Harv made it home just as his mother had finished clearing the dishes from dinner. She greeted him with a warm smile but dropped everything the moment she saw him covered in soot and short one jacket.
"Goodness what happened?" She threw a kettle on and grabbed him a chair in the blink of an eye. "I know those parties could get out of hand, but-"
"It wasn't that. Just a fire." At the mention of destruction, he suddenly found himself surrounded by his brothers and father.
"How big was it?" Puck hopped up onto the table, only to be scooped up by his mother and set back on the floor. A whole captive audience, with the exception of Rhodri, who loitered in the doorway 'too cool' to show any interest. How could Harv let them down?
"Massive, taller than the clock tower." He tried to keep the tone light, smiling at his youngest siblings oohing at the prospect.
"The Hart Inn is not taller than the clock tower." Rhodri rolled his eyes.
"Hush Rhodri, your brother's telling the story." His mother chided. "You can tell your's next."
"Whatever." Rhodri leaned further into the doorframe but otherwise remained silent. Harv recaptured the little ones attention with theatric zeal.
"The whole inn was a burning inferno. Smoke climbed up the sky and people were bailing water as fast as the could, whole bathtubs full!" He continued embellishing details and carefully abridged the inn keeper's account. The last thing he needed was his father to rant about how modern technologies would spoil the masses and turn them wicked. When he got to the part where he found the victim still inside, he struggled to keep up the momentum. How could he explain what happened without earning too many questions? "I carried them out of the fire, just before the building came down. Boom!" Best to avoid it all together.
"You carried someone all by yourself?" Big asked in awe.
"Of course he did, your brother's strong." Roland caught Harv in a playful headlock and gave him a noogie. "Not as strong as me though!" Before the scuffle could get to rambunctious Clover clapped her hands and instructed the boys to wash up for bed. "That reminds me." Roland released Harv gesturing for him to follow. "Your mother and I had something we wanted to give you." Clover followed behind giddy with excitement as they lead Harv out into the yard and around the back. Next to the smithy was a small 500 square foot building. "Tada!"
"It's not much," Clover squeezed his shoulders, "but we thought, maybe, you two would appreciate having your own space." So that's why they were so insistent he go to town today. They must have spent all day and night getting this together to surprise him.
"Mom, this is too much." He didn't know what to say. "Really, you guys didn't have to, this must have cost a fortune. I couldn't-"
"If he doesn't want it, can I have it?" Rhodri shouted across the yard from the back door.
"Rhodri, we talked about this. Now hurry up, and get to bed." Clover folded her arms and gave him that look all mothers have when trying to beat their child in a battle of wills.
"It's not fair!" Rhodri slammed the door shut.
"...He's running out the front door." Harv sighed. His father rolled up his sleeves and dashed across the lawn.
"That boy, I swear." Clover shook her head. In the distance they could hear Roland wrestle Rhodri away from the cart. "If he applied even half this energy on an apprenticeship or the farm..."
"He'll figure it out. It's Puck I'm worried about." Harv half laughed. "He's going to be worse." His mother looked exhausted by the realization.
"Don't say that." She laughed a little, knowing he was probably right. There was the telltale click of the door, his family would all be in for the night. "Well, why don't you take a peak? It should have everything you need for the night. If there's any issues, let us know, we'll get it fixed right away." He gave her a big hug.
"Thanks mom. Really." She kissed his forehead and went to go inside the main house. After a long night, it'd be nice to be alone for a bit.
The inside was warm and quaint. The wattled walls had been plastered, but not decorated, there was a small hearth to keep the place warm during the following winter. Other than that, there was minimal amenities, but to Harv the sleeping quarters felt like a luxury. He'd never had his own space before, let alone his own bed. There would be time to build his own furniture for the place, but in the meantime, the straw stuffed mattress and handmade quilt was more than enough.
"Hi Harvey!" Only, there was someone already in it.
"You! How did you- Is that my night shirt?" Harv stammered at his surprise blond guest sitting under the covers with a mischievous grin. Those were definitely his night clothes, the sleeves pooling around his hands and the collar threatening to slip off one of his pale shoulders. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to bring back your coat," the blond shrugged, "and this was the only thing to wear." Harv stared dumbly at the folded brown jacket at the end of the bed.
"Of course you did." Harv agreed helplessly. "You could have brought it back in the morning." He tried to rub the frustration and confusion away from his eyes.
"But I wanted to see you now." They were so earnest in their attempts to gain his attention, going so far as to pat down the blankets to encourage him to sit. "Come here Harvey." A playful lit to their voice and an enamored smile, even though they might as well be strangers; it was the kind of things that only happened in sagas and sonnets. "I can't hold you if you're standing over there."
"I know what this is." Harv snapped his fingers in rapid succession as if it would help turn his thoughts into words quicker. That failing, he paced a little back and forth.
"You do?" The blond leaned forward cupping their hands, curious and eager. There was some anxious anticipation in the stiffness of their shoulders and that unwavering gaze.
"Damsel Disorder!" Harv pointed at the blond as they sat up straight, an eyebrow raised. It did little to temper Harv's excitement at finding an explanation. "Yeah, Trevor was talking about it the other day. I saved you, so now you're in love with me." A huge smile spread across their face and they laughed.
"I'm in love with you?"
"Yes!" Harv stopped himself. "No. You just think you are, but you're not. It's only temporary."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Well for starters, I don't even know your name."
"It's Finn." Finn sat back against the pillows and watched Harv take a few steps forward to maintain their distance.
"And it takes more than meeting in a romantic way to fall in love."
"I knew it was romantic!" Finn preened. "Mother thought the whole thing was ridiculous, but I know how these things work. It'll just take a little longer than I thought." Harv caved and sat on the bed, Finn looking at him with renewed hope. They were so close to reaching some semblance of understanding. Now that no one was watching, maybe, just maybe he could convince Finn to let this go.
"Finn, real love takes time to grow, sometimes years; it's not going to happen overnight. You should go home to your own family," Harv lifted the collar back onto Finn's shoulder, "and wear your own clothes." Despite Harv trying to let Finn down gently, all joy left their eyes. Finn caught Harv's hand before he could pull away.
"I'd rather stay here with you." Gone was the playfulness, his voice soft and his gaze averted to their entwined hands.
"You really would..." Harv wasn't sure what else to do. Finn pulled his hand closer; the back of his knuckles grazed the exposed part of Finn's chest.
"Your hand is so cold." Finn fidgeted, unsure where to guide it next.
"So are yours." Was there some deeper reason Finn was clinging to this delusion? It was hard to tell, with Finn so quick to slip back into a mask of playfulness. There was something earnest in the way he'd lean close, desperate to soak up any scrap of attention Harv was willing to spare. It was tempting to cave and offer a shoulder for Finn to rest his head against; but Harv feared the depths of Finn's hunger for affection. "I'd like to believe I'm a pretty good judge of character, and I don't think you're a bad person." Finn's entire body went ridged.
"...you don't?" Finn's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Of course not. Everyone wishes there is an easy solution to their problems..." Harv gently freed his hand and stood up again. Perhaps a starting a fire would help them both cling to a different kind of warmth. "But these fantastical daydreams won't really protect you in the long run, it'll just make things harder." He could feel Finn watch him strike up the flint. The heavy silence only broken with small clicks and crackles of a flame coming to life in the hearth.
"...am I just not pretty enough?" Finn's bluntness nearly caused Harv to hit his head on the fireplace as he stood up. "Or is it because I'm a man, perhaps? If that's the case, many people have accused me of being an invert of sorts, though no one seems to agree on what that means. I'm sure there's something in my wardrobe that would be more to your liking, if you would just tell me what you prefer." Finn was still acting as if the missing piece to the puzzle was about whether Harv found him appealing, which lord knows he's tried every way he can to avoid answering that question in particular. Harv turned around, a strange panic threatening to take hold and he went to the foot of the bed, ready to take Finn by the wrist.
Bang!
Something hard rammed against his shin and instead of grabbing anything Harv curled inward and buried his head into the mattress. Finn hissed, almost sympathetic as he leaned forward to see what caught Harv's leg.
"A bassinet? And I thought my mother was overly involved, you have my condolences." He crawled over to where Harv was laying, curled on his side, and laid down so the two were looking at each other eye to eye. "There, see? Is looking at me really that bad?" Finn pushed a few stray dreadlocks away from his face. True to his word, Harv had a hard time looking away. "I don't care about the opinions of others or if infatuation is fleeting; I'm asking you what I could do to make you want me more."
"I could want to put the moon in my pocket; it's still impossible." His shin didn't hurt as much, but it was still a nice excuse to keep laying here. "I'd rather you alive and out of reach then suffering. That's how these things always end." Finn scowled a bit. "Like Daughter of Air, or Camelot; there's somethings in life best left alone." Finn's brow furrowed further and bit his lip.
"That wasn't the point of those stories." Harv was about to speak, but Finn cut him off. "I spent four years memorizing legends and studying storytelling. I assure you, the suffering comes from the hero refusing to make a choice, not making the 'wrong' one or wanting the 'wrong' thing. Though I'm impressed you know of Daughters of Air; I thought you warrior types were too busy playing with weapons to learn anything else." It was refreshing, not immediately facing backlash for mentioning fairytales. Harv felt a weight lift off his chest he hadn't known was there. Somehow, the conversation completely derailed into comparing their mental libraries.
The hearth had long died out, and little birds had started to sing in anticipation for the rising sun. Finn had tried his best to subtly urge Harv to do, well, anything. However, the warrior seemed to be in a constant state of discomfort regardless of what Finn said or did. Harv wasn't telling him no, but he wasn't pursuing him either.
That was a problem.
With Darren all it took was a few risqué letters from a 'secret admirer' to act like a fool, but this was proving to be, well, challenging. He could sooth his bruised ego by coaching Harv to focus on him, but that wasn't enough to banish the thought that maybe, just maybe, he was a little out of his depths on this one. Of course, he couldn't admit that, it would be the same as admitting he'd been bested by some virtuous little farm boy. For goodness sakes, he didn't even register Finn as a threat.
That was kind of nice actually.
And as Harv's defenses lowered there were a few things that seemed to ease his anxieties, like 'accidentally' ghosting his lips over the back of his knuckles or lazily threading their fingers together; just so long as he didn't get too close to his face or heart. A level of intimacy that felt like a promissory note of sorts. For a moment, Finn was sure Harv was at least smitten with him. He could do a lot with smitten. Even if he had yet to bury his face in the warrior's chest.
But one of the consequences of losing track of time and talking through the night, is that the world outside always had a way of forcing itself back in again. There was a knock at the door and Harv immediately jumped to his feet in a panic. A little reactionary Finn thought, since nothing really happened.
"J-just a moment." Harv turned and gave Finn a pleading look. There was nowhere to hide, and Finn didn't want to in the first place, so he did nothing. Harv startled when the door started to open.
"What's taking so long?" Rhodri asked. Harv tried to keep him from opening the door, but Rhodri was able to peek inside. "Who's that!?"
"Good morning!" Finn waved.
"Rhodri, please." Harv opened the door and slipped out, leaving Finn alone in the room. He rushed up to the other side of the door and leaned close, hopeful he'd catch the conversation through the wood grain. "-it's not what it looks like. He just didn't have anywhere to go." So, he was just being nice. A good host too nervous to admit he felt put upon.
So why did it feel like he lost somehow? After all, it doesn't matter what happened, what mattered was what it looked like. Rumors like this could do wonders at ruining a man's reputation, provided it spread. It would probably be faster to instigate speculation than waste time around here, but it wasn't as effective as a real affair of the heart. He needed Harv to be just as invested in him to sell the lie.
"Fine, I won't tell anyone." Rhodri sighed. "But what do you want me to tell Audrey?"
"Nothing," Harv at least sounded nervous, "she doesn't need to know about this. It's nothing." Finn was not nothing. He waffled before pushing open the door.
"She's gonna want to know why you're puddling around out here and not in the kitchen though."
"She's here!?" Harv looked pale as the dead. A grown man who runs into fires unprompted should not be this afraid of some girl. "What is she doing here?"
"Helping mom with the wedding cake. It's tomorrow." Rhodri looked over at Finn with as if figuring out a puzzle. The realization caused his brows to rise to his hairline. "Oh."
"No, not 'oh'." Harv looked over to see Finn patiently waiting for them then back to his brother. "There's nothing to 'oh' about." Rhodri turned back to him, clearly ready with at least three examples of why there was something to discuss, but his brother stopped him. "Tell Audrey I'll be in in a few minutes, and uh, see if anything of yours will fit Finn. I can't send him home like this." Rhodri rolled his eyes and went back to the main house.
"You don't have to send me back, I could wait here. Though I wouldn't mind a bite to eat." Finn suggested when he saw how fatigued Harv looked. Finn tried to lean up against Harv's back, but was rebuffed. Instead, he found both of his hands in Harv's, forced to face his guilt riddled features. "What's the matter?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to mislead you. I shouldn't have-" Harv couldn't look at him as he spoke. "You should go, before anyone else sees you. People can be unkind when they don't know the whole story. You've been through enough the last few days as it is." He let go of Finn's hands and walked back toward the house downtrodden.
By the time Finn returned home, he was absolutely beside himself. It didn't matter how nicely Harv had tried to phrase it, he'd been rejected. And turned away without any means of contact. Just a sorry excuse for a change of clothes and a 'don't come back'.
He entered the living room sulking, and barely acknowledged his mother before running upstairs to change his rags out for proper clothes. The problem was, he didn't know what exactly the warrior would find more alluring. He had at least four different tunics laid out on the bed before his mother entered the room.
"Everyone's talking about the fire." His mother said, trying to be encouraging. "Some people think you made the little peasant girl quite jealous." Finn threw another couple outfits on the ground.
"That's very kind of them, but she didn't even look at me." Finn huffed. He held up his two best options, but they were too nice to get around goat hair and mud. "He barely wanted to either. I thought that disguise spell was supposed to make me look like the most beautiful person in the world to him, all it did was cover my scar." He took out his frustration on his wardrobe.
"Did he not take the whole love potion?"
"No..." Finn stilled. "I didn't think I'd need one." Truthfully the thought of using one made him a little sick to his stomach. 'Love' potion was just a cutesy rebranding of an aphrodisiac. People weren't the most predictable when it was in their system and once it cleared it often left resentment in its wake. "I don't want this to be excused as some mistake or temporary insanity; I want his heart in my hand!"
"I love the enthusiasm darling, but I don't think we have time for something of that nature." Finn could feel his mother watch him with concern as he pulled out a lavender riding outfit. He'd never be caught dead near a horse, but it wouldn't get ruined if it got dirty. Maybe if he paired it with a nice scarf it could pass for semi fashionable.
"I know, that sheep girl has him at her beck and call, you should have seen the way he fell all over himself at the thought of upsetting her." He was ten times prettier than she was, and nicer to him; it didn't make any sense. His loyalty was sorely misplaced, he just had to get him to see what Finn could offer. "He's never going call off the wedding at this rate."
"I suppose she could always have a little accident." His mother suggested with a hum.
"No mother," she crossed her arms when he spoke, "you promised I could do this myself." Besides, if she died, then Finn would become a consolation prize. He needed Harv to chose him over her, not by default, it was a matter of pride. "That's it!" If Harv wouldn't call off the wedding, maybe his little fiancé would once she realized Finn was more important than her. She'd have to see it with her own eyes too, none of this vague nonsense through the grapevine. Forget practicality, he needed spectacle. "Would you be able to summon up something from the palace? Sweet meats and bread; and wine, something classy. That'll show that little-" Mother was looking at him oddly. "What?"
"Dear, don't you think you're taking this a little personally?" She asked, carefully examining her nails before glancing at him. "They're just peasants after all."
"It's not about class, it's about the principal and-" Wait a second. Did she just parrot the exact same thing he said to her yesterday? "That's not funny." Leenan's sucked in her lips trying not to laugh. "This isn't the same thing! I have a reputation to uphold, if I let one little peon get the best of me then-" She was cackling at him now. "Fine, I'm sorry, okay. Are you going to help me or not?"
"Of course I'll help you sweetie, I'm just glad you're seeing things my way." She continued to stifle a snicker as exited the room and descended down the stairs.
It wasn't the same, he knew that deep down, he just couldn't think too long on the reason why. It was embarrassing to say the least. Harv's rejection hadn't hurt his pride, not deeply anyway, he was more baffled than insulted. The mixed messages he'd received weren't helping either. And he definitely wasn't threatened by the presence of that stupid little farm girl. She was foul tempered, unpleasant to be around and somehow had more people invested in her happiness then he did. She got to have a fiancé who'd dote on her regardless of how little she tried or how unsocialable she was while he was standing alone in his room.
Granted, he barely knew her.
But he was, maybe, just a tiny bit... jealous.
AN: I'm more active on Ao3 under a different username now, but I'm trying my best to cross post. Hopefully this makes up for the delays 3