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Riz stumbles forwards, hand clutched to his side, and he winces as the break in a rib announces its presence. He and the other Bad Kids are breaking apart a nest of harpies that had taken up roost in the Aguefort gymnasium, and for some reason he feels very ‘off’ today. The rogue does his best to melt into the shadows of the bleachers and hide, but he feels so sluggish, even without the broken rib, and he doesn't quite make the check to take full cover. A ‘ screeeee! ’ from overhead alerts him that his cover has been blown and so he scrambles around, barely dodging the sharp talons as the harpy queen dives for the little goblin morsel.
He frantically looks around for anyone who can help him, but before he spots anyone, a giant shadow cast from the gym lights high above appears over him, signaling his doom. He readies his arquebus all the same, not going down without trying to take down his assailant with him. The seconds slow down as if they were minutes as he aims his gun at the harpy queen, when he catches a flash of silver out of the corner of his eye.
Fabian wields Fandrangor so expertly one might think it an extension of his own arm, and the blade seeks out and tears a wing off of the harpy queen as she descends once more to tear apart Riz. The harpy screeches and falters, no longer able to support her own weight with a single wing, and she crashes into the floor below, right at the feet of the gasping goblin. Gorgug leaps out, swinging down his ax and easily slices off her head, blood fountaining across himself and Riz. Seeing his enemy downed, Riz lowers his gun and heaves a sigh. He tries to get up, but finds all the strength has left him and so he just gives up and collapses on the floor of the gym, waiting for Kristen to come and heal him.
Fabian looks over at the exhausted rogue, then to Gorgug, and finally at the final stray harpy that Fig and Adaine are holding back. He and gorgug nod to each other, and Gorgug heads over to help the girls while Fabian motions for Kristen to come to him and Riz.
“The Ball! Are you hurt?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’ve got a broken rib and my left leg doesn't want to move properly… oh.” He looks down at the leg in question and sees that his thigh has been completely crushed when the queen had initially pounced on him.
“Sweet Cass, that looks terrible,” Fabian mutters and he gently cradles Riz’s head and shoulders, lifting them onto his lap as he settles down underneath his best friend. “What happened?”
Kristen jogs over, gasps at the sight of Riz, and immediately begins a Greater Restoration on him. As her magic knits bones and sinew back together, Riz coughs and grunts at the pain.
“I… I just feel so sluggish today. I don’t get it. I thought I was barely avoiding her attacks, but I guess I was wrong. Everything’s going too fast for me to take in. At least, that’s how it feels. Right up until I was sure I saw my own death, right before you came in and helped out. That’s the only thing that’s gone slow today. Aside from me.”
Fabian stills at the mention of Riz feeling sluggish and his hand grips the rogue’s shoulder tightly.
“Um… How long would you say you’ve felt this way?”
“Huh? I guess maybe the past couple days, if I think about it. Today was the first day I saw some action so I suppose I’ve felt it more prominently today than the others, but yeah… I’d say three, four days now. D’you think I’m sick? I don’t really get sick, so I forget what it feels like.”
Kristen finishes her spell, happy to see Riz looking healthy again (in fact, she thinks to herself, he looks more well-rested than she’s seen him look in ages – if ever). She gives him a well-natured slap on his good leg and gets up, rushing over to help Adaine treat a nasty scratch on her arm.
“But I doubt I’m sick, you know?” Riz continues. “I don’t feel stuffed up or coughing or sneezing or chills. Just… slow and tired.”
“...Like you need more energy?” Fabian asks weakly.
Riz considers this. “...yeah, I’d say that sounds about right.”
“...The Ball.”
“Hm?” Riz adjusts himself so he’s more comfortably in Fabian’s lap – he likes it there, and now that the fight is over and he’s no longer in danger of losing a limb, he relaxes some. It’s nice in Fabian’s lap. He could probably sleep like this… in fact, it might be nice to do that right now…
“The Ball, I have a confession.”
Riz’s heart beats a little faster at these words, mind racing as to what Fabian could be holding back. They’ve been pretty close for a while now, Riz spending lots of nights at Fabian’s, just hanging out, watching movies, playing video games, but something has always felt like it was slowly heading towards a culmination of… something. Of feelings, perhaps.
“I… I’ve been giving you decaf coffee for the past five days. All of it. Decaf. Be-because I’m concerned about you. You drink so much, and- and you’re so small and the other day when we were, uh, lounging together on the couch watching the movie your heart was beating so fast and it got me concerned. I don’t want you to have a heart attack before you turn twenty-!”
Riz’s hackles rise as he bristles at this confession. Fabian’s been messing with his coffee? For nearly a week !? No wonder he feels so ‘off!’ A snarl begins at the back of his throat and makes its way out as his tail begins to swing wildly from side to side. He leaps out of Fabian’s lap and latches onto his shirt, his face less than an inch from the half-elf’s, and he snaps his fangs at his best friend.
“YOU WHAT!? You messed with my COFFEE!? I NEED that caffeine! Do you not get it?? I almost died today because I’m so tired !”
“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t know that you were so dependent on it! (Although this is also concerning,)” he adds under his breath.
“What!?”
“Noth-nothing!” Fabian holds his hands up placatingly to either side of the angry goblin. “I… I was just concerned for you. I don’t want you going anywhere anytime soon, and I thought that it would help, but I see I’m wrong.”
“Yeah, yeah, you were…” Riz is panting now, his small chest heaving as he just feels so tired , and he slumps down in Fabian’s lap, lacking the strength to keep himself looking large and intimidating. “Besides… while my heart was racing that day… it was because *mumble mumble*”
“I’m sorry, because why? You got quiet suddenly.”
Riz had gotten quiet suddenly, because he was realizing what was slipping out of his mouth as he was saying it.
Riz quickly looks around, thankful to see that the other four Bad Kids were giving them some space, and then rests his head against Fabian’s chest.
“My heart… was racing because… I was so close to you,” he mumbles into Fabian’s shirt. “Kind of like… it’s doing now.”
Fabian, shocked at this confession, slowly raises his hand to Riz’s chest, and sure enough, the rogue’s heart is beating at what feels like an unsafe amount.
“The Ball…?”
“See? Fast heartbeat, even without coffee.” Riz chuckles a little. “Can’t stop my heart from beating like this when I’m around you. So please… get me a triple-shot right now so I can get back to normal.”
Fabian also steals a look around and then leans forwards and lifts up Riz’s head.
“My heart beats faster when I’m with you, too,” he says in a quiet voice. Fabian leans in and pushes his lips against Riz’s, the kiss slow and confident.
Riz’s heart hammers in his chest at the kiss, and he’s suddenly glad that he hasn’t had his usual amount of caffeine in the past day because maybe his heart would have exploded from how fast it’s going.
“...Cool,” he manages.
Fabian grins, holds Riz close to him and hops up to his feet in a graceful movement. Still clutching the goblin to his chest, he waves at the rest of the Bad Kids.
“Great job, guys! I owe Riz several cups of coffee so I’m going to go rectify that! See you guys tomorrow!” and he turns and leaves without waiting for a response.
The four other Bad Kids watch as Fabian carries Riz out of the gymnasium and out of sight, all the while their mouths open in confusion and wonderment.
“Did they not realize we could hear everything?” Adaine says after a moment. “Sounds carry way too well in here.”
“Did Fabian just call Riz by his name??” Fig squeals in excitement.
Kristen looks over at her with a wide grin and the two then squeal in unison.
Gorgug hefts his ax and looks around the blood- and entrail-covered gym.
“Did they leave us to clean this up all by ourselves?”