✧ Honkai star rail oneshots ✧

✧ Streetlights - Sampard ✧

It was a cold, bitter night once again in Belobog; even after the eternal freeze began to thaw, he silvermane captain still felt himself shivering during many of his patrols around the city. Luckily for him, he had the night off and got to spend the next few hours shivering in his bed instead... At least, that was his plan.

Tap.

Gepard's pulse jumped beneath his skin at the sharp sound of a hard object against the glass of his window. Sighing and rolling over beneath his covers, he dismissed the noise as a stray bird or a falling branch.

Tap.

Groaning, the captain hurled himself out of bed and threw open his window, only to be met with a tiny pebble flying straight towards his forehead.

Thunk.

"SAMPO KOSKI I SWEAR TO AEONS-"

Standing outside his window with a handful of rocks was none other than Sampo Koski, who had a slightly amused but also guilty expression plastered on his handsome face. Blowing a flyaway strand of electric blue hair out of his eyes, he smirked and greeted his 'friend'.

"Woah there Geppie, don't get so worked up! If you keep frowning like that it'll give you wrinkles." The sly man shot a wink up at Gepard, and was met with his own rock being launched back down at him. Infuriatingly, he somehow managed to catch it in his spare hand, which only riled the captain up even more.

"What on earth are you doing here Koski, you know that Serval will kill me if she sees you-"

"Relaaaaax! I'm not here for any funny business, trust me!" Sampo raised his hands in a mock surrender, grinning lopsidedly the whole time. Gepard groaned quietly and looked over his shoulder; his bedroom door was still shut, but he had no way of knowing if his sister was awake or not... He prayed that she wasn't, because Serval definitely would not be happy if Sampo friggin Koski made her miss out on her beauty sleep.

Realising that the delinquent at his door wasn't going away anytime soon, Gepard leaned back out of his window, shuddering slightly at the cold.

"What do you want?"

"Why don't you come down and find out, cutie?"

Huffing and flushing a little from embarrassment, Gepard gave in to Sampo's insistence. "Alright alright! But I told you not to call me that, it's embarrassing!" He hissed through his teeth. Sampo laughed; he thought that Gepard looked like an angry kitten. Whilst this thought played on Sampo's mind, the silvermane captain tiptoed past his sister's room and down the stairs, grabbing a hoodie and a jacket on his way down. It was so cold and bitter out there... And yet there Sampo was, completely unphased, warmed primarily by the blush on his cheeks. He stood waiting for Gepard, leaning up against a street lamp with his arms folded and a smug look on his face.

The moment Gepard stepped out of his doorway, he felt a large arm being thrown around his shoulder. The captain flinched as Sampo ruffled his hair, laughing like a school-kid and smiling like a dork. Gepard shoved him off a little harder than he intended to; to be honest, he wasn't opposed to the physical touch, even though it was childish and unnecessary.

Gepard knew that his relationship with Sampo was strange. A captain and a criminal, not dating but not platonic, not enemies but not friends. It stung a little to know that the sickeningly giddy feeling that Sampo left in his stomach could only be enjoyed after dark... But Gepard was okay with that. He didn't want to risk his career by fraternising with a criminal in public... He had convinced himself that it didn't seem worth it for such a new relationship.

Deep down, he knew it was totally worth it.

✧✧✧

The pair ended up strolling through a local Belobogian park, walking side by side and huddling around the geomarrow heaters for warmth. Sampo's arm had moved from wrapping around Gepard's shoulders to sitting comfortably around his waist— as much as the captain tried to ignore the gesture, he couldn't help but notice the way that Sampo's hand fit perfectly against the dip of his hip. How every now and then he would swipe a thumb over his clothed skin, sending small ticklish sensations throughout him. How he would squeeze ever so slightly when he least expected it...

"You're in your head again." Sampo's voice caused Gepard to snap out of his daydream. "Care to share what you were thinking about?"

The horrified expression on Gepard's face revealed everything that he had been thinking moments prior. Sampo threw his head back and laughed; a deep, hearty, genuine laugh that made the captain hold his breath and savour the sound. "You really are cute, Geppie."

Gepard hid his face and elbowed him in response. Sampo clutched his side dramatically. "OUCHIEEE! What was that for!" He sighed and feigned being hurt, but Gepard felt no sympathy. Part of him was cursing Sampo for having this effect on him— Another part was still thinking about the feeling of his hands cupped against his hips.

"Let's sit down by another heater." Gepard changed the subject as he felt another chill shoot through his body. "It's insanely cold tonight."

Sampo chuckled. "Aww, am I not enough to keep you warm? That's a shame, guess I'll have to budge up even closer~" With a grin and a pounce, Sampo scooped up Gepard and bundled him into the nearest bench, practically jumping on top of him. Gepard yelped, but couldn't contain his laughter as Sampo began to pinch at his stomach and underarms. Once their laughter had died down however.... Both of their smiles fell.

Sampo had ended up straddled on top of Gepard, pinning his hands above him in a very suggestive way. Both of them now regretting sitting so close to the heater... The flush on their faces alone was enough to warm half of Belobog.

"Ah, shit, sorry-" Sampo immediately let go of Gepard's hands, and the captain beneath him scrambled into a sitting position. His face was bright red, and the soft pants he was breathing turned into soft clouds in the cool night air.

"It's um... It's okay." Gepard reassured Sampo. "You don't have to say sorry, we were just messing around is all."

"Yeah but— I didn't want to like... Hurt you or anything, yknow?" He looked away, an embarrassed smile on his lips. Gepard chuckled softly and scooched over on the bench until he was pressed against Sampo's side. Slowly, he laid his head against his shoulder and intertwined their fingers.

"Koski, I'm the captain of the silvermane guards. You couldn't hurt me if you tried."

Sampo laughed softly at the teasing, and turned back around to look at Gepard. "Oh yeah? And how do you know that? You're still yet to arrest me." He grinned, watching the way the captain's nose wrinkled at his jest. After all, it was true; Sampo Koski had never been caught before.

Gepard sighed, followed by a yawn. "If I wasn't so tired, I'd arrest you right now..."

Sampo chuckled and placed a hand in Gepard's hair as he slumped over into his side, mumbling sleepy gibberish about how he was going to finally catch the man he'd been chasing (and letting escape under his nose) throughout his whole career. With a smirk, Sampo replied to his companion's fatigue-induced threats:

"Yeah... Good luck with that, Geppie."

A/N: Hope you are enjoying the book so far!

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