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"Make sure these documents are delivered before lunch time today," Edmond says as he hands over a freshly-signed file to one of his knights, barely looking up from his desk as he does. He doesn't have the time to, as there are piles upon piles of reports to review and documents to sign waiting to be sifted through, and all of it must be finished before the end of the day.
"Yes, Vice-Captain!" the knight says energetically before he turns to leave.
Edmond expects to hear the knight leave his office as he continues working on the next document, but a few seconds pass and the knight remains there, right in front of his desk, nervously fidgeting with the very important documents Edmond has just entrusted him with.
"... Is there a problem, soldier?" Edmond asks impatiently, eager to return to his work.
"Um, if I may, Vice-Captain, sir," the knight stutters, red-faced. "It's just that, er, your hair..."
Edmond's eye twitches. "What about it? Please do not waste my time with trivialities."
"I just thought it suits you, sir! If you'll excuse me!" the knight blurts out before he finally leaves Edmond's office, carelessly slamming the door behind him in his hurry to escape from the Vice-Captain's steely gaze.
Edmond sighs in frustration. That wasn't the first time today. Edmond's hair has become the talk of the knights ever since he returned from Crow Prison, and wherever he goes, comments such as did you cut your hair, sir? or you look very dashing, sir! or maybe I should cut my own hair, too, sir! are sure to follow. Honestly, Edmond doesn't see why they're making such a big deal of it. It's just a haircut. It's really nothing worth gossiping about, especially when said gossip time would be far better spent in actually doing their damned jobs. Honestly, even he hadn't said a thing about Edmond's hair the whole time they'd spent in prison, and if he hadn't noticed, why would his knights?
Not that Edmond really cares that much about what he has to say about his hair. To be fair, when he'd been told about the strict dress code at Crow Prison and the need to have his hair cut short for the mission, he had spared Eiden a thought. After all, the Grand Sorcerer had often praised the length of Edmond's hair, and perhaps Edmond had secretly hoped that... that Eiden wouldn't mind that his hair had been cut short without warning. Perhaps he had hoped that he'd say something very foolish and Eiden-like, something like wow, you look so cute with short hair , and then Edmond would have to skillfully deflect the comment with a well-timed reminder of the importance and seriousness of their mission, but of course Eiden would make sure to insist on how much he likes the Vice-Captain's new hair during the most inopportune times.
That was how it was supposed to happen. But Eiden had said nothing about his hair at all.
Which is fine. Who cares? Not Edmond. His hair will slowly grow over time, and Eiden will probably fail to notice or comment on that, too, because he's an unobservant, insensitive fool who doesn't care at all about Edmond being stupidly worried about whether Eiden likes his new hair, which is a good thing, because Edmond isn't actually worried in the slightest , so it would be doubly foolish of Eiden to care about such a meaningless thing.
So, it's all fine. Really. No problems here.
With that resolution, Edmond buries himself in another pile of paperwork, eager to forget all about his stupid hair and stupid Eiden's stupid lack of reaction to it.
Edmond pays a visit to Aster's mansion only a couple of days later, but that has nothing to do with Eiden at all. Edmond simply enjoys having his afternoon tea in Aster's beautiful garden whenever he can spare the time. It's only an unfortunate circumstance of life that Aster's mansion is where Eiden lives .
Edmond hasn't seen the sorcerer around, anyway. Maybe he's out, gone on another reckless adventure, perhaps somewhere out in the wilderness where Edmond cannot keep him safe from harm. Maybe he's in one of the mansion's sprawling rooms, enjoying his endless free time with someone who isn't Edmond. Edmond couldn't care less. He hadn't come here to see Eiden, after all. No, he had come here in the hopes of enjoying a quiet afternoon in the sole company of Aster's finest tea blend, and he was lucky enough to be getting just that.
Peace and quiet. That's all Edmond wants.
"Oh, sir Edmond!"
Edmond almost jumps at the voice before he remembers that Eiden doesn't call him sir Edmond, and that the voice sounds nothing like Eiden's to begin with.
Not that he wanted it to be Eiden.
"Olivine," he says as he turns towards the priest, who is approaching Edmond with his signature beatific smile on his face. "Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon to you as well, sir Edmond," Olivine replies. "I didn't know you'd be visiting us today. You should have joined us for lunch."
"Oh, I... merely came to have my afternoon tea," Edmond says awkwardly. "I wasn't planning on staying for long..."
"Then, mind if I accompany you for a little while?"
Edmond smiles. It's nice to see that someone around here cares about him, at least. "Of course, Father. Your company is always welcome."
They engage in quiet, casual conversation as they share a cup of tea and a light dessert. Olivine asks him about the knights and about his family, and Edmond, in turn, asks about Olivine's day and about his younger siblings, and throughout their conversation all of Edmond's worries melt right off his shoulders. Edmond has often thought this, but it's no wonder that Olivine has such a devoted following. His presence alone feels like a warm, comforting embrace to anyone fortunate enough to bask in it.
Sadly, it's Olivine himself who eventually breaks that peace by making what, Edmond is sure, he thinks is a very innocent comment. "I see that your hair is still short," the priest says casually.
Edmond hopes that the twitch in his brow goes unnoticed. "Yes, well," he mumbles dismissively as he reaches for a cookie to aid him through the sudden change in topic. "It will be like this for the foreseeable future, I'm afraid."
"You can use essence to make it grow long in no time," Olivine suggests. "Lord Dante taught me how to do it. I could help you, if you wish."
Edmond considers the offer. It would be nice to have his hair go back to normal, he supposes. His current style is convenient, no doubt, but Edmond doesn't feel quite like himself without his long locks. He's had long hair for almost as long as he can remember, after all, ever since he started letting it grow out as a child, and these past few days he's had to fight the odd feeling that something is missing.
And... and besides, Eiden probably likes him better with long hair. That's likely the reason why he hasn't said anything. He probably thought he'd hurt Edmond's feelings if he let it slip that he doesn't like the way Edmond looks now.
"I... I think I will pass on your kind offer," Edmond says finally. "But thank you for your consideration."
It's foolish. It's stupid, and irrational, and not at all how a grown man who shoulders the responsibility of a nation's armed forces should behave, but the only reason he's refusing Olivine's offer is to punish Eiden's lack of praise and attention by keeping his hair in a style the sorcerer does not like.
Ridiculous. As if Eiden will even notice or care.
"Ah... Are your essence levels low, perhaps? I'm sure that Eiden–"
"No!" Edmond bursts out before the shock on Olivine's face reels him back in. "M-My apologies, Father. I did not mean to... to yell at you like that. I-It's just that..."
Edmond sighs and fiddles with the handle of his teacup as he tries to find an explanation that won't give his true feelings away. "I-I imagine that that fraudulent sorcerer has better things to worry about than the state of my hair," he finally says. "That is all."
Olivine smiles kindly at him, a smile that strangely reminds Edmond of his own mother, and nods. "I see," Olivine says gently. "I understand, sir Edmond."
I really hope you don't , Edmond thinks, but he doesn't say that because it would be awfully rude.
"Oh, my, look at the time," Olivine says all of a sudden. "I'm afraid I must be going. I still need to prepare tomorrow's sermon."
"Oh, of course. My apologies for keeping you."
"No, no. I always enjoy spending time with you, sir Edmond."
Olivine then stands up elegantly and regales Edmond with another of his beautiful smiles before he speaks again. "Before I leave, sir Edmond... I hope you don't mind me saying this, but I think you look very charming with your new haircut," he says softly. "And as much as I care about Eiden, I'll have no choice but to think of him as a fool if it turns out that he doesn't think the same."
Edmond's cheeks turn bright red as his brain struggles to process Olivine's words. By the time he has gathered his wits for a response, the priest is long gone.
It was only a matter of time until he ran into Eiden, Edmond supposes. The fact that Eiden had appeared out of nowhere right at the end of his evening patrol route is somewhat suspicious, but Edmond decides not to think too hard about that. He reluctantly agrees to go on a short walk with Eiden, hoping that he will quickly find some excuse to leave. He doesn't quite feel ready to spend long periods of time with the Grand Sorcerer.
"Haven't seen you since the whole prison thing," Eiden says as they walk side by side. The streets are quiet, as most people are either preparing dinner at home or enjoying a well-earned mug of ale after a long day of work. "How's the investigation going?"
"There's still much work to be done," Edmond replies. "Evidence to sift through, background checks to run... The warden's crimes are many and varied. It will take some time before he faces trial, I'm afraid. He'll be under lock and key until then, of course."
"Will I have to testify in court or something? I've always wanted to do that."
Edmond smiles despite himself. "Perhaps."
They walk in silence for a little while, a time during which Edmond struggles between enjoying Eiden's company and staying upset at him, before the Grand Sorcerer speaks again.
"Seems like you've been busy," he says, and there's an edge to his voice that Edmond doesn't think he could decipher even if he cared to try. "Is that why you haven't visited lately?"
"That is correct," Edmond nods. "It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that my workload has doubled in size."
"Olivine told me you guys had tea together the other day, though."
Edmond freezes in his tracks, and then Eiden, too, stops and looks back at him. He doesn't seem angry or upset, but he's... different. There's something in his eyes that Edmond hasn't seen there before.
"I went to have tea in Aster's garden, and Olivine happened to see me," Edmond explains. "He asked if he could join me, and I agreed. Do I not get to spend my meager free time however and with whomever I please?"
If he sounds frustrated, well–he is. Why must he justify his actions to Eiden? It's not as if Eiden asks for his permission before he invites other people inside his bed.
Eiden has the decency to look a little taken aback at Edmond's words, at least. "Of course you do," he says. "I just... I guess I get a little jealous when others get to see you and I don't. Since you're so busy, I thought that... I don't know. I guess I wanted to be the one person you'd want to see."
Edmond opens his mouth to point out the hypocrisy in Eiden's words, but Eiden beats him to it. "I know that's pretty unreasonable, considering... well. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. You can have tea with anyone you want, of course."
I only wanted to have tea with you , you utter fool. Why must you be so clueless?
"Eiden..." Edmond mumbles hesitantly, teeth worrying over his bottom lip. "H-Haven't you noticed anything different about me since we infiltrated Crow Prison...?"
He doesn't know what possesses him to bring up the topic now, of all times. Maybe it's because he feels like he has the upper hand on Eiden for once. Maybe he just wants to get rid of this sense of unease. Maybe he's just that desperate for Eiden's validation.
Eiden looks Edmond up and down a few times--a few too many times, in Edmond's opinion--and then he walks closer and wraps his arms around Edmond's waist, locking both of them in a loose embrace.
"Hmm, I wonder... Is it your butt? Did it get bigger again?"
Edmond's face blazes with anger and embarrassment, and he immediately tries to shove Eiden away.
"Y-You... Scoundrel! Degenerate! I can't believe...!"
"Wait," Eiden chuckles as he holds Edmond a bit tighter, preventing his escape. "I'm sorry! I was just kidding! Of course I noticed. I guess they made you cut your hair for the prison job, huh?" Eiden reaches out towards Edmond's face and brushes a stray lock of hair from his eyes. "It's still short..."
Edmond stops trying to break away from Eiden's embrace, mildly relieved that he has finally acknowledged the issue. "You didn't say anything about it then," he says. "I-I suppose you thought it doesn't suit me."
He says the words without thinking, and he regrets them the moment they leave his lips.
"... Is that why you've been acting so weird?" Eiden asks gently. "Because you think I don't like your hair?"
"I-I've been acting perfectly normal!" Edmond protests. "A-And I don't care what you–"
"I think you look super cute with short hair, Edmond," Eiden says, his words immediately silencing Edmond's. "You look cute with long hair too, of course, but now you're cute in a whole new way. I really, really like it. And I'm sorry I didn't say that earlier.”
Edmond's heart flips in his chest at Eiden's words. This is… it's all Edmond wanted to hear. If only that fraudulent sorcerer had said it earlier…
Edmond buries his face in Eiden's shoulder, and the sorcerer immediately wraps his arms around the knight in a tight embrace. Edmond knows that he's blushing, and he knows that his bottom lip is quivering, and he doesn't think he could bring himself to ask the question he's about to ask if Eiden could see his face.
"D-Do you… do you really mean it...?" Edmond asks quietly. He tries to remind himself that he doesn't care about the answer. He doesn't care whether Eiden likes his hair, and he doesn't care whether Eiden thinks he's cute, and he doesn't care whether Eiden loves him the way Edmond loves Eiden. He can't care, because what if the answer to all of those things is a no? What would Edmond do then?
Eiden's hold on him tightens just a little bit more, and the warmth of his body and the sweet scent of his skin make those worries seem meaningless, if only for now. "Of course I do, silly. Haven't I told you a million times before? You're the most beautiful man I've ever seen.”
They stay locked in a warm embrace for a little while, Eiden's fingers mindlessly playing with Edmond's short hair. It's nice and pleasant and new, but Edmond soon finds himself missing the feeling of Eiden's fingers combing through his long hair as he so often liked to do.
"Um, E-Eiden," he says as he lifts his head from Eiden's shoulder, his gaze still not meeting the other man's.
"Yes?"
"It seems there's a way to make hair grow instantly with essence..."
"Yeah, I've heard that too."
"B-But..." Edmond hesitates as his fingers nervously fiddle with the zipper on Eiden's jacket. "My essence levels, um..."
Edmond feels Eiden's hand lifting his chin up, forcing the knight to look up at him. Eiden is smiling, and there's a mischievous glint in his eye, and he's so, so handsome that he hurts to look at.
"... Need to be regulated before you can do that?" Eiden says coyly.
This time, Edmond doesn't run away from Eiden's gaze, though that only makes him blush harder. "... Yes."
Eiden chuckles, a sound that warms Edmond from head to toe. "That just sounds like an excuse to do naughty things with me, Vice-Captain," he says playfully.
“I only want my hair back," Edmond says, his gaze dropping again, though this time only to shamelessly stare at Eiden's soft, pink lips.
"What if I say no?" Eiden says teasingly as he brushes a thumb over Edmond's own lips. "You look so cute like this… What if I want to enjoy this cute, short-haired Vice-Captain for a little while longer?"
Edmond knows he's pouting, and he knows that Eiden can see it, but he tries not to care. "You've already had your fair share," he argues.
Eiden's eyes narrow then, and there's something warm and dangerous and predatory behind them, and this look is one that Edmond is very familiar with.
"Then come home with me," Eiden says huskily as he slowly closes the space between their mouths. “I'll give you so much of my essence that you'll have to beg me to stop," he whispers against Edmond's lips before sealing the promise with a kiss.