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There was a certain teenage unlicensed goblin detective, back in his freshman and sophomore years of high school, who was addicted to coffee and who chased so desperately after the truth that he tended to catch what little sleep he could get in the backpacks of his friends as they attended class.
There is a certain teenage licensed goblin detective, now in his junior year of high school, who is still addicted to coffee and still doesn’t get enough sleep as he still chases after the truths of the universe, but he has found that he no longer has those free periods where he can afford to nap. Those nap times were important, godsdammit, because Riz Gukgak also used them to check up on how his friends were doing academically. Alright, sure, he also hacks the school’s database to see what their teachers have written down about everyone, but checking homework assignments and due dates and test results was something he did best first-hand. It’s more personal that way. Riz has no qualms about going through his friends’ lockers, backpacks, or bookbags. Yes, he understands – deep down – that this is a violation of privacy, but he still goes through with it because he has an itch for knowledge that must be scratched, and also because he feels that as they are all part of the same adventuring party, that line is blurred to the point that it is unrecognizable.¹ Plus, he loves to snoop around! He’s inquisitive by nature! He’s got to know!
[¹ He does not rummage around in their houses, though – only school lockers and school bags; he can at least draw the line somewhere.]
But it's junior year now, and that means that Riz has to double-down on his studies if he wants a scholarship to get into any of the good colleges along with his friends, and so that means studying his ass off if he has any free periods and joining several extracurriculars, both before and after school.² And since he can no longer secretly snoop inside backpacks during his free periods, it means he has to resort to going through lockers under the guise of bathroom breaks or just relying on stealth and invisibility (thank goodness for that switch to Arcane Trickster!) to do a quick peek during breaks and lunch. He’s managed a good pattern so far, checking lockers daily and doing bag checks twice weekly, but Fabian has recently become difficult to spy on academically. Apparently as some sort of ‘strength training’ he’s decided to carry around everything with him all the time, leaving his locker bare and his bags too disorganized to rifle quickly through between classes and too obvious for an attempt at lunchtime. What is an investigator to do?
[² Apparently saving the world three times means nothing compared to a well-written college essay and community service. Saving the world is a service to the community, isn’t it!?]
Bloodrush practice: that’s the key. It’s daily and Fabian has to leave everything in his locker when he’s practicing out on the field, so Riz decides that’s the best time to do a thorough search. Riz himself has a rather busy schedule, what with all those extracurriculars he’s taken on,³ so it’s only during the Monday and Friday after-school bloodrush practices that he can go through Fabian’s stuff, but twice a week is better than nothing. Riz makes sure he has Rope Trick and Invisibility prepared for school on Monday when he can begin his investigation, and he can barely sleep⁴ Sunday night in anticipation of what he might find.
[³ For the curious:
Morning clubs: Monday – Debate Club; Tuesday – Science Bowl; Wednesday – History Podcast Club; Thursday – Chess Club; Friday – Science Bowl (again)
After-school clubs: Tuesday – LGBTQIA+ Club; Wednesday – AV Club; Thursday – Cooking Club]
[⁴ Even less than usual.]
All Monday Riz has trouble focusing during his classes, and as soon as the final bell rings, Riz sprints from his classroom to his locker, into which he shoves his briefcase before booking it to the gym. The horrendous mixed stench of teen body odor, ammonia, and bleach guides him to the outside of the boys’ locker room. He prepares to slip inside and find a place to hide when it occurs to him that there will be people in there changing very soon, and while Riz himself won’t be doing any disrobing, he really doesn't want to see anyone else do that either. So much for waiting and watching to see which locker Fabian uses; he’ll have to wait for the room to clear out for bloodrush practice first. He does, however, quickly stick his head inside and gives a whistle, listening for anyone to question it. When no sound is heard, he hides high up in hallway shadows with his eyes trained on the boys’ locker room door and waits. A few minutes later the first few members of the bloodrush team trickle in to change for practice; Riz keeps count as people go in and out of the room – noting Fabian and Gorgug among them – before finally all who had entered have left for practice. He counts another five minutes in case anyone is late or has forgotten something before he removes himself from the darkness and slips through the door, closing it gently behind him. Time to snoop.
Now, which locker does Fabian use? Riz has never shared any sports classes with Fabian, so he has no clue which locker he uses here. That’s fine, though, as Riz is a master of investigation. First, he knows that Fabian always tries to look outwardly immaculate, so any lockers with papers or clothing sticking out of the cracks can be ruled out. Secondly, he wants to look like the popular team captain that he is, so he’s probably going to have a sticker on the outside; six of the tidy lockers all sport various Fig and the Sig Figs decals on them. One locker suddenly erupts with noise, startling the rogue and sending him for the closest cover he can find:
“MY NAME’S CLOACA! I SUCK!” The screech of Gorgug’s serpent-bird homunculus cries out from within his locker. Riz crawls out from underneath a bench as he thinks, Okay, make that five lockers to choose from . The final clue Riz needs, however, relies on his sensitive nose and keen sense of smell; his goblin ancestors having developed strong olfactory receptors to both sniff out prey and avoid predators have given them a sense of smell rivaling that of wolves. Riz steels himself for the upcoming onslaught of stenches as he places his nose up against the vents and sniffs each locker in turn: an overpowering stench of B.O. and acne medication; an overpowering stench of B.O. and BattleAxe™ body spray (which burns the back of Riz’s throat); an overpowering stench of B.O. and pizza (most likely sloppily eaten during lunch); an overpowering stench of B.O. and… bear? (must be a druid); an overpowering stench of B.O. and smoked fish. Bingo.
It’s locked, of course, but a simple school-issued combination lock is easy work for his nimble claws and sensitive ears. He listens patiently for each small ‘ tic ’ indicating the correct numbers and within a minute he has the lock undone and Fabian’s locker open. He surveys the contents of the locker: his backpack, a gym bag with dirty clothes from his dance class, a second gym bag with his cleaner, every-day outfit, and hanging up on a clothes hanger, his letterman jacket.
It’s the first gym bag that the potent B.O. is coming from, and while it’s not going to be bottled and sold as high-end perfume anytime soon, Riz might admit in a Zone of Truth that it doesn't smell that terrible; it’s a bit sweet, actually, compared to the other lockers he sniffed, and he wonders if it’s because of Fabian’s elven heritage. He does a quick check anyway, in case there’s anything important in there, but comes up empty. He goes through his second gym bag next, looking through pockets for anything that Fabian may have stashed away, but once more finds nothing, not even lint. Riz examines the jacket next, pulling himself into the locker to get a better look. He rummages through the jacket pockets (empty) before turning his attention to the main event: Fabian’s backpack.
It’s the same bag that Fabian’s had since freshman year, though it’s been thoroughly cleaned and mended since Riz threw up in it and Fabian then hurled said bag containing Riz and his vomit across the parking lot in an attempt to prevent Penelope Everpetal from discovering the eavesdropping goblin. That was quite the second day of school. But now it’s clean and well-worn, a few patches and buttons attached to show school pride and support for his queer friends. A Sig Figs keychain dangles off of the main zipper. Riz unzips it and the scent of kippers wafts out, the potent scent practically slapping Riz in the nose. It’s a welcome smell, though, the strong umami of the smoked fish makes his mouth water a little. He’ll never admit it to Fabian, though, because Riz has to stand in solidarity with the other Bad Kids that kippers are just a really weird favorite snack and that Fabian eats too many of them. Case in point: He always packs himself a container of kippers as an after-dance class snack. Fabian’s closed the container tight and has even sealed it in a bag, but that’s not enough to stop Riz’s fine goblin nose from picking up the scent. He digs further, his dark vision allowing him to read his quiz results and test schedules, to find where he’s tucked away his homework and to even study the dance Fabian’s to learn this week (even if Riz doesn’t understand dance diagrams). He checks the other parts of the backpack, making sure that Fabian has enough pencils, pens, erasers, extra paper, and the like, before he closes up the compartments. Well, that’s everything, and over an hour to spare.
Riz doesn’t climb out of the locker right away, though, and instead he strokes the bag fondly, thinking of memories and all the times he used to sleep inside of it. It was always the comfiest, being made with the finest materials and with that super-soft elven sheet tucked inside. Even now, tiredness from this new year and all the changes and stresses it brings with it tugs at Riz’s eyelids, sings to him in lullabies and whispers: ≈Just a little while, no one will know. Treat yourself, you work so hard for your friends and you deserve a good nap.≈
Yeah… Yeah, Riz does work hard for his friends. He does deserve a nap. And entranced by the siren call of the old days and Fabian’s backpack, Riz shuts the locker door (first blocking the lock from latching fully), crawls into the backpack, and zips it up. Riz’s growth spurt over the summer means that it’s a little more packed inside than before, but the closeness feels cozy and right . He sets a vibrating alarm on his crystal and snuggles up among the papers, binders, and battle sheet and then promptly falls asleep.
Forty-five minutes later a gentle buzz from Riz’s crystal rouses him from his nap and he quickly gathers how wits and listens intently to his surroundings: silence. He silently unzips the backpack and climbs out, zipping it back up, and then peers out of the vents but sees no movement. He holds his breath and listens again, rotating and straining his ears for the slightest of sounds, but still comes to the conclusion that he’s alone in the locker room. He pushes against the locker door, slowly opening it, and slips out onto the locker room floor. Riz double-checks that everything is in place and then closes the locker, casts Invisibility on himself, and darts out of the locker room, back to his own locker to retrieve his own belongings. As he grabs his briefcase, Riz is aware of his heart pounding in his chest and that he feels more awake than he has in days. Ah, an adrenaline rush , he realizes. It was thrilling, wasn’t it? Blatantly sleeping inside his best friend’s backpack, no stealth or Invisibility to protect himself if Fabian came back early from practice and opened his locker. Riz would have been exposed for what he was doing, potentially for the whole bloodrush team to see, and wow, that was exhilarating! Not only did Riz get the best nap he’s had in a long time, but now he’s ready to take on the whole week. He grins to himself and heads home to tackle his homework and look at this latest case with a renewed fervor.
Riz continues his new biweekly observation routine in the ongoing weeks after, always feeling energized and ready to tackle the rest of the school week or the weekend when he emerges from Fabian’s backpack. In fact, he's started to look forward to being among Fabian's possessions more than searching through them, he’s surprised to discover. And it’s as Riz is processing these new feelings that autumn begins to fade away with winter’s approach and the days become shorter, to the point that it’s almost dark out by the time Riz finishes his nap. One Monday afternoon as he scours Fabian’s belongings for any updates, he comes across some paper in one of his jacket’s pockets. Fabian shoving papers in his pockets and leaving them isn’t anything new; just another piece of information for Riz to scan as he goes about his business. But today’s paper isn’t a piece of urgent homework or a report card (all ‘A’s, but with no one back home to show it to, what does it matter if it’s crumpled in a pocket?), but what appears to be a note.
Meet me behind the scoreboard thirty minutes after bloodrush practice is over.
The note is straightforward and unsigned. The handwriting looks nice enough, but there’s some sloppiness to it – perhaps nerves? He sniffs the paper, but it’s been in Fabian’s jacket for so long that he can't detect any scents on it other than the jacket. Suddenly feeling very self-conscious about this private note, Riz hastily folds it back (perfectly – a good rogue leaves no trace) and places it back in the pocket. As he sets his alarm and climbs into the backpack, he ruminates on who could have passed Fabian the note and what their intentions are. He can’t decide what’s more cliché: someone confessing their feelings to Fabian or someone calling him out for a fight. Now a fight… that feels like something that would be done with more spectacle, like announcing it at lunch or something like that. Of course, it could be someone who needs help with homework or wants to follow him home for lo-fi study night, but there are enough people who know how to get to Seacaster Manor and the offer is open 24/7 so there’s no real need to wait for Fabian to finish bloodrush practice to inquire about that. Riz dismisses both of those options as he nestles in among Fabian’s sheet and a binder. So that most likely means someone has a crush on him… Riz thinks, closing his eyes and beginning to doze. Except he doesn't get any further than that and his eyes snap wide open. Someone has a crush on Fabian and wants to confess to him after bloodrush practice today! He twitches his tail irritably as he thinks about the implications of this. Wait, why am I so worked up over this? Fabian’s allowed to date someone! He tries to relax, but suddenly the backpack is too cramped for him. He needs to know who this would-be suitor of Fabian’s could be. He checks his watch and realizes there’s still almost forty-five minutes until practice is over. But the note-writer might already be waiting. Or watching him! The idea doesn't sit well with Riz at all and he slips out of the backpack and locker and rushes over to the bloodrush field.
A handful of students are peppered about the bleachers as they work on homework, watch the team practice, or just hang out. Riz immediately hides among the bleachers, spying on the teenagers and paying particular attention to any that are watching the players practice. Before Riz realizes it, a whistle blows and the bloodrush team is heading back inside as practice finishes. Riz takes up a spot in the shadows near the top of the scoreboard where he has a perfect view of the whole grounds and waits and watches to see who will head to the meeting spot. A dragonborn girl in particular has caught his eye; she was watching the field intently all afternoon and now she’s looking around as if trying to find someone. Would Fabian date a dragonborn? Of course he would – who wouldn’t he date? Riz thinks with a sigh. She’s fidgeting a lot and Riz can’t help but think that she and Fabian would make a good-looking couple. But as Riz is thinking this, a drow girl comes out from where the women’s locker room is and the dragonborn girl runs up to her and gives her a kiss. Oh. Well, I guess she’s not waiting for Fabian then.
The couple walks off and a soft ‘thud’ catches Riz’s attention. He looks over the other side of the scoreboard to the back and notices that Fabian has arrived and the sound was him dropping off his bags. Riz stiffens and shrinks further back into hiding as he waits to see who has called out Fabian on this late autumn afternoon.
The chilly afternoon eventually turns to evening and still Fabian waits, occasionally checking his crystal and sighing. Riz sighs quietly, too; so far no one has revealed themselves as Fabian’s secret admirer. Maybe they’re afraid he’ll turn them down? He has been flirting pretty openly with Mazey lately. I’d hesitate to approach him, too, if I thought he was going to turn me down to date Mazey. Wait, why am I thinking about dating him? Riz shakes the thought out of his head and looks back down in time to see Fabian grab his bags and walk towards the parking lot where the Hangman is surely waiting. What? No one came?? He seethes. Who dares call out my best friend and makes him wait over two hours in the cold to just stand him up!? I don’t care if you get cold feet, that’s just rude! Riz bristles at the slight against Fabian and then shivers as a strong gust of wind blows across the field. Frustrated and resigned that he’s not going to find out the mysterious note-writer tonight, he climbs down the scoreboard and heads back towards his locker to collect his briefcase and go home.
And despite not getting his usual nap in today, something else spurs Riz on and gives him the drive to continue well on into the night…
Throughout the rest of the school week, Riz sticks close to Fabian whenever possible, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever might have slipped him the note. No one ever seems to approach Fabian during those times, though, and as Friday rolls around Riz has no leads on who stood up his best friend. After school he goes through his typical motions of waiting for everyone to clear out of the locker room before going inside and checking Fabian’s stuff. He ignores everything else and goes straight for Fabian’s jacket and is rewarded with a new note:
I didn’t see you Monday. Let’s meet again – same time, same place. This time wear the jacket so I can see you.
Riz’s tail whips around as he reads the note and it takes all his self-control to not crush it right there in his hands. Didn’t see him?? He was so obviously there, waiting for you, you asshole! Riz folds the note back up and returns it to the pocket before closing the locker and storming out of the locker room. Who does this person think they are? They’re probably just going to hide nearby and laugh as Fabian does as they say! Well, not on my watch. You mess with Fabian, you mess with his best friend! Riz immediately begins to stealthily search the bleachers and surrounding area of the bloodrush field, looking for anyone who might be hiding so they can watch Fabian stand around looking the fool. Once again, however, the whistle blows signifying the end of practice and Riz hasn’t found anything suspicious. He sighs and climbs back up the scoreboard to hide, and decides he’ll pay more attention to see if anyone is watching from high-up places like him.
Thirty minutes later, Fabian is once more waiting behind the bleachers and scoreboard, standing in the cold just as he was on Monday. Riz grits his teeth and begins to scan the tops of other nearby buildings, but sees nothing. As he’s looking, a sneeze draws his attention back down to Fabian, who is wrapping his arms around himself as another cold gust blows against his back. Riz frowns down at him, and then something clicks. Why isn’t Fabian wearing his jacket? It’s cold and I’m certain that the note said to wear it. In fact… he wore it Monday! Did he forget to take it? Why? Riz climbs down the front of the scoreboard, hidden from Fabian, and scurries to the locker room where he opens Fabian’s locker. Sure enough, the jacket is still hanging in its usual spot. Riz digs through the pocket and pulls out the note. Yes, it says to meet while wearing the jacket. So why did Fabian…? As Riz stares at the note, he catches something that he’s certain wasn’t there last time:
Please?
He stares at the word, trying to figure out why it’s there now but wasn’t there earlier. Riz blinks and suddenly the handwriting looks so familiar…
Fabian stands beneath the scoreboard and rubs his arms. He should have brought a long-sleeved shirt at least, or maybe a hoodie. That would have been the smart thing to do. He looks down at his crystal to check the time; he’s been waiting about half an hour now. When he looks back up, a vision of red, white, and green sheepishly stands before him. He smiles.
“That looks so good on you,” he says.
Riz’s ears darken at the compliment and he walks up to Fabian.
“Who leaves a note for someone else in their own clothes?”
“I was shy.”
Riz’s ears lean back and he looks like he’s ready to snap at Fabian, but then he relaxes and gently swishes his tail around at his feet.
“How did you know I’d read the note?”
“You’ve read everything else in my locker, haven’t you?”
Riz’s head shoots up. “What!? How did you-! I was being so careful!”
Fabian digs his hand in his pants pocket and pulls out a small fluff of green hair. “I found this caught on my backpack zipper.”
Riz groans and slaps his hand to his forehead. “All that effort and my stupid tail fur…! Well, fine, you’ve caught me. Now what?”
“Hmm… how to punish someone who’s been snooping through my stuff…” Fabian muses, putting a finger to his lips in mock thought. He grins behind the finger. “A date.”
“A WHAT!?” Riz squeaks.
“A date. Right now. Come on, it’s cold out here.” And without waiting for a response, Fabian picks up his bags, grabs Riz’s hand and drags him towards the parking lot.
“Wai- Fab-! My briefcase!” Riz shouts as he stumbles behind the half-elf.
“I’m not letting you run away.”
“I- I won’t! Just l-let me get my stuff!”
Fabian stops dragging Riz and releases his grip on his hand. He crosses his arms and huffs. “Fine. But hurry up. I’ll be waiting on the Hangman.”
“Okay, okay,” Riz says, holding up his hands placatingly. “I’ll be there in five minutes,” he says, and bolts off towards the main building where his locker is located. Riz’s mind races as he tries to figure out Fabian’s aim. A date? With me? Why!? Riz desperately mentally scrambles to think up a reason, but the thoughts won’t come and he ends up grabbing his briefcase and returning to the parking lot with his mind a complete fog. He takes up position between Fabian and his tied-down bags at the back of the motorcycle and clings to Fabian’s waist.
“Get closer. Hold me tighter,” Fabian tells him as the motorcycle impatiently revs its own engine.
“What? Why?” Riz shouts over the roar.
“Because I’m cold and you’re wearing my jacket!” Fabian says, and Riz obediently shifts closer, wrapping his arms around Fabian the best he can, and the Hangman takes off towards the city center.
Fabian pulls the Hangman up to a hole-in-the-wall phở restaurant and the two bustle into the warm building. Riz orders a coffee while Fabian orders hot tea and both of them get large, piping-hot bowls of soup. Both boys are silent after ordering, sipping their beverages and looking everywhere but at each other. However once the soup arrives and Riz is reaching for some jalapeños and bean sprouts to garnish his phở, Fabian casually asks “So how long have you been rooting around in my locker?”
Riz hesitates for a moment, unsure how this is going to play out, and then gives in and confesses. “About three months now.” He proceeds to spill all the beans: why, what days, and even that he’s been napping inside his backpack. He has no idea why he’s being so candid, but something about how Fabian smiles over his soup like it’s all good instead of looking upset urges him on.
“...and then I found those notes inside your jacket and I, uh, was curious about who might be calling you out after practice so I hid nearby to make sure someone wasn’t trying to, um,” – Riz hesitates as he recalls his emotions upon discovering that first note – “to pick a fight with you. And then when no one came – hah! – I thought someone was messing with you so I was ready to find out who was making you stand alone in the cold and teach them a lesson!” Riz looks down at his soup and slurps some broth before continuing in a smaller voice. “Turns out it was me.”
“Twice a week for three months, huh? Well, I say you owe me a date for each time you’ve napped in my backpack.”
“What!?”
“Mm-hmm. And you can keep doing what you have been doing, but once you’re done with your nap, I want you to come watch me practice. And wear the jacket when you come to watch.”
“Wha-! Bu-! I-!” Riz blusters. His brain short-circuits and he turns his attention back to his too-hot soup and begins scarfing it down as he desperately tries to think of a response to Fabian’s demands. He glances up from the soup to Fabian and watches him calmly eat his own phở in the meantime.
Riz reaches for some water to soothe his burnt tongue and after gulping down the glass, he softly places it down, his hand wavering just slightly, and asks: “Why?”
Fabian flashes a warm smile with nothing but pure kindness behind it and Riz’s heart skips a beat.
“Well for one, I enjoy your company. And two, I want to see my best friend cheer me on during practice. But I also know how important those naps must be for you.”
Riz squints, scrutinizing his friend across the table. There must be another reason behind these requests that Fabian’s keeping from him, but Riz can tell that he’s being tight-lipped about it, so he gives up and changes the subject.
“Who wrote the first note you left for me?”
“Why, myself, of course.”
“What? But it looked nothing like your handwriting!”
“Ah, that’s because I sprained my finger during dance class and had to use my left hand to write it.”
Riz grabs his coffee and sulks, upset at himself for not recognizing the handwriting despite the circumstances.
They continue eating, and soon – the boys’ stomachs full of delicious soup – they finish their meal and make their way back to the Hangman.
“So I’ll pick you up at one o’clock tomorrow for a movie,” Fabian causally comments as Riz climbs up behind him.
Riz freezes, then manages to stammer out “T-tomorrow? Like? The day after today? Another date!?”
“Of course!” Fabian answers jovially, “You owe me at least twenty more dates and I’m not going to drag my feet when it comes to it! So, one o’clock, yeah? I’ll pick you up at your place.”
Riz isn’t one to renege on a deal (or was this a promise?) with his best friend, so he nods in agreement and squeaks out a “Yeah. One. Sounds good.”
The ride back to Riz’s apartments is short, and as Riz climbs off the motorcycle and makes his way toward the apartment lobby, Fabian calls out that he looks forward to their date tomorrow. Riz can only wave and blush before scurrying upstairs to the safety of his bedroom where he can distract himself with homework until his mom returns home and they have a late and (thankfully) quiet dinner.
Saturday comes and Riz finds himself in the movie theater lobby to see Rune 2 . He fidgets nervously with the buttons on his shirt sleeves as Fabian stands in line to get movie snacks. It’s a classic date scenario: two people see a movie, they share the popcorn and touch hands when they go to grab some. It’s dark, perfect for stealing kisses or holding hands without anyone noticing. All things Riz is afraid of. But he owes Fabian for trespassing, and he’ll suck it up. To his surprise, though, Fabian waves him over to the counter to help carry two large sodas and two large popcorns. Huh. That’s not how this is supposed to go, Riz thinks to himself as he lumbers under the massive bag of popcorn and soda that is five times the size of his bladder. They make their way to their seats and settle in, and Riz steels himself for how the classic “movie date” is supposed to play out.
And yet it doesn't seem to happen; Fabian never does any cheesy moves like yawn and stretch to put his arm around Riz’s shoulder or try to hold his hand. He keeps to his own food and drink. Riz chides himself for thinking Fabian would do something like that to his best friend and visibly relaxes, allowing himself to enjoy the rest of the movie, and finds that he’s having a good time.
And so they continue their dates every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and every Monday and Friday Riz naps inside of Fabian’s backpack before crawling out, putting on his jacket, and dutifully sitting on the bleachers to watch Fabian practice for the last half-hour. When Fabian spots him in the small crowd, the red-white-green in the bleachers, he smiles and waves at Riz, and Riz always waves and smiles back. Not every date is dinner or a movie; some days they just hang out at Fabian’s house, playing games or doing homework, other times they get ice cream, shop at the mall, or walk alongside the Marigold River, and soon enough Fabian’s inviting Riz to stay the night. They easily share Fabian’s massive bed and Riz never worries about being cuddled or kissed as they sleep next to each other. It all becomes routine for Riz, and before he realizes what he’s doing, he’s reaching up and hugging Fabian’s waist closely as they ride the Hangman everywhere together.⁵
[⁵ Fabian has since grabbed another jacket to wear to keep the winter cold out.]
It’s at one point during a date in the early spring that Riz works up the courage to ask the burning question that has resided in the back of his mind ever since they had their phở date.
“Fabian, you could have asked for anything for me to make up snooping around and sleeping in your locker, so why did you decide that we were going to go on dates?”
“Because I like doing things with you.”
“And what about the sleepovers?”
“I like sleeping with you, too,” Fabian states without a hint of embarrassment.
Riz goes teal at this, so embarrassed at the words. “When you put it like that-!”
“I mean that I like sharing the bed with you, waking up next to you.” Fabian grins. “Nothing sexual.”
“Yeah, but it still sounds like we’re dating!”
“Aren’t we?”
“We-! Yeah-! I mean-! But we don’t-!”
“Don’t what?”
“Do date things…”
“We go places together, eat together, have fun together, hang out together, sleep together…” Fabian’s still grinning.
“But we don’t kiss! Or hug! Or-or sex! Have sex, I mean!” Riz’s voice cracks at the last sentence.
“I thought you didn’t like to do those things, so I was avoiding them.”
“I, I…! I don’t…! Like those…” Riz stares straight ahead, eyes focused on something on the infinite horizon of his gaze. “We’re… dating.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying.”
“Fabian… why did you want to date me?”
“Because I like you. As my best friend.” Riz feels a little sad at those words, but he swallows the feeling down.
“And because I like you as more than my best friend.”
Riz’s ears shoot up in spite of himself. “You do!?”
“Mm-hmm. And I think you might, too.”
“Huh!?”
“Because as of two dates ago we’ve been even and I know you’re the type of person who would normally keep count of these things.” Fabian grins. “And it’s been getting rather warm but you’re still wearing my jacket.”
“I run cold,” Riz immediately snaps.
“Oh? Is that all? I could buy you a new jacket then…”
“Okay, I like that it smells like you!” Riz blurts out and then buries his face in his hands. He can't believe that he'd just volunteered that information. Fabian's grin grows wider.
“I- I- I think I need to go home!” Riz sputters.
“Want me to drive you?”
“No, no, I need fresh air. That's not blowing seventy miles per hour past me.”
“Alright, then. Take care; I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Riz rushes away to his office and sets up a conspiracy board with Fabian in the middle. Several hours later he’s still staring at the board, teal with blush. No matter how he looks at it… He drags himself over to the couch in the office and falls onto it, exhausted from thinking. He curls himself up and gets a whiff of Fabian’s scent. His eyes open wide and he realizes that he never took the jacket off when he left their date. He snuggles deeper into the jacket and easily falls asleep.
The next day Riz awakens early and makes a beeline for Seacaster Manor. He’s let in by Cathilda and immediately heads to Fabian’s room. After a few unanswered knocks on the door he silently enters and finds Fabian still asleep. Riz smiles at how ungraceful the half-elf looks sprawled out on his bed, snoring, and then crawls onto the bed and curls up near the pillows. He wraps his tail around Fabian’s nearby wrist and lightly dozes.
Fabian stirs about an hour later and when he tries to turn over he finds his arm restrained. He mutters groggily and tries to untangle himself and is surprised to find Riz attached to him. He fully awakens with a start, causing Riz to wake up as well.
“Oh, g’morning, Fabian.”
“The Ball! What are you doing in my bed!?”
“Sleeping with you. ‘Cause it turns out, I like you. As more than just my best friend.” Riz yawns and stretches out on the bed.
“The Ball…!”
“What, I don’t do big romantic gestures.”
“No, no, I understand. This is quite the gesture as it is,” Fabian says with a smile, his eyes slightly watery. “I just wasn’t sure if you’d reciprocate.”
“I had to think about it. I got startled yesterday. But I’m ready for more. Dates. If it’s with you.”
“Are you going to keep sleeping in my backpack?”
“Yeah. Can I keep wearing your jacket?”
“Absolutely.”
Riz grins. “Good. Now get up. I want a brunch date.”