Title: Double Dating
Summary: Bertrand hadn't been on a date in years. So a double-date with Fafnir and Flavio should ease things for him, right?
Pairings: Bertrand/Hrothgar, Fafnir/Flavio
AN: I really can't help myself. This took me three days to write. Not because it was difficult, but because I kept getting interrupted by life's responsibilities! Anyway, this idea was too cute to pass up and it's good to see that others are warming up to the pairing of Hrotrand :3 Now, this occurs after "The Lady In White". So I hope you enjoy!
High Lagaard was a city designated to aiding explorers and adventures. Weapon shops, pubs and bars with requests made solely for the labyrinth, and comfortable inns designed to care for the weary traveller. With their infrastructure so reliant on Yggdrasil, it was no surprised that they focused mostly on the welfare of explorers.
But there was a minor detail that everyone seemed to be forgetting and something Flavio himself had never thought would actually bother him – there was very little to do in town that wasn't connected to the labyrinth. In other words…there was hardly anywhere for people to go when they wanted to go on dates.
It was especially hard when one was a dedicated explorer and their first thought for a date venue was actually the labyrinth…
"The labyrinth?" Regina practically shrilled when she overheard Flavio and Fafnir planning on where they should go for their date. "Who in their right mind would go on a date in the labyrinth?"
"Double date," Fafnir responded idly, unconcerned that Regina had been essentially eavesdropping on their private conversation. "Bertrand and Hrothgar are going on a date, too."
That was right! It wasn't like they were heading about alone. The four of them together in the labyrinth should be fine. Besides, Hrothgar had admitted the other day that he hadn't ventured past the third stratum yet, mostly because his guidance was still needed within the first stratum. And because he wasn't sure if he was strong enough to venture there with just him and Wulfgar.
Regina, however, just sent Fafnir her rather infamous glare. "I don't care if it's a triple date, why would you go into the labyrinth?"
"W-what else are we supposed to do?" Flavio spluttered. The labyrinth could be quite beautiful! Really! If you avoided all the monsters, foes, and dangerous tiles…
"Well, you could have a date here, you know?" Regina said as she indicated to their surroundings, reminding them that they, you know, owned a restaurant and could eat in whenever they wanted. "A candlelit dinner or something."
The suggestion did honestly sound appealing, but there was one little problem. "And have you lot gawking at us the entire time?" Flavio returned.
"W-what?" Regina spluttered with indignity as her cheeks turned a light pink. "What's that supposed to mean? I wouldn't gawk. I have a kitchen to run."
"I would," Chloe admitted without any shame.
And Arianna looked just as carefree. "I must admit I, too, would find myself watching from afar. Romantic candlelight dinner...how lovely!"
"And there you have it," Flavio said as he folded his arms across his chest in a sign of ill-won victory. "We're going to the labyrinth."
Regina sighed in annoyance as she side-eyed Chloe and Arianna. "Jeez, you two are way too honest..." she muttered and shook her head slightly. "How can you possibly do anything romantic with all that armour, anyway? Wait, how about this? There's a food festival over in the east ward. You should go there instead."
"Festival, huh?" Flavio murmured as he tapped his cheek in thought. That didn't sound like a bad idea, actually. There had been more and more festivals lately, most likely in response of the coming winter as people are likely to hibernate during those bitterly cold months.
"What do you think?" Flavio asked as he turned to Fafnir.
Fafnir pondered for a moment. "It would be a lot more relaxing than the labyrinth," he finally said.
"That's true. Ok, we'll visit this festival instead," Flavio said before he turned around to give the three ladies of their group a narrow stare. "And no following."
Regina bristled while Arianna and Chloe looked completely unbothered. "What do you take us for?"
Flavio would take them for their word for now. All they needed to do now was to tell Hrothgar to meet them at the east ward tomorrow evening. And convince Bertrand that he was also going and that putting up any kind of resistance would be futile.
… … … … …
As he glanced around at festivities, at the bustling crowds, couples flitting from one food store to the next, Bertrand wondered how or why he had even agreed to this. A double date? Really? Oh, sure, he understood the principle behind it and knew that it also came with good intentions in mind, but why did it have to be Fafnir and Flavio?
They were that obnoxiously affectionate couple who didn't realise that they were obnoxiously affectionate. And Bertrand hadn't been affectionate with anyone for years, so didn't really have knowledge of what kids these days did during dates and whatnot. Talk about added pressure.
"Remind me again why I agreed to this?" Bertrand muttered aloud.
"Why not?" Flavio countered from beside Fafnir, his hand clasping the other's tightly. "Just the four of us spending time together can't be a bad thing, right?"
Fafnir nodded his head idly before he turned his focus on Bertrand, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly, as if threatening to break out into a half-smirk. "Besides, it's been a hundred years for you."
Flavio winced. "Fafnir…"
Bertrand folded his arms tightly across his chest and gave Fafnir a purely cynical look. "Doing me a favour, then?"
Fafnir appeared as if he wanted to make some kind of sarcastic comment in reply but was silenced when Flavio suddenly tugged at his hand and gestured into the crowds around them.
"Look, its Hrothgar," Flavio said with a sense of relief before he waved his arm into the air. "Hey, over here!"
Turning to look as well, Bertrand felt his breath hitch in his throat when a familiar redhead pushed his way through the crowds to make his way over to them.
Looking far more comfortable without his silver armour, Hrothgar wore a dark blue knitted jumper that was loosely fitted over a pair of black pants, while not tight they certainly showed of his long legs. But what caught Bertrand's attention the most was the silver chain with a silver and white pendant that hung around his neck.
That necklace…he immediately recognised it. He had given it to Violetta so long ago, to prove to her that he was a man and a knight that could be relied on. And that necklace had somehow been passed along to Hrothgar after he…received a few injuries in the labyrinth. Horthgar had insisted that Violetta gave it to him, to prove to him in return that she was also watching over him.
And that she wanted him to find some happiness of his own.
Bertrand honestly didn't know what to think when Hrothgar told him what he had seen, what the lady in white had told him. It was almost too surreal to believe. But if anyone could find a way to reach out to another through a near-death experience, and give them physical proof of their meeting, it would be Violetta. She was a sweet but incredibly determined, after all.
"Sorry," Hrothgar said as he joined them. "Did I keep you waiting?"
"Hey Hrothgar, we just got here ourselves," Flavio said in his usual friendly manner as Fafnir and Bertrand nodded their heads in greeting. "You know, you look different without your armour."
Hrothgar chuckled softly as his hand reached up to trace a finger over the silver and white pendant. "Yes, I'm sure. I actually feel slightly awkward without my armour as well."
"You look fine," Bertrand blurted out before he could stop himself, earning himself a blush from Hrothgar, a smirk from Fafnir, and a small knowing smile from Flavio.
"Ah, that's good," Hrothgar said in response.
"Let's check out these food stores," Flavio suggested as he and Fafnir took the lead.
With Flavio's hand still grasping Fafnir's tightly, he led them all toward the food court, where stalls were set up to allow for the purchase of foods. Some stalls even had the option of trying samples of unique, self-made recipes.
In all honesty, some of the samples looked a little suspect, to be polite. But after having tried the vast majority of Auspice's infamous recipes, very little in the culinary world unnerved Bertrand anymore. Hrothgar was more cautious, though, and it was honestly cute watching as he wrinkled his nose slightly, an expression of unease on his face before giving in and trying the sample anyway, later proclaiming with relief that it tasted better than it looked.
Hrothgar seemed to be enjoying himself, which was a relief on Bertrand's part.
However, he still felt somewhat awkward. And it was mostly due to the other couple of their so-called Double Date.
They were playfully feeding each other the food samples, Fafnir's hands constantly resting against Flavio's waist and hips, pulling the other toward him, never allowing him to be less than an arm length away from him. And Flavio seemed oblivious to how close they constantly were, yet he, too, made the effort to ensure that he was never too far from Fafnir's hands either.
…It was actually getting quite annoying.
Bertrand roughly scratched the back of his neck. They weren't expecting him to follow their lead, right? He couldn't launch himself into that kind of public display of affection so quickly.
"Are they always like this?" Hrothgar asked Bertrand quietly as they stood a little away from the two.
Bertrand sighed and folded his arms across his chest. "Every damn day."
Surprisingly, Hrothgar laughed softly. "It's good to see that they're so comfortable around each other," he said with a sincere smile before a somewhat wistful expression appeared on his face. "They're so much in love, aren't they?"
…It shouldn't be surprising that Hrothgar yearned for that kind of relationship himself.
"Ah," Bertrand said. "I suppose we all long for someone to make our heart race."
Hrothgar glanced over toward him before he blushed lightly and looked away again. "Actually, I personally would rather have someone who makes me sigh with relief upon seeing them."
"Really now?" Bertrand murmured, not really knowing what else to say.
"Something wrong?"
Upon hearing the slight concern in Flavio's voice, Hrothgar placed a polite smile on his lips and shook his head. "Not at all. We were just talking about how much fun you two seem to be having."
Flavio smile warmly as he subconsciously rested his back against Fafnir's chest, Fafnir wrapping his arms loosely around his waist. "This is our first time at one of these festivals that doesn't involve trying to entice customers to visit the restaurant."
Hrothgar nodded his head in understanding. "Hm. I haven't visited one since…my guild past away," he admitted, his smile becoming strained. "So it's nice to be back, creating new memories."
Bertrand, however, couldn't help but wince inwardly. He really hoped that Hrothgar wasn't just saying that to be polite.
"It's getting too crowded," Fafnir suddenly said as he indicated in a direction with his chin. "Let's go somewhere quieter."
Hrothgar seemed to be grateful for the suggestion. "Ok."
As they turned to follow Fafnir, Bertrand lifted his hand and placed it against Hrothgar's back, hoping to comfort him as he was sure to be experiencing memories of his past now. Hrothgar tilted his head back sent him a grateful smile as he moved to step in time with him, Bertrand's hand shifting so that his arm was wrapped around his shoulders instead.
They walked in silence for a few moments until they reached the small nature reserve in the centre of the east ward, a location that survivalists and medics often retreated to, to either learn more about the plants or to study in peace.
However, for tonight, someone had taken the time and effort to set out small tea light candles in glass holders in numerous places around the park, casting the area in a warm orange glow. There were also strings of candlelit lanterns and with the full moon above adding ambient light. The atmosphere was undoubtedly warm and romantic.
And with numerous other couples loitering about, Bertrand wasn't the only one who thought so.
As they moved deeper into the park, Flavio gently took Hrothgar by the elbow and pulled him over to him so he could talk quietly with him. "Are you feeling nervous?" he asked.
Hrothgar tilted his head to the side in question. "Hm? Why do you ask?"
"You keep fiddling with your necklace."
Realising that his head was once again gently touching the silver and white pendant, Hrothgar flushed lightly before he smiled. "Oh, this? Sorry, just a habit I picked up since wearing it."
The typical caretaker, Flavio appeared as if he wanted to make sure that Hrothgar really was fine and not uneasy in anyway. However, he was silenced when Fafnir impatiently reached up and tugged him against his side.
"Flavio, come here for a sec," Fafnir said, even though he had already pulled the survivalist toward him, his arm wrapped tightly around his waist.
"Ah, sure," Flavio murmured as an expression of confusion appeared on his face, though making no attempt to physically remove himself from Fafnir's tight grip.
Fafnir then turned his attention toward Bertrand and gave him quite a pointed look. "You two can stay here. We're just going to check something."
"Sure," Bertrand replied. He watched them, though; as Fafnir loosen his hold slightly and slipped his hand around to rest against the small of Flavio's back before guiding him away. Immediately, the Flavio pressed himself against Fafnir's side, leaning as close to each other while still being able to walk.
However, Bertrand could hear them talking, their voices growing softer as they moved away.
"Stop being such a fusspot," Fafnir whispered to Flavio, causing the survivalist to bristle slightly with indignity.
"Did you just call me a fusspot?!"
"I know it's been a hundred years since Bertrand did anything even remotely like this, but give him a break," Fafnir carried on regardless. "They'll be fine."
So…despite Fafnir's sarcastic comment earlier, they really were trying to be mindful of him, huh? Damn. That just made things a little more awkward. Now he felt that he had to do something, like a grand gesture or something to reassure the two that he was fine, that the date was going fine.
More added pressure.
"Is there something wrong?" Hrothgar asked, pulling Bertrand from his thoughts.
"Nah, don't worry about it," Bertrand replied out of habit. However, as he turned to look at Hrothgar, finding the other man looking at him with his head tilted ever so slightly (and cutely) to the side in curiosity. "It's…"
"Hm?"
Bertrand sighed and roughly scratched the back of his neck once more. "It's been a while since I've done anything like this, I suppose you could say."
A flicker of surprised appeared in Hrothgar's eyes, but he quickly smiled softly and nodded his head. "Oh? If it makes you feel better, I've never been on a date."
Bertrand raised an eyebrow. Really? Hard to believe. Hrothgar was undeniably gorgeous, after all. "Hm?"
Hrothgar flushed lightly before he gave a one shoulder shrug. "It's was just…something that wasn't overly important, I suppose," he explained as he turned his gaze toward the many small lanterns that dotted within the tree around them. "There seems to be so much pressure and expectation upon the idea of going out on dates. They need to be perfect, to be memorable. To the point that the one arranging the experience focuses entirely on the idea of the date rather than actually enjoying the date itself."
Unable to think of a way to respond to that, Bertrand remained silent. He, however, did feel a sense of relief rush through him.
"Spending time together, either talking or sitting in comfortable silence, to me that's better than any outlandish date," Hrothgar finished as he turned his gaze back toward Bertrand, his hand unconsciously sneaking up to gently touch the pendant around his neck.
Bertrand felt his gaze drift to the necklace and he couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt upon seeing it. "You all right with that necklace?" he found himself asking suddenly. "I mean, it's...second hand after all."
"No, it's fine," Hrothgar replied as his hand immediately tightened around the pendant. "It means...Violetta has given me her approval. And that means a lot to me as well."
…This guy, honestly. How did he manage to get someone like him?
Bertrand found himself gazing silently at Hrothgar for a moment before he eyes soften and he took a step forward, moving closer to him. He then cupped the side of Hrothgar's face with his hand, his fingers threading through his red hair. Hrothgar looked up at him as he pressed his cheek against the palm of Bertrand's hand. Slowly, Bertrand pulled Hrothgar toward him as he leaned forward. Hrothgar closed his eyes and gripped the front of his shirt in anticipation. As Bertrand wrapped his right arm around Hrothgar's waist, he kissed his lips. Hrothgar made a soft sound of relief as he allowed Bertrand to pull him even closer toward him.
It had been so long since Bertrand had kissed anyone, but he instinctively knew what to do. The feel of Hrothgar's lips against his felt amazing, though, and he had to remind himself to keep it slow and gentle. He couldn't help but yearn for more, though. And Hrothgar seemed to need it as much as he did when he pressed himself closer against him.
As Hrothgar wrapped his arms around Bertrand's neck, Bertrand slipped his hand to the back of Hrothgar's head and softly ran his tongue over Hrothgar's lips, enticing them to part and to allow him to deepen the kiss even further. Hrothgar tightened his arms around Bertrand's neck as he all but melted into his embrace. He uttered a soft sigh of contentment against Bertrand's lips as Bertrand raked his fingers through his hair.
Bertrand could so easily tell that Hrothgar needed to be held by someone as much as Bertrand needed to hold someone.
And if he was the one to do it, if he was the only one that Hrothgar wanted, then that was fine with him.
Completely and utterly fine with him.
