bcm-blog

[softquietsteadylove]

ok not sure if my last ask went through bc i got an error message (thanks so much tumblr) but i am here to say you FLAWLESSLY executed circus AU, like gave everything i could have ever wanted in that little fic so now i'm sorry to say i'm just gonna have to keep asking for more!! specifically, what happened to angus!

"Come on, boy! Come on, you can do it!"

Thena walked into the ring, left intact just this once between shows due to the short window between the saturday night show and the sunday matinee.

"Good boy!"

She stepped further out of the shadows, her feet completely silent as she moved forward. The place was dark except for a few oil lamps set up around the ring as Gilgamesh led Angus around with just a regular rope around his neck.

Angus cantered around within the circle. He was obviously still healing, a little more slow than he used to be. But he was on his feet--even the injured one. He knickered quietly.

"Atta boy, Angus," Gil cheered for him as he observed the progress of his healing injury.

They had been holding their breath.

She and Gil had, that was to say. No one else cared nearly as much, except maybe Kro, who was eagerly waiting to inflict some punishment on the innocent creature for costing him even a penny in profits.

Angus slowed his pace, bobbing his head as he caught sight of her.

"Mi--Thena!"

Thena walked right over to them, linen nightdress and light robe be damned. She picked up pace until she could embrace Angus' snout, pressing her forehead to it, "look at you."

Angus' tail swished, relishing in the warmth of arguably his favourite person in the world.

She pulled back, still holding the horse's massive head by his chops, smiling at him and leaning to be more in the view of his massive eye, "I knew you could do it."

Angus nodded, in a way.

She turned to Gilgamesh, who had put an appropriate and respectful distance between them since her arrival. He looked younger in the faint light of the lamps. "That means you too."

Gil managed a soft smile dripping with modesty, "it's all Angus, really. Even I had my doubts, but..."

But here he was, up before dawn to help him practice being on his leg? Yes, he certainly was.

Thena ran her hand down Angus' mane over his neck, "like you said, he's young. He's too young and too strong to let Kro put him out of his misery so early."

Gil never offered his agreement too eagerly when she spoke of her husband. Too much to say within too few words, maybe. "Well, hopefully today's show will go well, and we can put this all behind us."

"Indeed," Thena smiled, catching Gil crossing his fingers behind his back. "Truly, Gil, we both owe you more than words can say."

He gave her a somewhat curious look, as if to ask what she could possibly be doing thanking him for something--as if he didn't do so much for her with his mere presence. "Least I can do, Miss."

Thena looked back at Angus. She liked it when he called her Thena. It was sometimes the only time when she was actually able to hear her own name spoken aloud. "On the contrary, this was above and beyond, even for you."

He blushed, and he looked truly sweet when he did. "Anything, Thena."

She looked at him, finding him looking back at her this time. He had such nice and warm eyes.

"Anytime."

Truly, he had such an amazing heart, this sweet and humble man. She had known that from his occupation, of course, but the more she got to know Gilgamesh himself, the more she found herself enchanted with all there was to him.

Her eyes darted down to his lips for just a second.

He didn't catch her. No one ever caught her when she did that. But she was no spring chicken, and she knew very well that her desire to keep him around was no childish flight of fantasy. No, her life was far to coldly rooted in reality for that.

But she far preferred to have him just out of reach than not have him at all.

Gil looked over his shoulder. He was always checking his surroundings whenever they found themselves alone.

He was looking for Kro. All things considered, she probably could exercise more caution than she did. After all, it wouldn't be her whom would have hell to pay, but Gilgamesh. Her mind did reel, sometimes, to think of her husband turning a corner and seeing...something.

She wasn't sure what he would see if that day ever came, but she knew enough to say he would not like it.

"You should rest," she whispered, petting Angus' soft nose again.

Gil knew that it was meant for him anyway. "As should you, y'know."

She smiled directly between Angus' eyes, "sleep often eludes me."

"Thena-"

She turned to Gil, determined not to let herself pull on that thread. There would be no going back if she let herself get up to the knees in him. "You'll need your sleep, Gilgamesh. Kro will have you up as soon as he wakes, demanding to see how Angus performs."

Angus shuffled in place a the mention of his worst nightmare.

Thena turned and comforted her poor steed once again, "I'm sorry."

Gil nodded, putting his hand on the swell of Angus' muscled cheek. "Right, then, but only if you find some rest as well, Thena. You need it more than anyone here."

Exhaustion truly never left her. It was in bed with her far more than her own husband, that was for certain.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," she conceded, more so that he would find some sleep than anything. She inhaled, pressing her forehead to Angus' once more. "Knock him dead."

Angus nodded more certainly this time.

Thena smiled, kissing his nose gently. "And you."

Gil startled but held still as she pressed an equally chaste kiss to his cheek.

She walked past him, not willing to dwell on it, nor able to afford to. She did wave at him over her shoulder, "goodnight, Gil."

He blinked at her, stunned rabbit in a trap, "uh, n-night, Thena."

She turned again as a smile came over her; such a sweet man. She simply couldn't resist expressing the depths of her gratitude somehow. And in some ways, the kiss was better than throwing her arms around him in some way. Because then, what if he had put his arms around her in return?

If he ever did that, there would be no going back, for her.