“Ready to go?” Erich asked Ura— Kisuke as the man stepped into the courtyard with a pack in one hand and his regular sword strapped to his waist.

“And meet my fate? Absolutely,” Kisuke replied with a teasing grin as he meandered closer, sharp eyes taking the chaos of the courtyard in. “I simply cannot wait.”

Erich gave him the dry look his words deserved and ignored the speculative murmurs of Alexis’ hunting party; he and Alexis would have to deal with her party soon, try to convince them of their story, but… not right now. Right now, the others could speculate and make bets all they wanted.

“We’ll reach the Quincy Guildhome mid-morning tomorrow,” Alexis told them as she returned from her final check of the party itself. “Since we lost all our blastia, it’s no longer safe to keep moving past sunset.”

Kisuke frowned and glanced towards the gates, a calculating light in his eyes. “So the monsters at night are still stronger, then? I admit, Re— Erich and I haven’t gone far from the guild since the Adephagos was killed…”

Alexis hummed and half-turned to accept the reins of her horse from Briar. “They’re all a bit weaker than before, and it seems to take them more effort to use abilities, but yeah. Stronger monsters still rule the night, and they’ve certainly not been weakened as much as we have.”

“So they can use abilities!” Kisuke exclaimed, fervent-focused-intent the way he always got when something related to one of his current ‘problems’ came up. “I thought that was the case, but nothing around here wanted to use them when I tried to test that theory. I wonder… maybe that means…? But no, if they got weaker then… hmm…” he trailed off, gaze drifting to the side and focus fading from the world around him.

Erich exchanged amused looks with Alexis and then stepped closer, hand settling on Kisuke’s lower back and fingers pressing just so—

Kisuke swayed into him and let himself be guided through the courtyard and to his own mount, still focused more on his thoughts than on where Erich was leading him. Every so often he’d murmur something that Erich couldn’t catch, a tiny frown on his face as he did, and then shake his head and fall silent again.

Tsukabishi was holding Kisuke’s mount in place, having already groomed and saddled the mare. Kisuke’s bedroll and standard supplies were already strapped in place, with a space was left for his personal pack.

Erich nodded a greeting to Tsukabishi and then nudged Kisuke towards the saddle. “Mount up,” he told Kisuke firmly, even as he tugged the man’s pack from his hand.

Kisuke let the pack go without a fight, adjusted his blade, and then smoothly hoisted himself into the saddle. The minute he was seated, he patted at his jinbei, a frown creasing his face as his search turned up empty.

“Try not to drop these this time?” Erich half asked, half demanded even as he passed Kisuke a notebook and pencil from the man’s bag and then stepped closer to attach the bag to the rest of the supplies.

“Maa, no promises~” Kisuke said as he flashed Erich a smile and flipped his notebook open. “I just need to get some things down is all, shouldn’t take long! We can— uh… we can…” Kisuke trailed off, staring down at Erich, eyes wide and expression frozen. His tongue darted out to wet his lips and he glanced aside, towards first Tsukabishi and then towards Alexis’ party, something almost like panic in his gaze.

Erich’s brows furrowed in confusion as he stared up at Kisuke, hand tightening a bit on the man’s thigh in reassurance—

On… his thigh…?

(When had he… why had he… …?)

(Why was he still touching Kisuke?)

He breathed through the immediate urge to jerk away. Reminded himself of the ruse they had to follow. Carefully lifted his hand from Kisuke’s thigh and reached up, reached towards Kisuke’s free hand, took it in his own and pulled it closer—

Kept his eyes open. Kept his gaze fixed on Kisuke, trying to reassure, to warn, to beg the man to play along when he wasn’t sure of his reception, didn’t know if this was even welcome, wished he could be sure, could be confident that Kisuke wasn’t about to panic or lash out or, or… or something that would destroy their ruse and…

Pressed a careful kiss to Kisuke’s knuckles.

Kisuke’s hand tightened on his and the man visibly swallowed, pale eyes focused on Erich and pink dusting his cheeks.

(It was—)

(Kisuke was so—)

(He wanted to—)

Erich stepped back. Forced himself to release Kisuke’s hand. Forced his hands to remain at his side instead of reaching up to touch—

(Why in the world was he…?)

(Kisuke wasn’t… it was just for show.)

(It was just for show, it meant nothing, so why in the world was he so… so affected?)

“Tell me about it tonight?” Erich prompted, hoping his voice didn’t betray any of the confusion-fascination-uncertainty currently twisting his stomach into a knot. He’d lived with the man for years, gone adventuring with him and put up with his antics and diversions and inability to travel anywhere without first going everywhere else and… and he…

He’d never seen the man look at him like that before.

Never felt the urge to… to touch like that before.

(What was wrong with him?)

Kisuke laughed awkwardly and said, “Of course, of course!” while rubbing at the back of his head and giving him a smile that was all flash and no substance.

(Had he… done something wrong?)

(What had he done to make Kisuke retreat behind his mask?)

Erich wavered, torn between concern and the knowledge that they needed to get moving, unable to make up his mind; if it had been just them in the courtyard — if this were just another of their usual adventures — he would have returned to Kisuke’s side without hesitation. Going into danger with whatever this was between them was nothing short of foolish, because a second’s hesitation, a single misstep caused by misunderstanding, and both of them could be seriously injured or worse.

But they weren’t alone. They weren’t alone, Alexis’ adventuring party would be handling the brunt of the combat for them, and he… he didn’t know if he could justify holding them up further when… when whatever was wrong wasn’t affecting anyone but them—

The sound of horseshoes on cobble made his decision for him.

He looked away, a touch of shame joining the twisting mess of emotions in his stomach as he did, and glanced up at Alexis with one eyebrow raised in question.

“Ready to go?” she asked, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.

Erich scowled up at her, sent an apologetic look to Kisuke, then turned and strode to where his own horse was hitched to a pole. He made one final check of his supplies, unhitched his mare, then hoisted himself into the saddle and urged her closer to the rest of the group.

He ignored all the whispers and smirks and considering looks as he drew his mare to a stop near Alexis’ mount. Ignored how tentative Kisuke seemed as he took his usual position at Erich’s right, as if uncertain of his welcome. Ignored the stern look Tsukabishi fixed him with. Ignored it all because if he didn’t… if he didn’t…

(He was tempted to call the ruse off.)

(Something was wrong, something was bothering Kisuke, and his only clue was Kisuke’s reaction to having his hand kissed.)

(Had Kisuke… was the man having second thoughts?)

(He couldn’t tell, couldn’t figure it out—)

“Alright folks, let’s move out!” Alexis ordered, breaking Erich from his spiraling thoughts. She cast him a sly look and added in a faux-innocent tone, “Moon over our lover later, dearheart, we have traveling to do.”

Erich sputtered and glared at her, ignoring the bright, startled laughter that burst from Kisuke’s throat at Alexis’ words. “I’m not mooning!” he snapped, hoping that his cheeks weren’t quite as red as they felt.

(Mooning!)

(Of all the things she could suggest!)

(He wasn’t mooning!)

Behind him he heard someone groan. Heard the clink of money pouches exchanging hands. Heard a despairing voice mutter, “If only they’d waited three more days to admit it!” and someone else laugh wicked-pleased-cheerful and tease, “Same odds on when they marry?”

Alexis threw her head back and laughed, even as Erich twisted in his saddle to glare at the people behind them. He didn’t know who had spoken and didn’t even particularly care; he knew only that Alexis’ people were just as much of a menace as he recalled, and that there was no threat he could make that would stop them from continuing to make bets on his nonexistent love-life with…

With the man he was intending to marry.

(God damnit.)

“Let’s go,” Erich grit out as he turned back around, shoulders straight and back rigid as he urged his mare forward. “Wouldn’t want to keep the Quincy waiting, now would we?”

“Why, that would be terrible, I agree!” Alexis said far too cheerfully as she caught up to him. “Just think of all the disappointed elders there’d be!”

He gave her the flat look that statement deserved; he rather thought the elders would prefer them being late to the ‘truth’ that she and Erich were going to present to them.

(Alexis was far too enthusiastic about this absurd plan to not have something up her sleeve.)

(Spirits protect them all…)

(They were going to need it.)