Work Text:
By this point, Legs and Scott have been dating for quite a long while. The iron mage has long gotten used to Scott's need of kissing his hand at every entrance and parting. However, one certain fire mage has not seen this in action. Nor had he taken the rumors at face value: yes, he has heard about how cute the pair have been. It's moreso the lack of trust in Scott to do anything for himself, especially for his own happiness. Not to mention, this school love to assume everyone is gay constantly. And, well, it wasn't like the three of them have been in same proximity all at once in quite a while. (but they, individually, would surely mention it?)
At least, not in emergency mode, they each have seen and fought to protect the others countless times. Scott haven't kissed Legs's hand during those emergencies. He wouldn't because Legs need the usage of his hands during such times. Instead, they both do a different protocol where they do a set of light, driveby touches that lead to a quick, gentle squeeze of "get out of this mess alive, I love you, and see you on the other side.” Just a moment in battle where one is moving to a different side of the battleground, they'll do a pat, a caress or a squeeze of the other’s arm, when timing permits. Each of these actions are easily missed, but they do it for the other (and themself), and not the audience.
Now, that being said, these two already told their closest friends and just allowed them to spread it wide and far. And far it did, but that then. Now, it was just considered more common knowledge, where even the new students know.
So, if the memory of this union somehow fell by the wayside, especially someone considered to be one of the pair’s brother would heavily be unexpected. Given this, his reaction to their usual antics shocked all participants and spectators.
This all came to a head on a day where Ser Osteon had called for a meeting, maybe for the Queen or the Professor, perhaps for something they herself have noticed and thought important. Pyro, Legs, Amber, Graecie, and CPK were found, gathered around in the Great Hall, with the blacksmith himself. Their punctuality was congratulated but they happened to already be there before the alarm pounded. In a few minutes, another three dragonriders came to join the waiting party, Shelby, Drift, and Scott, who were discussing possible scenarios for the meeting. Most of Drift's theories were of them being suspended, even with Scott's and Shelby's reminders of the fact that they are not in school anymore, or that they haven't all done something horrible.
(”It could be humiliation! Just us are going to be suspended but in front of all our friends.”
“What would be our crime, Drift?”
“They could've made it up!”)
The duo of women lowered their volume as they joined the semi circle as Scott wordlessly went around the back, heading directly towards Legs. Using the hand that was further away, he took the glove off the other. His newly freed hand reached down and grabbed Legs's right hand, pulled it up to his mouth and kissed it gently.
Without breaking concentration on his conversation, Legs used his kidnapped hand to move to cup Scott's cheek. Legs could feel Scott's eyes close as his eyelashes brushed past his hand.
After having waited patiently to throw his gems into the ring of discussion, Pyro goes silent. In fact, his mouth fell open and stayed so. His differently hued eyes blink in rapid succession, staring at the hand adorning his best friend’s face. Uncaring about Osteon's quick note about needing to go, about being back as soon as they can and making a quicker exist.
Amber looks up from her book, now confused, addressed him, "’Maybe the Storm Ravens’ what?" (In the same breath, Graecie quietly mentions that Pyro cut themself off.)
"Since how long has that been a thing?" The words felt lumpy as they left his throat, what in the Summer Realm?
"Storm Ravens?" Scott questioned, leaning into his partner's palm, as if he was used to this particular touch.
"That!"
Legs blink, "In what sense? Since they made their presence known, since we learned of their existence, or-or their evolution?" He obviously wasn't disturbed by, what he imagined to be, a brutal cold sensation that was attached to Scott, especially his uncovered skin. Pyro wouldn't know, or really can remember what being cold is like.
“Come on, Pyro, you know this better than anyone!” Drift calls from the front, his gaze snapped over before going back, as if the scenery was suddenly going to change as if it was a trick on him personally.
Then, Pyro searches the crowd, eyes going wider at the aspect that their confused faces were directed at him, and not at the public display of affection happening so… abruptly. From his understanding, only one person in their class likes men and he's apparently found the only other guy who share the same stance. And that this simultaneously is not new knowledge to the public.
But… Come on, it has to be, right? It has to be not public knowledge because if not, then… No. Pyro would have known that Scott, Scott, was in a relationship. Ignoring the strike of pain not being told, the feeling of being flabbergasted filled them. How did he manage to keep it from them? What did he miss? What did they file away that was actually proof of this massive change for his friend? Yes, he was aware of his feelings towards the man with the “pretty blue streak” in his hair, but he didn't actually think those feelings were returned.
Well, to be fair, he didn't know Legs… Hm, wait, now that he is thinking about it, the day when the short man attacked him in anger, he did seem calm a bit down once Scott got there, even his voice went soft around the towering sod. Or, perhaps, is that merely the hindsight speaking? Now seeing the younger accept such blatant affection, with ease, as if the thought brought comfort instead of irration as it did him. However, what distresses Pyro personally isn't of importance at this moment, as it seems it colored his vision. He was expecting that Legs were a kindred spirit in this regard.
Soon, he was broken from his thoughts as CPK’s voice broke through, “Guys, I think he was meanting Scott's relationship!”
“No, no.. that can't be, I told him.” Scott said, seemingly deterred from that line of thought.
“Ah, yes, I remember now,” Pyro lifts his head to meet Scott's gaze, “It was right next to your actual birthday.” The sass unhelpfully falls from his mouth.
Scott closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Legs's jaw clenches, Amber suddenly looks very interested in the floor, the ceiling… Pyro blinks. Oh, it's. It's the Corruption again. Isn't it?
“Oh, so you remember now?” Graecie chirps, excitedly. It's not that she didn't know about Pyro's worsening health, but that she is enviously hopeful.
She continues again, as the information settled in, “But wait, you don't know Scott's birthday because he was lost for a while before he was adopted..” His sarcastic remarked was wonderfully dissected.
He nods, “Yes, you are quite correct. I do not remember. But I must ask, Scott, how often did you tell me?” Did he forget a singular moment or a common conversation? How much did this stupid plague take from him again?
Scott flinched, turning his head away. Ah, so a lot more than is comfortable, grand.
Pyro hung his head a moment before locking eyes with Legundo, “Did I threaten to burn you yet, if you make the slightest mistake?”
Legs breathlessly chuckles, “No, not yet, but Juniper already told Scott off.”
Shelby and Drift call to asking to join in on the shovel talking the iron mage, a long while into their relationship. Speaking of the iron mage, he suddenly hidden by Scott, who had a playful glare aimed at him.
“I'm not going to do it now! I can't have his polar bear of a boyfriend there, undermining my threats!” Pyro gestures to taller’s protective stance.
“’Don’t think I could,” Scott's Tegrith accent laying on thick, “When everything I do is over you.” The sound of shocked laughter and “ooo’s” played through the hall.
Now, Pyro is a composed man. Yes, he's a bit of a hot head, a bit full of himself (who wouldn't be), but he is usually a composed man. Under his brother says stupid shit.
“Uh, Legs, I’d suggest you stand anywhere but behind Scott.” Can't having the new (old) boyfriend getting caught in the crossfire this early on. Amber was quick to grab Legs's arm, giggling as she went, ignoring his claims of “wait, wait, wait-”
Scott widens his legs, taking a more grounded position. His stance proved only slightly useful as Pyro fire leaps into his chest, making his fall delay slightly, cushioning his pain that much better. Once Scott hit the floor, with his brother on top of him, he retaliates with his ice beam.
As the personification of fire and ice sparred, their laughter blooming from the smoke as much as stray magic did. The other riders quickly backed away from, then start taking bets on who will win. Attempting to, but when one of them having the reputation as the strongest mage, having beaten Osteon in a balanced 1v1, and being twice the height of most other riders? It was mostly Drift fighting on Pyro's side, and Five hadn't seen Scott in action yet, so they guessed Pyro because fire burns ice, right? No. Ice beats fire in this dimension.
This lead to discussion on Scott's and Pyro's biology, somehow. Neither of them feel the other’s temperature anymore, no they aren't biologically siblings, and no Legs is not answering everything about Scott is cold. CPK considers the intense flush on Legs's to be a yes.
The fight eventually ends, with a foreign language spoken by the victor and loser. No one is quite sure what they said, but Scott's blushing and glaring so it seems Scott won the fight but Pyro got the last word in.
However, they both feel like each other were normal again so it's worth it. Especially worth it to have Legs fret over Scott.