It had become an unspoken routine overtime for the two of you to sit together like this, your hands gently slipping through Nikolai’s hair and weaving the white strands into a braid. Despite how much blood was shed with them, or how much they deflected Nikolai’s own attempts on your life, your hands would always softly card through his hair like this.

Dos-kun? Nikolai dares to break the silence with a quiet, almost soft tone. You don’t need to see his face to tell he’s not joking.