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Ethari had not originally planned on going for any sort of evening walk after he had closed up shop for the day. He had settled himself at home, helped himself to a bowl of the stew he’d had cooking on the stove while he had been away, and was fully prepared to relax on his couch in the comfort of his own home with the book Tiadrin had let him borrow earlier that week. It was a good one, full of thrilling adventure and daring escapes, and Tiadrin had been harping on him to read it even longer than she had allowed him to keep it on his desk. He really had wanted to at least make a bit more headway into it that evening. He had to find out if the kind soldier ever made it back to his homeland to reunite with his dear mother and partner, of course, and Tiadrin expressly refused to tell him one way or another.
His mistake had been to open the window, letting the cool night air blow through and brush across his face. The Silvergrove was quiet this time of day, when most people had already gone home to their families and friends for supper and then easy evenings at home until bed, just as Ethari himself had been planning on.
It was the quiet that had drawn him in, urging him to take his bag from the rack by the door and wander the forest just outside the village. Who was he to deny such an urge?
He’d only gotten to a small clearing just within the embrace of the forest before he spotted a familiar figure (or…the back of one) sitting against a worn rock, and realised he was not the only one who had the idea of walking tonight.
Ethari approached slowly, making sure the elf in the grass could see him out of his periphery in order to avoid startling him.
He opened his mouth to make some witty remark about having the same idea, but stopped quickly as he got a better look at the young elf’s face and the deep sadness sitting there.
In the end, it was only his name that he whispered into the night air between them, “Runaan?”
Runaan didn’t respond, the tick of his ears the only indication Ethari had that he had even heard him.
Ethari worried his lip between his teeth and lowered himself down slowly beside him, crossing his legs and folding his hands into his lap for a moment. Even then, he eventually decided that felt too awkward and set them on his knees instead before putting them back in his lap again and settling there. It was silent between them, enough that Ethari could hear every little twitter and chirp of the forest settling around them. He watched as Runaan tilted his head up slowly, letting it rest on the rock behind his head, and though he made no sound, Ethari saw his chest rise and fall in one long sigh.
His fingers twitched as he thought to possibly reach out and touch him, to offer some comfort against whatever was clearly weighing on his lover’s mind, but he decided against it.
Instead, he simply asked, “Are you alright?”
A beat of silence, and then…
“The stars look lovely tonight.”
Ethari frowned. The stars were lovely, yes, but that was not the question he had asked, nor was it what it seemed Runaan had come out here to think about.
“They are,” he urged gently, “but that wasn’t my question.”
A flash of something like discomfort flickered across Runaan’s face for just a moment before it was gone, “I don’t want to lie to you.”
“Runaan,” Ethari let out a soft breath, not quite exasperation but something akin to it. He shifted a bit closer so his knees were pressed against the other’s legs, “You don’t have to keep everything to yourself all the time. I’ve told you, I want to help.”
Hesitantly, he extended a hand to rest, palm up, in his own knee - an offering for Runaan to take it or to not to if he desired. Runaan’s eye barely flicked towards it for half a second and he stiffened. Ethari thought he might refuse the touch, but then Runaan’s palm slid into his and stayed there.
Ethari softened and he gave Runaan’s hand a gentle but firm squeeze. I’m here, it said, I’m here with you.
They sat in silence after that, just the two of them and the quiet cadence of the forest going to sleep around them. At some point, Ethari had settled back against the rock as well, his shoulder pressed to Runaan’s, their fingers still intertwined.
“The stars are beautiful tonight,” Ethari whispered.
“Mn,” Runaan hummed beside him, “Is that why you came?”
“Not originally,” Ethari sighed as he leaned back more securely against the boulder and tilted his head to rest it against the side of Runaan’s, “I was going to read the book Tiadrin lent me. She’s been bugging me about it, and it is quite good.”
“The Garlath one?” Runaan asked.
Ethari bobbed his head, “Mhm. He gets called away to a fight over the border. But then after he takes the victory, he has to risk life and limb to return to his family. It’s very engaging.”
He felt Runaan nod in agreement, “It is.”
Ethari tilted his head to better look at him, eyes widening, “You’ve read it?”
To that, Runaan let out a short, quiet laugh and replied, “Tiadrin very much enjoys bullying people into taking up her interests.”
Ethari let out a loud bark of laughter, “Aye, that she does.”
Their laughter faded into silence once more, but only for a moment before Ethari felt Runaan’s thumb brush back and forth over his knuckles in a gentle rhythm.
“You didn’t mean to, but I’m glad you found me, Ethari,” he said softly, “I think I was beginning to get…lost a bit. In my head.”
Ethari nodded slowly, “An easy thing to do, I’m afraid.”
“Unfortunately so.”
Ethari often found himself wandering the labyrinthine halls of his own mind if he did not have music to listen to, or someone talking to him, or some such thing like that. He understood how quickly one could get lost in the darker halls and passages of thought, and he couldn’t have imagined it would possibly be any easier with everything Runaan had seen in even just a few years as a fully fledged assassin of the Silvergrove.
He tilted his head just long enough to press a kiss to the corner of Runaan’s cheek by his eye before shifting back again, “I suppose I’ll have to stay then,” he said easily, letting his eyes slide shut, “Can’t have you wandering off again.”
Ethari felt more than he heard the contented, grateful sigh Runaan let out as he sagged against him, “Yes,” he breathed, “I’d like that.”