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Frankie let out a sigh of relief as he and the druid girl, Kendra, had finished healing everyone hurt by the attack.
"Really lucked out, all things considered," Kendra remarked. "Me and Alan here at the same time you and your friend, also the same time an orc decided to pass through."
"No kidding," Frankie agreed, looking around for Joan. Last time he let her pick a place to spend the evening.
Suppose it was a good thing they ended up there, but he would have really preferred a quiet day for once. She had suggested they stop here because the food smelt good. (definitely not because she was tired of walking after someone forgot to tie up their horses)
Joan wasn't wrong though, the tavern food was quite good. But Frankie didn't quite think it was get attacked by an orc levels of good.
They really had lucked out that Kendra and her friend Alan were also at the tavern having dinner, just a few tables a way from them in fact. (Joan couldn't see to let go of the fact Frankie offhandedly said he thought Alan was pretty. He ment his hair. Just his hair.) The four of them managed to work together to take down the orc and prevent mass casualties.
"I'd say the four of us work quite well together," Kendra continued as she stood up. "Hells, you'd have thought Alan and you planned that thing with the bolt.
Frankie shrugged. He'd seen the ranger's shot go wide, and simply redirected it with a little extra force while the orc wasn't watching. Surly not that impressive.
"Guess we should find them now, huh?" Kendra suggested. "Think I saw Alan over here somewhere…"
Frankie stood up as she wandered off around the ruined tavern in search of her friend, heading the opposite way in search of his. Knowing Joan, she was likely going to 'borrow' some money from some rich bloke not paying enough attention to his pockets, and he needed to stop her before she got them kicked out of town.
"Hey, it's you!"
Frankie looked every which way for the source of the yelling before finally finding the culprit.
Perched up in the nearby tree was Kendra's ranger friend. He looked almost majestic, lit up only by the evening stars as he pulled a crossbow bolt out of the tree.
"Frankie, right?" the half elf asked with a smile.
"Yeah," Frankie confirmed. "Alan, was it?"
"Yes, that's right," he said as he slid off the branch he was on and easily jumped to the ground. "Great work out there, you've certainly got a way with magic,"
"Thank you, you were pretty great too," Frankie complimented back with a smile. "You've got an accurate shot, that for sure."
"Think you helped with that a bit as well," Alan remarked with a small laugh. "Quick thinking from you there, very impressive."
"It wasn't much," Frankie tried to brush off, only for Alan to continue.
"Not to mention the shield you casted right at the beginning as well, think without that all four of us would have be crushed before we got the chance to fight back."
Frankie could feel his face turning red as he gave a small laugh. Was it too forward to just ask him out? He wasn't crazy, there was most definitely something between the two of them right now.
Then again, surely they brushed hands at the least during the fight. And, even during all the chaos, Frankie was confident he would have notice any bright colours coming off his skin. Maybe he was reading just a little too much into it all.
Still thought Alan was pretty though.
Alan's smile grew at the sorcerer's laugh, so genuine and heartfelt. It was cute, how embarrassed he seemed at Alan's compliments.
It was funny to think, just less than an hour ago Alan first spotted him in the tavern. He and Kendra originally were just going to pass through, but thought they might as well stop for the night to have something a little more filling than Alan's mediocre cooking. Kendra tried to push Alan to go speak to Frankie, but he quickly brushed her off. It felt rude to interrupt someone's dinner. It could have been a date between him and that girl for all he knew.
Course, from what he heard and saw from the two of them during battle, he was fairly confident they were in fact, not dating. Not that it really matter though. He and Frankie had likely bumped into each other at least once during all that. And one of them would have noticed if anything happened.
Didn't mean Alan couldn't appreciate the other man's company, however. He could still ask if he wanted to join him for a drink. To celebrate their victory, obviously. Nothing more.
"How long have you and… Kendra — how long have you and Kendra been travelling together?" Frankie asked, clearly trying to move on from Alan's compliments.
"About a year," Alan replied. "Found each other while wandering the woods if you'd believe it. What about you your friend… I'm forgetting her name now…"
"Joan," Frankie said. "Also about a year. We met when she tried to break into my parent's house, if you'd believe that."
"Oh really now?" Alan questioned with a laugh.
Frankie nodded. "Aye, let's just say she's very good at getting her self in trouble."
"I'll take your word for it."
He just had to ask him already. It was just drinks. To celebrate. They'd invite Kendra and Joan along too. It really didn't have to be that big of a deal.
"Kendra actually went looking for you out that way," Frankie recalled, pointing behind himself in no real particular direction. "I was trying to find Joan."
"Ah, yes, yes," Alan muttered. It was now or never. "We could go try and track them down, then maybe head to the other little bar they've got here for drinks. All four of us I mean — to you know, celebrate and all."
"Yeah, I'd like that," Frankie agreed.
"Great — great," Alan said, maybe just a little too eagerly. "Uh, alright then, guess we should go find them."
"Guess we should."
"Oh — wait," Alan said as Frankie started to turn around. "You've just got something in your hair, right there. Here, let me just…"
Alan carefully brushed the few leaves out of Frankie's hair, also taking the chance to tuck his hair behind his ear. As his fingers brushed the top of his ear, both lit up in a small, colourful glow.
Alan's hand froze in place as his face went red, hesitantly meeting Frankie's eyes. Despite not actually being able to see either Alan's hand or his own ear, it would have been impossible for Frankie to not notice the glow now admitting from the both.
"Oh…"
"Alan! Frankie! There you two are!"
Alan quickly flipped up the hood of Frankie's cloak over his head, hiding his hand behind his back before greeting his friend.
"Kendra! I see you and Joan found each other."
"While looking for the two of you, yeah," Joan remarked. "What are you doing anyways?"
"Us?" Alan repeated, stalling for time as he came up with an excuse. "Frankie was just helping me gather my crossbow bolts. Can get pricey to replace them, you know."
"Yes, that's what we were doing," Frankie agreed as he pulled down his hood ever so slightly. Alan couldn't be more relieved he went along with his little lie.
"Ah, should have known that's what you'd be doing," Kendra noted, leaning on her quarter staff. "Well, Joan and I were just talking about how we should all head out and get drinks together. We overheard the barman from the tavern say there's another bar here in town as well."
"Sounds great," Alan remarked. "We were just thinking the same, actually,"
"I'm sure with the tavern gone it'll be quite busy there," Frankie pointed out. "How about the two of you go get us a table while we find that last bolt of Alan's?"
"Sounds good, we'll see you there then!" Kendra agreed, already walking away.
Joan stayed a moment longer, flashing Frankie a certain look before following after Kendra.
"Sorry about that," Alan apologized as soon as their friends were out of earshot. "Just… didn't need Kendra teasing me about this is all."
Frankie laughed, Alan once again stuck smiling just at the sound.
"I get it, I'm sure Joan would have done much the same to me."
He lowered his hood again. The glowing had faded, Alan could make out a small, star-shaped mark behind Frankie's ear. He checked his own hand, an identical shape on his pointer finger.
It was almost natural to once again bring his hand up to Frankie's hair, push it back behind his ear as his hood as knocked it forward again.
"I was thinking of asking you out," Alan admitted quietly as his hand linger in Frankie's hair. "I kind of just assumed we already would have bumped into each other during all the fighting though. Why I suggested getting drinks to celebrate. Still thought you were cute."
"I was thinking the same," Frankie revealed. "Both about the fight, and asking you out."
Alan chuckled, finally bringing his hand down.
"How about that then."
His hand lingered beside Frankie's. Unsure if it was okay to hold his hand. Frankie thankfully made it quite clear when he locked his fingers with Alan's.
"I guess we should go join the others," he pointed out. "Before they come looking for us again."
"Right, right. Suppose we're sort of getting to try that date we both wanted, eh?"
Frankie smiled up at Alan, gently kissing the back of his hand.
"That we are."