cashewlater | ic inbox @ hotel caelum;

[ let none doubt the efficacy of tighnari's gentle bedside manner.. cyno calms almost immediately the moment tighnari speaks, and though his heart is still pounding, a sense of ease begins to close in around him like a warm blanket.

it was just a nightmare. he's safe. tighnari is safe. everyone is safe.

the mattress creaks gently when tighnari sits, cyno's eyes following him, and at first he does not speak for a little while - instead he does as asked, focusing on his breathing, in and out, in and out.. until his pulse slowly begins to calm, the tingle of adrenaline wearing away. cyno turns, pressing his face into tighnari's side and closing his eyes. right now he can't deny himself the closeness, isn't strong enough to resist. ]

.. yeah.

[ he says softly, one hand tangled in tighnari's shirt, holding fast. ]

I didn't mean to wake you.

I'm used to waking up at odd hours, so don't worry about it.

[ whether it be sudden forest watcher duties that need his attention or even the distant call of a chatty dusk bird, tighnari is no stranger to waking at the smallest of noises. so he is quick to reassure his friend. even if his own movements feel a bit sluggish with sleep, he is very much awake right now.

though his gaze softens as he watches cyno press closer, taking only a moment to think about it before he carefully slides onto the bed. enough so he's resting right beside him. with the thought of how tightly that hand was on his shirt, he wraps arms around cyno to pull him close. allowing him the opportunity to bury into the fox as much as he wishes.

one hand threads fingers through white hair, massaging at his scalp while his tail curls over cyno with a gentle flop. ]

You can cuddle with my tail if you'd like. That usually helps Collei.

[ something that usually helped ground her, so he's happy to offer to cyno as well. he lets a moment of silence to fill before he quietly speaks again. ]

...We don't need to talk about it. [ what he saw. what nightmares plague him. ] I can stay here for the rest of the night, if you'd like? Or just until you're ready to sleep again.

[ though he's sure that cyno may not be willing to sleep right away. ]

[ tighnari slides down under the blankets, and cyno's reaction is instant - he pushes in near, pressing his face into tighnari's shoulder, one arm coiling around that thick, fluffy tail. one might think that he'd be ashamed to need the comfort of it, but he isn't. what's good enough for collei is good enough for him.

though is pains him to know that she suffers in this way as well. he's not surprised. he and collei.. have a lot in common, but cyno would do anything to protect her even from her own dreams. she's been through far more than anyone her age should ever have been exposed to, and given how cyno was raised, he can understand her in ways that few couldn't.

thank the gods for tighnari. they're both incredibly fortunate to have him. ]

Stay.

[ he says softly, his arm around tighnari's tail tightening. ]

I want you to stay.

I'll stay then.

[ a soft confirmation, a silent I've got you. happy that he can provide the man even a bit of comfort. glad that cyno is willing to take and accept it.

parts of that tail coil a bit around that arm wrapped around, leaving his own arm around cyno a bit loose as his other hand continues to thread white strands of hair. focusing on listening to that steady breathing, the tone of his voice, easing the man's heartbeat into a steady rhythm.

it's featherlight, when he buries his nose a little into white hair, humming quietly. there isn't a tune or song in mind as he hums, mostly doing it so there is more reassurances that he's here with him. whatever haunts or plagues him in nightmares is neither here or there right now. ]

[ he's so grateful for tighnari, moreso than he could ever rightly express, truly. how had he gotten so lucky? cyno doesn't exactly have a lot of friends - or at least, he didn't for a long time - but he's had tighnari, and that was enough. tighnari, who he trusts with his life, who is always beside him, so incredibly strong. tighnari, one of the few people he trusts enough to be allowed to see him this way.

cyno hums softly, and buries his face in the warm, soft fur of tighnari's tail.

they say nothing, they don't need to say anything, don't need to fill the silence. tighnari's gentle humming soothes him, as does the hand in his hair, and slowly but surely cyno begins to relax, the tight tension he's carrying beginning to ease away until his heart rate has returned to normal, the rush of adrenaline fading. ]

Thank you. [ he says, once he can trust his voice not to tremble. his eyes flick open, half-lidded. ] They started once the Akasha was shut down.

[ tighnari doesn't try to break the silence that fills, content enough with tending to him. this side of cyno - not just anyone would be able to see, so he knows it shows the trust that cyno has for him to allow this vulnerability to be taken care of. his expression softens as the man sinks into the silky soft fur of his tail.

there's relief when he can physically feel the man relax in his arms. that earlier tight-winded tension slowly loosens until his companion is completely at ease in his arms. that's good. his eyes fall to a close, ears twitching a little when cyno's voice reaches him. ]

Are they always this bad? [ how haunted the man seemed once he was awake - it pains him a little to remember. there's a ticklish feel as he nestles his nose into white hair. ]

Yes.

[ sometimes worse. he hardly wants to worry tighnari any more than he already has, but cyno has awakened more than once to his manifested claws buried in the mattress, or clawing at the headboard. it's a bit of a problem, but he sees no way out but to simply endure it. it is what it is.

were they in sumeru, perhaps he could speak with nahida about calming his dreams, but.. a part of cyno can't help but feel that he deserves them. that this is his penance, for the blood that he is spilled. even his own heart will one day be weighed upon the scales, after all, he can't escape his past actions, despite the fact that he does not regret them. but he'll allow tighnari's comfort nonetheless, murmuring softly when his hair is nuzzled into. ]

It's fine. I'm used to it by now. It isn't every night.

Mmm.

[ of course tighnari knows better than to assume it's only to this extent. he's sure these nightmares could be worse... either way, it does not sit well with him. he can hardly do much but alleviate them as he can now. provide some comfort, ease him back into reality rather than the grip these nightmares have over him.

even so, he gingerly shakes his head, arms pulling him a bit closer. there's an audible light huff as he does and his tail subconsciously twitches as if to lash, were it not occupied in cyno's arms. ]

Even if you're used to it, it doesn't have me any less concerned. [ it still worries him. ] You especially shouldn't have to deal with it alone.

[ of course, tighnari can't always be there but... at least here, at least right now he can. he rests his chin over the top of his head, his ears folding back. ]

[ tighnari likely can't grasp just how much his presence helps, how much it soothes him. usually it takes cyno at least an hour to calm himself enough to sleep again after a bad nightmare, but now.. it's been some fifteen minutes and he's already comfortable again.

the memory still sticks, and cyno is sure that when he closes his eyes he can still taste the blood and mud flooding his mouth, but.. he feels safe. secure. warm. he can allow himself to be vulnerable with tighnari in ways he could never allow with anyone else. pressed close like this, surrounded by tighnari's scent, he is unwinding. ]

Well, maybe not, but.. it is what it is.

[ because yes, tighnari can't be expected to babysit him every night. ]

It's nothing I can't handle, Tighnari. Really.

[ lips dip into a small frown, the ends of his tail flicking before it settles again. his arms squeezing just a fraction until they hang around his companion with a held back sigh. ]

I know. You've clearly handled it up until now.

[ which still doesn't satisfy tighnari, though his tone remains understanding. soft with his awareness. because as the man says- it is what it is. even so, he gently knocks his forehead against cyno's head in a light bump. ]

You can always come to me though. Here. I don't mind.

[ It's Cyno, after all. tighnari would want nothing more than to ease even a little bit. after everything cyno has done for him, of course he would want to. ]

[ the squeeze of those arms makes his heart burgeon with incredible fondness, and cyno inhales deeply, then releases it in a slow, soft sigh. truly, tighnari has a gift, a gift for making people feel comfortable and taken care of, a gift for seeing to others. a dangerous gift, sometimes, for people who are always caring for others sometimes forget that they need care themselves, but.. well, thankfully cyno is usually able to nip that in the bud, as it were. ]

Okay. I'll remember that.

[ their brows touch, and cyno's sunset eyes meet tighnari's deep forest ones. for all that painful nightmares brought them here, this moment is.. gentle. intimate. cyno lifts a hand to smooth the rough pad of his thumb over tighnari's cheek. ]

I don't know what I'd do without you. Really.

[ ...ah. the moment their brows meet, and those warm scarlet red meet his gaze - he finds his heart skip. a fondness swells in his chest, one that softens at the feel of that thumb over his cheek. his ears fold down and lashes flutter to a close when he leans into the touch.

it really is intimate. a moment he would not share with anyone but - cyno has always been special. he's always been the one different factor in his life. he emits a soft hum as if to consider his words. ]

You'd be without the very helpful and constant lecturing of a Forest Watcher.

[ an airy tease, trying to make light of the situation. ]

[ the words well up, locked behind his teeth. how easy it would be to close the distance between them right now, as he has wanted to for so very long, and briefly, cyno's gaze darts down to tighnari's soft, smiling lips, then back up again. ]

Well, that's true. But someone needs to keep me in line, hmm?

[ there's no doubting the fact that cyno has been much better off, with tighnari in his life, looking out for him, making sure he eats and drinks and sleeps properly. well. as properly as he can manage, anyway.

cyno hums, his eyes closing. ]

Stay with me tonight.

[ he isn't ready to let go. ]

[ tighnari's own two-toned eyes remain closed, though he is very much aware how close they are. that the slightest tilt of his head and their noses are likely to touch, and a bit more... no, thoughts like that could not really be played with. lashes do flutter open at that comment, chuckling. ]

Someone definitely needs to. Which I suppose falls onto me.

[ but he does not seem bothered by that. rather, tighnari is always willing to take it upon himself. to ensure the man doesn't do anything foolish- that he takes good care of himself. who else would if not him?

he lowers his head to bury a little into the man's shoulder, cradling him closer. ]

Isn't that what I'm here for? [ his tail curls around further, more reassurances. he isn't going anywhere. ]

[ cyno can't help but marvel at how good it feels - how right it feels - to have tighnari so close like this, and a deep, buried part of himself wonders what it might be like to just.. let it all go. to resign his position, confess to tighnari, and live for himself for awhile. what a lovely fantasy.. he's entertained it many, many times.

when tighnari nuzzles into his shoulder, cyno closes his eyes and allows himself to sink deeply into the mattress. one arm is still around tighnari's tail, keeping it close, but the other soon slips around his middle, scooping him close. ]

Mhm. Good.

[ cyno can allow himself to indulge.. just a little bit. allow himself the pleasure of tighnari's closeness. his even breathing begins to slow. ]

'Night.

[ it would be so easy to just say such simple words. but it is a thought that does not cross his own mind, he knows better than to put that onto the general mahamatra. instead, he just relaxes and falls into the comfort and coax of the moment.

lulled back to a drowsy state as he softly intakes the scent of cyno, feels that arm wrap around his middle that causes his ears to quiver a little against the pillow before he settles. a soft hum answers in reply. ]

Goodnight Cyno.

[ it isn't much longer until he falls back to sleep, listening to the gentle rhythm of cyno's breathing. ]

[ this time, cyno sleeps soundly, peacefully, entirely at ease and entirely comfortable. tighnari's presence is a balm that eases his soul and his mind both, and no more nightmares plague him now, not with tighnari here. sunlight soon streams through the gauzy curtains of his bedroom, kissing his eyelids, and cyno stirs.

they've become entangled in the night, a twist of arms and legs together. both of cyno's arms are around tighnari now, and his face is half buried against the fox's shoulder. tighnari feels incredibly warm, soft and pliant against him, and in his sleepy haze cyno burrows in closer, dragging his nose and mouth along the curve of his companion's throat, to the delicate space at the edge of his jaw.

he hums. content. a rumble in his chest. ]

Nari.. [ he murmurs, bleary and heavy in his limbs. ]

[ the rest of the night remains quiet, which allows tighnari to fall into a deep sleep. any filtering light is dealt with by simply burrowing a bit more under the blankets. normally he is quite easily an early riser, sometimes even before the sun can be seen through the heavy leaves of trees. but it's different here.

the warmth that envelops him allows him to stay asleep, far too comfortable that the sheer idea of getting up and out of bed is neither here or there. even the trailing touch along his throat and jaw doesn't wake him, though he does stir just a little with a slight tilt of his head.

his ears are completely drooping in his lax sleeping state, his tail that has escaped the previous hold of cyno's arm earlier in the night is now curled firmly around the other man. the only indication that the fox even hears his own name is a half-hearted flick of that tail before it stills again.

he presses further into the hold of those arms around him with a soft sleepy hum from his throat, but there are no signs of him waking. instead he burrows a bit more into that comfort, ears pressing further into dark hair.] Mmm..?

[ cyno, too, is an early riser, it's one of the many things they have in common, but like tighnari, he's feeling safe and secure enough to allow himself to bask in that comfortable morning sleepiness, especially right now. a rough chuckle rolls from deep in his chest, and cyno breathes a sigh, closing his eyes again. ]

It's morning.

[ he murmurs, though he does not move even an inch, except to curl in closer. they're wrapped in one another so fully that it's difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins, and that's just how cyno likes it. he wants to dissolve into tighnari, to sink into his bones and rest there.

he pulls the blankets a little higher around them. it's morning, yes, but clearly neither of them are interested in getting up. ]

Already? ...Should get up..

[ his voice slurs with sleep, however the fox makes no notion or any indication he's actually waking up. not when cyno curls in closer, which ends up having a purr-like rumble from tighnari's chest that cannot be mistakened for anything else.

he does not seem to mind how tangled they are with one another either. though his tail does loosen a little, it's only to sway up and down with clear contentment. even with the blanket pulling further over them, his body is slowly waking even if he would like to stay in this warm cocoon for much longer.

eventually his lips part with a yawn, one ear perking up with some more alertness - despite the other one still flopped down. ]

Sleep well?

[ yes, they should probably get up.. yet neither of them seems particularly keen.

moments like this, after all, are usually a rarity. since discovering the hotel, he and tighnari have had a lot of opportunity to spend time together, far more time than they would under normal circumstances, so cyno is well aware of just how precious this is. ]

Yeah. I did.

[ and he means it. no more nightmares. only comfortable, restful sleep. when that tail begins to twitch and sway, cyno shifts a little, the fur tickling his skin. ]

You?

[ moments like these definitely don't come often, enough so tighnari feels as if it's only because they're here that they're able to. which is likely why his drowsy state continues to indulge a bit more. especially when cyno makes no attempt to pull away in turn. ]

Hmmm.. did I?

[ there's an airy softness to his voice, that earlier purr quietening down. when his eyes open, they remain half-lidded, two-toned eyes gleaming a little under the faint glow of the sunlight peeking in. his lips quirk up, a sleepy smile settling there while his tail curls up with the ends brushing just beneath the other's chin. ]

It's almost tempting to sleep in.

Heh. I know..

[ cyno chuckles, and the sound is warm and rough like desert sand, his voice still gravelly with sleep, but gentle and warmed by his contentedness. it's funny, really, how different a person the general mahamatra is when he's around those he loves, how easily tighnari brings out his softness and gentle heart. most of sumeru might be shocked by the reality of cyno's disposition.

as for sleeping in.. it's certainly a testament to their comfort and happiness right now that they would even consider it. they're both very active men, who rise early and work hard, sleeping in wasn't something either of them were prone to, and yet right now they could barely bring themselves to move at all. when that tail tickles his chin, cyno smiles again and frees a hand to rub it deep into that thick fur. ]

How's your ankle feeling?

[ as soon as that hand sinks into that tail does it rest again over the man. the ends of it twitching as fingers rub deep into fur, sending a slight shiver up tighnari's spine. a feeling he chases away as he tries to untangle his legs from cyno's own with a light stretch.]

Hmm... much better after some rest. Should be fine to walk around.

[ he eases onto his own stomach with a deeper stretch, his tail curling with ears flicking back and a soft groan. it really is difficult to get out from this comfort, but he knows he shouldn't get too used to it. then he'll really not want to escape this warmth. ]

Still need a few minutes?

Need? No.

[ want? yes. he wants to lie in bed with tighnari all day, holding him and touching his tail, but that would be greedy, and selfish, and cyno is neither of those. still, the desire to petulantly cling to these moments is there nonetheless.

but he relents. when tighnari slips his legs free, cyno pulls back as well and sits up, the sheets and blankets pooling at his waist as he arches his back in a satisfying stretch that makes his spine pop. he rubs his face with both hands, biting his knuckles against a yawn, and.. boy is his morning hair impressive. ]

I'll get started on breakfast.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject