Work Text:
Stark: @Sein
Stark: sein
Stark: Sein Sein Sein
Stark: help
Stark: help me
Stark: help me please
Sein: What happened?
Stark: i asked fern on a date
Sein: WHAT
Stark: and she agreed
Sein: WHAT
Stark: im done for
~
Stark flung his phone across the bed and contemplated every single dumb choice that had led up to this moment. He buried his hands in his unruly red hair and groaned.
It had been a joke. A joke. Because obviously, if he were to ever ask Fern out, she would not-so-politely turn him down and punch him afterwards.
So, when he’d learned from Frieren that she’d be in the spa again and Fern would have nothing to do the entire next day, Stark being uncharacteristically Stark-like, took a chance and sent her a text.
A text.
That read only six words.
Sent while he was in nothing but his boxers, still sprawled across his bed.
wanna go on a date tmrw?
It was so simple that he could already feel the verbal abuse that would come after, but as he cringed to himself, Fern replied with two letters that single-handedly gave him vertigo so intense he thought he was hallucinating.
ok
His heart was beating so rapidly and so loud that he was sure Fern could hear it from her inn room next door.
And so he’d spammed Sein first, and now he was here, collapsed on the bed. What had he been thinking? And what was he going to do now that she agreed?
It wasn’t like Stark didn’t like Fern. He’d tried giving her hints before, but since both of them had been raised as apprentices by older mentors, they hadn’t exactly had a typical childhood.
And Fern had grown up with Frieren. She never took hints, much less gave them out. Heck, Frieren thought of a date as two people of the opposite sex simply going somewhere together alone.
What have I done… He sighed again, but sat up and fished his phone out of the blankets. I guess there’s no turning back now. I have the afternoon to prepare.
Stark dressed quickly and practically ran out of his room, tiptoed past Fern’s door, and leapt down the stairs two at a time. A ding sounded from his phone.
Sein: First thing you need to do is buy her a gift. You need to present something right off the bat when you meet her tomorrow. Step 2…
Stark stopped reading after that. He could worry about the other things later.
A gift… what would Fern like…? Pastries? No… we can get some during the actual thing…Jewelry, maybe? I don’t see her wear it often though… crap, this is hard…
He jogged for the three short minutes that led to the town’s central market, stopping where pavement met much older cobblestone streets. We could come here… it’s a nice part of town.
“Stark! Is that you?”
A petite, white haired frame peeked out from behind a book stand, hands full with what seemed to be seven thick, stacked grimoires.
“Frieren-sama! What are you doing here?” He stepped over and took five books from the elf’s arms.
“Shopping spree. Fern’s still at the inn if you’re looking for her.”
Stark felt his face burn. “Uh, I might actually need your help. I mean, with Fern. Fern-related matters.”
Frieren raised an eyebrow. “Fern-related matters? Why me? I thought Sein was the one who was good with romance stuff.”
“Who said it was romance?”
“Well, before, Himmel always turned red when anyone mentioned my name. You’re pretty red right now, Stark.”
Stark sighed. “Well, you said you’d be at the spa tomorrow and Fern would be free all day, right?”
“Mhm.” Frieren flipped open the cover of the grimoire at the top of her pile.
“Hey, don’t read now! I need help!”
“I’m listening, you can continue.”
“And so since Sein is away and I’m free as well, and Fern is, too, and-”
“You’re rambling, Stark.”
“I asked her on a date, Frieren-sama. For tomorrow.” Stark hung is head so Frieren wouldn’t see the furious blush that was spreading across his cheeks. “And she said yes.”
“Really?” Her voice was as uninterested as ever, though she finally looked up from the grimoire.
“I texted Sein. He said I need to get her a gift. But I’m not sure what she’d like. If her taste with gifts is as picky as with food, then-”
“She’s okay with jewelry,” the elf replied simply.
Stark groaned. “Any specific kind?”
“I think she’d like anything you give her, Stark.” She gestured toward the grimoires in his arms. “I’ll be going now.”
Stark knew that there was no coaxing another more detailed answer out of her. “Have fun at the spa tomorrow,” he said forlornly, setting the grimoires gently into her hands.
Frieren merely waved as much as she could while holding seven grimoires and set off onto a different street.
And so Stark was left alone in the middle of the busy plaza, glancing around the shops and stalls frantically. Pastry cart, the grimoires, where else… There!
A stand was selling necklaces and bracelets, from the most polished gold to the shiniest silver, and Stark slowly wandered over, eyes darting around the selections.
Gold chain? No, she’ll think it’s too flashy. What about bracelets… with a heart? No, that’s weird. What else…?
It took another twenty minutes of Stark personally examining nearly every piece of jewelry the stand had to offer and getting weird looks from the owner before he set his sights upon a bracelet in the corner. Made out of a lustrous silver, it was simple and elegant, sporting a lotus design toward the middle.
It reminded Stark a bit of Fern herself, actually. Simple, beautiful and elegant. He then found himself smiling like an idiot, and shook his head to clear his thoughts.
He picked it up and weighed it on his palm. Not bad. It’s not heavy. It won’t affect her staff work.
“Did you find something you liked, sir?” the woman behind the stand asked.
“Yes…” I just hope she’ll like it, too. Stark handed over some of the coins he’d kept in his jacket and tucked the bracelet securely into his breast pocket.
Ah, I hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow. If not, then I’ve dug my own grave.
~
The morning sun slanted through the windows of Stark’s room, and he turned around in the blankets, instantly very much awake.
Had yesterday been real? He wasn’t sure until he grabbed his jacket from the desk and found the bracelet in his breast pocket that he allowed himself to relax. I should probably get ready. Fern’ll be mad if I’m late.
He slipped on his usual outfit, slid his feet into his boots, and stepped down the stairs to the plaza surrounding the inn, making his way to the center fountain and leaning against it.
It was also there he stayed for another ten minutes or so, wondering if Fern had decided to ditch him in one cruel joke, but as the morning bells chimed, the inn door creaked open.
Stark nearly had to physically hold his jaw shut as, out walked Fern, hair brushed silky smooth, in a lavender dress patterned with flowers that he’d never seen her wear before and clutching a small matching purse at her hip. As his gaze traveled lower, he noticed she was wearing… heels?
Fern… in heels? Stark had personally never expected her to dress up for him out of all people, and he drew his eyes back up to her face. “Fern! You’re… not wearing your usual clothes.”
She cast him a slightly confused look. “Didn’t you say this was a date?”
“Yes, but…” Stark shut his mouth before he could say anything stupid. “You look nice.”
“Thanks.” She looked down at her feet. “Do you have any plans?”
Ah, crap. “I looked around a bit yesterday, maybe we could go to the older plaza? It’s a nice part of this town.”
“How far is it?”
I jogged there… so probably more than three minutes? “Five minute walk?”
“Okay.”
“Shall we go? I saw a food stand I think you’d like.”
Shit. Forgot about the gift. I’ll give it to her in a bit, it’s too late to offer it now.
And so they set off together, Stark not missing the obvious breadth of space she kept between them. A sort of awkward silence ensued as they walked, side by side, as if both were afraid to strike up any sort of conversation.
It went on like that for about half the stroll, until they reached the cobblestone streets. All of a sudden, Fern lurched forward, and Stark reacted without realizing, slipping a hand around her waist to catch her before she fell.
She was breathing hard. Stark could feel her chest heaving as he tipped her upright as gently as possible. “You alright?”
“Mm.”
His hand was still on her waist. She’s definitely going to call me a perv later.
“What happened?”
“My heel caught on a stone. Don’t worry about it.”
Stark finally drew his hand back. “Why’d you wear heels, anyway?”
“I wanted to look nice. This is a date, isn’t it?”
“You’re right.”
As they continued walking, Stark darted a glance at his date. Huh… was Fern always this cute…?
“Stark-sama.”
“Huh?”
“Is that the plaza?” Fern pointed toward the square, full of bustling street vendors and busy stalls.
“Yeah.”
“It’s nice.” And to Stark’s surprise, she offered him a hand.
“You want me to… hold your hand?”
“Well, isn’t that what couples do? I don’t want to trip again either…”
“Okay, then.” Stark slipped his fingers through Fern’s, silently marveling at the callouses she’d built up through years of staff training. I think she might have more than me…
Fern tightened her grip on his hand as they navigated through the light crowd. Stark’s heart started pounding again. He could almost feel it in his throat.
“Oh! There’s the pastry cart. Do you want something to eat?”
“Okay.”
So Stark lightly tugged her over, smiling a bit as her eyes brightened instantly, roving over the numerous breads and small cakes. “See anything you like?”
“You know better than to ask me that, Stark-sama.”
Stark felt his eyebrows creep up his forehead. “Sorry, sorry. Take your time.”
He lingered by her as she skimmed over the varieties, finally pointing at a large bun and a strawberry pastry. “Those,” she told him.
“One for each of us?”
“The buns, maybe. I’ll let you have some of the strawberry tart. We need to save money.”
“Alright.” So Stark bought two buns and Fern’s strawberry tart, and the two set off once more.
“Hey, Fern.”
“Hm?” she mumbled around a bite of the bun.
“Since we don’t often stop by a town, let’s check out some other places as well. We can stop by a bench to eat first, is that okay?”
“Okay.”
The pair sat down together on the nearest bench and ate in silence. Stark then noticed that Fern hadn’t touched her strawberry tart yet. He pointed to it. “You’re not gonna have desert yet?”
“I’ll save it for later.”
“Ah.”
And so Stark led Fern around the town, stopping briefly at spots he’d seen the previous day, all the while inwardly praying she wouldn’t be disappointed in him. Why does her face always have to be so passive? I have no idea what she’s thinking!
As the sun began its descent, Stark gently took Fern’s hand again. “I have one last spot. Let’s go.”
In truth, Stark had no idea where he was going, but since he’d finished his bun earlier, he pretended to throw the wrapping paper away and sought out a street map located by the trash. He tried to memorize it the best he could within thirty seconds, and now they were headed toward a supposed scenic spot further up the town’s terrain.
The cobbled street slowly slanted higher until it reached a point overlooking the rest of the town, surrounded by a polished marble balcony. We can watch the sunset.
“Do you wanna watch the sunset?”
“Okay.”
She’s said the word “okay” way too many times today… “Is something wrong?”
The two approached the guardrails, standing side by side. A light wind breezed through Fern’s hair, lifting it slightly. Beautiful…
The purple-haired girl stared off into the horizon. “Stark-sama… why did you take me out today?”
“Well, because I heard that you weren’t going to have anything to do, and I was free as well.”
“Ah.” Her eyebrows drew a little closer together.
“Fern.”
“Hm?”
“Did you not have fun today?”
She looked down at the town. “I mean, the places you took me today… I take a liking to all of them, but they lacked a certain Stark-sama feel to them.” She curled her fingers around the strawberry tart packaging, still unopened. “Though we finally got the chance to go out on a date…”
Stark sighed. “I’m sorry, Fern… I was just trying to find places I thought you’d like based on our previous travels. I never thought to actually plan today together.”
“It’s oka-”
“Don’t say okay anymore! Truth is, I just wanted to impress you.” Stark looked down at his feet. “And I know nothing about all of this stuff, and you look really nice, and now I feel bad because I didn’t take some of your concerns into consideration.”
“Stark-sama.”
Stark reluctantly met her gaze.
“You really racked your brain for me, huh?”
“I guess so.”
“I forgive you.” And without warning, she leaned her head onto Stark’s shoulder, sending electric shocks down his body.
“Fern…”
“Shh. Now we finally have an occasion to share this strawberry tart, too.” Her long, lithe fingers made quick word of the packaging and pushed the tart up.
Stark’s entire body was stiff. Fern… had her head on his shoulder.
“Look, Stark-sama. We can share and watch the sunset together.” Fern pointed toward the golden hour sun, casting a veil of light over her delicate features.
“Fern… before we share, I forgot to give you this when we met up this morning.” Stark fished the silver bracelet out of his breast pocket. “A gift. Thanks for agreeing to come along today.”
He placed it into Fern’s hand and curled her fingers around it. “I hope you like it,” he murmured against her ear.
“Perv.”
“Okay, okay, sorry! That was too far!”
But nonetheless, as Stark watched Fern slip the bracelet onto her wrist, a warm feeling spread through his chest. He smiled at her, and she smiled back, albeit with slightly less enthusiasm.
And, like the encore act of a stage play, Fern offered the strawberry tart to Stark first. Plain, whole, not a single bite taken out of it.
“You’re not going to take the first bite?”
“I’m offering it to you. So you’d better take it.” Her lips began to form into that signature pout, and Stark quickly took the tart from her hands, taking a hurried bite before handing it back to her.
“Stark-sama…”
“Hmm?” Damn, this tart is delicious.
“Did you only take one bite?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Half of it’s gone.”
A cold sweat formed instantly. “I’m sorry…”
“That’s fine. This tart was small anyway.” Then, Fern stuffed the entire other half of the tart into her mouth, causing her cheeks to bulge as she chewed furiously.
Stark let out a laugh. “Fern, you look like a chipmunk!”
“Don’t—insult me!” She raised a fist, and Stark shrank back.
“Sorry, sorry! What I meant to say was, you look very cute.”
She raised the fist higher.
“I can’t even say that?”
“Hmph.”
“Okay, okay. You’re very beautiful?”
She let her fist drop.
“I can’t call you cute but you’ll accept beautiful?”
She nodded in that endearing way of hers, still chewing her mouthful of strawberry tart.
There’s a good mood going on… Fern turned her head to face Stark’s. And smiled. For real this time.
“Stark-sama.”
“Huh?”
“You can hug me now, if you want. I’ll allow it.”
Stark’s brain was short circuiting, he was sure of it. This could not possibly be happening. But he wrapped his arms around Fern’s shoulders anyway and let his chin rest on her head.
And it was like this that they watched the sun set together, both of them extremely content.
~
Stark: mission success
Sein: Did you follow my steps?
Stark: nope
Stark: except for the gift
Sein: This is what I get for hanging around teenagers
Sein: Did she like it?
Stark: hopefully
Stark: still scared to ask
Stark: went great though
Sein: Anything happen?
Stark: she let me have the first bite
Sein: Really? We talking about the same person?
Stark: she let me hug her too
Sein: Oh boy
Sein: You’re really done for