a blade to protect

神 “Oh, are you planning on catching me?” Ibuki stood out enough within the mall regardless of running or idling. She was tall, had horns, and the purple skin was kind of a tell too. This was even excluding her tail. But big or not, the god was certainly agile. She knew she could outrun this man.

“What are you going to do if you do, hm~?”

Aegis was, of course, trying his best not to judge people based on their appearances here. One of his patrol coworkers was a giant wolf, and she seemed perfectly pleasant of a...Not a person, but a being?

And this one...Well - actually, strike that! Regardless of her appearance she was running around, and now she was trying to be teasing about it.

“Yes! There are very clear no-running signs posted everywhere!”

“Although prior to your taunting remarks I feared you were running from something, but-”

“You know you’re not supposed to be running around the mall. What are you running for, anyway- Hey!”

“Oh, I’m glad.” Marta nodded, listening to him talk. “Everything there is so… so weird. I was gone from this place for a while, and I came back to that- it definitely changed a lot. That’s gotta take the cake for weirdness.”

It was a surreal experience, and probably the strangest- okay, second strangest thing she’d experienced in her life. Her home world suddenly merging with another out of nowhere would always win on the weirdness scale.

“To be fair… dragons aren’t always bad. Although… I don’t really know the one here, and I’m not too sure I’d want to try holding a conversation.” There was a big difference between a wild monster and one of the dragons that’d joined her and Emil on their journey, after all. A really big difference.

“It’s...Nice. Don’t get me wrong. Fantastical - like something out of a novel. Honestly, I could use with more fighting mecha, but I suppose it’s just not that same genre...” A sigh that was probably far too dramatic for the subject material.

     “you needn’t call me commander, aegis. artoria is fine, or merely lancer if you are not comfortable.” being the leader was merely a title for organization’s sake, she didn’t want to be treated any differently than anyone else.

     “i’ve sent some of the newer members to procure some tents, but the temperature at night will likely be a problem. we will pitch them at the parking lot behind our building for the time being, so if you’d like to direct those looking for shelter there… alternatively, we need some means of starting fires and keeping them lit.”

“Oh,” at least she had offered an alternative. Calling her by her first name was far too personal for him. Not something he was comfortable with, at least not for the moment. Nodding, he answered her. “Lancer, then,”

“I do not believe the local hardware store that had machines providing artificial heat has been pried open. Additionally, many of the trees are frozen over. Procuring wood will be a concern...”

“If we could find some way to break the crystal, we could create a steady supply of wood. Our only concern then would be protecting for those who are too close to the Mistwood, and...”

          AVOIDING THE KNIGHT WAS A rough way of putting it, at least in the transgressor’s eyes. perhaps it was best said he merely redirects his attention when the other shows up, nor does he place any effort into the act of seeking him out as he might have in the past. not that he can be blamed, given their last big meeting months ago, the way it had played out into a messy display. rather than push it, he had elected to give aegis space, something he thought the other would have wanted after it all.

                                   even if it was a fairly cold shouldered approach—

          yet, despite it all, it hadn’t gone unnoticed the few times aegis would wander into a bar, one he conveniently was partaking in whenever so. much like now, he notes, though this time remarkably different than the others as he approaches. with a gift, at that, a pair of deep purple glancing at the bag he holds out. surprise, if but a moment, flicks across his features, guised only as something of more bewilderment. still, it wasn’t long before he falls back into his usual nonchalance… or, it was likely better to say the usual act he offers, especially in times like these.

          ❝ Eh? The Hell’s this all about? ❞ he wasn’t an idiot, of course. the way he speaks he can tell it was from a kinder intention, one that seems almost too foreign to him, even now. yet he keeps it up, unflinching in the chilled way he responds. ❝ I can take it off your hands if you’re really wantin’. But I didn’t get you crap in turn. You know that, right? ❞ after all, why would someone like him do something so generous, let alone anyone giving someone so notoriously awful anything to begin with. so, he leans back, resting his arms behind his head, kicking his legs up in a leisurely recline as his gaze falls cooly over the other.

Admittedly he expected something like this, but it certainly didn’t take the sting out. He should have simply bought something for Kaeya - maybe even have given Vicious’ gift to him. At least the knight would appreciate it more. But, no...He had begun to make this a long while ago, the idea sprung into his head that perhaps the Great Transgressor had not received something like this before, or at least not in a long time.

Aegis couldn’t keep his features from falling, even briefly. He saw the brief bewilderment, and then everything had moved back to the new normal. The cold regard, the cold reception. The former knight commander almost flinches at how he’s spoken to, the hurt plain on his features for a brief moment. Even if it had meant nothing, it was some sort of olive branch it was...

“Of course I want you to take it, it’s for you.” He snaps, shoving the bag at Vicious. They only had each other here now, and truthfully they didn’t even have that, did they? “And of course I know you got me nothing. I didn’t make this for you with the intention of receiving something in turn.”

He had not even received a word for his birthday, why should he expect anything different now? “Enjoy your night, and enjoy your present.” His brow twitched, emotion crossing his face, unknown even to him at that moment as his chest hurt. He turned on his heel, stomping toward the bar by himself to go and grab some sort of drink.

“Ow, hey-” A strand of silver hair had been tugged out by a mischievous fairy, causing a pout to form on Aegis’ face. The pixies giggled at him, flying around him, and he was nearly about to tell him to shoo until someone else walked in, causing his, and the four fairies floating around him, one holding a piece of wavy hair and all of them turning to look at the boy who had just walked in.

With his pointy ears, he very nearly looked like a fairy himself!

“You! Do you know what they want - hey, stop it-” he turned back right as a larger lock of his hair was being tugged.

How incredibly awkward. They’d barely conferred over the past few months, and the obvious and stark absence of Misella had been noted but not discussed. This simply left them in an awkward in-between, being the only two people remaining from their own worlds as well as one of the few people he knew. Aegis could only shift awkwardly, his drink in hand as he sat at whatever this place was - some chalice or another - and observed.

How annoying...

He was, of course, an expert at tracking down Vicious at this point, and while he had come in to talk to him, to say something, maybe talk about Misella suddenly disappearing or something else and to give him the stupid thing sitting in his bag because, well, he had already been planning something for both of them for the holiday season.

Maybe it didn’t matter, or shouldn’t, or maybe he just got really self-depreciating with even the most minute amount of alcohol.

So maybe that’s why he approached with a bag, and there was someone else at the table but it’s really the only way he’d been able to track down Vicious:

“I’d remark about how you’re spending Christmas at a bar, but I’m doing the same, I suppose.” Not entirely to his taste, and the beer also wasn’t entirely to his taste, but...

“Well, in any case,” He held out the bag, it was a well-structured bag, made out of heavy-duty paper, but it was pretty clear that its contents were heavy and the shape of the package inside made it apparent why it was bagged and not wrapped. “It’s the holidays, so...” Inside was a bottle of alcohol, non-descript with a sticker talking about Alver Alcohol. “It’s my parent’s best selling liquor.” He explains, “I have a case of it, since you can’t brew it in small batches.”

🔥 “Really, Aegis? Is having a beautiful travel companion that makes you jump through hoops of fire not sufficient enough to be a present?”

          ❝ Forgetting your own birthday? Hmm, that simply won’t do, Aegis. ❞ even if it seems he was eavesdropping, something he would do dependent on the information by far, in this case it as simply a coincidence of passing to gain this tidbit of knowledge. ❝ Birthdays are days worth celebrating. Even if it is a day or two late. Let’s see… ❞ he muses, already putting his mind into work. ❝ Usually celebrations take time to prepare, so it will hardly be as extravagant as it should be. Instead, let’s take a night about the town and see what catches your eye for entertainment this evening. ❞ not that he would outright say it this was a way for him to gather what types of trinkets his fellow knight might prefer to tuck away into his archive of secrets. ❝ Fancy joining me, then? ❞

“Ah- Kaeya.” That man had a habit of sneaking up on him. Not that it was a bad thing. And it found himself with a fond expression on his features despite himself. “It’s quite alright. Honestly, I forgot, so I can’t blame my companions - or you, of course. Not that I’ve celebrated birthdays since I started going to the academy. I entered service a knight shortly after, you see, and...”

“...”

“...!”

          PERHAPS HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, deep down. that, no matter how it as, a reaction like this would happen. despite the contrary signals he received that it would wind up with him being shoved away, logically so. after all, who would ever find interest in the great transgressor in such a capacity? regardless of their body language, knowing aegis’ own reactions that he would outright tell him otherwise—he was the bossy sort, that much he knew, and never once held his tongue when he was against something. yet maybe in this moment he had misread the silver-haired knight, a misstep on his own part that he wouldn’t deny or cover up by far, getting a bad taste in his mouth even thinking of doing so.

          ❝ Don’t know what the Hell I’m doin’, I guess. ❞ words are fired back without hesitation, laden with slight frustration. not at aegis, no, but at the situation and himself, more than anything. watching the other’s expression, however, only made him take note of the anxiety his decision caused. ❝ Oi, don’t go gettin’ yourself in a twist. That call was on me and it was a bad one, got it? ❞ for what it was worth, the least he could do was own up to his own part of it all, even if there were mixed messages involved.

          leaning in, he’s careful not to skirt too close to aegis again, lest anything more was assumed about his current intentions. instead, he takes hold of the jacket now partially dried upon the wall, as well as his gloves, before working to slip them back on. ❝ Gonna skedaddle, alright? Place’s all yours from here on. I’ll send the little pyro your way if I stumble across her, too, while I’m out, ❞ he finally speaks when his clothing is fitted into place, his tone implying more than enough that the other didn’t have to worry of some unexpectant return on his part.

          droplets have already begun to soak through, dripping from mattered strands of hair as he turns, slinging both arms behind his head. only one glance back was made toward aegis, not exactly curious on any sort of response, but rather to make certain he wasn’t going to try to come after him. before long he turns back forward, making his way without so much of another peep, having already said his peace on it all.

He could curse himself for being so high strung. Of course he knew what was coming - someone standing that close, he had been looking between Vicious’ eyes and his lips and he knew even if he had asked his dumb question. And he had kissed him back - even if he was a coward at least he could admit that to himself. But a coward he was, and Aegis sat there, stunned silent as Vicious grabbed his things and left the shelter. His frustration was clear on his features, and he opened his mouth to protest, and clamping it shut.

Maybe it’d...Be best right? He’d rejected Vicious for al intents and purposes, right after accepting his kiss. In the middle, if anything, of the kiss. They should both take some time to cool off, and then they can discuss this like adults - or maybe they could have if he hadn’t reacted so poorly.

But there was still this...Part of him. Icy fear holding him back, and all he could do was watch Vicious leave. Red eyes turned back to see him, and a brief moment of hope as he opened his mouth, “Vicio-”

But then the other was gone, rainsoaked and gone. Aegis stood in their makeshift shelter on his own. Reaching up, he touched his lips, feeling his flush return as he thought back to it again.

He had wanted to kiss him. He’d been checking him out the entire time.

So why had he reacted so poorly when it actually happened? Wait-

No, even if he wanted to kiss him then, surely it was a result of them having been in close proximity like this for days. Working together side by side, and the heat was searing, and they were both a bit hungry and thirsty. And he had been thinking of ways to produce alcohol, getting nostalgic for home and...

And, he couldn’t really deny how attractive Vicious was, right? He was only human, and there was nothing wrong with being attracted to men. But surely he didn’t want to be with Vicious. They were allies, and it was clearly just spur of the moment for the both of them.

(But...)

          PRIOR CONVERSATION FALLS AWAY, INSTEAD focusing upon the one more pressing in regards to their situation, far closer in meaning than their personal spaces intermingling. rather than press further, he merely waits for aegis to answer, uncaring to their proximity in the slightest. in the end, he was never one to care entirely of it, doing whatever he wants as he pleases, even with moments like these which are goaded on at how aegis’ cheeks go aflame with embarrassment. a little cute, he thinks at the sight, something a tad endearing in how he reacts despite being one to voice his opinions.

          ❝ So all this to keep me from complainin’ or usin’ up what I want, eh? Damn, Aegis, didn’t know you had it in ya, ❞ he coos, almost teasingly, at how the knight seems so versed in counteracting someone. saying he was impressed would be a bit far-fetched, if only for the smallest fact that he knows most of it, while true, is used as an excuse of some sort. ❝ But wait. Then ya go and say it’d make me happy. Didn’t think you’d care about some trash like me in that capacity, y’know? ❞ truer words not spoken in this moment, given how belittled he was spoken of by many others aside kanata, this alone convincing him further that maybe there as more than just some tolerance and use of his presence.

          when asked of why, he can only remain silent, feeling as if it was all but obvious why he might suddenly probe for his own motivations so suddenly. not that he was fully avoiding it, yet why waste breath when it was all too plain to see, especially given his own precarious position on the matter. ❝ Nah, you’re good where you’re at, ❞ he speaks, voice nigh above a whisper, his breath ghosting over the other’s lips. almost like a precursor, in a way, how intimate it must seem. so vicious indulges, maybe just a smidgen overconfidently in his reading of others, to steal the lips of the renown knight with his own after the other looks his way.

          no signs were given of pulling away, at least on his part, instead letting the kiss linger as it was.

“Of course I do - I keep an eye on you all the time, and clean up your messes, like that time at the inn-” He trailed off, swallowing. It was true, though. Aegis knew he was stiff on the outside, but that was mainly because there was absolutely no order in their group at all. The addition of Yuna was the addition of even more chaos, as she was far more inclined to act like Vicious despite her own protests to the contrary. It was only Kanata who blindly approved of Vicious’ actions, or attributed it to ‘just Vicious being Vicious’, but...

But Aegis did worry about him when he just went off, and he certainly didn’t hate him as much as Vicious agitated him. To the contrary, he cared about every member of their group. A spear to protect wasn’t just for everyone but the people he was traveling with, and he would raise it for them just the same every time. Kanata needed someone’s opinion to mime and someone to lift his ego; Misella needed to lift Kanata’s ego because she had nothing left of her own; Yuna was somehow one of the more closed off, and was in a similar situation to himself; and Vicious...

Well, there it was right then. ‘Trash’, ‘worthless’. It bothered him to hear someone refer to themselves that way. He could only surmise it was some defense mechanism - against the overwhelming hatred Vicious received, and had received from Aegis himself at one point. The Great Transgressor, leaving at night because why would even the people he saved care where he went or if he returned? But Aegis did care, he asked every time, being an annoying nag but at least he nagged, right? He didn’t know, it was just a confusing mess and he could only sit there as he was kissed and his eyes went wide.

Aegis allowed it to linger, using his makeshift table to stabilize himself lest he tumble over and find himself in some precarious situation because his legs were certainly the density of apple gel and his face was warm and-

Wait. Wait.

He shoved Vicious away as quickly as he could, backing away himself and nearly stumbling into the other wall of their makeshift tent. “What are you- Why did you-” His heart was racing again, but this time it was nearly drowning out his own words. His anxiety spiked, he could feel it coursing in his veins and where there had been warmth something icy coiled around his chest.