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It's been around a month since the creaking king was defeated, but neither the blue or red kingdom has been restored to their former glory. The battle took quite a hit on their resources and Scott Springwell had to stay behind to replenish the supply of wheat for blue kingdom. Nominal Bravery didn't want to leave without Scott, so he also stayed behind to keep the flower mage company.
Nom was supposed to die on that day, the world grew blurry around him and he felt disoriented. He was sure this was the end for him. But all he could think about was his loved ones. How devastated Katie would be, how 4C would live with the guilt of his actions. But his biggest regret was never letting the flower mage get too close.
He never did get to kiss Scott, did he? He never held hands with him, or even went on a proper date. He should've been more adventurous. Atleast that's what he thought. Only when he was dying did he finally realize how much of his life he wasted dwelling in the past, when a mage with a smile that made his heart pound out of his chest stood right in front of him.
But by some miracle the gods decided to show mercy for once, giving him a second chance he so desperately needed. Instead of death, Nominal bravery woke up to his body restored to its original human form. Other then the reminents of his creaking self, such as his black wood-like horns and striking amber eyes, he was back to being Nom, and not some walking bio-hazard.
This time he really wasn't going to let his shame and past actions hold him back. He already fixed things with Katie and 4c, now all that's left is too woo that mage and live a life worth living.
But another mage, a healer from the red kingdom, has been on his radar for awhile. Sir Bek visiting Eloise everyday out of nowhere wasn't all that surprising. Since the kingdoms were at peace for once, the red members came and went as they pleased. It was obvious those two were in love with each other.. so no one really questioned the red knight that roamed their streets like she lived there.
But this healer was peculiar, despite seeming to have no connection to the flower mage, he went straight up the hill to Scott's house every week or so. Nom asked Mae and Cherri about it incase they knew why Cam seemed interested in Scott, but neither had a clue the healing mage ever visited blue in the first place.
This of course made the knight feel uneasy, speculating what intentions Cam may have towards Scott. He wanted to ask the flower mage why Cam came by so often, but he usually forgot to mention it the second he made eye contact with Scott's breath-taking gaze.
~~~~~
It was a fine afternoon in the blue kingdom, Scott Springwell just finished harvesting and replanting wheat for the day. The second he got home he changed into something more comfortable and collapsed in bed. Ready to hit the hay (pun intended) and take a well deserved nap.
But just before the flower mage could close his eyes and drift off into sleep, he was snapped out of his drowzy daze by a loud knock on the door. He wanted to ignore it at first, but it could be Nom.. So he got out of bed anyways and climbed down the ladder to his front door.
When he creaked it open he saw Cam patiently standing there, holding what seemed to be a red rose in his hand, assumably picked from the red kingdom's garden. He saw Scott standing behind the door in his half awake state and chuckled to himself.
"Did I come at a bad time?"
Scott rolled his eyes at that attempt of a joke, but he didn't mind the intrusion of the red mage. Cam wasn't particularly unpleasant to be around after all, he didn't want to kill the flower mage indiscriminately like the red knight Apo, and he wasn't here to play harmful pranks like Frogue.
"It's fine, I just finished up my work anyways."
Cam smiled and offered the rose in his hand too the sleepy mage, he heard that Scott didn't get many flowers since he was a florist and all, so maybe giving him one would help win him over. Not many knew that Cam had eyes for Scott, he made it pretty obvious, but no one paid enough attention to notice. Ever since the flower mage tried to attack him on that bridge it was love at first sight.
Scott on the other hand was just as oblivious as everyone else. He didn't interact much with the red mage other then noticing a few stolen glances and making small talk when necessary. But he was one of the few people who hasn't bullied Cam for his awkward humor, so maybe that's why the healing mage stuck around.
"Whats this for?"
Scott asked with curiosity as he reached out and took the flower from Cam's hand. The rose still had its thorns on it, but Scott could simply trim those down and put it in a vase later. He held it carefully to make sure he didn't get pricked but was still grateful to receive a flower from the red kingdom.
"just a little gift, I didn't want to always come empty handed."
As the two of them continued to converse, a certain knight clad in black and red armor arrived, holding a bouquet of pure white lilies just for Scott. He looked proud of his hand picked gift, walking with an air of confidence and certainty. He was going to give the mage these flowers and get closer to him no matter what.
However, he stopped in his tracks when he spotted Cam standing at Scott's front door, casually speaking to the flower mage. He didn't know why, but recently just seeing the healer pissed him off a little. What was he doing here anyways? The red mage had no business in the blue kingdom, even less so at Scott's humble cottage.
What if he attacked the flower mage, what if he had bad intentions?? The cottage was so tucked away that nobody would be able to see if something fishy was going on. Nom didn't like the idea of Scott being alone with Cam one bit, so the knight decided to intervene even if he was being a bit invasive.
"Hey guys! What's going on here."
Nom said in his usual friendly tone as he walked over, standing slightly aside but between Cam and Scott. He looked completely fine with his cheerful smile, but Cam noticed the way Nom was gripping the bouquet slightly tighter then necessary. He also noticed the flowers the knight was holding were the same ones as Scott's statue.
"Oh Nom, What brings you here!"
Scott said with a slight smile he tried but failed to hide, his eyes lit up slightly when he saw the knight walk over. He's well aware of his own feelings for Nom but he has no intention of acting on them, he was happy just being by Noms side for the rest of their lives. He almost forgot about poor Cam standing right there, third wheeling even though he was the first one here.
"Just stopped by for a visit, and because I have a gift for you!"
Nom pulled out the bouquet of white lilies he had hidden behind his back and presented them to Scott, holding them out and patiently waiting for the mage to take them off his hands. He could see that Scott was a bit tired, the mages ears were droopy, the lilies in his hair were closed and he was dressed for bed. He knew Scott had an exhausting schedule, so he almost felt bad for choosing now of all times to intrude. But he's glad he did, because otherwise this sly red mage could've tried something.
"What.. All these are for me?"
Scott very carefully took the bouquet from Nom's hands, not because these flowers had thorns, even if they did the bouquet was wrapped so nicely that he'd be safe, but because he didn't want to damage it. Each and every one of the flowers were in pristine condition, meaning they were handled with care. He didn't want to ruin them.
"Yep, I picked out and bought each and every flower from the merchant to make sure they'd reach your florist-expectations. To make up for that single dandelion I gave you last time."
Nom replied triumphantly, his confidence now restored seeing the mages adorable reaction to his floral gift. He could feel his heart pounding when Scott's eyes lit up and when the flower mage looked so excitedly at the flowers. He knew giving him the bouquet was a good idea, well it was Gracie who suggested a bouquet instead of just flowers but he still deserves some credit.
At this point, Cam got the hint that he stood absolutely no chance. He couldn't beat Nom even if he tried for 100 years.. Not because he wasn't willing to try for 100 years, but because both Nom and Scott would just outlive him. So he simply accepted defeat and vowed to find love elsewhere, somewhere with less unbeatable competition like Nominal Bravery.
"Cam? Where are you going?"
Scott asked as he watched the dejected red mage turn to leave. The healers heart may be broken but he still wished his former love a good life. Maybe one day he'll fall in love as badly as Nom did. But for now it's time to go home and sulk for at least an hour.
"I'm heading home, I don't have anything else to do in blue kingdom anyways. See you guys later!
Cam waved Scott and all his love goodbye then pulled out his heart stone from his magic inventory to teleport back home. Once he was gone, Scott and Nom both looked at each other, neither of them knew what to say after all that just happened in a short amount of time.
"so uh.. Would you like to come in?"
Scott asked nervously, stepping aside to let Nom in. He wanted the knight to stay just a bit longer, even if that meant not taking his usual afternoon nap. It's not like he needs the sleep anyways, he'd rather talk to his favorite person.
Nom nodded and walked inside, not taking his eyes off of Scott for even a second as the flower mage closed the door behind him. He knew Scott had noticed his gaze by now but he couldn't get himself to look away. The mage looked too cute holding that big bouquet in basically just pajamas.
"Is there something on me?"
Scott asked, checking his clothes for any stains Nom might be been starring at, but he found nothing. Then maybe Nom was looking at something on his face, but when he checked he still found nothing. But he did notice how warm his cheeks had actually gotten. He didn't realize he was blushing this entire time.
"No, that's not it.. Scott, I need to tell you something really important."
Nom then walked over to Scott again, standing a bit closer then usual and starring harder like he was trying to study the mages expression. Just a moment ago he looked so friendly and casual, now there was a diffrent vibe radiating off of him, he looked more serious and cautious. It caught Scott off guard.
"What is it?"
"Listen.. There's something I haven't told you for a long time."
When Scott heard Nom say something like that so seriously he obviously assumed the worst. Last time Nom spoke like this was when he announced that he accepted an entities offer to consume a dangerous substance which transformed him into a creature. Scott still had the ptsd from that, if Nom gave him any news nearly as bad he'd simply faint on the spot.
"I am in love with you, Scott springwell."
Scott let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding in, he was so relieved the knight didn't make another life or death decision without consulting anyone. So relieved in fact that it took him 5 whole seconds to comprehend what Nom just confessed to him. He froze on the spot as he slowly turned completely red, he tried to bury his face in the bouquet of white flowers to hide it but it had the opposite affect.
"You can't just say that out of nowhere Nom.."
The knight didn't know if that was a positive or negative response, but seeing how flustered the mage had become he could only assume his flirting was working. He inched closer again but this time put his hands on the wall behind Scott, boxing him in and making sure the mage wouldn't run away from the confrontation.
"I really mean it though.. Just seeing you happy makes my day a thousand times better, and I want to impress you with gifts! When I was dying I really regretted not being more proactive, so I'm not letting the opportunity slip away this time. I'm telling you right here and right now that I have romantic feelings for you, and I want to be your boyfriend."
Scott blushed profusely at the blunt declaration of love, being almost pinned against a wall didn't help, the only thing between them was the bouquet of flowers but looking at them made him blush more. He didn't know what to do since this was so sudden, but at the same time he didnt want Nom to step away or feel like he was rejected. Scott really did feel the same way, but he doesn't know how to express it, so he said the first thing that came to mind.
"I-I.. I really like you too Nom.."
As the mage stuttered and replied the knight looked down at him with pure excitement. After almost a year (in bannerfall time) he finally told the flower mage how he truly felt, and even better was that the feelings are mutual. He couldn't hold himself back from celebrating, he knew he probably looked stupid right now but this was too joyous to not celebrate. Scott didn't even get to breath a sigh of relief before he was pinned against the wall once again.
"Does that mean we can do couple-y things now?? Like holding hands and.. kissing..?"
Despite blushing heavily right now Scott couldn't help but giggle at how adorable the knight just sounded. He was so excited about holding hands and kissing, the mage found it incredibly endearing. Since Nom wasn't embarrassed he decided to stop feeling ashamed and instead return the enthusiasm, getting on his tip toes to give Nom a small peck on a lips. It barely even lasted a second but the knight started blushing just as much as Scott.
"You just kissed me.. Scott Springwell just kissed me!! I can die in peace now.."
Nom wrapped his arms around Scott's waist and pulled the mage even closer, seeking more of his warmth. While one hand remained around the mages waist, Nom reached up to grab one of Scott's hands and brought it up closer to his face, giving his hand a small kiss in a knightly manner.
"Noo don't die, we haven't even gone on a first date yet!"
Scott joked as he let his now boyfriend kiss his hand like a true and proper knight. He was still blushing profusely but now he was a bit more used to Nom's antics. He was enjoying this as much as Nom was, both of them have fantasized about dating each other for awhile, so it actually happening is a dream come true.
"Alright, where do you want to go for our first date?"
Nom asked with a slight chuckle, he was ready to take his boyfriend anywhere he may want to go. He had generational amounts of wealth in his hoard anyways, now he had a boyfriend to share it with.
"straight to red kingdom to show off our relationship."
Sure Scott didn't realize that Cam had feelings for him, but he did notice that Nom had a certain someone's "hand in farkle". He knew Cherri wasnt after Nom but the idea of it still made him jealous, so just for safe measure he should go show everyone that Noms taken..
"Let's just take a stroll in both kingdoms while holding hands, surely everyone will get the hint!"
"Even Frogue?"
"Okay it might take him a bit longer to realize but he will eventually."
"alright, going on a stoll for a date it is."