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Yon was a strange place, a world of ruined buildings and statues now covered in growing Ivy. The fey curses still affected them all, at random and inconvenient times. A few times Gricko had believed he was Shmebulock and had to fix his dying kingdom, Frost had his knees fused for what seemed like the 20th time when wandering through a field of roses. A field of roses was perhaps not the best time for the army to crawl for at least an hour.
Dinner tonight was simple, a beef stew and some bread leftover from the previous days. Kremy quietly hummed as he cut and stirred and tasted. “Gid, come try this, will ya?” He said without looking up.
Gideon gleefully stood, rubbing his hand together as he peered into the pot. Kremy offered the wooden spoonful of stew. “Mmmm, I love your cooking, Kremy.” He chewed on the beef and potato.
“Yeah sure, but it needs something and I’m not sure what.” He looked at him unimpressed.
Gideon thought for a moment. “Salt?”
Kremy’s hand shot to a pocket in his apron and brought out a pinch of salt that he threw in. He totally forgot the salt, so simple yet necessary for a decent meal. “Thanks, Gid.” He stirred in the salt and started to dish up a bowl for Gideon. “Dinner’s ready, fellas.” He said to the group and sat down with Gideon, both holding bowls of stew.
“Why does Gideon always do taste tests?” GRicko asked solemnly.
“Because Gid here at least has taste. You eat whatever a goblin surf and turf is.” he narrowed his light eyes at the goblin before taking a bite. Gideon chuckled next to him, thinking of the witchtlight carnival and that poor clown.
Frost grinned, getting a bowl for both him and Gricko while Gricko made Hootsie a bowl. They sat down on their stones and ate. “Thank you, Kremy. The stew is delightful.” Frost said.
Kremy nodded in response, watching Torbek slink over and attempt to grab the pot with both hands. “Get a bowl, Torbek.”
“Yes, Mr. Kremy.” He hung his head as he took a portion and sat down awkwardly as he ate.
“Like fucking animals…” Kremy whispered to himself, Gideon laughed.
“Was I ever like that? Taking the whole pot.”
Kremy looked up at him, a smile creeping up his snout. “Sure was. It took a month for you to understand the concept of a bowl or spoon, remember? Though, I’d let you eat the whole pot anyways.”
Gideon smiled, thinking back to when they first met. “Oh yeah. Good times.” He swung an arm over Kremy and shook it lightly.
Gricko grinning mischievously, turning to Frost to make a crude joke about Gideon and Kremy. “I’m sure Gideon was licking that pot clean, if you know what I mean, Frosty.” He elbowed the tabxi’s shins.
“I heard that.” Kremy said sternly, not fully serious but just enough to make Gricko look back down at his dinner. “It’s like I cant hear when he fucking yells this stuff.” He said to Gideon, who nodded in agreement but secretly looked at Gricko with a smile.
Dinner was finishing up and it was Frost’s turn to clean up. Kremy and Gideon shared a smoke while Gricko tried to get Hootsie off her flypad for ‘family bonding time.’ She didn’t listen.
Suddenly, Kremy said something to Gideon in a sing-songy voice, Gideon did not seem to notice, but Kremy excused himself nonetheless. He hated singing, it wasn't his thing really. So, he made his way out of the campsite and made his way up some old stone stairs.
It led to an old garden, statues of heroes and ivy surrounded him. Heroes that looked irritatingly familiar, strong men striking poses or holding a damsel. He sighed heavily as he took a swig from his flask, well Gideon’s flask that he may or may not have stolen on his way out. Gideon wouldn’t mind, he never does.
“If there's a prize for rotten judgment…I guess I've already won that.” He started to sing, he didn't want to but his throat and mouth seemed to disobey him and sing nonetheless. “No man is worth the aggravation!” He stood up from a stone bench and picked a white rose from the bushes behind. “That’s ancient history, been there done that!” He walked past a row of grinning stone women, who all gawked at a handsome statute.
They started to move and dance, joining his rhythm of steps. “Who’d you’re kidding? He's the earth and heaven to ya’. Try and keep it hidden, honey we can see right through ya’.” They sang.
“Oh noooo.” He harmonized, looking up at the cloudless night.
“Girl you can’t conceal it, we know how you feel and who you're thinking of.” One of them dangled her stone bouquet in front of Kremy’s face, he pushed it away with an annoyed hand.
He shook his head. “No chance, no way, I won't say it, no, no.” He rolled his eyes at a handsome statue, who he pictured as a fiery figure.
“You swoon you sigh, why deny it!” They danced as one, perfect and chiseled.
Kremy kept walking further. “It's too cliche, I wont say I'm in love.” they all glanced at each other sharing looks of confused scheming.
“I thought my heart had learned its lesson,” Kremy sang, “It feels so good when you start out.” He walked through more statues, they gave him cheeky grins and flexed at him. “My head is screaming ‘get a grip girl’! Unless you're trying to cry your heart out!” the statues followed and harmonized with him, grinning ear to ear to him.
“You keep on denying;Who you are and how you're feeling.” They stacked onto eachother so one of them was at eye level. “Baby, we're not buying, Hon, we saw you hit the ceiling. Face it like a grown-up.” She waved her finger in front of him, shaking her head disapprovingly. “When you gonna own up that you got, got, got it bad?”
He pushed the tower over, and walked to a fountain of a couple kissing sweetly. “No chance, no way. I won't say it, no, no”
They followed him. “Give up, give in. Check the grin, you're in love.”
“This scene won't play. I won't say I'm in love.” He took another swig from the flask.
“You're doing flips, Read our lips, you're in love.” They sang while he did, wiggling their brows at him. Oddly similar to how Gricko does.
Kremy crossed a small river that had formed, tripping on a rock. HIs fall was caught by a statue of Gideon that had a hand out. He found himself smiling and leaning into the touch, only to retract bitterly. “You're way off base, I won't say it!” He narrowed his eyes at the statute, as if it really was Gideon.
“She won't say it out loud!”
He finally sat down on the bench and looked once more at the rose he was holding the whole time. “Get off my case,I won't say it!”
“Girl, don't be proud. It's okay, you're in love…” They climbed back onto their podium and repositioned themselves into their pose.
Kremy leaned back onto his back. “At least out loud…I wont say I’m in…” as he looked into the rose, the fey magic started to fade. He almost caught himself saying love despite the curse ending. He threw the rose over the edge and looked up at the stars.
A rustling came from behind, bushes rustling and a distinct “Aw, shit!” came from the steps. Gideon had tripped slightly going up, stopping at the top as he looked at Kremy. He was glad he couldn’t blush, thank the Baron himself that Gideon hadn’t seen that whole ass Disney production.
“Hey, Kremy.” Gideon walked slowly over to him. “You missed some pretty fun fey curses.” He chuckled, watching as Kremy sat up and made room for Gideon next to him.
“Don't you worry, I got my fill up here.” He said dryly.
Gideon smiled, eyeing the flask in Kremy’s hand. “Oh yeah? Did you turn into a vampire and kill a bunch of statues?”
Kremy’s lack of response told him not to pry. “Well, it was pretty funny. Frost kept saying ‘roger’ at the end of his sentences. Oh and Torbek had this like magnetic wind in his hair that made him oddly attractive? Gricko! Oh Gricko was really funny. He said we keep disappearing for a moment before returning. I think it was that he could see us when we blink.” Gideon laughed as he told Kremy the stories, who only nodded in response.
“What’s up, man? You’re in this funk.” He slung an arm around Kremy.
“Oh, it's nothing.” He said, ignoring the now still eyes of the muses. “I just needed some alone time.” He handed Gideon his flask back. “Here.”
Gideon took it and drank, eyeing Kremy as he sighed more heavily than he thought. “Seriously, you’re all pouty or something. I won't say anything to the guys.”
Kremy glanced at Gideon. “I’m just sick of the feywild. Can’t wait to deal with this hag, find Zyblina and just fucking go home.”
“Home? What, like Awge or something?”
“Somewhere far from here where I don't get cursed every hour, or have to deal with crazy fires or dragons that try to kill us.” He stared off into the distance.
Gideon chortled. “Yeah, it’s fucking sucks here, huh?”
Kremy finally looked him fully in the eyes. “I just…” He trailed off, leaving whatever he was going to say behind.
“Just what?” Gideon leaned in.
Kremy thought about his words very carefully, picking each one. “I just don't know if it's me or the feywild, you know?”
Gideon leaned away, looking back down at the fire below. “What do you mean, Kremy?”
“Like, the feywild makes up all these things in your brain, and at some point it becomes hard to gauge if that's how I really feel or if it's just fey magics.” He leaned his head on a knuckle.
Gideon was used to Kremy talking like this, talking about a certain thing without actually giving any detail. Most of the time it was to clients or to the rest of the party, and most of the time Gideon would be filled in later. But now, Kremy talks about some unknown thing that upsets him, and how is Gideon supposed to help?
“You know, It might help if you actually talk to me.” He tilted his head to the side, staring into Kremy’s silver eyes.
“Maybe.” He said insincerely
Gideon huffed. “Come on, man! I can’t help you feel better if I don't know what it is!” He said loudly, but there was a stifled laugh hidden within his voice.
Kremy glanced at the statues who sang with him, and they began to move again. Swaying to a silent beat, mouthing the words of theri song earlier. He shot them a glare, but they just smiled and started to climb back down.
Gideon jumped when he saw them. “Holy fuck! They can move?”
“They sure can.” He watched as they swayed over.
“Girl don't be proud…” They sang in a different key. “It’s okay you’re in—” Kremy realzed what they were going to say and shooed them away with his foot.
“were they talking to you, Kremy?” Gideon looked between them and Kremy.
“Unfortunately, they don't know how to shut up.” He flicked his tail.
One of them peered over the others with a smile. “...love…” she finished the note and hid back away.
Kremy felt his stomach drop, he wanted to throw his cane at him, and shove Gideon away all at once. “Love? The fuck.” Gideon looked at the now grinning and giggling muses and to Kremy. “What the hell happened up here?” Gideon started to laugh. “Whose got you all lovesick, huh?” Gideon jabbed at Kremy’s ribs.
Somehow Gideon had not pieced together that he himself had Kremy all weird and in a funk. “No one.” he said coldly.
“Oh sure, not even a peep to your old pal?”
“I—”Kremy felt the words get stuck in his throat, looking down to see the muses nodding him along. “I can't.” He whispered to them. They somehow got posters like a sports game and held them up for him to read. Go for it, Lecroux! It read. Kremy tried to block Gideon’s view, but failed as the genasi stood up and knelt down to the muses. They only stood a foot tall each, well minus the one on the end who was a good few inches shorter.
They started to point to Gideon exaggeratedly. You! They kept mouthing, pointing and waving and doing anything to help Kremy along. “Baron, help me.” Kremy picked them up and started to put them back. “Just stop, okay? It's not helpful.” He whispered to them as he set them down.
“Kremy.” Gideon called. “Kremy, what the fuck? Do you want to fill me in on your secret with these short, stone ladies?”
Kremy looked at them, who cheered, and went back to Gideon. “No, I do not, Gideon.”
The muses started groaning, rolling their eyes. One of them started to look up at the sky, praying to any fey creature to smite this alligator man with a curse of truth.
“Kremy, I swear to fuck you are being so weird right now.” Gideon crossed his arms, watching as Kremy started to falter.
“Would you kindly leave me alone?” Kremy cast a minor spell on Gideon, but he knew his tricks and stood his ground.
“Come on! What is so bad that you can't even tell me! I don't tell people shit, you know that!”
Kremy suddenly felt his heart move in the other direction, towards actually telling Gideon. The encouraging humming coming from the muses filled his heart and ears. “I…” Gideon watched with anticipation.
“It’s okay you’re in love…with you.” The muses sang once again, looking at Gideon now.
It took Gideon an excruciatingly long time for him to realize what was happening. He stepped towards Kremy who wasn't even looking him in the eye. “Me? That's all?” His tone was softer now. “That's what the fuss is about?”
“The fuss?” Kremy tried to look at him, but cowered his glance away.
“Kremy, man. That’s what got you all worked up? I thought, well I thought I was making myself damn clear.”
The alligator man finally found the courage to look up. “What?”
Gideon looked a little embarrassed, his flames started to burn a little pink as he stepped forward. “After Thither I had a weird talk with Frost, and I thought I was really laying it on thick, Krem.” He cleared his throat. “I feel the same way, man. I thought the excessive knee touching and arm slinging would work. Damn, I thought you had noticed and that was your way of rejecting me!” He laughed a little.
“You better not be lying.”
“Why would I lie? You know, for such a clever guy you really can't tell when someone flirts with you.” Gideon was basically nose to nose with him, reaching out and hugging him. “I should've just said it outright, huh?”
Kremy leaned into the warmth, he didn't realize how cold he was until now. “I guess so…” Kremy looked at the ground in disbelief, this was now how he thought they would go. He was expecting awkward jokes and a week without talking, not this.
Giden pulled back, looking Kremy in the eyes fully now. Kremy tried to maintain eye contact but damn was it hard not to look at his lips right now, so close felt different now. “Can I…” Gideon looked down at his snout.
The two met lips, it was awkward and strange kissing an alligator and having it kiss back. Turns out all the two of them needed an awkward conversation and some statues to sing a disney song for them to finally see each other fully.