Work Text:
If there was something that Erenville didn’t quite understand, it was the fact that he was so intrigued by this adventurer. It was strange, Erenville was an experienced gleaner, one of the best around, and also one that has never really tried - or bothered - to maintain relationships outside of business relationships.
But you? You were different. Maybe it was your stories of lands that he would never get to see or experience for himself. Maybe it was the way you would attempt to describe everything to him - despite the fact that your words would end up all over the place or that your drawings would start mismatching arms and legs and their anatomy. It was cute.
It was ridiculously cute. Erenville could spend hours and days of his time off just listening to you speak while the two of you shared a meal at The Last Stand. It frustrated him more that he couldn’t spend more time with you.
But he’d never say that aloud. Not when you were so beloved by so many. Not when the two of you were merely meeting up only because you were temporarily working with the gleaners to help.
But for how much longer? Erenville couldn’t help but wonder. His thoughts wandered away from the conversation at hand. He wasn’t paying attention to you anymore. He just wanted more time with you - outside of taking a break from gleaner’s work.
A small sigh escapes his lips, one that you weren’t used to hearing and it cuts you off mid-tangent.
“Sorry, am I boring you?” you weakly laughed, and Erenville’s eyes widened in surprise. He slowly puts his tea cup down and shakes his head. “No, not at all. Simply just wondering how many more days we have together like this.”
You tilt your head slightly to the side, and you ask, “What do you mean?”
You took a sip of your coffee and leaned back into your seat, “I’m staying here in Sharlayan permanently.”
“Huh?”
“Huh?” you mirrored his confusion and you furrowed your brows slightly. “Did… Did I not tell you?”
“I thought you were here for work.”
“I am here for work, but I also decided to make this place home,” you vaguely explained and the perplexed confusion on Erenville’s visage was still very evident and you continued, “G’raha and Krile are here, and the Leveilleur twins come home frequently. It’s easier for the others to find me here and I’m finally getting a ‘proper education’ as Y’shtola and Master Matoya likes to put it.”
“You’re a student?”
“In… a sense?” you shrugged and laughed, “I like it here. Everyone has fond memories here, and I wanted to see why. The only time I’ve spent here was under a tense moment of trying to figure out if we would be able to save our world that we have right now. So since we have time now, I thought… I’d stay.”
Erenville slowly blinked a few times, and from hearing your explanation, he held back a small chuckle. Your eyes widened and you smiled, “Did I make sense?”
“You did. So you’ll stay.”
“I’m staying! And I’ll still be under your care for gleaner work.”
“You still need a lot of work on that.”
“Hey! I’m doing my best.”
“I know,” Erenville nodded, “But you’re much too used to killing them instead of catching them alive.”
“Look-”
“It’s fine, you just need more practice.” His words were filled with confidence in your capabilities, and his own to teach you. But with your explanation, it relieved him of that frustration. Knowing that you were still going to be here, that you weren’t planning on leaving any time soon brought him some sort of relief to something he wasn’t quite ready to put a name to. But whatever it is, he’s just glad that you were still here sipping coffee and laughing with him.