Chapter Text
"Come on, 'Dari, lighten up a little!"
Eli, the eldest Pavel-sibling, gave his younger brother a playful push.
The middle child had recently reached the age to legally enter a tavern and order an alcoholic beverage, and his two older siblings had taken it upon themselves to drag him to the most popular hangout in their mining town: the local inn called 'The Lucky Nugget'.
Hodari didn't like this at all. The younger man would've rather stayed at home, smelting ores or tinkering. But his siblings were adamant, stating he'd never find a nice partner if he stayed either at home or down in the mines.
Thus, he was now seated at the far corner of bar, trying to tune out the noise that was mostly caused by the band of traveling bards that just so happened to be staying at the inn.
Despite the best attempts of his siblings, he didn't move from his seat, much to their dismay.
"Leave him to his solitude," Shani groaned, pulling Eli away from their brother. "At least he got out of the house, that's a good start. If he wants to spend his night moping at the bar drinking beer, so be it."
"But there's bards and music and a bunch of cute folk his age!" Eli called out, attracting the attention of a few people nearby. Hodari felt embarrassed, staring down at his drink. He didn't want to be here. Didn't want his siblings to feel obligated to entertain him. He just wanted this night to be over so he could go home and recharge. The loud music, the noisy crowd, the way his stein stuck to the stained counter. It all annoyed him to no end and left him feeling drained, even though they had only been there for an hour or so.
He glanced sideways, watching the siblings disappear into the crowd. At least he didn't have to worry about them, any more. The young man was just about to take a swig of his beer when he got startled by another guy who seemed to have had appeared out of nowhere, leaning uncomfortably close to him and strumming an instrument.
Hodari stared at him for a moment, his own steel blue eyes meeting with eyes that - strangely enough - reminded him of blueberries. The other man ran his fingers through his slicked back dirty blonde hair and gave him a toothy grin.
"Couldn't help but notice ya, sitting here all by yourself. Are ya feeling a bit... trebled?" the man asked, snickering at his own pun.
Hodari sighed and looked back at the stein. Maybe if he ignored the jokester long enough, he'd eventually leave him alone.
The bard kept strumming, humming to himself before tilting his head towards Hodari.
"Hey, what do ya get when ya drop a piano down a mineshaft?"
Hodari frowned as he thought about the strange question. Why would anyone bring a piano to a mine in the first place? He slowly turned to the other man, a questioning look on his face.
"A-flat minor!" The bard looked at him expectantly with a goofy grin.
That answer only added to Hodari's confusion.
"Ya know, the minor scale in music... A flat miner..."
They blinked at one another, until the bard scratches his head.
"Alright, that one went over your head. Let me try again: why did the burglars rob a music store?"
Chatter of the other people filled the awkward silence between the both of them. The bard tried to read Hodari's expression, but failed. Alright, then he'd have to give away the answer.
"For the lute!"
Hodari didn't even chuckle. He only raised one eyebrow and turned away, again.
"Man, I'd say we're having a sparkling conversation, but that'd make me a lyre," the other man sighed. "Pun intended."
The bard started strumming once more, a little louder than before. Hodari's hand shot out, grabbing hold of the neck of the instrument and startling the unwanted companion.
"Stop it," he grumbled. "I'm already havin' a headache, what with the loud noises and all that."
"Oh." The bard's demeanor instantly changed, lowering his lute to let it rest on his knees. "Ya wanna step outside and catch some fresh air?"
Hodari glanced over. "Can I do that?"
The other man laughed. "Off course ya can! This ain't a prison, no-one can force ya to stick around."
"But I'm here with my siblings..." He looked around, spotting Eli in the crowd, all smiles and completely at ease. Sometimes, Hodari wished he was more outgoing, just like him.
"Then go tell them you'll be out on the porch. We won't be wandering too far from the inn."
"Yeah, I guess I could- wait, didya say 'we'?"
The bard shrugged and nodded. "I could use a short break, myself. Been cooped up with the other bards for way too long."
He leaned closer to Hodari, who in turn backed away instinctively.
"Especially now that Tarkaa joined us. They can't play the lute to save their life. I bet they'll end up abandoning this Path and live a boring, mundane life, some day."
Somewhat reluctantly, Hodari slipped off of the stool and awkwardly moved through the crowd, trying to reach his brother. At the midway point, he looked back to where the bard was still seated, leaning back against the bar and happily engaging in a conversation. Not a care in the world. Why did that man even bother to try and socialize with him? He wasn't the most talkative type. Hell, people usually avoided him because of his grumpy demeanor! Or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, he was perfectly fine with being alone.
He did hope the bard would still be there when he'd get back.
Eli noticed his brother trying to get to him and held out a hand for him to take. Hodari gratefully took it and let himself be reeled in, bumping against the other man.
"Anything wrong?" Eli asked, holding the younger brother by the shoulders. "Usually, you don't mingle with the crowd unless something's the matter."
"Uh, oh... No, I'm fine. Everythin's fine. Just wanted t'let ya know I'll be steppin' outside for a bit with, uh..."
Hodari looked back at the bar. The bard noticed and grinned, waving at him. The young miner found himself holding up his hand to greet back.
Eli followed his gaze and frowned.
"And that is..." he started, waiting for Hodari to fill in the blank.
"Err...I don't know his name," he confessed, feeling awfully silly. He knew how protective Eli could be over his siblings.
"Now, what did I tell ya about tagging along with people you don't know?" Eli asked, releasing his grasp from Hodari's shoulders and putting his hands on his own hips.
A friend of theirs, who had been eavesdropping, stood on their toes to look at who they were talking about.
"Oh, it's right as rain, Eli," they said, waving away his worries. "That's just Badruu of Kilima. Nice guy, popular with the girls, that is all. Your baby brother will be fine."
Eli hummed as his gaze moved from the bard to his friend, then to Hodari.
"Fine. Don't venture too far from the inn, alright? We'll be headin' home at twelve."
Hodari quickly nodded and slipped back into the crowd before either Eli or he himself could change his mind. He didn't know why he felt this eager to leave.
Well, actually, why he wanted to get out of there was pretty obvious. What confused him was why he was hoping the bard would still be joining him. He'd do just fine on his own, as per usual. Perhaps he did enjoy his company. Maybe he didn't recognize these feelings because it had been a long time since he last had a friend. Gods, that was depressing to think about.
Badruu gazed his way, all smiles as usual. He stood up and swung his lute onto his back, before gesturing at the exit. Hodari nodded, one corner of his lips curling up into a lopsided smile. A rare sight that surprised most of the other patrons, who knew him all too well.
The two young men met at the door, the both of them reaching out for the door handle simultaneously. Hodari looked down, hiding his face behind his fringe while Badruu chuckled, seemingly oblivious to the miner's awkwardness.
"After you, sir," the bard said with a certain flair, bowing as he opened the door for him. It only added even more color to Hodari's face. He quickly stepped outside before anyone would either take notice or comment on them.
The night brought the desert cold with it. While Hodari stretched his back and looked out over the silent town square, Badruu shivered as he felt a chill creep over him.
"Man, is it always this cold over here?" the bard asked, rubbing his arms. "Back in Kilima, the nights are still pretty warm."
"Well, yeah. Th'nights can be even cooler. That's livin' on a mesa for ya," Hodari muttered. "There are fire pits right around th'corner, though."
He took a couple steps away from the other man before he turned around, looking expectantly at Badruu. When the bard followed close behind, he couldn’t help but smile.
Together they walked over to the side of the building, where firepits were set ablaze with seats surrounding them. Hodari picked up a throw blanket that was laying on one of the seats and handed it to the bard, before sitting down with a huff. It was much nicer, out here. The music on the other side of the wall was barely audible, especially when he focused on the crackling of the fire.
The tip of his ear twitched when he heard the scraping of wood over flagstone. Badruu was dragging a seat closer to Hodari, excusing himself for the noise.
Once seated, the bard leaned on the armrest, resting his chin on the palm of his hand.
"I haven't introduced myself, yet, come to think of it. Badruu, nice to meet ya!"
He held out his free hand to him and grinned.
Hodari looked down at the hand, noticing the hard skin on his fingertips that were caused by playing his instrument. His own hands were far more calloused due to hard labor down in the mines.
Hesitantly, he took his hand and shook it.
"Hodari. I heard of ya. Friend said you're quite the ladies man."
Badruu chuckled and pulled his hand away, flexing his fingers. Though he hadn't let the miner notice, he had squeezed his hand a little too tight.
"Eh, I consider myself more of an all-round entertainer," he said with a sly smile, chuckling when Hodari seemed confused by the comment.
"Don't worry your pretty head about it, you'll figure it out, some day."
Hodari snorted and shook his head, looking back at the flames.
"Pretty? I think ya need a optometrist."
Badruu hummed as he regarded the other man, his face illuminated by the fire, a golden hue casted upon dusty mauve skin. He opened his mouth to say something sappy, but decided against it. This guy got flustered easy enough as is.
He slumped back in the seat and folded out the blanket.
"It's big enough for the two of us," Badruu said suggestively, wrapping one half of the blanket around his shoulders and holding the other half out to his companion.
"Oh, I'm used to th'cold, really," Hodari muttered back, waving his hand dismissively.
"Ah. Alright, suit yourself," the bard replied, flinging the other half around himself theatrically.
They sat in a comfortable silence, until - to Badruu's amazement - Hodari spoke up.
"Why didya start talkin' to me, if y'don't mind me askin'?"
Badruu shifted in his seat, turning to appreciate the miner's physique while he thought about a suitable answer.
"I just thought you look like a nice guy."
"'Nice'? Heard many a thing, but 'nice' ain't one of 'em."
Hodari leaned forward, intertwining his fingers. "I'm not much of a talker."
"Really? Because I believe we're having a conversation right now."
"I'm trying, for you."
Jolly, berry blue eyes met steel blue ones.
"Oh my, I'm flattered!"
The bard grinned as he leaned in closer.
Hodari smirked and looked away once more.
"Nah, but... what I mean t'say is... I'm not as social as the rest of... them."
He pointed back towards to inn and sighed.
"People usually avoid me. And I avoid them," he continued, shrugging. "I don't smile a lot. Keep to myself. And that makes 'em think I don't like 'em."
"Are they right?"
Hodari huffed. "I..."
There was a moment of uncertainty. He didn't exactly dislike people. He just didn't care all that much about getting to know them.
He got pulled out of his thoughts when a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder, sending a jolt through his body.
"You're an introvert. I get it. Nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact, I'm an ambivert."
Badruu smiled at him, patting his shoulder.
"Ambivert?" Hodari asked.
"Yup. Means I can be outgoing and social, but I can spend hours by myself minding my own business, too. Swinging both ways, if you will."
His smile turned more impish, a sparkle appearing in his eyes.
"That's not the only thing about me that swings both ways."
For a split second, Hodari's confused gaze moved down to Badruu's crotch. The bard burst out in laughter, now hitting the other man on the back as he tried his best to breathe.
"Oh Maji, that's a good one," he wheezed when he finally managed to get himself under control. "Well, I guess that swings, too, but that's not what I'm talking about."
Hodari felt incredibly embarrassed, immediately averting his eyes and pulling away from the bard.
Badruu, however, pulled him right back in by placing a hand on the miner's chiseled jaw and make him turn his head.
"Hey, it's okay," he chuckled. "I actually think it's kinda cute, the way you're acting all innocent."
Hodari's face felt heated as blood rushed to his cheeks, making him blush furiously. Thoughts were racing though him at such a high speed that they made his head spin. He was frozen in place, his heart beating in his throat as the bard leaned forward, calloused fingertips still having a grip on his jaw. His breath hitched as their faces inched closer and closer, a panicked voice in the back of his head sounding the alarms. This was too quick. Too much.
The bard, now so close to him that they could feel each other's breaths on their skin, released his hold and patted his cheek. Grinning, he pulled back a little.
"You're so cute when you're all shy and flustered."
Hodari let out a strangled noise, unsure about what he had to do to keep the situation under control. He wasn't used to this much contact. To being called 'nice' and 'cute' and have a random, good looking bard be interested in him. Have anyone be interested in him. No, he was Hodari Pavel, always frowning and glaring angrily, always keeping to himself. The one voted most likely to spend his life as a single man, a hermit, living in his childhood home until the day he dies.
But now this man, well-groomed, with slicked back hair and playfulness in his eyes, radiating a certain warmth and kindness that drew people towards him - the complete opposite of Hodari - was pulling at his heartstrings and playing him like the lute he carried.
Part of him wanted to replay the previous scenario and change the ending. He wished he had leaned in when he had the chance. Be more bold and take charge. After all, he was a Garnet. A General!
A soft tap against his chin made him regain focus. Badruu tilted his head and gave him a lopsided smile.
"Maybe you could show me some other places in town?" he asked. "There's only so much to see around the inn. Even though I don't mind the view, right now."
Hodari stumbled over his words, wanting to humor the bard but simultaneously wanting to comply with Eli's request.
"I-I-I'm not supposed t'stray too far," he muttered shyly, cursing himself internally for sounding like a damned kid who was warned not to leave with strangers.
Badruu laughed softly and averted his gaze. This poor guy had even less life-experience than he had thought. It was endearing, in a way. Still, it also meant he'd have to move at a slower pace than usual. And if there's one thing Badruu was bad at, it was at slowing down.
He wet his lower lip before gnawing on it, pondering if he'd try and push the boundary, anyway. See how far the miner would let him go.
"I could show you some stuff I've been working on?" the bard suggested nonchalantly. "I'm staying at the inn, so we'll still be in the same building."
He glanced sideways at Hodari, studying his expression. The other man was staring at the flames, giving it some thought.
"It is* gettin' awfully cold out here," the miner eventually said, trying to justify his decision as he stood up and stretched his back.
The bard grinned as he copied his movements, leaving the blanket as a messy heap on the seat. He swung his lute back over his shoulder before reaching out to grab Hodari's hand - big, warm and rugged, just like the rest of him - to pull him along.
"Alright, we can take the back entrance and avoid the crowd... just follow my lead."