Note: Gaius' outfit for his promoted class of assassin is the same as it is in the game, although slightly more colorful. Looking at his Cipher card is also a good reference for what I had envisioned for him.
Gaius had woken up earlier in the same day, absolutely stunned and dizzy like he drank a whole barrel of mead beforehand. The pillow felt like a rolling hill underneath his head, which only helped to worsen the unsteadiness in his mind. Sunspots and afterimages danced in his vision, and he was sure that he heard someone singing by his side. But the more he tried to focus on it, the more the song faded away into meaningless garble. He tried moving his arms, as well, but they were lead-heavy and persistent to stay down at his side. A halfhearted groan escaped his lips, and he felt someone rub their fingers gently into his arm, consoling him in the same motion.
"Gaius, it's okay." It was Robin, of course, for he could recognize their worried voice anywhere. It was the sound of someone with a million thoughts and responsibilities on their shoulders, yet despite that burden they never dragged their feet nor complained. They were so admirable in ways he could never hope to be, so their mere presence alone was comforting enough.
"Mmm," he slurred. Then he felt a surge of strength run through his arms, and he used that to rub his eyes—in an attempt to banish the strange blurriness that swarmed his vision. "Uhh...what's going on?"
"You've been sleeping for a while now," Robin offered the explanation gently and carefully, enunciating the words as clearly as possible. "You were badly hurt before. It's all my fault, too. I'm so sorry, Gaius. I'm so sorry I let this happen to you."
"Feels like it," he agreed. "But don't...don't apologize. It's just...we gotta stop meeting like this. I—" a pause in his words, as he coughed gently into the air, unable to block the motion with his arm or anything— "Ugh. I better start healing quicker, 'cause I don't like being in this Gods-forsaken tent anymore."
"You're right, this is a bad place to keep running into each other, isn't it? But you'll be fine now that you're awake. I was so worried about you, Gaius, but I'm happy that you're okay now." They laughed weakly at their own relief, and buried their face and arms into Gaius', forming a lopsided hug. The thief smiled widely, and haphazardly threw his arms around to pat the tactician on the back.
"There, there." He consoled them in a playful tone. "There, there, Bubbles. S' all right."
"Yes, it's alright now," they whispered, breaking free of the embrace, reluctantly so. "It's alright now."
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When Gaius was more lucid, he discovered that he had been unconscious for days. He had stirred on his eighth day of recovery, but fell back asleep after talking with Robin (and hugging them) for a few moments. Maribelle came in at that time and affixed him more medicine and sedatives, and by the morning of the ninth day, the thief was fully awake and reinstated in the world. He joked around like usual, and insisted that he was just as fine as he had been before the cave heist.
Although Robin protested this idea, saying that a head injury could have multiple after effects that could severely hinder Gaius. To this, the thief's disposition grew sour, and he questioned the tactician's intentions. "What are you sayin', Bubbles? I can still walk and talk and everything else! I'm right as a raisin muffin, I tell ya."
"I'm simply saying that you shouldn't overwork yourself," they retorted, a bitter gleam appearing in their apologetic eyes. "Just because you feel better doesn't mean you should go gallivanting off on another mission. If anything, you're going to rest for a few more days while everyone else helps to pack up camp. We're moving up north soon."
"Crivens," he cursed aloud, eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Well, a little rest is fine by me. But don't start treating me like some invalid, alright? That's the worst part of being injured. People think you're suddenly out of commission, or whatever."
"You have my word, Gaius." Robin reassured them. "If you need something to keep you busy, though, I was looking into a few things for you. You've been a thief for so long, I wonder if you have ever thought about being something more."
"More?" He repeated the word, like he didn't know what it meant. "Like, a really good thief? Or do you mean—"
"I have knowledge about all professions in this world," Robin explained, "and I think you would be fitting to do something more dangerous. Does being an assassin sound inviting to you?"
"Oh damn!" He exclaimed, eyes widening with excitement and surprise. "I never thought about it, actually. I've been too busy stealing stuff to think about getting stuff to be better at stealing stuff. Y'know? A thief's life is never restful."
"Well, if you're willing to go on the higher path of ability, I'm willing to help you." Robin smiled sadly. "It's the least I can do for all the trouble I've caused you."
"Bubbles," Gaius grabbed their shoulders firmly, shaking them back and forth half-jokingly as he did so. "It's no trouble at all. You hear me? I'd do whatever I can for you and you'd do the same. I admire you, y'know? So don't worry about all this stuff. Spilled milk is spilled."
"You're far too forgiving, Gaius. But I thank you all the same. Then, I will do my best to help you reach your potential." Their genuine smiled transformed into a wry smirk, and they placed their hands on their hips in the most astute way. "So before we start on those deadly techniques, why don't I fix you up something nicer to wear?"
"I appreciate it, but a costume change ain't necessary. I like my clothes," Gaius insisted, pulling a lollipop out from his belt and sucking on it. "It's got everything I need, and it's my brand, so I really shouldn't—"
"Nonsense, I insist!" The tactician grabbed them by the hands, eyes sparkling with the sea of opportunity before them. Gaius hadn't noticed it before, but there was a large chest and wardrobe in Robin's tent, those which conveniently opened up to reveal a plethora of outfits. And from the look on Robin's face, they had every intention of making him try on everything.
He was in for the long haul.
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By the time Gaius reached Henry's tent, he was dressed in his new garb. It was similar to his previous outfit, but more colorful and threatening at first glance. The browns and grays had been replaced by shades of blue and oak, little dabbles of orange to compliment his hair. There was leather armor on him now, stronger and more reinforced than his previous ones—in the form of an abdomen guard, arm guards, and shin guards. Protruding from his arms were various blades of different sizes, and some were removable for use in battle while others were affixed to their spot on the armor, serving as deadly edges to cut the enemies with whilst Gaius ran around expertly the field.
His scarf was refurbished in a darker color, and soft as a kitten's pelt against his neck. He had indefinitely more pockets and spaces to place candy in, but his favorite thing to do was to store mints in the fold of his scarf where he could suck them out like a vacuum using his mouth. It was quite entertaining to Robin when he showcased this ability in person, but ultimately he was happy with the little makeover as it proved to be useful, rather than burdensome.
While he wasn't there to impress with his charming looks, however, he was a bit miffed that Henry didn't return his good hearted compliments on how nicely he cleaned up. It wasn't often that Gaius saw Henry in a positive light, so for him to be amicable instead of hostile was a rarity. But he hardly thought of this as he was caught off guard by the other's beautiful, shockingly open eyes. They were indigo in color—an impossibly pretty shade that matched their sorcerer's robes exactly. The lashes were longer than he realized, and the same blank white appearance as the hair on Henry's head. The boy's darker skin was a good contrast for this, and he seemed ethereally pleasant in the small exchange he had with Gaius.
The thief had never seen Henry with his eyes open for so long. He recalled a few times in their past when he stole glances of the other's irises, but beyond that, Henry remained persistent in having his eyes closed at all times. Gaius vaguely wondered why that was, but kept his inquiries silent as he spoke. Seeing that Henry wasn't particularly happy to see him, he figured he should have stopped messing around and looked for Robin instead—the original reason why he meandered to the tent to begin with.
As the assassin left, he swore he heard Henry call out after him, but the noise was lost as a stumbling Sumia came his way and almost spilled the dirty laundry on his new outfit. She was clearly in distress and choked out an apology, to which Gaius responded by shrugging it off and helping her with the load. When he finished assisting her with that, he set off again to find Robin for real this time, only to learn that the tactician-turned-grandmaster had set off with Vaike, Gregor, Panne, Nowi, and Kellam to dispel a large group of Risen heading for a village nearby.
Seeing that his search was useless, he decided to do something that would actually benefit him. From the convoy wagons, he took a shining bronze bow and a quiver of like arrows. Along with a trusty silver sword and killing edge, Gaius equipped himself for any upcoming battle that should present itself to him. But he also wanted to train with the archer's weapon, for it was a new thing for him to experience—especially seeing as he was only used to swords and the occasional dagger.
He set out for the training grounds, thinking of Henry as he did so.
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Using the bow and arrows proved to be much easier than he expected. The bronze bolts were sleek to the touch, and when Gaius brought the arrow to the bow and pulled back on the string, he felt elegant and concentrated. He focused on the target in the distance, aiming for the colorful bulls-eye in the center. The wind picked up and he felt the breeze, all while estimating in his head the angle at which he should shoot. Then he held his breath, straightened his back, and let loose the shaft.
The arrow glided through the air, silently singing as its metal tip whirled through the wind. Within seconds, the arrow made contact with the target, and Gaius was satisfied as he could see a perfect center shot. The arrow wiggled before settling still, and Gaius pulled another bolt from his quiver. He decided to be fancier with his movements this time, and spun the arrow around before holding it to the bow. Then he crouched—emulating an actual battle stance he thinks he's seen Virion use once or twice before—and fired away.
This time, the arrow was a bit curved in its path, as it swerved slightly to the right then back center again. It landed an inch or two away from the first bulls-eye, and Gaius was confused on how the math and science of it all worked. But like anything, practice makes perfect, so he kept firing arrows into the target until his quiver was empty.
Being pleased with his work, he walked out to the field to collect the arrows. He returned them to their place in the quiver, and did another round on a different target. For a few hours or so, he was totally engrossed in his archery training, and by the end of it he was sure that he mastered the basics. He would come back on a later day for more stimulating practice, although he dreaded confronting the stuffy Virion for sparring, as the man was the only notable archer in the army at present.
As the assassin headed back to camp, he could feel something watching him. It made him wary, but not uneasy as he was used to being spied on. If he had lots of enemies before the Shepherds, he made even more by becoming a part of them. His hand rested on an arrow in his quiver, and when he sensed rustling noises in the trees ahead of him, he drew the shaft out and armed his bow with it. He took a readied stance, and waited.
Something soared from the trees, so Gaius turned on his feet and fired into the air. He watched as the arrow flew through the skies and barely missed the source of the noise.
It was a crow. Or it was a raven, but he didn't know the difference and he didn't care. The black bird flapped its great wings through the sky, remaining unbothered even as the arrow zipped by its tail feathers in a close shave. His heart fell at the realization of how silly he was for attacking the bird like he did, and that feeling intensified as he understood that—somehow—he had mistaken the presence of a bird to be that of a human.
The crow circled the sky and cawed loudly, letting an inky feather drift down from its plume. Gaius groaned and smacked his forehead with his palm. Really? He thought to himself, exasperated. You're gonna start shootin' at the birds now? Sheesh.
"You ought to be careful with that aim. You can really kill someone like that!"
Gaius turned and nearly stumbled at the sight of Henry. He giggled to himself, definitely amused by Gaius' antics just now. His cape trailed behind him, and his gold-and-silver bangles rung a hollow sound with the slightest of movements. Something that the Ylissean didn't notice earlier was that the Plegian adorned a shiny golden hair clip in his snowy locks, the shape of which stood out to be like an angel's wing.
Quite ironic, if you asked Gaius. He snorted at him, and eased his battle stance which had naturally formed. "So that was you, right? Tell your crows not to startle a man when he's alone."
"They can't help it," Henry defended. "They're attracted to life. To danger. I think it's silly of them, too, but that's crows for you." A disingenuous laugh came from his mouth, and he twirled in a childish motion. "I'm like the crows. I'm attracted to danger."
"Um." Gaius didn't know what to say, as this was one of the stranger encounters he has had with Henry, which—in consideration of all the times they ever interacted with one another—was saying a lot. His eyes narrowed in confusion, and he rubbed the back of his neck with stiff movements. "Uh, okay? I'm not sure what you're getting at."
"You're dangerous, you know." Henry stated this in a clear voice, as if Gaius was already supposed to know this and so much more. "But that's not why I'm here. I wanted to come get you because it's lunch time. Robin told Libra who told Maribelle who told Ricken who told me that they don't want you skipping out on meals anymore." Saying that sentence was fun enough by itself, and Henry cackled at how fluently he was able to relay it.
"Oh, that's it?" Gaius blinked. "They're like parents, that lot. Well it's just your luck, 'cause I was headed towards the mess hall, anyway. Although I heard Tharja's on cooking duty, so I'm not sure how much I'd like to have my arse cursed off in the form of clam chowder." A dour expression appeared on his face, as he terrorized the thought of the dark woman poisoning his food—or even worse, his precious sweets supply.
"Okay! I swore to Tharja not to reveal her secrets so you'll just have to find out how her food tastes by yourself." Henry said. "If that's all, then I'm going to go now. Bye~" He twirled once more, this time making a half-turn to face his back towards Gaius. He stuck his arms out and flapped them like the crows he loved so well. Little cawing noises escaped his lips, and he zigzagged down the path in an equally strange fashion.
While he shouldn't have found that to be endearing, Gaius did see a certain charm in the other's odd nature. He felt something warm bubble inside of him, and he didn't know if it was a curse, a feeling, or just stomach acid begging for food. Maybe it was some unknown mix of the three, but whatever it was, it made Gaius stagger forward and grab Henry's wrist—stopping the boy in mid-step as his grasp tightened around him.
The sorcerer seemed taken aback by this motion as his shoulders hunched up for a few seconds. He relaxed them after realizing what happened, and turned his head slowly to face the assassin. His eyes were closed but Gaius felt like he was staring straight into his indigo irises. He gulped.
"Henry," he said, temporarily discarding the nickname he had set up for him. "I need to tell you something."
"Oh," was his half-hearted and weirdly empty response. Maybe he was shocked by the sincerity in Gaius' voice. "What is it?"
"I think we should start over," he blurted out without thinking. "I know it's kind of late for amendments, but I've changed my mind about you."
Henry's lips twitched, and slowly rose to form a soft smile. "Hmm? What do you mean? I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do." Gaius insisted, still clinging onto the other's thin wrist in a treacherous hold. He glanced at it before continuing. "All that shit we went through, you know what I'm talking about. I say we start a new slate right now. I don't mean forget what already happened, because that ain't right. But, I mean, we could start over. We got off to the wrong foot, anyway. It's all water under the bridge if we let it be." There was a kind of desperation in Gaius' voice that not even he could recognize. He felt like someone else was talking through him—someone that was much gentler and nicer than he was known for being.
Henry was prominently quiet as a result, not even laughing in this suddenly serious moment. Gaius felt it strange to see him so calm and composed, and not wearing that widely fake grin as he always did. This softer, more kinder expression suited him more, somehow. The thought of it made Gaius' heart stir tamely.
What is this? Gaius asked himself mentally. What am I even doing?
"O~kay~" Henry finally spoke, voice fluctuating in wobbly motions. He sounded disembodied and hollow, but happy and content at the same time. It didn't make any sense. "Okay," he repeated himself. "I see what you mean." His words were methodical and quite unlike him. Gaius wanted to scream at him to stop playing around, but he bit down on his tongue to let the other speak. "I understand."
"You do?" Gaius wondered, and slowly let go of the other's wrist. He was half worried that Henry would run away, or would make a mockery of what was supposed to be a genuine reconciliation. So he was greatly relieved to see that Henry did neither of those things, and stayed where he was for an indefinite amount of time.
Gaius asked him, "So what do you say?"
"I'm willing to put it behind us! I have enough things haunting me that I don't need you to add on to it, haha~" He deflected the seriousness of the situation with a joke, but of course. There was a reluctance in his voice that was harrowing, but it faded as Henry kept nodding to emphasize his cooperation. "Yes, I agree. Let's start over."
"I'm glad," Gaius said, and he really was. He let go of a breath that he didn't know he was holding in. The earth uncoiled from the pressure of the sky, and finally felt free. "Then let's take it from the top. The name's Gaius, but a certain dastard has been known for calling me Honeybuns, thinking he's sly. I don't mind it, in the end. And you are?"
Henry liked this game they were playing! He smiled brightly and not overwhelmingly, for once. He even spoke with a vivace that wasn't there earlier. "My name is Henry, and a weirdo calls me Junior even though he's not that much older than me." This was true and the both of them spared laughter for it. Henry did a mock bow to add to it all. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Same to you." Gaius returned the gesture by slapping Henry on the back. "What say you and I go grab some lunch now?"
"I say that the slowest one to arrive at the mess hall has to give their dessert to the other," Henry threatened lightly, savoring the look of disbelief on Gaius' face. Before anyone could say anything else, Henry ran ahead on the dirt path back to the tents, screaming over his shoulder: "Last one there is a rotten Risen!"
Needless to say, Gaius sprinted as far as his legs would take him. He easily caught up to Henry, and gave facetious threats in response to his little game. But just as he said before, he truly didn't mind it, in the end. He laughed and smiled with Henry all the way to the mess hall, not caring that they looked like a couple of kids in pursuit of a childish goal. They didn't care at all when they crashed into one of the mess hall tables, sliding into the bench like their lives depended on it.
They sat across from each other, and Henry opened his eyes to glance waywardly in Gaius' direction. His heart skipped a beat, completely shaken by the presence of eyes that weren't indigo like before, and rather, they were light periwinkle shades—twinkling with the remnants of soft and gentle blue in the background. In those eyes, Gaius could see himself and the world around him, as well as the utter serenity that took hold of both of them in the short yet frenzied moments.
Gaius laughed it all off, and in doing so he could feel the dark thrums of his heart reverberate with a light, airy forgiveness.