#mmmh.

With patient after patient coming in, Tighnari can't even get any other work done at all- Even with Collei's assistance, it's just getting to be too much. He's exhausted, he isn't sure how long it's been since he slept, much less how many hours he'd crammed into that sleep. All he knows is that he's so exhausted and he's about to drop.

"It seems things are slowing down a bit," Collei notes. When she looks at Tighnari, she notices that he looks like he isn't even listening. Even with his advanced hearing, she doesn't doubt he didn't hear her. "M-Master! Why don't you take a break?" She urges, standing in front of him rather than beside.

He finally notices that she's talking, shaking his head to get himself right. "No, no, that's alright Collei. I don't want to leave you to handle all of this yourself," He says, but Collei persists.

"I can do it! Here, sit on the cot- Should I get you anything? A drink, maybe? Something to snack on?" She asks, but Tighnari resists her urging.

"Collei, I'm fine, I assure you. I just need to get my head right. Don't worry about me," Before he can even finish his sentence, there's another visitor. Tighnari resists the urge to groan.

"Tighnari? Are you alright?" Tighnari would recognize that flat voice from miles away. He turns to see Cyno. A small, fond smile tugs at his lips.

"Yes, yes. What can I do for you?" He asks, barely holding himself up against the weight of his exhaustion. He thinks Cyno might've said something, and he thinks that Cyno's brows might've furrowed a bit in what was maybe concern, but he doesn't get too far in that analyzation before he faints.

... ◇ 》

Tighnari blinks his eyes open once, twice, and a few more times before he remembers what happened. He immediately brings a hand to his head to check for any injuries. It's nothing too bad except for a bit of a headache. He isn't wearing all of the layers he previously had been, clad in nothing but his normal shirt and his pants. He's thankful, it had gotten a bit hot earlier- but he doesn't have to be happy about it.

"Ugh... How embarrassing..." He mumbles, cursing himself under his breath. He sits up to try and look around to see where Collei is, but he just gets painfully dizzy and falls back on the cot.

"Don't sit up so fast, Tighnari."

Tighnari looks around for that voice, seeing Cyno standing beside him. "W-Wha..? Where's Collei?" He questions, rubbing at his temples. Archons, he needs to get himself together. If overworking himself leads to this, he might as well retire! The thought, despite irrational and illogical, of having to do that makes him shudder.

"The traveller came by while you were asleep. She's with them. I told her I'd stay with you until she gets back." Cyno sits beside Tighnari on the cot, running his fingers through long, silver hair. He'd discarded his helmet, apparently. The long, fluffy strands give Tighnari an urge to run his fingers through them. He'd learned how to braid a long time ago, mostly for Collei. Maybe Cyno would allow him...

He shakes that thought off. Absolutely not. "Ah... That's kind of you, but you really didn't have to do that for me. I'm sure you're busy, so I'll get up now and-"

"Absolutely not. Lie down." Cyno demands, raising a hand over Tighnari as if to push him back down. "Collei told me just how much you've been working. You will continue resting." It's not a request, Tighnari understands that. Despite this, he sits up anyway.

"Cyno, I really should-"

"No." Cyno pushes him back. It's a gentle push. He doesn't put any pressure, but he doesn't move his hand from Tighnari's chest either. "You will rest."

Tighnari makes eye contact with Cyno. It almost looks like he's challenging him to get up.

Tighnari sits up again. He swings his legs over the edge of the cot, but that's as far as he gets before Cyno grabs him by the waist and puts him back down. The action makes Tighnari both a little embarrassed and a little... Something else that he doesn't want to name. That something else makes a small, but mischievous fire light up in his eyes.

"Cyno. I'm getting up."

"Tighnari. You will rest. I have said this multiple times."

Tighnari crosses his arms. Cyno doesn't move.

Cyno's expression almost looks like he's planning something. It sends a shiver down Tighnari's spine. "One more time and there will be consequences."

These 'consequences' make a mix of misplaced dread and curiosity pool in his stomach. Despite that, Tighnari tries to get up anyway, but he barely even moves before Cyno's pushed him onto his back.

"This is your last chance to reconsider your decision, Tighnari."

"...Cyno, I have work to- A-Ah-!!! Cyno, what- Nohoho!!" Suddenly, Tighnari feels sharp nails spidering their way across his stomach, which trembles under the electric, ticklish feeling. His first instinct is to cover his already flushed face as he tries to curl away from the feeling.

"Yes. This is your penalty. I tell you to do one thing, and you do the other. Accept this." Cyno knows his nails are stupidly sharp, and he's as careful as possible with them- But that only makes the feeling worse. The light, barely-there feeling of Cyno's quick fingers unpredictably switching between his stomach and his sides is already enough to make Tighnari cackle.

Tighnari drops his hands and wraps them around his stomach to protect himself from the feeling. Cyno almost looks lost for a second, as if that had really caused him a problem.

He, however, just flips Tighnari onto his stomach and continues. He traces one long nail over his spine, up and down and up and down-

"Stop, stop!! Dohohon't do that!" Tighnari's back is a particular weak point. In makes his cackling die down into hiccupy giggling, but the repetitive tickling up and down that sensitive spot can and will drive Tighnari mad. "Just, just nohohot that-!!! hic-! Pleehehease! Not there, ahhahah- hic- Cynoo!!"

"Tell me you'll rest. Those are my conditions." Tighnari can't see him, but he can hear the smirk in Cyno's voice. He would, he wants it to stop badly, but also...

He doesn't really remember the last time he'd been this... Playful with someone. Tickling is childish and a total waste of the time he could be using to get more work done, but...

He shoves his face into the cot to muffle his desperate giggling, refusing Cyno's terms. He twists left to right, he arches his back to get away from that one maddeningly ticklish sensation but it just doesn't happen.

But then it stops.

The relief doesn't last long, though. Cyno scribbles at his shoulder-blades, chuckling to himself when he hears the muffled squeal.

Tighnari kicks his legs and tenses his shoulders, but nothing makes it stop. If it did, he might be disappointed. "No!! Thahahat's worse! Cynohoho...!! Ack!! ehehe, mmph- Mercy, mercy!! I-I cahahan't!" Tighnari's desperate pleading falls on deaf ears. He tries rolling on his side, but one hand now spiders at his side and his lower ribs while the other persists at his shoulder blades. He shrieks and tries curling up, but that doesn't deter Cyno even a bit.

Cyno leans down, blowing at the tip of his ear. He only smirks wider at tbe squeak he's rewarded with. "You know what I want to hear, Nari." The nickname makes Tighnari's thoughts short-circuit. Cyno isn't one for things like that. Somehow, the flustered feeling it gives him makes the tickling feel worse.

"I give! Ah, aha-!! I gihihive! I'll rest!!"

Cyno's hands still, and he stands up off the cot. "Good." He nods, as if he hadn't just forced Tighnari into resting.