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Sampo plopped down on the bed, a tired sigh pushing past his lips. The tavern was as chaotic as expected, which he couldn’t say he disliked, but it still exhausted him. Maybe spending so much time in Belobog had mellowed him out, or maybe the Masked Fools had simply evolved in his absence. It didn’t matter too much, so long as he still got his seniority perks, like the private room he was enjoying.
He was busy staring at the ceiling when his phone rang. He scoffed, ready to rip Sparkle a new one for bothering him during his beauty rest, but when he picked it up and looked at the screen, his face morphed into a soft smile. It was Gepard calling him.
They had exchanged some texts and pictures since his departure, but both of them had been caught up in their own affairs, on top of the time difference between the planets making communication even more difficult. He answered the call and gently spoke into the microphone,
“Hello?”
“Sampo,” Gepard’s voice echoed in his ear, “Sorry, is it a bad time? Hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”
“Of course not, darling. How are you doing?”
“I’m… Fine. Just got home from deployment. Fragmentum might be slowly disappearing, but those monsters are still a pain in the ass. How are things on your end?”
“You always make me worry whenever you go to the frontline,” Sampo bit his lip, “I’m glad you’re home safe. Things here are… Interesting. Got to catch up with some old pals, though I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. People here are as wicked as I remembered, maybe worse.” He turned to his side, curling into himself a little.
“I still can’t believe that you’re complaining about other people being wicked. I’m almost curious to meet them and see for myself,” he chuckled.
“Oh, trust me, sweetheart, I’d rather you did not have anything to do with these Fools.”
“You’re right. One of them is more than enough.”
“Hey! Watch your mouth!” Despite his reaction, he was grinning from ear to ear. “If anything, Geppie…”
The man hummed through the phone.
“Shouldn’t you be sleeping now? I’m assuming you didn’t get the full eight hours in your fancy tent, did you?”
“I… Yes, maybe I should, but…”
“No buts! I will not have my man neglect his health. Have you been eating well? Just because I’m not there doesn’t mean you get to let yourself go, you hear me?”
“You left me a freezer full of meals, Sampo. Of course I’ve been eating well. You really didn’t have to, by the way.”
“Good. Then why are we not sleeping, hmm?”
“Sorry. It’s just that…” some shuffling could be heard on the other end of the line, “I just really wanted to hear your voice.”
Sampo’s heart instantly melted. Though he had been sporting a smile throughout their conversation, Gepard’s admission widened it exponentially.
“Geppie…”
“Maybe it’s too cheesy, even for you. Aeons,” he groaned, and Sampo could visualize his flustered face a little too well, “It’s been weeks already. Not even your trip to Penacony was this long.”
“I miss you, too,” he whispered, absent-mindedly playing with a strand of his own hair.
“I know you have things to take care of. Don’t let this guilt you into running back too soon.”
“Oh, believe me, darling, I have no intention to spend even a second longer than I need to on this sorry excuse of a planet. These people are way too self-obsessed.”
“No comment on that one.”
“HEY!” This time he was louder, grimacing when he heard Gepard bursting into laughter.
“Thank you. Everyone here is so serious all the time, I needed a laugh.”
“Can you imagine not falling head over heels for my handsome face? You would’ve stayed boring and bitter just like them. You’re welcome,”
“Okay, let’s not stroke your ego that much. They have many qualities.”
“Oh, yeah, I know that part very well.”
“Flatterer,” he chuckled.
“Maybe you could get some time off and come visit for a weekend? I still don’t know how long I’ll be stuck here, and-”
“You know I can’t do that. Not when Belobog still needs me.”
Sampo didn’t say anything. He knew, of course, that being the Captain of the Silvermane Guards at such a critical time of rebuilding meant he couldn’t go so far, but it didn’t make it sting any less.
“I’m so sorry. I wish I could. I want to see the stars with you.”
“I got ahead of myself. Don’t mean to put that kind of pressure on you, heh.” He wondered how such a sweet conversation turned into… this. An uncomfortable silence stretched for way too long.
“I wish I could hold you right now. It’s what I always look forward to when I’m deployed.”
“You know, if going away is what gets you to say these things out loud, maybe I should do it more often,” he always reverted back to humor whenever he was unsure, but his tone of voice was too flat for it to sound humorous.
“Don’t even joke about it, Koski.”
“Ouch. Last name treatment?”
“I try to be earnest and you have to… To…”
Sampo hesitated, then groaned. “I’m sorry. I know it’s hard for you to talk about things. I… Appreciate it. It’s hard for me, too.”
Gepard sighed. “Yeah,” some more shuffling, “I know. But I was hoping you’d drop your mask, at least with me.”
“Hard to drop the mask in this place. But you’re right,” he moved his free hand from his hair to the mattress, grasping at it, desperate to hold something, anything.
Gepard yawned through the phone.
“I should let you sleep, darling.”
“I…”
“I love you. I’ll be back soon, I prom-”
“Could you… Stay on the line? Talk to me until I fall asleep?”
A smile made its way back on Sampo’s face. “Of course, sweetheart. How could good ol’ Sampo Koski ever deny you anything?”
He could hear Gepard push out a puff of air, and he liked to imagine that the corners of his lips were upturned. “Thank you, Sampo. I love you, too.”
And so, Sampo started talking. At first, he told Gepard stories about his no-longer-fellow Masked Fools. Then, about Planarcadia itself. When the blond’s breathing slowed, he moved onto describing physical sensations. Imagine my arms around you, he’d say. I’m pressing a kiss to your hair, can you feel it? He’d ask. He only dared to shut the call off when he was sure the Captain had actually fallen asleep.
And if his own rest ended up being cut short by a few hours, he didn’t particularly care.