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Will had been doing it for three full uninterrupted minutes now, probably longer actually, Gallica reckoned. Three minutes was just when she’d actively been taking notice of the Elda’s eager gazing. Well, she’d noticed him being clearly distracted from his book for a while now, but each time she looked back, he’d still be in the exact same position. Just silently looking, she had an idea of what was keeping her friend's attention, but still felt the need to check.
Will really was so very transfixed that he didn’t take notice at all when Gallica floated over to where he was lying in his bunk. His half-read book lay forgotten mostly on the bed, loosely still present in his hands. And lo and behold, she had been exactly correct in her initial guess. Basilio Magnus had, in fact, taken on the duties of providing the group with dinner for the night, much to Junah’s jubilation and the displeased grumbling of his older brother.
It also meant that he was currently occupied in the kitchens and likely had been for a while. Which coincidentally placed him in the position where Will had a very good view of him from where he often lay in his bunk to read, and their captain seemed to be taking full advantage of this fact.
She’d been floating right next to him for a while now, and he still hadn’t taken notice of her. It made her feel like sighing; it wasn’t good for Will to be so very distracted as to be oblivious to his surroundings like this.
”Say, is it a particularly intriguing passage you’re reading there?!” She finally called to him to get his attention. Will very quickly scrambled to bring his half-forgotten book back up. Instilling the false appearance that he was innocently reading and not ogling the handsome paripus, currently busy in their kitchen. ”Will, your book is upside down” Gallica could barely keep herself from giggling. She could see how very flustered Will was at having been caught. His cheeks blooming red as he buried his nose further into his book after turning it the right side up.
”You know, with the amount you’ve been gazing at him, most people would probably think you’re a bit of a weirdo,” Gallica prodded slightly at Will's red flushed cheek. She was just teasing him a bit; she did find it quite cute to see Will in the tumultuous throes of young infatuation. As sheltered as he’d been before leaving home, it was good that he finally got the chance to experience the ups and downs of life and relationships. Even though Gallica couldn’t deny that developing an interest in someone loyal to their enemy was not a fantastic outcome.
”I’m not…gazing…not a lot anyhow,” Will muttered, still flustered and pointedly holding his book up to cover his view of anything else.
”Oh? Not a lot, you say? Just a coincidence every time that I’ve looked over at you since he started working on dinner, it just happened to be the few moments you’ve glanced at him, is that it?” She said with a slight giggle, as she gave his cheek another prod.
”Gallica,” Will hissed over at her, likely wanting her to keep her voice down. She reckoned Will very much didn’t want Basilio to catch any snippet of their current conversation.
”You know, I didn’t consider it much before, but you’ve been very intent on looking at him all the other times we’ve seen him. Even before the brothers decided they were gonna join us on the runner.” Gallica continued speaking lower to not be overheard. She was teasing still; it hadn't been as bad as what Will was doing now but she had seen his eyes linger even back then. How curious, could her friend have found the paripus especially handsome even when standing behind Louis, she wondered.
"I was not…” he glanced over at her, embarrassment and shame apparent in his expression, ”it’s just… I mean, he’s very tall, there’s a lot of him to look at,” Will continued, somehow even more flustered, turning back to stare at the pages of his book as if it could help him escape from the conversation.
”Besides…both him and his brother are here to keep us under watch on Louis’s behalf, it’s only practical to keep a close eye on them back, right?” Will glanced slightly over the top of his book as he said it, stealing a look at Basilio in the kitchen. Who had forgone his jacket and rolled his sleeve up to knead some form of dough intended for their dinner. Gallica could imagine the utter short-circuiting of his mind that must have happened the moment he laid his eyes on that view. Indeed, Will fell incredibly quiet for a moment.
”Ah, yes of course, we must all keep close attention to them at all times, who knows what nefarious things he might accomplish with a pan and spatula,” she answered sarcastically, trying to regain his attention.
”Well, you never know,” Will hastily looked back down to the pages of his book again
”Hmm, I’m sure you are being very diligent then captain, how kind of you to be keeping an equal amount of attention on both the very tall and handsome enemy as well as the tiny grumpy one,” Gallica continued. It was truly very silly of Will to try to explain away his gawking as something so altruistic. Especially when she knew much better.
”Why, this very morning I noticed you awake so early, and even then you were diligently keeping a close eye on the enemy as he was exiting the washroom.” Will then, for the first time, turned his eyes fully to her, looking positively mortified.
He must have truly believed her asleep at the time, which wouldn't have been strange with how early in the morning it had been. But Will must have also been unaware of just how loud his ragged breathing had become. Loud enough to wake her up that’s for sure. Gallica had been surprised to see her friend so red in the face first thing in the morning, peering out of his bunk from just behind the cover. Breathing quickly, all while being unable to tear his eyes away from whatever sight was keeping his attention. Though once Gallica also noticed Will was pressing down and clutching his hand between his legs over the cloth of his sleeping clothes. She could easily guess what was keeping his attention so completely. Once she moved a small fold in the curtain out of the way to peer out herself, she’d seen the younger of the Magnus brothers right outside the washroom, with only a small towel keeping him decent but otherwise completely bare for all the world to see. His tail peeked out over the flimsy fabric he held up on his hips. He was sporting a lot more scars than Gallica had ever seen on a person before. But that wasn’t really too important; she herself had no real interest in the Paripus like that.
Gallica had decided then that it was probably for the best to let Will have some time on his own. And as soon as Basilio had returned down the ladder into the hold, she’d slipped out of the bunk unnoticed to find a more private place to nap until it was a sane hour to wake up.
Will just stared at her with his mouth agape in disbelief, his face flushing red up to his ears. Gallica was then very promptly pushed out of the bunk as Will retreated and hid away in shame behind the curtain.
Gallica couldn’t keep herself from giggling a little bit. She could forget sometimes just how young Will really was. It was nice in a way that he still had moments where he didn’t have to act all responsible and grown up. Gallica casted a slight glance over towards the kitchen, where Basilio was still hard at work. He was actually quite nice, not prickly like his brother. Really, they differed so drastically Gallica found it hard sometimes to comprehend they were related. Such a shame he was working for Louis, though; if not, he could probably have made Will quite happy. She knew he must be feeling very alone ever since the Prince fell unconscious years ago.
But it was probably nothing more than a harmless crush on Will’s part. Nothing too disastrous would likely happen as long as the feelings remained one-sided from afar.
Once nighttime rolled around, the temperature was approaching something that could almost be considered close to bearable, but that didn’t change the fact that there was saltwater in the air constantly. Even when the runner lay still and anchored for the night.
The salt stuck to everything, from his clothes to the fur and hair on his head. Fidelio really couldn’t wait until this sea-faring was bloody over and done with.
For now, at least, things weren’t too bad. The runner lay still, and they had all recently finished their fish-based dinner at the top of the main deck. Fidelio and his brother were grouped a fair bit on the side from the rest of the passengers of the runner. And with the sun going down, it was almost a perfectly pleasant evening, almost, if his younger brother could just behave for once.
“Could you stop it with that,” he finally snapped, having had enough.
“Stop what? I ain’t doin' nothing?” Basilio briefly looked over at his brother in confusion.
“With your leering,” Fidelio bit back as he crossed his arms. His brother was seated on the floor of the deck, his back to the railing as Fidelio stood leaning back against it. It did put him in the rare position to look down on his younger brother with scathing disapproval.
“Leering? Who’s leering? I’m not leering?” Basilio sounded slightly offended at the implication. But Fidelio knew his brother well enough to notice his repressed embarrassment. Deep down, his little brother knew very well that what he’d been doing could very aptly be described as leering.
“Oh? Then what exactly would you call that forlorn, sappy look on your face then?”
“Just…” Basilio sheepishly scratched at the back of his neck, unable to meet his brother's gaze, "appreciatin’ the view is all.”
“Well, could you maybe try to appreciate the view less like you’re itching to bend the view over the closest flat surface and bugger it stupid?” Said view being the young Eldan lad who served as the group’s captain, whom Basilio had been making eyes at for days now.
“Oh come off it Del, hardly a crime to be lookin’,” Basilio bit back, more annoyed than embarrassed now. His brother cast his eyes back towards the group seated around the campfire, a smile spreading across Basilio’s face as his eyes found their target once more. “He’s a pretty thing, can’t deny that, can you Del? small but much stronger than you’d expect, not to mention clever.”
Fidelio fought the urge to scoff at him. He didn’t begrudge his little brother whatever taste in men he might have. Not that he ever understood it, he’s not one to judge, but this wasn’t exactly a situation that left room for any whirlwind romancing.
“Pretty or not, doesn’t matter if he turns out to be a traitor to lord Louis, don’t you go forgettin’ that,” Fidelio bit back.
“Not like we're completely sure ’bout that yet, you know, could very well be we’re just been paranoid, and we’re all on the same side,” Basilio said with a huff. Fidelio had noticed it though, the shift that had slowly but steadily shown itself ever since the two of them had boarded the gauntlet runner. As time had passed, Basilio had become much less eager to see the obviously suspicious behaviours that were blatant from the party. Instead, the promise of an inviting camaraderie, the seemingly kind gestures, a face Basilio found too pretty for his own good. It had steadily eroded his little brother's doubts of the group. But Fidelio knew it was less that Basilio couldn’t tell that they had done little to nothing to clear themselves of suspicion. It was all just that Basilio didn’t want them to be traitors.
”Was unaware they’d shared evidence with you that cleared them of all suspicion already,” Fidelio said in return.
”Never said that, just not like they’re gonna slip up an’ show their true colours if all we do is glare at ’em,” Basilio answered, looking back up at his brother. ”But I guess it’s alright for you to look all wistfully at Lady Junah at all hours of the day, but the moment I find something I might fancy, it’s a whole problem.”
”That’s different,” Fidelio said, a bit too quickly. He hadn’t intended to admit to anything of the like.
”Oh yeah, how exactly is it different?”
Because nothing will ever come of it, Fidelio thought to himself, he knew well he had no chance, and he wasn’t a brave enough man to even dream he might get what he wanted. Not like anyone would ever want him like that anyway, looking like he did, but all that’s besides the point. His own foolish and pointless feelings were not the matter being discussed here.
” ’cause I don’t look at her like that, wistfully or otherwise,” he denied, trying to walk back his own unintentional admission. Fidelio could see his brother unconvinced, rolling his eyes at his inability to speak out loud what they both knew.
”It’d be pointless anyhow, even if they’re truly completely loyal to lord Louis. He ain’t terribly approving of his subordinates fraternisin’," Fidelio reminded his brother,
”Eh, don’t think he’d care that much, besides, as one of two right-hand men, I could probably be afforded some privileges right? Not like I’d neglect any of me duties or nothin,” Basilio said dismissively of the whole idea.
”You’d be pushing your luck,” Fidelio stated.
”Well, that’s only if he’d found out about any of it in the first place. Not like he needs to be keeping a stern eye on whoever I’m taking to bed,” Basilio said, and stood back up. Brushing down his pants as he turned away from his brother towards the inviting campfire. ”one of these days you really could do with some slight unwinding of your own, I reckon.” He said with a laugh as he walked over to sit himself down beside the fire, squarely between Junah and the captain, who really looked to be the only ones of the group to be happy to have him there. The Clemar, Roussainte and Eugief stared daggers at his brother, which Basilio appeared to completely ignore, instead taking the chance to talk up Junah and the Eldan lad. Quite the attitude of theirs to be so disapproving of Basilio’s presence when they had been scarfing down his cooking with much gusto a day or so back. The ishkia pilot was the only one to look wholly indifferent to his brother's presence.
Fidelio sighed to himself. He didn’t like any of this; it might have been a mistake to come with them after all. Just because he couldn’t keep his frivolous emotions in proper check when it came to Junah. He never wanted to deny his little brother anything, especially when it was within reach to him for once. And if it was just the case that Basilio had taken a slight fancy to the lad, that wouldn’t exactly be the end of the world, even if he turned out to be a craven traitor when push came to shove.
But no, the obvious problem was that the eldan lad was very much incredibly enamoured with his younger brother in return. There was no denying the way the boy’s eyes lit up when Basilio sat himself down next to him. It was to the degree that Fidelio was convinced it was less a question of if as much as when his brother would end up bedding the eldan. And that could get incredibly thorny if he really was a traitor. In the best case, it would result in Basilio getting his heart broken, which still was an outcome Fidelio would prefer to avoid at all costs.
But in the worst case, the lad might put ideas in Basilio’s head. His kind fool of a brother was much too trusting, too naive. If Basilio fully found himself infatuated and ensnared, Fidelio had no doubt he might truly be led astray, and that was dangerous. Lord Louis didn’t suffer fools and dealt no mercy to traitors. No matter how previously loyal they had been.