The log in the hearth crackled with merry flames dancing across its rough surface, but Geddoe didn't notice; he'd been sitting in the tavern of the Caleria Inn for two solid hours with a single mug in front of him, hardly touched. He was thinking. A few hours ago, when the rest of his team had been with him, there had been another encounter with Duke and his gang of rogues. The boy's words had reeked with immature adolescence, cocky bragging that meant nothing to Geddoe; Duke was more an annoyance than a threat. But the story he told was a puzzling one. What would Harmonia want with the Flame Champion? Even Ged didn't know where his friend had gone, though he had his suspicions. He was satisfied in the knowledge that at least if the Flame Champion did not wish to be found, he would not. And yet...what about this business of seeking out the True Runes?
Geddoe felt a warm pulse responding in his hand. They had been bound together for so long now, it was as though he and the rune communicated. Well, he thought, if anyone or anything could understand me...
The sound of a throat self-consciously clearing made the captain look up from his gloved fist.
Jacques was standing next to his table. They were the only two left in the tavern, even the bartender realizing that it was best to leave the silent, brooding man alone.
Geddoe said nothing.
Jacques didn't quite meet his gaze for a moment, his hands behind his back and fidgeting. At last he spoke, saying, "...It's a bit late, Sir...don't you think?"
Geddoe cocked his head to the side. Was there some point in the question, he wondered, or was Jacques just trying to make conversation? "If you're tired, go to bed," he said reasonably, but it came out sounding a bit rude. He hadn't meant it that way at all, though.
"...Are you tired?" Jacques returned.
The captain pursed his lips, thinking of a decent reply. He couldn't tell Jacques he didn't need to sleep, so he just paused for a moment, then shrugged noncommittally.
The bowman cleared his throat again, crossing his arms and shuffling his feet a little, looking down at the floor. "I couldn't sleep. I was cold," he said in response to the question Geddoe never intended to ask. "It's warmer down here; there's a fire." He looked at Ged for a moment and smiled briefly, swallowing hard and looking away again when he got no answer.
Geddoe thought that the young man was behaving rather suspiciously, but wasn't sure why. He would have liked to think... But, no--that was ridiculous.
"...You don't mean to sleep down here, do you?" the captain asked, if only to fill the empty space. People did that sometimes--said things that were unnecessary or obvious, just to hear themselves talk. It seemed to make them more comfortable. He wasn't a man easily made uncomfortable, but something was bothering Jacques.
Jacques' face suddenly flushed. He coughed. Or choked. "N-no," he murmured. "I...uh... Well, you see... The room we have...for all six of us...? It's...only got four beds." He didn't meet Geddoe's gaze, though he now had the captain's full attention.
"...So...?" Ged prompted.
"So... Aila and Queen are sharing, but Joker and Ace couldn't both fit, so they each took a whole bed. That...ah...that leaves--"
"You and me," Geddoe finished thoughtfully. "And just the one bed."
Jacques finally looked at him, swallowing. "...Yeah."
"You can have it," Geddoe said, shrugging again. He didn't mind sleeping on the floor, or in a chair; he'd had worse.
If Jacques had appeared flushed before, now he was scarlet. "...I couldn't sleep... I was cold," he repeated.
Geddoe opened his mouth to say something that might have sounded sarcastic, even if it wasn't meant to be, but then closed it again as he thought he understood what he was being told. But...he had to be wrong. Surely, the young man hadn't meant to be so bold as to ask if--
"...Jacques..."
"...Would...would you...mind...too terribly...?"
The captain felt a tightening in his chest. If he'd ever thought to have such an opportunity...
No. Jacques was just cold. Geddoe would burn a few logs and leave him sleep alone.
"I'll build a fire," the captain said at last.
Jacques made an expression that could only be described as heartbroken. Then he brightened when he saw Geddoe standing. "There's no fireplace!" he said too quickly. "Um, I just remembered..."
Geddoe was almost next to him now. Jacques felt a sudden urge to throw himself into his captain's arms. Thinking about their positions and the situation, it seemed ludicrous. But inside, it felt right. As he looked up into Ged's face, he lost all nerve and couldn't do anything but stand there with his heart hammering through his chest.
"...Jacques," Geddoe said again, more softly. He looked down at his bowman's face, his own expressing a confused sort of hopefulness. Slowly, unsurely, he reached out and let his hand rest on the young man's shoulder.
Jacques drew a shuddering breath, wanting to say or do something but unsure what. So instead he gazed up into Geddoe's shining eye and let his lids droop half-closed in anticipation.
There could be no mistake in that gesture; Jacques expected to be kissed. Geddoe was only too willing to comply, but his soldier's instincts told him that it wasn't a good idea. Jacques was so much younger than he...and, besides...he knew it was never a good idea to get involved with a subordinate.
So he'd heard.
But in that next moment, when Jacques' eyes fluttered so prettily and his lips pursed so beautifully, Geddoe realized that only one thing mattered, and that was to feel those lips upon his own in something warm that only they could share. Jacques tipped his head back, and once he saw his captain leaning slowly toward him, he closed his eyes tightly. Now all was dark, waiting for the spark to ignite; his heartbeat drowned out anything he might have murmured to encourage Geddoe. Then a moment later, a softness came to rest against his mouth in gentle caress, making his heart stop with the overwhelming sensation of tenderness he received from his captain.
Geddoe watched Jacques for a moment while they kissed, hoping he'd assumed right and that he wouldn't suddenly be rejected. If it came to that, he could plead drunkenness, but things would never be the same.
He was right about that, though the bowman's response was nothing but desirable. Jacques knew this might be his only chance, so he let his lips part to invite Geddoe to explore and taste him. His arms raised to the captain's sides, holding on to him with a clingy sort of deperate possessiveness. Ged was thinner than he'd imagined, in his many daydreams and fantasies, and so much warmer. Jacques gasped when Geddoe's tongue slipped past his teeth, having forgotten to breathe for some moments. Geddoe's hands, now at the sides of his head, gently pushed him away.
The bowman looked up at the captain with wide, hungry eyes as he struggled to catch his breath. Geddoe didn't look at him for a moment, his hands tangling in Jacques' hair. He was breathing a little hard, himself. When he finally gazed down at the young man, he smiled warmly.
"...There really isn't a fireplace," Jacques said nervously, swallowing.
Geddoe nodded. "I believe you."
"...I'm cold, Captain. Will...will you stay with me?"
Before pulling Jacques into his arms once more, Ged murmured, "I'll keep you warm."
Geddoe felt a warm pulse responding in his hand. They had been bound together for so long now, it was as though he and the rune communicated. Well, he thought, if anyone or anything could understand me...
The sound of a throat self-consciously clearing made the captain look up from his gloved fist.
Jacques was standing next to his table. They were the only two left in the tavern, even the bartender realizing that it was best to leave the silent, brooding man alone.
Geddoe said nothing.
Jacques didn't quite meet his gaze for a moment, his hands behind his back and fidgeting. At last he spoke, saying, "...It's a bit late, Sir...don't you think?"
Geddoe cocked his head to the side. Was there some point in the question, he wondered, or was Jacques just trying to make conversation? "If you're tired, go to bed," he said reasonably, but it came out sounding a bit rude. He hadn't meant it that way at all, though.
"...Are you tired?" Jacques returned.
The captain pursed his lips, thinking of a decent reply. He couldn't tell Jacques he didn't need to sleep, so he just paused for a moment, then shrugged noncommittally.
The bowman cleared his throat again, crossing his arms and shuffling his feet a little, looking down at the floor. "I couldn't sleep. I was cold," he said in response to the question Geddoe never intended to ask. "It's warmer down here; there's a fire." He looked at Ged for a moment and smiled briefly, swallowing hard and looking away again when he got no answer.
Geddoe thought that the young man was behaving rather suspiciously, but wasn't sure why. He would have liked to think... But, no--that was ridiculous.
"...You don't mean to sleep down here, do you?" the captain asked, if only to fill the empty space. People did that sometimes--said things that were unnecessary or obvious, just to hear themselves talk. It seemed to make them more comfortable. He wasn't a man easily made uncomfortable, but something was bothering Jacques.
Jacques' face suddenly flushed. He coughed. Or choked. "N-no," he murmured. "I...uh... Well, you see... The room we have...for all six of us...? It's...only got four beds." He didn't meet Geddoe's gaze, though he now had the captain's full attention.
"...So...?" Ged prompted.
"So... Aila and Queen are sharing, but Joker and Ace couldn't both fit, so they each took a whole bed. That...ah...that leaves--"
"You and me," Geddoe finished thoughtfully. "And just the one bed."
Jacques finally looked at him, swallowing. "...Yeah."
"You can have it," Geddoe said, shrugging again. He didn't mind sleeping on the floor, or in a chair; he'd had worse.
If Jacques had appeared flushed before, now he was scarlet. "...I couldn't sleep... I was cold," he repeated.
Geddoe opened his mouth to say something that might have sounded sarcastic, even if it wasn't meant to be, but then closed it again as he thought he understood what he was being told. But...he had to be wrong. Surely, the young man hadn't meant to be so bold as to ask if--
"...Jacques..."
"...Would...would you...mind...too terribly...?"
The captain felt a tightening in his chest. If he'd ever thought to have such an opportunity...
No. Jacques was just cold. Geddoe would burn a few logs and leave him sleep alone.
"I'll build a fire," the captain said at last.
Jacques made an expression that could only be described as heartbroken. Then he brightened when he saw Geddoe standing. "There's no fireplace!" he said too quickly. "Um, I just remembered..."
Geddoe was almost next to him now. Jacques felt a sudden urge to throw himself into his captain's arms. Thinking about their positions and the situation, it seemed ludicrous. But inside, it felt right. As he looked up into Ged's face, he lost all nerve and couldn't do anything but stand there with his heart hammering through his chest.
"...Jacques," Geddoe said again, more softly. He looked down at his bowman's face, his own expressing a confused sort of hopefulness. Slowly, unsurely, he reached out and let his hand rest on the young man's shoulder.
Jacques drew a shuddering breath, wanting to say or do something but unsure what. So instead he gazed up into Geddoe's shining eye and let his lids droop half-closed in anticipation.
There could be no mistake in that gesture; Jacques expected to be kissed. Geddoe was only too willing to comply, but his soldier's instincts told him that it wasn't a good idea. Jacques was so much younger than he...and, besides...he knew it was never a good idea to get involved with a subordinate.
So he'd heard.
But in that next moment, when Jacques' eyes fluttered so prettily and his lips pursed so beautifully, Geddoe realized that only one thing mattered, and that was to feel those lips upon his own in something warm that only they could share. Jacques tipped his head back, and once he saw his captain leaning slowly toward him, he closed his eyes tightly. Now all was dark, waiting for the spark to ignite; his heartbeat drowned out anything he might have murmured to encourage Geddoe. Then a moment later, a softness came to rest against his mouth in gentle caress, making his heart stop with the overwhelming sensation of tenderness he received from his captain.
Geddoe watched Jacques for a moment while they kissed, hoping he'd assumed right and that he wouldn't suddenly be rejected. If it came to that, he could plead drunkenness, but things would never be the same.
He was right about that, though the bowman's response was nothing but desirable. Jacques knew this might be his only chance, so he let his lips part to invite Geddoe to explore and taste him. His arms raised to the captain's sides, holding on to him with a clingy sort of deperate possessiveness. Ged was thinner than he'd imagined, in his many daydreams and fantasies, and so much warmer. Jacques gasped when Geddoe's tongue slipped past his teeth, having forgotten to breathe for some moments. Geddoe's hands, now at the sides of his head, gently pushed him away.
The bowman looked up at the captain with wide, hungry eyes as he struggled to catch his breath. Geddoe didn't look at him for a moment, his hands tangling in Jacques' hair. He was breathing a little hard, himself. When he finally gazed down at the young man, he smiled warmly.
"...There really isn't a fireplace," Jacques said nervously, swallowing.
Geddoe nodded. "I believe you."
"...I'm cold, Captain. Will...will you stay with me?"
Before pulling Jacques into his arms once more, Ged murmured, "I'll keep you warm."