Wilkin & Nazili

Biscuit in hand, Wilkin sat slumped against the boulder, the warmth of the fire combating the chill of the stone. The air was tense, still, and heavy. It always had been, but now as they travel day upon day trying to return to the surface, everyone's too tired to really speak or even interact at this point. He glanced at the elf next to him, who seemed to be meditating. He hated interrupting her but couldn't hold it back any longer.

"Nazili." Wilkin's voice chimed, and the sound so sudden he almost startled himself. "After all this, have I ever told you about my first love?"

Nazili opens one eye, bowing her head slightly before opening the other and turning to look in his direction. "You mentioned things briefly in passing, though haven't gotten into much detail." Nazili smirks. "After all that talk about mine, I did wonder why you hadn't spoken a word about yours."

A sheepish smile spread across his lips, before he cleared his throat. “Well, when I was a little boy-” He caught himself, chuckling. “Er, littler. I fell in love. I was about 14 years old or so, and had met a boy named Evan who lived down the road a ways. I wars head over heels, I couldn’t possibly imagine life without him" He seemed calm and composed as he spoke, resting his hands in his lap. "Until I had to. His mum caught us spending time together and put an end to it right there. All those days sitting atop the grassy hill behind the farm, lounging in front of the old oak tree, with Maximus laying nearby, always keeping an eye out, All gone. Never thought I'd find the one after that."

"What happened to Evan after that? Did the two of you ever see each other again?"

"Oh yeah, loads of times. Was painful at first but, the next time I saw him it was like nothing ever happened. He was different." He shrugged, and reached into his bag for another biscuit. "Over the years he found himself a girl and they got married and moved to the city. He was always nice, but figured it was just a phase." He took a large bite of the biscuit, chewing most of the food before continuing. "It took a lot out of me, I couldn't really settle with anybody after that, mostly just dated girls for a while for a year or two at most, and uh, had my share of encounters with boys, too. None of them stuck."

“Yeah, I know the feeling. After Naseem and the rest of my order passed, nothing quite felt the same. Hardly anyone was worth the trouble.” Nazili places a hand on Wilkin’s neck, feeling for the necklace whose meaning Nazili knew well. “But what about this time, Wilkin?”

Wilkin hummed, reaching to unclasp the necklace from around his neck, and gently places it in Nazili's palm. She knew where he was going with this, he wasn't surprised in the least. "Whenever we're together, though it may not be too often right now, he's not afraid, ever. Of course that might get him into trouble sometimes, but the way he looks at me as if I'm more than a fling, and that he doesn't feel an ounce of shame or regret holding my hand in front of anybody, I never thought I'd get so lucky. Part of me is wondering, what's the catch?"

“Nobody is perfect, so no relationship can be perfect. You have a lot of love in your heart, Wilkin. I am sure Farkhar knows that. That is why, I believe, you draw people to you. I do not think love is something the gith knew well until now.” Nazili ruffles Wilkin’s hair affectionately. “I am sure when you are reunited, things will fall together as they were meant to.

"You're right." He hummed, finishing his biscuit. "Soon, once we're back in Costana, we'll have a new place to call home. Can you believe it? That's something I never even dreamed of. Had you told me a year ago or so I'd be spending my days with all of you in a nifty, uppity estate, I would have thought it a joke."

Nazili laughs. “I would have thought it a joke as well. It feels odd to say that I have a place to call home now, and people to share that home with.” Nazili pauses, still smiling. “It feels nice to look forward to things. Like feeling the sun on my face again.”

"Thank you again, Nazili." He interjected, placing his hand atop hers. "For shedding a little light for us down here. think we would have gone mad without it."

“I shouldn’t get all of the credit for that, Wilkin. You’re the one who returned the light into my hands.”

Is that what that burning feeling was? Thought I touched something poisonous."

Nazili chuckles once more, gazing off into the distance. "By the way, where did you get that biscuit?"

"Sir Jackie has some, I managed to convince him to let a few go." He chuckled. " They're a little stale but you can have one if you'd like."

"Stale biscuits beats bat meat any day." Nazili takes one gratefully.