"Oh cheer up would you, Rincewind? So you were a little drunk and you kissed me. Big deal." I told him when he stared into his tea, chewing his lip as I sat beside him.
"It might not have been a big deal to you but I don't usually go around kissing strange girls." Rincewind protested and I raised an eyebrow at him giving him a slow frown until he cleared his throat, giving me a slight smile in return. "Present excluded of course."
"If that's an apology you can keep it, wizard." I replied, choosing to ignore Rincewind for the time being. Realizing he had gone a little overboard Rincewind decided that now was a good time to keep his mouth shut.
I was enjoying the peace and quiet until Rincewind cleared his throat and I turned to see him looking at me with a faint smile. "I just realized that I never did thank you for curing my headache." Rincewind said and I just shrugged, pouring myself another cup of tea before I offered the teapot to him. After pouring him a second cup he blew on it, taking a careful sip before he spoke. "You didn't have to."
"I'm a healer, Rincewind. It's what I do and besides you looked so pathetic clutching you head like that." I replied and he pulled at face, leaving me with a tiny smile. "Not so nice being made fun of is it?"
"Alright I'm sorry I called you strange." Rincewind responded and I nodded at him. "Thanks for the tea."
"You're welcome. How's the head?" I asked him and he snorted, coughing on his tea when I fixed him with a smile that showed all of my teeth. "Don't pin the blame on me, Rincewind. You kissed me first." I added still grinning when he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his robe.
"I was clearly under the influence of whatever mixture you made so I'm not taking the blame." Rincewind protested and I sniggered at how badly he was blushing right now. "Besides I do remember that you kissed me straight back."
"I did but I was still pretty worried about you acting so strange." I told him and he raised both eyebrows at me as I cleared my throat. "When I managed to drag you back to my room and get you settled on the bed you started to nuzzle my neck, telling me that I was pretty."
"I said all that?" Rincewind asked and when I nodded he groaned, covering his face with his hands. "That mixture did more than chase my headache away. I wasn't that bad was I?"
"It really was pretty sweet in a drunken sort of way. At least you enjoyed yourself. Apparently you spend most of your time running from one danger to another." I told him, giving his knee a pat with my hand and he uncovered one eye, noting that I was using my bandaged hand. "Though I've never heard that mint can make someone act like that before."
"Neither have I." Rincewind muttered and I giggled as he stared at me. "You actually have a nice laugh." He agreed his face turning a brilliant shade of red as soon as those words were out of his mouth and I sniggered as he proceeded to hide his face again. This time I reached over and after a struggle I managed to pull his hat up enough to uncover his face.
"Don't be so embarrassed, Rincewind. I've never had someone make a love confession to me before." I teased and he groaned even louder as he freed his left hand, tugging his wizard hat down enough to hide his face. "I was joking!" I added, laughing as he climbed to his feet only to stumble as the Luggage stepped into his path, causing Rincewind to let out a yell before he fell flat on his face for the second time in a day.
Trying very hard not to laugh I knelt at the wizard's side when the Luggage stepped back and as I watched Rincewind groaned again though more from making a fool of himself than any actually pain. Once he sat he rubbed at the edge of his nose, his face uncovered as he glared at the Luggage who sat back. "Are you alright?" I asked and he coughed, feeling his cheeks heating up considerably when he felt me take his hand in mine. "Here, let me help you."
"Help me? I think you've done enough to embarrass me. It's your fault that I made a fool of myself." He shouted as he recoiled, only just realizing how that must have sounded when he saw my lower lip quiver. "I didn't mean that." He mumbled when I climbed to my feet looking everywhere but at him when he finally managed to stand, though a bit wobbly after his trip onto the bedroom floor.
"What is your problem? I try and help you and you snap at me." I whispered, trying for angry though he does notice when I swallowed a lump in my throat. "Well I'm going back to the library so I can find a way to send you home." I added, ignore his feeble attempts at an apology. "Just stay here unless you want to risk running into that demon again." I warned, slamming the door in his face.
Rincewind stumbled back looking slightly confused before he turned to see the Luggage watching him from its spot at the foot of the bed. He looked at it for help and it just shook itself offering no help whatsoever.
"That could have gone better I think." Rincewind muttered, crossing the room before he plants himself on the bed. After some careful thought he slips off his hat, checking it over in his hands for any damage though aside from the point being tilted to one side its was unharmed and he let out a breath. Slipping it back on over his unruly red hair he chewed his lip glancing at the door again in the hope that I would return.
A few minutes turned into an hour and Rincewind, fed up with waiting for Ailis to return decided to leave her bedroom. Climbing from the bed he headed for the door the Luggage stretching before it followed him, waiting patiently at his heels when Rincewind slowly opened the door. After a pause he poked his head outside my room waiting several seconds before he ventured outside heading in the general direction of the kitchen.
"Ailis? Are you in there?" He called out, feeling rather foolish when no one answered. "If she's not here maybe she's in the library. I just hope it's close by." He muttered to himself as he headed towards a large wooden door on the opposite side of the room.
Standing outside my house I sighed, leaning against the front door as I did while I tried to gathering my thoughts.
Rincewind's probably in there right now thinking of someway to blame me for everything that's happened to him so far. I mean I did make a mistake when I brought him here but at the very least he could act like I'm trying to help him because I am.
Shaking my head I made up my mind to go for a walk which at the very least would help me clear my head and not strangle the wizard. I had barely taken a single step away from the door when the door creaked open and I stepped back blinking at Rincewind who blinked back at me.
"I wasn't planning on running away if that's what you're thinking." He told me as we walked side by side towards the center of the city. "I needed some fresh air so I came outside. I wasn't here to apologize because I have nothing to apologize for." He hurriedly added, not liking the way I barely glanced at him. At our heels, well mainly mine right now, walked the Luggage who seemed to be taking my side judging from the way it kept ignoring Rincewind's attempts at getting it to heel.
"You should be apologizing. For your information I am not ugly. I wasn't before I became an undead either." I snapped at him, slightly pleased to hear him swallowing as he followed me. We reached the end of the street and I let out a breath, trying to decide where to walk that wouldn't put us in danger. Rolling my eyes at Rincewind who seemed to be staring up at the sky looking slightly pale as he did I started to head north towards my favorite cafe, hoping that a drink would make me feel better, when I heard something shifting under me. I barely had time to pull the frozen wizard off the street before the ground shook under us and I stared as the tower on a nearby building started to spark.
"Not again." Rincewind heard me muttering under my breath and he stared at me then the tower that started to heat up, his eyes widening just as it exploded. Bricks and stone flew in all directions missing us but as I let out another breath at how close we'd come to being smacked into the street I saw half a brick flying through the air. Once I saw that it was heading Rincewind's way I stepped close enough to push him sideways, cringing slightly when he tripped over the Luggage which had more sense to avoid the danger.
Rolling my eyes at the pair I rushed forward, careful not to trip on the uneven cobblestones before I grabbed Rincewind's shoulder hurling him to his feet where he dangled between my fingers. I ignored the look of confusion on his face as I leaned over depositing on the sidewalk just as the brick finally landed and I bit back a cry of pain as it struck me directly on my left ankle. The sudden and intense pain shot up my leg leaving me unable to support my own weight and I landed awkwardly, hissing as my backside made contact with the ground.
Now with a possibly broken ankle and a bruised backside I panted not even focused on Rincewind who had stepped over to me despite every instinct in his body telling him to run and keep running. When a hand landed on my shoulder I looked up to see him kneeling beside me and with a tiny smile I took the hand offered to me, pulled to my feet where I swayed.
"Why did you do that?" Rincewind asked, ignoring his mind that was screaming at him to escape. "You put yourself in danger to help me?"
"Of course I did you idiot! That brick could have killed you!" I shouted at him and he flinched, fiddling with his hat until I sighed. "Didn't mean to shout but it hurts." I added, much quieter as Rincewind stared at my ankle. "Do...do you think you could carry me? I can't walk like this."
Rincewind chewed his lip, wanting to help but not at all confidant he would be able to until the Luggage nudged at his legs and he looked down at it for a few seconds. "You could couldn't you?" He asked it and it moved to my side kneeling which brought a tiny grin to Rincewind's face. As gently as he could Rincewind helped me down onto the sentient chest who started to make its way slowly back to my house and Rincewind just rolled his eyes, following behind us.