Chapter Text
Romulus lied down on the grass near Kilo's tent and gazed at the stars. Surprisingly, Kilo had already fallen asleep, but after the small adventure of trying to find his cat (who turned out not to be a regular cat, now that was an experience), Romulus couldn't sleep. So they snuck out of Kilo's tent after it stopped raining, laid their head on their bag, and took to watching the stars. Ever since their werewolf encounter when they were younger, they tended to be more fascinated by nature.
They rarely get to do this anymore. Most of the time they're too busy taking jobs and trying to get by with the money they and Jackson earned from being hired to take care of stuff.
But this case is different. It's not just Jackson and Romulus anymore, is it? In the span of a few days, they went from having each other to having the duo plus Bubbles, a fairy named Keijo, a halfling named Bitters, a tiefling-looking creature who we still don't know the name of, Arren the Guildmaster, Javlynn the Innkeeper, And Kilo the Tavernkeeper.
Kilo.
Romulus liked Kilo the moment they met him. Kilo Woodlock was a half wood-elf who had just reached elf maturity, green and hazel eyes, tanned skin with a hint of green, and short auburn curly hair. He was upbeat when Romulus and Jackson had entered the Raven's Tavern on their first day at Raven's Rest, and a little nervous once they had mentioned the two had been sent by the Guildmaster. He had even brought them breakfast the next day, much to the annoyance of Javlynn who hadn't wanted to be disturbed.
Then came Keyleth Nailo.
After giving back Arren her dog, Oakley, Jackson and Romulus were about to head back to the town hall to question Susan the receptionist when a stairway to a dungeon opened. Jackson decided to go down it and Romulus followed suit, albeit reluctantly. They manage to weave through multiple traps, kill a few zombies, and kill a young mimic. Then they opened another door to find Keyleth on the other side. Keyleth drugged them by putting something in their wine and they woke up several days later in a cell with two people; Bubbles and Keijo.
While planning to escape the cell, Keyleth brought two other people, Bitters and Unknown (the tiefling-looking creature), to guard them. Another person is thrown at the guards feet by Keyleth, who left immediately after, right before they planned to escape. When the guards go to put him in the cell, Bitters realises the key is gone. Both of the guards start freaking out about it. Since they were distracted, Romulus tried to get a closer look at the person currently trapped on the floor due to Unknown's foot firmly on their back.
That person was Kilo.
Bubbles decides then and there to escape. While the others ran, Kilo and Romulus manage to get Bitters and Unknown to come along with them. As they escape, Romulus finds out they were being held on a ship. Kilo offers his jacket to cover Romulus and Jackson from the glittery pink rain that had magic infused in it. At the camp Kilo had been staying at, he set up more tents, and then promptly collapsed from exhaustion and his injuries. Romulus had worried about him for the rest of the night. So much so that they couldn't sleep, so they decided to take the night watch for the rest of the night.
The next morning, Arren and Javlynn had found the group and told them that Raven's Rest was burnt down, and the villagers needed help finding a new place to stay. They all made their way to Arren's camp, where all the Raven's Rest villagers were, and the group helped them pack up the camp. Romulus and Jackson were guarding the kids while Kilo calmed them down, Bitters and Unknown helped pack everything up, and Keijo and Bubbles guarded the elders and those who couldn't fight.
And now it was night. The villagers were going to take refuge at another town a little ways away the next morning, so everyone would sleep and save their energy the night before.
Unfortunately, Romulus couldn't sleep. So here they were, gazing at the stars.
They heard the rustling and the footsteps leading out of the tent before the person actually announced their presence. Since the tent behind them was the one they just left, they knew exactly who it was.
"You mind if I lie next to you?" The unmistakable voice of Kilo sounded through the air.
Romulus turned their head to the side to look at him. The moonlight was bouncing off Kilo's hair, making it more red than usual. He didn't have his cat with him—thank the gods, Romulus thought—but he seemed a little more calm than when he came to them to ask for their help in finding the cat.
They shook their head. "Go ahead," Romulus spoke quietly, not having the energy to use their usual "confident but kind" persona they usually use during the day.
Kilo wordlessly lied down next to them, looking up at the stars. Romulus turned their head back to do the same.
They both lied there for a little while. The silence wasn't uncomfortable; it was actually quite peaceful. They both had sat by the fire for a while and had a conversation earlier, but that was before they got tired and went to sleep. Now that they don't have any more topics to talk about anymore, the silence stretched. Romulus decided to break the silence.
"Sorry if I woke you," said Romulus.
A small movement quiet enough for only a werewolf to catch was heard, and they assumed Kilo had shook his head. "It's okay. I tend to wake up in the middle of the night anyway." There was another second, and Kilo spoke again. "Misty's very comfy in the tent right now."
The thought of that creature being content made Romulus huff in amusement. "She's a very, er... interesting cat. Where did you find her?"
"Found her in the woods. She was all alone, and she didn't seem to be domesticated, so I brought her back to the tavern. Raised her as my own," Kilo explained. Romulus smiled at the pride they heard in his voice. "I think she ran away while I went to look for you and Jackson. It's an unknown environment, so I guess it's natural for her to explore. I figured she would come back by nightfall, but she didn't, so I got worried."
He seemed embarrassed by that last statement, so Romulus turned their head to face Kilo. "I get that. Pets are held dear to us, if we don't see them for more than a few hours then we'll worry that they might've gone off and done something stupid like falling off a tree or something," they joked, not wanting Kilo to be embarrassed about caring for an animal.
The joke managed to get a chuckle out of him, and Romulus smiled in accomplishment. Kilo turned to face them. "You ever had a pet before?" He asked, curious.
Romulus shook their head. "Nope. I've taken care of animals before, but I've never had one myself. I just never had the time for it. Not to mention they're usually expensive as hell to take care of."
Kilo sucked his lips into a thin line and nodded. "They are. Good thing the tavern gives me good income... or at least it did." His face turned sorrowful at the thought of his now burned down tavern, and he sat up and looked away, trying to hide his expression.
Seeing Kilo this crestfallen about his tavern made Romulus's heart break a little. The tavern seemed to be very special to him, and now it was gone. "Did you manage to get anything back from the wreckage?" they asked, sitting up along with him.
"A few pictures and trinkets," Kilo sighed. "Everything else was burnt to a crisp."
Romulus took his hand and squeezed in sympathy. "I'm sorry."
Kilo shook his head. "Not your fault," he murmured, glancing at their intwined hands and squeezing back. "I don't even know why the village burnt down. I'd assume it was Nailo, but there's no evidence of it."
They didn't know what to say to that. "Well, once we find a new village and all this Nailo stuff blows over, I can help you open a new tavern, yeah? It might not be the same, but you'll be a Tavernkeeper again. You can hang the pictures you saved on the walls."
His head turned back to look at Romulus. "You'd really help me with that?" He seemed almost... hopeful.
"Of course," they said with a small smile. "I can see how important it is to you."
The corner of Kilo's eyes crinkled as his face lit up with a smile. He squeezed the hand Romulus was holding one more time in a silent thank you before pulling away. "You're a good person, Romulus," he said with sincerity, turning back to look at the stars.
Romulus didn't know if they believed that. Sure, they were in scouts, but most of their life wasn't that honorable. Most werewolves were untrustworthy, which led them to believe they weren't trustworthy. After scouts, they became a rogue and helped others get rid of threats and troubles. And sure, helping people with problems is great, but is it really good when most of the problems were solved by stealing things and killing creatures?
Their face had doubt written all over it. "You really think so? Because other than scouts, my life hasn't really been that respectable."
Kilo looked at them and then turned his whole body to face them. "You've been a decent person for the whole time I've known you. And while that time may be short, it's enough time for me to gather an opinion of you. You're a good person, Romulus," he repeated fervently. "Whether you're a werewolf or a rogue doesn't define you; your choices do. And I'd say your choices so far have been pretty damn good."
Romulus stared at him with a contemplative look.
He really thinks that highly of me?
They had never really thought of it that way. Romulus always assumed if you had something bad in your genes or past reputation, you were destined to be that way. They had been in scouts, and yet they became a rogue after they left. Despite all their good deeds, they were known as "the rogue werewolf." No one noticed what they did, only what they are.
And yet Kilo is sitting here and telling them that he noticed their actions. He paid attention to Romulus. No one ever did that for them.
"No one ever really notices actions or choices that much, though, do they? When people look at me, they only see a rogue werewolf." Romulus still wasn't very convinced.
Kilo scoffed. "Then screw them," he said so abruptly that it startled a huff of laughter out of them. "I'm serious. Those people only judge books by their cover. Don't focus on the opinions of strangers. Those close to you," he tapped where Romulus's heart laid in their chest, "are who's important."
They looked at the spot Kilo had tapped and then back at him. There was nothing but honesty in his eyes. Usually Jackson is the one who reassures them, but to hear it from someone other than him, someone who says it with such genuineness?
For the first time in a while, Romulus actually believed it.