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All things considered, this session hasn’t been the best. After half a day of a huntsman’s and his hunting companion’s hard work, the final prize Alyosha manages to carry home is only one grouse. And, it’s not even on the bigger side. Which means, this bird definitely won’t fill two bellies to the maximum capacity, considering that Tugarin eats nearly as much as his owner. If… not even more so. He is a large dog, after all.
But, it’s not like Alyosha to fall into despair, or be too pessimistic. Even one rather modest grouse is better than returning to his cabin empty-handed. It’s supposedly enough to cook one meal, at least, if he adds some side-dishes. Like, mashed potatoes, for example. There must still lay some leftover vegetables in the braided basket on his pantry shelf.
Besides, small game is easier to carry – which is most fortunate during a snowstorm. His boots and gloves are still holding up, keeping him warm and dry, but his vision is getting limited, and his nose is practically frozen in place. More or less, the same can be said about poor Tugarin. He’s keeping up with the hunter for now, but his ears are turned downwards and he struggles to keep his eyes open as well. His breed is a tough one, accustomed to this harsh climate, but Alyosha wouldn’t want to put him into needless danger. Humans and dogs alike can only handle this damned Snezhnayan weather for so long. Things may take a turn for the worse exceptionally quickly, and an experienced hunter recognizes the exact point in time when it’s best to give up and head back to safety. Tugarin and Alyosha have been out for long hours; there is no need to push themselves further. Some days are simply more rewarding than others.
For now, Alyosha sees it best to head home and warm up. Perhaps save some more energy for the following day. If he rests all night and wakes up early tomorrow, he might have enough time to go out at dawn and catch some fish before his packed schedule begins in town.
Solid plan, he finds, and the two of them follow the path that leads them back to Sretomorozsk.
Luckily, they reach Alyosha’s cabin before nightfall. In his mind, the hunter is already preparing dinner for both of them, but then he notices that his companion is becoming increasingly restless by the door.
Alyosha also spots a trail of bootprints in the snow, and rather large ones at that. They are rather fresh, considering that his own and Tugarin’s footprints from before noon have long been buried by the recent snowfall already.
Tugarin barks, and leans forward, with his tail straight up in the air. He usually does this when he catches scent of either an unexpected person, or a prey. Needless to say, Alyosha instantly switches to alert mode; dropping the game in the snow and picking up his rifle instead. He quietly loads, and tells Tugarin to stay behind him.
He then aims his weapon as he slowly opens the door to his house – already unlocked. Calculated steps enter, one slowly after the other. Tugarin follows behind his owner, like the obedient partner that he is.
Until,
The dog suddenly shifts in attitude, and dashes past Alyosha to run further inside.
“Tugarin!” Alyosha yells after him, falling out of focus. He is clueless as to why his dog is acting out all of a sudden.
Naturally, he runs after his cherished companion with concern, expecting anyone but the person that eventually welcomes him in his own home.
The excessively tall man stands in the middle of the room, along with Tugarin, who’s jumping circles around him. Not at all anxious or aggressive; just playful and excited.
“…Valeriy?” Alyosha mutters, slowly lowering his gun.
It is indeed the Head of the Special Assignments Battalion, someone both him and his dog know quite well. Hence why Tugarin is being so friendly.
As for Alyosha, he is much less entertained by the sight.
“What are you doing here?” He asks after a half-relieved, half-annoyed sigh.
“Good to see you too.” Valeriy replies, and then crouches down to pet the impatient dog who’s begun barking at him, clearly seeking his attention.
Alyosha watches as they bond, and that might be the only reason why he is not instantly throwing the other man out into the raging blizzard. He can hardly find it in himself to get mad at people who get along well with dogs, especially Tugarin. His furry partner has a good nose for rotten people, after all. If Valeriy had come bearing bad intentions, the dog’s reaction would differ greatly.
“Enough of that. Tugarin, go get the grouse and bring it inside.” Alyosha commands, and Tugarin accepts the task happily as he’s already gotten a fair share of behind-the-ear scratches.
“A grouse? That’s all you got?” Valeriy asks as he straightens his back again. He is not being sarcastic, judging by his voice, but Alyosha finds he needs to be defensive anyway.
Must be his hunter’s pride.
“The snowstorm forced most animals into their shelters.”
“I see.”
“At least it’s something.” Alyosha adds and sets down his gun as Tugarin returns with the game, dropping it in front of his feet. For being a good boy, as always, he receives praise pets and a big proud smile from his owner.
Alyosha then picks up the grouse and places it on the counter, which is not far from the dining area where Valeriy is standing. The cabin is quite small but surprisingly homey, with each space visibly having its own function.
Once the grouse is out of the way, he turns back to Valeriy to address a very important matter once more.
“Care to explain why you broke into my house? A royal guard is the last person I would expect that from.”
Valeriy crosses his arms and narrows his gaze as their eyes lock.
“You promised to write.”
Ah…
Right.
“I did write.” Alyosha argues after some awkward hesitation.
“Your last letter was sent two months ago. I haven’t heard from you since.”
“I was busy.”
“Busy with what?”
“Some… odd jobs and the like.”
Even Alyosha knows that’s a very poor excuse, but he can’t exactly bring up his Rokot activities, can he? Even if Valeriy suspects he’s part of the organization, it’s not something to publicly brag about.
The guard watches him intensely, until his attention shifts to the whining dog. Tugarin has taken a seat in front of the counter, eyeing the game that is yet to be prepared for dinner.
The taller man sighs. “If you are so low on supplies, why don’t you tell me so? I can help out.”
“I don’t need your help.” Alyosha fires back, but he instantly regrets the way it comes out. “I mean, I don’t need help when it comes to food. I can take care of us.” He corrects himself, and lights up a small torch so everyone can warm up.
Which reminds him…
“…How long have you been waiting for us here?”
“A couple of hours.”
“Weren’t you cold?”
“My coat is warm.”
Well, no shit. Alyosha’s coat is warm too, but still. Why didn’t Valeriy turn the torch on sooner? Perhaps… Out of courtesy? Alyosha finds it peculiar that he trespasses without a care in the world but draws the line at the torch.
What a strange man.
“Since I haven’t heard from you for months, I went to the theatre to ask around. They told me they hadn’t seen you for the past few weeks either. I found that coincidence strange, and grew a bit worried. So I decided to come see you in person, just to make sure you are okay. The townsfolk told me they saw you go into the wild to hunt, so I decided to wait. And here we are.”
Alyosha listens patiently as Valeriy recalls the past events in orderly fashion, and can’t help but get a bit… embarrassed, when the other confesses to being worried about him. He almost feels guilty, too, for not sending the letters they had both agreed upon previously.
Long story short, Alyosha had been badly injured during one particular occasion, and Valeriy was the person who found him and took him to a physician. It also turned out that Alyosha was not in good health to begin with. Low nutrition intake and dehydration, paired with excessive energy consumption and sleep deprivation. AKA, he heavily overworked himself. This, of course, gradually reduced his immune system efficiency, and also explained why he lost focus and got hurt in the first place.
Valeriy was… not impressed.
Although Alyosha and him didn’t have a long history of knowing each other at the time, they had worked together previously and were more or less acquaintances. Valeriy acknowledged Alyosha’s skills and respected his willingness to help those in need, so of course, to some extent, Alyosha found it only fair that the royal guard didn’t want to see him in a poor state. Comradery and all that.
Only, Valeriy’s amount of involvedness quickly spiralled out of a reasonable proportion. And it all seemed to come from nowhere in particular.
During his recovery period at the physician’s place, Alyosha was granted various gifts. Warm clothes, expensive supplies, and a ton of medicine. Valeriy would check on him every week, too. And in the end, Alyosha was forced to promise a list of things. He would be more careful, take better care of himself, and he would provide updates in writing.
Since they are both relatively busy, it’s difficult for them to meet up frequently. What is more, as a Rokot member, it might not be the best for the hunter to hang out with someone from the Armory Palace more than necessary either. So the letters seemed like a decent compromise. Alyosha promised to send one every other week, at least. Just until his health would improve to an acceptable degree.
However,
It’s been nearly a year. Alyosha has been doing better than ever, physically speaking, but the letters… Valeriy still demands them. Alyosha doesn’t even know why he cares so much; he never asks. At this point, it’s just easier to write a few lines and send the letters, so Valeriy is satisfied.
Except, sometimes he writes more than he initially intends, and gets embarrassed after proof-reading the contents. Most of his recent letters, therefore, land in a drawer beside his bed. And he never ends up sending them.
Part of him believes Valeriy wouldn’t mind the extra information regarding Tugarin’s funny antics, the record size of fish he catches, or the new enhancements to his rifle. But, another part of him… Gets a bit self-conscious about the whole letter-situation.
And he’s discouraged to send them.
“Well, now that you’ve made sure I am fine,” Alyosha clears his throat. “You might as well head back to Snezhnograd.”
“Hm. So much for hospitality.”
“Again, you are not a guest. You broke into my house.” The hunter reminds him, getting annoyed once more.
Valeriy doesn’t seem to mind the criticism in his tone.
“Who said I already made sure you are fine?” Asks the guard, and then walks closer to the smaller man. Alyosha instinctively takes a few steps backwards. He’s not usually intimidated so easily—and it’s not like he’s truly scared, anyway. He knows Valeriy enough not to view him as an enemy, at least. But somehow… he feels the need to create some space between them.
Until his back is against the counter, nearly tripping over poor Tugarin.
“Sorry, boy.” Alyosha apologizes to his furry partner, but when he looks up again, he finds Valeriy inside his personal space.
And he’s…
Much bigger from up close. It takes Alyosha by surprise.
“What… are you doing?”
“Inspecting.”
The hunter is profoundly confused. Maybe a bit unsettled as well.
But also… a little warmer than before. And shy, like he needs to look away.
But he doesn’t. He watches as Valeriy takes off his glove, and brings his hand closer to Alyosha’s face. His palm feels cold against the hunter’s cheek when he touches him, cupping his face that’s practically burning up, probably due to his accelerating heartbeat.
“Good. You are still warm.”
What kind of stupid observation is that? Of course Alyosha is warm, he’s not dead. Or made of ice, like one of those strange fae species.
“Y-Your hand is cold,” He blurts out, similarly stupidly. But in his defense, there is no smart response to Valeriy’s previous statement.
He also recognizes how large Valeriy’s hand is, but thankfully, that conclusion doesn’t leave the inner spaces of his mind. He couldn’t defend that one, were it to leave his lips.
Despite his complaint, the other doesn’t pull away. If anything, he increases pressure, just a tiny bit. Caressing his face with his thumb.
“Unpleasant?”
“No….”
No?
Alyosha can’t believe he actually said that aloud. And he replied so fast, too.
– But indeed, it actually feels nice, no matter how badly he wants to deny the fact. He doesn’t even remember the last time he was touched by another person. And he was definitely never touched in such a way before.
So caringly, and… affectionately?
“Alyosha,”
“…What?”
“Your face is red.” Says Valeriy matter-of-factly, his cryptic purple eyes still scanning the other closely.
“And it’s getting warmer, too.”
The hunter feels like he’s about to catch on fire due to a massive wave of embarrassment. He attempts to free himself and push Valeriy away, but the significant difference in their physique is quite disadvantageous for him.
His attempts prove futile, and worse is the fact that the more he struggles, the less space remains between Valeriy and him. The guard practically pushes him up against the counter with his own body. That’s when Alyosha realizes this man is not only obscenely tall and broad, he is also strong.
When he finally gives up, Valeriy pulls his hand away slightly, and runs his fingers through Alyosha’s hair behind his ear, near his nape. It gives the smaller man chills, and makes his heart beat even faster.
“Look at me.” Valeriy tells him, and as much as Alyosha wants to hide…
He’s also curious.
The hunter slowly looks up at the other, and when their gazes finally lock,
Valeriy smiles.
Starts very subtle, but ends up being rather telling. It nearly turns into a sly smirk, even. His usually indifferent eyes glow with a flare of mischief as well, resulting in an expression Alyosha hasn’t seen from the guard before.
“Why… are you staring at me like that?” Asks Alyosha, and unfortunately, he is aware how shaky his voice ends up coming out.
Valeriy’s smirk grows a tiny bit wider before he leans down more, and replies.
“You are cute.”
Alyosha’s eyes widen, and he suddenly can’t think of anything to say. It’s like all the words are tangled together in his mind, and a huge knot is caught in his throat.
Fortunately, Valeriy doesn’t expect him to speak either. He lowers even more, just enough to capture his lips with his own.
Alyosha doesn’t expect it at all, and for a moment, he thinks about protesting. But that moment of denial passes fast, as he can’t resist the sudden rush of temptation either. He closes his eyes and relaxes the muscles in his body, allowing Valeriy to press against his lips again and again. Softly at first, then increasing in pressure.
Eventually, there’s no way or willingness to escape it; Alyosha accepts Valeriy’s tongue as well.
He nearly loses his footing as Valeriy kisses him deeply, feeling weak in his knees and foggy in his mind. And when the other’s fingers reach even further up on the back of his scalp, and his hips push Alyosha up against the counter a tiny bit more, the smaller man can’t help but cling to Valeriy’s arm for support. It’s not easy to keep up with both his greed and his height; the hunter feels dizzy, and his neck muscles slowly grow sore.
When he can no longer take it, he pulls on Valeriy’s arm with proper force to let him know.
Surprisingly, the other does pull away, albeit very hesitantly.
They stare at each other for a short while. Still hazy and heated, and pretty much out of it.
Until Alyosha covers his mouth and clears his throat awkwardly.
“I…uh… I need to make dinner.” He averts his gaze.
As if understanding, Tugarin jumps up beside them with a bark.
Valeriy remains silent for a while, but eventually releases him. He straightens and withdraws.
“Very well.” He says, seemingly back to normal. As if no inappropriate pushing, touching or kissing ever happened.
The guard then puts his glove back on and gives Tugarin some final pets before he settles on leaving.
“Are you sure you don’t want… some hot tea before you leave?” Alyosha asks, feeling somewhat guilty. Valeriy came all the way to check on him, he waited in the cold house, and now he has to leave in the dark. It’s really damn cold out there after nightfall.
He thinks about offering him to stay, but after recalling what just happened… With him being pressed up against the counter…
Well, Alyosha has no fucking clue what that was all about, to be honest, but – yeah, a sleepover is definitely not a good idea right now. His pulse is still a mess.
“No, thank you. I’ll be fine.”
“Alright then.” Alyosha settles with his plan as well.
“But just so you know, I am not entirely satisfied with your current condition. You need to eat more. Come by the city sometime, I’ll get a proper meal for both of you.”
“Okay, okay…” Alyosha sighs. He’s tired of his nagging already, but at least Tugarin is excited about the sound of the meal. “Anything else?”
“Letters are meant to be sent. Don’t just write them and toss them into the drawer.”
Alyosha’s face suddenly burns even hotter than before.
“Did… Did you go through my—?”
Valeriy crosses his arms. “I spent two hours waiting for you. I needed to pass the time productively, at least.”
Now Alyosha’s had it. The nerve of this man is unbelievable.
He pushes Valeriy out of his house, and slams the door in his face. He doesn’t ease up, not even when Tugarin whines sadly to show compassion towards the poor man who’s been thrown out into the cold of night.
Which is weird. Alyosha is not that easy to provoke, and he’s definitely not the sulking type. Still, there’s something about that guard that makes him easily irritable, yet also strangely warm and fuzzy inside.
“I am glad you are okay.” Comes the sound from behind the door.
Alyosha’s heart skips a beat, and honestly, he’s not sure how much longer he can act like Valeriy kissing him and saying such things is perfectly reasonable.
“…Take care.” Alyosha mutters, very very quietly, but he has a feeling Valeriy can hear him just fine before he finally leaves.