A/N: I decided to try my hand at a Garmau fic since I've yet to find one I really liked. This is set the night of episode 77, Coming Home. Enjoy!
Warnings: Minor injury, blood, minor swearing, alcohol
Being back in Phoenix Drop was a relief to everyone. The village had changed so much and it was a sight for sore eyes when the travelers finally made their way home. Garroth was more than happy to resume his normal duties and Aphmau was excited to spend time with everyone again.
As such, a welcome back party was planned and thrown that night. The plaza was decorated with bright lights and music floated through the night air. For once, out of the last few months, everything seemed perfect. Garroth knew too well it wouldn't last, but he didn't want to crush Aphmau's spirit. He hadn't seen her so happy in a long time.
The party was just beginning as the sun sank below the horizon. Garroth took a spot at one of the tables closer to the mine, sipping a glass of something that tasted alcoholic. He considered pouring the glass out before he decided he hadn't had a drink in a long time and one glass wouldn't hurt him.
Eyeing the dance floor, he spotted Molly and Dale dancing, both with a smile on their faces. Dale had spoken to him before the party and told him he needed to tell him something, but stopped himself and told him it could wait until the next morning. Tonight was a night for celebration.
Cadenza had offered to dance with him a few minutes earlier, but he had politely declined with the excuse that he didn't know how to dance and didn't want to embarrass himself. She seemed a bit crestfallen, but accepted it nonetheless and went to sit by herself at a nearby table.
Everything seemed fine. Until he noticed Laurence speaking to Aphmau. They were too far away to hear, but Laurence was giving her a charming smile and she was responding. He put out his hand a moment later and she took it, allowing him to spin her around. Of course. Of course he would take tonight to flirt with her.
At that moment, Garroth's glass shattered. He jumped in alarm and looked down at his hand, where he was gripping the broken shards. He shook his hand and let them fall on the table, letting out a hiss as the pain finally hit him. His hand was slashed in several places and a couple drops of blood trickled down his fingers.
He glanced around before determining no one had seen him, then he stood and hurried past the dancing villagers to the guard post.
Inside smelled musty, but the lights were on. He hadn't been here since he and Laurence left in search of Aphmau and Kiki. For a moment, he allowed his mind to wander before the sharp pain in his palm reminded him of his current problem. He cradled his hand and hurried to the back room.
He approached a cauldron of water and dipped his hand in, biting back a cry at the stinging sensation that followed. This was his punishment, he supposed. Jealousy was never a good thing; he deserved what he had done to himself.
Simmering in his own anger and self-pity, he didn't hear the door open behind him.
"Garroth?" a sweet voice called. He whirled around to face the intruder, completely forgetting about his wound. In the doorway, a young woman dressed in purple stood, a concerned look on her face.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," she continued before her gaze trailed down to blood dripping on the floor. "...Garroth! Your hand! What happened?" Garroth didn't have time to reply before she was suddenly mere inches from him, his hand in her own for her to examine the injury.
"...I had a small accident. Nothing to worry about," he eventually spoke up, wincing just a bit when she pressed a thumb over one of the deeper cuts.
"These look bad, Garroth. Let me take care of it." He shouldn't have expected anything, but compassion from Aphmau. She was always willing to help. Despite not particularly wanting her to clean the wound, he nodded and let her put his hand back into the water.
She was much gentler than he would have been, taking a cloth and carefully washing the blood away, before she took his hand out and patted it with a dry towel. "You should be careful, Garroth. We just got back, we don't need you getting hurt already!" She smiled jokingly to him and he managed a soft smile in return, though it couldn't be seen beneath his helm.
"Thank you, Lord Aphmau. It was an accident; it won't happen again," he replied. She released his hand and fumbled through the drawers in a desk, taking out a roll of gauze and going back to dress his hand.
"Are you going to come back to the party? I need a dance partner," she commented with a grin. He swallowed dryly at the statement and felt his body go cold. Was she joking? He didn't know.
"A-A dance partner?" he laughed, but it sounded like a cough instead, "Lord Aphmau, I can't dance." He watched her put the gauze over the last of the cuts, then she put her hands on her hips.
"Come on, Garroth! You're not going to sleep yet, are you? The party has barely started!" she insisted. She seemed serious and he slowly nodded. He didn't want to upset her by denying her request again.
"...Alright. I'll follow you then."
The party was still in full swing when they made their way back. Laurence was speaking to Cadenza in the corner and Garroth made a mental note to keep him away from Aphmau for the rest of the night.
He was going to go sit back down when he felt a tug on his arm, turning to see it was Aphmau pulling him towards the dance floor.
"I meant it, Garroth, I need a dance partner!" She was smiling. He felt his mouth go dry, at the idea of embarrassing himself and at the idea of dancing with the woman. He suddenly felt very thankful he had kept his helm on, as his face was burning red.
"L-Lord Aphmau-"
"I won't take no for an answer!"
He didn't have much say in the matter as she jerked him towards her and clasped their hands, their chests pressed together. If he wasn't blushing before, he sure was now. He felt like he might suffocate inside the helmet, but he would be damned if he took it off now.
"I-" he choked out as she made him move with her, stepping to the side in unison. He knew how to dance, he wasn't stupid. But he struggled to remember the moves now that he was in this position.
"Do you really not know how to dance, Garroth? Follow my lead," she said, looking up at him. He stared through the slits in the helmet to meet her eyes, feeling a bit bad that she was doing this with him, but couldn't see his face. He must have looked ridiculous, dancing with the Lord in all his armor.
Eventually, he composed himself to dance along with her, spinning her around and catching her in a dip. Everyone around seemed surprised that he was as light on his feet as he was, and as they turned, he saw Laurence leaned against the wall of a house, a wide grin on his face. Garroth would have made a face at him had his helm been off.
"You're more graceful than you look, Garroth," Aphmau giggled as he lifted her up to swing her around.
"Thank you, my Lord." His voice was much quieter than it should have been. "You're...more talented at dancing than I would have suspected." You're beautiful. He coughed to distract himself from his own thoughts.
"Thank you!"
She smiled as their dance came to a close. Garroth leaned her over, inhaling sharply when his face came to a stop a couple inches from hers. Take off your helmet, a small part of his mind screamed, and kiss her!
His hand twitched and he raised it, grabbing the edge of his helmet.
Then she stood up herself, out of his reach, before he could remove the helm. He faltered, stumbled, exhaled all the air out of his lungs as he stared at the ground in dazed confusion. He had missed his chance.
He wouldn't dare look at Laurence now. He could almost hear him laughing.
"Garroth, are you okay?" she asked. It only took him a second to straighten and nod vigorously.
"Y-Yes, of course." His voice definitely wasn't. He felt like everyone was staring at him. He was going to be sick.
Aphmau grabbed his arm, afraid the guard might just faint. "Maybe you should take a walk. I can go with you." It took him far longer than necessary to reply.
"...Yes. That sounds nice," he murmured. She took his arm properly and he let her guide him down the pathway to the docks.
The moon reflected on the water as it lapped the shore, drowning out the sound of the music coming from the plaza. Garroth had been alone with Aphmau before, but something always happened, interrupted them, swiped his chance right out from under him. But now everyone seemed miles away.
"...Lord Aphmau..." he started softly.
"Are you alright? You sound different..." she turned to face him, looking up at him once more. Garroth took a slow breath and reached up, slipping his helmet off.
"I'm fine... But I..." He didn't know what to say; he had tried to do this before, but he couldn't find the words. He had never fallen in love. How should he confess?
He forced himself to look into her eyes, the auburn crystals glimmering up at his own as he swallowed nervously. Her face showed confusion; she truly didn't know even after all this time.
"...Lord Aphmau, I have something I want to tell you. Something I've been trying to find the courage to tell you for a very long time," he spoke, his voice surprisingly steady considering how he felt.
"What is it?" she asked. His stomach was turning.
"...I...admire you. Very much." No, no, that's not the right word!
She smiled at him. "Well, I admire you too, Garroth."
"No, I...I mean... I..." He closed his eyes; he didn't want to see her face when he said it. "...I love you, Lord Aphmau."
There was silence. Garroth wanted to turn and run, but his feet wouldn't move.
"...Garroth..." I'm sorry, Garroth, I don't return those feelings. He could hear it; he had heard it when Laurence confessed. "Do you really feel like that?" she tilted her head a bit. He swallowed and nodded quickly.
'Y-Yes, I do. I've wanted to tell you for a very long time. I'm sorry, this is very inappropriate. You're my Lord, I have no right to have such feelings for you-" Now that he had opened his mouth, everything he had been feeling came pouring out and he couldn't stop it.
"Garroth!" she laughed, much more cheerfully than he would have suspected, "It's fine! I'm glad you finally told me. I love you too." Garroth froze in place, eyes wide; he swore he felt his heart stop.
"...You do?"
"Yes, I do." She moved closer and wrapped her arms around him. He hesitated before he did the same, feeling himself shaking just slightly from a mix of fear and excitement. She reached up to pull him down by his shoulders and he stared at her in surprise for a moment before their lips connected in a kiss.
He would be lying if he had said he had never thought about kissing Aphmau, which usually followed by him scolding himself in embarrassment, but nothing he had imagined seemed anything like this. She felt warm against him; perfect, unreal. This moment was unreal.
They stayed like that for a few seconds before they both pulled back and Garroth felt dizzy all over again. "Is that what you wanted to do back there?" she chuckled, brushing a bit of her hair back.
"...Y-Yes. It was," he breathed, tightening his grip on her waist. "I love you. I love you-" he repeated. The words came much easier now.
He held her as close as he could, burying his face against her shoulder, breathing in her scent. She smiled and closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. "I love you too, Garroth."