on already. “I didn't even say goodbye to you. I didn't want to jinx it, but… But I couldn't help but think that that might have made it worse.”

Ah. Flins knew of Illuga’s fears of course, whether the younger lightkeeper said them out loud or not. They were so plainly written in his eyes, making him appear beyond his age. Illuga’s past had always rendered him older at heart than his peers. Flins should have known how much Illuga would worry for him.

“Young master?” Flins waited for Illuga to finally compose himself enough to pull back at last, though his eyes now didn't meet his as he did so. To come barrelling in here, ignoring everyone else in the room, so worried and desperate, only to avoid Flins’s eyes now… It was quite intriguing. “I still occupy a room here. Why don't we continue this conversation in private? Where no curious eyes might bother us.”

Flins directed that last part at the friends surrounding them. His eyes moved over to Nefer, who silently smirked at him before looking away, to Varka who had been unashamedly staring at them. Probably worried for the lightkeeper at his side, as much as Flins was. When Flins looked back at his fellow lightkeeper, Illuga’s cheeks had flushed to a healthy shade. He’d been rather pale before. It was something he would ask about later.

“Let’s go then”, Illuga said quietly as he stepped back, giving Flins enough space to get off of his chair. Flins slid off gracefully and fell in step next to the other man. He gently placed his hand on the small of his back to guide him along, and they quickly left the din of the party behind.

Once they were in his rooms, Flins bade Illuga to sit down on the small couch. There only was one more rickety stool in the room, which Flins dragged closer so he might sit next to Illuga. He had barely sat down when Illuga already jumped up from his seat and started pacing.

“Young master, calm yourself”, Flins said gently. “Am I not right here? Unharmed and whole? Should that not ease your spirit?”

“Ease my– Flins, I didn't know until I got here if you were dead!”, Illuga suddenly exclaimed, foregoing the usual niceties between them. Flins straightened in his seat when Illuga whirled towards him, anguish in his face. “We only knew that there were casualties. Nobody knew any details. Even one of the harbingers got killed, that’s what people talked about. And I thought– I thought if even someone as strong as them had been killed, then… Then…”

Flins tilted his head and cast Illuga a small smile. “Then, surely, a humble lightkeeper such as myself would have met his end at the hand of the enemy too. Am I right?”, Flins asked. The sound of Illuga swallowing thickly was loud in the room. A few tense seconds ticked by in silence. Flins watched the other man closely, and something in his chest twisted when he saw tears forming in Illuga’s eyes.

It was then that Flins abandoned his seat. He bridged the meager distance between them with two large steps and then gently placed his hands on Illuga’s shoulders. “My dear Illuga, I did not realize I would worry you so”, Flins said quietly, and he meant it. “Perhaps I should have expected it… But I did not want to make a promise to you that I wasn’t absolutely sure I could keep. Surely you must understand that reasoning? You know I do love my words.”

That last part managed to coax a small, choked laugh out of Illuga. He looked up at him for a brief moment before quickly looking away again, down, studying something on Flins’s coat. “Yeah. You and your cursed way with words”, Illuga sighed. Flins studied what he could see of Illuga’s face, but for once his expression was unreadable. Or rather, Flins couldn’t interpret what he was seeing. It was the first time Illuga was looking this way in his presence.

Suddenly, Illuga squared his shoulders and straightened. When he looked up at Flins again, he carefully let his hands drop from Illuga’s shoulders and back to his sides.

“Sir Flins, can we be honest with each other for once?”, Illuga asked tentatively.

Flins had to smile at that. “Young master, when have I ever not been honest with you?”

Perhaps it was the wrong thing to say, because Illuga shot him an unimpressed look. “Be truthful with me then”, he said. “Don’t evade my questions. Answer a question directly and don’t just dodge it. Just this once, Sir Flins.”

Flins felt a curious warmth spread inside his chest. Illuga was getting better at this. “Ah. I suppose that is indeed another matter entirely”, he conceded.

“And you still haven’t said whether you’ll do it or not”, Illuga commented.

Flins hummed. “Perhaps you shall simply have to trust me, young master.”

Illuga still seemed uncertain. He worried his lip, which luckily wasn’t at all distracting (lies) before he visibly decided to go through with this.

“Sir Flins… Do you like me?”, Illuga asked carefully. It was so terribly innocent, so very much like Illuga, that Flins couldn’t help but smile. “My dear young master, of course I like you. I thought my feelings have been very clear thus far.”

Somehow, it was the entirely wrong thing to say. Illuga suddenly frowned deeply at him before he took a step back. Flins blinked, watching in silence as Illuga turned slightly from him. He carded one hand through his short hair and scoffed after a moment. “You know what I mean. You know what I mean, Flins. I ask you to speak honestly, without any roundabout ways just this once, and you still won’t do it”, he said too quietly. Somehow Illuga’s quiet anger was a lot harder to bear than had he shouted at him. Illuga pressed his lips together and looked down at the ground, before sighing and turning towards the door. “I don’t know why I keep bothering. Clearly you don’t care.”

It was on Flins to swallow thickly. To frown as he moved into Illuga’s way when he made to leave. Illuga already opened his mouth, perhaps to tell him to get out of the way, when Flins shut him up with one simple gesture. He reached out and gently cupped his right cheek, making him tilt his head back. The other hand settled on Illuga’s waist, so deceptively small beneath the large coat.

“Forgive me”, Flins whispered. “I did not mean to anger you. And in any case… I meant my words exactly the way I have said them.”

“W-What?”, Illuga stuttered. He stared up at Flins, those curious eyes of his boring into his very soul. A hint of a smile formed on Flins’s lips again. There was a flutter of nervousness in his stomach, a sensation entirely unfamiliar after centuries without it. “Of course I like you, Illuga”, Flins repeated softly. “I have liked you for a while. And I thought my feelings were rather clear, but that you didn’t return them for your own reasons. I thought you might need more time, and I would have gladly kept waiting for you.”

As Flins spoke, Illuga’s cheeks flushed. All at once he looked as if Flins had shocked him into speechlessness. The thought made his smile deepen. “Young master, was this too much honesty for you at once?”, he teased. Finally, Illuga huffed softly. “Of course. I’m not used to it from you”, he muttered. “... Do you mean it, Flins?”

“I would never lie to you about such a matter. I would never deceive you”, Flins murmured. He cradled Illuga’s face in his hand, more precious than any gemstone in his collection. “I am only curious about your sudden change of heart.”

“It’s not like- Like I didn’t like you before”, Illuga insisted. He finally reached out for him in turn, his hands clutching at Flins’s coat. “I did. But… I never dared…” Illuga sniffed softly. His eyes turned a little glassy again. “I always thought… What if? What if something happened to you? What if I lost you, like everyone else? And I couldn’t bear the thought. Of finally opening up and letting someone close, just to lose them again.”

Understanding made Flins hum. His expression gentled as he looked down at the young ratnik, who bore too many heavy memories on his slim back. Of course it would be this that made him hesitate on pursuing any kind of relationship.

“And then you thought you would truly lose me”, Flins went on.

At that, a singular tear fell from Illuga’s eye. Flins gently wiped it away with the tender caress of his thumb. “I was inconsolable”, Illuga whispered. “I thought I had wasted both of our time. All I could think of was… was how much I regretted never saying something all this time.”

Flins sighed softly. He realized that this was mostly his fault. He could have made a move long ago, instead of keeping them stuck in this perpetuous cycle of teasing and flirtation. Perhaps had Illuga witnessed his sincere interest, he might have warmed to the idea of a relationship. Or not, and Flins would have only ruined things between them. He might be seven centuries old and this might not be a new experience to him, but even as an immortal fae he wasn’t immune to the sting of rejection.

“Come. We should sit down, young master”, Flins said gently. He did not want to let go of Illuga, so instead of his cheek he now took one of his hands as he pulled him back over to the small couch. This time, Flins sank into the cushions next to the other man. It really was quite a small couch, more of a loveseat in truth. They sat thigh to thigh, hip to hip, and Flins enjoyed the way Illuga’s cheeks remained rosy from the proximity.

“I feel like this is just about when you should finally stop calling me master”, Illuga said, as if wanting to distract from his slight embarrassment. “I’ve told you time and time again to call me Illuga.”

“Hm.” Flins smiled. He tentatively wrapped one arm around Illuga’s waist and leaned in. “And yet I still think that there is no better and simpler way to show you the immense respect I hold for you than by calling you as such.”

Illuga cast him a dry look. “The easiest way to show me respect is by respecting my wishes, Flins.”

Flins couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Ah, how well spoken. So you would entrust your name to me. It is an honor indeed.”

“I would.”

Flins blinked. There was a sudden seriousness to Illuga’s expression which Flins once again couldn’t read. Could it be…?

“Whatever do you mean?”, Flins couldn’t help but ask. Now it was on Illuga to smile tentatively at him. He leaned a little closer, further bridging the already limited distance between them. He braced himself on Flins’s thigh with one hand, and though Flins did not need to breathe, he suddenly knew what it meant to feel short of breath. “Flins, I know what that means to you”, Illuga said softly. “To offer you my name. To invite you into my home. To accept food and drink from you and to offer you the same. Did you really think that your talking in circles would keep me confused forever?”

“Ah.” Flins slowly started to smile again. His lantern briefly flashed blue, warm and inviting. Pleased. “I have always appreciated your wits… Illuga.”

Flins cherished Illuga’s name on his tongue, letting the syllables smoothly roll together. Illuga’s cheeks darkened a little further as he gazed up at him. Because of how Flins held him, he could feel a shiver run down his spine. How very endearing.

“Does it not worry you?”, Flins asked softly. “This difference between us? Do you realize that you should be scared?”

Illuga swallowed thickly. “I’ve never been afraid of you, Flins.”

“Perhaps you should be. I think I would enjoy playing with you.”

Surprisingly, Illuga’s cheeks flashed scarlet at his words and a muffled sound escaped him. He quickly turned away, but Flins was already laughing, having witnessed it all. “Oh my. I stand corrected. I think you enjoy that thought.”

“Flins– Archons, shut up.”

Illuga looked back to glare weakly at him, but Flins had already leaned in. Illuga’s eyes widened when their lips connected in a gentle kiss. Flins watched him through lidded eyes for just a moment before he let them close. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, and that was when Illuga finally returned it.

Strong arms wrapped around Flins’s neck and pulled him close. Illuga weaved his hands into his hair and held him tight, not giving him a chance to pull away. Flins couldn’t help but groan at this sudden confidence, at the way Illuga showed him so perfectly just what he wanted. It was in the way he pressed their mouths together. How he nipped on Flins’s lower lip. How he climbed into his lap to press closer against him after some time had passed. Flins didn’t need to breathe, but Illuga had to. And yet he made it look like air had never been more secondary to him.

It also became abundantly clear that Illuga had done this before already.

Flins didn't like the thought. Of course he didn't. Fae were primal, possessive creatures, and the thought of someone laying hands on Illuga before him nearly brought him to the point of anger.

Illuga moaned weakly when Flins tightly wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him flush against his torso. Not even a sheet of paper would fit between them. But somehow, that still wasn't close enough. Flins turned them and a moment later Illuga yelped as he pressed him down into the small loveseat. It hardly was big enough for such a manner of activity. Illuga only barely managed to tuck his head in against the armrest. Flins only barely fit in the space between Illuga’s legs. But oh, how he loved this proximity. How decadent it felt to lay atop the younger man, kissing him, hands roaming. Their crotches rubbed together with every movement and it caused them both to harden before long.

It was only then that Illuga put his hands onto Flins’s shoulders, pushing him back to forcibly remove himself from the kiss. He panted beneath him, his cheeks flushed, his lips wet and swollen. Flins chuckled softly at the sight. “Oh my. How beautiful you are when you look kissed, young master”, he said, full of endearment. If possible, Illuga only flushed harder.

“Flins… First of all, it’s Illuga”, he said after clearing his throat. It was a bit sad how quickly Illuga managed to compose himself. “And, secondly… Won't your friends miss you? I know at least one person who will ask questions.”

Flins smiled at that. “I can simply say that you were in a delicate state, and I did not wish to leave you alone”, Flins said smoothly. “Which isn't at all wrong, is it?”

Illuga groaned when Flins pressed forward against him, letting their hips grind together. A moment later he was already glowering at him again, though he still was obviously flustered. “Why was I worried that you might give a straight answer to them?”

Flins chuckled softly. “Why indeed?”

He was in too good a mood to stop smiling when Illuga pulled him down again. Flins was still smiling when they went back to kissing, perhaps a little calmer than before. He let their lips slide against each other, explored the taste of Illuga’s mouth on his tongue and let Illuga do the same. His hands roamed over Illuga’s smaller body, though Flins quickly realized no matter how slight Illuga looked, his body had been honed to perfection. As he pushed Illuga’s coat further open, he quickly realized that years of fighting on the field, of running around half the nation on supply runs, had left him with a wiry body, the deceptively soft flesh of his stomach and chest tensing and hardening into strong muscle when Flins teased him with his touch.

How nice it felt when Illuga returned that touch in kind. He let his hands roam over Flins’s back, along his arms, down his chest. It was only then that Illuga pushed him back again. Flins mourned Illuga's lips against his own, but he moved as bidden. Curious citrine eyes met red and blue, the swirl of colors in Illuga’s eyes as always holding him captive.

For a long moment, they only regarded each other. Flins wasn't sure where this sudden break stemmed from, but as Illuga’s expression remained unconflicted and merely contemplative, he didn't worry about it. He reached out eventually, twirling one of the dyed red bits of hair around his flinger. Flins wanted to take his gloves off, to see if Illuga’s hair was really as soft on his skin as it looked.

“What does this mean to you?”, Illuga suddenly asked softly. Flins’s eyes immediately darted back to Illuga’s. “Does it mean as much to you as it means to me?”

Something Flins had considered long dead within his chest fluttered back to life. He smiled, and before he answered he grasped one of Illuga’s gloved hands. He raised it to his mouth, and then pressed a lingering kiss to the soft skin of his bare wrist. “It means everything to me, Illuga”, Flins whispered. Perhaps he should be straightforward more often if it would always draw such an open, relieved smile onto Illuga’s face. Illuga sat up after a moment, not giving Flins a chance to react before he already cupped his cheeks and pressed a kiss to his lips. It was over much too quickly before Illuga already pulled back again, leaving Flins to chase after him. Illuga rejected him, though, with a turn of his head and a quiet chuckle leaving his lips. Not that Flins wasn’t okay with kissing his cheek instead, or his jawline, or his neck.

“Flins-!”, Illuga pressed out in admonishment, though he was laughing and his attempt at pushing him away was halfhearted at best. “Come on, get us to bed. Or is this all you want to do?”

“Master Illuga, if this was all eternity had in store for me, I might die a happy man”, Flins said solemnly. He could feel Illuga’s cheek growing hot beneath his lips and couldn’t help but smile at the sensation. How very adorable.

“You– You’re unbelievable.”

Now it was on Flins to laugh when Illuga pushed away. He let him get up from the loveseat, though he remained seated for now. He merely watched as Illuga stood before him, his face flushed, a slight tent still visible in his pants, though they had gotten very distracted from their earlier pushing and grinding. Illuga stared down at him, a slight frown creasing his brows before he finally moved. He reached for his coat and let it slide off of his shoulders, leaving it to pool on the ground at his feet. He discarded the cloth around his waist next, his gloves followed, and by the time Illuga loosened the straps of the harness he wore to take off his shirt, Flins was ready to get up and finish undressing Illuga himself.

Except, Illuga took a warning step back as soon as Flins got up and shot him a stern look. “Oh no. You wanted to stay there, so sit back down”, Illuga said firmly. Flins made a faux wounded sound. “Master Illuga, you would be so cruel as to leave me watching”, he said dramatically. “What have I done to deserve this treatment?”

Illuga seemed entirely unimpressed by his antics. He braced his hands on his hips and raised a brow at him, waiting. But two people could play that game.

“Your silence wounds me”, Flins sighed. A second passed, and Flins suddenly broke into a grin. It was a split second in which his features distorted - his eyes flashing with blue fire, his grin splitting into something monstrous. Blink and you would have missed it. Illuga saw, though, and he startled. Even more so when Flins disappeared nearly in the same heartbeat in a flash of glowing blue flames. He showed up right behind Illuga, making him jump when Flins wrapped his arms around him and pressed against his back. “Don’t you think I could do this job much better?”, Flins murmured into Illuga’s ear. He shoved his hands beneath his shirt, upwards, until he could place one hand over his heart. Illuga’s heart was hammering against his flat palm, his breathing was quick and sudden, laced with fear - and arousal.

“If you don’t get me naked immediately”, Illuga started to say, but yelped when Flins moved him the same way he had moved on his own: in a flash of blue flames, otherworldly and unnatural, though they would never bring harm to his Illuga. He had moved them onto his bed, where Flins pressed down a disheveled looking captain into his sheets. The sight made the blood rush down into Flins’s dick again.

They finally started tearing the clothes off of each other. Arousal burned stronger in Flins’s veins with each beautiful sliver he revealed of Illuga’s body. He let his hands indulgently rub over his chest once he’d pulled his shirt off, then over his hips and thighs as he removed his pants. Illuga was much the same. He tore on all the belts keeping Flins’s clothing snug, until he could tear off his coat, his shirt, the undershirt beneath. Until he could pull down his pants with haste, sending a button flying in the process. And then his hands were all over him, cupping Flins’s chest, playing with his nipples, making him sigh at the first hints of pleasure. Illuga’s hands roamed over his sides, his waist and hips, reaching around him to place them on his still clothed ass, though that didn’t stop him from groping him.

“You look so different compared to me”, Illuga whispered near reverently as he gazed up at him, and he was right. Flins was deathly pale where there was a healthy flush and color to Illuga’s skin. He was unmarred and smooth where Illuga was scarred and marked. Somehow it only made Illuga more beautiful in his eyes, though. It was a sign that he was alive. That he lived. That he had survived all of his past, every bad day, and lay now smiling and excited beneath him.

“You’re beautiful”, Flins murmured, and since Illuga looked doubtful of his words, he leaned down to follow his words up with actions. He kissed every scar, new and old, paying attention to every slight mark. He licked over the scar that reached from Illuga’s neck down to his shoulder, he kissed along another scar that spanned his right chest, barely missing the nipple. He left small lovebites in his wake, adding to the canvas that was Illuga’s skin. Precious minutes passed like this in which Illuga buried his hands in Flins’s hair, panting softly, his hips stirring slightly the lower he moved on his body.

“There’s no need for all this”, Illuga tried to tell him more than once, slightly rephrased each time, but his words fell on deaf ears. Finally, Flins looked up at him, just after having bit down on the soft skin above his left hipbone. He pressed an apologetic kiss to the small hurt before he spoke. “I disagree”, he said gently. “I want to show you how much I appreciate all of you. I want to give you pleasure, Illuga. And most of all, I want to leave my own mark on you. This is for me, as much as it is for you.”

Illuga had flushed at some point as he’d spoken. Flins knew the other man well. He knew that Illuga wasn’t one to let his needs be fulfilled. He always looked out for others first. There was a chance that nobody else had gotten to appreciate his body like this before. Perhaps, in this, Flins could be his first.

Illuga let him move on without further objections. He still seemed a little hesitant on relaxing and enjoying himself fully, but Flins didn’t let that disturb him. It wouldn’t take long before Illuga would be putty in his arms. He finally took off his underwear, smiling at the wet spot his drooling dick had already left behind in it. Flins didn’t immediately focus on his most sensitive spot, though. Instead he kissed along his inner thighs, licked and bit at the soft, unblemished skin, let his nose be tickled by coarse hair as he pressed it indulgently to the crook of his thigh. Illuga let it happen quietly, with red cheeks. He had moved his hands to the sheets at some point, clinging onto them, but he was still watching Flins all the while.

“You’re teasing me”, Illuga complained finally.

Flins smiled. “I’m merely appreciating your body, young master.”

He moved a little to the side, and pressed a kiss to Illuga’s taint. Illuga’s eyes widened, his mouth dropping open on a slight exhale. No words left him. Flins’s smile deepened and he let his lips slide up until he could suck gently at the base of Illuga’s balls. Illuga bit his lip to keep quiet, but he failed in holding back a soft sound when Flins licked at the soft skin of the sack. His restraint was commendable, but entirely unnecessary. Flins wanted to hear Illuga sing.

Flins dragged his lips upwards over his balls, further, until he could slide them along the shaft of his cock. The tip was wet with pre by the time Flins wrapped his lips around it, his tongue swirling around the head for a taste. Illuga moaned, shivering as his tongue teased his slit. Flins smiled unseen as he sunk further down on his cock. It became clear that nobody had done this for Illuga before when Flins started properly sucking him off. His expression was so gloriously overwhelmed. His chest heaved and his legs worked to either side of Flins, muscles flexing as the pleasure wrecked him so thoroughly. Flins sucked Illuga’s dick with a passion second to none, his sole intent to make this good for him. So good that Illuga would never reach out for anybody else again. So good that he would always stay with Flins, all he would ever need.

Flins made good of the fact that he didn’t need to breathe, or that his flames could make him run hotter than any human. His mouth was wet and hot on Illuga dick, his spit and Illuga’s own wetness making the blowjob sloppy but smooth. Any other person, any normal human, would have long gagged or choked, but Flins was unperturbed. He took Illuga’s dick to the base, until his nose pressed firmly into his bush. Illuga wasn’t as small as his stature would make one believe, and his dick had long hit the back of his throat, breaching it. And Flins didn’t care. He gazed up at Illuga through lidded eyes, swallowed around him, pressed his hand to his own throat and squeezed. Illuga’s hips jerked when he got tighter unexpectedly, a broken sound leaving his mouth when he came just as suddenly with no warning. Flins would have laughed, but his mouth was still occupied.

It was only then that he pulled back slightly. Not because he wanted to relieve his body, but so that he might taste Illuga’s spend on his tongue. He pulled nearly all the way off, until he could merely suckle on his tip, working his wet dick with one firm hand as if wanting to milk it dry once and for all. And only when Illuga’s moans turned from the sweet relief of orgasm to cries from overstimulation did Flins finally stop.

Illuga slumped into the sheets immediately, sweaty and exhausted. He placed one arm over his eyes as he panted to catch his breath and one of his legs fell to the side, baring himself with no embarrassment in sight. Flins smiled. He wiped over his mouth before laying down beside Illuga and pressed a kiss to the arm covering Illuga’s face.

“I think you just sucked my soul out of my body”, he groaned. “Through my dick. Is that something fae do? Oh my god.” Flins couldn’t help but laugh out loud at that. “Not quite, young master. But I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Illuga finally lowered his arm again. He turned his head to look at him and smiled hesitantly. “I did. I’ve never… That was a first”, he admitted, though Flins had already reached that conclusion on his own. “I’ve only ever been on top before, actually. I never… had someone focus on me like that.”

Flins raised a brow at that. “Now that’s surprising.”

Illuga huffed, his cheeks turning red all over again. “I can use my dick, thank you very much.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that at all”, Flins murmured, nearly purring. He moved further over Illuga again, one arm bracing himself on his other side, trapping Illuga beneath him. “It is just so hard to imagine when you look this delectable beneath me.”

Illuga fell very quiet at that. The arousal was clear in his eyes, as was it in the way his breath hitched. He reached out for him, his hands landing on Flins’s waist to properly pull him on top of him. Illuga let his legs part further, inviting him in silently. “Will you please finally fuck me now?”, he said, his impatience making the begging sound like an order. Flins hummed, a small smile tugging up his lips. “No.”

It was as if he had poured a bucket of cold water atop the younger man. Illuga blinked as he processed the words, and then he shot him an offended look. He let go of him again and instead braced himself on his elbows to push himself up slightly. “What do you mean, no?”, he asked incredulously.

“Forgive me”, Flins said, though he sounded faintly amused at Illuga’s offended reaction. “I believe you were aware that I only stayed in these quarters while preparing to fight a newly ascended god.”

“So…?”

Flins chuckled softly. “What makes you think I required lube while staying here?”

“I– Flins, you flirt with everyone you meet.”

“That implies that you think I bed everyone I so much as flirt with.”

Illuga glared at him, looking distinctly betrayed though it hadn’t been Flins’s intention. Far from it. He wanted nothing more than to bed Illuga right now, to take him as he deserved, to make him fully his. But even without knowing that Illuga was a virgin in this regard, Flins had wanted to make this special for him. He wasn’t about to take him raw and cause him pain.

Flins reached out and gently cupped one of Illuga’s cheeks. “My dear Illuga, I couldn’t begin to try to remember the last time I indulged in carnal pleasures”, he said softly. “I don’t even possess lube back at the lighthouse. You are the first I have wanted to do this with in a very long time indeed. You are special, and I want this to be special for both of us. So will you let me do something else, something that might bring both of us pleasure even without claiming you fully?”

It took a moment before Illuga sighed softly. He seemed distinctly flustered, despite what they had done already. Flins began to realize more and more that such open words worked wonders on the other man.

“Fine”, Illuga mumbled softly. “I guess I know what to bring you on my next supply run then.”

“What makes you think I could remain patient enough until that time comes?”, Flins asked.

Illuga groaned and buried his face in his hands. “Please just shut up already.”

Flins chuckled softly. He leaned in to press a kiss to the back of Illuga’s hands before pulling them from his face. Illuga looked so gloriously embarrassed. Even a strong fighter such as him could be reduced to pouting in the face of Flins’s charm, which pleased him greatly. But it wasn’t something he would focus on anymore for now. Flins kissed Illuga again, full of heat and desire, and as he pushed him back into the sheets, he properly moved above him again. Flins smiled into the kiss when Illuga reached between their bodies and finally pulled down his underwear. It had long grown uncomfortably tight, but Flins had been content ignoring it as he’d focused on Illuga. Now he groaned when his dick finally sprang free, only to be caught in Illuga’s deft hand.

Flins let their tongues tangle as Illuga got a feel of him. It was hard not to get distracted, for both of them. Flins shuddered as Illuga twisted his hand over his tip, as he moved it too tightly down his shaft. The attention felt too good after so long without it. Flins was overcome with the sudden certainty that maybe it was for the best that they had no lube on hand. No doubt he would come much too easily once he felt Illuga’s tight, hot hole enveloping him.

He indulged in Illuga’s touch for a minute before Flins added his own hand. He wrapped it both around himself and Illuga, letting their lengths squeeze together. Illuga moaned into his mouth, soft and needy, and that sound alone made fire breathe to life within him. Flins cursed in his tongue as he pulled from the kiss to bury his face against Illuga’s neck. The flames at his eyes tickled Illuga’s skin no doubt, but Flins ignored it. He only focused on touching them both, on jerking them at the same time, on rutting against Illuga like an animal in heat. Lust and desire and pleasure had reduced him to this state so quickly. He ought to feel embarrassed.

Illuga was as eager as Flins himself, though. He moaned freely as both touched their combined lengths. He rolled his hips against Flins, meeting every single push and pull from him. Illuga locked his legs around him at some point, and they were as strong and sure as the rest of his body, keeping Flins from pulling back.

“Flins”, Illuga gasped, much too close to Flins’s ear, and he thought that he might just go insane from this alone. Flins buried his teeth in Illuga’s neck, coaxing a surprised cry out of him. He didn’t seem to hate it, though, judging from the way Illuga arched his back beneath him. Flins sucked at the spot, kissing the bruise that would no doubt form, only encouraged by the hand Illuga buried in his hair to pull him into his neck. Illuga bucked against him, moaning softly again. “Flins”, Illuga pressed out again. He turned his head, his lips pressing to the pointed tip of his ear. A shudder wrecked him, and Flins couldn’t help but groan.

“It’s Kyryll”, he breathed. Illuga laughed unexpectedly, even as the sound caught on another moan. “But Flins is so much easier to moan, Kyryll.”

Flins huffed a fond laugh at that. He pulled back from Illuga’s neck and finally faced him again, flickering blue eyes and all. Illuga gasped and his dick twitched against his own, dripping precum over his hand. “Flins- Kyryll”, Illuga said hurriedly. “Show yourself to me. Please, I– I want to see you. All of you.”

“I–” It was on Flins, for the first time, to feel unsure. His hand slowed, though it didn’t stop. He still was painfully aroused, even more so at the possibility that Illuga might see him and like this side of him. That he might be scared, just a little, but in a good way.

Finally, Flins smiled. And as Flins let go of the glamour he placed over his human form, that smile distorted into something grizzly. The flames at his eyes grew a striking white, only blue at the edges. His whole body seemed to rupture with hot flames, forming wings at his back. It covered him, covered Illuga who looked stricken beneath him. His flames caressed him as a gentle lover would have, never hurting him, not setting fire to the bed beneath them. Illuga’s eyes were wide, pupils dilated so far that you could hardly make out the beautiful swirl of colors in his irises. Flins could smell the fear and arousal on him, the scent so intoxicating that he couldn’t help but want to get closer for a direct taste. Flins bit Illuga again, on the other side of his neck, with canines so sharp that he easily drew blood. He laughed when Illuga screamed, the sound of his voice as distorted as the appearance of his body. It pleased a primal, ancient part inside of him when it was enough to make Illuga spill hot between them, his hips bucking against him as he rode out the waves of his release.

Flins groaned, the sound still a little inhumane as Illuga sobbed and writhed beneath him. His dick throbbed with need, with desire, wanting to claim and claim and claim. Illuga was his, he was his and it was a fact that only became clearer as Illuga moaned his given name. Oh, but he was so perfect for him. He still took it as Flins kept rutting against him, harder and faster now, slowly but surely losing his rhythm. His hand was too tight on them, squeezing them too perfectly. He was sending Illuga straight into overstimulation, to the point that fresh tears lined his eyes, glistening the way the blood glistened on his neck where Flins had bitten him. And still Illuga didn’t complain, he took and took as Flins kept giving everything he had, and when he finally came with a loud, drawn out moan, Illuga took that too. He pulled him closer with one arm, the flat of his hand pressed to his back, the base of his wings. He moaned weakly when Flins came hot all over his stomach, hot enough that it must have hurt a little, for his skin turned a little red beneath his seed. It was a detail they both ignored.

In the aftermath, Flins finally slumped above Illuga. He let go of their lengths and instead wrapped his arms around the smaller man, pulling his lower half halfway up his lap. They were both panting, chests heaving as they caught their breath. Illuga was sticky with sweat beneath him, some strands of hair sticking to his forehead. Perhaps no wonder, because just for a moment Flins remained too exhausted to put his glamour back into place. He burned like a living flame above Illuga, his light a little dimmer now and more relaxed. Not like a raging inferno any longer, but like the gentle fire within a hearth. Even if his fire didn’t burn Illuga, he must be feeling warm because of it.

Flins had closed his eyes at some point as he rested his head atop Illuga’s chest. He listened for his slowing heartbeat beneath his ear. He smiled as Illuga caressed his back and stroked his long hair. He seemed to be curiously touching the flames that covered him, entirely unafraid. It was a realization that pleased Flins greatly.

“What type of fae are you, Kyryll?”, Illuga asked him after a while. Flins hummed. “I’m a lantern fae. Though you might recognize it better by a different name. Will-o'-the-wisp.” Illuga made a soft sound of understanding. His fingers brushed against his wings, and Flins shuddered at the touch. Illuga quickly pulled his hands back, not having expected something tangible after his hands had passed through his fire all this time. Flins finally raised his head again, his chin resting on Illuga’s chest as he looked at him. “It’s quite alright, young master”, he said. “You can touch. I am merely not used to it.”

Illuga swallowed thickly as they locked eyes again. Flins could see his reflection in them, the light from his eyes and his grotesque, flickering mouth. Instead of touching his wings again, Illuga instead cupped his face. His hands shook just a little and his thumbs hesitated for just a moment before they rubbed over his cheeks. To be treated so gently, even when a hint of fear remained in Illuga’s chest… It was a natural reaction. Illuga was supposed to fear him. Flins was a natural born predator. And yet.

Flins finally managed to let his glamour slip back over his features again, and his human body took place once more. Illuga let out a shuddering exhale. Flins only smiled at him, his usual gentle smile and not a twisted, monsterly one any longer. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of Illuga’s mouth.

“I hope you liked this first taste I have given you, young master, for you won’t be getting away so easily anymore”, he murmured. “You have given me your name, and I have staked my claim on you. You’re mine now.”

Illuga huffed softly. He didn’t sound entirely displeased, or surprised. He pushed Flins back at his shoulders and raised a brow at him. “You’re forgetting something”, he said simply, which made Flins pause now. “You have also given me your name, Kyryll Chudomirovich Flins. You’re also mine now.”

Flins blinked. “How do you…”

Illuga smiled at him. Ah, that little minx. Illuga had visited him at the lighthouse so often. Of course he would have stopped to pay his respects at the former lightkeepers’ graves at some point. Of course he would have come across Flins’s own grave. Perhaps he had seen it as a coincidence before, or thought it a distant family relation, but clearly he had put the pieces together now.

“You’re right. I have given you my name. How very silly of me”, Flins said and pressed a tender kiss to Illuga’s lips. Illuga returned it easily, smiling until Flins pulled back again. “I hope you will treat it with care.”

“I can’t wait to say your full name if you ever piss me off again”, Illuga announced too happily. Flins groaned and moved away to fall onto his back next to Illuga. “Of course you would immediately think of an imaginary scenario to scold me in. You would be so cruel.”

Illuga laughed softly, and the sound was music to his ears. Flins smiled when Illuga immediately moved closer again, crossing his arms on his chest as he got comfortable halfway on top of him. Illuga merely watched him, though, looking perfectly content now compared to when he had arrived earlier. “I am sorry for scaring you so much recently”, Flins said gently, making Illuga frown slightly again as he drew his attention back to that topic. “I hope you can forgive me.”

Illuga worried his lip briefly and sighed. “Only if you promise not to do it again. No more rushing into danger.”

“That’s quite a broad order. Will you do the same, young master?”

Illuga’s cheeks flushed as Flins called him out so easily. Flins gently tucked Illuga’s hair behind his ear before caressing his cheek with his knuckles. “Illuga, I do not wish to lose you prematurely, simply because of how eager you are to spare anybody else the trouble. You, too, throw yourself headfirst into danger, without any regard to your own safety.”

“That’s…” Illuga swallowed thickly, suddenly uncertain. “It’s part of the job”, he whispered. “And I’m a captain. I have to…”

Flins wrapped his arms around Illuga and pulled him into a proper hug. “I follow the same rules, the same job”, he said gently. “But my dear Illuga, I am a lot harder to kill than you. You won’t have to worry about me when we face the Wild Hunt together. I will endeavor to treat it seriously, and to always be careful. I only ask that you do the same.”

Illuga made a soft sound as he wrapped his arms around his neck. “Alright”, he whispered, and then again. “Alright.” And maybe that was promise enough.

Flins held him tight as Illuga calmed down, though it didn’t take long. He got up with him in his arms afterwards, happily ignoring his complaints about the gesture, and then carried him to the bathroom. Illuga teased him a little when they stood under the spray of the shower together, something about dousing his flame that Flins ignored with a fond smile on his lips. And afterwards, they finally got dressed again.

“They’ll all know once we head out”, Illuga sighed as he put his boots back on. Flins smiled at the thought, and unfortunately Illuga caught sight of it. “You like that. Of course you do”, he muttered. “Are all fae this possessive or is it a unique character trait?” “A bit of both probably”, Flins answered easily. Illuga rolled his eyes, but he didn’t seem fully bothered by it.

When they finally stood in front of the door, Flins turned towards Illuga one last time. He wouldn’t be staying at the celebration – really, he had only rushed here from the northern isles to make sure that Flins was alive. There was work to be done in Piramida, the rest of the nation, and lots of it. So Flins cupped Illuga’s cheeks, leaned down and closed their lips in a last, indulgent kiss. He let it linger for a moment, memorizing the feeling of Illuga’s plump, slightly chapped lips against his own. Who knew when he’d feel them again.

When Flins pulled back, it was only enough to press their foreheads together. “I’ll come by the lighthouse again soon”, Illuga whispered, as if not wanting to break the moment. “Be careful until then. I’ll do the same.”

“Good. I’ll hold you to it, my little light.” Illuga’s cheeks flushed at the pet name. He smiled up at Flins, almost shyly now, and pressed a last quick peck to his lips. Flins wished he could have returned it, but there was no time left. Illuga had to leave, at least for now, and Flins would be left to miss him until the day they returned to each other’s sides again. And Flins might be immortal, he might already have seven centuries under his belt, but he knew that the wait until that day came would drag on endlessly. So Flins memorized this exact moment, knowing his mind would return to it often in the following days and weeks, until his sun finally came back to him.