Gaius blinked as he stared at yet another failed sword. He had been making a lot of them lately. Unbalanced, too long, too short, or sometimes outright bent. It's weird. Almost scary, even. He had never made so many mistakes in the last few years.
Raven's voice broke his reverie. "Gaius?"
"Huh?"
"If you're so distracted, perhaps you shouldn't forge. One of these days you might accidentally hit yourself…" Gaius sighed, pulling the blade away from the fire and dunking it in the water. The sizzling sound of boiling water was, for once, unsatisfying to his ears. He dropped his hammer and tong before leaving the forge. "What's wrong?"
Gaius felt a smile creeping onto his face as he remembered Micah. The other had stopped by earlier in the morning, Curry Udon in hand. The colder Fall weather prevented any fainting from occurring, which apparently was the reason why Micah brought them then. It's nice how he thought about that. During Summer, he usually gave him—
"Gaius?" He blinked. Raven was on the stairs now, eyebrows furrowed, and he smiled. It didn't pacify her. "Did you hear a word I just said?"
"Err… You were saying something?"
Her gaze was not amused. Gaius left the forge and pushed her back into the store, a guilty grin on his lips. "Sorry Raven, didn't mean to space out on you."
"What were you thinking about?"
"Just thinking about iron—"
"Lies." Gaius stared at her. "You're not thinking about iron. You made so many mistakes lately. When you're focused on forging, you never space out. You're thinking about something else."
He was saved by the front door, because the sudden creak caught both of their attention. Micah stopped mid step, tilting his head as he took in the view.
"Am I interrupting something?" Gaius chuckled.
"No, just talking to Raven. Is there something you need?"
"Yes… I forgot to buy something I've been meaning to buy earlier this morning." Gaius pushed Raven forward and she glanced back at him before begrudgingly getting behind the counter. He could feel Micah's eyes on him as he returned to the forge, spirits renewed.
He supposed he should put all those gold and platinum ores Micah gave him to good use. He couldn't space out and waste them, after all. That would be an insult to his friend.
Perhaps he'll make a sword or armor for Micah, just as a thank you present. The other had given him a lot of things lately. With an enthusiastic nod, he began formulating designs for a nice platinum armor. It should be intricate but practical, so he had to make sure every part was perfectly thought out…
"Gaius?" He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as he inspected the front piece. It's still rough, but it had the general shape he wanted it to have. He had to carve in the pattern later, as well as add some other parts, but for now he was satisfied. "Gaius."
He nearly dropped his artwork. "Micah!"
"It's already 11," Mica said, eyebrows raised. "Shouldn't you be asleep?" Trying to discreetly put away the armor, he nodded. It seemed to work, as Micah left to the store, and he quickly draped a cloth over it.
"Where's Raven?" he asked, taking off his gloves and throwing them onto a table. Micah hummed.
"She already went back upstairs. She looked tired, so I told her I'd drag you away from the forge for her." Gaius frowned, trying to remember how she was in the morning. She didn't look that different to him. Perhaps something happened while she was taking a break in the afternoon? He didn't know. Sometimes he felt bad he never really paid attention to her condition (unless it was night. Some nights he crashed in sheer exhaustion, but sometimes they had a nice, late dinner.) but she never said she minded. She probably did.
"Really? Thanks then. Sorry for bothering you so late at night, by the way." Micah just smiled, waving his hand, and with that he left. Gaius glanced at the wall separating the store and the forge one last time, thinking about the armor, and went upstairs, brushing a lock off Raven's forehead before slipping into his bed.
He woke up with the sun, renewed energy and determination. By the end of the day he should be halfway done with adding the intricate patterns onto the front part, and tomorrow he'll start on the back. He contemplated shoulder guards but ended up deciding to make asymmetric arm guards instead, adjusting to Micah's preferences. He wanted them to be comfortable to wear with all weapon types, especially swords, axes and hammers. They seemed to be his chosen tools to whack them monsters.
He made sure to make Raven breakfast, though. A stack of pancakes, just something simple enough for Micah to teach him without causing with permanent damage to the Sharance Tree. He didn't really remember greeting her, though, but he'll make up for it after he finished this project.
Now he had things to finish and goals to complete. His ears heard only thumps as he worked, taking breaks only to relieve himself as well as eat. He barely remembered being dragged upstairs at night, nor did he remember breakfast the next day. If he did, perhaps he'd notice two figures pulling him to this bed, or the strangely complicated food Raven never learned how to cook.
The only thing in his mind was finishing the armor, and it stayed that way for the rest of the week.
Gaius emerged from his one-track mindedness on the tenth day of Fall, a newly crafted platinum armor in hand and a satisfied grin on his face. Raven greeted him with an exasperated smile from behind the counter and didn't even scold him. He made a mental note to spend the night with her, just catching up after a week of no communication.
"Will you tell me who that's for?"
"Ah, it's just a project. I wanted to make something good." She raised her eyebrows before heading upstairs. She came back with Curry Udon, bowls still steaming, and his face lit up as they sat down and ate. He found out that he'd been in his forge for 6 days, and that it was 3 in the afternoon. They chatted idly, and when they finished it was 4.
Raven helped him find a large cloth to cover the armor with. He thanked her by ruffling her hair, chuckling when she swatted his hand away.
"It's for Micah, isn't it?" He froze. "I already know. He's the only one to ever need these things, and it's in his size. Not to mention he's been giving you those platinum ores, which we know you love. I don't think you'd do it for anyone else."
There should have been a name, a rebuttal, but all he could think of was Micah. He must have stood on the doorway for long before Raven finally shooed him away, telling him to get some sunlight while it was still out. He clutched the bundle and headed straight for Micah's house, feeling strangely fluttery.
It's a nice afternoon, but Gaius didn't spend time appreciating the sunset colored leaves. The villagers were bustling about and several greeted him, but he only nodded at them.
He arrived at the Sharance Tree in 5 minutes. Already used to it, he barged right in only to realize that it's till 4 in the afternoon and that Micah must still be wandering outside. It's not even remotely close to the time he usually returned—around 7, all sweaty but with a satisfied grin on his face, telling of a good day in the desert or the farm or a fight against an impossibly strong boss barely won. It never failed to make Gaius smile- he knew how it felt to do a job well done, though at times it's never at the end of the day, as Raven was crafty at getting him to sleep, either by manipulation or trickery.
But he also was reluctant to leave the house with an invaluable item bundled in cheap cloth. So he placed the armor on the table and sat on the bed, patting the soft covers. He yawned. Closing his eye, he lied down, legs dangling off on the side as he fell asleep.
He woke to a hand stroking his hair back, calloused and familiar. He cracked open his eye to see earth red clothes and rough golden hair, though it looked more like a mixture of platinum and gold. White gold perhaps? He smiled.
"Awake now?" He hummed in reply before pushing himself into a sitting position.
"What time is it?" The light outside was fading, but he was never good at determining time. And judging from the yawn that escaped, his body wasn't good at it too.
"Around six. Raven said you left at four. Sorry to keep you waiting." Gaius suddenly grinned, remembering the reason he came over. Micah raised his eyebrows but let him go, and Gaius almost missed his fingertips on his temple. But the armor was more important right now.
"Did you open it yet?"
"No?" His eye lit up even more. He picked up the bundle and brought it back to the bed, feeling giddy with excitement. Micah's lips twitched with the beginning of a smile.
"Open it." He held his breath as Micah untied the knot. The cloth fell to the sides, uncovering the item hidden beneath, and Gaius's grin widened. Micah's eyes were wide as he touched the platinum plates, fingers slowly travelling downwards as he took in the details. Gaius was incredibly proud of it, really. It was many sleepless nights and Micah's generosity.
"Don't you think it's…" Micah shook his head in frustration. "It's really too good, I can't accept it."
"No one else could and would wear it and use it to its full potential." Micah still looked awestruck, so Gaius pulled the cloth away, revealing all of the armor. The precious metal glinted in the warm light.
"Is there something you want to tell me?" His words were choked in some places, but he could hear the teasing undertones in them. Gaius blinked and threw his head back, laughing so hard it felt like his stomach was being rattled. Micah's lips quivered and he joined, filling the wide room with their echoed mirth.
It took them minutes to stop, but then the words sunk in. Was there? Was there something he wanted to say? He could easily say that he made it for him because he had given him so much platinum ore, but if that's the case, he would have done it seasons ago. Micah had been giving them to him since the first Summer he was in the village, after all.
Was it a symbol of friendship? Well, yes—but admittedly, he spent a lot more time into the armor than he'd ever done for Raven's gifts, or even Evelyn's. And though he knew that he liked Evelyn, somehow giving things to her didn't make him as nervous as he was now.
"I… think?" His mouth opened, trying to say words he didn't have, but Micah stopped them by pressing his lips against his. They were cracked and dry but Gaius found that when he pushed back, harder, the scrape made the tingling fade into a pleasant burn.
He liked it a little too much.
They spent some time like that, just kissing—it coaxed some quiet moans from both of them but that was all. When they stopped, pulling away and breaking a string of saliva, Micah nibbled his bottom lip one last time before hopping off the bed. Gaius tilted his head.
"I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Dinner, then we continue."
His mouth went dry at the prospect of continuing, and he stared as Micah flitted around the kitchen.
They never ate so fast in their whole lives.
The next morning Gaius went back to making perfect swords, hammer hitting the right places, concentration finally restored. Granted, he came in late after smashing the rocks in Micah's farm while the other plucked his produce, and they talked for hours. He knew that forging was his hobby and passion, but he found himself loving everything he did with the other.
Gaius grinned as he dunked the short sword into water. Perhaps next time he could make a platinum ring.
A/N: Phew! So basically I checked out Rune Factory and looked through the wikia, then I found Gaius. It took me 5 minutes to start obsessing over him.
I even named my farm after him! It's Gaia. Clever, eh? (not really.)
I couldn't stop following him, going all like LET ME GAY YOU and LETS BE HOMOS AND MARRY ILL WEAR THE DRESS. Not like I'll have any qualms seeing HIM in one, though I prefer both of them being in tux. I'm far from picky. Faaar.
Apologies for any OOCness. (Also, I know that Platinum Armor doesn't exist, because armors are made by Evelyn, but seriously, if you think about it, how would Evelyn make up armors when she can't even forge? You know, just call it artistic liberties.)