realpolitik | Leon Magnus | Stahn Aileron

[oh, you know.

things, stuff.

either way, the sound is just enough for stahn to think it's okay to do what it is he wants. it's a simple, selfish desire—just something he wants to do while he's close to leon and something he he do. he's never really had the opportunity before and may not again just thanks to the precarious position they're in.

so stahn's hands drop down, lightly sliding down leon's thighs, past his knees, and the guiding leon to wrap his legs around stahn's waist. and then's he'll shift to hold onto leon properly before instructing leon:]

Grab on to my neck. [he says it with a small smile—he used to do this with lilith when they were kids, carrying her back to the house when they would play in the meadows and she got too tired. it's a lot different here and now, though. when it's leon... it feels different. more intimate, more important... less of an obligation and more of something he wants to do. if leon's tired, he doesn't have to take another step right now. stahn will carry him to the bed so they can lay down.

their bed has been too big and too cold without leon in it—so maybe too, stahn just wants to stay close to leon and get wrapped in his warmth.]

[Leon's not expecting it at all, of course. His eyes flutter open when Stahn's hands slide down his thighs--there's something incredibly intimate even about that gesture, even if it just gets Leon to lick his lips, looking at Stahn more properly. But it's clear to see what he intends a moment later, and while it's completely unnecessary...well, he's not going to argue it.

Not now, not after everything they've said and experienced and felt since he walked into that room.

So he doesn't say a thing to that, instead shifting to properly wrap his legs around Stahn and to wrap his arms loosely around his neck.

It's silly, in a way. It's just a few paces away, after all. But if this is what Stahn wants, then Leon has no reason to really fight it. He's fine with this.

... Though when Stahn picks him up, he does glance over his shoulder at his messy desk, making a face. Ah...right...]

This.... what a mess.

[He knows what happened here but even so what a mess.]

[well, leon wouldn't be leon if he didn't ruin a moment with something completely ridiculous.]

We can worry about it later... [stahn's not really having any of it right now, shutting down that argument almost as quickly as it arises. he'll be able to laugh awkwardly about it after leon gets some rest, but...

well, he's got a pretty stable grip on leon, shifting his hands to carry leon's weight bottom-side. it's easier for him to walk that way—even if it is only a few paces. he's gentle in his motions though, treating leon with a certain amount of care... not too delicate, of course, but still considerate of how tired leon is.

and when he arrives at their bed, he'll lean over to set leon down. stahn won't take his spot on the best just yet.]

Do you need anything else? Do you want tea? [he knows he could ask marian to make some if leon would like it before he sleeps. stahn knows his routine well enough, he knows that leon likes his nighttime tea with milk and honey because it helps him to sleep better. stahn's willing to do so himself if that's what it takes, but he can't settle down unless he knows that leon is completely okay.]

[Of course.... well, Leon's too tired to really kick up a fuss, so Stahn'll get his wish here; Leon just makes a vaguely discontent noise and lets it go. (But seriously, look at it, his desk is a disaster zone!!)

More importantly, it's incredibly nice to be set into bed. Bed is soft and warm and the promise of being able to fall asleep already gets Leon's eyes to start drooping again. So when Stahn fusses over him, if gently, Leon just snorts softly under his breath, shaking his head and waving that all off.]

No, I do not need anything else. Just get into bed already--I am ready to sleep.

[And...well, he's not going to be going to sleep without Stahn, of course. He's gotten used to this, and he prefers it this way, even if it took them some time to realize how much more comfortable they both were like this.]

Ah...

[well, if leon says so... he's not going to argue it. he sits at the edge of the bed, taking a moment to remove his headband. but once that's done, he crawls into bed properly, immediately taking on the familiar position of wrapping his arms around leon like he does every night.

he can't help but to bury his face into leon's neck and squeeze his leg between leon's; he's wedging himself as close as he can get to leon at this point. stahn wants to be close and comfortable, because he sleeps so much better when he's got leon in his arms this way.]

Ah... I feel like I'll finally sleep right. [it's never easy to sleep when he's alone anymore, he's realized. a pillow and a cold, empty half of the bed just doesn't compare to what he's got right now—it's the most important thing in the world to stahn. he lets out a contented sigh, followed by a yawn... all the excitement drained stahn too, even if it took actually laying down to realize it.]

[It's not bad to hear.

That Stahn feels most comfortable when Leon's there...that this is "sleeping right" to him...all of these things are just as nice as how easily they slot together in bed, prepared and ready to sleep like this. It's become comfortable and normal and important, and Leon just settles there, satisfied and pleased.

Even if he just huffs faintly in response to Stahn's words, it's...mostly for show, and maybe 10% out of embarrassment.

He's honestly too fond of Stahn right now for it to be anything but that.

So he just leans in quickly, pressing his lips to Stahn's briefly, and muttering a quick:]

Shut up.

[He's ready to pass out, head already lolling to rest against Stahn's shoulder a moment later, eyes sliding shut immediately. But there's no doubt to be found that Leon's perfectly content and satisfied like this.]

Heh.

[he can't help but let that small laugh pass; leon finding a way to get even the faintest bit huffy after everything that's happened since he walked in the door is pretty funny. but he keeps it to that one brief sound as he returns the kiss and closes his eyes.]

Goodnight, Leon. [he says it contentedly. though it'll likely still be a short while before he actually falls asleep, but it's fine like this. stahn feels so warm and comfortable and at ease, despite everything.

despite the tease to his senses, it's a lot easier for him to relax when he knows that leon is safe. falling asleep will come easily enough once that while has passed—and there's no doubt it's the best sleep he's gotten in a while. even for a heavy sleeper like stahn, it's the most solid sleep with no breaks until the morning sunlight starts to filter in—something he didn't get nearly as well in leon's absence.]

[As for Leon, he passes out like someone who has been on a harrowing and dangerous mission for a long period of time and then immediately falls into makeouts after would--hard, fast and completely out cold. He's usually a pretty light sleeper, but now? Now he's entirely asleep and not about to wake up any time soon, face buried against Stahn and breathing even.

But he feels safe like this. With Stahn tucked all around him like this, Leon doesn't really have to be afraid of anything...and so, despite how close that mission was, there aren't any nightmares either. His subconscious knows he's safe like this, and that's enough.

So even when the morning light starts to shine through the window, Leon's still entirely asleep, tucked against Stahn closely, settled and clearly content like this, so quiet and peaceful and unmoving that it's almost like he's another person entirely.]

[it's still a while longer before stahn is ready to wake up; even with a solid night's sleep, he's not exactly an early riser. but that sleep once morning comes it a little more broken.

but once the sun is solidly in the sky and stahn is a little more ready to arise—well, it doesn't slip past him that leon is still in his arms, that his face is buried in stahn's chest and he seems to still be completely asleep.

he must really have been tired, stahn thinks to himself, eyes groggily fluttering open. sure enough, it's not some kind of dream. what a way to wake up; most mornings stahn is (barely) awoken by leon shifting to pry stahn off him so he can get out of bed and ready for his day. but it's not like that now, and it brings a smile to his lips. leon... he must be peaceful and comfortable this way, right? and because of that, stahn doesn't want to disturb him.

so stahn just shifts slightly in an attempt not to wake leon, enough so they're still close, but also so he can place a light kiss atop leon's head and bury his face in leon's hair. it's nice... waking up like this. being able to wake up with leon sleeping so contentedly isn't something he didn't eve.\n realizes he needed until experiencing it for himself.]

[Stahn's pretty careful, but by this late in the morning Leon's already starting to drift awake himself, regardless of how tired he was. This is so far beyond his typical wake-up time, after all--after Stahn's gentle kiss to the top of his head, Leon stirs a little, yawning without bothering to open his eyes (which, honestly, is just another sign of how much he truly does trust Stahn).

Ultimately, though, sleepy and still-dozing Leons are pretty simple, which is why Leon just slowly tucks himself closer to Stahn, sighing contentedly, still in that space between being awake and being entirely asleep.

Seems he's affectionate enough like that, though, without any of the typical hesitations holding him back.]

[this is fine with stahn; he knew it would only be a matter if time before leon started to wake anyway. it's close enough to when stahn normally arises, but well past that time for leon. it's telling of how tired leon had to have been...

but all the time, the fact that he's not immediately pushing himself to sit up and get out of bed is nice too. everything feels so warm, so... like home, and stahn is absolutely content to hug leon a little closer.]

Good morning. [stahn's voice is quiet, still frogged from sleep—but it's still a warm and loving sort of tone, one that is genuinely as content as could be to wake up this way.

he missed this a lot. even if leon is not usually in bed when he wakes up, the fact that he got to sleep the night this was is enough to ease the tensions that come with sleeping alone.]

[All Stahn gets in response to that good morning is a muttered, muffled complaint into his chest. Leon might be waking up, but he doesn't seem all too happy about it, groggy as he feels. He's just too comfortable to really be prepared to get up and face the day, content as he is in this position and like this.

So Leon just responds with that quiet grumble before shifting under the blankets to wrap an arm around Stahn properly in turn.

Aka less talking, more sleepy cuddling. He knows what he's about during times like these.]

[there are no complaints here.

he still wanted to wish leon a good morning regardless, because it's just what feels right to him. but he doesn't mind the silence either, not when leon is pressed so comfortably against him. it's like living the dream right here, waking up so close to the person he loves most and just being able to stay that way.

stahn draws in a quiet breath, exhaling against leon's hair and just... nuzzling a bit. if sleepy cuddling is what leon wants, then he'll certainly get it with no complaints from stahn/ he'd gladly remain in bed the entire day if they could.

(he knows they can't, so embracing this tightly is what leon gets instead.)]

[Sleepy cuddling.

Leon's more than content to stay that way for another good five or ten minutes, just embracing the feeling of being snug and warm like this, of Stahn nuzzling into his hair and everything that's good in the world.

But Leon can't really stay dozing for long despite how little he wants to wake up, so slowly he stirs more, blinking his eyes open blearily finally and shifting enough to peer up at Stahn. Hm.

He's very close to Stahn right now, but also too sleepy to really mind that either--but with Stahn's face buried in his hair, the only place Leon's lips can properly find is the edge of his jaw. Sleepy, dazed affection, this is fine, he doesn't need his brain to boot back up yet.]

[there's a small, pleased sound that escapes stahn's throat when he feels leon's lips against his jaw; it's obviously far different from the jawline kisses of the previous night, so it's a much more subdued sort sound.

it just feels warm and affectionate—whenever leon is the one to express his affection, it just made stahn's whole body tingle from the warmth. he loves this. he loves leon. isn't this all he really ever wanted in the end? to be with someone who makes him happy, to live a comfortable life.

this is it.

but stahn is never to be outdone when it comes to affections. as much as he would love to remain that way and be solely on the receiving end of leon's sweet gestures, stahn has a need to return that favor. so first it's a kiss to the top of the head. then one to his forehead. then the tip of his nose until he finally meets leon's lips. each kiss is equally soft and affectionate, it's warm and sleepy and just a pure expression of how he feels about waking up this way.]

[There's nothing that isn't enjoyable about this entire situation. Stahn kisses him so softly and sweetly, and when he makes it to his lips, Leon really is helpless to do anything but gently press into the kiss, little more than a quiet, pleased noise escaping him from the back of his throat.

This is nice. Even still half asleep, this is beyond nice.

There's really nothing else on his mind right now beyond how comfortable and pleasant this is, and when he finally breaks away from the kiss, it's just to sigh, satisfied, before he finally opens his eyes properly and meets Stahn's gaze.

Ah. Right. It's morning. He thinks he...vaguely recalls Stahn telling him good morning, but he hardly remembers, honestly.]

... Good morning.

[Better late than never.]

[late is always fine—just hearing it at all is enough for stahn. he'd have been perfectly content even without that, so it's not as if it was really necessary.

there's a smile on stahn's lips though, his eyes a little less sleepy than leon's but only because he's had the extra few minutes to just soak it all in.]

How did you sleep? [he asks gently; knowing how exhausted leon was and what a rough time his mission was, he has to ask. he wants to make sure leon slept soundly. even if the peaceful way leon looked seems to speak for itself in a lot of ways, but there's a difference between what he sees and feels, and what leon feels. even if he looked peaceful, he could have has a nightmare, or slept poorly in the hours stahn was unconscious. he doesn't know, but he wants to know, because he wants to help if he can in the event it's not as it seems.]

[Yeah, Leon's definitely not waking up completely just yet; he blinks blearily at the question, and doesn't catch onto any of the connotations or hidden meanings there. That Stahn's worried about how he slept after such a close call doesn't even cross his mind in this state--but on the other hand, it means he's implicitly honest when he bites back another yawn (barely), and responds.]

Fine... I slept fine.

[He slept more than fine, really. He slept like the dead, but Leon just shifts a little to bury his face into the crook of Stahn's neck again, because it's too bright outside, and then there's the mumble--]

What time is it?

[the honesty is all stahn wants, even because what else would he wants when it comes to asking that sort of question? implications caught or not, the way leon responds is enough to ease any lingering concerns.

he's content to just rest his chin on leon's head and stay like this a bit longer, though he's almost positive once he tells leon what time it is, it'll all be lost. of course...

it also means he has to actually check what time it is, so he cranes his neck a bit to look over to the clock on the nightstand.]

...8:30, it looks like.

[In response to that, there's just a quiet mumble, even as Leon buries his face in closer, sighing softly and settling further. It's so warm and comfortable... how can it be this warm and comfortable? He'd be happy if he could stay here forever, honestly, with how this all feels, limbs still heavy from sleep but overall just...so incredibly comfortable--]

[..... wait.

What?

His eyes open then, if blearily, and he frowns to himself. 8:30? He can't remember the last time he slept that late, and there's a muffled, questioning noise before he does pull away enough to turn and look at the clock himself, startled and confused.

............................. well then.]

That is....

[...He should be getting up right about now.

Or like, you know, two hours ago.]

[at first it almost seems like it'll be fine.

...and then he pulls away, and stahn is almost fully expecting for leon to get out of the bed right away and leave him cold in the bed alone.]

You needed the rest. [it's barely even a protest, it certainly can't be considered any reason for leon to just stay with him there in that comfortable spot a bit longer. he just doesn't want leon to rush away or be upset that nothing woke him up sooner.

he was tired. he needed to sleep and be well rested above all else. it's important, something like that, so stahn will not let that aspect of it go so easily if he tries to insist otherwise.]

[It's admittedly true and Leon knows it. The king received his report, and knows just how close that mission was. He doesn't have to report for duty today--honestly, it's a day off. Sometimes, those happen, and Leon knows he has this day to himself. He could probably have the next day as well, but...

... Well, laying abed this long feels wrong even so.

But he can still tell that Stahn's watching him, waiting for his reaction, and it strikes him that this is still pretty early for Stahn himself to be up. But... maybe he wanted him to...stay...

Leon's quiet for a moment, shifting a little uncomfortably, and when he looks back at Stahn, it's with a ducked head and through messy hair, almost sheepish.]

I... suppose I do not have to get up just yet.

[If that's...okay? It feels odd, but maybe...]

[of course to stahn, it's okay.]

You don't have to work today? [there hadn't really been time to discuss any of that the night before—there was barely time for anything but each other—so stahn isn't really aware of it. it wouldn't be the first time that he's gotten a day or two off after a long and arduous mission, but there've been plenty of times when that hasn't happened as well.

though it isn't necessarily like leon's answer matters that much, since he's suggesting he could stay in bed a while longer. regardless of whether or not he reports in, if it's an offer he feels like he can make... stahn isn't about to say no. he reaches for leon's wrist, tugging in a way that's so gentle that it's more like a nudge—a quiet way of saying to lay back down and get comfortable again.]

It's getting cold... [he grumbles a little (playfully) with a pout, as if to emphasize his gesture and play down leon's embarrassment a bit. it also says "so keep this spot warm with me," but that implication is definitely obvious enough.]

[Leon just shakes his head quietly--no, he doesn't have to work today--and then Stahn is gently tugging Leon's wrist, and Leon goes along with it, allowing himself to settle back into the place he was in before, warm and cozy and tucked against Stahn. It's... nice like this, even if the expression on his face still makes it very clear Leon has no idea what he's doing.

Clearly, sleeping in and remaining abed after he's woken up are two things that are very much outside of Leon's expertise or even general experience.

He hesitates only a moment longer, before he tentatively shuffles even closer, resting his face right next to Stahn's on the pillow. It's not like anyone is going to scold him or be upset at him for not being up and awake right now, but...]

This is...unusual for me. [Yeah, it's obvious, Leon.] But even if I do not have to work today, we cannot remain abed all day.

[And yet.

He's only curling closer.]

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