Title: Quiet Moments Like These

Summary: Quinn really appreciates these quiet moments with Jemella…

Pairings: Guildmaster (Jemella)/Quinn

AN: I just had this OVERWHELMING urge to write this pairing. I can't explain it. But, well, here we are. This is based on my headcanon more than anything else. Quinn and guildmaster are lovers and are raising two orphaned children together, and the orange-haired medic is named Remedy and Quinn's little brother. So, anyway, hope you enjoy reading~!

It was well after midnight as Quinn made his way through the quiet streets of Etria. A heavy, sombre presence hung over the city tonight and he knew quite well the reason why. The call to arms to eliminate the Forest Folk did not sit well with so many. Locals and explorers alike. And it did not sit well with him, either.

There was...no other choice. Quinn along with his brother, Remedy, and the aid of the Midgard Library guild, Siridean, had tried to find far more peaceful resolutions. There had to be other ways. They had found potential peaceful solutions. But Lord Visil, he...and that young forest girl...they would not be dissuaded. Neither of them.

What were they both hiding? Why resort to such measures?

Quinn sighed and shook his head. Fatigued of the day had set in. He was exhausted from answering questions from inquiring guilds, receiving criticism about the mission, and attempting to partly understand the mindset of some guilds who actually seemed thrilled at the mission.

He didn't want to think about it anymore. Not for a while. He just wanted to be home. A place where he wasn't responsible for dealing with locals and explorers. Where he wasn't in charge of issuing out missions. Where he wasn't the Subaltern. A place where he was just himself.

The guildhouse was quiet, as per usual at this time of night. Jemella only opened the doors for the guilds he actually liked. Others that wished to speak with him were "politely" told to return in the morning. He used to allow the guildhouse to remain open late into the night. But now he couldn't be so accompanying. Official guildmaster or not, he had other priorities to contend with.

And those priorities was two little boys that were orphaned after their parents lost their lives to the labyrinth. The two children had nowhere else to go. No one else to take them in. No one willing to do so at that time. So, of course, Jemella stepped in. He tried to appear as a rough and tough guildmaster, but he was a true tender heart when it came to children.

Quinn, of course, held no objections. To raise two innocent boys with Jemella, to be a small little family, to be parents as well as lovers. How could he possibly object to that?

Quinn's footsteps echoed loudly against the silence of the night as he headed to the residential housing of the guildhouse, where he lived with Jemella and their two adoptive sons. As he headed to the door, however, his hand searching in his pocket for his keys, the door opened before him. Jemella stepped half-way out of the door and Quinn felt an immediately wave of relief wash over him as their gazes locked upon one another.

"There you are," Jemella said as his shoulders sagged slightly in relief.

"Ah, sorry," Quinn replied as he quickened his pace ever so slightly to reach Jemella. "Long day at Radha Hall, I'm afraid."

"Yeah, I know," Jemella said simply with a concerned expression on his face as he immediately reached out to him and nudged him inside.

Quinn sighed again as Jemella closed the door behind them. When he heard the lock click into place, he felt his shoulders sag further, finally allowing himself to look as fatigued as he felt. He knew he would only concern Jemella further, but he wouldn't have been able to hide from him anyway. There was no point.

"The boys in bed?" Quinn asked absentmindedly as he shrugged off his armour and heavy coat.

"Since 8pm, thankfully," Jemella answered before he turned to give Quinn a slight frown. "Have you eaten today at all?"

Quinn placed his coat upon the coatrack near the door and kicked off his boosts. Now dressed in plain, civilian clothing, he felt the burdens of being the Subaltern be lifted from his shoulders and back. He was just Quinn now. And he needed that.

He was pulled from his musings when Jemella slipped his arms around his waist and tugged him toward him. Quinn let him pull him into his arms and against his chest, and smiled softly when Jemella hugged him close, his chin upon his shoulder. Quinn draped his arms around Jemella's shoulders and neck, and allowed himself to simply rest against him.

While Quinn was honoured to be the Subaltern for Etria, to work with Lord Visil and for their people, he truly enjoyed the moments where he was just Quinn. And he knew that Jemella enjoyed them, too. Here, in this house, with just the two of them and their two little boys, they could be simple men. Partners, parents, lovers. Just...people.

"You all right?" Jemella asked him softly, whispering into his ear.

Quinn sighed as he pulled back slightly. Only enough so that he could look upon Jemella's face. He needed to stay in his arms for a moment longer.

"I'm just tired," Quinn answered as he slid his hands along Jemella's shoulders to rest on his biceps. "About thinking about it. About overthinking about it. And just thinking in general."

"I always said that thinking was bad for your health," Jemella replied casually. "That's why I don't do it as much."

For the first time in what felt like a very long time, Quinn felt a smile of amusement slip across his lips and the tension in his shoulders lessened further. He allowed a half chuckle to escape before he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Jemella.

Of course, Jemella immediately placed a hand on the center of Quinn's back to hold him closer and to prolong the kiss. And, of course, Quinn didn't mind. He just allowed his eyes to close as his arms moved to wrap around his neck once more. Though they were hardly newlyweds, having been together for years (some of which were in 'secret'), it was still incomprehensibly easy to lose himself whenever Jemella pulled him into his arms and kissed him. Especially after such a long and tiring day.

With one last, lingering caress, Quinn pulled away from the kiss and rested his hands on his biceps once more. "I'm all right," he said simply. "Just tired. I think I might abuse my Subaltern status and go into work later tomorrow."

"Even the great and precious Subaltern needs to sleep," Jemella retorted.

Quinn reached up with his hand and pinched Jemella's cheek as he frowned slightly. "Don't cal me that. Honestly, I am not fond of having a fan club, thank you," he said before he glanced over Jemella's shoulder to the door of their son's shared bedroom. "The boys been behaving themselves?"

Jemella shrugged a shoulder to dislodge Quinn's hand. "Thankfully, Remedy came to visit today and kept them busy for a while. I had a few...irritants to deal with," Jemella replied, his voice trailing off into a subtly irritable tone.

Quinn arched an eyebrow. "I hope you weren't picking on hapless explorers again," he said in a playfully chiding tone.

"Of course not," Jemella replied with a scoff. He then proceeded to mumble bitterly under his breath as he glanced at the floor.

Ah, perhaps it would be better not to know anything more than that.

"Well, at least the kids were able to keep Remedy out of trouble today," Quinn added before he shook his head in dismay and nudged himself from Jemella's arms to head into their kitchen. "Honestly, that boy is a magnet for trouble."

"No kidding," Jemella added with a half smirk on his lips as he stretched his arms over his head and followed him. "But he always seems to get himself out of it. Though, he seems surprised half the time, too."

Quinn chuckled quietly as he stopped before the kitchen table, his smile growing soft with fondness when he realised that Jemella had already prepared him something to eat. "He honestly gets away with so much. And he doesn't even realise it. Rather troubling, honestly."

"It's a good thing that he doesn't know what kind of shit he could actually get away with," Jemella suddenly commented. "Can you imagine the type of shit he would get himself into then?"

Somehow Quinn simultaneously laughed and winced at the prospect. As Remedy's older brother by ten years, it was no surprise that he was incredibly (and incessantly) protective of him. But Remedy was also incredibly (and yes incessantly) curious and some would even say nosy. He was always eager to learn more, about anything and everything that was hidden within Yggdrasil. He honestly couldn't be stopped. Quinn didn't want to hold him back, but he still wanted to hold him close to protect him. He was his little brother, after all. The only blood family he had.

Thankfully Remedy had a guild of his own, one that was sure to keep him out of trouble. Or least protect him from it. Or at the very least get him out of it whenever needed. That landsknecht, Zircon, was quite adamant that he would do just that.

He was still too innocently nosy for his good.

Quinn pulled out the chair to the kitchen table, but was stilled when Jemella came up behind him and slipped his arms around his waist once more. He nuzzled the back of Quinn's neck with his nose for a moment, seemingly taking in a slow breath before he rested his chin on his shoulder. Quinn rested his hands on Jemella's arms and leaned back against him. Jemella was quite affectionate tonight. Clearly, he was worried about him. And wanted to help him in some way. And the only way he really knew how was to help him to relax and unwind.

And it always worked. Quiet, loving moments like these always made him feel better.

"So, food before bed?" Jemella asked him as he nuzzled the side of his face.

Quinn reached up to touch him on the side of his face. "Sounds good."