Summary: Amidst the bitter cold of Winterbloom, even the raging fires of vengeance that burned inside of Osvald could not keep him warm. However, when a different kind of warmth starts to push back against that blazing inferno, he quickly realizes that Partitio is the reason why, prompting him to seek out Castti for advice.

Osvald hated the cold.

Even before his five year stint in the frozen hell that was Frigit Isle, he had never really cared for snowy environments. If he didn't have to travel to the Winterlands to help his traveling companions, he'd stay far away for the rest of his days.

But alas, here he stood in the middle of Winterbloom, eyes narrowed into a glare as he wrapped his arms around himself to try and warm up. He let out a deep sigh, his breath visible in the frigid air, and tried to remind himself that he had promised to help his companions with their quests, and he wasn't one to break promises.

"Hey, Osvald." He looked up to find Partitio approaching him, leaving the group of three musicians that he had rounded up during their travels to talk amongst themselves. Partitio had sought them out to help a man called Audley, an inventor who needed them for his latest project. Osvald thought that it was a waste of time, but seeing how excited Partitio was about being a part of this great invention was all that kept him from voicing his objections to this frigid detour.

Partitio hummed and rubbed at his chin. "Say, are you feelin' alright? You look a little more rigid than usual."

"...'S cold…" Osvald mumbled, frowning as a gust of wind blew by, and he had to clench his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering.

Partitio snapped his fingers. "Ah, right! You're not a fan of these chillier temps, are ya?" He nodded as he spoke, and Osvald raised an eyebrow when he pulled his coat from his shoulders.

"Here! You need this more than me right now!" Before Osvald could protest, Partitio wrapped his coat around him and started buttoning it.

"Partitio, this is unnecessary," Osvald protested, quickly shoving his arms through the sleeves before Partitio buttoned it up too high, "Now you'll be the one freezing to death in this hellish place."

"You're being kinda dramatic there, partner." Partitio laughed as he made a show of pushing up his sleeves. "And this cold ain't enough to keep me down!"

Osvald opened his mouth to respond, but the wind picked up again, and stronger this time, so much so that Partitio was knocked off balance and started falling forward.

"Watch it," Osvald said, quickly moving forward to grab Partitio's arms before he could fall to the ground. Partitio braced his hands against Osvald's chest and let out a sigh of relief.

"Thankee kindly, Osvald," he said, smiling and he tilted his head upwards. Osvald gazed down at him silently, keenly aware that their faces were very close. He wanted to say something, but all he could focus on was how captivating Partitio's impossibly blue eyes were, or how his sharp cheekbones looked like they could cut right through glass, or how beautiful his lips looked when he smiled at him like that…

"Uh, O-Osvald?"

Osvald was pulled out of his stupor to find Partitio staring at him with wide eyes while his jaw hung open. His gaze wandered to his left hand, which had somehow ended up hovering next to Partitio's face, and he quickly snapped his arm back to his side. What the hell was he doing?

Osvald took a large step backward and cleared his throat, feeling his face heat up considerably. He gestured to the group of musicians, who were still deep in conversation. "A-Anyway, we should…probably get them to Audley. Right now."

"S-Sure thing…"

Even though he had tried to hide it by pulling down the brim of his hat, Osvald had noticed that Partitio's entire face had gone red. He watched as Partitio quickly scrambled over to collect the musicians, and Osvald's gaze fell to the ground as he took a few deep breaths to try and calm his rapidly-beating heart. What in Aelfric's name was that?

Partitio had gathered up their musicians, and Osvald followed behind the group as the eager merchant led them to Audley's house. He was perplexed by his own behavior, and what was causing it. His mind wandered back to the conversation that he had with Temenos during their most recent trip to New Delsta. Osvald hated to admit it, but the vexing cleric may have had a point about inexplicable feelings…

"Hey, Audley! I rounded up a band for ya!" Partitio called when he opened the door. He held it open for the musicians, and then he grabbed Osvald's sleeve with his other hand, tugging him through the door with a giddy eagerness.

"C'mon Osvald! I can't wait to see what kinda music they'll make!" Osvald chuckled at the way that Partitio's eyes sparkled, and he let himself be pulled into the house. He hung back by the door while the musicians played their parts for the intriguing recording device, and he decided that it was a pleasant sound.

Osvald leaned against the door frame as he watched Partitio excitedly discuss the name of the invention he helped create with Audley. The smile on Partitio's face was contagious, and Osvald's lips curled up to mirror it. His quest for revenge had left a raging fire burning within his breast, but when he looked at Partitio - who was so passionate about his work to make the world a better place - a gentle warmth pushed against the angry wildfire. It was not an unfamiliar feeling, but one that he had not felt since…

Oh shit.

This feeling wasn't inexplicable at all, and Osvald silently cursed Temenos for being right all along. It was an attraction he was feeling, and one directed at Partitio specifically.

Osvald pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his chest. This feeling…he shouldn't be feeling it at all. His lust for vengeance had consumed him for so long, and no other feelings came close to stifling it. But when Partitio looked at him, with eyes filled with determination, hope, and affection of all things, Osvald felt that vengeful feeling give ever-so-slightly.

"C'mere, partner! Get a closer look at this!" Partitio crossed the room with pep in his step and grabbed Osvald's hand to tug him over to the music recorder, or gramophone, as Partitio had just now named it. Osvald's heart skipped a beat as the warmth from Partitio's hand seeped into his own, and his gut turned into a bundle of nerves. This was…problematic.

After bidding farewell to the three musicians, Partitio rushed off to the tavern with Audley, eager to pitch the sale of the first gramophone to the owner. Osvald opted not to join them, however, and instead headed to the largest manor in town, where he knew that he would find at least one of his traveling companions in the greenhouse next to it.

Sure enough, Castti was tending to some plants when he entered the warm, humid room, and she looked up at him with a smile.

"Hello, Osvald," she said as he walked over to her, "Would you like to help me replant these?" He nodded and they worked silently for a bit. He had sought her out because he deduced that she would be the best person to help him sort out his feelings for Partitio, but now that he was here, he was having trouble finding the words to say.

"...Something's troubling you, isn't it?" Castti was the first to break the silence, and Osvald finished potting a plant before letting out a long sigh.

"Yes."

A knowing smile crossed her face as she nodded, and she pulled off her gloves before sitting down on the edge of the flowerbed, and Osvald did the same. The heat of the greenhouse was making him sweat, and he realized that he was still wearing Partitio's coat. Osvald's cheeks went pink as he took it off and folded it next to him, and he noticed Castti watching him carefully.

"Well, what's on your mind?" she asked as she rest her hands in her lap and watched him expectantly. Osvald took a deep breath and let it out slowly, finding himself unable to meet her gaze. This was…embarrassing.

"It's…Partitio." Osvald felt his cheeks heat up. "Or, rather, some…vexing feelings that I have developed for him."

"Oh my, what a surprise!" Castti said, and Osvald could practically feel the sarcasm dripping from her words, "But…not really. I knew it was only a matter of time before you returned Partitio's feelings."

"Ugh, you sound just like Temenos," Osvald mumbled, and Castti let out a giggle.

"Well, he did approach me for help after you quite angrily walked out on him."

"Of course he did…Nosy little bastard…"

Castti shook her head and wagged her finger at him. "Now, now, don't be too hard on him. All of us had noticed the chemistry between you and Partitio, and Temenos was just the first one to speak up about it."

"Chemistry?" Osvald raised a dubious eyebrow and looked at Castti over his glasses. She chuckled and placed a hand on his arm.

"You complement each other well, I think."

"...I don't follow."

"Partitio's sunshine personality is infectious, and has noticeably mellowed you out," Castti explained, and Osvald narrowed his eyes as he tugged at his beard, "You smile much, much more than when we first met."

"And you, Osvald, keep Partitio's reckless streak in check, and have taught him much about how the world works outside of his tiny hometown. It's rather amazing really, how well you two mesh together."

Castti smiled fondly and placed a hand over one of Osvald's. "Partitio's affection for you runs deep. I think he really does love you, Osvald."

"That is…absolute nonsense." Osvald shook his head as he suddenly stood and started pacing in front of Castti. "Partitio is young, handsome, with an abundance of optimism and selfless compassion that is rarely seen in any one individual. He could attract countless suitors who are younger, attractive, unbroken by the horrors that life can throw at them."

Osvald stopped and turned to look at Castti with narrowed eyes. "So I don't understand why he would want me. It is…illogical."

Castti closed her eyes and bowed her head. "Love often isn't driven by logic, Osvald." She looked back up at him with a sad smile on her face. "But in saying that, I think you sell yourself short. You are a good man."

"Maybe I was once, but…not anymore. All that drives me is my pursuit of revenge. How can you call someone like that good?"

Castti sighed as she stood up, brushing the dirt off the front of her dress. "I just call it like I see it. You are free to choose to believe me or not. But that is also what Partitio believes, and that is one of many reasons why he cares for you so much."

Osvald's gaze fell to the floor, and a pit of discomfort formed in his gut. Even if Partitio did care for him so deeply, Osvald was so consumed by his pursuit of revenge that the little warmth that he felt for Partitio had no room to grow to be anything more than that, and it surely would be snuffed out eventually. There was no room in his heart left for love, not anymore.

"I…can't return his feelings, Castti," Osvald said, his voice barely above a whisper as he picked up Partitio's coat, "This feeling, it's nothing more than a passing infatuation."

"I don't think that's true, Osvald." A small smile crossed her face, and he noted the sad look in her eyes as she placed a gentle hand on his chest. "Your heart has been shattered in the most painful way possible, and is now weighed down by the burden of your quest for revenge. When that quest is complete, I recommend that you reevaluate your feelings for Partitio, to see if they are truly nothing more than a passing 'infatuation'."

"...I see." Osvald stared down at Castti, eyes wide with shock. He tugged at his beard and let out a thoughtful hum. It seemed that he was right to approach Castti with this problem of his, and her wisdom on the subject had given him much to think about.

"Thank you, Castti. You have given me valuable insight."

"You're very welcome, Osvald." Castti nodded as she returned to tending the plants. "I only want what's best for you, as an apothecary, and more importantly, as a friend."

"...I appreciate that."

Osvald helped her in the greenhouse for a bit longer, and when he did bid her farewell, he decided to make his way to the tavern; a nice, hot cup of coffee is just what he needed to stay warm in this frigid place.

"There ya are, Osvald!" Osvald smiled when Partitio immediately called out to him when he entered the tavern, and he quickly ordered his drink before making his way to his table, setting Partitio's jacket down before taking a seat next to him.

"Listen, you hear that?" Partitio asked, and Osvald raised an eyebrow as he lifted a hand to his ear.

"Music?" Osvald glanced over to the bar, where he saw that the gramophone that had been sitting in Audley's house a few hours earlier was sitting next to the counter, currently playing a tranquil guitar piece.

"You managed to convince the owner to buy it," Osvald stated matter-of-factly, for if anything was in question, it was certainly not Partitio's skill at selling a product.

Partitio barked out a laugh and slung his arm over Osvald's shoulders. "You're damn right I did! I reckon that there'll be a gramophone in every tavern across Solestia in no time at all!"

"I wouldn't doubt it." Osvald thanked the barkeep as his drink was placed in front of him, "Good work as always, Partitio."

"Aw, shucks, you're makin' me blush, partner." Osvald did notice the flush in Partitio's cheeks, but he wasn't sure if it was because of him or the alcohol, as Osvald had noted the three empty mugs on the table.

"Indeed. You seem to do that a lot around me, Partitio."

"Er, I-I do?" Osvald hid a smirk behind a drink of his coffee, and he felt Partitio's arm stiffen over his shoulders. He normally would have shrugged him off by now, but oddly…Osvald was enjoying the contact this time. He chalked it up to wanting to steal some of Partitio's body heat, and it was certainly not because he wanted to be closer to the man. That's what he told himself, anyway…

"Hey, Osvald?" Partitio said, and Osvald raised an eyebrow at him, noting that he wasn't meeting his gaze, "Thankee kindly for all the help with this endeavor of mine. I know you probably thought it was a waste of time, but-"

"It wasn't." Osvald cut him off, his face heating up as he shook his head. "I was…happy to help, since it was you."

"W-Wait, what?" Partitio sputtered, and Osvald's grip tightened on his cup; maybe he should have been more careful with his wording. "So, uh, are ya tellin' me that if it were anyone else, you wouldn't have helped?"

Osvald quickly averted his gaze. "I just…may not have been so quick to…agree to it, possibly…" He started to mumble and trailed off, quickly occupying himself by finishing off his drink and waving to the barkeep for another.

"Osvald…" Partitio's lips slowly curled up into a blinding, toothy grin, and when Osvald's new drink was placed in front of him, Partitio held up his mug, "I really appreciate it, partner. To friendship!"

A smile crossed Osvald's face as he clicked his cup against Partitio's. "Yes…to friendship." He took a slow drink of his coffee, and when he set his cup back onto the table, his gaze met Partitio's, and the fondness that he saw in those deep blue eyes gave him pause.

"Pops! Parti!" Ochette suddenly plopped herself into the chair on the other side of Osvald, "You two seem comfortable!" Osvald saw her staring at Partitio's arm that was still slung over his shoulder, and he cleared his throat. Partitio let out a nervous chuckle and rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Ah, here's the rest of our little entourage." Temenos sat down at the table next, followed by the rest of the travelers, except for Agnea, who was standing in the middle of the tavern's stage. "Our resident dancer is taking advantage of that curious music machine to put on a show."

"Sounds like a fun time to me, right Osvald?" Partitio said, grinning as he gave Osvald's shoulder a squeeze.

"...Indeed." Osvald said, smiling back at him before turning his attention to the stage, along with the rest of the tavern's occupants.

As they watched Agnea dance the night away, to the joy of everyone who was there to witness her performance, Partitio's arm never left Osvald's shoulders. Something deep, deep down inside of Osvald told him that, when his quest for revenge had concluded, he might not need to reevaluate his feelings for Partitio all too much…