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For Lohen, it was probably love at first punch.
Yes, at first punch. Not your usual “love at first sight” like normal people would have. But a budding affection through a fist to his face, one that took him by surprise and sent him stumbling a few steps back.
After taking a better look at who delivered the exquisite blow that caught the Vice Captain of the 5th Company of the Knights of Favonius off guard, a smirk adorned his face and a spark of excitement was starting to course through his veins even as a sting of pain spread throughout his cheek and a taste of iron seeped against his tongue.
The one who punched Lohen was a young man named Illuga, also the Squad Leader of the Nightmare Orioles of the Lightkeepers.
Why, he was a beauty who packed quite a force. Lohen liked that.
But how did they arrive at this kind of scenario? For Lohen to end up being warranted a punch from the Squad Leader of the Nightmare Orioles?
Well, it was when the Nightmare Orioles squad was on their way back to Cliffwatch Camp from their further investigations on Kipumaki Cliff. A heavy purple mist was starting to cover the area, a telltale sign of enemies ahead. As they ran towards the thickest part of the mist, ready to take down the Wild Hunt, they could hear the thrilled roars of someone who seemed to be enjoying slashing down the abyssal monsters.
Illuga and his squad found the enemies within the thick mist, their lanterns having lit the way. The excited shouting from earlier had disappeared, and they found a young man surrounded by the Wild Hunt.
“We’re here to help,” one member of the squad shouted.
As they were about to move in and subdue the abyssal monsters surrounding this unknown young man, a swift and powerful slash of a polearm and a cool sensation from cryo powers occupied their senses. In mere seconds, at least half of the monsters that surrounded this young man had dropped dead, with a thunder of crazy laughter following afterwards.
“Weaklings. You weren't even so much as an entertainment,” he scoffed after the realization that he had defeated all the enemies.
But as the young man turned around, a new wave of Wild Hunt appeared.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!”
He laughed and taunted his opponents, egging them to fight him with more reckless abandon. As crazy as he sounded, he looked like he was dancing on the battlefield. To a bloody yet beautiful rondo.
This particular sight may have captivated someone's eyes.
Illuga and his squad found it hard to jump into the fray. But as Lightkeepers, handling Wild Hunt incursions was their responsibility.
“We're here to help!” Illuga announced.
He was hoping that the young man would let them help him.
“Hm? Huh?”
The young lad glanced at them.
“Oh. Lightkeepers, huh,” he noted as he slashed down another Wild Hunt monster.
“Your help is appreciated, but not needed. I can handle these Wild Hunt on my own.”
He stabbed any monster that charged at him, drawing out a crazed laughter each time. He drowned in the adrenaline that bloomed in the battlefield and the scent of blood that wafted in the air. There was a glint in his eyes that reveled in the ecstacy he could only feel in a battle.
“Yes, that's it! Scream more for me!! HAHAHAHA"
“Who the hell is he? He's one crazy fella,” murmured another member of Illuga's squad.
“He won't come out unscathed if he keeps this up. You guys stay here and provide support as you see fit. I'll join him in battle,” Illuga commanded, jumping into the battle as soon as his squad members acknowledged.
“Haa!”
Illuga slammed his polearm against a Wild Hunt that charged at him, defeating it in one blow. This gained him the attention of the man he was trying to help.
“Heh, not bad. But like I said, I don't need your help.”
The young man dealt with the remaining Wild Hunt quickly, with movements that implied that he didn't want to share his prey.
But one final monster remained. And it crept up behind Illuga.
Suddenly, a spear was flying towards the ashen-haired Ratnik. Illuga knew it wasn't directed at him and he also sensed the danger from behind. So, he turned his body, lantern in hand with a golden nightingale coming out from it and rushing towards the beast. The final monster was defeated and the purple mist had slowly dispersed.
Despite the Wild Hunt being no more, another crazed laughter came from the young man.
“I really can't get enough of this,” he said as if he was enjoying a good glass of dandelion wine.
Then he turned to Illuga, closing the gap between them, body bent and looking at the other from below, faces almost a breath close.
“Wanna spar with me?”
“Eh?”
The young man then grabbed Illuga's wrist, pulling it up.
“Come on. I haven't had enough fighting. You'd be a good sparring partner,” the young man whispered, close to Illuga's ear and voice low.
“Too close!”
As if feeling some imminent danger, Illuga pulled his hand, took a step back and landed a blow exactly on the young man's face.
Realizing what he had just done, Illuga took a few more steps back and started apologizing.
“That was a good punch. Hit me again, I don't mind,” the young man said as he traced the hit cheek, a big smirk on his lips following.
“Wha- No, why would I hit you again!?”
Illuga sighed, feeling that all his panic earlier about hitting a stranger was a waste.
Chuckling, the young man finally introduced himself.
“The name's Lohen, Vice Captain of the 5th Company of the Knights of Favonius.”
Before Illuga could introduce himself in response, Lohen spoke again.
“Oh, there's blood? Tsk, that new move needs a bit more work if I get hit like this. Guess I'll go back to the base and train again.”
As Lohen was about to take his leave, Illuga grabbed his arm.
“No, you are not. You're hurt. We have to treat it first.”
“Hm? If I refuse, will you hit me again?” teased Lohen.
“Uh, no! What are you even saying?”
Finding amusement in the other's reaction, Lohen continued his teasing. He pointed at his red and slightly swollen cheek.
“Well, you did punch me and my cheek does hurt a bit. Someone needs to take responsibility. Also, you haven't even introduced yourself.”
Feeling heat rush up to his face because of the embarrassment, Illuga's cheeks are colored pink.
“Apologies for my manners. I'm Illuga, a Lightkeeper and Squad Leader of the Nightmare Orioles. Don't worry, I'll tend to your wounds.”
“A squad leader, huh. No wonder you’re strong. Not only could you take down the Wild Hunt swiftly, but you could also send me a few steps back with a punch.”
“Aah, please stop teasing,” Illuga requested.
“By the way, which hand did you use to punch me?” Lohen asked.
“Huh? Oh, my right,” Illuga answered.
Suddenly, Lohen was standing close to Illuga again, a hand grabbing his own, the one he used to punch Lohen with. In the blink of an eye, Lohen placed his lips on the back of Illuga’s hand. Illuga was too stunned to react, mouth opening and closing in an attempt to say something.
“I’ll be in your care then, Illuga.”
The sun had long set and it was late into the night. But Illuga received word that Lohen was here to see him. Usually, Lohen wouldn’t even announce his arrival, always planning to surprise or ambush Illuga in some way. He was also well-aware where Lohen’s office or quarters were located in the camp.
After their first meeting, Lohen would occasionally drop by their camp, trying to drag Illuga into a sparring session or plotting some surprises that, in his defense, was meant to sharpen the squad leader’s senses. On rare occasions, Lohen would come with gifts, mostly food, which gets him a seat and the Lightkeepers table, specifically beside Illuga.
There was a certain comfort built from the time they’ve spent together, despite the occasional struggle Illuga had to keep Lohen from causing too much of a ruckus. The two had learned to share space and time, one that people felt hard to intrude on.
Sometimes, Illuga would catch Lohen with a gaze that felt like he wanted to close any gap between them. Meanwhile, Lohen could see how Illuga secretly basked in the anticipation of his visits, even if he had set a few traps here and there that would result in an annoyed lightkeeper. Meals together tasted better, and quiet moments were filled with the brushing of shoulders and the slight touching of their hands. Anyone could tell it was special, but no one, not even the two people in question, felt like putting a name or label to it.
Considering that Lohen had asked someone to tell Illuga he was there to meet him, he could tell something was different today. He hoped it wasn’t anything serious.
After walking around near the camp, he saw Lohen sitting on a large rock beside a tree. To his surprise, Lohen looked solemn. He contemplated on calling out to the knight. But before he could reach a decision, he could hear his name slip from Lohen’s lips.
“Illuga, come here. Sit beside me. The stars are quite visible tonight, so let’s watch them together”
Illuga followed, settling beside Lohen, an awkward space between them. He looked up at the sky and indeed the stars were shining bright tonight. And Illuga wished that they could spend this time in silence, and for what it seemed to be for the two of them. But Illuga knew that Lohen came with an important discussion.
“What’s the matter? You’d usually barge into my office or room whenever you visit. It’s surprising you had someone tell me you wanted to see me. You did not even bother to tell me exactly where. I had to walk around the camp because of you.”
Lohen chuckled. He could remember how polite Illuga would be no matter how hard he teased him, until one day, Illuga’s patience burst like a bubble and it had him scolding Lohen on several different matters. Rather than feeling bad that he was being scolded and warned, it sent Lohen into a laughing fit, happy that Illuga felt more open and relaxed to be honest like this with him.
Furthermore, he thought Illuga was cute when mad. So, pushing the other’s buttons was something he loved doing.
“Now, now, my little nightingale. I just wanted to spend some alone time with you.”
“You-”
Illuga’s face was turning into a tomato. Lohen would occasionally call him with that nickname, but he feels shy to be called that. To him, it was just another way of Lohen teasing him.
“What? It’s not like this is the first time we’ve spent some time alone together. Hm? What was the Squad Leader thinking that got him so red?”
“Nothing! If you have nothing important to say, then I’m leaving. I still have work to do.”
Illuga rose up from his seat to leave, but Lohen pulled him back down.
“I’ve been ordered to return to Mondstadt.”
“Is that so?” Illuga replied, trying to sound nonchalant but the small frown on his face was too noticeable.
“Illuga,” Lohen called his name with a serious tone.
“I love you.”
“Please stop joking like that,” Illuga said, sounding very upset.
“Why would you think I'd be joking?” Lohen asked, tone still serious.
“Because you tell me something like this just before you leave for home, knowing that we might not see each other anymore??”
Lohen pressed their foreheads together, and while it took Illuga by surprise, he did not flinch away.
“But I do love you. I thought it was better to let you know now than when I've left,” Lohen said in gentle admission.
“How about not letting me know at all?” Illuga replied sarcastically.
“Aww, but I thought you liked me? I mean, you tolerate my shenanigans?”
Illuga keeps his lips shut, trying not to spill anything.
“Hey, can I kiss you?” Lohen asked, but before Illuga gave his consent, their lips had already touched.
It was soft but a little bit clumsy, with a bit of teeth in between. It wasn't what Illuga expected. He thought a kiss with Lohen would be more rough, a mirror of how a fervent person he can be.
Oh yeah. Kissing Lohen had already crossed his mind before.
“You're so unfair,” Illuga mumbled after pulling away from the kiss.
“How so?”
Lohen brushed away Illuga’s bangs to get a better look at his face. It was flushed red, prompting Lohen to give him a kiss on the nose.
“I’ll whisper to the winds whenever I miss you, praying that Lord Barbatos would deliver my words to you.”
Those words draw a downcast face of Illuga.
“Of course, I also plan to write letters.”
“Why is it always push and pull with him? He is so…annoying,” Illuga thought.
“Is that all? Well then, take care on your way back to Mondstadt,” Illuga said flatly as he attempted to leave again.
“Aww, is that all I’ll get from you? I just confessed my feelings, you know?”
With a big sigh, Illuga turned on his heel, walking back towards Lohen. He grabbed the knight by his collar and pulled him into a kiss. This time, it was rougher, even more teeth clashing. Lohen placed a hand on the back of his head, pushing him closer, deepening the kiss. Then Illuga felt a sudden pain, so he pushed back Lohen on instinct, smacking the other’s head.
Lohen had bitten Illuga’s lower lip, blood trickling from the small wound.
“What is wrong with you!?”
Lohen laughed in response, licking his lips to taste some of the blood.
“You know you can hit me harder than that,” Lohen remarked. “Punch me square in the face even.”
“You are so-!” Illuga turned away from Lohen, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing his angry face.
“By the way, the Knights of Favonius will still have knights stationed in Nod-Krai. We’ll be sent in rotation, so there will still be times that I will be here. I won’t be gone completely.”
The reason neither of them felt like putting a label to what they had was because both were bound to their respective duties and held it with the most importance. But would it be a betrayal to their duties if they allowed themselves this reprieve of affection, comfort, and peace.
Maybe not. Surely not.
Lohen took Illuga’s hand, intertwining their fingers. He stepped in closer, just a breath apart from the other who still has his back turned.
“You should have said that from the beginning.”
Lohen could hear the pout in Illuga’s voice. He kissed his neck, as close as he could to the scar running down it.
“If I told you that I had fallen for you, too. What would you do, Sir Knight?”
Hearing those words, a satisfied smile adorned Lohen’s lips.