Work Text:
Zakai hesitated before he knocked on Valik’s door, then committed. The sound rang out in the empty hall, and it took all of Zakai’s power to stay there.
Valik opened the door, which swung silent on its hinges. “Zakai? It’s good to see you. Would you like to come in?”
Zakai nodded, stepped into the warm comfort of Valik’s room, tucked himself next to the low table. “Thank you, sir.”
Valik sat across from him, poured them both cups of tea. “Do you have something specific on your mind, or did you just want to see me?”
Zakai picked up the cup of tea, wrapping his hands around it, taking a moment to enjoy the warmth of it. “No, nothing specific. I just- feel like I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“I’m always glad to see you,” Valik replied, his voice warm and peaceful, and Zakai couldn’t help but relax into it.
“It’s not that I need anyone else,” Zakai insisted, “it’s just that I’m tired of being around so many incompetent people.” Valik couldn’t help but laugh at that. “It’s exhausting.”
“I can imagine,” Valik said, and reached across the table to rest a hand on Zakai’s.
Zakai gasped, drinking in the touch, nervous to pull away and nervous to stay still, to let himself enjoy a simple touch for a few long moments.
“How long has it been since I did your hair?” asked Valik.
“Not since I was a child.”
Valik smiled, stood up and moved around the table to sit behind the other. “Then it’s been too long,” he said.
Zakai flinched at the first brush of fingers through his hair, gentle against his scalp. He held still for the second, eyes firmly open, watching for danger.
“You can relax,” Valik said. “No one is going to hurt you here.”
Stubbornly, Zakai didn’t close his eyes, but he did lean into the next press of fingers, firm and warm, capturing all of his attention. He relaxes a little more with each brush. The warmth of Valik’s hands, the safety of the space, and his eyes droop. There’s a calmness in him, pushed deeper and deeper under his skin.
For a little while, he lets go of everything. Lets go of the stress of day to day life, of trying to live up to expectations, of being a solid pillar of virtue against the darkness of the world.
For a little while, he just exists.