Work Text:
They arrived in Limsa in a little less than a day of travels, the airship surely taking its time, the sun setting down in the horizon as they made their first steps inside the pirate city. Hoary had been there before a few times, not too many, but he knew Coultenet had never ever stepped outside the Shroud, and his face showed it clearly, his eyes wide and his body rigid.
For outsiders, Limsa was surely intimidating. Hoary remembered the first time he had stepped inside the city, watching that crowd of adventurers, pirates, merchants, all rushing around and working, some performances on the edge of the pier singing and playing instruments, clothes being tried out by the shops, the smell of delicious food in the air. It was busy, much more than Gridania, a little more than even Ul Dah, the free spirits being attracted to the city's ports and piers.
It still was beautiful, the white walls and buildings contrasting nicely with the wood of the ships and the blue of the ocean. Hoary always felt reenergized when he arrived at Limsa.
"The adventurer's guild is this way" he told his friend, tapping his back, and Coultenet seemed to wake up then and nod, biting his lip and following the gladiator towards a staircase on the side. They went down and were greeted by the guild master, mister Baderon, who recognized Hoary from his travels.
"My good fellow Roe!" he called, and Hoary couldn't help but smile, making his way to the counter with Coultenet falling behind. "Long time no see for ya in these parts, old friend!"
"Nice to see you too, Tenfingers" he said, smiling and sitting down by the bar, accepting the offered ale from the owner. "I did take my leave from Limsa rather soon I'm afraid, but now I'm back to fight those pirates in the northern areas."
"Oh I see I see, goo'old Boulder takin' his chances in the bright blue seas again" he winked, before his eyes drifted behind Hoary. "And who's this dog that follows you by the ankles?"
"Excuse me?" Hoary heard Coultenet saying, and chuckled while he turned to the elezen.
"Come here Coultenet, he is my friend and new adventuring partner. Meet Baderon, the master of the guild here in Limsa."
"Delighted" Coultenet mumbled, sarcastically, but the Midlander only laughed at his distaste and offered him an ale.
"'m sorry wee lad, not used with seein' old Boulder here with a friend" he said, smiling when Coultenet accepted the drink as an act of peace. "My inn is all yours, young adventurers!"
"Thank you, we are sure to accept them. Tomorrow I will come to gather some more information over the pirates attacking the settlements" Hoary said, and the man nodded before his attention was drifted to another costumer. Hoary chuckled and turned to face Coultenet, who still seemed somewhat overwhelmed. "Don’t worry, you will get used to it in no time."
"I hope" the elezen muttered before he finished his drink and put the mug down. "Can we head in? I'm tired."
"Of course, follow me" he nodded, guiding his friend towards the inn and getting them a room.
They did not sleep well the first night, something Hoary was expecting. Coultenet seemed uncomfortable with the new location, the news, the difference, and he simply could not catch any sleep, tossing and turning on the bed until he gave up and turned on the lamp to read a book. Hoary normally would sleep through it just fine, as he had many a nights before, but this time he understood what his friend was feeling and felt as if he needed to show him some support.
They did not say much – Coultenet was not in the mood to talk – but Hoary reached for a book of his own and read by himself, noticing from the corner of his eyes how Coultenet seemed to grow calmer and more relaxed until suddenly he heard soft snores coming from his left and placed the book down.
He stood up, gently pulling the book away from Coultenet's hand and placing it aside, page marked, and then covered him up with a blanket. The elezen mumbled in his sleep and turned to the side, hugging he pillow, making him chuckle silently before he turned off the lamps and closed the curtains to be sure his friend would not wake up with the sunlight.
Only then he laid down, ready to sleep, and fell into a nice slumber that made him well rested for the next day.
--------------@----------------
It turned out that the pirates, while being known for attacking upper and outer La Noscea constantly, had decided to take a few days off, and travelled far into the outer seas. This Hoary learned through Baderon, who assured them the pirates would not return for at least another two weeks, rendering their trip to La Noscea somewhat useless.
Well, for Coultenet at least.
"We came all the way here to fight pirates and help people, not to enjoy some time at the beach" he complained for the tenth time since they left Limsa, the carriage soon reaching the beach of Costa Del Sol. Hoary could not care less about his friend's complaints, summer clothes tucked inside his bag, ready to be used and enjoyed in the little vacation he decided to take.
"You can leave and wait for them up north, I will enjoy some well deserved rest" he said, retrieving his sunglasses from his bag and popping them on, resting against the bench. Coultenet sighed loudly next to him, shaking his head, and then waving his hand in front of his face. "Hot?"
"Yes" he complained, crossing his arms. "I don't have any... beach clothes."
"Don't worry, they sell them by the shore" Hoary replied, grinning when he saw the cabins approaching. "Oh yes, by the crystal, we are going to have fun."
"I bet" Coultenet mumbled sarcastically, and followed Hoary when the carriage stopped. They paid for the trip and moved along to the aetherite in the middle of the beach, Coultenet taking his time to attune to it before they followed to the small shops.
"Go head, get yourself some swimsuit so we can enjoy this nice little vacation" Hoary said, stretching out and heading over to a small area where he could change out of his casual clothes, having left his armor back in the inn. He rushed inside the small room, ditching his shirt and pants and shoes for a comfortable, nice pair of shorts and sandals, smirking to himself and pushing the clothes back inside his bag. He walked out, yawning and stretching again, leaving his bag with a retainer nearby and looking around. "Did you see my friend?"
"He left to change" the retained said, and soon enough the door to the other changing room opened, and Hoary had to take a moment to stare. For a conjurer, always so covered up in robes, Coultenet was quite... attractive. He was wearing a shirt with the buttons open, covering up half his arms and most of his sides, but the chest and stomach were out for views and Hoary was viewing it alright. His shorts were down to his knees, and he had purchased a hat that wet out almost like an umbrella covering him up from the sun, but that was to be expected. Still, he looked so uncomfortable.
"I feel naked" he mumbled as he approached Hoary, handing his bag towards the retainer, and the roegadyn could see the cute blush on his cheeks and ears now that they were close. He laughed at his friend's distress and tapped his back.
"That's the spirit! Now come on, lets get some well-deserved rest!"
Coultenet gave him a shy smile and followed Hoary towards the shore, up the stairs towards the chairs on the pier, and sitting down once they arrived. The salty air coming from sea, fresh and cold, made Hoary smile and breath in deeply, his muscles relaxing in the comfortable air. He gave a side glance to the elezen, who was getting himself comfortable on the chair and once he did, closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.
"I... have never been to a beach before... it's very nice" Coultenet mumbled suddenly, and Hoary nodded, smiling at his friend. He was so gentle and... so pretty, he dared say. The way his hair fell over his pointy ears, something he found so endearing, his eyes that now rested closed and calm, always so avid and quick to see it all, his body just so well built for a conjurer, firm, with muscles in the correct spot, not overly showing, but also there, present. He was not long, not how many elezens Hoary had seen, but that was probably due to his age, he would still grow, he would get close to Hoary's own height. He was just...
He looked away, feeling his nose burning with a blush that would not show over his dark skin. Still, he felt it, and he knew what it meant. He had to get his feelings under control, before he ruined their partnership and pushed Coultenet away, something he did not want. Having know him for over three months, Hoary wasn't sure what he would do without him – he had turned dependent over the elezen, and it was as good as it was bad.
He sighed, ignoring those thoughts and leaving his head free from them, closing his eyes and letting the warmth of the sun and the sound of waves lull him into a nice rest by the sea.