Finn had made it to the street long before Harv did, the sickly feeling in his stomach urged him to fidget and check to see if the coast was clear. He didn't want to leave Harv behind, not again, but he desperately needed to soak in a lavender bath and to get away from all these people. Even the coldest peasant had a habit of asking if he was alright when he'd rather disappear. The last thing he needed was for them to get held up when they were trying to leave the festival.

"There you are." Darren came up behind him and laid a firm hand on his shoulder. "You think I wouldn't recognize you in those rags?" Finn tried to pull himself free.

"It's not my fault you couldn't convince your date you weren't a pervert." He fell back on his rump. "Maybe if you were more sincere she would have stayed!"

"You little-" Darren drew a sword and pointed it at Finn.

"Hah, that's uh- a little excessive," Finn scrambled backwards, "don't you think?" His back smacked against a stone wall, with too much refuse on either side to duck out of the way.

"I'm not one to let a golden opportunity slip."

"Leave him alone!" Harv landed on the ground a few paces into the alleyway. His sudden appearance caused the knight in training to stumble back a bit, though his grip on the blade remained firm. Harv raised a wooden board, it wasn't much, but it had a decent reach. For a second it seemed Darren would back down, but when Harv advanced toward the light he sneered.

"I remember you, you're that peasant that was playing dress-up at the opera." Harv fought the urge to let his stance slip. He couldn't let a few rude comments put him off guard. "I see Finn's tackiness is quite virulent, even barbarians aren't immune."

"Tacky!?" Finn covered his mouth the minute Darren glanced over. He was in no position to further provoke the knight.

"And what is it you do that's so great?" Harv asked. The sincerity in his voice was disarming and Darren paled, his mind had gone blank. "Quickly now."

"...There's just so many things." Darren turned to Finn who had bit his lip trying not to laugh. "You be quiet!" Darren raised his sword to Harv. "I don't have to explain myself to a commoner!"

"We just want to go home." Harv sighed. "Put the sword away and we'll be out of your hair."

"I don't know what he promised you, but I assure you it's not worth dying over." Harv took one look at Darren and laughed. The knight lunged, and with an inelegant strike, Harv hit Darren's sword with enough force to send the blade into the opposite wall. Darren stumbled looking at where the sword lay buried in the granite. Harv lazily twirled the board around with a smirk and waited. "You dare raise a weapon to a noble? When the court hears about this-"

"Yeah, it was quite the fall, wasn't it Harv?" As soon as Darren was unarmed, Finn slipped out of range and next to his friend. Harv gave him a questioning look, but Finn nodded as if everyone was in agreement. "I've never seen a knight in training fall sword first into a wall before."

"Finn, I'm not going to lie." Harv shook his head.

"I'm not saying you have to." Finn clicked his tongue. "If Darren wants to tell everyone in court how he lost in combat to an unarmed university drop out; there's nothing we can do." Melodramatics aside, Finn could see the gears turning in Darren's head. "But I think Lord Radner would be less outraged if Darren fell." He narrowed his eyes as Darren reached for the sword again, but he couldn't pull it free. Instead he dropped a red glove at their feet.

"Three days time, a proper duel. Next time, I won't be caught off guard." Darren stormed off. Finn's legs felt like jelly, the adrenaline of having a weapon pointed at him wore off.

"Next time I won't be caught off guard." Harv mocked as he wrenched the sword free from the wall with one hand. "What a jerk! Leave it to rich people to just leave perfectly good things lying around." He stumbled as Finn ran into him and nearly choked him in a hug.

"That was amazing!" Finn cheered. "I've never seen anyone beat Darren in a sword fight before."

"Then they weren't trying very hard." He gasped for air when Finn let go.

"You're right." He giggled. "Oh my god you're totally right! I bet Darren's never been in a real fight before. All that training's probably been with guards trying to suck up to the Radner's. Aggh, this is too good. I can't wait to tell mother, she'll have a field day." He scooped up the glove. "We'll want to hold onto this. I can't wait to watch you beat him in front of everyone." He waited for Harv to catch up and the two began the slow walk back home. "You were really good, why don't you go into warrior track? You're probably stronger than half the guys there."

"I was." Harv sighed. "And I'm stronger than all the guys there."

"Okay, brag much?" Finn nudged him playfully.

"I was! None of them could get the jump on me." He sighed. "It was the other stuff. The writing and the sitting in class for hours. I couldn't get the hang of it. Everyone else made it seem so easy. Plus there was... It's hard to find a study group when no one wants to be seen in public with you."

"Well that's just silly." Finn shook his head. "I've never heard of mercenary going 'we can't leave, I forgot my book!'"

"Right!?" Harv half laughed. "I swear those essays were just as much a punishment for Lord Teacher as they were for me."

"Do you ever think of going back?"

"Not really." Harv shrugged. "I have a decent enough job now, and it'll be a bit before any 'upstanding' townsperson would consider me for an apprenticeship. I learn better through example anyway."

"...job? What job?" Finn furrowed his brow. He'd never seen Harv go into town by himself or do much of anything by himself. The only things that came to mind were chores around the house or errands for mother. "What job Harvey?"

"I don't know what to call it exactly." Harv said. "A body guard I guess? It feels weird getting paid to just shadow you, so I've been helping around the house too." He snapped his fingers. "Whatever that knight does, the blonde one. I think it's like that."

"A Whipping Boy!?"

"No wonder she didn't say what the job's called." Harv muttered under his breath. "I don't get it, why are you so mad?"

"You're not being paid to be my bodyguard Harvey, you're being paid to be my friend!" The admission felt like acid in his throat. "This is so embarrassing." As soon as the house came into view he dashed ahead. He left the keys in the front door as it slammed open.

"Welcome back sweetie, how was the festival?" Leenan asked, using her thumb as a bookmark.

"I'm not talking to you." Finn said as made a beeline for the bathroom. Harv slowly came up to the front step, collecting the keys on the way in. Leenan looked at him with a wide eyed glare.

"It was fine, we ran into Darren." He locked the house up and put the keys in a small dish by the door. "Told Finn about my job." Leenan relaxed back into the couch, the sudden outburst making more sense. "I think Finn might need his room to himself tonight."

"Second floor, two doors south of Finn's." Leenan said with a shrug. She glanced up from her book. "It'll be fine. He just needs time. As long as he's safe he can be as mad at me as he wants."


Harv moved what little things he knew to be explicitly his to the room that had been prepared for him. Though prepared was a strong word to use. There was a dusty day bed that had a stack of new linens folded on top of it. There was nothing to illuminate the room with aside from the moonlight peering through the faded curtains. The stone floor was cold and barren, but Harv figured his quarters wouldn't be as lavish as his friend's.

He considered himself lucky enough the old phone left in the room still worked. As soon as his things were reasonably put away he called up Trevor, anxiously pacing until there was someone on the other end.

"Trevor!" Harv coughed and lowered his voice. "I- yeah, uh how are you?" He sat down on the bed, and leaned back against the wall. He'd never had a space of his own and he was thankful Trevor was more than happy to tell him about everything he'd missed. His old classmates seemed to be doing well, and Emet had even dared someone to try and roast a pheasant in the ceremonial fire. It had, apparently, tasted quite a bit like someone dropped it in the street. "I'm glad you had fun, I..." He could feel his nerves creeping back in and wrapping around his heart. "Sorry, I wanted to ask if you'd like to do a thing. A, uh, a date like thing, but... everytime I try to think of something it just sounds lame." He fell to his side, trying to at least feel physically comfortable while his heart tried to slam out of his chest.

"We could eat food." Trevor laughed. "If you really want to do a thing we could check out this music place. I heard the people who play there are pretty good."

"That sounds good, but maybe something not in town at first. We can work up to it, it's just… You know." He wrapped the telephone cord around his finger. Why now, when he was able to talk, could he not come up with anything to talk about? "It's good to hear your voice."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Being away from home's been hard." He sighed. "Don't get me wrong, Finn's been nice and all... I just, I never realized how many things you're supposed to make decisions on before. I've pretty much spent the last few weeks anxious or working."

"So, nothing's really changed then?" Trevor said.

"Hah, funny." Harv closed his eyes. Finally he didn't feel like he had to say the right thing to keep Trevor on the line. He missed being able to talk about nothing. "I feel better now that it's more permanent, but it's still weird." There was a timid knock at his door. "I gotta go, but does Thursday work?"

"Yeah Thursday's fine."

"Okay, bye." Harv hesitated, wondering if he should say something else, but it felt too soon to say anything so bold. He hung up and scrambled to find a shirt or something to be more presentable, should Leenan be at the door. A second knock followed. "H-hold on." He grabbed a jacket off the floor and slung it around his shoulders before answering the door. Finn stood there, puffy eyed, in his summer pajamas. "Oh... Finn, are you- come in." The bard shuffled in from the freezing corridor and sat on Harv's hastily made bed.

"You moved your stuff." Finn said quietly.

"Well, yeah, I just thought... It seemed more appropriate..." Nothing Harv said changed the dour look on Finn's face.

"I'm not mad at you for taking the job." Finn pulled his legs closed to his chest. "I'm mad at her for not telling me. Or asking if that's something I wanted. I'm not a little kid anymore, I can make my own friends."

"She made it sound like it was a normal thing nobles did." Harv took a seat next to Finn. "I should have told you, but I thought it'd mess with your sleepover plans."

"It is a normal thing, for like, little kids." Finn said. "I know you don't secretly hate me or whatever, but it is a little disappointing to know hanging out with me is your job instead of something you want to do."

"Finn, I took the job because I was already hanging out with you, not the other way around." He saw Finn nod, and kept going. "It's not like I was forced to do it, I thought about it for a few days first." Finn nodded again.

"How long have you been working for her?" He asked.

"About a week?" Harv said. "It was after we ran into my dad..." He didn't like thinking about it, since there was still so much he left unsaid back home. He just needed some kind of stability, and for now, the witch was willing to provide it. It was only now, sitting in his own room, that he felt less like a visitor and more like he belonged here.

"Can I-" Finn wrinkled his nose and tried not to look at the dead bug in the corner of the room. "Can I stay in here tonight? With you?" He knew the bed was just barely a regular sized mattress, and his room would be more comfortable. It was more the principal of the thing. A small part of him always wondered, without the special privileges, would Harv still want to be friends."You don't have to say yes, just... if you want to."

"...okay." Harv said. He doubted Finn would want to stay long. Compared to his quarters, this place was foreboding and cramped. Still, Finn squeezed up next to Harv on the small bed and buried his face into Harv's chest. He closed his eyes with a thundering pulse in his ear. Within a couple minutes, his freezing hands warmed to match the temperature of the warm body beneath him. "Finn?" The question vibrated throughout his ribcaged. Finn hummed a sleepy, half questioning note in response. "I don't know what to wear to a music club. Is it a fancy thing?"

"Not exactly." Finn said. "Are you asking me to help you figure out what to wear on your date?"

"...yes..." He knew he'd regret it later, but he had a feeling being overdressed was better than being underdressed.

"I can help." He pulled Harv closer and tried to focus on the joy of Harv asking him for fashion advice rather than the strange acrid sensation that was growing below his sternum. It had been a long day full of stressful things beyond his control. Clearly his body was just preemptively preparing for the next disappointment instead of reacting to what was actually happening. Harv was here, making plans for the future with the intent of treating Finn's place as home. He should be happy.

He focused on the pleasant warmth beneath him, holding his breath until he could match Harv's natural rhythm. The musty smell of the outdated linens mixing with his lavender oils, the tentative hand that couldn't decide if it should rest in his hair or at Harv's side; these things were real. The unpleasant feeling of getting cast aside, it was completely fictitious, even if his heart couldn't tell the difference.