Chapter Text
Ariel couldn't believe his luck.
The fact the cult had tracked him down to Baldur's Gate, of all places, and the fact he'd somehow gotten entangled with this blonde haired bard to begin with. Sure, a pretty sight, but a risk nonetheless.
And yet, here he was, shoved up in a tight alleyway with the man, chest to chest — well, perhaps chest to face, given that Ariel was a head taller than the bard. They both stood with bated breath as red robes flickered past and around the corner.
A lingering moment of silence. The bard, Darcy, sighed with relief. "I think we've lost them. We should still make haste."
"We?" The word slips from Ariel's lips before he can think, a nervous chuckle following. "Ah, I mean, I... I'm entirely grateful for your assistance, but I figured we would part ways now."
"Why?" Darcy frowned. "I don't see why you should scurry off so quickly. We seem to be safe. The Oyster's too damn crowded anyways, too many suspicious folk. I could take us somewhere quieter-"
"As flattered as I am by the offer," Ariel quickly interrupted, "I really cannot. I would like to rest for the night."
Sure, it was sweet of him. However, Ariel couldn't afford to be spending his time dilly dallying and going out. He needed rest, and he needed to leave Baldur's Gate early in the morning. If the members of the Golden Orchid were here, he didn't have much time to get out. He would get in a quick rest and be gone with the wind. It was a routine he knew very well by now.
Yet, this frustratingly handsome bard was throwing a big fireball in his plans.
"At the very least, let me pay for your room," Darcy suggested. "I'm sure you have had quite the long day. It's the least I can do."
Ariel narrowed his eyes at the human. He didn't trust that at all. Kindness without a basis? No, there must have been some ulterior motive behind the offer. Perhaps over a year ago, he would have accepted blindly, but he knew now that nobody was to be trusted. "I cannot ask such a thing of you," he firmly insisted. "I must thank you for your help and go on my way."
He turned on his heel and started to walk away, but he slowed at the pleading voice calling to him. "Please, can't I do anything for you?"
Surely not to be trusted. There was no need for Darcy to want to do a single thing for Ariel — after all, Ariel was the one who inconvenienced him, requiring his help escaping from those cultists. "I'm really fine," Ariel called back as he quickly turned the corner, not at all daring to look back at Darcy. He had a weird feeling that the expression on the bards face would make him feel bad.
However, as he made his way through the street, trying to find an inn, he could swear he heard Darcy call out. Perhaps not a call, but a yell.
"Let go of me, asshole! I don't know where he is!"
Ariel spun around, curiosity overtaking him. It had always been his worst trait. It was what had gotten him into all this trouble, just wanting to learn more. And his eyes widened in horror as he saw two figures in red manhandling the bard, who writhed and yelled at them.
He began to tremble, his body shaking as it instinctively geared up to begin running, far, far away. However, he dug his heels. He couldn't just leave Darcy in their hands. It was Ariel's fault the man got involved in the first place. It would be so wrong of him to just leave, when Darcy had been so good to him.
Despite his better judgment, Ariel's shaking hands rose to cast a spell, and he was wracking his head to find a solution. In a split second, he cast invisibility, a pleasant shroud of an incredibly light chill flowing over him. He looked down at himself, only to be faced with nothing. Perfect. He didn't have very long, though.
Finally shuffling into action, Ariel quickly snaked through to grab onto Darcy's wrist. The poor man, still being wrangled by two cultists, assumed he was still being apprehended and tried to fight, but Ariel had given one harsh yank, making the cultists tumble as he ran with Darcy through the alleys.
He didn't stop until he had dragged Darcy into the inn he had been looking at before returning to the others side, and the invisibility faded away, warmth returning to his body. Darcy stared at him in disbelief. "You came back," he blurted out.
"...I couldn't leave you there," Ariel weakly pointed out. "You helped me, once. It's only right."
"Come on, now I have to get your room for you," Darcy insisted, dragging Ariel to the innkeepers desk. Ariel had only just now realized they'd been touching, despite running with the other in tow — he hated being touched, but he allowed it for the moment. "Hey, buddy. Can I get two rooms for the night?"
The innkeeper shook his head. "I am terribly sorry. I'm near out of rooms. I have a single one, but with two beds, if that would suffice for you gentlemen. I can offer it at a discounted price."
Ariel hated the idea of sharing a room with someone... but he did like the sound of a discounted price. "How much?" He piped up quietly, peeking into his coin pouch.
...Ouch. A handful of copper and two silver pieces. Darcy also happened to peek inside, cringing at the amount. "Ah, I'll cover it..."
"The room typically goes for five, but I'll give it to you for three silver," the innkeeper continued.
"Great," Darcy smiled, tossing the man three silver. "Nice doing business with you. Come on, starling."
Ariel stared at Darcy as he continued up the stairs with the key, mildly confused and baffled. The blonde turned back with a little smile. "What, never had a nickname before?"
"Where did that come from?" Ariel frowned as he started to follow up to the third floor.
"Easy," Darcy grinned. "Just like a bird who takes flight." He noticed Ariel's scowl, giving a nervous chuckle. "You know, we can always workshop it."
He figured he should take offense to the nickname. And probably argue against having one at all. But as Darcy unlocked the door to their room, his frustrations melted away, replaced with awe. He never splurged on a room. Okay, well, five silver was not very much, but when one was on the run, funds weren't exactly easy to come by, so Ariel never bothered spending too much on a nice place. As long as he could rest his head and have a moment of privacy, he was usually content.
This place was modest, but so much nicer than anywhere else Ariel had been staying in the last year. The beds were soft, there was warm candlelight and bedside tables and even a bathroom. A connecting bathroom! He couldn't help but collapse into the bed, sighing happily against the sheets. It was so soft, and his bones were so weary...
He was then faced with the realization that it was a little too quiet in the room. He turned to see Darcy staring at him. One green eye, one pink. Fascinating, how human genetics worked. "What are you staring at?" Ariel finally muttered.
"Oh, uh... I've just never seen a man collapse into a bed like it's his lost lover," Darcy teased, nudging the elf as he went to sit on his own bed.
Ariel scowled yet again. Bards. "You're very presumptuous, you know. There are some people out in the world who haven't known the feeling of a soft sheet since the day they were born. Not everyone's got the money."
Darcy's smile fell a bit, and Ariel felt a bit bad for being harsh. "You're right," he sighed quietly. "I'm sorry."
An awkward silence fell upon the two of them before Darcy piped up again. "So... I guess those people who were chasing you aren't very fond of me either, now."
Ariel felt even worse at the mention of that situation. "Ah, they... they probably do not like you very much. You shouldn't have helped me," he sighed, running a hand through his black hair. "Perhaps they would be more lenient to you, as you hadn't done very much to them," he tried to rationalize, but as the words left his mouth, he knew how stupid it was. The Golden Orchid spared no mercy for anyone. Darcy was officially in the same boat as he was.
It was all his fault, as well.
"Hey," Darcy insisted. "I don't regret helping you. It's the right thing to do. Besides, I'm already a traveling bard. I suppose a little extra running wouldn't hurt my physical health. Plus, it'll be nice to have a traveling companion, no?"
Ariel blinked owlishly at the other. "...Companion? As in, you wish to travel with me?" Oh, no, he could think of several reasons as to why that was the worst idea in the world. Darcy could very well be secretly working with the cult... well, okay, probably not plausible at this point. But one could never be sure! Or perhaps the bard had his own separate ulterior motives. Something terrible planned? Or the worst possible outcome.
Ariel got attached to him. And with the Golden Orchid, that was a recipe to get someone hurt.
"I don't see why not," Darcy grinned from ear to ear. Oh, his stupid smile that could probably reflect sunlight. Were all bards this ridiculously handsome?
Ariel wanted to say no. He wanted to tell Darcy he should get a head start and run away from the cult as fast as possible, away from him. Ariel was too much trouble... but goddamn it, Darcy was looking at him, a stupid pleading look on his expression. And Ariel was just too weak to say no.
"I guess a travel companion could be beneficial," he weakly tried to rationalize.
"Great!" Darcy beamed, sitting up in his bed. "This is going to be so fun."
"We're on the run from a cult," Ariel said in mild disbelief. "What's so fun about it?"
"We've got each other," Darcy smiled. "That's gotta count for something, right?"
And when Ariel's heart started to beat erratically from the blonde's words, he knew he was in deep shit.