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Caleb was an excellent dancer, especially after a few drinks loosened him up a bit. Beau had done her best trying to keep up with him but had passed him off to Jester a few minutes before. Fjord watched the way the low light of the tavern lit up his eyes as he spun her around. The warm lighting made the copper in his hair shine, and Fjord's chest seized at the image. He sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day, dropping his head into his hands over the scarred tavern table. Ever since their pact in Dashilla’s Lair he felt like he had been unable to keep his eyes off Caleb. Well... if he was completely honest with himself it had started long before that, but he had been doing a particularly bad job of hiding it lately. He knew Cad had noticed, and Beau for sure... maybe Jester too, but so far Caleb still seemed to be in the dark. He sat up, running his hands through his hair and wincing when he caught on a tangle before tugging it back into the little top knot.
“Looks like you could use this”
He looked up as Beau set a fresh drink in front of him and dropped into an empty seat with her own drink.
“Thanks”
“So, what's the deal?” she was eyeing him suspiciously, eyes narrowed and a little too focused for his liking “you’re acting weird”
“No idea what you mean” he muttered, taking his drink and dropping his eyes to the contents “I’m just enjoying a nice, relaxing—”
“Don’t play dumb dude, everyone can see something's going on with you and Cay”
“Wha--I—nothin's going on with me and Caleb”
She glared at him again over the rim of her tankard, and he fought the urge to shrink under her stare.
“But you want something to be going on”
There was a beat, then two, where he considered his options. He could continue to deny it, maybe get her to let it go for the night and then try to avoid being alone with her for a while. Or he could admit to it, finally say it out loud, get it off his chest and hope that she didn’t blab to Caleb the second she got the chance. He sighed.
“I... yeah, alright? But it’s not—I'm not gonna make a big deal out of it, he’s into Jes”
“Literally everyone is at least a little bit into Jes”
“Not the point”
“Fair I guess but like... do you really think it’d be a problem? Cause like, it wouldn’t”
“What do you mean?” he raised an eyebrow, eyes drawn back to where Caleb was waltzing across the floor with Jester and trying to ignore the pang under his ribs “I ain’t going to embarrass myself by throwing myself at him when it’s clearly not wanted”
“Yikes okay, let’s start with that”
He looked back at her, frowning and she rolled her eyes.
“Dude, he’s into you, you seriously can’t tell?”
“Don’t--that’s bullshit Beau”
“It’s not, I’m a fucking genius you asshole, and he definitely is” she took a long pull from her drink, waving it at him as she spoke “you really haven’t noticed? He literally nearly threw himself off the mainmast when you died, and he flirts with you all the damn time”
“No he... he flirts with me?”
“Oh, for fucks... you’re so lucky he apparently finds being stupid attractive”
He lifted his tankard accusingly, glaring at her in annoyance.
“ Listen-- ”
“Who are you talking about?”
Fjord choked, looking up so quickly that he felt his neck crack and winced in annoyance, reaching up with his free hand to rub at it. Caleb was standing there, his hair coming loose from its tie and his face charmingly flushed with a drink in his hand. He looked between Fjord and Beau, one eyebrow quirking upwards when neither of them responded right away. Beau groaned, and Fjord pulled his eyes from Caleb’s handsome face just in time to catch her rolling her eyes again.
“Just explaining to Fjord here that he’s an idiot, and how lucky he is that you—”
“That you’re around to keep things under control” Fjord choked out, cutting her off with an awkward chuckle “to uh—to right the ship, as it were”
“Fjord...” Caleb’s expression turned searching; brows furrowed over serious blue eyes and his lips tugged down in a little frown “that is ridiculous, we would be far worse off without your talent for strategy and ability to play the face when needed” a warm hand landed on his shoulder as Calebs expression softened “I... well, I appreciate you”
“I--I uh, well... thank you kindly Cay” he felt his face heat up as Caleb smiled at him “I... uh—”
“ Ugh” Beau groaned, downing the rest of her drink “you’re both idiots, I hate you”
Caleb sighed and shook his head affectionately as she dropped her forehead to the tabletop with a grunt. Blue eyes, alight with affection and a little bit of tipsy mischief met his again, holding for a moment before Caleb held out his hand. Fjord took it without thinking, following the gentle tug and abandoning his empty tankard on the table.
“Come dance for a bit? Beauregard is done for the night I think”
Beau grumbled again from her spot on the table, taking the half empty drink that Caleb offered her with a flipped bird. Fjord felt himself smile again, chuckling at the display and nodding when Caleb quirked an eyebrow at him again. It really was an unfairly attractive expression on him.
“Yeah alright, let’s go then”
“Oh, do not let me twist your arm” Caleb teased, tugging lightly on Fjord's hand “if you would rather stay with Beauregard...”
“Oh no, no take backs wizard man, you’re going to have to suffer through my dancing now”
“I do not think it will be much of a trial”
Caleb spun to face him when they reached the edge of the dance floor, settling his hand on Fjord’s shoulder and pressing their scarred palms together. Fjord reached out and laid his free hand lightly against Caleb’s waist, secretly glad that he had left his long coat at the table. Caleb stepped in close, leading Fjord in the steps that seemed to come naturally to him while Fjord focused on trying not to step on his toes. As things usually did with them, after a few minutes of uncertainty they found a balance and Fjord felt himself relax. Caleb looked up at him, a soft smile on his face as they whirled around with the other dancers. Fjord's heart stuttered in his chest, the urge to move closer, to shift his hand from the respectable spot on his waist down to his slim hip was almost too hard to ignore. Especially when clever fingers slid up over his shoulder to fidget with the neck of his shirt, brushing over the skin there.
“You are very good at this” Caleb’s voice was soft, only audible over the band because of how close they were “I do not know why you sit out so often”
“Ah well... I only seem good because you’re the one leading” he deflected automatically, “you make it easy”
There was a beat, during which Caleb’s face broke into a devious little smirk.
“Are you calling me easy Fjord?”
Calebs smirk only grew as Fjord stuttered over an attempt to respond, eventually landing on a quiet groan as he dropped his forehead against the top of Caleb’s head. He could feel Caleb laughing and took over, spinning them quickly on the spot to pull a gasp from the wizard, effectively cutting off the chuckling. He lifted his head and steadied them, gripping Caleb’s waist a bit tighter as he stumbled slightly with the sudden stop. Fjord tried to ignore the way Caleb leaned into his touch, bringing his chest closer as he looked up and shook his head fondly.
“You are a menace”
“You deserved it” he couldn’t help but grin back, stepping back into the dance as Caleb’s hand slid farther up to rest against his neck “cheeky bastard”
“That’s me” Caleb took over the lead smoothly, blue eyes locked on Fjords as something... sharper slipped into his gaze “something tells me you do not mind it though”
“N-no” he cleared his throat, heat crawling up his neck and cheeks at the intensity of the stare “I can’t say that I do”
Caleb hummed thoughtfully, and with a burst of nerves Fjord realized he could see him making connections in his head. They danced in silence for a little while, and Fjord’s pulse had almost returned to normal when Caleb spoke again.
“I think I would like to get some air; would you join me?”
“Oh, yeah--yeah sure, sounds good”
Caleb tugged his hand, leading him through the drunken crowd out into the fresh air of the evening. He caught Beau’s eye as he passed through the door, glaring as she smirked knowingly at him. The stepped away from the door, Caleb still pulling him by the hand until they reached the far end of the covered porch. Fjord tried not to think too hard about how nicely their hands fit together, or the odd comfort of feeling their scars match up. He followed Calebs arm up to his slim shoulders, then along the pale expanse of his neck where it was bared by the low ponytail he seemed to prefer. Lingering just a moment too long, wondering idly if the deeper green of his hands would look as nice pressed there as it did wrapped around Caleb’s own hands. He finally settled on Caleb’s face, only to feel a jolt through his chest when he realized that Caleb was already staring back.
“Welcome back Schatzi” he teased; his expression warm “you went off somewhere for a moment there”
“I suppose I did” he admitted, stepping closer and feeling his chest warm when Caleb leaned into his space “sorry about that”
“If anyone understands that feeling I think it would be me, do not apologize”
“Very true”
They stood in a comfortable silence for a moment, and Fjord found his thumb tracing little arcs across the back of Calebs hand. This was one of his favourite things about being around Caleb, he never felt like he had to fill the silence, it never felt awkward like it did with so many others. They understood each other, they would speak when they needed to. Caleb shifted slightly again, leaning forward with his arms rested on the banister (tugging Fjord’s hand up with him), and pressing his shoulder against Fjords when he copied the movement.
“I have been thinking lately”
“Nothin’ new there”
Caleb shot him a smirk, which he returned, eyes roving over the handsome face in the process.
“I have been thinking specifically about these” he clarified, turning their joined hands over and running his finger over Fjord's scar “we have had them a while now”
Fjord shivered slightly at the gentle caress, before collecting himself enough to nod encouragingly at Caleb.
“I wonder... if I were to call in the favour...” he paused; eyes still locked almost stubbornly on the scar “would their significance fade? For you?”
“No” Fjord answered simply, smiling over his own pounding heart when Caleb caught his eye “I... well, they were a means to an end right? But we—this" he gripped Calebs hand again, squeezing briefly “this isn’t that. Never really was, not to me”
“I... well, I have admitted before that our little group was that to me at first” Caleb muttered, worrying his bottom lip “but that has not been the case for a long while now, and—and you—our friendship has been more than that for longer”
“I’m glad” he admitted, letting his relief show on his face “’cause I feel the same”
“ Ja?” Calebs eyes were back on him again, searching for something in his expression “do you?”
There was a beat as they stared at each other, Fjord's heart pounding loud in his chest as he mirrored Caleb’s searching eyes. And... there. His breath caught as he saw it, there under the uncertainty and the questioning in those too-blue eyes. There it was, the connection he had felt for so long, but had been too afraid to voice, too uncertain about whether it was all in his head. They were on the same page, how were they always on the same page?
“Yeah. I really think I do” he affirmed, leaning in to press his forehead to Calebs, breathing in the familiar scent of him “tell me if I’m wrong, before I do something stupid”
“Do it” Caleb sighed; his breath warm against Fjord's skin “if it is stupid then so am I”
“Good thing I find that so attractive” he murmured, before catching Caleb’s responding laugh with a slow kiss. He smiled back, pressing it into Caleb’s lips as he slid his free hand to rest against his neck. They stood there in the dark, trading smiling kisses until Jester's shout rang out behind them, calling them in for the night.