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“It’s nothing, really. I used to have to handle, like, a hundred n’ fifty guys who couldn’t tell left from right and they expected me to teach ‘em how to hold a sword correctly. It was tough, sure, but after that first bunch you kind of just, uh, zone out? You start storing all the questions and dumb stuff they ask in the back of your head.
Actually, most of the stuff they ask can be answered with a shove or some insult about their mother or how stupid they are. Now that I am thinking about it, some of them couldn’t read for shit either. To even think about that! Me, teaching grown-ass to read — they should’ve been paying me in emeralds, I swear. Gold’s just fine, too, that’s what Aerie prides itself in, but I had to put up with a lot, like when—“
Words, words, words! So many and yet so little being said. Usually, Avery had no issue listening to Derek’s ramblings. The stories he liked telling tended to be more … intriguing.
Venturing with his knights to some land Avery hadn’t heard of before and somehow coming back to Aerie 1 village richer. Short-lived wars between Derek’s city and some neighboring one.
Some stories were a bit more graphic than needed, but they were interesting. Helped Avery learn more about the guy lying on the other side of his bed.
Past events had been acknowledged, certain events elicited desperate apologies, and now it was a time of standstill where the two were simply getting to know one another. Facts about Derek were few and far between, so Avery always listened attentively when the knight started yapping away about his home city.
Well, tried to listen. This ‘new story’ had started with Derek talking about his father and how he had gotten to be in charge of the knight guild back in Aerie. Somewhere, somehow, it turned into a conversation where Derek was saying whatever surfaced in his mind.
Anybody who had an interaction of any sort with Derek would’ve noted his way with words. He chose them so carefully yet quickly, as if he had manufactured his responses days ahead of time, making the knight an interesting person in every sense. That’s with ignoring the fact that he also knew quite literally everything! Sometimes that made him a pain to deal with, especially when he didn’t want to tell Avery something just for the sake of it.
“Where’s my bow?” Avery could’ve asked.
“How would I know? It’s your bow.”
Derek, you know damn well—
In any case, Avery never got bored when it came to Derek. Well, almost never got bored. This conversation had him thinking his situation over.
What was worse is that the guy wasn’t even looking at him anymore. Derek was leaned up against some of the pillows resting against the bed’s backboard, eyes either closed or looking off to the side in thought. Hands gestured unpredictably, unassociated statements and thoughts accompanied by a wave or whip. Avery wasn’t even listening anymore, not when the last statement he heard had to do with some dish Derek enjoyed when he was a kid.
It could have been Avery being bored, but now he wanted sleep more than anything. Though uncomfortable, he could have rested right there and then, shorts and collared shirt ready to be wrinkled.
But Avery wasn’t one to sleep alone. He looked over his shoulder, eyes half closed as Derek started on about the old stores that used to be littered around his city.
“Some bakery. My aunt on my mother’s side ran it, but she wasn’t the best at it. I do remember that she’d give—“
Derek’s words came to a stop as Avery fell to the side, face meeting the side of the knight’s shoulder. A questioning hum came from Derek as he turned his head. The slime’s arm looped underneath Derek’s, hand going to rest on the man’s upper chest.
“Derek,” Avery’s words were muffled as they were spoken into Derek’s skin. He looked up, wide eyes going to meet Derek’s as his lower face remained plastered against the man’s arm. “I wanna go to beddddd.”
There was a moment where Derek simply looked at Avery, eyebrows slightly raised as he thought about a response.
Finally, he smiled lightly, exhaling through his nose. “Did I bore you?” He bent his arm, hand going to cradle the side of Avery’s head.
“Mmmm,” Avery nestled his face further against Derek’s arm, hugging the other closer. “You talk too much.”
That earned a soft laugh. “You like hearing me talk, I thought?”
Avery’s eyes opened again, narrowed. “I want to go to bed.” As before, he closed his eyes before snuggling himself closer.
“You big baby.” Derek tilted his head down to where he could place a kiss against Avery’s forehead. “Don’t you want to get something more comfortable on?”
Avery scoffed. “Don’t you?” That begged Derek to acknowledge his own attire. He shrugged to himself after a brief pause. “I can sleep anywhere you are.”
Their heads met one another, Derek’s now resting on Avery’s. A hand grasped the back of Derek’s shoulder. “I’m tired of sleeping alone.” Avery pouted drowsily, eyebrows furrowing as his eyes remained closed.
“You haven’t slept alone since, what, last winter?” Derek said, tone soft. A sound came from Avery.
“I used to sleep out in hammocks. Out in the woods,” he yawned into Derek’s shoulder, small hum following shortly after. “Between tournaments…” words began slurring.
Derek grabbed Avery’s waist and pulled him closer, careful not to disturb the head on his shoulder too much. “Alone?” A small nod served as his answer. Eyes softened.
“..You don’t have to be anymore.”
“Hm?”
“Alone, I mean,” Derek specified, letting his own eyes close.
“Hm.”
Avery’s volume had gradually diminished until then, tone barely noticeable. It caused a smile to occupy Derek’s face.
With no need to keep Avery up and talking, Derek quieted.
He had done enough talking for the day.