The cake they made was delicious. Not as much as the ones Harv's mother made, but a fair enough imitation to be passible. More than fair in Finn's estimation, as he'd eaten half the tin by nightfall. By then, Harv had cleaned all the 'safe' areas of the house top to bottom and Finn had five scrolls rolled up ready for the post. He stretched after rolling up the last of his work and once more Harv had to avert his eyes. Every time his hands stilled without a task to do his mind would wander into dangerous places. Even knowing that Finn came from magic folk wasn't enough to chase away the prickling of his skin every time he thought Finn was trying to catch his gaze.
"Is there anything else-" Harv began. He was sitting by the fire, using its warmth to disguise the occasional flush of his cheeks.
"Ugggh!" Finn's head lolled back against the back of the couch. "Harvey, it's okay to do nothing. Sometimes the body needs to do nothing." Finn ran his hands through his hair. "Besides, eventually when I say there's no more work to do, there really is no more work." He sat up, his irritation softened as soon as he saw Harv turn back toward the fireplace. With a sigh he pulled himself off the couch and dropped behind Harv on his knees. "Relax. Is my company really so dull that you'd rather work?"
Harv could feel Finn's breath down the back of his neck. The next thing he knew, strong hands were kneading his shoulders. It wasn't bad, but certainly more affectionate than anything Harv had been anticipating. His heart reeled at an alarming speed and he tensed up.
"I'm not avoiding you." He felt Finn's hands still.
"I never said you were." There was a sorrowful note to Finn's voice. Once more Harv felt like he was missing something important, it was clear Finn wanted something from him, he just couldn't figure out what. The crackle of the fire, the sound of Finn swallowing, it was all amplified by this heavy silence. Finn pulled back and gave Harv's shoulders a pat before standing. "Why don't we play a game then?" There weren't too many games just two people could play. "Are you familiar with The King Who Does Not Lie?" Of course, the one thing Harv had been avoiding. Finn had taken a seat on the couch furthest from the other chairs and his previous spot on the couch. He was putting distance between them, even if his demeanor was still kind and welcoming.
"Sure." Harv dragged himself away from the fire and into an armchair. He didn't want to sound mopey or unappreciative, he just couldn't get his head on straight. The warm lighting of the fire was dying Finn's hair in a gorgeous copper hue and his tunic glittered like gold.
"Everyone plays a little differently, so we should be clear about the rules." Finn poured himself a cup of tea. "When I play, you cannot pass on a question." He stirred some sugar into his cup. "Games are supposed to be fun, so if one of us doesn't want to answer a question, then we're no longer enjoying ourselves. The game will be over."
"When my family plays, we would allow one lie." Harv smiled a little, recalling all the times Rhodri had lost the game by being too dramatic with his answer. "Then at the end everyone would try and guess which answer was false."
"That contradicts my rule." Finn said. "If you feel the need to lie, then it's a question you didn't want to answer. Besides, we don't know each other well enough for it to be fair. Pick another."
"In that case..." Harv leaned back as he thought. "You can't ask more than one question at a time. Only the first question of your turn has to be answered." At least that way it would avoid turning into an interrogation. "You can go first." Harv needed time to come up with a good question. There were so many things that he wanted answers to, but he had to be careful.
"You said you were trying to make it home. Who's waiting for you to return?"
"My parents and three brothers, maybe four by now." Harv relaxed, that was easy enough.
"That's it?"
"One question." Harv reminded and smiled when Finn pouted and nestled further into the couch. "If you're not a witch, why do you use magic?"
"Well, I grew up with it." Finn said carefully and looked at the crystal ball on the table with fondness. "I used to avoid it like a disease, you know the stigma and all. I had this romantic idea of what independence was like; I was going to do everything without it, but... it's always been a part of my life, even if I refused to learn anything my mother tried to teach me. Every enchantment around the house was done by her." Harv thought of the magic pantry, how the spell didn't seem to work quite as well as it used to. "It's all I have left of her now." Finn fanned his face. "I'm sorry, I've been so weepy today. It's been two years now, I should be able to talk about it without-" He shook his head. "Alright, my question." Finn breathed in slowly, then out. "Is there anyone you fancy back home?"
"Back home?" Harv thought carefully. "No." Finn leaned forward with anticipation, only to be left disappointed. Harv couldn't help but smirk. "Alright, my question, something more light hearted..." Harv hesitated, nothing really came to mind.
"You don't have to avoid personal questions. I'm a grown man, I can handle myself." Finn could tell there were other things Harv had been curious about, he was more than happy to oblige.
"You're sure?"
"Yep!" Finn grinned. "So for my question-"
"Hey!" Harv felt cheated out of a turn, but Finn held up one finger with a smug grin. Technically, that was a question.
"As I was saying before you interrupted me." Finn said as he idly stirred his tea. "Is there anyone you fancy away from home?" For all the world Finn looked like the cat who caught the canary.
"Myself." Harv chuckled a little when he saw Finn have to set down his tea he was so frustrated. "It's the truth." He shrugged.
"Here I am, pouring my heart out, and you're giving me vague little truths that just barely count." Finn crossed his arms, but he was smiling despite himself.
"Every good soldier knows how to work around the rules instead of against them." Harv helped himself to a little cake. "It's not my fault I'm better at the game then you."
"Listen to you." Finn mimed clutching a necklace with his other hand against his forehead. "My Harvey, a rebel, I can hardly believe it." Harv shifted uncomfortably, uncertain what to do with the rush a little possessive language stirred. "Well, if you're such a good soldier," Finn said with a laugh, "why were you going home?" Harv knew it was only fair for Finn to ask personal questions of his own, even if he didn't realize how serious a question it was.
"That's two questions."
"By all means." Finn waved circles in the air. "Take your turn, I'll just ask again when mine comes around."
"How did she die? Your mother." It was a cheap attempt to end the game early, Harv knew that and felt guilty the moment Finn's gaze turned mournful. The bard picked his cup back up and held it in front of him like a shield.
"I don't know." Finn contemplated his reflection in his drink. "It wasn't like I hadn't anticipated it. Being a witch, it's not the safest occupation, I always expected she'd slip up one day and there'd be this grand nightmare of a trial. Then it never happened. There was no dramatic lead up or anything I had prepared myself for. One day, I went to bed... I woke up the next morning and... she didn't." Finn's grip on the cup tightened. "You know, the funniest thing about all of it was finding out there never would have been a trial at all. It was all just one big performance. As long as other witches thought a powerful sorceress was capable of terrorizing royalty and evade capture, they wouldn't encroach on the kingdom. And it worked, it's still working, some people don't believe she's dead, they think she's just hiding." Finn was the one who was hiding, tucked away in a castle with no visitors or family. "Why were you going home?"
"I became a soldier to help people, but I figured out really quickly it wasn't bad guys versus good guys, it was just guys. I still tried to use my position to help people, tried to find a way to serve and still do good. Then, they gave me a direct order that I couldn't work around and I refused to harm someone that might be innocent." Harv remembered how he froze up when they asked him to give their final words to his brother. Someone he had fought alongside with for years turning out to be a traitor, it just didn't make sense. "I wanted the whole story first, both sides, and that's not a decision you're allowed to make as a mercenary. So, they fired me."
"You say that like it's a bad thing Harvey." Finn's heart ached, their little game had taken a somber turn and he still didn't have the answers he'd wanted. Harv really was too good at the game for his own good. "I don't think wanting to make wise decisions is something you should be punished for."
"That's very kind of you to say." Harv sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm taking advantage of that kindness."
"Perish the thought." Finn rolled his eyes.
"You're sure it's okay that I'll be staying here so long?"
"Your company has truly been a blessing, Harvey." It was getting late, if they wanted to make use of the daylight tomorrow it'd be best to wrap things up soon. "Sometimes I feel like a... like a bear looking for the last berry before winter. Even though I've had what should be plenty, there's this drive to keep searching for more, and there's a good chance there's nothing more to be gained." Finn averted his gaze toward the delicately decorated fireplace, a few feet feeling like miles of distance. Things were comfortable the way they were now, safe, predictable. He didn't want to risk ruining it all with his greediness just to be locked in with an offended friend turned stranger. "It's almost painful to deny." Today had felt so hollow without those casual touches Harv had offered him the first night. Now he couldn't get close without Harv flinching or looking away. He wanted to know what changed, but mostly he didn't want to be in the same position his mother once was. "It's not as painful as the thought of searching for something another bear needs to survive. I'm talking too much about bears." He needed a question, something clever that Harv couldn't dance around. "So, there's no one at all you've had an eye on to settle down with? If that's something you even want in the first place."
"I-" Harv tilted his head as he thought of how best to answer. 'Someone', 'anyone', all of Finn's questions were thinly veiled queries about romance, but he distinctly avoided any words that implied gender. Even just now, he didn't say anything about marriage, he specifically asked about 'settling down'. "No." Finn was growing restless in his chair.
"No, it's something you don't want or no, there's no one that you know to be a good fit?" Finn asked. Harv squinted at him, again no mention of gender. Harv held up one finger.
"One question per turn."
"Surely you can agree it's fair to want clarification if the answer could be interpreted many ways." Finn prattled on, completely oblivious to the fact that Harv had answered the first question he asked in no uncertain terms. There were many reasons people back home would play this game around the holidays. His family and friends mostly played to bring up funny or embarrassing stories, but some people would use it to draw out confessions of all kinds. "What?"
"Why have most of your questions been about whether I have a romantic partner?" If he was misinterpreting Finn's intentions, this would be a perfect chance for Finn to backpedal and speak of friendship. Instead, he flushed to his ears, suddenly very intent on whether his nails were clean.
"It's a natural thing to be curious about when getting to know someone." Finn said. "You could ask me if I have any. I mean, how could I? I never leave the house. You probably figured that out."
"Yeah, I didn't ask about why 'someone' would ask 'someone' those questions." Harv said. "I asked why you want to know that about me."
"I didn't mean to offend you." Finn was a quivering bundle of nerves.
"Oh, I'm not offended." Harv got out of his chair and started walking toward Finn. The closer he got, the more Finn squirmed in his seat. "It just seemed a little purposeful, is all. Even though I said there's no one quite a few times."
"I told you I was curious, and you deliberately have evaded saying anything more than one-word answers, so I've had to get more specific."
"Yes, and just what other answer were you hoping for?" Harv asked. He felt coy and in control for all of a few seconds. Then Finn looked up at him from his curled-up position in his seat with an intense hunger that made Harv's heart stop. The bard had very carefully folded his legs knee to chest, his hips turned away toward the shadows at the back of the couch.
"You only get one question." Finn gripped the arm of the chair so tight his knuckles turned white. "This morning, if you opened the door and there was no snow, could I have been able to persuade you to stay?" Harv could picture it all too easy; him wiping the snow off his armor just as Finn ran to the top of the stairs with his crossbow. There would have been more tension then, with both of them armed and no blizzard to distract them. If Finn had looked out the door at the road clear enough for Harv to leave with disappointment, if he had walked up to him decorated in feathers and lace begging him to stay a little longer; would he have it in him to say no? Or would his nerves have gotten the better of him and drove him out into the snow without breakfast?
"It would depend on what you would have offered to get me to stay." Another honest, vague answer, each word Harv said was slow and deliberate just to see Finn try to mask the hunger in his eyes with any other emotion.
"It's pretty late, we should probably end the game and get some rest." Finn looked down at his lap and cursed under his breath. "You'd probably want to take a quick bath before turning in."
"You don't want to know what my next question would have been?" It was a clever move trying to end the game before Harv had a chance to ask anything. Though his attempt to get Harv to leave the room was terribly clumsy, given he was the one who told Harv he wasn't allowed to touch the thing that summoned water.
"Nope! Even if I did, that was your one question, and I'm-" Finn faked a yawn poorly, "oh so tired. Too tired to keep playing. So, I'll just be getting to bed now." He scrambled out of the room and up the stairs. The sound of his bedroom door slammed shut behind him. Harv was starting to understand how the bear felt.