Part 11
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"So..." Rina twirled the end of Gremio's ponytail around her finger as he stood before the stove of the inn's kitchen. "Eilie and Bolgan went out to get a few things for the festivities tomorrow... our room's free."
Gremio laughed nervously as he stirred one of the steaming pots; he'd been trying to ignore her since she came into the kitchen to find him, but wasn't having much luck at all. He couldn't help but notice that somehow, even when dressed in a thick fur-lined cloak for the colder weather of Highland, she managed to show a little skin, and make that little bit count. "Rina, I'm flattered... but I do need to finish slicing the fruit..."
"Hmmph - you've got a whole day. And just because the innkeeper said you could use the kitchen doesn't mean you have to," she reasoned, sitting on the counter beside the chopping block as he set to work on some apples. "You're overworking yourself, you know..."
"He can keep on with it, if you ask me," Viktor commented, entering as well and picking up a slice of pear.
"I'll have to, if you keep this up." Much to Gremio's dismay, Viktor had been swiping bits and pieces of his preparations all day. "Dinner will be ready when it's ready - if you don't mind! I'm very busy, and your snitching my ingredients doesn't help."
"Hmm, cranky..." Viktor didn't sound overly concerned, as he munched on the sliced pear quite cheerfully. "Maybe you need a nap."
"I've been trying to get him to take a little break," Rina confided, "but no luck so far."
"Yeah - you should see what it's like travelling with the guy. He never stops."
Rina smirked. "Tell me about it..."
"Excuse me?" Gremio glared at them both, through the blush he'd acquired at Rina's words.
"Always on about one thing or another," Viktor chimed in.
"And I suppose he uses that 'oh no, I have to make dinner' excuse all the time when you're trying to get him to do something fun?"
"You know him too well, Rina."
"Excuse me!" Gremio had his hands on his hips now. "This is not the place to gossip and mock me - if you two would kindly leave?"
"Only if you come with me." Rina brushed up against him in a way that made him squeak, and Viktor had to stifle laughter at the look on his face.
"B-but..." Gremio protested, albeit weakly, as Rina tugged at his arm, pulling him away from the stove. "The bread will need to come out in only thirty minutes..."
"Oh, come on, puppy," she murmured, giving him a look of exasperation. "I bet I can make sure you finish up before then, if you must..."
"Rina!"
Viktor laughed incredulously, snatching half a sliced apple from the counter. "Damn, Rina - you're as bad as me."
"I have to be, to get this guy to react at all." She winked at him, despite the fact that she already had an arm around the shoulders of a bright red Gremio. "But am I really...? I'd like to see about that sometime..."
Never one to be outflirted, Viktor winked back at her. "I think I'd get in trouble for that... but maybe you could make it worth the trouble."
She shrugged, ignoring the aghast look on Gremio's face. "Probably. Hmm... so you've got a friend now, do you?"
Viktor chuckled. "You could say that." With that, he popped another slice of the apple into his mouth in one bite, making Gremio's jaw drop, and Rina's eyebrows raise.
"Well..." Rina mused. "I'd love to hear all about it - but I've got something else to attend to at the moment," she noted, slipping a hand down Gremio's back and doing something that made him jump and blush even brighter red. "Ta for now, Viktor..."
"Oh - Viktor!" Gremio called out, as he allowed her to drag him away towards their rooms, uneasy but not entirely reluctant. "If w-we're not back by the time that hourglass there runs out... c-could I trouble you to take out the bread? Oh, I know I'm going to regret this..." he murmured helplessly.
Viktor just shook his head, smirking again. "Don't worry, Gremio - I'm not completely hopeless in the kitchen. You have a good time, right?"
Rina gave him an answering smirk before they disappeared around the corner. "I'll make sure he does."
Sure enough, by the time the bread was ready to come out of the oven, Gremio had forgotten about it entirely. He still hadn't remembered it a bit later, as he lay with Rina curled warm and soft against his side. There were other things on his mind, besides the cooking and the obvious.
He couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for this, knowing that Tir had finally admitted in as many words how he felt for him, and knowing also that he hadn't even been able to acknowledge it to his face yet, much less do something about it. Not that he knew what he could do about it, aside from giving Tir that letter he'd written... but he had already decided, that would wait until after the feast, if indeed he was going to give it to him at all. He still wasn't sure.
Beside him, Rina stirred, and hummed comfortably. "What're you thinking about, puppy?"
"My Young Master," he responded automatically.
"As usual. I half expect you to call out his name sometime." Rina hesitated at the sudden uncomfortable look on his face. "...Hit a little too close to the mark?"
"No! I-it's not like that..." Gremio sighed, patting her shoulder absently. "I, er... Well, let's just say it's been made apparent during our travels that he is... well, not a child anymore."
"Ohhh." Rina nodded, understanding. "I suppose the girls love him... he does have very pretty eyes."
"That's... not quite it." Although he'd shared a great deal of his thoughts with Rina since their unusual meeting months past, this was his Young Master's personal business. And besides, he couldn't fathom speaking about it out loud, even if he'd gotten as far as writing that letter. "Honestly... I think I would be grateful if he did meet a nice girl... or perhaps even a not-so-nice one."
Rina tilted her head curiously to look up at him. "Coming from you, mister prim and proper... wow, that's something. What is it, is he jealous of you and I?"
"...I imagine that would be quite an understatement." Well, that was an honest answer, at least.
"Mmm..." Rina frowned thoughtfully, but didn't press him further. "Well, at least you're not still agonizing over the bread."
Though she'd only been mocking him, Gremio's eyes went wide, and he sat straight up. "Oh no - you're right, the bread! I need to-"
Before he could so much as push back the sheets, Rina pulled him back down again. "Relax for awhile, won't you? Viktor will follow your instructions, I'll bet - after all, if he lets dinner burn, there's none for him, and he wouldn't like that."
That was true enough... and he could seek out Flik to give him a hand if there was any question, Gremio supposed, lying back down to snuggle against her comfortably. It was, he thought, perhaps just as comfortable for him as it was to spend the afternoon cooking. It was only that it was selfish, and there was nothing he loved more than doing things that made other people happy. Or to be more specific, things that made one other person happy.
Immediately he realized that his thoughts had already drifted back to Tir, and he sighed again. "I'm sorry, Rina... We see each other so seldom, and even when we do see each other, my mind is somewhere else entirely. I've not been treating you like one should treat his lady."
She chuckled a little. "Who cares? You've said yourself that I don't act like a lady ought to. And besides," she added, shifting to prop herself up on one elbow to look at him, "we've had this conversation before. Remember, way back when I first got you to admit you kind of liked me after all?"
Gremio nodded, gazing up at her. "That was rather unforgettable, yes..."
"And back then, I told you I understood that your priority would always be him," she continued, stroking his hair. "Just like my priority will always be Eilie and Bolgan - I wouldn't leave them for any man, even one so sweet as you, puppy. So how could I be bothered by you being all preoccupied?"
With a smile, Gremio reached up to touch her cheek in response. "I know that you understand devotion, yes... You do realize, that was what finally caused me to agree to this... this thing that we have, even though you are very, very different from the kind of woman I'd expected I might end up with."
She leaned in to give him a quick kiss. "So don't worry about it. If you're having a problem with your Young Master, concentrate on that. And you know, since you mentioned there might be some jealousy," she suggested, "if there's anything I can do..."
"I'm afraid not, but thank you anyhow," Gremio sighed, still stroking her cheek absently as he returned to staring up at the ceiling.
A thought occurred to him suddenly. If there's anything I can do... But he couldn't ask that of her, he quickly chided himself. It would be horribly inappropriate. Even if, he had to admit to himself, she would almost certainly not be offended. For that matter, she might even actually...
"...Come to think of it," he mumbled, feeling a blush coming on already at the mere thought, "there just might be something, perhaps... though I feel terrible even suggesting it."
"Oh...?" She peered down at him curiously, drawing circles in his bare chest with her finger in a somewhat distracting fashion. "I'm glad to listen, if nothing else."
Swallowing his shame and his guilt, Gremio hesitantly explained. Far from being offended, Rina actually smiled.
The next evening, Flik looked up from where he was setting out the last of the glasses for dinner - at a table in the inn's dining room, big enough for seven - to see Tir and Eilie come in the front door, red-faced and laughing about something. "Hey, you two!" he called. "You're just in time - Gremio just said that he'd be ready in a moment with the last of the food."
Tir leaned over to whisper something to Eilie, then nodded as they hung up their cloaks. "Everything smells delicious," he said, coming over to the table with Eilie at his elbow.
Right on cue, Gremio arrived - carrying a covered tray in one hand and a pot in the other as he made his way through the crowd of patrons and servants, all of whom had gathered for the feast. "I saved the best for all of you," he told them cheerfully, his face red and slightly damp from working in the kitchen all afternoon. "That's the advantage to being chef in a crowd - you can tell the serving girls what to take out and what to leave just a little longer to cool." His smile was fond as he set down the dishes, right in front of the empty chair his Young Master was sliding into.
Viktor already had silverware in hand, and was looking at the food as if it were an enemy he would be particularly happy to destroy. "I've been waiting for this..." Next to him, Bolgan was similarly poised and ready to spring.
Admonishing him gently, Flik sat down on the other side of Viktor. "Viktor, you could at least wait until everyone's seated and we've said grace." Tir smirked at this as he and Eilie took seats opposite of the other two.
Catching Tir's smirk, Viktor smirked back. "Yeah, what's he thinking, huh? Me say grace?"
Eilie shook her head at Gremio in amazement, as he set out the rest of the silverware. "I'm going to be so spoiled after tonight..."
Seeing that everything was in the right place, Gremio uncovered the platter, revealing a large roast turkey, surrounded with baked apples and potatoes and all manner of trimmings; in the pot, which he gave a quick stir, was thick gravy. "I'll get the biscuits next," he called over his shoulder as he headed back towards the kitchen.
Flik shook his head, reaching out to smack Viktor's hand lightly as it snuck towards the platter. "For shame!" he added, even while laughing.
Tir stood, reaching for a large jug of cider to pour some for those already seated at the table, and Eilie looked around the table as she held their glasses steady, practically beaming. "It's so nice to be able to share a day like this with all of you..." The end of her statement was directed towards Tir, but Tir was already watching the kitchen door, waiting for Gremio's reappearance.
Gremio didn't take long, and returned with not only biscuits, but a bowl of mashed potatoes as well. "Still more to come!" he stated, turning to return to the kitchen, but he paused as Rina reached out to run a hand along his arm as he passed. "No, really - there's a lot..." Tir noticed the gesture and narrowed his eyes slightly, but a poke in the side from Eilie caused him to return his attention to pouring the cider.
When Gremio returned yet again, he brought two more plates - one full of steamed vegetables, the other holding an assortment of sliced fruit, with a sweet honey dipping sauce in a bowl in the center. "Well now, I think that's all we need right now..." he told them, brushing off his hands needlessly. "The table might not hold much more! I'll get the rest once we've done away with a little of this..."
"...Even more?" Next to Viktor, Bolgan stopped bouncing his fists on the table in excitement, his expression amazed.
Viktor just chuckled. "What the table can't hold, I will!"
Flik grinned, looking around the table. "Ah... would it be too much to ask everyone to hold hands and give a bit of thanks...?"
"I have no problem with holding hands..." Rina murmured with a smirk as Gremio slid into the seat next to her.
Viktor, on the other hand, gave a falsetto giggle and covered his mouth, pretending to be embarrassed. "Teehee! Isn't it a bit soon, Flik?" Flik glared at Viktor, with looks threatening to kill him later, and Tir returned to glaring at Rina.
Gremio just smiled. "That sounds perfectly fine for me. We all have a great deal to be thankful for, don't we? Friendship, loyalty, hope, love..."
"And food!" Bolgan grinned wider as he added to Gremio's list.
Eilie snatched up Tir's hand and then reached out to take Bolgan's as well. "Come on now, give Flik a little cooperation..."
Flik nodded and reached to take up Viktor and Rina's hands. "We should thank whatever powers we believe in for bringing us together on such a day... and wish for the continued peace and prosperity of our lands." He tried to ignore the fact that next to him, Viktor and Bolgan's clasped hands were together inching towards the plate of mashed potatoes.
Gremio took Rina's and Tir's hands - the top two people in his life, for whom he was most grateful - and the circle completed itself around the table. "And for continued success on our respective journeys," he said softly, turning to look at Tir and Rina in turn. Tir squeezed Gremio's hand tightly, possessively, trying to concentrate on what Flik was saying.
"...and with special thanks to Gremio, for preparing such a wonderful feast for all of us!" Flik concluded with a smile.
Gremio would have blushed, if he wasn't already a little red in the face from all the time spent in the kitchen. "Oh, it was nothing special - the inn paid for it..."
"Ah, but none of us could have created this, Gremio," Eilie told him, squeezing Tir's hand before letting go. "I really appreciate it."
Gremio ducked his head, self-conscious, as a few other hands around the table let go and begin reaching for the food. Bolgan's and Viktor's immediately began clashing as they grabbed for the spoon in the potatoes at the same time. With a laugh, Gremio got to his feet again. "Does anyone else here know how to carve a turkey, or should I?"
Flik shook his head. "By all means, Gremio, you cooked it, you do the honors."
With a nod, Gremio reluctantly let go of Rina's and Tir's hands and reached for the knife lying at the side of the platter to begin, seeing as those at the other end of the table had already half filled their plates with the side dishes. "My, how long has it been since I've done this...? But you never forget..."
"Like some other things," Rina said in a low voice, winking as his bending over the table offered her a rather nice view of his backside.
Tir stared at her hard, and then down at his plate, having not touched anything yet. Eilie looked from Tir to Gremio to her sister, shaking her head with a warning look that the comments were making matters worse. Raising her eyebrows, Rina gave a barely audible exasperated sigh, turning to the man on the other side of her instead. "So, Flik... do you prefer white meat, or dark?"
Flik was startled by her sudden address but answered quickly. "I like both, really... the taste of white meat is sometimes better, but the dark meat is almost always juicier and less dry."
"And spicy, maybe...?" Rina smiled in a very interesting way. "Do you like it spicy?"
Flik shook his head, oblivious to Rina's undertones. "No, not really... spicy things make my tongue burn and then I end up drinking gallons of water to get rid of it...." Tir smiled slightly from his side of the table, and underneath, Eilie nudged his leg with her own, trying to hold back a snicker.
"You know, I'm from the Grasslands..." Rina's hand inched a little closer to Flik's. "It's very sunny there, and I tan very quickly. Light to dark in just a couple of days..."
Flik finally caught on to the innuendo and snatched his hand away nervously; fortunately or unfortunately, Gremio was oblivious to this, as he was busy taking orders from Viktor and Bolgan in regards to which part of the bird they were demanding.. "I... ah... umm... I'm sure you look...uh... lovely... when you do... tan, that is... I mean...." Flik stammered. Eilie and Tir snickered simultaneously, and Tir finally reached for the potatoes, much to Eilie's relief.
Rina smiled, and moved her hand as if she was reaching for the sliced fruit anyhow. "Why, thank you..." she murmured, taking a slice of apple. Viktor snorted in amusement from the other side of Flik, having been appeased with his plate full of food.
Tir and Eilie were next - Gremio already knew Tir's preference in meat, of course, and began adding slices of meat to his plate as he asked Eilie hers. After placing her order, Eilie cut open a biscuit to slather it with mashed potatoes, creating an odd kind of sandwich that Tir peered at curiously. "Hard to imagine summer when it's this cold outside," she commented cheerfully. "I wouldn't mind some steaming cocoa later."
"If those two down there stop being so demanding..." Gremio gestured to Viktor and Bolgan with a sigh, then turned to Rina and Flik. "What sort of meat would you two prefer?"
Flik smiled slightly, holding out his plate. "A little of both, please..."
Rina pointedly glanced back and forth at the both of them as Gremio obliged. "I think I prefer light meat. Especially when it's fresh."
Tir smiled at Gremio, though he hadn't yet eaten a bite - he'd been taught the proper manners, to wait until everyone was served and ready to eat. "Thank you, Gremio..." he murmured softly, one of the few things he'd said so far.
"Oh, no trouble at all, Young Master." Gremio told him with an answering smile. "Enjoy the meal, all of you..." To their surprise, rather than sitting down, he turned to head back towards the kitchen.
"But Gremio!" Tir called after him, puzzled. "Aren't you going to eat with us? What are you doing?"
"I still have to deal with dessert! I'll eat later, I promise!" he called, as he vanished into the kitchen. From the tone of his voice, it was obvious that he didn't mind working through dinner at all. With a sigh, Tir stuck his fork into the turkey half-heartedly.
Rina was looking at Tir thoughtfully, but soon enough she turned her attention back to Flik. "Ever visited the Grasslands, honey?"
Flik clenched his fork visibly, but smiled lightly. "Uh... I don't think so, actually... might get there eventually though."
"It's not in our current plans," Viktor added with a helpful nod, "but wherever the wind blows us - eh, Lightning?"
"Yes, I suppose..." Flik glanced over at Viktor with a more sincere smile. "You never know where we might end up."
When Gremio came out of the kitchen again, he looked slightly flustered, but this time sat down and dished up a slice of turkey for himself. "The pies need a few minutes longer..."
Tir smiled slightly at this, understanding but still wishing Gremio would stay. "Everything's really delicious, Gremio..."
Again Gremio smiled back, albeit a bit tiredly, as he began to cut his meat, quicker and much more careless than he'd ever been while cutting Tir's meat as a child. "Thank you..."
He was somewhat distracted by Rina, who was eyeing him while licking some of the honey dipping sauce from her fingers. At that, he managed to turn brighter red. Flik looked from Rina to Gremio to Tir, noting the irritated look on the latter's face, but said nothing, eating his meal in silence and quietly hoping things wouldn't get any worse. Gremio smiled a little beneath the blush, but actually appeared to be more nervous than usual, pushing his food around on the plate without eating much of it.
Viktor was chuckling behind his fork, especially when after awhile Rina glanced back to Flik, nonchalant. "It's nice, sitting here between two such handsome men. People sometimes complain about leftovers, but this is one sandwich I wouldn't mind being in the middle of..." Flik dropped his fork at this comment and then shook his head, knowing that saying anything else would likely only prompt her into further commentary.
Eating in silence, Gremio continued to look slightly distracted - and apparently not by the cooking, as he suddenly looked up. "Oh, yes, the pies," he murmured, rushing off to the kitchen again after swallowing a quick gulp of cider.
Eilie chuckled softly, having already finished most of her dinner, and pushed the plate away with a satisfied sigh. Tir pushed his plate away too, having only eaten about half of it, and crossed his arms over his chest silently. Beside him, Eilie looked worried and eyed the door, waiting for Gremio's return, for Tir's sake.
Still going strong on his own dinner, Viktor paused in his eating to give Rina a sly look. "You know, this fella right here..." he told her, nudging Flik, "he's got quite an appetite. You wouldn't know it, what with him being all skinny..."
"You don't say..." Rina smirked. "I don't think he's that skinny. Not unattractively so. Not at all."
Viktor shook his head. "He works out a lot," he added helpfully. "Stays in good shape."
Flik glared at the both of them, also pushing his plate away suddenly and wishing desperately for Gremio's return - so he could eat a bite or two of pie and escape. "Well, bear here..." he shot back, "he eats enough for the both of us most days."
Viktor was not the slightest bit embarrassed by this. "Well, I'm not saying I don't have a big appetite too - it's just that Lightning here doesn't look like it. He's like that, you know - even if he looks like he's not enjoying something..." He winked at Rina.
"I can speak for myself, you know..." Flik shook his head with a sigh.
"Of course you can," Rina assured him, patting him on the arm before reaching for the fruit again, still eyeing him with interest. "So have you tried this fruit yet? Quite delicious..." She plucked another slice of apple, dipping it into the sauce delicately.
Flik raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but reached out to grab a slice of apple himself. "I haven't but... I'm sure anything Gremio's prepared will be excellent."
Stopping his hand halfway to the plate, Rina held out the dripping slice in her own hand. "Allow me, cutie..."
"Uh...no... that's fine, I can... do it myself," Flik stammered in reply, with a soft cough of surprise and a slight coloring to his cheeks.
She tilted her head curiously, smirking as she maneuvered the apple a little closer to his lips. "Well, you don't have to..."
Viktor was laughing uncontrollably behind his hand, naturally. Tir was also somewhat amused by these antics, and Eilie shook her head, attempting to stick up for Flik. "Rina, stop torturing him!"
Gremio chose that moment to return to the table, sighing a satisfied sigh, and apparently not noticing anything at all out of normal. "How's dinner going?"
Flik averted his eyes, mumbling an inaudible response and Eilie laughed softly. "I think Tir and I are ready for dessert!"
Tir didn't say anything, but looked up at Gremio with hopeful eyes that were simply begging him to stay this time. Seeing the look, Gremio nodded and laughed. "Just a few minutes while the pies cool and the jellies set..." he agreed.
Giving up on Flik, Rina turned her smile and her slice of apple to Gremio instead. He smiled back, eating from her fingers without the need for a word of suggestion.
Tir stood up abruptly, a smile pasted vaguely across his face and his chair scraped across the floor. "Actually, Eilie," he said softly, turning to address her and ignoring Gremio and Rina completely. "I'm a little too full for dessert."
Gremio looked up anyhow, appearing more worried than confused. "Young Master... won't you stay? It is a holiday, after all, and..." He broke off the thought with a troubled sigh, perhaps more troubled than the situation warranted.
Not even wanting to look him in the eye, Tir shook his head slowly. "No, thank you. I'm going to go and walk my dinner off... I'll be back in a little while." He looked for a moment like he might invite Eilie to join him, but then shrugged and walked around the table quickly.
Gremio frowned, and even Viktor's laughter was halted. He'd normally have put forth some kind of ridiculous idea as to what had gotten into Tir, but this time, anyone could guess. The sounds of holiday merriment still continued at every other table in the dining room, but their table had fallen silent.
"It's just as well..." Gremio shook his head, looking a little nervous. "I guess I can't spend much time here with him anyhow. Just enough to eat a quick bite before I go attend to those pies..."
Eilie sighed heavily, leaning her head in her hands and stirring around a bit of leftover gravy on her plate. "I'd follow him if I didn't think it'd just upset him further." She wasn't sure whether she was more annoyed by Gremio, Rina... or herself, for simply not being interesting enough to drag Tir's attention away from the situation.
"I'm not so sure it would..." Gremio pondered, looking up from his own mostly neglected plate. "There is still dessert left, of course, or I might go make certain he's all right." He glanced at Rina, strangely enough, who just gave him a slight nod, more serious than usual, before continuing her meal.
"So..." Flik looked both relieved that Rina was leaving him alone and slightly worried about Tir, but he was eager to change the subject. "Are those pies going to be done soon...?"
"Oh, they're done already," Gremio replied, perking up a little instantly. "Just cooling a bit before I cut them." He paused to take a quick bite of his turkey. "If you don't let them sit awhile, they'll just fall all to pieces when you try..."
The remainder of the meal was slightly more somber, being affected by Tir's abrupt departure - aside from Bolgan, who would let nothing stand in the way of his love of food, and Viktor, whose jokes caused laughter or groans to ring out above the din of the hall from time to time - but the food tasted good nonetheless.
Tir still had not returned by the time Gremio excused himself to see to the dishes, and the others went their separate ways. Strangely enough, though, when Eilie went looking for her sister a bit later, Rina was neither in the kitchen with Gremio, or in their room.
Shortly after dinner was over, Tir strode into the room he shared with Gremio and locked the door behind him - Gremio had his own key, and Tir didn't care to be disturbed by anyone else at the moment. Not bothering to light a candle, he went to stand at the window, drumming his fingers on the ledge and staring out at the dark, cloudy sky. Winter nights came even earlier than he was used to, this far to the north, and L'Renouille was only a short ways away...
Lost in thought, he didn't realize that he was not alone in the dark room until he heard a soft creak from the bedsprings.
Tir stopped drumming his fingers as he heard the noise, knowing he'd locked the door. As well, his weapon was where he had left it on the other side of the room.
Tensing, he whirled around quickly, bringing his fists up without saying a word - only to see Rina sitting crosslegged on his bed. She raised an eyebrow at him, somewhat amused. "You certainly do seem tense. It's no wonder Gremio worries about you."
Tir blinked at her and slowly lowered his fists. "One would be tense upon the appearance of someone in their locked room." He tried to keep his voice from sounding bitter. "But I beg your pardon, Gremio won't be back here till late, if that's why you're here. Or did you need something from me?"
Rina leaned back on her hands on the bed, looking at him curiously. "Come to think of it... you would have reason to fear the sudden appearance of someone in your bedroom, wouldn't you...? Young leader of an army, and all... But no, there's nothing I need, exactly. I came mostly from curiosity, and also a little concern."
Tir crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her, his expression a cross between annoyance and curiosity. "And what reason have you to be concerned about me? We hardly know each other, though I mean you no offense in saying so."
Rina shrugged casually, not seeming the least bit put off. "We do have a mutual friend, someone rather close to the both of us."
"Yes, that is true," Tir muttered. "Is this a ploy for my friendship in order to make him happy? I have tried to be courteous in your presence."
Rina just smiled. "You don't like me, do you, Tir?"
"Would you prefer an honest answer?" Tir asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Anything else would only prove you a liar - after all," she pointed out, "it's not like you haven't been pretty obvious. And I haven't even read your cards."
Tir sighed, pacing back and forth across the room. "It is not you as an individual, as a person, that I have a problem with. It is... it is your position, or mine, or both, perhaps..." He trailed off, stopping mid-step and staring down at the carpet. "It is not your fault, and I am sorry if I have offended you."
She nodded again, and patted the bed next to her in invitation. "I can't really be offended when I know where the hostility comes from, can I? It makes perfect sense."
Tir looked up, relief evident on his face, and hesistantly crossed the room to stand in front of her, not quite willing to sit down yet. "I appreciate your open-minded understandng, Rina."
"When you've seen as much of the world as I have," she said with a shrug, "you learn to accept lots of things. Everything, really. Different places have different customs, different beliefs, different morals..."
"You've travelled a lot, then...?" At least, Tir thought, they had some common ground.
"Oh, Eilie and Bolgan and I have gone everywhere," she said with a dismissive wave of her hands. "You've talked to my sister, you must have heard some of her stories. We've been travelling together since we were kids, you know - that's life as a performer."
"Really...?" Tir was immediately put more at ease by this revelation, and without realizing he'd let his guard down, finally sat down beside her. "Do you ever.... get lonely? Or sad, at not being able to stay in one place?"
"Lonely?" Her expression grew a little more serious. "Maybe a little. But I always have Rina and Bolgan with me - and then of course," she added with a slight smirk, "there's always young men who are willing to keep me company. They keep me amused." Tir's expression darkened a little, at the suggestion that she'd been unfaithful to Gremio, and her smirk grew wider. "Oh, I only meant teasing," she told him. "If I didn't like your Gremio so much, maybe more, with some of them... but I do have some morals, you know - even if they're not quite the ones you're used to. The Grasslands are not so strict when it comes to monogamy."
"So..." Tir still wasn't so sure. "You chose it for his sake, then?"
She nodded. "More or less. He and I discussed it... and a lot of other things, but he'd tell you those things himself if you wanted to know."
"I don't know about that..." He looked down at the floor with a sigh. It might have been easier if she was just a tramp like he'd thought - Gremio might have left her. "I do thank you for indulging my own curiosity, but you have yet to say why you were so concerned and curious about me."
Rina settled back again, and looked him over before she answered, very directly. "I have no intentions of taking your Gremio away from you."
Tir looked up at her swiftly, on the verge of some sort of denial of her statement, but was temporarily lost in which part to deny. "He...he's not...I mean...you already..." He stopped and shook his head, tears of frustration coming to his eyes. "How can you say such a thing?"
"You're so dreadfully afraid that you would be alone without him, aren't you...?" She leaned forward, just a little bit. "Just as obvious as it is that the only person he seems to care about is you, the reverse is true..."
"I was alone without him once before," Tir stated defiantly.
"And you loathed it."
Unable to deny it, Tir nodded slowly. "I was never the same... without him..."
She leaned forward a bit more. "And you fear that you will feel that way again if he is gone... and it would be worse if he leaves to be with another than if life had simply taken its natural course, wouldn't it...?"
Tir opened and closed his mouth, tears stinging at his eyes. "I..." He could hardly believe how accurately she'd put his feelings into words. "Yes. The thought is unbearable..."
"This whole problem is about the thought that someone might take him away from you." She paused, leaning in closer still, and the movement allowed the cloak she wore to fall away from her body, exposing a little more flesh. "But what if, instead of taking him away... what if this was only to bring another person to you...?"
Suddenly aware of her proximity, Tir colored slightly, leaning away from her as if not wanting to believe what she might possibly be implying. "I... I have been told many times before that the very nature of who and what I am draws people to me..." he began, trying to keep his concentration. "But gaining the friendship of another could never replace the loss of Gremio if he were to leave. I would not trade the bond I have with him for anything."
Rina nodded again, and leaned in a bit closer, causing her cloak to slip away from one shoulder. "We all have those who are closer to us than others... but then again..." She leaned in closer still, her smile turning a bit more wicked, and her breath against his face was warm. "...In my homeland, loving one person doesn't mean you have to forsake any others you might be attracted to."
Tir tried to lean away, only to have his head meet the wall with a faint clunk as his hands curled into fists in the blanket across his bed. "What...what are you saying?" he stammered, wide-eyed and unable to look away.
"Only that perhaps you should try to allow yourself to feel for others," she told him, reaching up to touch his cheek softly.
Tir did not pull away from the touch, but continued to stare at her as if mesmerized. "I admit that it has been long since I have let myself care for anyone at all. I was far too afraid that I would do damage to them..."
"Interaction with other people in a sense always does harm," she told him as her smile deepened, "and does good... it is always a complicated matter. We give and we receive... in one way or another," she added with a smirk.
In its most basic form, her words made sense, but still... Tir looked down at his hands and then pulled his gloves off slowly - one hand revealing the glowing rune, the other revealing several long scars across the palm, two of them rather new. He looked up at her again, deadly serious. "The people I have loved have all been imprisoned. I hear their voices still. There is no way I could do it to Gremio a second time, but anyone else..."
Unafraid, Rina reached down, touching the glowing rune gently, and tracing the edges with her fingernails. "It doesn't happen that fast, does it?"
Tir shivered at her touch and closed his eyes for a moment. "I refuse to hurt anyone else..." he said firmly. "I would rather hurt myself."
Rina looked at him a bit more thoughtfully. "I'm not sure whether Gremio would be pleased or troubled at just how much you take after him in some ways."
"I think Gremio and I are more alike than he realizes," Tir said with a sigh, "but perhaps it would be better for him not to realize that..."
All of a sudden, Rina took the moment to lean in and kiss Tir softly, just at the corner of his lips. It surprised him, even though he was not foolish enough to have not seen what she was hinting at. "I don't think we... I mean... " he started, shaking his head. "Gremio...."
She drew back only long enough to smile at him, and took his hands in her own, leaning in again for another kiss, capturing his lower lip between hers.
Tir was quite afraid to respond, both from the still innate fear of hurting someone, and also from the fact that it had been so incredibly long since he'd even thought of letting anyone aside from Gremio be this close to him. The idea of what is happening at that moment struck a chord of a panic in him and he clenched her hands in his own even as he again tried to turn away. "I..."
She shifted to nearly lean against him, and met his eyes steadily. "He knows I'm here."
"He....he does?" Tir stared at her in confusion, even as her nearness awakened a longing to be close to someone, deep within him.
She nodded. "You may think he hasn't noticed... but he knows that you are not suited to a solitary life."
Tir hadn't let go of her hands, and he shook his head sadly. "Nor is he..."
"He wants you to find as much peace as can be found..." she told him, looking deep into his eyes, "even more than he has. Do you think he would deny you anything at all? Even me?"
Tir was visibly shaking as he stammered his reply. "No...but...I... I will only find peace when he is happy, and yet...he seems to only find peace when I am happy, and so we remain stuck in this cycle where neither of us is truly happy, and I do not know why..."
Drawing his hands up together between them, Rina moved to almost lie beside him on the bed. "And what would make you happy...?"
Tir did pull away from her then, and thought carefully about her question. "I... I am not really sure anymore. I would like... to feel at peace, and to always have Gremio with me... I suppose that anything else is a luxury and not a necessity."
She glanced away with idle amusement. "You don't seem to be quite 'at peace' at the moment..."
Tir blushed quite thoroughly. "Your nearness makes me nervous."
Resting one hand on his thigh, Rina smiled almost wickedly. "Well then... if that half of it is well enough, then perhaps I should bring Gremio."
Tir tensed at her gesture. "Wha... what?" he stammered again.
She laughed slightly. "You said having him with you always would make you happy..." Her hand moved in a slight caress, which he tried to ignore. "Though I'm not so sure he'd be too comfortable, if he were to be present right now..."
"Yes, I... I have rather realized that at this point..." He watched her face carefully - better to concentrate on that than her hand.
She knew exactly what he was doing, of course - it was like Gremio all over again, really - and let her hand creep a bit further up his leg. "You certainly are tense... one would think you've never let a woman touch you before."
Narrowing his eyes, Tir gave her a rather insulted look. "Now that's not true at all... I just wouldn't want to betray Gremio. I... I think of you as being his lady, after all..."
She nodded, and brushed her hair back over her shoulder casually. "Yes, but I've been 'my lady' - or less polite ways of putting it - to many people... and you know, in the Grasslands, it's not at all uncommon for friends to share a lover. If anything, it's just a sign of how strong their friendship is. He knows all of this as well, and he understands."
Tir blinked at her, puzzled for a moment. "You truly are a unique woman, then... I have only ever seen jealousy and possession in people, especially females."
She laughed softly again, teasingly. "Then I have to wonder if indeed you ever were touched by a woman, or if you've ever dared to touch back."
Tir hesitated for a moment, replaying old events in his mind. "You are correct..." he admitted. "I was afraid to respond to her touch. I was not always like this though. Long before the rune came to me, when I was still just a boy... there were...daring moments between a friend and I, one I'm sure Gremio has probably spoken to you of at some point. It all seems so long ago, and now... I... I have already stated for you the reason behind my fear."
"You've stated two reasons... the worry that you would be betraying Gremio, and a fear of my nearness. The first part is irrelevant, since he sent me, and the second..." She gave him another wicked smile. "You get used to it, once other things overpower your fear. That's how it worked for him, anyway."
Tir was half-frozen, unable or unwilling to move. All of a sudden, he wasn't sure whether he felt angry, afraid, or just... those other things.
Downstairs, after the dishes were done, Gremio retired not to the room he and Tir shared, but to the smaller room he'd requested for the night. Rather than sleeping, he lay awake, looking up at the ceiling and wondering.
