Archive of Our Own ^beta

the leaves on the forest floor were still damp from the earlier rain, the air cool and fading to a mist that curled lazily along the tree line. the downpour itself had stopped only moments earlier, and karroch watched droplets race down towards the opening of the tent where they fell. he enjoyed watching them fall silently onto the leaves, occasionally splattering against the edge of the bedroll he and banehallow were laying on. he ran a finger through the collected moisture, drawing lazy circles.

banehallow, plastered to karroch’s back, made a low rumble. his nose pressed into the beastmaster’s neck, making soft chuffing noises and running his hand down karroch’s flank, soothing any nail marks left behind from earlier activities. karroch felt banehallow’s nose trace higher, nuzzling against the soft hairs at the base of his neck, lips following gently.

the rain had left them both a little damp, mixing with sweat. karroch had no doubt his lover could taste that on his skin. he reached down, pawing lazily until he found banehallow’s hand and curling their fingers together. he brought their connected hands up and brushed a kiss to his knuckles before holding them to his chest, humming contentedly.

karroch felt banehallow shift slightly, pressing his face into the crook of his neck, releasing a final huff before settling again. the rain had resumed falling, beating softly against the top of their tent. the smell of earth was already thick, but in the cooling night it was comfortable.

karroch doesn’t remember a time he felt more content.

banehallow squirmed once more behind him, moving to nuzzle his face into karroch’s hair. his hand squeezed in their combined grip, dragging down around karroch’s middle where his arm squeezed again. karroch let out a soft snort, arching his back against banehallow’s chest affectionately. a hug from his wriggling werewolf.

they were still for a few more moments before banehallow adjusted again, and karroch sighed lowly. “bane?”

“да?”

“stop squirming.”

banehallow froze at that, apparently not aware he had been fidgeting so much. he mumbled an apology into karroch’s hair, trailing back down to run the tip of his nose over his lover’s ear. it made karroch snort again before he released banehallow’s hand, shuffling until he turned over, facing the werewolf. his golden eyes were filled with nothing but adoration, and one of his hands came up to trace karroch’s cheek.

“мои олени,” banehallow crooned softly, leaning in to press his forehead against karroch’s, affectionately bumping their noses. my deer.

“волк король,” karroch responded, smiling gently. he was familiar with banehallow’s use of pet names in their shared language, returning them in kind. wolf king.

“мой храбрец.” my brave. one of karroch’s secret favorites from the werewolf, the literal meaning from lionheart. banehallow’s smile widened slightly, his hand moving to brush through karroch’s hair.

karroch hummed, letting his eyes close as banehallow’s fingers combed through his hair, scratching gently, untangling small snags before repeating the gesture.

“мой охотник,” karroch finally said, practically a sigh. my hunter. banehallow was the one with stockpiled sweet names, but he seemed to be making some kind of game.

“кролик,” banehallow murmured, though karroch could hear the edge of a smile. rabbit. a cheeky nickname, one that made his heart beat a bit faster, used when they chased each other around the woods.

he felt banehallow brush noses again, this time dropping a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“тигренок.” tiger cub. another kiss. karroch opened his eyes, locking with banehallow’s. the werewolf paused, a slight guilty look crossing his face. karroch had come to recognize it meant he was more embarrassed than anything, or seeking permission.

karroch gave a slight nod, moving forward to return the small kisses before letting his lover continue.

banehallow removed his hand from karroch’s hair, tracing along his jawline, then cupping his cheek. karroch tilted his head into the calloused palm, humming before closing his eyes.

“медвежонок.” teddy bear.

“Лучик.” ray of light.

“возлюбленная.” sweetheart.

“Повелитель зверей.” beastmaster.

karroch opened his eyes, the hint of a smirk on his lips before whatever retort died on his tongue. banehallow’s face was focused, his brow drawn together. it worried karroch for a moment, worry and something almost like fear in his golden-yellow eyes. there was also, strangely, the familiar look of intense adoration.

banehallow leaned in slightly, pressing their foreheads together and taking a deep breath before opening his mouth again.

“мой долгожданный,” he whispered, eyes searching for any kind of reaction. the name always clenched karroch’s heart, and he was sure that if he had been standing, his knees would have gone weak. reserved for intimate moments such as this one, it wasn’t a pet name banehallow used lightly. for both of them, it meant so much. the years stuck in slom court, hounded by the last mad king. the years they were apart, nearly forgotten in each others lives except for a small spark of comfort in memories. the years they had competed in defending ancients, barely brushing past each other and not even knowing it. the years of wondering.

my long awaited.

karroch’s throat felt tight, and he kept silent as banehallow traced his thumb adoringly across his bottom lip. the cold night air had turned warm again, enclosed in their tent.

“моя любовь,” banehallow finished. karroch’s heart squeezed, his chest and throat stung with overflowing warmth. banehallow’s eyes darted away, shy once again, but karroch raised one of his own hands to tilt his attention back.

“моя любовь,” karroch replied.

my love.

banehallow’s eyes softened, his brow relaxing and once again taking on such an affectionate look that karroch felt the sting of tears at the corner of his eyes. karroch wasn’t new to the expression, often catching the werewolf staring at him while cooking or patching up their supplies. the yellow of his eyes was warm, and his mouth set in an easy smile. the few moments karroch caught banehallow looking, he had felt… safe. cared for. adored and protected. loved.

karroch drew banehallow close, wrapping an arm around his waist while the werewolf cupped the back of his head. their kiss was slow, with no sense of urgency or need to push further. banehallow’s mouth tasted like all the sweet words he had said moments ago, each syllable curled under his tongue and around his fangs, and karroch chased them all until they needed to break apart for breath.

banehallow pressed a singular kiss to the corner of karroch’s mouth, and a pleased rumble rolled through his chest.

“я люблю тебя.”

i love you.