The night was heavy with the scent of burnt wood and damp earth. A small campfire crackled between the two figures, casting flickering shadows across the clearing. The remnants of battle still clung to their skin—dirt, sweat, and the lingering weight of the fight they had just survived. Kael sat a few feet from Nagi, sharpening his sword in silence, his brow furrowed, as if he were trying to carve away his thoughts along with the blade’s edge.
Nagi, sitting cross-legged nearby, was quietly tending to his own injuries—nothing serious, but enough to sting. His eyes occasionally flicked to Kael, catching the way the firelight danced across his features. The silence between them was thick, heavy with unspoken words.
Finally, Nagi broke the quiet, his voice soft but edged with a teasing tone. “For someone who just won a battle, you look like you lost something.”
Kael glanced up, his gray eyes meeting Nagi's hazel ones for a moment before returning to his blade. “Victory doesn’t mean we’re safe yet,” he muttered, though there was something in his voice—something that hinted at more than just the dangers of the road.
The tension between them felt palpable now, like a third presence lingering in the camp. The fire crackled louder as Nagi shifted closer, his curiosity piqued by Kael’s brooding silence.
“Always so serious…” Nagi murmured, trying to make light of it, but there was a nervous energy beneath his words. His heart raced a little faster the closer he got to the stoic knight.
Kael’s jaw tightened, and he finally set his sword down. “And you’re always too reckless. You should be more careful out there,” he said, his tone low and gruff, but there was something protective in it.
Nagi raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a small, teasing smile. “Careful? I had you watching my back, didn’t I?”
The unspoken tension simmered between them, a mix of gratitude, exhaustion, and something deeper neither of them was quite ready to acknowledge out loud.
Nagi’s words hung in the air for a moment, the playful edge sharpening the tension between them. Kael's eyes darkened, and his lips pressed into a thin line as he slowly stood up, walking over to where Nagi sat by the fire. He loomed over the younger man, his gaze intense.
"I was watching your back," Kael said, his voice low and rough, "but don’t think that means you’re invincible."
His eyes softened just a fraction as he looked down at Nagi, the firelight reflecting in those expressive hazel eyes. He hesitated, then crouched down to meet Nagi at eye level, their faces close enough that Nagi could feel the heat from his breath.
"One day," Kael continued, his voice quieter now, almost a growl, "I might not be there in time."
The proximity between them was undeniable, and though Kael’s words were stern, there was something else—an unspoken pull that seemed to draw them together despite the danger, despite the exhaustion. His hand brushed against Nagi's as he steadied himself, lingering longer than necessary before he stood back up.
"well i dont belive that day will ever come"
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly at Nagi's confident response, and for a moment, a ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, though it vanished just as quickly. He took a step back, his gaze lingering on Nagi’s face, trying to gauge if his words were bravado or something deeper.
"You’re too sure of yourself," Kael muttered, his voice lower than before, but there was something in his tone—something like admiration, though he’d never admit it out loud. He could see the spark in Nagi’s eyes, the quiet determination that burned behind the playful words.
Kael sighed, shaking his head slightly as if he were trying to shake off the weight of the moment. "You think you’re untouchable, but you’re not," he added, his voice rough again, though not without a strange tenderness.
He knelt by the fire once more, closer than before, and this time he didn’t pull away as their shoulders brushed. There was an unspoken understanding between them—one that went beyond the battle, beyond the dangers of the road.
Kael let the silence hang between them for a beat longer before adding, almost under his breath, "I won’t always be there… but I don’t want to lose you."
His eyes flickered to Nagi's, and this time, he didn’t look away. The words felt heavier than any sword he had ever carried, but he left them there, waiting to see how Nagi would respond.
nagi's cheeks flush a bit at the words and he becomes serious for a second "i..i dont wanna lose you either kael, and i refuse to belive i will ever have to, so for me can you please humor me and act like you will never leave me"
Kael’s breath caught at Nagi’s sudden seriousness, and for a moment, the weight of the words seemed to hang between them, more powerful than any battle they had fought together. He could see the faint flush in Nagi's cheeks, the sincerity in his hazel eyes, and something inside him softened, a part of him he had long tried to keep hidden.
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