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Kaeya is lost.
He should’ve realized it earlier. Maybe when he crossed the last hill… Or the one before that.
But Kaeya is well-versed in ignoring realizations until they come back to bite— and the Snezhnaya winter has sunk fangs right through to his bones.
Winter may be the season where everything dies, but the Snezhnaya winter is alive. It’s not just beasts that growl here. The trees do too. And the winds snarl, raking icy teeth against his coat as he slogged through forests, over mountains. Talk about literal frostbite.
One would think that being blessed with a Cryo vision would make Kaeya immune to hypothermia. But noooo. He’s fighting a losing battle with a blizzard. Sheer cold is an enemy his layers could not keep out.
So, despite his interest in fighting those beasts, he won’t.
Unless one tries to fight him first.
He grumbles. The goal of any reconnaissance mission is to avoid fighting unless absolutely necessary. But each time the wind tears into him— fangs at his throat, claws in his lungs, knocking snow off of branches and into his face— he’s tempted to bring out his sword and slash right back.
With a sigh, he trudges on. His goulash stash is dangerously low, and with the last hints of sunlight fading beyond the next mountain, he has to find somewhere to hunker down overnight. Quickly.
His feet, however, are slow to comply. He drags one boot up through snow and plunges it carefully down into another pile of the stuff.
Cold.
The thought pierces him, sharp and shivering. Definitely hypothermia. At least his fingers can still move, even if he can’t feel them. His index finger creaks, sweeping snow away from his feet. Clearing the way, at least for a moment, since he doesn’t want to give up here.
With exhaustion growing, he may have to give up sooner than he’d like.
There’s a body of water on the other side of this forest. He’d seen it from the mountaintop before he made his way down— that’s where he’s headed. He rations a slim serving of goulash, hoping it will stave off the worst of the chill, and turns back to the trees.
Pines and evergreens surround him. They all look the same as he traipses further in. Minutes crawl by. He follows the sound of rushing water. Or is it blood rushing in his ears?
He follows it anyway, dragging his feet through snowbanks, over rocks until, at some point, he realizes he’s no longer standing.
He didn’t feel himself fall. He’s not sure when he stopped shivering, only that he doesn’t feel cold anymore. Surely that’s a good sign?
There are lights in the distance— he blinks. No. The lights are in his eyes, behind his eyelids. Those lights.
Kaeya stretches a hand out, reaching for something, anything to help him cling to consciousness. His fingers whisper, unmoving, into snow.
❄
Awareness returns to him in fragments. Between blurred vision and murmured words, the crunch of snow. Gentle pressure on his forehead. Soup in his mouth.
Most of all, warmth. It burns him so much he thinks he should’ve melted by now—
Kaeya snaps awake so fast the room spins. He thinks it’s a room, at least. A few more blinks confirms it.
He’s in a bed that doesn’t belong to him, wrapped up in blankets that don’t belong to him, wearing clothes that don’t belong to him—
Wait.
He’s not wearing clothes at all.
Sheets rustle behind him— he’s not alone—
“Good morning,” someone says quietly, as if they know just how much Kaeya’s head hurts. “How are you feeling?”
Oh no.
Kaeya rolls over, eyes landing on a man— a stranger.
A pretty stranger, no less. Amber hair, cobalt eyes, pale lips that show no hints of being kissed— a shame, really.
Kaeya frowns. “Where am I?”
The other man raises an eyebrow, mouth lifting into a smile. “You’re in my bed.”
Kaeya feels the flush creeping up the back of his neck. He usually remembers names, and he’s not one to forget overnight— even when there’s dandelion wine involved. But he shuts the shame out of his voice, replacing it with confusion. “Who are you?”
Blue eyes blink, revealing nothing. But the stranger’s lips part, and Kaeya is granted a name. “Ajax.”
“How did I get in your bed, Ajax?” Kaeya presses his temple and grimaces.
“With your charms, of course!” Ajax leans forward, resting the back of his hand against Kaeya’s forehead. After a moment, he leans back, slumping down into the blankets. “And the fact that you were suffering from hypothermia.”
It’s Kaeya’s turn to blink. “Hypothermia, huh.”
“Yep.”
So it wasn’t a dream. Kaeya squeezes his eyes shut. “Is that all?”
“Well, your case was rather severe,” Ajax says thoughtfully. “Stripping in the middle of a blizzard means you were pretty out of it, so I brought you here to recover.”
There’s no room for Kaeya to be embarrassed, but his cheeks still blaze at the thought of being taken care of. He’s long since outgrown that— and turns to face the pillow.
Fabric rustles. Another blanket settles over Kaeya’s shoulders. Warm and heavy, it shields him from those thoughts.
“Any idea how long you were out there?”
Kaeya shakes his head, nosing the pillow. It smells of citrus and cedar. “It’s all still a bit fuzzy.” He cracks open the eye not smushed into the pillow. “What about you? Why were you out there?”
“I live here.” Ajax shrugs. “Don’t run into strangers often, so you can’t blame me for being curious.” Slowly, he reaches over, hand moving toward Kaeya’s hair—
Kaeya knows better than to bite the hand that saved him. So he raises his arm, intercepting that hand with his own.
Palms meet. His fingers trace calluses and scars that tell him Ajax is a swordsman— a hunter. Which begs another question. “Why did you save me?”
Ajax’s eyes drift to their joined hands before flicking back to meet Kaeya’s gaze. Whatever he sees prompts him to answer. “‘Cause it was the right thing to do.”
It’s definitely not that simple. It can’t be. “Yes, I am the right thing to do.”
Ajax sucks in a breath. He turns it into a laugh before Kaeya can discern if there was a gasp hidden somewhere in it. “Not right now, you aren’t,” he says, offering Kaeya’s hand a squeeze before letting go with a cheeky grin. “If we do anything, I wanna be sure you’ll remember it.”
Apparently Kaeya’s mouth moved before his still-spinning head could catch up. And now he’s lost for words.
“I’ll bring you some more soup.” Ajax’s gaze lingers on Kaeya a moment longer. He turns, rising from the bed.
Kaeya watches him go— then pulls the blankets over his head.
Well, fuck.
❄
Kaeya doesn’t usually doze off in the bath. He’s not in the habit of letting himself get exhausted when baths are all about indulging— scrubbing clean, then soaking in hot water until it grows cold enough for him to seek comfort in a fluffy towel.
But there is truth hidden beneath cedar-scented soap bubbles and water-wrinkled skin. While his body may have survived his fight with hypothermia, his mind is still tired. Tired enough for the bathroom door opening to wake him. Kaeya jolts in the tub, water sloshing.
Ajax peers in around the frame. “It got quiet in here, thought I’d check on you.”
“Well, come in, then.” Kaeya waves a casual hand, flinging water droplets onto the floor. “Don’t just let all the steam out.”
Ajax chuckles, stepping in and hastily shutting the door behind him. He turns back to Kaeya. “Did you fall asleep—” His mouth opens in dismay. “Oh gods your hair— why didn’t you dry it?”
Kaeya returns the question with a raised eyebrow at Ajax’s hair. Ginger strands stick up in every direction— telltale bedhead. “You’re the one that fell asleep.”
“You weren’t far off yourself,” Ajax teases, plucking a towel from a shelf and making his way over. His gaze veers off of Kaeya’s face, slipping over skin and scars until it stops, lingering on the soapy water between Kaeya’s knees.
Kaeya’s lips curl into a smirk. “My eyes are up here—” he baits, waiting for Ajax to look back up before continuing. “I don’t blame you for being curious.”
Ajax unfolds the towel, hazarding a step closer. He motions to Kaeya’s hair. “May I?” he asks softly.
“Do you even know what to do?” It comes out more scathing than Kaeya intends, if only to mask the surprise fluttering in his chest. He’s no stranger to flirting, but it’s different without alcohol or an audience involved.
“Well…” Ajax trails off, biting his lip. “I don’t know what you like, but I promise I know how to style hair! I helped my siblings out a lot—” he cuts himself off, too abrupt to be painless.
Kaeya slumps further into the tub. He closes his eyes. “Knock yourself out.”
Despite his words, Kaeya is the one lulled back to almost-sleep as Ajax untangles his hair. From end to root, strands are unwound and toweled dry— then carefully pulled away from his face and done up somehow. Maybe a chignon?
The back of his neck is exposed. He can feel Ajax’s breath on his shoulder, skimming lightly as Ajax puts on finishing touches. “Done,” Ajax whispers.
The word stings the skin like a kiss, and Kaeya turns his head. Perhaps too quickly, as his nose brushes Ajax’s—
Ajax stumbles back, sprawling onto tile. “S-slow down,” he chides, hand over his heart, “you’re still recovering—”
“I can still sweep you in a spar.”
“Wanna bet?” Cobalt eyes glint with mischief.
Kaeya rises to his feet, air crackling with magic to bring out his sword. Water sluices down his arms, dripping off the end of the blade— onto Ajax’s shirt. “Put your money where your mouth is.”
Ajax’s gaze slips to Kaeya’s mouth before shamelessly dipping further south. “There’s other things I’d prefer to put my mouth on,” he says, grinning as their eyes meet again.
Cobalt burns with something wicked. Kaeya melts with it.
❄
Freshly outfitted in warm leggings and a loose tunic, Kaeya watches Ajax move furniture around— clearing room by the fireplace to spar. End tables are pushed aside, rug hastily rolled up and laid on the couch, couch relegated to a corner… it’s too quick to be natural.
“Do you spar with all your guests?”
Ajax pauses next to the fireplace. “Only the pretty ones.” He pulls down the ornamental swords from the wall above the mantle, tossing one to Kaeya.
Kaeya catches the scabbard with his left hand and draws the blade with his right. Metal unfurls from lacquered wood, gleaming— the blade’s edges, however, are blunt. “You tell all your guests that?”
“Heh.” Ajax scratches the back of his neck, hints of a blush on his face. “I rarely have guests.” He sets his scabbard on the couch, changing the subject. “Let’s say… best of three, to disarm only— your weapon touches the ground, your loss.”
“Good. I’d like to keep my arms.” Kaeya startles a laugh from Ajax. “What’s the wager?”
Ajax narrows his eyes, mouth curling up like Kaeya has walked into a trap. “Winner’s right is an honest answer to one question. Three bouts, three questions.”
“Very well.” Kaeya lifts the sword, tilting the blade. It’s lighter than his own. Shorter, too. He sets the scabbard on the windowsill, rolls his shoulders, and lays a trap of his own. “On your mark.”
Adrenaline sings in Kaeya’s veins, but he focuses on Ajax’s face— watches lips part, the shape of a word slipping between them— and lunges on that mark.
The element of surprise rarely works the way Kaeya expects it to. But he knows it works. So when he grabs the neck of Ajax’s shirt and pulls him in close, enough for lips to skim the corner of Ajax’s mouth as Kaeya shifts his balance, toppling them both, he grins when he hears a clang.
Ajax has one arm wrapped around Kaeya’s shoulders— keeping Kaeya’s head from hitting the floor. The other braces against the couch to prevent complete collapse.
Kaeya waves the arm that still holds his sword, tip pointed to the ceiling. “My win,” he breathes.
Ajax huffs. Hot air glances over Kaeya’s cheeks. “Your win,” he admits, helping Kaeya stand before collecting his sword. “Your question?”
“How many guests have you had here?”
It tumbles out in a rush, but Kaeya does not regret it.
Ajax raises a hand to his mouth to muffle a laugh. “Well, you’re not the only guest that’s been here… but you’re my only guest."
Adrenaline gives way to satisfaction. Beneath it, desire simmers. Kaeya can’t ignore the thrill in a spar— fighting to outwit, not injure— he also can’t ignore that Ajax is easy on the eyes. Spars are opportunities to check out your partner. Thoroughly.
“Ahem.” Ajax clears his throat, pulling Kaeya’s eyes away from his thighs and up to his mouth. “On your mark,” he taunts, smirking with a hint of teeth— leaving Kaeya to imagine those teeth marking his skin.
It would sting— copper bursts in Kaeya’s mouth. He takes a shuddering breath. When he lifts his sword, his hand is steady. “Mark.”
Ajax’s empty hand blurs towards Kaeya’s face— he ducks that outstretched arm, blocking the sword he knows is coming.
The clang arrives, resounding up his arm. “Well met,” Ajax says, stepping back.
Kaeya follows that step. Advancing, he slashes— clang. Ajax parries it easily, sidestepping. Metal hums as he drags his blade through the parry. Step. Counter. Step. Slash. By the time Kaeya realizes Ajax is leveraging the sword’s guard— with enough speed and pressure, breaking a wrist is child’s play— he’s a second from being forced to let go.
Kaeya lets go early, sword clattering to the floor. “Oops,” he says smoothly, leaving the illusion of a mistake. “Your win.”
Ajax furrows his brow, questioning his victory, but turns to Kaeya. “Your name?”
“Kaeya.”
“Kaeya,” Ajax repeats, tongue dragging over his lower lip to taste the name. “Pick up your sword, and don’t hold back.”
Kaeya swallows. The grip is heavy in his hand because Ajax has made it so. “Your mark.”
Ajax strikes without a word. Kaeya dips into a lunge, parrying and countering. Clang. Riposte. Clang. The sounds echo off their swords, mirroring Kaeya’s heart in his ribcage. Their pace increases, each advance bringing them closer, closer, swords blurring until cold metal meets the side of Kaeya’s throat— and Kaeya’s blade is poised against Ajax’s neck to match.
They stay there for a moment, breaths quick and ragged, pushing back against the blades.
“I’ll drop my sword if you drop yours?” Ajax suggests.
“Count of three,” Kaeya confirms. “One… two… three—”
Neither of them let go of their weapons.
Ajax chuckles. “A draw, then.” He lowers his blade, setting it to rest with the fireplace poker. “We both get a question.”
Kaeya places his sword next to Ajax’s. “Why the spar?”
“Habit,” Ajax confesses with a smile. “A bad one, perhaps… not the best way to meet new people.”
“Maybe not for first meetings—” Kaeya shrugs— “but they’re definitely a way to get acquainted.” He raises an eyebrow. “Your question?”
Ajax takes a step, then another, a hand rising to touch Kaeya’s cheek. “I’m gonna kiss you—” wait, that’s not a question— “any objections?”
Instinctively, Kaeya covers Ajax’s lips with his hands. A blush sweeps up the back of his neck. “Not my mouth,” he says, which isn’t a total objection.
Ajax’s lips are warm as he smiles against Kaeya’s hand. “You’re a talker, huh.”
“How else am I going to tell you what I like?”
“Go on, then,” Ajax murmurs, taking Kaeya’s outstretched hand and placing a kiss on the pulse point on his wrist instead. “I’m listening.”
So Kaeya tells him. He tells Ajax to kiss his neck, tells him there and harder and bite me to bruise—Ajax trails hot, wet kisses down Kaeya's throat and bites where neck meets shoulder, savoring.
Teeth scrape Kaeya's collarbone, close over a nipple through the tunic and Kaeya wants more. He wants the wall at his back, Ajax between his thighs— not just because his knees feel weak. Slowly, he takes a half-step toward the wall—
Ajax follows the movement with a knowing smile. He nudges Kaeya back, back until Kaeya is flush with the wall— and Ajax is flush with him. Kaeya groans at the friction.
“Feeling alright?” Ajax asks. “Not too tired to use your words?”
Irritation flutters in Kaeya’s gut. Grinding his hips down only makes it worse. “Don’t tell me you wanna take me to dinner first.”
Ajax’s laugh rumbles against Kaeya’s ribs. “I wouldn’t mind,” he says. “You didn’t have a lot for lunch.”
“...You can’t be serious.” Kaeya should be touched by the concern, but he’d rather be touched by Ajax’s hands. Everywhere.
Ajax sighs. His brow furrows, and frustratingly, he takes a step back. “If all you want is a quick fuck, I’ll take you right there against the wall.”
Kaeya swallows, searching for a shred of rationality. “Or?”
“Eat first. Then we take our time.” Ajax pauses, letting the promise in his words sink in. “Can you wait?”
The challenge prickles the back of Kaeya’s neck. He rises to meet it. “What’s for dinner?”
❄
Kaeya sits on the rug by the hearth, savoring the warmth. Flames dance, sparks crackle, and Kaeya’s skin tingles under Ajax’s gaze— ready to ignite at the slightest touch.
“See something you like?”
Ajax grins, sharp enough for Kaeya to cut his lips on. “I can’t believe my shirt looks better on you.”
And then his words are soft. Damn him. Irritated, Kaeya whips the shirt off. “I don’t know about that,” he says, tossing it to hit Ajax in the chest. “I haven’t seen you in it.”
Without hesitation, Ajax rucks up his shirt and pulls it over his head— revealing toned muscles tangled with scar tissue.
“Nevermind,” Kaeya blurts. “Shirt looks better on me, your pants would look better on the floor…”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“They’re in my way.”
“Why don’t you take them off?”
“Come over here and I will.” Kaeya rises to his knees, inviting Ajax closer with one curled finger— and hooks that finger around the waistband of those pants. Fabric gives, and Kaeya drags it down, down, out of the way. And pauses.
Ajax is half hard. His cock blushes against his thigh and grows harder under Kaeya’s gaze.
Want punches air out of Kaeya’s lungs. His knees shift out, settling into carpet as he leans forward to taste— but is stopped by Ajax’s hand on his forehead.
“You’re cute,” Ajax tells him, kneeling down until they’re nose to nose, “but I don’t want you ending up with a sore throat.”
Kaeya flushes. “I’ll be fine.”
“Uh huh.” Ajax pushes on Kaeya’s forehead until his back sinks into carpet. Their breaths mingle in the firelight. “You were thinking about walking out of here tomorrow, weren’t you.”
Maybe Kaeya was, but not now— now, when he’s close enough to watch cobalt burn. “How about you make that impossible, then?”
Oh, how it burns. “Turn over,” Ajax growls.
Kaeya’s leggings are too tight. He shucks them off, finally nude, and lowers himself to the carpet. The fire crackles warmly next to him, but it cannot compare to the weight of Ajax settling over him, hands pressed over his own— the damp heat of Ajax’s tongue as it glides down his spine, mouthing kisses into divots, lower and lower—
Ajax’s hands drift to Kaeya’s waist, then slip underneath to stroke him. Kaeya hisses as Ajax’s thumb brushes over the head of his cock, turns his head to glower. Ajax brings that thumb to his lips, licking.
Kaeya’s hips stutter into the floor. “How do I taste?” he manages, aiming for sultry.
“Hmm…” Ajax lowers his chin to rest on Kaeya’s ass, pretending to consider— and smirks. “Desperate.”
Kaeya flounders for a retort, but Ajax’s chin slides lower and then his tongue is inside and there’s no room for Kaeya to argue when it’s true. Well, Kaeya could argue if he really wanted to— but he’s busy clenching fingers into wool. He moans, toes curling, and thrusts back.
Ajax obliges. He kneads Kaeya’s ass, fucks him open so he can fill him up— and damn, Kaeya is desperate.
Desperation is written in the arch of his back, the splay of his legs, the ache between his thighs. Kaeya is greedy. He wants, even when he knows he shouldn’t— but Ajax makes Kaeya feel like he should anyway.
Kaeya grits his teeth. Air crackles, loud enough for Ajax to pause. A vial appears between fingers and carpet, and Kaeya shifts one arm, bracing as he holds out the vial.
Ajax’s snatches up the vial, blinking at the label. “This is medicinal,” he says after a moment. “Do you ever use things for their intended purpose?”
Kaeya snorts. “You’re intending to fuck me, so I don’t see a problem.”
“Heh.” Ajax grins and pops the cork off, tilting the vial sideways. Oil glazes over his fingers. “I’m looking at one.”
He stretches Kaeya, fingers brushing spots that make Kaeya gasp and staying long enough to tease, curling until Kaeya is pliant and then curling some more. Ajax carves out space that Kaeya craves to be filled.
And when Ajax withdraws his fingers, he’s quick to replace them. He turns Kaeya on his side, straddles Kaeya’s leg and hooks the other over his shoulder— he sheathes himself into that space so Kaeya is not empty.
No, Kaeya is full enough that he aches with something else entirely. “Move.”
“In a minute.” Ajax rakes a hand through his hair, sweeping it away from his forehead. “Lemme look at you.”
“You really like what you see, huh.”
Ajax’s cock twitches. His cheeks glow tomato-red, and he snatches Kaeya’s hand, threading their fingers together. “You feel good around me, too,” he admits— then his hips slide back and he thrusts in, slow and hot.
Kaeya shudders, head falling back. He hasn’t been fucked like this— languid and deep, filthily sweet— fond enough that it could be considered making l—
That he even has time to consider is dangerous. “Faster,” he groans. "I won't break."
"Then fuck yourself on my cock, love."
Endearment burns in Kaeya’s chest. He strains his core, easing back until Ajax’s cock slides out, and pushes him to the floor. His eyes don’t leave cobalt as he straddles Ajax, lining himself up and sinking down, down, taking all of Ajax’s cock and oh fuck those are stars behind his eyelids—
Rising on shaky thighs, Kaeya sinks down again— only this time, Ajax rolls his hips. Kaeya loses the air left in his lungs. “Fuck—”
Ajax laughs, bright and warm, and Kaeya can feel it go right to his dick and that’s unfair. It’s unfair how relaxed he looks as Kaeya rides him, unfair how he thrusts up to meet Kaeya, unfair how he runs his free hand down Kaeya’s chest and stops on his abs— like he knows just how deep Kaeya takes him inside.
Ajax’s thumb runs down the side of Kaeya’s palm— Kaeya shivers. He comes, untouched and spent— but still he wants. So he tightens his core, clenching hard, and reaches to cup Ajax’s cheek. “Come.”
Ajax spills into Kaeya. His mouth parts in surprise, as if his body betrayed him— and he blushes crimson down to his chest. He’s the definition of disheveled— and that’s unfair too.
Despite all the unfairness, Kaeya smiles.
He has all of tomorrow to get even.