A Drink Before Battle [MxM] ✅

36: I'm Not Here For Anything

36: I'm Not Here For Anything

No one was in the mood to overnight in town. They returned to the inn only to change their clothes, then Yeresym and Thelan transported everyone back to camp. Soft rain began to fall as they arrived. Dark clouds gathered overhead, edged in silver halos from the full moon behind them, warning that the rain might not remain so gentle. Thelan escorted Meira to her tent, while the rest spent the next hour inspecting the camp, battening down, tightening ropes, getting goods and equipment under cover.

Sevei finally gave his own tent a last lookover, then went inside to shed his wet clothes and towel himself dry. He threw on a pair of light trousers and climbed into his cold bed, where he lay in the dark for some time mulling over the day's events. The rain began to pick up, tapping rhythmically on the canvas of his tent and lulling him into a light doze. Sevei was grateful for it. If Gendaran Urskatha might think of pulling any kind of stunt, the weather should deter him, at least for tonight.

Just as his drowsy thoughts meandered to Kyrzhan, and whether Prince Rendrick had gone to visit him after dinner... and what they could be doing right now... a breeze blew across his face, and his scalp tingled with a static charge in the air. He opened his eyes to see a hulking shadow standing at his bedside. Sevei smiled.

"Yeresym?"

He only jumped a little bit when the candle on the table beside the bed lit itself. Yeresym stood looking down at him with an unsettled expression.

"Meira is still talking to Thelan, and...you said I could come over if..."

"Yes!" Sevei's smile grew. He quickly scuttled over in bed, patting the mattress under the blankets. "Of course! Come on in."

"I'm not here for... anything..." Yeresym said anxiously.

Sevei sighed.

"Do you think that's all I want you for?" he replied gently. "You don't have to be here for anything. If you just need a friend, I can behave." He lifted the blankets. "Hurry and get in. It's cold."

The blankets slid off of Sevei's bare torso as he pushed one of his pillows over, and Yeresym froze. His lips opened, then closed again into a firm line. "I can see why you're cold," he muttered reproachfully.

Sevei chuckled. "I'm just comfortable this way, but there's a tunic on the chair behind you. Toss it over and I'll put it on."

Yeresym turned to eye the garment in question, then looked back at Sevei, who had covered himself again.

"You don't have to," he ceded, quickly getting into bed. He lay on his back with his arms around his waist, wrapping himself up into a tidy and defensive package.

Sevei moved further away, giving him a bit more space. "Can you get the light?" he asked.

The blankets at Yeresym's waist jumped, and the candle went out.

"You are quite handy to have around," Sevei laughed. He settled his body down into the padding of the mattress, then stared into the darkness with a smile on his lips. Through the patter of rain, he listened to Yeresym's breathing – steady, but interspersed with soft, barely concealed sighs.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly.

"No."

Sevei nodded slowly. "Get some good rest, then," he said. "I suspect we'll need it for the days ahead."

He closed his eyes and tried to center himself as his mind and body began a quiet war with each other. It wasn't hard to tell what had Yeresym so anxious that he'd come over here. Sevei wasn't pleased with the night's events either. They had a plan that depended on all the pieces falling together in perfect order, and the fog of war would provide enough uncertainty without some entitled nobleman adding another obstacle.