Chapter Text
They were still on a long break between tours, and everyone was getting comfortable in their domestic routines. Aether had been spending a lot of time with Copia, the ghoulettes were their normal inseparable selves, and Multi and Rain were fairly attached at the hip (often literally) those days.
Ember hated the idea of getting rusty, so he chose to stay sharp and practice guitar in most of his free time, keeping his muscle memory consistent. The mid-morning sun was beaming in through his curtains, and Ember sat in the chair by his desk, leaning it back at a dangerous angle as he played his guitar without an amp. He kept his balance however, and even played around with adding more licks between all the parts that he knew by heart.
He heard a bright knocking on his door, one he didn’t recognize. Maybe Copia? It had been some time since they’d spoken (or otherwise met) privately. Ember stopped strumming and set the guitar on the rack by his desk before answering.
The skinny ghoul pulled the door open to find Mountain standing there, looking cheerful, but also, if Ember wasn’t mistaken, a little bit nervous. Ember smiled up at him. He hadn’t been expecting a visit from the drummer, but he was happy to see the tall ghoul.
“What brings you here?” Ember asked openly. “Also, hi,” he added, not wanting to be impolite. Not to Mountain, anyway.
Mountain rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke, “Hi there, Ember. I was wondering… if you don’t have any other plans today, that is, maybe you’d like to go for a walk with me?”
Ember definitely hadn’t been expecting that either. Pleasantly surprised, he answered, “Sure, that sounds nice.” He did quite like the outdoors, and he had been cooped up in his room for a good portion of the break. A walk would do him good, and it’d be a nice chance to get to know Mountain better.
“Cool, so, if you’re up for it, I’d like to prepare a picnic too,” Mountain added. His face lit up with such obvious excitement, it would have been cruel to turn him down. Not that Ember would have; any opportunity to eat more of Mountain’s cooking was an opportunity worth taking in his book.
“Definitely. I haven’t eaten yet today, actually,” Ember realized, feeling the beginnings of hunger pangs just thinking about food.
“Oh, well, I hope you can wait a little longer. Want to meet me in the kitchen around lunch time?”
“I’ll see you there,” Ember agreed.
Mountain looked positively thrilled, his smile so wide that his jade eyes almost closed completely. “Great. See you later.” The tall ghoul turned and left.
Ember ducked his head out the door and watched him walk down to the end of the corridor, then turn toward the kitchen right away. He straightened up again, and stood there for a moment in thought.
Is this a date? He honestly wasn’t sure. He peeked out toward the kitchen again. No sign of Mountain coming back anytime soon. He really wanted to ask someone else’s opinion, but who… He didn’t feel comfortable asking Aether, even though they’d rekindled their friendship. Rain and Multi were probably both still asleep. Maybe I’ll ask the ghoulettes.
Ember walked the short trip down the hallway to Cirrus’ room, where they seemed to be spending most of their time, at least the past week or so. Every once in a while they switched to the other’s room. Ember thought it was cute. He knocked on Cirrus’ door, and heard both ghoulettes beckon him inside in warm welcome.
Ember entered the room to find Cirrus reading on the window-seat while Cumulus had been doing some morning yoga. Cirrus’ room was very aesthetically pleasing; she’d decorated with soft fabrics in neutral greys, with small colorful pieces here and there. A faint scent of incense hung in the air, likely from the night before.
“Good morning, Ember!” Cumulus greeted him, while Cirrus gave a small wave.
“Morning ladies. Can I bother you for a minute?” Ember said as he started to close the door.
“Of course, it’s no bother at all, you’re welcome any time,” Cirrus reassured him.
Ember shut the door and motioned toward the bed, silently asking if he could sit there. Both keyboardists nodded in approval, and he took a seat on the end of the bed. “So, I want your opinion on something. I’m not sure if I’m reading too much into things or if it’s what I think it is.” Or is it just what I hope it is?
“Ooh, sounds juicy! Do tell,” Cumulus encouraged him. She transitioned into her next yoga pose while she listened.
“I’m flattered that you would come to use for our advice,” Cirrus added, “We’d be happy to help.”
“Thanks,” Ember said before he dove right into it. “Okay, so, at the Festival, me and Mountain had a really nice time, and—”
“AHH DID YOU TWO HOOK UP?” Cumulus immediately asked, breaking her pose in her excitement.
“No, we didn’t. It wasn’t even like that really, at least there’s no evidence that it was. We smoked together a little, he was really happy I liked his food, and then later on we met by the Wrath pits and we had a good fight and he knocked me out.”
Cirrus was contemplating his story, but reserving judgement.
“Well that sounds fun, maybe minus the ‘knocked out’ part,” Cumulus commented. She had resumed her pose by then.
“It was great. And now, just now, he came to my room and asked if I want to go on a walk with him. And a picnic… Is that a date?”
Cumulus struggled to maintain her pose, but she stuck with it as she responded, “Awwwww, that’s really nice. It might be a date I think. At least, he’s never asked any of the rest of us to go have a picnic. Has he?” She turned to Cirrus.
The taller ghoulette held her chin while she thought, considering all the factors, no doubt. “I’m not so sure. Although I agree, this is a rare occasion, it’s safer not to assume intentions until they’re made clear by the parties involved. Best to stay neutral, Ember, and see how things play out.”
Ember nodded, not feeling any more certain than when he’d walked into the room.
“Here’s the real question though, do you want it to be a date?” Cumulus asked.
It was Ember’s turn to consider his answer. He was curious about Mountain, and he had certainly enjoyed being around him during the Festival, and he was reasonably attracted to him… “I think I do want it to be a date,” he admitted.
Cumulus made a tiny squealing sound of delight. Cirrus smiled too, but remained calm. “I still think it’s best to go in without any expectations.”
Ember nodded, agreeing that was the better approach.
“But if an opportunity presents itself… Be open to it, that’s all,” Cumulus chimed in.
The skinny ghoul stood up. “Thank you for your input ladies. I’ll leave you two be,” he said as he headed for the door. Cumulus ran ahead of him to graciously get the door. As he walked past her, she whispered to him:
“ You should totally go for it!”
Ember smiled at her and gave her a wave before heading back to his room. So it still might or might not be a date, I want it to be a date, but I shouldn’t act like I want it to be a date, unless an opportunity to make it a date shows up… Easy.
Just before lunchtime, Ember made his way to the kitchen. Mountain was cleaning up some dishes, and on the counter sat a large, classic picnic basket made of wicker with a green and white checkered cloth. The tall ghoul turned and waved a soapy hand at him, then turned back to the sink and finished up rinsing. When he was done with that, Mountain untied his apron, which Ember then noticed said on the front, “This shit is going to be DELICIOUS.”
Mountain hung up his apron in the small pantry, then joined Ember by the counter.
“Ready to go?”
“Yep.” Ember pointed at the basket, which to him seemed overly large for only two people. Maybe he had invited others after all, and this wasn’t a date. “Will anyone be joining us?” He asked.
“Hm? Oh… “ Mountain’s shoulders visibly sunk a little. “We could invite some of the others, if you want,” he offered, though he didn’t sound particularly thrilled about the idea.
“No, sorry, that’s not what I—It just looks like a lot for two people, that’s all,” Ember tried to explain. He hoped he hadn’t given the wrong impression, like he didn’t want to be alone with him. “Shall we?”
“Let’s.” Mountain grabbed the handle of the picnic market and easily lifted it, as if it were full of only marshmallows. He led the way outside and the two ghouls stepped out into the sunny, crisp spring day. Mountain walked a little bit ahead of Ember, guiding him across the grass. “I know a great spot. It’s not too far away, I know you’re hungry,” the tall ghoul said.
Ember was indeed. His stomach had been growling for the past half hour. “Good, I don’t know how far I can walk if I don’t eat soon,” he confessed.
“I can relate,” the drummer responded, turning to smile at him.
Fuck, there he goes with that smile. Stay neutral, don’t assume anything. See how things go.
They continued on for a few minutes, walking partially through the thicket to a small clearing, around the outer rim of which was plenty of shade, and in the center was a patch of brightly-colored wildflowers, some a rich indigo, others vibrant yellow, and still more were fiery orange. Mountain picked out a spot on the edge of the shade, so they could enjoy the best of both the cool shadow and the warm sunlight.
After laying out the green and white checkered cloth for them to sit on, and they both knelt down while Mountain began unpacking the basket.
“Okay, first of all, I had to bring this,” he said as he lifted out a large container. He opened the lid and inside was more Fire-clan-style seared meat. Ember rubbed his hands together in excitement.
“Oh fuck yeah,” the skinny ghoul said.
“This one’s a different recipe though, I mixed some Earth-style ingredients with it, I hope you like it. Kind of fusion I guess. And then,” Mountain reached in and pulled out two medium containers. “I wasn’t sure if you’d prefer rice or noodles, so I brought both. Neither is fine too,” Mountain chuckled. “Then we have some sides, just a few veggies,” the tall ghoul pulled out four small containers, each with a different color vegetable in what looked to be a variety of sauces. “And lastly, I made some elderflower lemonade.” He brought out a tall bottle with a cork top, its contents a pale yellow hue. He took out some cups as well.
Ember stared at everything, stunned to silence. He couldn’t believe Mountain went through all that trouble, seemingly just for him.
“What’s wrong?” Mountain asked, suddenly worried.
“Nothing’s wrong. Everything is good, this all looks really, really good. And like a lot of work,” Ember commented, wanting to acknowledge the ghoul’s efforts.
“Oh, well, it doesn’t feel like work to me. It’s fun, I enjoy it. And you seemed to enjoy my cooking so… here we are,” Mountain said as he gestured toward the food in invitation. “Please, help yourself.”
They both filled a paper plate with ample shares of each dish, and Ember couldn’t wait to try the fusion-style meat especially. He grabbed a piece between his fingers, not bothering with utensils, he was too hungry. The first bite revealed a sweet-and-spicy sauce, along with other herbs to give the flavor more depth, and the meat was seared to perfection. Ember closed his eyes and smiled while he chewed, sighing in contentment.
“Yeah? You like it?” The drummer asked.
“Mmhmm.”
“I’m glad. Have as much as you want.”
The veggies tasted great too, even though normally Ember wouldn’t consider himself a big fan of them. Each sauce brought a different type of flavor to the meal; one was tangy, another savory, some more spicy-sweet combo, and even a bitter one that Ember found surprisingly tasty.
They ate in relative quiet, both of them apparently ravenous. The elderflower lemonade was delicious too, and Ember couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be the one to share this meal. Surely he couldn’t be the only other ghoul who appreciated Mountain’s cooking; Ember wasn’t an expert or anything himself, but he could recognize skill when he saw it, or in this case, tasted it.
Once he was full, Ember stretched out and propped himself on his elbows, watching the wildflowers sway in the breeze in the middle of the clearing. He could already feel the onset of his food coma. They’d demolished most of what Mountain had brought, but in the end he wasn’t that surprised; they had large appetites in common.
“I think I’m gonna explode. You’re gonna have to roll me back to the Abbey,” Ember joked, patting his stomach.
“Then you didn’t save room for dessert?”
Ember had a soft spot for sweets, though he did his best to avoid eating them too often. He raised his eyebrow in curiosity. “I could be convinced to eat some dessert. What is it?”
Mountain grinned as he reached into the basket once more and brought out two small jars, each containing what looked like chocolate cake with a ribbon of caramel around the inside of the jar. Mountain handed one to him, along with a spoon, and clinked his jar against Ember’s. They both ate their jar cakes, quiet once more, occasionally glancing at each other and smiling when they made eye contact.
Is this a date? I still don’t know…
Ember tried to not be overly sensual as he licked the caramel off his spoon, but he did catch Mountain watching him do it. They finished their desserts and packed all the containers away, back into the picnic basket.
“We can just leave this here, we’ll pick it up on the way back. Come on, time to walk all this food off,” Mountain said as he stood and held out a hand to help Ember to his feet. The skinny ghoul accepted his offer and got up too, and they stepped into the sunshine to get a closer look at the wildflowers before beginning their walk proper. Suddenly Ember wished he’d brought a camera or something to capture this scene; the way the delicate blossoms danced together in the afternoon sun, the tall grass buffeting the flowers, and the way Mountain smiled at all of them…
Ember followed the tall ghoul’s lead as they made their way to a subtle, makeshift path that would have been easy to miss if one didn’t know about it.
“So do you often go on walks?” Ember asked.
“I do, when I can anyway. It helps me clear my head, stay active, all that. What about you?”
“I should get out more, I tend to hole up in my room a lot,” Ember confessed. At least lately he had been. But for once it was a good thing; he’d been content with just being himself, ever since the Festival.
“We could go on walks together then,” Mountain suggested.
“I’d like that.”
As they continued walking along the path, the only sound for a while was their footfalls on the dirt and the distant calling of birds. The sun was warm on Ember’s shoulders, the air fresh and restorative.
Ember felt something brush against his hand, and quickly realized it was Mountain’s hand, tentatively reaching out to touch him. His heart leapt, and he glanced at Mountain to see if it was intentional. The tall ghoul was already looking at him, and they smiled at each other. Then, in one fluid motion, Mountain stepped a little closer so he could lace their fingers together and hold Ember’s hand as they walked.
So… it is a date then, Ember decided, and he couldn’t stop smiling. Their thumbs gently rubbed together in tiny unspoken expressions of their interest in each other, and Ember was filled with a warm, happy feeling.
The two ghouls walked hand in hand for some time, further and further away from the Abbey until Ember wasn’t sure they were even on the grounds anymore. At that point he didn’t really care if they ever went back; this was so nice, just being in each other’s company, enjoying the day.
After a long time of agreeable silence, Mountain finally spoke up, “I’d like to show you something. It’s a secret, and nobody else knows about it.”
Ember’s imagination began to run wild with possibilities. “A secret, huh? I’d be honored,” he responded, already feeling excitement bubble up inside him.
“Since it’s such a big secret, would you close your eyes til we get there? One can never be too careful with these kinds of things…” The drummer’s tone was playful, but serious. “I won’t let you trip, I promise,” he added.
“Okay, I’m trusting you, Mountain. Fair warning: if you try to pull a fast one on me, I won’t hesitate to fight you again,” Ember said, half kidding. He couldn’t see Mountain pulling some kind of mean prank on him or anything, but just in case, he wanted to set the record straight.
“Haha, noted. Now close your eyes, it’s not too much farther from here.”
Ember closed his eyes and let Mountain lead him along by the hand, and, true to his word, every so often the tall ghoul would warn him to step carefully over a branch or when the ground was uneven so that he wouldn’t lose his footing.
“Don’t open your eyes yet,” Mountain instructed him as he let go of Ember’s hand. The drummer moved behind him and held his hands over the skinny ghoul’s eyes for extra caution. “Step forward a little bit more, the ground is even here, so don’t worry. A little bit more, a liiiiittle bit more… Okay, stop. Are you ready?”
“The suspense is killing me,” Ember complained, though he was smiling.
Mountain pulled his hands away, and Ember opened his eyes.