lohen's seme @moelohen - Tumblr Blog

╰ I DO ／ LOHEN ⟢

SYNOPSIS: the events that transpire a few days after you finally met your fiancé.

𖥔 WORDCOUNT: 5.9k (well shit the wc doubled...) ┆ 𖥔 TAGS. @amorsial @axolotsofluv @tragedy-of-commons @al97649 @shoyosluver @aritsukemo @katethecrazy @rainbows-dreams @hirokasama @uzxotic @anqelkoz @nishayuro @leafyonz @suyeomiiee @ddurandals @007-archives @officialkatzline @pjselee @remi-093 @baizhuskitten @keijimaki @hwiseguy @karasunowos @furina-archon @pandasandcreampuffs @lhvliei @withluvfremi @marie-is-in-the-dark @sofatodoroki @xeraaxx @istickforksinelectricaloutlets @tulip67 @milk-violet (IM SO SORRY IF I MISSED ANYONE TT) -> come join the taglist here!

𖥔 WARNINGS: lohen gets slapped, twice. him being an idiot, flustered, awkward, and the like. idky they're really cheesy and just fluff. mentions of diluc. creative liberties with his background (only a smidge though (i still havent met him in game (i deleted the game))). reader still has/implied mommy issues; not fully proofread; expect mistakes!

♪ FINAL NOTES .ᐟ hi gang hahaha... i lived! so sorry for the lack of updates on this acc i fear i may have. um... been maxxing with the evil residents. REGARDLESS ITS HERE YAY!!! it kinda derailed from my initial outline but wtv, it's still lohen. art credits: @.su3ka_ on x!

you come to realize fairly quickly that master diluc, the most sought-after bachelor in all of mondstadt, is a great host. it shoudln't come as a surprise — you've met him enough times in galas and celebrations to know that his manners are impeccable. the kind of fortress you can't take down even if you had an archon's blessings at your fingertips. he's also, without a doubt, exceptionally kind. kind enough to assist you out onto the roof after another heated argument with your mother.

in that quick bumping of shoulders in the dim-lit hallways, there's a part of you that regrets not being more mindful of his letter all those months ago. warm, ruby eyes that remind you of the flames the villages in snezhnaya would light to guide their traveling companions home. diluc ragnvindr, when he takes your gloved hand in his, leading you outside to soak in the evening breeze and away from your mother's screaming.

you let go of his hand once you're out of earshot. partly in fear of never letting it go, another feels like you're betraying your fiancé by taking the hand of another man.

"thank you, master diluc," you expressed with a forlorn, tired smile. arms hugging yourself for comfort as the shouting slowly grew quieter.

diluc only nods in understanding, slowly making his way to stand beside you, being mindful of his distance from you. "i used to come here often, too. when i was younger," he confessed, eyes straining to watch the distant clouds shape themselves into a childhood memory — distant, intimate, but no less important.

you don't meet his eyes, not even sparing him another glance as you stare at the hand he held. he was a warm presence, the complete contrast to the brief contact you had with lohen at his tavern earlier today.

"i'm sorry for causing such an uproar so late in your own home, no less."

"there's no need to apologize," he reassures. you think he turns to face you, and in your mind, you can imagine an understanding smile creeping up his face. "arguments are normal."

not ours. you thought. they were normal in the sense that they happened too often. you'd even go as far as comparing it to breathing — natural, easy, a necessity.

"did it ever get better?" you ended up asking before you could stop. arms hugging yourself tighter and tighter when the wind caressed your figure. it was warm, surprisingly enough. it reminded you of home, wherever that is.

diluc hums. "it does with time. you just have to be… patient."

"speaking from experience?"

at that, he chuckles. his shoulders bounce with the quiet sound as he pushes himself up to his full height and returns inside. "yes, unfortunately."

you don't press further, only offering him one quiet "thank you" under your breath. you stay on the porch for a long while until your father comes to get you. you don't pay attention to how he begins to explain why your mother lashed out, nor do you care enough to play pretend when her tears greet you as you enter the living space.

you nod, accept, and bid them good night.

lohen's first impression of you that night in the tavern can be summed up with one word: miserable. you looked utterly, and wholeheartedly, miserable.

it was hard not to notice when he grew up with people who smiled all the time and laughed as if tomorrow wasn't guaranteed. you stood out like a sore thumb, even in the quietest corner of angel's share, with your hand absentmindedly swirling the drink in your cup, letting others pass you by as if you were some spectre meant to haunt the establishment.

maybe that's how he finds himself in this… precarious situation—

"vice-captain…?!"

— with him, right outside of your bedroom window, balancing his weight on a nimble branch on a tree.

"what are you doing? that's dangerous!"

lohen sighs heavily with a shake of his head. he should've expected this. why hadn't he? after all, you were the new pretty face in town who had no idea what his character entailed. but a part of him, that overbearingly, big part of him that loved the thrill, enjoyed your frazzled expression. how you hurriedly opened the window, hair still an unbrushed mess, leaning against the windowsill with your hand outstretched for him to take.

"what are you waiting for?! take my hand and get inside before you hurt yourself!"

he taps a finger on his chin, pretending to think about your suggestion deeply. a grin threatened to break out of his face as he swayed on the branch, purposefully stepping on one that couldn't hold his weight, and watched as you sucked in a terrified breath. "hmm… what about, no!"

"'no?!'" you startingly asked, "are you asking for a death wish? that drop is going to hurt you!"

he places a hand over his heart, a slight jut to his lips as he dramatically plays the act of a wounded man. "ouch, do you think of me so weak—"

"i think of you as stupid! now come on," you cut him off, bunching up the fabric of your sleepwear and leaning further out of the window. "get inside!"

"your grace, hold on—"

"for the love of…! just come here!"

"you're going to fall—!"

lohen can't even begin to imagine the expression on his face when your palm slipped from the windowsill. his body is moving faster than it ever has, adrenaline pumping into his veins as he leaps off the branch to wrap a secure arm over your shoulders, letting gravity pull him down as he uses his own body to shield yours from the impact.

"oh barbatos…" he curses under his breath, feeling the wind in his lungs get knocked out of him.

"shit…! are you okay?! come on, let me see if you hit your head."

"relax a little, your grace. i can take a little fall—"

"that was not 'little' by any means!"

when lohen comes back to his senses, he thinks he is doomed.

your hand is cradling his jaw again, your brows furrowed, and your lips set in a deep frown. his fingers flex, his throat goes dry, and his entire being freezes over like a lake during a horrid snowstorm.

you weren't wearing—

"what in the tsaritsa's name are you two doing?!"

lohen quickly sits up, taking you along with him. hands securely on your forearm while the other is wrapped around your waist. when he looks at you — really looks at you — there's a flush on your cheeks, and your mouth is agape. and when lohen slowly turns around, your mother is there, anger flaring in her eyes as your father and diluc rush out because of the noise.

he flashes her a strained smile, "duchess… good morning!"

"lohen…" diluc pinches the bridge of his nose as he helps him up and gives him a pointed look. he only chuckles nervously, or as nervously as his system would allow him, before it's overridden entirely with a new emotion blooming in his chest. "are you alright, your grace?"

"i'm fine, thank you."

lohen quietly hums to himself as you're ushered inside, leaving him alone with your seething mother and unreadable father. you take one last glance at him over your shoulder, and he sees it again — that same miserable look in your eyes.

your father clears his throat, pulling his attention from you to him. "vice-captain lohen, i expect to receive a reasonable explanation."

he sighs again. he's in deep shit now.

dawn winery is as lohen expected: bathed in a deep crimson curtain, carrying the afterscent of crushed grapes, and a tense, almost foreboding atmosphere as he's taken up to diluc's office on the second floor.

your parents followed behind the young master wordlessly—the duke kept his hand on the small back of the duchess as she spewed out every known insult in her mother tongue. lohen sighed, a deep, irritated sound as he caught your eyes when he went up the stairs. the worry is almost misplaced, with your hands interwined with one another and clutched at your chest. it's not like lohen was going to war and will never make it out alive—it's just another small scolding for his behaviour, something he's gotten used to since he joined the knights.

still.

lohen still flashed you a smile, praying it didn't come out depricating. he thought it might have worked when you finally eased your shoulders, reciprocating his own smile, though yours never quite reached the edge of your eyes.

he wondered in that moment what it would be like—if you smiled freely without another worry.

"vice-captain," diluc called out, one hand held the door open as your parents entered first. the business tycoon only raised a brow when lohen sighed, his fingers brushed off any remaining dust on his uniform, and fixing his hair.

he may not be the picture-perfect knight you had imagined to marry, but he could at least try to play the part in front of your parents.

when lohen entered, he crossed his hands behind his back, straightening his posture and met the duchess's eyes with unyielding force. the older woman hid half of her face behind a golden fan, her eyes narrowed into a deep glare, and lohen caught the slightest of frowns on her face. it took everything in his willpower not to poke fun at her; she was still your mother after all. it didn't mean he held her in high regard—not after he overheard the way she spoke to you as if you were a child in the streets of mondstadt.

lohen may be a lot of things, but he did not meddle in others' affairs, and he never will.

"young master diluc, are you sure you won't change your mind? clearly, this vice-captain is ill-suited for my child!"

it didn't mean he can't feel angry on your behalf, too.

"your grace—" diluc tried to argue. keyword: try. he couldn't even get a full sentence out as the duchess erupted into a flurry of reasons on why lohen shouldn't marry you.

"did you not see what happened earlier today?! who in their right mind would try to break into my child's room through the window! it's entirely improper, and downright incivil! my child has never wanted to marry the vice-captain in the first—"

"forgive my imprudence, your grace," lohen chimed in, a hand raised and that chilling smile on his face. his red eyes left the duchess to instead hold the duke's. clearly, he was more reasonable than his fury-striken wife. "but how can you be sure that the young heir doesn't want to marry me? have you asked?"

"lohen, your words," diluc warned, stepping in closer behind him.

"ask?!" the duchess exclaimed, her fan snapping shut as she pointed it accusingly at him.

lohen only smiled, his hand dropping to his side as he tilted his head. "yes, ask! you know, one of the crucial steps in understanding what the young heir wants? don't tell me you haven't asked a single thing?"

he knew he was entering treacherous lands. lohen could practically feel the hiss that diluc let out as his voice chirped into a higher tone—lacking the discipline of a knight and taking the form of a madman pointing mockery like a blade.

"with all due respect, duchess, i don't take you for the type to know your child at all!"

"lohen, enough—"

diluc's interventions go in one ear and out the other as he continued. the air turned icy as his hand tried to reach for the dagger hidden in his cape. the glare on the duchess's face remained directed at his smile. mocking, strained, and above all, knowing.

"your child doesn't trust you, do they, duchess?"

an echoing snap reverberated into the air as lohen's head flew to the side. the stinging followed, and then another harsh hit was directed at the opposite cheek. it wasn't the duchess's hand, but rather, her fan.

"duchess!" the man in red rushed in, his hand seizing the older woman's in his to stop another hit from landing on lohen's face.

"you vulgar, utterly uncivilized, monster—!"

"enough of this!"

if not for the duke's shouts, lohen was sure his wife wouldn't stop until his skull cracked open. cool, sticky blood dripped from the cut on his right cheek. he hissed when he dragged a finger on the open wound, but he kept his expression unreadable. a distinct contrast to the woman who stood before him, red in the face, and her hair coming undone from her outburst.

the duke looked to lohen, something akin to pity and a quiet apology swimming in his eyes. "vice-captain, i appreciate you wanting what's best for my child—"

"i somehow doubt that," lohen whispered under his breath. he received a warning glare from diluc, who now stood behind him, as if he was daring the older couple to make another rash decision.

"but they are my heir. our family name holds great expectations, and we want their future partner to help ease that load."

lohen held his tongue. he's quite sure he'd receive another unforgiving hit to the face if he made another comment about his wife.

"with your reputation and your hunger for battle, we can't help but worry that my child will be put in danger—"

"your grace, i can assure you," lohen cuts off, feeling the iron grip of diluc's hand holding the one behind his back that prevented him from unsheathing his dagger. "i have no plans of putting anyone in danger."

the glare in lohen's eyes remained, jutting his chin up at the duke as his smile dropped. "i care not for what you've heard about me. you can call me a monster, a barbarian, or anything along those lines. but do not even assume that i will put an innocent life in danger. i am a knight, and for you to insinuate that i can't even keep my fiancé safe, well, it's rather offensive."

he broke free from diluc's grasp and turned his back on the couple, uncaring for the duchess's shouts for him to stop. he swung the door open and let it shut with a loud bang. the stray maids and workers in the hallway flinched at the noise, but lohen paid them no mind. not when you're waiting by the end of the corridor, that look in your eyes again when they fall to the cut on his cheek.

"your grace!" he chortled, hands immediately crossing behind him as he sauntered to stand in front of you. his finger twitched, tempted to ease that furrow of your brows and tease you about getting wrinkles. "we we're just wrapping things up. now, why don't you go change. i have a tour to—"

"who hit you?"

lohen paused. his mouth hung open for a few seconds, no sound leaving his lips as he tried to come up with an answer you'll be satisfied with. he knew, though—he knew that you already knew the answer and you're already taking the blame.

"vice-captain, i asked you a question." your tone changed. no longer as quiet, but it comes out as a whisper—as if you were asking him to confess a crime he had committed.

he only sighed, a hand coming to press on the wound. a poor attempt at hiding it when your own came to hold his wrist in place. your frown deepened, stepping closer to his face to inspect it.

"it's nothing i can't handle, your grace," he assured. "this is practically a papercut in comparison to what i've—"

"that's not my question. i'm asking you who dared to lay a hand on you."

"… oh!"

lohen internally grimaced. of all the things he could have said, he chose the lamest one. he tried to break away from your gaze, finding more interest in the swaying chandelier in the main entrance, but you stepped right into his line of view.

"lohen."

this was the first time you called him by his name, he thought.

"who did this to you?"

another sigh, and lohen yielded. his shoulders relaxed, practically slumping into your arms. he doesn't answer, not the one you wanted to hear anyway. but you only dragged him further into the manor, taking a sharp left and unlocking a door. you ushered him inside, and lohen can only limply follow.

he took in the interior of your temporary room—still dominated by the color of red, a bit of gold, and a few pieces of parchment on your bedside drawer. he stood in the middle of it all, unsure if sitting on the foot of your bed would be too casual, rude, but you beat him to it by dragging the chair of your vanity.

"sit," you ordered, lohen followed without another word.

you worked quietly to patch his wound. he noted that your vision lay ignored in a wooden box to your right as you dabbed a cloth to his cheek, while your hand held the other to keep in place. you'd apologize quietly when lohen winced, and he'd only assure you with a playful grin that he could handle the pain.

"say," he started, eyes landing on the dendro vision on your bed. "why not use your vision like you did last time?"

"i can't," was your only reply.

lohen tilted his head in curiosity, to which you reprimanded him for. he only chuckled out an apology as the question lay heavily on the tip of his tongue. he noticed, of course, your faces were mere inches apart. if he leaned just a little closer, he was sure your lips would ghost over his. he wondered what it would feel like? lohen wasn't one for romance—barbatos forbid if he picked up those cheesy romance novels from inazuma his team would indulge themselves in.

but still, he can't help but be engrossed in the idea of it. you're his fiancé, he'd have to kiss you at the wedding. the idea douses him in a fluster, making him cough as you worriedly ask if he's alright. he waved you off, another chuckle leaving his lips as he lets you tend to his wound with utmost care.

the thought came back, a little quieter this time. your hands were gentle—softly wiping away the blood and placing a bandage over the wound. you eventually tilted his head to the side, and a frown settled on your face as you saw how red it truly is. it was unlike anything he's ever felt before. there was no sharpening of arrowheads or harsh training regimes. it was quiet, not like a night spent hiding behind the curtains of a ransacked carriage, but the kind when a storm had finally settled, and you can finally open the window and greet the sun.

"is it because of her? your mother?" lohen sneered, his eyes held yours in a locked stance. "is that why you can't use your vision?"

you only shook your head, "it's not important—"

"but it is," he insisted, a gloved hand held you in place before you could even take a step back. "it is important—to me. i am your fiancé, and it's my job to know what's bothering you."

you stared at him, your mouth opening and closing as you mull over his words. mincing every little shift of his expression, but lohen remained steady in his proclamation. you quietly sat on the edge of your bed, his red eyes not once leaving your figure as you reached for the vision, placing it on your lap.

a sigh escaped you. lohen felt your palm lay flat on his unwounded cheek as the smell of dewdrops and soil invaded his senses. he realized then, as your fingertips glowed with a light green, that you were using it to heal the sharp pain on his face.

"do you think flowers can grow under the ice?"

"pardon?"

you flashed him a sad smile, retracting your hand as you returned the vision in its wooden box, snapping the lid shut and shoving it under your pillows.

"there's this story, one from my childhood that my mother would often tell me," you recounted, and lohen leaned forward, his arms braced on his thighs as he watched you. "the story tells the adventure of a gardener and his dying wife. there's no cure for her ailment, and her only wish is to see the flowers in their garden finally bloom. but they lived atop a snowy mountain where the sun is constantly behind the clouds—no flower could survive its harsh climate."

you took a deep breath. "the gardener, determined to find a way to grant his wife's wish, ventured into the unknown in search of a flower that could withstand the snow. he eventually finds it, but comes home too late. his wife had already passed, and struck with grief, the man burned the flower he found. when it was time to bury her, he realized grimly that there were flowers in their garden—hidden beneath mountains of snow."

"then flowers can grow under the ice," lohen noted.

you only shook your head, "it's not about the flowers, vice-captain."

"then what is it about?"

"the moral of the story is that, when under harsh circumstances, love pushes you to ignore the things that matter."

he frowned. "so, the garden never mattered?"

"it didn't, not as much as his wife did," you correct forlornly. "love cannot take root under such harsh conditions, but it's still love nonetheless."

his tongue prodded against his cheek, eyes landing on the floor as his foot started tapping. his mind mulled over the fairytale until it all clicked. when he looked up, you're already looking at him, patiently waiting for him to catch up to what the real reason you've been forbidden to use your vision.

lohen only scoffed. "don't tell me you're calling that love."

you're wrong, the thought. if love cannot take root, then it can't be love.

it shouldn't have to struggle in harsh conditions to begin with.

the vice-captain only sighed, a hand coming to ruffle his hair as he stood. "okay, enough mopping. go change, i'll wait for you outside," he announced, already making his way to the door.

"hold on!" you tried to catch up to him but he's already out of the room. faintly, you heard him call out to you.

"oh, and bring your vision!"

the vice-captain told you he'd be taking you on a tour around mondstadt, and he did. well, only in one area in particular.

"vice-captain—"

"lohen."

you stared at the back of his head, burning holes as he held your hand and practically dragged you across the fields of dorman port. he hasn't once turned to look back at you unless it's to catch you when you stumble on uneven ground, or when you tug at his hand to stop and greet the villagers.

"lohen," you tried again, and this time, he hummed. "where exactly are you taking me?"

"it's a secret," he quipped, and you let out an exasperated breath.

"are we even allowed to be here?"

he chuckled at your words, "relax, your grace. i am the vice-captain for a reason. if we get in trouble, i'll handle it."

"i'd prefer if we didn't get into any trouble at all."

"well, a little trouble won't hurt anyone."

you raised an amused brow at him when he finally turned around, catching your gaze with equal mirth in his eyes. "it can land a fan on the cheek, apparently."

lohen blinked at you, stopping dead in his tracks, and you fear you may have overstepped. but much to your shock, lohen leaned closer to your face, his head tilted to the side in glee.

"so you can take a joke. good to know!"

you let out an offended sound as he lohen returned to dragging you to archon knows where. "and what is that supposed to mean?!"

"nothing!" he shrugged off.

"it clearly does."

"and i'm telling you, your grace, it means absolutely nothing."

another exasperated sigh escaped you before finally giving up on questioning the man. he had no intentions of answering you directly or telling you where you're going. with a shake of your head, you turned your gaze away from him and to the setting sun in the horizon. there are beds of wild grass and flowers as you walk further and further away from the main city.

"i used to practice archery around here," lohen suddenly spoke. he stopped and you bumped into his back. with a quick apology, he gently guided you to look at where his eyes had landed. "i would watch my dad set up the targets, and he'd spend the entire day shooting them down only to set them back up. pretty boring routine, if you ask me."

you remained quiet behind him, not making any effort to follow him as he crossed the small river in front of you. but still, he continued his story.

"he never let me practice, that's why i never fought back that night," lohen turned back to you, his hand outstretched, waiting for you to take. you had a faint idea of what he was referring to. rumours travel fast, especially if it's about a grim tragedy that involved your fiancé's involvement in a kidnapping case years ago. "after that, i'd sneak out to train. fight a few hillichurls here and there. and then slip back into my room so my mom wouldn't realize."

he noticed your hesitation, so lohen stood in the river, letting his boots be soaked in cold water, his hand still outstretched. "you asked me if flowers could bloom under ice this morning. it reminded me of how my mom would always plant flowers in our backyard when i was a kid. my old man would call them a waste of time, and she got so mad, she hid his bow and all the arrows, forcing him to work on the garden with her."

a chuckle escaped him; his eyes stared distantly at his own reflection on the water. he only raised his head when another pair of shoes stood right across from his, and his reflection rippled to replace it with yours.

"can i ask you a question, your grace?" he asked, barely above a whisper.

you only nodded, and you felt his hand tighten around yours as he took a deep breath.

"can a flower bloom if it's unloved?"

you stared at him in shock, brows furrowed as you questioned, "what do you mean?"

"don't pretend, your grace," lohen bellowed. "i'm starting to wonder if you're even allowed to do anything under your mother's scrutinizing gaze. does she even love you?"

a flash of hurt swam in your eyes as you abruptly pried your hand out of his grasp. but lohen was faster, seizing your wrist before you can turn away from him and run where he couldn't follow. "forgive my imprudence, i seem to be doing that a lot nowadays, but i can't sit idly and let you accept this."

"why do you care?" you seethed out, shoulders shaking.

"i'm your fiancé—"

"on paper, vice-captain. we are expected by everyone to be married."

"but do you want to?"

lohen turned you around, his hands came up to hold you by your shoulders as his presence demanded you to meet his gaze. he didn't glare, not really—not at you. but his jaw is locked, his shoulders are squared. as if he's waiting for some monster to hit him on the back when he least expects it.

he repeated the question, "do you want to, your grace? do you want to get married to me?"

"why so suddenly?" you asked in bewilderment, ears ringing with each ragged breath he took.

"because i refuse to be like them. you deserve to choose what you think is best for you," lohen mumbled, his grip on you loosening as his eyes fell to where your shoes are both soaked. "i refuse to take away something that was yours to begin with—your ability to choose. so answer me: do you or do you not want to marry me?"

it sounded like a pained plea, as if lohen was already stricken with a deadly blow and was bleeding out in your arms at this very moment. he very well may be just that, with the way his lips are tugged into a deep frown, or how his voice came out shaky, lacking that recklessness you've come to associate him with.

"say something, your grace. you're killing me here."

your mind is telling you no. no, you don't want to get married, not to him, not to anyone. but your heart—that traitorous little thing—had taken reign of your emotions as you continued to look into lohen's eyes.

you looked back to the night you met him—all spunk and blood and flowers. flowers you've kept safe from your mother's hands by hiding them behind your clothes in the closet. you remembered the maids of dawn winery helping you slip into a spare room to overhear the conversation in diluc's office, uncaring of how improper you had looked as curiosity took over. you recalled the flush in your cheeks as lohen defended your honor vehemently against the person who made it her job to break you down in pieces.

lohen stood still in that room, going against all instincts that told him to fight back—all for your sake.

and now, he's taken you here—to where he grew up and told you a story of his own—to give you something no one has ever offered you.

a choice.

your mouth moved before you can fully catch up.

"i do."

you relished it, you thought to yourself, the way lohen's head snapped up at your voice and how his cheeks immediately flushed.

"y-you… do?" he sounded meek, so unlike the brave vice-captain who moved before danger could take a step in their direction. your selfish heart can't help but want all that to yourself—that vice-captain who would blush, and stutter, and give you a choice.

"yes, i do," you decided then and there, that everyone was wrong about him. you flashed him a smile, hands reaching up to brush the hair that shielded his eyes from your view. that rush of delight came back when lohen straightened his back, a curled fist hiding half of his face as he fumbled out a reply.

"… okay. okay! that settles it then!"

you don't point out that he's rambling, or how that blush on his face never really cooled down. he'd tug at his collar, look at anywhere but you, and when he caught it, lohen would quickly duck with a clear of his throat. a quiet laugh left your chest as you look down at your hands—you don't even recall when his fingers had intertwined with yours.

"we… we should go back," you uttered, eyes watching the sun dip over the horizon until you can barely see it. "they might be wondering where we are."

lohen nodded stiffly, clearing his throat one last time. "you're right…"

you only hummed as you both began the journey back to dawn winery. it would take a while, but you didn't mind. every now and then, you'd try to catch a glimpse of lohen, who would always look away when your eyes locked. and each time, you'd laugh under your breath. it felt strange—to see this fighter, known for his unmatched desire for danger, be so shy. it almost felt unreal.

a shiver racked up your arms as a chilly breeze came to greet you. by the time you had fully left dorman port, the sun had fully set. in the distance, you both could hear the gallops of horses. when you met lohen's gaze, who was already looking at you, you both share another laugh.

"i suppose they've come to get us," you surmized.

lohen only hummed, his fingers unclasped the cape on his shoulder and draped it across yours. "i guess so. it has gotten pretty late."

"lohen, i—" before you could finish, a familiar boisterous voice interrupted you.

"there you are, your grace, lohen!" varka trutted in on his stallion, a wide grin on his face as a lantern is held in his grasp.

"of course it's the grandmaster," lohen grumbled under his breath, to which you chuckled.

"i'd be more surprised if it wasn't him," you murmured back, waving your hand to notify the gradnmaster that you've heard him.

varka quickly left his horse and jogged up to you, his blue eyes surveying your form wrapped in lohen's coat. his gaze eventually settled on the vice-captain, a smirk on his face as he called for the other nights to hurry.

you're eventually escorted onto the back of a carriage as lohen conversed with the grandmaster. you faintly heard the rise in his voice, and when you looked in their direction, an amused smile made its way to your face as a fervent blush overtook his pale cheeks. he eventually stomped his way to your carriage, freezing in the motion of lifting the curtains to find you staring at him with mirth in your eyes.

he glared at you, but it only spurred you to laugh louder.

"taking the grandmaster's side now, are we?" he hissed with a roll of his eyes.

"it wasn't my intention to eavesdrop," you admit. but lohen only rolled his eyes again, playfully pushing you further into the carriage to make room for him. you raised a brow in question when he settles right beside you, "don't you have your own stallion?"

he dramatically clutched at his chest, "so you don't want me here?"

"that's not what i meant!" you argued back, but it barely registers when you're a giggling mess.

"no, no, i understand," he's already trying to get up with a pained sigh. "i'll ride on my horse, let my back be in pain until we reach the city, while you stay here."

"lohen," you whined out, a smile on your lips as you caught the edge of his sleeve. a playful grin on your face as you lowered your voice to a whisper, "won't you stay and keep me warm?"

the reaction is immediate. his cheeks erupt into another blush, his voice breaking as he stammered out a reply. you don't hear any of it—not like his words made any sense—and tugged him down to sit again. this time, you took the initiative to slip your fingers into his. relishing in the way his pulse jumped when your brush against his pulse point.

"you're making fun of me," lohen huffed, his lips ghosting just the crown of your head. you don't hide the smile on your face—not when you felt him lean back and the carriage finally be set in motion.

you scoot closer to him, looping your arm in his as you only hummed. your other hand tugged his cape closer to you, letting yourself be wrapped entirely in him. lohen hesitantly raised an arm to fix the cape before it settled across your shoulders.

"i'm not," you retorted.

he only chuckled, his arm tugging you closer until your head lay on his chest. "sure, whatever you say, your grace."

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