last words of a shooting star.

Nyx knew he was luckier than most. To have survived as many battles as he had, especially with the reckless moves he sometimes pulled off. It was only fitting that his luck would eventually run out. Nyx had prepared himself for the fact that it would happen sooner or later. It was really only a matter of time, especially since the war with Niflheim didn't seem to have any end in sight. Ulrics always died in battle, one way or another.

It had started like any other mission, of course. Nyx had fought, saved those he could and taken the small breaks he was afforded. Yet, Niflheim had dragged it out and the reason became obvious when the sun set and the darkness brought daemons with it. Daemons had always been difficult to deal with, but these had been modified by the Empire and was a bigger threat than those they were used to.

Nyx wasn't about to let that stop him, of course. He was used to battle and he couldn't let fear stop him now.

Fate had other plans.

He was hit on the right side, first. The pain was intense, but Nyx knew that giving in to it was a death sentence, so he fought through it. The blood coated his hands, making his grip on his kukri slippery and unstable. Even Nyx knew when to retreat, but before he could, his hand was injured as well. The force of the blow had him sprawling backwards on the ground, his kukri sliding away and getting lost somewhere in the dirt.

Nyx tried to move backwards, but with only one arm to support him, there was little he could do. The iron giant approached slowly, but it only made his impending doom all the more menacing. Some people said that they saw their life flash before their eyes when death approached and Nyx understood now what they meant. There was nothing he could do – for once utterly hopeless.

Ulrics always died on the battlefield, but the defeat felt bitter on his tongue. There was still so much he wanted to do, wanted to see. When Selena died, he had promised that he would free Galahd in her name. To die before that happened... Nyx could only feel regret. Even so, he was ready to accept his fate.

The iron giant's weapon descended and Nyx felt like it was happening in slow-motion. One moment, he was awaiting his death and in the next, someone had appeared right on top of him. Nyx wasn't sure what he was seeing at first; like his mind refused to comprehend the sight.

Maybe the sudden light had blinded him and messed with his senses, because otherwise he was pretty sure that it was Lucifer who was crouching above him, white wings spread out on either side of his body. "What..." Nyx was stunned speechless, but his survival instincts were screaming at him to get the fuck away. Being told not to be afraid meant little when the world had suddenly stopped making sense.

"There's no way I'm alive," his voice was shaky with denial. Surely seeing an angel meant that he was dead, especially since it was wearing such a familiar face. He wasn't sure why it had picked Lucifer, of all people to mimic, but he supposed Lucifer had always been beautiful. It was a fitting face for an angel, at least.

"I'm sorry, I disappointed everyone. What a pitiful way to go – didn't actually think I deserved to go to heaven, though, not with all of the mistakes I have made. Are you supposed to guide me to the afterlife or something?"

“It is me who hates to disappoint you, but you are indeed still alive, Glaive”, Lucifer said a bit more formal than necessary, because even though Nyx was now glimpsing at his true form, whatever their relationship had been like before, it had not changed, had it? They were still just Nyx and Lucifer.

“All humans make mistakes”, he continued and he looked with an infinite amount of affection at the man before him. Lucifer had always liked how brave and unapologetically human Nyx was. He was flawed, he was brave, he was funny, he was kind-hearted. Lucifer knew that Bahamut had some kind of plan for the Glaive, but even without those plans he firmly believed that Nyx had long earned himself a place in the realm of divinity; mistakes or not.

“You have always wanted to save people with no regard to your own well-being, so why wouldn’t you just let yourself be saved just once.”

Lucifer had to expose his true form and save the man, there had been no other way, right? For a short moment the angel looked up, glancing up at the sky as if he expected Bahamut to appear to show him if he approved or disapproved of his actions. But could his Father truly be angry when it had happened to save the man he was supposed to protect? That was something he could worry about later, now all that mattered was Nyx.

It would take a while for the remaining human soldiers on this battlefield, from both Insomnia and Niflheim, to regain consciousness and the light should have destroyed every daemon in the vicinity, so they should have some time alone for now.

As calm as the angel appeared in that moment, his little heart was racing incredibly fast inside his chest. He had almost lost Nyx. He was the hero of the story, of course, but he was not invulnerable, he could bleed and he could feel pain and he could die, if he continued to be careless. Luckily Lucifer was with him, but what would happen if the angel ever had to leave his side? Lucifer did not want to think about it.

“I am sorry you are in pain, I am just so relieved you are still alive. Let me help you, Nyx, I hate seeing you in pain. You do trust me, don’t you?”

The angel’s wings were still wrapped around them in a protective way but with a soft exhale he opened them, releasing the Glaive from that protective cocoon, a single white feather fluttering down to land in the Glaive’s lap. Then, Lucifer placed his hand on Nyx’s injured arm, summoning his grace that slowly but surely healed those grievous injuries, and as Lucifer healed him he looked at Nyx’s pale face, smiling gently.

Ramuh above, Nyx wasn't sure if he could deal with that look on Lucifer's face. He understood now that the other male hadn't been joking, but to be able to look so innocent – maybe Lucifer had never had sex before and Nyx wouldn't judge if that was the case, but surely he knew about the subject.

It was true that the other male never joked, though, now that Nyx thought about it. It's not like there was anything wrong with that, but it was still a little odd. it was clear that Lucifer usually preferred to just lsiten to their conversations instead of fully engaging in them; at least when Nyx wasn't involved. Which made the glaive wonder – was he that special?

At this point, he might begin to believe that the other male had a crush on him or something. It would explain the desire to be so close, but then... would someone with a crush act like Lucifer did? Nyx would usually know, given his experience with flirting and dating, yet this time he wasn't really sure.

Drinking some water after almost choking on his food, he nearly spat it out at Lucifer's next question. Jeez, the other was intent on surprising him, wasn't he? Nyx wasn't sure if he knew how to deal with this conversation. It would be something else if he knew Lucifer was flirting with him, but the other male just seemed oddly curious.

"Don't know if I should answer that," he replied, picking at his food as he spoke. Ramuh give him strength, what was even happening right now. "Well, unless I was dating someone from the glaives, then you probably wouldn't see me kissing them. It's not like we go everywhere together," he pointed out and idly wondered if Lucifer intended on changing that. He wasn't sure if he could deal with being around someone all the time; he even needed breaks from Libertus and Crowe.

"I've kissed someone before and no, it's not a requirement for sex. It really depends on what you're after. Still, even with one night stands I find it odd if they don't want to kiss, so–" he cut himself off, pretty sure he was giving too much information now. "Never mind. Insomnia has this wonderful thing called the internet, if you want a less subjective opinion, then I suggest you look there." Because speaking about his sex-life to someone he didn't know that well was honestly getting a little odd.

"Now – the bathroom's free if you want to shower. I need to go grocery shopping, I could do that whilst you take care of your business, if you want."

So, kissing was not a requirement for sex though Nyx had pointed out he would find it odd if someone would want to have sex with him but refuse to kiss him. There were a lot of things Lucifer did not understand yet, and this subject truly was one of them, though he knew he shouldn’t even pay too much attention to it. Sex, and even kissing, was forbidden for angels, so why did he even bother trying to learn about it? Lucifer tried to blame it on his natural curiosity, he simply wanted to learn everything about humanity, he did not know how long exactly he would remain in the mortal realm, so he would have to make the best out of it, right? But when he looked up, why did Nyx’s lips look so soft?

Lucifer sighed, pretending to be done with the conversation. Maybe he should really take a look at this internet Nyx mentioned, though when the Glaive announced he would leave to go grocery shopping the angel’s eyes widened with shock for a moment before he forced a neutral expression on his face.

The thought of being separated from Nyx almost hurt in his soul. He was supposed to protect the man, who knew what kind of trouble he would get himself into even in the safety of Insomnia’s walls. How was Lucifer supposed to do his job and watch over him when he was insisting on them spending the rest of the morning in different ways?

“Please, let me come with you!”, Lucifer almost begged, there was a hint of worry and sadness in his otherwise bright eyes and he quickly rose to his feet. He only wore a t-shirt that was too big on his slim form and a pair of boxers, but he immediately started to collect the pieces of his Glaive uniform from the bedroom.

“I can shower later, once we are back”, he continued, now almost completely dressed except for his boots. Every piece of clothing or armor felt too big on his slender form, but he had to make due, they wouldn’t let him join the battlefield without any sort of protection, and the battlefield was exactly where he had to be. Nyx wandered onto it way too often after all.

"Actually, I just came from there," he countered as he casually squeezed past Easthies into the room, not risking asking permission and being turned down. Not after what the healers had told him. "Don't worry, I'll hit the hay soon, I'm knackered, but I wanted to come by first." He let his gaze briefly wander around the room – pristine and tidy as always, very unlike Utowin's own chambers – before turning back to Easthies. Raising his hand before his chest, he held out two things: a small box containing painkillers that he was given at the spire and a little cotton bag tied with a bow at the top, that exuded a delectable scent. "You forgot your painkillers, I promised I'd bring them to you." It's not the whole truth but close enough. "And I'm sorry to report there was no flan on the menu today, but I did managed to find you some cookies."

Realizing a moment too late that Easthies might have trouble taking both from him, considering the state of his wrist, Utowin let out a little 'Oh' and then quickly moved to place both items on the desk next to the captain's cap. The sight of the latter made him realize that he'd forgotten his own cap at the spire. "How's your wrist?" he asked as if he didn't grill the healer for any details on Easthies' injuries that she was willing to give. It was a clean break, at least, but it would take a while to heal and it being Eas' dominant hand would make it everything between painful and frustrating until then. Which meant that he would have to cut back on work, something Easthies was historically bad at and would need some.. assistance with.

The gaze of his red eyes rested on Utowin’s form, he couldn’t help but check the other man for injuries himself; he did notice the scratches, and the minor burn. Easthies wondered if it hurt and if his companion had bothered to get himself a soothing salve for it. He wondered if the man ever bothered to care for himself as much as he seemed to care for Easthies. Returning to his desk he was dumbstruck for a moment when Utowin presented him two items, one in each hand.

I did not forget those painkillers, Easthies wanted to say, but he bit his tongue. He did not intend to take those painkillers, he hated how groggy they made him feel, he hated how they slowed his mind when he needed to be focused at any given time. If he could not handle the ache of a broken wrist, then he was not fit to hold the position of Deputy Captain anyways. He needed his fellow Knights to be able to rely on him, always, and with no exception. Easthies simply did not have time to rest.

“Thank you”, Easthies said eventually, doing his best to sound casual, unbothered, when in reality he almost felt ashamed how well Utowin knew him. The Deputy Captain of the Knights Moralis had an unreasonable weakness for flan, which was often the only reason he accompanied the others to the Dining Hall in the first place, otherwise he often skipped meals or took them in the solitude of his quarters.

“But there was no need”, Easthies added, watching Utowin placing both items on his desk, knowing Easthies could not turn a blind eye to them. “You know I keep field rations on me at all times.”

Part of him wished that Utowin would finally leave so Easthies could drown himself in misery and anger about his own shortcomings today. The other part of him, as embarrassing as it was, felt oddly warm knowing Utowin was this concerned about him. Or maybe Utowin was just concerned if he could still fulfill the duties of a good Deputy Captain.

“My wrist is fine”, Easthies lied easily and his wrist promptly responded with another wave of sharp pain that made the stubborn man hiss quietly. To be betrayed like this by one’s own body. How truly infuriating that was. He did not want to talk about it. He did not want Utowin to see him struggling and in pain. How was he supposed to be someone Utowin willingly followed into battle if an injury like this slowed him down?

Easthies hummed quietly as he turned to Utowin, then he lifted his hand, the uninjured one, to take ahold of the other Knight’s chin. He locked eyes with Utowin for a moment, the gaze of his red eyes incredibly calm but firm, then he turned Utowin’s face to the side to get a better look at the injury on his neck. It was a burn, but with how well the healers at the healing spire worked, he was confident there wouldn’t even be a scar once this injury has healed. Good.

Putting pen to paper, he attempts another line for inner ring's sigils on the design and promptly begins to cough, ink spilling over the paper as his pen shakes in his hand. Unfortunately it causes the ring to close with the ink now spreading over the design, and he's momentarily stunned by a surge of warm air buffeting his face.

That is how he's presented, hair a mess and eyes watering, as he hears his door open.

"Agott?" He says, turning to lean over the edge of the half-wall surrounding his desk. "You shouldn't be in here, I…"

He pauses. Squints at the bowl that she sets down after approaching his desk, then back at her. From what he can smell, there is a familiarity to it that has already begun to set his mind at ease. Seems she's picked up more than just spells. If he focuses on the smell of it, he can almost hear Qifrey's scolding of him as the soup simmers away, much like in years past.

"I don't want to get you sick, too. But I appreciate this. Thank you." He says.

However, Olruggio knows she's not typically one to seek out the company of others — she's usually taking her meals in her own room, avoiding the other girls and Qifrey when it comes to personal affairs. So before she can leave or say much else, he sets his pen aside and moves to take the bowl in his hands, warming his fingers.

"... If you want to stick around, then it's best that you take the folding desk and set it up below, keep you away from my coughing. It should be just around the corner, and if you need any help with your study, I'll be here."

Offering her an encouraging smile, he takes a sip of the soup. Ah, just as always, the recipe soothes his throat and helps to clear the tickling sensation that makes him cough.

And still, there was relief in her chest when Olruggio took the bowl to take a sip from it. For a second she opened her mouth to warn him of the contents being hot, but he was a witch of fire, if there was anyone who could handle something hot it was Olruggio of the Torch, so Agott quickly shut up, pressing her lips into a thin line, which did not keep her chest from feeling slightly warm. It felt good to be helpful, to know that she did something well. If Master Qifrey returned and Master Olruggio was still a coughing mess, it would definitely not be her fault. She had tried to look out for him, the rest was on Olruggio now.

It felt weird, in a way. She had come to Qifrey’s atelier with the wish to study hard enough to still become a librarian at the Tower of Tomes, but lately she had thought that the family she had found here wasn’t so bad.

Quickly Agott turned away, wanting to hide the sentiment she felt from Master Olruggio. Instead she obeyed his words and set up the folding desk, getting herself comfortable with the thin blanket she had brought with her. She was tired, awfully so, her head hurt, but now she couldn’t back down again. It would be embarrassing to announce she was about to study and then not do it.

Nyx hesitated as expected when Riliphin reached out to grab his wrist, surprised that the boy was awake enough to speak. He must have jostled him on the way up the stairs – or maybe as he was opening the door, as there was only so much one could do with limited hands available. Nyx had thought he had managed pretty well, but apparently not.

Still, the other's demeanour made him worry almost instantly and the words that followed only managed to make his worry increase. "Hey now, where is that coming from all of a sudden?" He asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed so he could speak with Riliphin comfortably.

The boy was a teen, but where most other teens would try to pull away; Riliphin wanted to hold on tighter. Nyx couldn't blame him; the boy had been through something traumatic. He had probably lacked proper comfort for a very long time before he came into Nyx's care.

"I don't care what anyone tries to tell you – you are not a burden, okay? I know things aren't easy and our situation is shit, to put it mildly, but... I care about you, kid. Don't try taking that away from me by putting words into my mouth, okay?" Nyx's voice was gentle, but also lightly reprimanding. He would never be harsh with Riliphin, but sometimes saying things a little more firmly helped make it a more convincing statement.

"If you want me to stay, then I'll stay. It'll be a little cramped, but I'm sure we can make do, yeah? Just let me get into something more comfortable. Since you're awake now, you can take the time to change too – I just didn't want to wake you before," he offered a soft smile as he spoke, ruffling Riliphin's hair fondly before moving to get ready for bed. Sleeping in his uniform would be seriously uncomfortable.

He had no money, no trinkets he could sell, he only had the clothes he wore and the spare set the Glaive had bought secondhand. Riliphin did not mind that, obviously, it just reminded him that he did not have a single Gil to his name and had no means to support Nyx in any capacity, no matter how much he wanted to. He just really wished he was more.. useful. Even back in Niflheim they had considered him such a waste of space they would rather put him into a set of magitek armor and send him to die. He didn’t want the same thing to happen again, though at this point he guessed it did not matter if he died for Niflheim or Lucis.

“I’m sorry, Nyx..”, he whispered, feeling genuinely guilty for the worry he often put the man through, even if involuntarily, but he also felt slightly at ease when Nyx said he would stay with him. As long as Nyx was with him Riliphin knew he would be okay.

The boy swiftly changed into his second set of clothes before he joined Nyx in the bathroom, stepping forward to stand next to the Glaive, to join him so they could brush their teeth together. Putting the toothpaste onto his toothbrush, he looked up at the man.