FI winced slightly as Levi stumbled, but it only further confirmed that he had made the right choice. Mordecai certainly wouldn't be offering Johan his room, which meant the former prince would either be locked in some closet or banished to an uncomfortable, slapdash room that would make him miserable. "You don't have to do that," he said, which wasn't a refusal or an acceptance. He glanced up right after, eyes scanning over Mordecai to make sure he wasn't pushing any boundaries. "I wouldn't want to impose."
Levi flicked his attention over to his lover. Slightly—yet pleasantly—surprised at the offer. He waited for Fiori to reply before he said anything further.
“I know,” Mordecai answered flatly, though his stance didn’t match his tone. He appeared much more at ease than the first time they met. Leaning against the doorframe on one shoulder, and a decent amount of concern behind his tired eyes. Something must have shifted since their last meeting, maybe a conversation he had with Levi. “I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it. You won’t be imposing.”
Fi relaxed some as he took in the easy stance Mordecai adopted. No stress, no anger in his face. He didn't resent having to give this, and that was all Fiori needed to bow his head and accept the kind offer. He had never been good at forgoing trust anyways, it was in his nature to believe easily and accept happily what he was given. "Thank you, then." He let go of Levi's hands and straightened, forcing himself to take on a prouder posture. "You are very kind, to lend me your space. I will find some way to repay you."
Mordecai nodded his return to the appreciation, letting a small smile slip onto his expression for but a moment. It would take some getting used to having an Usigen living in the palace with them. Besides the cook, of course. He, at the very least, trusted Leviticus’ instincts enough to hold Fiori at a higher regard than he did Johan. “There’s no need, but…it would be appreciated if you insist.” He glanced back over at Leviticus, expression softening all the more. “And you, dear, go back to bed.”
Leviticus kept flicking his gaze between Fiori to Mordecai. “I can go with you-“
Fi scoffed quietly, giving Levi's shoulder a soft shove. "You are the worst person the the world," he teased as he pushed himself to his feet. Mordecai's rooms had been pointed out to him before, he was sure he could find his way back to it without any trouble. The only thing that really gave him pause was the fact that Johan was still barricaded in the bathroom, seething and isolated. It didn't feel right to leave without apologizing to him, but he wasn't so sure Johan would be receptive to it anyways. "Go. Sleep. I'll find my way to the rooms easily enough. Enjoy your time with your beloved."
Levi snickered at Fiori’s teasing and took another decently sized step back again to give his friend room to maneuver. “I know, I know.” He stood where he was for only a moment more, making sure Fi seemed to be settled to leave, before shifting to stand next to Mordecai. “Do you need anything else? Sheets, more clothes, logs for the fire? It gets pretty cold in the rooms.” Especially since it had been a couple nights since anyone had stayed in Mordecai’s rooms. Not since Levi returned home, at least.
Fi rolled his eyes. "I will be fine, Leviticus. I'm sure the blankets in his rooms are thick enough to keep me warm, and if they aren't I'm perfectly capable of finding firewood myself." He made his way over to the door slowly, lingering in the doorway. There was enough room between himself and Mordecai that he didn't feel boxed in, though truthfully most of his attention was still on the bathroom door. "Worry about yourself tonight, my friend. I'm sure I can manage to make it through a single night alone."
“Alright,” Levi finally conceded as he wound his arms around Mordecai’s bicep. “I believe in your capabilities Have a good night, Fiori… for the, uh, second time now.” He laughed softly, tiredly, without much heart behind it. Mordecai murmured goodnight to Fi as well while they passed through the doorway and made their way down the hallway towards Levi’s rooms.
Johan lifted his head from the pillow when he heard the conversation come to a close outside of the bathroom door. He didn’t dare go out into the room, though, preferring to wait for Fiori to leave first.
Fi didn't manage much more than a tight smile in return, watching at the two of them filtered back into their rooms. "I… ah… I am going to go now, Johannan." He watched the door Johan was hiding behind for a few seconds and then, when he got nothing in reply, he continued. "I apologize. It was immature of me to push you and… cruel. I was not thinking and… you deserved better." He stood, sent one last glance over at the bathroom door, and then made his way out into the hall, locking the door behind him.
It was a short walk to Mordecai's rooms from there. He was asleep as soon as he found the bed.
Johan listened to Fiori’s apology in cold silence, putting his face back down in the pillow and curling his legs up tighter, despite the ache in his ribs. He liked the closeness of the walls in the bathroom. The darkness, the silence, and space for him to sort through his thoughts. Ever since he was a child, the bathroom was an excellent space to escape to. It sounded almost foreign to hear an apology, particularly for such a cruel argument they had had. In fact, it made him feel just a bit—just ever so slightly—better about Fiori. He only unfurled himself after several moments of silence, pushing open the door just to make sure Fi had left. And when he saw the empty room, slipped back into bed.
It was strange to wake up alone. For most of his childhood Fiori had slept curled in his mother's arms, and during the teen years there were always friends to stay the night with and then, eventually Cadmus. When he had gone to train, he had slept in the same three toa tent as the rest of the soldiers, when Leviticus came they stayed in the same room and even here, despite the man's best efforts, there was Johan. It should have felt luxurious—for one there was room to splay out without worry, to shuffle and shift and make as much noise as he'd like—but in the end Fiori couldn't say that he liked it much.
The bed was cold when he woke. There was nobody to speak to as he slipped out of yesterday's clothes and changed, no jokes to share or looks to exchange, only the impartial emptiness of rooms that weren't his. He changed Mordecai's sheets and left as quickly as possible for the kitchens, not eager to linger in a place that seemed so foreboding.
Food was a must. After last night, the least he could do was bring Johan a peace offering, and this was the easiest one he could lay his hands on.
Johan surprised himself when he groggily woke up and found that he missed the presence of someone else in his bed. It had only been a few days, of course, but strangely during that time he must have gotten used to the other body warming the opposite side of the bed. Particularly when he lacked the ability to take advantage of the freedoms sleeping alone offered. Like being able to spread out, or lay on his stomach, and toss and turn between positions. He pushed the feeling aside in favor of reminding himself that this was what he’d been wishing for those past few nights. So instead of focusing on the absence, he shut his eyes and buried his face in the pillow he’d been holding to attempt falling back asleep. He certainly still felt tired enough, though sleep never came.
Fi found himself wandering the halls instead of returning to the rooms he shared with Johan, not eager to face the damage he'd caused in the light of day. It had been so easy last night, that was what cut him most deeply. For years he had worked to be good, to shrug off the burdens of soldier hood and the shadow of his uncle, and yet when it came down to it, he was still cruel before he was kind.
Eventually his feet made their way back despite the way he stalled, and he found himself face to face with the door. The plate of food he'd gathered were things Cora had assured him Johan enjoyed, though he wouldn't put it past her to add something disgusting just to spite him. He hadn't quite spilled his guts to her, but she understood enough to look at him with coldness behind her eyes. But he was stalling again, by thinking about that. This was no time to feel sorry for himself, this was time to act like a man and stop drowning in his own self pity.
He steadied his grip on the plate, squared his shoulders, and knocked twice at the door. "Johan? I… ah… I brought breakfast."
While he didn’t fall completely asleep, Johan stayed in a drowsy haze comfortable enough to stay still, apart from tucking the covers farther under his chin. He lifted his head up a bit when he heard the knock, quietly grunting at Fiori’s voice. Though the sound of breakfast brought his attention to the low grumble in his stomach. “Come on in,” he said dryly, then led his head fall back down to the pillow with a soft sigh.
Fi didn't let himself feel relieved as he pushed the door open, quietly making his way into the room. "Can you sit up?" he asked quietly, setting the plate off on a side table in case Johan needed help. Even if he did, he doubted his interference would be appreciated, but he still wanted to be there just in case. It felt wrong to leave Johan without any support system at all, which was why he was trying a little too hard to gain back what little they'd had together. "I wasn't sure how much to get so it might not be enough."
“Hm-mm.” Johan shook his head in response to the question despite his reluctance to move. Determination fueled his sitting up, wincing as he turned himself around and pushed himself up by his elbows. Stuffing the pillow he had claimed for his chest now behind his back to keep upright. He wiggled side to side in his place as if determining the quality of comfort, and then finally glanced over to the plate of food on the side table. He carefully avoided making any sort of eye contact with Fiori. “That looks good,” he murmured, specifically eyeing the hand pies most certainly made by Cora.
"It should be." He passed the plate over and then took a step back, avoiding Johan's gaze as much as Johan was avoiding his. His hands ached to stuff another pillow behind his back, or smooth down the blankets that wrinkled as he pushed himself up, but that sort of inasion of space would certainly be inappropriate right now so instead he curled his hands behind his back. "Is it enough? I… ah… I know your appetite is not very good, right now. I can get more if you'd like, but I don't think Cora will appreciate my presence in her kitchen again."
Johan pulled his legs up to cradle the plate against his thighs and stomach, reaching first for one of the pies. He simply nodded as he took a bite, supposing that if the food on the plate ended up not being enough, he could just ask for more. Fiori’s last statement, however, had him perplexed. He sent over a sidelong glance while he chewed, brows knit together until he had an empty mouth to speak. “Why’s that? I thought she liked you.” Taking advantage of the time it took to wait for an answer, he took another bite.
"I told her about… that." He glanced away as Johan looked at him, not quite willing to face him yet. "About last night. Nothing specific, I did not wish to embarrass you, but… enough" Cora hadn't yelled at him, but she gave him a look that made him wish she'd just raised her voice. They made food in steely silence after, punctuated by a few razor sharp comments. "She's your mother, she didn't take kindly to me provoking you. It was cruel." He hadn't needed her to tell him that, he'd been thinking about it all night.
“Oh.” Johan darted his gaze back to the plate as if he’d just remembered the happenings of last night. He set down the half-eaten pastry, idly rubbing his finger along a small section of the porcelain. He didn’t hate Fiori as much as he thought he would. In fact, he found it almost difficult—for once—to be angry about the ordeal if it hadn’t for his brother storming in. “It…yes, it was cruel,” he finally said. His features morphed into the familiar, irate expression that felt appropriate, but wasn’t wholly genuine. His anger was better suited towards Leviticus. He took the pie into his hand again, but hesitated to eat. “I’m glad she told you off.”
Fi was surprised that Johan hadn't blown up yet. The man was remarkably sedate for someone Fiori knew was easy to rile up, which left him a little off balance. He could deal with real anger just fine, but this halfhearted irritation was new and difficult to decipher and he found himself unsure of how to react. "You can tell me off too, if you'd like." He glanced up finally, head cocked slightly to the side as he finally tried to meet Johan's eyes. "You shouldn't have had to deal with that. Especially not from me."
Apparently indecisive, Johan put the pie back down again and lifted his gaze up to Fi, looking anywhere on his face but his eyes. Eventually he sorted through his thoughts enough to make eye contact for longer than a brief moment, along with holding onto his awkwardly perturbed expression. “You’re right. I…shouldn’t have to deal with it. But I do. But-but what confuses me is why are you apologizing to me? I don’t get it.” More like he didn’t get why he wasn’t seething at Fiori. “And Leviticus, why isn’t he bringing me breakfast?”
Fi frowned slightly at the questions, even more confused than before. "Because I'm the one who needs to apologize?" He gave Johan a questioning look. What sort of answer did he expect? Fiori had caused the problem, so it was Fi who needed to fix things. "It wasn't Leviticus who provoked you, it was me. So… it is my responsibility to make things up to you. I don't see what role your brother would have in all this."
Johan pursed his lips, his face warped with conflict and leftover resentment. On one hand Fiori had provoked him, as he said, and brought Leviticus into the room. And on the other it was Leviticus who hurt him the most. He took another bite of the pastry to buy some time before he answered, chewing slowly. “I should be mad at you, but I’m not,” he finally said. “Or I sort of am for making me yell loud enough for my brother to get involved.”
Fi thought about that for a few moments, more than a little surprised at the easy forgiveness. "Oh. That's all?" He met Johan's eyes easily this time, not sure what expression he should be making. He wanted to smile, but that seemed a little too cocky for the moment. "I don't mean to be rude, but… Leviticus didn't seem like he did anything. You left before he could say much, and… and you seemed very upset, for such a short encounter."
“Oh, he said plenty.” Johan cringed like the words physically pained him. He flicked his eyes away when Fi seemed more comfortable making eye contact. It wasn’t so much what Leviticus had said. It was more like how he looked. He’d looked almost like their late father then, with his face screwed up in impatience and pessimistic disappointment, placing all the blame on Johan and none on what had provoked him. There was no doubt if Fiori hadn’t spoken up he’d be isolated somewhere that wasn’t the comfort of his own rooms.
