Chapter Text
Aerie was screaming. They usually weren't one to allow their frustrations to show, or allow negative emotions to impact them so thoroughly, but right now, they were screaming their anger into the void of night, having flown for what felt like hours just to make sure their party didn't hear.
"It's not fair!" Aerie sobbed, finally finishing their piercing scream and sinking down into a nearby tree. "Why did I have to fall for someone in my own party?" They spoke to the night sky, to the stars and the moon and any creature who could hear them, even as they felt the disapproval from said sky and stars and moon.
As soon as the 8 then unknown adventurers formed a party, all those years ago, Aerie had been extremely attracted to Mithril, the voted-on leader of their band of buccaneers. He was just Aerie's type, an older tiefling twink who clearly had no experience, and it almost felt like fate itself wanted Aerie to make a move and turn the tentative friendship into something more.
Well, fate was on board until it decided to give Mithril a conscience, and he had very firmly stated that any sort of relationship would throw a spanner into the works of the party at large, and that was why Aerie was now out here, screaming and crying at the universe, several years later. Somewhere along the way, they had truly fallen in love with Mithril, but now with their party being famous heroes there was such a slim chance of Aerie ever being able to express their true feelings, and their heart was aching, the warm glow that usually came from their skin dimming in response to the intense sadness.
"Why did I have to fall in love with you, Mith?" Aerie whispered, as if they hadn't been shouted mere moments before, as if whispering the truth like a secret meant to be closely guarded would help the universe see reason and give them a break. However, there was nothing but silence to answer Aerie's plea. So, Aerie bowed their head and sobbed for a few minutes, before wiping their eyes and beginning to fly back to where their party had set up camp earlier in the day.
If only Aerie had looked into the shadows, as they might've been able to see a very shocked Mithril, who had followed them when they snuck out. And, maybe Aerie would've seen the hurt and longing that was also flashing in Mithril's eyes as he watched them fly away. But, unfortunately, fate wasn't Aerie's friend, so they saw nothing, and continued to believe their pining was one-sided.