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Illuga is sitting on the small couch in his house, head tipped backwards as he lightly snores. Lohen is sitting beside him, legs draped over the shorter man’s lap with his head resting on his hand, arm propped up by the couch’s backrest. He watches, mesmerized, as Illuga sleeps.
The two’d had a long, long day of quelling remaining spots of Wild Hunt activity, leaving them covered in ash and sweat and – in Lohen’s case – the thrill of the hunt. And even after all of that, Illuga had agreed to a quick spar before they returned to the lightkeeper’s home to bathe and rest. Always so indulgent, his birdie.
Lohen’s free hand comes up to play with Illuga’s hair, as he admires its dull shine in the yellowish light.
The lightkeeper has always likened himself to a nightingale, and to that, Lohen agrees. Illuga is the captain that the Lightkeepers need, a bright beacon of light in the darkest of nights. And while Lohen has never shied away from the dark, he aches to hold tight onto this beacon until his flesh is all but burned to ash.
Holding onto Illuga has never hurt, though. Illuga is tough, and he happily indulges in Lohen’s games receiving and inflicting pain – has even initiated, a rare few times – but at his core, he is sweet and gentle. Soft, under Lohen’s hands, not unlike another beast that is common to Nod Krai’s frigid lands.
At first glance, the slothsheep is an unassuming creature. Their fur is soft, they are friendly more often than not, and they have a face that most people will coo at in adoration. But many forget that slothsheep, too, are not without defenses. They are large, heavy beasts, with massive horns and a powerful ramming force. It would be all too easy to get squished or gored like nothing if one was to get in their way.
And it is for that reason that Lohen admires them greatly. Gentle at first glance, but strong and incredibly dangerous when provoked – enough to make fighting one a thrill, he’s sure. Just like his little birdie. Lohen trails a finger down Illuga’s bared arm, his coat and arm warmers having been discarded to the other side of the couch, just touching Lohen’s feet. He lets out a low, pleased hum at the feeling of Illuga’s muscles under his soft, pale skin. While his birdie looks small under that gigantic coat of his, Illuga is delightfully strong, able to pick Lohen up and throw him over his shoulder like he weighs nothing. Lohen likes it more than he cares to admit. He gives Illuga’s bicep a gentle squeeze. How unfortunate that those beautiful muscles are so often covered up – yet at the same time, it pleases Lohen that he’s one of the only people who gets to see them so plainly.
Illuga shifts slightly in his sleep. Lohen’s heart pangs at the motion. Cute. He gazes over his birdie once more, at the way his arm is draped over Lohen’s thighs and the way his neck curves over the top of the sofa, smooth and vulnerable. No one trusts Lohen like Illuga does – his fellow knights, while trusting of him in battle, are often intimidated by his presence. And at the same time, Illuga doesn’t trust anyone like he trusts Lohen. He’s constantly worried about his men getting injured or killed, and never allows himself to be the one being protected.
And yet, it’s Lohen who he lets his guard down around. It’s Lohen who he trusts to not get hurt, and to protect him from danger should it arrive. It’s reciprocal, of course – Illuga doesn’t let Lohen be the protector all the time. But the fact that he trusts Lohen like this at all sends tingles down his spine.
Lohen leans forward, catching Illuga’s cheek with his teeth. He admires the way the soft flesh squishes down, and the small noise Illuga makes in response makes sparks fly in his mind. Lohen wants to devour him.
But instead, he lets go and pulls back slightly, looking at the shallow indents left behind on the lightkeeper’s face. He kisses the spot and rests his head in the crook of Illuga’s shoulder. Because just like how gentle, sweet Illuga can match Lohen’s normally off-putting cravings of violence, Lohen, too, sometimes desires to be soft with his birdie.
Lohen shuts his eyes and wraps his arms around Illuga as best he can before joining his lover in the world of dreams.