Cucumber
The curry in Kalay was so spicy. The locals grew some sort of herbs, apparently, and seemed to favor the strongest ones. Judging by the empty containers marked 'Tolbi', it seemed they were regular consumers of the shipments of lucky pepper imported via the Silk Road as well.
Isaac blinked down at his bowl. Steam rose off the top of it, richly scented, the sharp smell stinging his nose as his eyes watered. He stirred the curry with his small spoon.
Garet and Jenna, as one, shoveled down their food with no hesitation. Nothing was too spicy for a fire adept. Sheba and Ivan had given up and resorted to nibbling rolls. Mia ate her curry silently, patting her lips dry with her napkin. She looked at Isaac reproachfully. Isaac squirmed and stopped toying with his spoon.
Felix was downing glasses of water like whiskey.
Isaac sighed. The curry was unbearably spicy and unbearably hot. Waiting until it cooled down seemed the only proper option, but still…
Isaac gave the curry another stir. Mia said nothing.
The continent of Angara was too large. Had it been smaller, they wouldn't have been walking for such a long time…agh. It had already been a month since they left…where was it? The time was taking his memory away as well. Maybe the curry was getting to him.
Isaac lifted his spoon to his mouth, tentatively giving the curry a taste.
"Gah." He dropped the spoon and swallowed hurriedly. Felix acknowledged him with a nod and poured himself more water.
Isaac fanned at his mouth, snatching the fresh cup out of Felix's hands. Felix frowned and stole Jenna's unused one.
Jenna didn't seem to mind too much.
Isaac regarded his defiant bowl with a beady glare.
A flapping and a shifting; smooth hands picked Isaac's bowl up carefully. Isaac glanced up, startled – Piers sat next to him on the table bench. He blew gently on the curry.
"Here."
Piers handed the bowl back. Isaac blinked; he felt the sides of the bowl – considerably cooler. "…Thank you."
Piers pointed to the dish the bowl had been resting on. Slices of green rested on the edge.
"Cucumber," he informed softly. "To dull the spice."
Isaac raised an eyebrow at the plate. "I could've sworn that wasn't there before."
"Then I suppose you weren't looking."
"Probably not." He pushed the bowl back to Piers. "You want it? I didn't really mess with it much."
Piers looked at the offered curry, then back at Isaac.
"But, it's yours," he objected.
Isaac shrugged. "I'm…really not that hungry."
Piers folded his hands. "Eating will keep you well."
"Hn." Isaac looked over at Jenna and Garet, who seemed to be engaged in some sort of competition. Felix, watching them, caught Isaac's eyes and shook his head in disbelief. Isaac turned back to Piers, who looked as if he wanted to stop them. "Can I at least offer to share it?"
"What?" Piers pulled his gaze away from the growing pile of empty dishes next to Jenna. "Oh…um…alright," he replied, distracted.
Isaac ate quietly, making sure Piers did as well. They said nothing, watching as Jenna barked at an unfortunate chef for more.
A fold of Piers' clothing brushed Isaac's shoulder. Isaac pushed it out of the way, noting the color. Blue. It was blue. Strange, how being an adept influenced one's color preference. Isaac let his eyes travel to Piers' face. His hair was blue, his clothes were blue. He had gold eyes. Now, how did someone blue-haired wind up with golden eyes? Not that it was a…negative feature.
"Isaac." Isaac started. Had he been staring? No, Piers was still looking over at the impossible duo. Isaac ran a finger around the rim of his – no, Felix's – glass idly.
"Yeah?"
Jenna wolfed down a buttered roll and laughed triumphantly at Garet, who was struggling.
"I don't believe Jenna is really Felix's sister."
Isaac bit into a slice of cucumber. Ah, there it was, the refreshingly cool taste that instantly washed the spice away. "Really now?"
"She's so…strange."
Beginning to laugh, Isaac choked on a sudden peppery feeling in the back of his throat.
"Isaac!" Piers handed him his water glass. Isaac waved it off.
"I'm fine," he coughed. He cleared his throat a few times. "The spice," he explained.
Garet growled as Jenna snorted at him, halfway through yet another dish.
Isaac ran his finger around the cup's rim again. A sudden pinch.
"Gah." He drew in his breath sharply, then waved his finger in the air. "Ow."
Piers looked Isaac's cup over. "There's a nick in the edge." He took Isaac's hand. "You're bleeding."
Isaac shrugged. "It'll stop in a second."
Piers shook his head. "There may be some glass in the cut. Wait, come with me." Piers stood and began to walk towards the stairway of the inn's lobby, dragging Isaac by his wrist.
Isaac allowed himself to be led to Piers' room. "'It's just a scratch," he said irritably. Though, really, he didn't mind.
Piers shut the door behind them. "I have my kit in here…" He walked to the bed, picking up the small satchel that lay next to the pillow. "Wait, no, this is Mia's. No, she won't mind." He fingered through the contents, pulling out a small metal needle.
"Lift your hand," he commanded.
"This is a waste of time," Isaac grumbled.
He lifted his hand anyway.
Piers took it. "Hold on." Using the needle, he carefully lifted a small glass shard out of the blood.
"See, I told you." He placed the needle and glass on the bedside table and motioned for Isaac to sit on the bed next to him.
"Now what?"
Isaac sat next to him, despite the question.
Piers smiled slightly. "You're one of many complaints, I see." He cupped Isaac's hand in his, gazing at it. "Ply," he told it, and a faint blue light closed the cut.
"Hn. Handy." Isaac frowned at his hand.
"I'm sure your curing abilities have just as much standard."
"Mm…nah. Not really. Curing relieves pain, and ply heals wounds. Right?"
"Pretty much so." Piers realized Isaac's hands were still in his. He dropped it. "Oh. My apologies." He gave him a sheepish look.
Isaac blinked. "I…didn't mind…too much," he spoke slowly.
Piers looked at him.
Red tinged Isaac's cheeks. "No, I didn't mean like tha—"
Piers leaned forward and kissed him.
The red deepened quite a bit. Isaac stared up at Piers, who wore almost a smirk.
"You taste like fish," Isaac told him. Not the best thing to say at that precise moment, but it was all that came.
Piers chuckled. "The curry. Kalay and the sea."
He tugged at Isaac's bangs.
"You taste like cucumber."
________________________
This fic very narrowly escaped my GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE I WROTE THESE fanfiction purge, only because of its pairing!