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The Polski Cave was built in a way that made it impossible to keep secrets. Since everyone was so focused on building the reactor, no one had the time to add separate rooms. So in the end, the members of the Polish Husaria spent their nights in the cave together, with their beds cramped close to one another.
They could have set up their sleeping areas further apart, but what would be the point? They didn't exactly have a massive budget for warm blankets. Unfortunately, every Polish złoty went into the reactor and Ewron’s golden doors. And nights could get freezing, especially when you're surrounded by cold stone.
“For fuck's sake, I’m about to lose my mind…” Nexe buried his face into his pillow in annoyance. A few meters away, Ewron was sobbing quietly, with his head tucked under his blanket.
He probably didn’t want anyone to hear him, and for the most part, he succeeded. Graf and Multi were sleeping like they were dead, both of them out cold. But nothing could escape Nexe’s canine ears.
If Nexe had to be completely honest, he’d admit he felt sorry for his friend. Obviously, everyone missed Grzegorz Brzęczyszczykiewicz, that adorable little red panda who, despite his short time with them, could bring a smile to even the grumpiest person. But it looked like Ewron was taking it the hardest out of all of them.
Which was a bit silly. Not that Nexe had a monopoly on grief, but Grzegorz was officially his pet… Then again, between Nexe and Ewron, Ewron was always the more dramatic one.
And now, hearing Ewron try to hide his grief like that... It would’ve actually made him sad too, if he weren't so pissed off about the fact that he couldn't sleep through all that sobbing.
It's not like he had a weakness for sad Ewron. Oh no, no.
Nexe got up from his spot, quickly got dressed, and walked over to Ewron’s bed. He grabbed the blanket and, with one quick motion, yanked it back to reveal his friend’s tear-stained face. Ewron yelped.
“I can’t deal with you- Shut your damn mouth, Pandziarz!” Nexe hissed in a half-whisper, “You’re gonna wake the others!”
“Nexe, the hell are you waking me up for?!”
“Yeah, right. Waking you up, my ass! You weren't sleeping anyway. Come on, we're going to a dungeon. A cool one. Lots of good loot.”
Ewron blinked in disbelief, “What the fuck!? A dungeon!?”
“Yeah.”
“Now!?”
“Mhm.”
“Nexe, have you lost your mind?! It’s the middle of the night!”
Nexe rolled his eyes, “You’re not sleeping. I’m not sleeping. Come on, quit whining.” He tossed the blanket back onto Ewron’s legs, then headed toward the base exit without another word.
A few steps later, Nexe turned back and caught a glimpse of Ewron getting dressed with a sour look on his face. He smiled to himself. Ewron would never turn down an adventure with him.
“I knew you were big, but I didn't know you were so fat you couldn't even scramble out of bed.”
“Shut up, dog.” Ewron caught up to Nexe at the exit, “Since when do you like wandering around at night like this?”
“Since today. Now come on, before I change my mind.”
A few minutes later, Nexe and Ewron were walking across the meadow near their base. Fireflies danced in the air, and the moon was exceptionally bright, revealing the natural beauty of the night. As much as Nexe complained about what a shitty spot they’d picked for a base, now… He could almost admit that with views like this, it wasn't so bad.
“Nexe?”
Of course, Ewron and his big mouth had to ruin Nexe’s moment of awe.
“What?”
“You didn't happen to set a waystone near this dungeon, did you?”
“No. Why?”
“Right. So we’re walking. Great. In the middle of the night. When it’s fucking freezing.”
“Actually, the cold could do you some good.” Nexe turned back for a second and shot Ewron a goofy smirk,“For that soggy face of yours.”
“Excuse me? Soggy face?” Ewron’s tail flickered angrily.
“Yeah. It’s gonna be as red as your fur soon, man. I’m doing you a favor. Boys don't cry.”
Ewron huffed, offended, “Nexe, just because you don’t regulate your emotions in a healthy way doesn’t mean the rest of us are like that.”
Nexe’s eyes widened in disbelief, “I don’t regulate my emotions healthily?”
“Mhm. Does 'toxic masculinity' ring a bell?”
“What exactly are you accusing me of?”
“Oh, so you don’t even know.” Ewron shook his head, “Not only toxic, but uninformed too.”
Nexe’s ears flattened defeatedly, “Man, it’s too late for your lectures. Save it for the morning, please...”
Ewron didn't respond to that. A silence settled between them, lasting barely a minute.
“Nexe?”
Nexe. Nexe. Nexe. It was always only Nexe.
“What?”
“How many blocks are we walking to this 'cool' dungeon of yours?”
“Uhh...” Nexe scratched his head, “...I don’t remember.”
A gust of cold wind sent goosebumps prickling across Nexe’s skin. He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to hold onto any scrap of warmth. Damn, maybe a walk really was a bad idea…
“...Nexe, you know what I think?”
“You can think?”
“Fuck off, man.” Ewron elbowed him, “Yes. And you know what I’ve figured out? There isn’t a dungeon. At all.”
Nexe stopped in his tracks. Ewron stood right beside him.
“Crap, what? Really? No way…” Nexe tried to talk his way out of it, but he wasn't a good liar. He never was. Especially not with Ewron. Not with his best friend, who knew him inside out.
“Uh-huh. What’s the deal here, Nexe? Why did you drag me out to this...” Ewron stepped back a few paces and gestured broadly at their surroundings, “...Shithole?”
“Hm, ‘shithole' is a bit much. I think it’s nice here. Look, a firefly.” Nexe pointed at the passing insect.
“Nexe.”
“...Fine, you caught me.” Nexe sighed, “There is no dungeon.”
“So what’s this for?” Ewron insisted, “Because I doubt you care about the aesthetics of my face so much that we came out here just for me to get some fresh air.”
Nexe snorted, “You’re not that beautiful.”
Shit. He blew it. The second Ewron’s face lit up, Nexe knew he’d made a mistake.
“Not that beautiful?” Ewron’s ears and tail perked up, “So you think I’m beautiful?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. You have a tolerable face, at best.”
Ewron stepped closer to Nexe with a slow stride, “Come on. Admit it.”
Nexe looked away but didn't step back even one step, “You’re such a gay.”
It was clear that whatever curiosity Ewron had about the reason for their outing died the moment Nexe made that slip-up. His eyes were focused solely on Nexe’s face.
“I’m not the one calling you beautiful.”
“So I’m the gay one here? Yeah, get even closer and maybe I’ll believe you.”
An expression Nexe didn't recognize flashed across Ewron’s face. Ewron leaned in so close that Nexe could feel his warm breath on his skin, “Nexe…”
“Personal space…”
“I don’t see you backing out,” Ewron purred in a low, teasing tone. Nexe’s tail began to wag. He grabbed it with his hand, praying to God that Ewron hadn't noticed.
“Ewron…”
A warmth pooled in Nexe's gut. This was... This wasn't going where Nexe wanted it to go. It was too much. Nexe pulled away, taking a few steps back. Ewron’s face instantly fell and his ears flattened. He looked like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over him. Out of the corner of his eye, Nexe noticed that Ewron’s tail stilled.
“See, Nexe? That’s what happens when- When you- Fuck. When, uh-” Ewron tried to salvage the awkward situation, but his shaky voice was ruining it.
God, everything just went to hell so fast...
This wasn't why they were here. Nexe hadn't brought Ewron out here just to add to his worries.
“...Ewron.”
Ewron stopped frantically speaking nonsense, “So, you- Yeah? What is it?”
Nexe held his gaze for a moment, then shook his head. He walked a few paces away and lay down on the grass. Ewron raised his brow at that.
“Come here.”
Ewron kept his surprised gaze fixed on him, not moving an inch.
Nexe groaned, “Come on. Over here. Next to me.”
Ewron hesitantly lay down beside him, his eyes never leaving Nexe.
“I wanted…” Nexe began in a serious tone, “I heard you sobbing and I wanted to… Help you feel better. Somehow.”
They lay in silence for a moment before Ewron laughed softly, so quietly that if it weren't for Nexe’s sharp hearing, the dog hybrid wouldn't have caught it, “So you dragged me out to a meadow in the middle of the night. That was your solution.”
Nexe laughed, “Yeah. I did. Look.” He raised his hand, pointing his fingers toward the sky, “We can watch the stars.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. How often do you actually look at the stars, man? Like, on a daily basis? Hardly ever, right? Now’s your chance. Don't mention it.”
“Nexe…” A smile appeared on Ewron’s face, both disbelieving and amazed, “I don’t even know anything about stars.”
“I don’t know much either.”
Ewron snorted, “Way to go. You really nailed this one, wow. Do you even know any constellations?”
“Something’s ringing a bell. I know a bit. I think. Look.” Nexe grabbed Ewron’s face and turned it toward the sky, “You won’t see any stars if you keep staring at me like that.”
Ewron whined dramatically, “But Nexe, you’re my favorite sta-”
Nexe smacked him lightly with his tail, “Don’t you dare finish that sentence, man.”
“I’m telling the truth.”
“Yeah. Don’t shit yourself.”
“Nexe…”
Nexe, Nexe, Nexe… Secretly, Nexe loved hearing his name fall from Ewron’s lips. Not that he’d ever admit it. He’d sooner shave his head bald. But when Ewron said ‘Nexe’, it meant everything was going to be okay. It gave him comfort like few things could.
“What?”
“Alright, I see your stars. Now what?”
“See that one?” Nexe pointed to one of the constellations above them.
“I won’t believe you if you say you know what that is.”
“But I do. And you don’t believe me. That’s just how you are.”
“Yeah? Then what is it?”
“Simple. The dapper.”
Ewron burst into uncontrollable, loud laughter, “The dapper?! Holy shit, the dapper?!”
“Yeah!”
“There’s the Little Dipper, the Big Dipper, you moron, yeah, but the dapper?! Oh my god!” Ewron clutched his stomach, “My stomach, fuck, it hurts! The dapper!”
“Yeah, the dapper!”
“The dapper! I'm going to fucking piss myself!” Still laughing, Ewron moved closer to Nexe, put his arm across his torso, cuddled up to him and rested his head on his chest, “You’re unbelievable!”
Nexe smiled to himself. For a laugh that genuine from Ewron, Nexe could let him use his body as a pillow.
“Nexe, I fucking love you, y’know.”
“I know, I know. I’m amazing.”
“Amazingly stupid, maybe.” Ewron wrapped his tail around Nexe’s thigh, holding him tightly.
Nexe looked down at the red tail, “You’re such a gay.”
“Of course you’d say that,” Ewron huffed, “Are we really going back to this?”
“Nah. We don’t have to.” Nexe wrapped his own tail around Ewron’s waist.
Ewron looked at the tail in disbelief, then turned toward Nexe’s face, “Oho? Nexe, look at you!”
“Shut up or I'm taking my tail back.”
Surprisingly, it worked. Ewron rested his head on Nexe again. Nexe pulled him into an embrace.
The warmth Ewron gave off was addictive. He knew that the moment he let go, he’d feel the bite of the night air or the cold ground. Instinctively, he pressed his body as close to Ewron as possible to soak up as much of his heat as he could.
Ewron’s ears, peeking out from under the assassin’s hood, looked incredibly soft… Nexe let go of Ewron with one hand and ran his hand over his ears. Shyly at first, but with every stroke, the motion became more steady. Nexe tried to keep his touch gentle. He knew firsthand how sensitive both tail and ears could be, so the last thing he wanted to do was to accidentally hurt Ewron. Ewron seemed to melt under his touch, completely giving up on watching the stars and closing his eyes, nuzzling into Nexe’s hoodie. A loud purr escaped him as Nexe curled his hand and scratched him behind the ear.
“Man, are you…?”
“Not another word, dog.”
So Nexe didn't say anything. He just giggled silently.
Ewron didn't protest or say anything else, as Nexe’s hand went back to stroking his ears.
After a few minutes of lying there together, Ewron spoke up, “I needed this, you know? You’re so... Thank you.” His voice was so soft. So vulnerable.
Ewron didn't have to say anything. Nexe knew Ewron needed this. He needed it too. Losing Grzegorz had been a massive blow to the Polish Husaria. Right now, this sense of closeness was the only thing saving them from sadness, especially after the chaotic and sometimes miserable days they'd both spent on the server.
“Don’t mention it. It’s okay.”
“Listen… You know what the worst part is?”
“That nothing will bring him back?"
They managed to get Wojtek the bear, but would that replace Grzegorz? They both knew the answer. No, it wouldn't. It would only slap a bandage on a fresh, unhealed wound.
“No. That we still don’t know who did it…”
“Right…” Nexe sighed, “...But there’s no point in stressing about it now. Tomorrow is another day. We’ll find the motherfucker eventually.”
Ewron huffed and buried his face in the other’s chest, “You’re right,” His voice was muffled by the fabric of Nexe’s hoodie, “...Thank you, Nexe.”
“You already said that.”
“I know. But I mean it.”
“Hm…” Nexe paused for a few seconds, “I’ve got a better question. Do you feel like getting up?”
“No. You?”
Ewron’s warmth was too inviting to let go, “No.”
“Then we stay here.”
“Then we stay here…” Nexe let out a deep yawn, “This is going to be awful when we wake up in the morning.”
“Mhm. My back is going to kill me, yeah. But you said it yourself. No point worrying about that now.” Ewron paused before purring out, “So just stay with me, okay?”
“Okay…” Nexe smirked, “Just don’t drool on me.”
Surprisingly, it was relatively easy for them to fall asleep in that meadow. Under any other circumstances, Nexe couldn't see himself drifting off under the open sky, but in Ewron’s warm embrace, the task became exceptionally simple.
In the morning, a sharp sound jolted Nexe awake. Was that… A click?
He opened his eyes lazily, but above him, there was only the blue sky and clouds. He looked down. Ewron was still snuggled against him, but he must have slipped during the night, as his face was resting near Nexe’s stomach. Nexe looked a bit higher and noticed a wet patch on his hoodie.
For fuck's sake, of course.
He nudged Ewron awake.
“Wha- what is it?”
“You drooled on me.”
“Huh?”
“I told you not to drool on me. And you did it anyway. That’s just who you are. A drooler.”
Clarity slowly dawned in Ewron’s eyes as he woke up, “...And you’re waking me up like this for- For fuck’s sake, man! I’m gonna drool all over you!”
Ewron grabbed Nexe’s hand and quickly ran his tongue over it.
“Fuck, man, gross!” Nexe shoved Ewron away, who snickered.
Several minutes later, Nexe and Ewron made their way back to the base. It would’ve gone faster if they hadn't spent a few minutes amateur wrestling in the grass, but none of their trips together ever ended normally.
They were greeted by the sight of Graf, who was mounting a new frame on their wall.
“Hey, Graf! What’s up? Found another map?” Ewron asked, stepping up beside him. A moment later, Nexe joined him.
“Hey, hey. Yeah, something like that. Where were you guys last night?”
“Uh…”
“At a dungeon,” Nexe replied quickly.
“Yes. A dungeon. Man, we would’ve had such good loot, but Nexe died in lava like a complete dumbass!” Nexe shoved Ewron, who just smirked back.
“Mhm… Right…” Graf didn’t sound too convinced, “Anyway, check this out. I’m making a copy for Multi too, but I think the original can hang up here.”
“A copy?"
“Original of what?"
Graf slotted a photo into the frame. Suddenly, a massive picture of Ewron and Nexe appeared on the wall. Both of them were cuddled up and sleeping soundly in the grass.
Graf grinned ear to ear. Ewron and Nexe’s jaws dropped so low they might as well have hit the floor.
“Oh, fuck… Graf, delete that! Nexe, do something! Nexe-”
[ Nexe333 left the game ]