When Hero returns to Falconreach after five years away, they don't recognize him.
"'Scuse me, Sir?" they say, coming from behind while he's checking the postings for bounties to collect in the area, waiting for him to turn around before continuing and talking like they would to a complete stranger even after meeting face to face. "It's been a while since I've had the pleasure of setting foot in this town. Like, a long while. You know anybody that can show me around? Fill me in on what I missed?"
Ash had stared at them dumbly for a few seconds—Sir? He was a knight, yes, but he was still just Ash aside from the title, he knew Hero knew that, why were they talking to him like he was a stranger—before realizing that Hero hadn't been there to see him change into the man he was now. For all they knew, he was a stranger.
For some reason, that realization hurt more than Ash expected it to.
Hero was still expecting an answer, and he complied.
"Yeah," Ash said, hoisting his Lady's sword off of his shoulder and clipping Her back to his belt so his hands were free. "Yeah, I actually know this town like the back of my hand. I can show you around myself if you want."
"Seriously? Thanks, man."
He gave them a halfhearted smile. "Man? Come on Hero, there's no need to be such a stranger. It's me, Ash."
Hero stared at him, incredulous. Ash could see them searching his features for similarities to the boy he'd been last time they'd met. He'd certainly changed in that time, but surely he hadn't changed so much that his old mentor could no longer recognize him?
Almost to answer his question, a bright grin broke out on Hero's face. They walked closer and gave him a playful punch in the arm, pride and fondness clear on their face as they looked up at him.
"Well look at you, growing up into such a handsome man!" they said.
…
The trip around Falconreach had been surprisingly eventful. Many of the changes to the town over the past five years had happened so gradually and so long ago that Ash had nearly forgotten they were changes at all. Practically every nook and cranny of the town held new interest to Hero, and he was more than happy to escort them.
At the end of the tour Hero had wrapped him into a tight hug, thanking Ash for his assistance and promising to see him tomorrow. The two said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, and that was the end of that.
Well…..
The swordsman felt an old familiar heat start rushing to his face, though if he was asked, Ash wouldn't really be able to explain why.
He'd been called handsome most of his life; it was a fairly standard compliment for boys growing up. Even his mother had said it. Oh, what a handsome young man you're growing into! He'd always taken the compliment with a grain of salt before. If Ash raked his brain, he could remember a few times when he was younger, Hero used it to describe him to some Doomwood girls looking for company on Hero's Heart Day. He'd been a bit embarrassed then, since his mentor was trying to set him up with some cute girls he'd never met, but…
Somehow, the words felt different now.
Growing up into such a handsome man!
He put a cold, armored hand to his face, trying to banish the heat he was feeling. It'd just been too long since he had seen Hero; his old mentor's compliments must've been getting to him more than he expected them.
….
For the most part, Hero didn't treat him any differently. They were still warriors. They still had duties to fulfill for the people of Falconreach. For the most part it was like old times, with only the difference of the Rose soldiers and Ash's own increase in skill since the old days.
Sometimes when they used to adventure together, they'd get a table at an inn and the waitress would ask if Ash were Hero's little brother. He'd always be so embarrassed, and Hero would always laugh so hard. They didn't even look a thing alike.
When they adventure together and get tables at inns these days, usually if the waitress asks about any relation between the two of them, they still ask if Ash is Hero's brother. Sometimes though, they ask if he and Hero are a couple instead. Hero still laughs regardless, and Ash doesn't really say anything about it other than a polite correction.
But sometimes when that happens, Ash catches himself wondering—is the idea really that far off?
….
At some point while he was helping his mother cook dinner for the night, Ash realized something about Hero's words the first day they'd spent back in Falconreach.
They'd called him a handsome man. Not a handsome young man, like he was still a kid, like he was used to hearing from them, but a handsome man.
Like they were the same age. Like they were equals.
He'd gotten so distracted he forgot he was chopping up vegetables and ended up nicking his fingers with his mother's cooking knife. She hadn't been too happy with him and insisted he get some bandages and run water over the cuts, even when he insisted it was fine.
Did…..
Did Hero really think he was…..?
….
It was weird consolidating his memories of Hero with the Hero that stood before him these days. Ash always remembered Hero as towering at least a head over him, not all that tall in retrospect, but certainly taller than his scrawny teenager frame had been. Then he'd hit a growth spurt one year after Hero had frozen, and in addition to gaining a foot and a half of height had gained maybe a foot and a half in diameter around his neck and shoulders from all his muscles filling out. Now his mentor who had always seemed so tall and so grand only came up to about his brow. The strong protector of Falconreach was light enough that he could hoist them onto his shoulders.
It felt wrong to have to look down to speak to someone he was used to looking up to. Hero never seemed to mind; they certainly never said anything at least, but sometimes when he called out to them he noticed they would look start looking down for the source of his voice before remembering he'd grown in the time they were gone.
….
Ash was perfectly willing to admit that he'd had a crush on Hero when he was younger. How could he not? They were everything he wanted to be. Intelligent, brave, strong, not to mention funny and kind and always willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed it.
Ash had idolized them as a teenager, tried to emulate them in everything he did. He trained himself to be like them, asked for lessons in swordplay or sneaking or blocking spells whenever he could. When they'd gone to war and never returned, Ash had tried to fill their shoes. He was smart enough these days to recognize that he hadn't really done a great job in that respect.
He was all too happy to step aside and let the master resume their work. Take his place up on the sidelines again, help the people that Hero couldn't.
If some of that old admiration started flaring up again since Hero had returned, well. There wasn't really much Ash could do about that.
….
Sometimes Ash catches himself wondering if they're really so far apart in age anymore.
He usually drops that line of wondering before it can get too far. But only usually.
….
"It's weird, you know?" They said to him suddenly one day, "I always thought of you as like a cute little brother. Always trying to prove yourself and getting into trouble. It was adorable."
He'd blinked, owlishly, wondering what Hero was getting at. "What exactly do you mean?"
"You're really different now. You're confident in what you can do, and you're not as much of a scaredy-cat. Don't get me wrong, you're still adorable, but—"
Hero clicked their tongue. They looked lost in thought for a moment, swirling words around until they felt right.
"You're a different kind of adorable. A bright-eyed mastiff instead of a little bitty puppy. You've grown up pretty well since I've been gone." They turned to him with a smile. "I'm sure you'll make somebody very happy one day."
Ash merely nodded, trying to ignore the way his face started heating up.
….
There is an army swiftly approaching the gates of Falconreach and with the very likely possibility that he will die looming over head, Ash comes to a decision.
"Hey…Hero?" he says, very pointedly looking at the gates in front of him rather than his mentor beside him. His Lady's sword is heavy in his hands, and the familiar weight and thrum of it distracts him from how nervous he feels.
"Yeah?"
"When all of this is said and done, assuming we both survive… Do you maybe want to get lunch sometime? Like, just the two of us?"
He glances down to where Hero stands next to him, weapons drawn and at the ready. They stared at him with a curious look, almost the one he'd seen on them the day when they'd met again for the first time in five years, and Hero was searching him for any sign of the young, scrawny little Ash that used to follow them around. They wouldn't find anything too incriminating, he knew. He wasn't that boy anymore.
A grin broke out on Hero's face. "Sure," they said, "so long as you don't plan on ordering anything from the kids' menu."
Ash gave them a playful punch on the arm.
"Very funny. But it's a deal."
"Nah," Hero said, turning back to their watch for the incoming enemy soldiers.
"I'd say it's more of a date."."