veardant | (no subject)

[ gods, tighnari hates the desert..

or, to be fair, he hates the heat. there are many things about the desert itself that he does appreciate. it's beautiful, its endless gold and scarlet sands rippling like water, the sky above stretching wide and bright blue, and there's a surprising amount of life to study. the plant life certainly isn't as lush as in the avidya forest, but it still exists. it's scrubby and hard, and is no less valuable than its rainforest cousins. the oases in particular are lovely.

but they've found no oasis this day.

tighnari is quite grouchy. he's stripped down to his sirwal and clingy undershirt, and all but drained his waterskin. despite the sun protection he'd slathered on his fair skin, he's sure he's burned nonetheless - the desert sun had been relentless, beating down hard. by the time night falls and the air begins to cool, tighnari's mood is at its absolute lowest. they pitch their tent in a hollow of stone, and tighnari sits down hard, rubbing at his sore ankles with a scowl. he's plenty used to spending long days running and hiking, but moving across the steep sands is a whole new level of difficulty.

why in the hells did cyno bring him out here, anyway? tighnari absolutely adores him, there's nothing he would not do for cyno, but this certainly tests his limits. later, he'll be ashamed of his behavior, perhaps once the chill of the night has finally set in, and he no longer feels as if his brain is bubbling in his skull. ]

How is it still so hot?

[ .. because the sun has barely gone down. ]

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"I know. You spoil me."

Especially considering how much Cyno has on his plate on a regular basis. He's a busy man, with a busy schedule, he doesn't need to be taking so much time away from his work, just to escort Tighnari on these silly excursions. It is good to see him relax a little bit, however, and enjoy the cool water.

"But really, it's all right. I've gotten a few samples, that's good enough for now."

"It's not spoiling," Cyno dismisses. After all, he loves spending time with Tighnari whenever he can and so making time for him isn't a burden. He knows how to balance his work and how to delegate as he wants or needs. There is always things to be done in the desert for him too. All in all, he's never not keeping an eye out for things that are under his purview.

"As long as you're satisfied."

It's absolutely spoiling, but Tighnari won't argue it further. He just smiles.

"I'm satisfied. Don't worry. We'll get some good rest in Aaru Village, soon."

And then he'll come back another time, more prepared, more able to properly do this, and face the desert with less fear. Gently, he touches his foot to Cyno's beneath the water. "I'm sorry that I've been cranky. You don't deserve it."

"Mm," Cyno acknowledges it. He raises a brow and tries to suppress a smile at the other's apology.

"You're cute when you're cranky."

"Please. I'm not cute at all. I'm a brat, and I know it."

Tighnari chuckles, resting his head back, his smile tired, but easy. the cool water has soothed his mood.

"Maybe I think brats are cute," Cyno retorts and it's true.

He sighs as he starts to let himself relax more. He's more tired than he's let on.

"Heh. You would."

Just how Cyno puts up with him when he's in his moods is anyone's guess. Nevertheless, Tighnari allows himself to relax, leaning his head against Cyno's shoulder.

"I do."

Cyno smirks. Honestly, it's probably about how TIghnari puts up with his jokes. As the other's head rests on his shoulder, Cyno allows his head to rest a bit against his, almost nuzzling at the other's ear but catching himself.

Leaning against Cyno feels nice. Good. Natural. Tighnari takes a deep breath, then exhales slowly through his nose, his weight beginning to sink against Cyno, his eyelids flickering, then closing. They should remain vigilant here, of course, but Tighnari's ears are plenty reliable with his eyes closed.

"You're a bit of a masochist, aren't you?"

”So are you... though, you’re also a bit of a sadist,” Cyno says, smirking and just resting there in the cool water with Tighnari. He does keep an alert watch even if closing his eyes are tempting, even if he knows Tighnari’s eyes are surely enough protection.

“Did you get sand in your tail?”

At that, Tighnari chuckled, but did not argue. He sure could be a sadist at times!! Though only playfully, of course.

"Yes. It feels twice its usual weight."

The best kind of sadist, if you ask Cyno.

"Do you want me to work on it?"

"Oh, well.. I don't see why not."

Smiling, Tighnari shifts away from Cyno a little bit, so he can get his tail between them, laying it across the other man's lap. There are few that he would trust with a task such as this..

"Any specific instructions this time?" Cyno questions, glancing toward the other. He always likes when Tighnari lets him take care of his tail. Maybe it's because of the intimacy of it that he tries not to think so much.

Tighnari likes it, too. It's nice to have his tail tended to by someone else, it feels comfortable and relaxing, soothing. "Hmm? Oh, no, just be careful. You can use this - "

Reaching for his pocket, Tighnari plucks out a small comb and hands it over to Cyno.

Cyno accepts the comb. He starts to work on the other’s tail, almost reverently as he works on getting the sand out and soothing the fur. It’s far from the first time he’s groomed Tighnari’s tail but he always treats each time with just as much care as the first. He knows how rare it is to be trusted in this way.

Ah, that's nice.. even despite the heat that still warms his face and shoulders, Tighnari feels comfortable. The water is cooling his blood, and Cyno's ministrations with his tail are soothing.

With a soft sigh, Tighnari closes his eyes and allows his weight to slump against Cyno.

Cyno swallows as he glances down at the other's face, smiling briefly to himself. He remains quiet as he works diligently. He enjoys touching the other's fur and he does a good job of working out the sand.

It's a good moment. A nice moment. Tighnari's temperature is coming down, thanks to the cool water, and he's feeling comfortable and happy, pressed close to his best friend in the world. The comb in his tail is soothing, and it isn't long before Tighnari begins to purr.