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The journey to the surface was tedious, safe but tedious. Every so often the cave floor would have uneven bumps. Some more higher than others, that would have Derek squeeze Avery's hand. Look over his shoulder during its entirety to make sure Avery didn't trip and fall.
Damsel
The first few times, he's ashamed to admit that he was more scared of Avery getting hurt than Avery himself was. He'd blame it on the recent interaction with The King. Fresh on his mind as he looks at the torn red cloth of his cloak wrapped around Avery's eyes and plugged in his ears. Which he does. This entire situation is The King's fault to begin with.
Something tender forces its way into Derek's heart as he watches Avery stick his tongue out slightly in concentration. They've reached an incline now. He can see the light at the top. He can feel Avery squeeze his hand as he makes it beside the knight.
It's only when the soft sound of grass is under Derek's feet does he stop holding his breath. He can tell Avery knows they're out too, either from the light of the afternoon sun through his makeshift blind or the lack of damp cave air. Avery looks expectantly at (where he guesses) the knight's face is.
Derek gives him a half smile that he knows Avery can't see, reaching for the red cloth around his eyes. He can't help the fondness and pity he feels for him. The usually chatterbox man held his words back for most of the journey.
The blind slowly falls away as Avery's big, curious eyes comes into his veiw. Looking to Derek like he has all the answers (which he technically does) as a smile reaches his slightly red face. Like it's easy. Automatic. Like looking at Derek is supposed to do that.
"We're okay" Derek's voice reaches Avery when he pulls the ear plugs out. "You're okay"
Avery looked around the field they were in. Mostly grass and a few trees as far as they could see. The sun gliting Derek's armor a distracting gold shine.
"You're okay?" "Yes" "We're out?" Avery turned in circles, looking around. "Yes" Derek was too relieved to be snarky at the moment, watching Avery look back at him. That bright eyed joy that he thought he'd lose back at the tunnels. He sighed in his helmet as Avery pumped up his hands and jumped around. He'd take this over those heart wrenching watery eyes any day.
"Oh- wait" Avery stopped and stood in place with enough suddenness that Derek's hair stood at the back of his neck. "What, what is it?" He took two quick steps to the other, unsure whether to grab him or the dagger at his belt.
"I don't know which way my house is" Avery said, rubbing his chin and looking this way and that. Derek visibly relaxed, shoulders slouching. Avery gets the idea he'd massage his nose bridge through the helmet if he could. "It's alright, I know. Which way it is, that is" Derek points in a random direction. "Oh, right" Avery gives him an easy grin "I'm with Mr. Know it all, right" "Shut it"
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Avery was back to his lively self next to Derek. Even more so. Excited from their success, Derek was worried he'd accidentally hit him with his animated reactions. Not for himself ofcourse but because Avery could hit his armour and get hurt. But Avery was swinging their joined hands together while he did it, so Derek decided the closeness was necessary.
Halfway to the walk they reached the village Derek knew they would, and he pulled Avery more into the heart of it. "There's an inn here, better to rest there for the night" He said. "You must be tired from all that" Avery was in no way weak, but being anxious over that yellow bastard for as long as he was surely weighed him down.
It indeed was night, darkness descending around them before they reached said inn. There was a small garden outfront with dandelions, they both hurriedly passed it.
Inside, Derek did his best at socializing with someone other than the man he's been holding hands with this whole trip. By socializing it meant one word sentences more than anything. "We need a room" He abruptly started, standing at the front desk where a villager craned his neck to look at him. Eyes wide in surprise. Derek realized he must stick out like a sore thumb in his knight armor. Avery could've helped but he was looking around at the moment (I'll be right back! Was all he said before letting go in a hurry) . Leaving the knight utterly alone in his misson of securing them a place to stay. "With two beds. Please"
.... . / .--- ..- ... - / .-.. .. -.- . / -- . / ..-. .-.
Derek ended up awkwardly waiting for Avery anyway. As he had no money on him ("Know it all? more like, doesn't know at all" "Oh har har")
The room wasn't anything special. Two beds with a nightstand in the middle. Avery immediately jumped on his with a thump. Sitting up and bouncing in space slightly. Derek walked around all the corners. Lifted the mattress of his bed and looked under. Before looking under the bed too. Other than dust and dirt he'd rather not think about even with his infinite knowledge. There was nothing.
"Dude, relax." Avery said from where he was still bouncing on the bed. "How are you still walking around in all that? I'm beat." he said as he laid down with his head and legs hanging off the edge.
"Used to it." Derek sat infront of him on his own bed. Taking off and placing his helmet on the nightstand. He tried not to think how natural it became to do it. Avery perked up immediately at the sound. "Like how you are with your..shorts."
Avery still had that little look of awe as he looked at Derek's bare face before he heard him. "What's wrong with my shorts?" "Nothing" Derek looked him up and down "Just you wear them all the time." And Avery pouted, actually pouted.
"They're iconic." "How is freezing in winter iconic?" Derek was almost smirking now. "You'd wear longsleeves but refused to wear some actual damn pants, I saw it." Avery squinted at him "You're the one with literal battle armor in every season. I don't say anything about how you surely are sweating buckets under there." "Actually, the thickness prevents heat from getting to my skin, so I stay a comfortable 37.2° celcius."
Avery just groans and lays back again, "You're impossible to argue with." "Then don't argue with me." Avery goes on his elbows just to stick his tongue out at him.
Derek realizes he actually has to sleep, not try and stand guard. He actively has to keep his face neutral as he thinks about it. Because it means he does have to take off his armor. He thinks about it staring into the wall before he notices Avery pulling something out of a bag he didn't realize the other had before. So much for searching the room.
Avery feels him staring and turns to look at him with that grin again, radiating mischief.
"Ta-da!" Two wine bottles. Derek glares at him.
"What?" Avery laughs. "Why would you buy that? When did you buy that?" Derek folds his arms like a disappointed parent. "Oh you don't know?" Avery snickers and Derek rolls his eyes. "When you tried checking us in, that poor villager.." "I didn't even do anything to him." "You were standing there acting all cool and stuff in your all-knowing-knightness, any guy would be confused."
Derek scoffs. "It never scared you off." "Duh" Avery struggles with the cork of a bottle, his tongue sticking out a little before it makes a small pop. "That's cause you're my knight"
Derek is sure no one says things like that so effortlessly. Should be able to even. He's sure that aforementioned "no one" should include Avery. The guy infront of him taking a quick swig of the bottle Derek overlooked in his haste to get them away.
A little dribble slipped from the bottle and down Avery's chin. Derek saw it travel down the length of his throat in both his infinite knowledge and the real, present time. Liquid sliding down the edge of his jaw and down his throat before the man pulled away from the bottle with a sigh and swiped it with his thumb. Derek swallowed even with his dry mouth and throat.
"Come onn" Avery giggled, Derek wondered if he was already drunk or just excited to have managed to escape that underground maze. Maybe the boy deserved a little indulgence. "We should celebrate!" Derek scoffed again, as if he'd ever agree with him to his face
But agreeing or not, he's weak at denying him for some unfortunate reason. He watches with his elbows on his knees as Avery takes another swig. The bottle has a decent portion empty now. He's sure Avery is more drunk than he should be compared to it. His eye's flicker to the other by Avery's feet.
"Why two?"
"For you!" Avery says pointing to him, all giggly.
"For you, he says" Derek rolls his eyes. Avery pouts at him again and he has to hold back a laugh, his heart twisting all sorts of ways.
"Mmkay, accidently grabbed two cause I have two hands" Avery stops downing the glass which Derek is grateful for considering the flush on the boy's face and his speech. His head downturned towards Derek's feet instead of his eyes.
"You," Derek starts, deadpan "Brought two because you have two hands?"
"I was in a hurry okay!" Avery glances to the side. Grumbling "Or else you'd show up and go Avery put that back we don't need that we just need to not go to the stupid left" That flush spreads even more.
Derek considers that a stupid reason. But also that Avery brought the wine with his own money and that he is also a grown man that doesn't need babysitting, or atleast isn't supposed to. "We do infact not need it" He considers that this isn't some party, it's just him and Avery in a room with wine.
Hm.
He watches Avery pick up his head and look up at him, through his lashes with that warm face. Derek wonders if this is actually Avery being shy. The guy that had no problems waltzing into his house and mind and world.
Damsel
"I think you should let go a little" Avery says, blinking so earnestly at him. "You deserve fun too". Derek stares at all the features of his face. Ofcourse, this is the Avery determined to give him ways to feel human. To convince him that he is. Push him out of a comfort zone he would never admit he has. Treat him like he's still experiencing the world and not grossly overeducated on all it's facets. Like someone like him shouldn't be numb.
Derek thinks maybe that mindset isn't all wrong. Derek knows every cell in Avery's body up till now. Every memory the boy has. Nothing about Avery makes him numb. He's always raising some new emotion in the knight. Be it frustration, exasperation, annoyance and wow that's a lot of negative feelings but there's more than enough positivity to balance it out. Even when Avery manages to get under his skin in ways no one should be able to, Derek feels this persistent fondness creeping into his smile. A certain need to never deny him. That Avery's smile was some universal truth that would be inexplicably wrong if changed.
Even now he can't as he stares at the other wine bottle by Avery's feet, which the other man is slightly swinging in his silence. No doubt expectantly looking at him.
All these thoughts and feelings come to a head in the knight's heart as an idea overtakes him again and he looks at avery as he stands up. The short distance between them shortening even more before he stands before the other. Instead of reaching for the other unopened bottle he grabs the one in Avery's hand. Moving back to his spot.
He can hear Avery's cut off complaints about stopping him as he looks down the bottle, before he sees the clear smudge from Avery's lips and the wine and quickly puts his lips to it. (So Avery doesn't realize and stops him or before he stops himself? He doesn't know. He doesn't know why he's having this much want. This want for more of Avery. Whatever that means.)
(Right now it means drinking from where Avery drank just for a taste of him. He can confess that to himself for now, right? )
Maybe the eye contact was overkill. Face slightly at an angle to not have to look away from the other. Derek isn't sure what he's doing but he didn't think Avery would understand it. Too fizzy from a little drink but maybe Avery isn't that light weight. Derek can definitely let his curse check but doesn't. Can't. Somehow overides the migraine of knowledge forced upon him. Too stuck in the present enjoying Avery's little gasp. That sweet mouth of his stuck slightly open. Sweet. Avery's sweet. He can tell just from the bottle.
He downs as much as he can and feels light headed. He doesn't want to be sure if it's from the drink or the indirect kiss. From Avery. The more decent part of him is screaming that he has no idea how he's going to explain this away to himself later. Hide from his own infinite thoughts. He got lucky with Avery not asking about the kiss to his hands before the gates. This? He thinks as he wipes his mouth, is going to need more than one sip to be forgotten.
"Wha- hhuh..?" Avery blinks and falls slightly into the pillows in the headboards. Derek realizes he hasn't blinked once. He leans down slightly to put the bottle on the ground. It feels as though the room is closing in on them. A feverish heat building between them. Derek feels his face warm with it. He wants to say it's just embarrassment. Is the room closing in or is he unconsciously leaning towards Avery?
When he looks back at the other he blinks. Stupefied at the scene of Avery leaning fully back on the pillows now. Conked out.
Derek scoffs, but is no less endeared. This whole day was too much for the boy, he thinks. He works on taking off his armor for bed. Taking the plus point of having not to witness Avery's reaction to seeing more of him.