Summary: Ornstein isn't getting attached! Or is he...?
(Author's note: Gosh, I got so many comments on different platforms and people like this fic and Tempest so much and I just want to say: Thank you so much! I hope you stay with Ornstein and Tempest until the very end!)
Before Tempest could think about anything to say to explain the situation he was practically shoved off the bed, landing hard onto the floor, groaning in pain at the sudden fall.
As soon as he managed to get up, he saw that the dragon slayer was sitting as far as he could away from him on the bed, practically pressing himself against the wall the bed was standing next to, his face flushed red, his curls a beautiful mess.
"Th.. that wasn't what it looked like. I.. I just like to hug things in my sleep, th.. that's all.", Ornstein stammered. Then, he seemed to fully realize the situation and blurted out: "What were you even doing in my room?!"
"My apologies.", Tempest raised both hands in a gesture of reassurance. "I simply was worried about you, because you didn't show up at breakfast even though an hour had passed by and normally we should have started training in the meantime. I knocked, but got no answer, so I came in and tried to wake you. And then you, uh, almost squished me."
At this words, Ornstein's face did the impossible task to turn even redder than before.
"Right, thanks for waking me then. Please leave now, I need to get ready. We meet in the kitchen.", he said.
With a last smile Tempest turned around and walked into the direction of the door. When he arrived at it, his gaze fell on a painting. It was a bit crude, looked like it was done by someone who hadn't much experience with painting, but these figures were clearly Ornstein and Artorias.
Tempest, who had seen the drawings of Ornstein, knew that his skill was far superior than this. This could only mean that one of the other knights had drawn it, probably Artorias himself. And Ornstein had hung it up in his room. Tempest suddenly felt guilty about that cookie book. He probably shouldn't have removed it from its place in the wolf knight's room. A part of him wanted to put it right away, but another part of him told him that he should hold onto it a little while longer.
"Um, are you done staring at my door?", Ornstein asked, who finally had managed to get off the bed, a bunch of clothes in his arms.
"Oh sorry.", Tempest said and rushed out of the door, back into the kitchen, where he didn't had to wait long for Ornstein to arrive. When the knight had looked like a nervous mess when he still had been in bed, now all of this was gone, with his armour put on, the hair tied into the usual ponytail and his helmet under his left arm while he carried his spear in the right.
"Perfect timing, I just finished heating the meal up.", Tempest said cheerfully and went to find something to fill the meal in. He heard how Ornstein sat down at the table, two clangs implied that he put both his helmet and his spear down. Tempest strolled over to the table and put the meal down in front of Ornstein, before seating himself down.
"Just that you know, that didn't mean anything.", Ornstein blurted out not even wasting a glance at his meal. This took Tempest off guard.
"Huh?", he wondered and then it rained back down on him. "Oh, you mean, the hug?"
"Don't mention it.", Ornstein hissed, picked up his silverware and started to eat. Tempest knew this subject was over for now.
Still, it felt too quiet. Tempest didn't like this silence between them, it reminded him too much when they just had started out in the dark moon tomb and the most he got from the dragon slayer had been silent glares. Tempest felt like they had managed to become friends over the last days, he didn't just want such an incident to take it all away. He rummaged around in his mind for a topic, desperately wanting to break the silence, when he found something.
"So, um, do you like sheep?", he asked casually.
Ornstein froze mid eating at this question, his face flushing a tint of red again, Tempest already felt ready to shrink down, feeling that he had said the wrong thing, when Ornstein asked: "How do you know this?!"
"I didn't.", Tempest replied truthfully. "That is why I ask. I just assumed that could be the case because your night shirt had a sheep pattern on it."
"Oh.", Ornstein said. "Completely forgot that I had put this on. Almost all of my night shirts have been gifts from the master or got pictures embroidered on by Smough." His tone felt casual enough for Tempest to continue this conversation.
"So, does that mean you have a certain fondness of sheep? Because when I would gift someone something, I would make sure it matches their preferences."
It was a question that would have been easily answered with yes or no, so Tempest was surprised when the dragon slayer spoke: "To be honest, animals and me are a difficult thing. Most of them don't seem to like me and in response, I am wary about them too. Dogs, cats, birds, they attacked me totally unprovoked on multiple occasions."
Tempest mouth fell agape. He had expected a lot, but not a full blown confession that the dragon slayer was afraid of animals. At least the three he had mentioned were a very safe bet.
"But I never had this problem with sheep. They never attacked me. They were just there and they were soft and cuddling against them made me feel secure.", Ornstein had a dreamy look in his eyes, as if he was reliving a pleasant memory.
Tempest had to grin about the thought of Ornstein cuddled up against a fluffy sheep. "That is so cute.", he said.
Which instantly shifted the mood of Ornstein around. "Why have I even told you this? Go prepare for our training and forget what I just mentioned!"
Tempest instantly stood up and rushed out of the room, although not without a heavy grin. The dragon slayer could play as tough as he managed, there was an undeniable soft side in him and Tempest was close breaking through to it.
"I am sure one day he will feel secure to share his secrets with me.", Tempest murmured to himself while he strolled down the hallway, heading to the training grounds.
Ornstein was walking alongside Gwyndolin into the direction of the training grounds. He had asked them for help with today's training session and the moon deity had agreed.
"So, how is he making himself?", Gwyndolin asked, wiggling alongside Ornstein. Even after all these centuries Ornstein found it fascinating how they moved when they didn't teleport.
"Better than I initially thought. He isn't a lost cause, but far from being a good knight also. He is clumsy, moves too much and tries to rely on rolling for dodging far too often.", Ornstein replied with a huff. "But...", he continued. "He adapted and learned and in these ten days he made massive progress. He probably will never be a knight, but a little warrior instead."
"...Ornstein, are you getting attached?"
That question hit Ornstein like a bucket of cold water. A faint memory of Artorias doing this to him on hot summer days briefly crossed his mind, before he answered: "What? No, why should I? I only have to escort him to the first flame and then I am free to go. It is just easier when he actually knows how to fight."
Ornstein felt that this only was the half truth. He felt that he indeed had become attached to the little storm. He sighed. He didn't want to lie to Gwyndolin. "Maybe a little bit. This journey gets easier when we get along, right?"
"I am just warning you. You know that he has to burn to keep the flame going. I don't want you to get hurt."
iYou have gotten hurt enough already./i Gwyndolin hadn't said this, but Ornstein knew that these unspoken words lingered in the air beyond them.
"I know..." The dragon slayer stared on the ground and they stayed silent for the rest of the way.
Just after they had rode the elevator to the training grounds, Ornstein could spot Tempest already training on his own. If that could be called training. He had picked up the spear again and failed in every aspect adding the length of the weapon to his repertoire, but instead he stumbled and fell down because the momentum of his thrust pulled him down.
The undead pulled himself up with a bloody nose and a grin on his face, saying out aloud: "When Ornstein does this, it looks so much easier."
Ornstein felt his heart flutter and he had to avert his gaze at this sight. Damn, that had looked cute. iDon't get attached/i, he thought to himself.
Still, he didn't felt that it was wrong being friends. For now. It wasn't like they were dating.
"Um, are you coming, Ornstein?", Gwyndolin asked and Ornstein reacted just in time to jump off the elevator before it drove back down. With a few strides he was at Tempest side. The small undead had already healed any wounds with a sip from his Estus, practically beaming when he saw Ornstein.
"Ah, Ornstein, you have taken your time, so I decided to train on my own. Though, I am not really getting how do you make this thrusts with your spear without falling down? Can you show me this?"
"I thought I told you we were going back to swords.", Ornstein scolded Tempest.
"Sorry.", Tempest gave Ornstein a sheepish smile. "I just wanted to try it out. I get the swords." Only now seemed he to notice that Gwyndolin was with them. "Oh, Dark Sun Gwyndolin is with you today?"
"They have agreed to help out with your training.", Ornstein explained. "I have to see how you hold up against more than one foe."
Tempest took a step back, looking aghast. "I shall fight against both of you at once?!"
Ornstein shook his head in annoyance. "No, they will conjure up a few foes for you to fight." He gave Tempest a glare that signalled "Don't you dare lay a hand on Gwyndolin." before remembering that he was wearing his helmet.
"Oh, alright.", Tempest said. "I, um, go get my sword now." The small Undead awkwardly ran into the direction of the bonfire, where Ornstein had made a habit to keep the weapons for training, leaving the dragon slayer alone with Gwyndolin. He deeply sighed.
"If he manages to withstand this test, I was thinking about heading back to the archives tomorrow, but when I see him like that, I doubt that he will manage.", he spoke.
Next to him, Gwyndolin's face turned into a smile. "Don't be too hard, Ornstein, you once started out like this too, remember?"
"How could I ever forget the hell of a training your older brother liked to put me through?", Ornstein said with a grin, but instantly after this both of them fell silent.
"Ornstein.", Gwyndolin was the first to break the silence. "If you find him... please tell him, I miss him."
Ornstein felt a lump in his throat. He nodded, feeling like any words he could say were stuck in his throat. After all, when all of this would be over, he, too, would leave Gwyndolin behind.
"If anything happens, you just have to call and I return to your side in an instant.", he finally managed to speak. Before Gwyndolin could say anything, Tempest returned with his sword.
"Sorry that I made you wait.", he said. "I am ready for today's training."
"Good.", Ornstein stepped forward. "Like I said, Gwyndolin will conjure up a few foes for you to take care off. They may be illusions, but they are still solid and can hurt you, so don't let your guard down."
Tempest nodded, taking his sword with both hands. "I am ready.", he said, far more enthusiastic than Ornstein would have expected.
"Gwyndolin, please.", Ornstein gestured to them and they raised their catalyst. Soon after, a few crystal hollows had taken shape. An archer, one with a sword and one with a club. They slowly staggered towards Tempest.
"I won't help you with this, beat them on your own. You can use your Estus.", Ornstein said, leaning himself down on his spear, observing.
The first thing Tempest did, was rushing forward to take the archer out, dodging a swing of both the melee fighters. To Ornstein's discontent, he again used this weird dodge roll to do it. It turned out to be quite effective though, because both sword and club missed and hit the ground with a clank respectively thud instead.
What he didn't manage to dodge though, was the arrow of the archer, which bored itself into his left shoulder. Hissing, Tempest seemed to ignore the pain and his sword found the archer which fell in two swift hits.
"Damn, this guys are still so hard.", Tempest complained, not paying attention and getting hit with a hard strike of the club hollow. He cried out in pain, twirled around, but found himself surrounded by both of his foes. He quickly backed away, nestling for his estus flask. Ornstein watched as he took a sip and his wounds quickly closed, then he clutched his sword again, dodging a hit of the sword hollow and striking it right after he came back up, backing away because the club hollow tried to strike again.
This continued a few more minutes, until Tempest had done enough damage to both of the illusions that they vanished into thin air. He panted heavily, grabbing for his estus, because he had managed to get a few more wounds while fending them off.
"That could hardly be considered elegant.", Ornstein said. "But you have been calm and collected enough to be able to handle three foes at once. I am quite satisfied with your progress."
Tempest stared at Ornstein with big eyes. "A compliment out of your mouth? Have I died and gone hollow for good?", he shouted. Ornstein could see how Gwyndolin chuckled next to him.
"I am not needed here anymore, so I will leave you alone.", they said and with a flick of their catalyst they were gone. Ornstein only could stare in shock how quickly they were gone, he hadn't expected to have to deal with Tempest on his own now.
"So, um, this actually was, like a test, to see, if you can handle stuff." Oh how Ornstein hated how clumsily this words came out.
"Does that mean we are heading out tomorrow? Back to the archives?", Tempest asked, his sword tip loosely on the ground, him practically leaning on it, not unlike Ornstein did with his spear. The dragon slayer nodded.
"Then I'll go back to the cathedral now, I want to prepare something. Don't come into the kitchen until I'll allow it.", Tempest said with a grin and rushed away. Ornstein just blankly stared after him.
For someone who felt like giving up just a few weeks ago, he was strangely cheerful and enthusiastic. But maybe, just maybe, he was just feeling lonely. Ornstein surely knew how it felt.
Ornstein let his gaze rest on the archives for a moment, before he turned around. He would take a walk through Anor Londo, he hadn't done this in a long time now. And once he returned, he was sure that dinner would wait for him.