There was something comforting about gathering around a table with their lady Cygnus at the head, as they bickered and teased and roughhoused. And despite the fact that he could regarded as strange for it, Mihile found himself spacing out, a warm smile twitching on his lips.

This was home at its finest; Hawkeye making crude jokes to Oz about how she had cooked that night, and getting singed in return. Empress Cygnus sheepishly trying to come between them, her gentle voice barely heard over their shouting. Irena, with an older sisterly smile, stepping on Oz's foot under the table to make her think that Hawkeye did it. And last but not least, Neinheart pushing his chair out with a halting screech, before standing and shouting at all three of them. This was the family Mihile chose.

"-And don't think I didn't notice that, Irena!"

Ah, but there was someone missing, Mihile noticed as he glanced around the table. The chief Nightwalker wasn't present.

Mihile found himself picking out the least burnt pieces of food on his plate and pushing them to the side while he ate the burnt ones. Afterwards, he stood from his seat.

"Please excuse me," The chief Dawn Warrior bowed, before walking out the door, plate in hand. In his wake, the knights, tactician and empress exchanged confused glances.

Outside, it was mostly dark, but lit by a full moon. The stars twinkled overhead in a dark blue sky, shaping beautiful constellations. Mihile found himself smiling up at Cygnus, the Swan, and found it comforting that just as he watched over the Empress, the constellation she had been named for watched over him.

He made his way to a tall tree in which he knew a particular Nightwalker would be sitting in.

"Eckhart! Hello?" He shouted upwards, squinting to try and make out the man's shape in the branches.

Silence. Mihile sighed; he would have to do this the hard way. He set the plate down on the ground and began to climb the tree.

It wasn't too hard; although the blonde hadn't climbed a tree since he was a little kid, during the few times he hadn't been worked to the bone and had been allowed to scram, he still remembered how. He determinedly made his way up until he reached a branch.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when a voice bit through the darkness.

"What do you want?"

Eckhart really did sound irritated. Maybe he should have left him alone...

"Ah, uh..." Mihile rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I brought you some dinner?"

"Leave me alone."

Mihile frowned and cupped the other man's face, tilting his head toward him, "What's wrong?"

The Nightwalker flushed and grit his teeth.

"Come on, you know you can tell me anything."

"It's your damn height!" Eckhart hissed, and out of all the things Mihile had thought he would hear, he had expected that the least.

"My height?" The Dawn Warrior blinked.

"Yes. You're too tall," He glared. And Mihile couldn't help it; he doubled over and began to laugh.

"Don't you dare laugh at me...!" Eckhart smacked him across the head.

Ow.

"Sorry, sorry," Mihile snickered and wiped his eyes, "You're just too cute. Come on, you need to eat," The chief knight climbed down, and hesitantly, the other man followed. When he landed, Mihile couldn't repress a smile at how much shorter than him Eckhart was.

He bent down and kissed Eckhart's nose.

"...I hate you so much," Eckhart grumbled.

"Love you too."