#aka team gilded vale ot3

[bragganhyl]

Just three friends sharing jokes 😉

[bragganhyl]

I humbly come before you all with this modest offering of ass and titties

…that's a fancy way of me saying that i wanted to test the waters of the new community label/guidelines/whatever, yeah, that, thank you, bye ✌️

[bragganhyl]

18 - Fluff mostly cause I wanna see how you write Gaura blushing👀

Aaaay, thanks, it took me waaay too long to write this, but yeah have some tooth-rotting fluff.

Word count: about 1850 words

18 - “I think it’s adorable how easily you blush.”

Gaura stood by the bar of the Wild Mare, just having ordered some dishes for three. She glanced around as she waited, taking note of the different members of the crew enjoying some food and drinks, in the different corners of the tavern. Some swayed to the music, others were trying to drown the music out with their futile attempts at conversation. The Watcher, however, couldn't see Edér or Aloth anywhere. A light frown crept onto her face as she turned fully away from the bar, only to bump right into a familiar, broad frame.

'Lookin' for me?' Edér grinned down at her, with a hint of smugness hiding in the corners of his lips.

'You're getting good at the whole sneaking thing,' Gaura noted and smoothed down a tiny flame rippling on the back of her neck. She could vaguely hear a chuckle coming from the farmer.

'Easy with all this noise,' he said as he wrapped an arm around the Watcher's waist and left a kiss on her forehead. 'Aloth and I checked out the balcony, it's empty. He's supposed to keep it that way until we get back. And I figured you could use an extra pair of hands.' He let go of her and leaned against the bar. He took out his pipe with one hand and fished out some whiteleaf from his pockets with the other. As he filled the pipe, he glanced at Gaura with a curious, almost mischievous glint in his eye. He was about to look for some flint, but just as he started patting his pockets, he stopped and looked to the Watcher again. She could almost see the idea forming in his mind. 'You think you could lend me your hair a bit? Please?' He added hurriedly.

Gaura sighed through her nose. She preferred to keep the list of people who could use her hair to light things up limited to herself. Edér, however, gazed at her tenderly, even if his smile was still somewhat teasing. She couldn't help but smile back, curiosity and trust mingling in her so intensely she could almost feel them take shape in her chest.

'Alright, but only because you asked me so nicely.' She offered her palm, waiting for him to place the pipe in it. Edér took one look at it and his smile widened. He grabbed her wrist and guided her hand to his waist. As he leaned in, Gaura heard a chuckle half-muffled by his teeth closed around the pipe's stem. His cheek brushed against hers as he inhaled and all the noises in the room were drowned out by the sound of whiteleaf catching fire. The farmer straightened up a moment later, took out the pipe from his mouth with his free hand and let a small, earthy puff of smoke drift from his lips to the air above the both of them.

'I plan on thanking you real nicely too,' he said as he leaned down again, and lightly rubbed his nose against hers.

'That sounded like something you should keep upstairs,' the barkeep's voice dragged Gaura's awareness back to the tavern and with that, it sent ripples down her scalp that she hastily smoothed down.

'Right, apologies for that. I assure you, we do have manners, just...' as she spoke she noticed the dishes she ordered on the bar, 'we just forget them sometimes.' She said as she picked up two of the plates, then elbowed Edér in the side, spurring him on to the same with the last bowl and the cutlery.

'Yeah, real sorry about that,' his voice carried a hint of amusement. He followed the Watcher carefully holding his bowl while she loudly proclaimed his approach.

'Everyone watch out!' She yelled as loudly as her lungs allowed. 'Big guy with soup, coming through!'

Even with the music and the cacophony of different conversations, Gaura's warning reached those she needed out of the way, and soon the two of them were climbing the stairs leading to the upper floor. They found a lot fewer people upstairs, but the air felt hotter and heavy, as if the whole floor was filled with a single labored breath. The Watcher heard a light cough coming from behind her. She glanced back only to see Edér frowning at the pipe he no longer felt like smoking.

'Sure hope Aloth kept that spot.'

'I don't see him here, so he must have,' Gaura said as she pushed down the handle of the door leading to the balcony with her elbow.

Only to nearly bump into a wall of magical energy right behind it.

Edér burst out laughing, nearly spilling his soup on himself. 'That sure is one way to do it.'

Gaura noticed Aloth's head perking up at the veteran's voice. He slammed the book in his lap shut and made his way to the entrance.

'I'm sorry, I'll dispel this in a moment.'

'I'm guessing you really did not want to be disturbed,' Gaura comments, drawing a shy chuckle out of the wizard.

'I may have gotten carried away a bit,' he said as he drew a seemingly complicated pattern on the barrier that disappeared the moment he finished. 'Allow me to help you with that,' he reached for one of the plates in Gaura's hands. It was his order of oysters, that was served with various fruits from orchards outside Neketaka. He quickly made his way to their table and Gaura followed. Edér, however only took a step onto the balcony and remained by the door.

'Hey, Aloth, you think you can put that wall thing back?' He asked.

Aloth looked to Edér who pointedly looked to him then at the door. The wizard then turned to Gaura. 'I suppose I wasn't all that carried away,' he shrugged. He put down his plate then went back to the door.

As the Watcher followed him with her gaze, she noticed Edér watching her with a faint smirk. He gave her a playful wink that reminded her of his offer downstairs. She turned her attention to her plate of mari crudia, as her imagination ran wild fueled by the implications she saw in that wink. Maybe she did so a little hurriedly, because she heard the farmer's laugh by the door. Aloth finished his spell, just as Gaura looked to them again, and he was ready to join her again, however Edér called out to him.

'Wait.'

Aloth stopped in his tracks and turned to him with questions in his eyes. Edér leaned in and whispered something in his ear.

'Well, I could, but... why?' The wizard asked back.

'Cause it'd be fun, why else?' As he spoke he looked to the Watcher, prompting Aloth to follow his gaze.

A slight blush appeared on the wizard's face and he rolled his eyes at Edér. 'You are incorrigible.'

The farmer merely chuckled at that. Aloth took his seat next to Gaura and Edér placed his bowl on her other side as well. He left the cutlery on the table, then stepped away to empty his pipe over the railing of the balcony. Aloth busied himself by sorting out the cutlery, and while he did that, the Watcher moved a piece of mari crudia from her plate onto Aloth's. The wizard froze for a moment, caught off guard by the gesture, then his lips curled to a wide and warm smile. He grabbed a koiki fruit from his plate and squeezed a few drops of juice out of it on one of the oysters on his plate.

'I know, it looks a bit repulsive this way, but trust me, it adds just the right amount of sourness to make the flavor nice and balanced,' he explained as he placed the oyster on her plate. The Watcher could only chuckle in thanks at first, giving Aloth the time to leave a quick kiss on her cheek.

'Let me know if you want some sauce on your mari crudia too.'

'No, thank you, it makes it too salty for me.'

'You two are adorable,' Edér sat down by the Watcher's side. 'I'd offer some soup but that would get messy,' he said as he picked up his spoon. But just as he was about to take a spoonful of soup, a thought crossed his mind. He looked at Gaura's free hand, then at his own, too far from her to hold her while they eat. He took the spoon in his other hand and grabbed hers. In her surprise, she nearly spat out the oyster she was chewing on.

'Is everything alright?'

The Watcher heard Aloth's question from her other side. She vehemently nodded, trying to ignore the flames around her head fluttering just as intensely. She swallowed and smoothed them down.

'Yeah, I just... Did you see that?' She gestured at Edér who was snickering smugly beside her.

'It's cute how easily you blush,' he said unable to supress his grin. For all his teasing, he sounded adoring.

'Wha-? I don't blush,' Gaura bumped her knee against his under the table. Edér quietly chuckled as an answer.

'Maybe not quite like most kith, but you do,' Aloth stated matter-of-factly before he slurped up an oyster.

'Yeah, your hair does that thing...' Edér put down his spoon and lifted his hand to his ear, wiggling his fingers to imitate the Watcher's flames.

'It ripples when you're flustered.'

'And it gets kinda droopy when you're embarrassed.'

'And it seems to point upwards when you're frustrated,' with that, Aloth dropped the subject and instead he cast a protective spell on himself. He reached for Gaura's hair and smoothed it down for her. 'There is really no need to be,' he took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, 'we don't mean to make fun of you. Isn't that right, Edér?' He added as he shot a pointed look at him.

'Right, kinda hoped the three of us could have some fun,' he lifted the Watcher's hand to his lips and left a soft kiss on the back of it.

'Yeah, I get that,' Gaura sighed, 'I don't mind it all that much.' She chuckled to herself after a moment of silence. 'It's just a little ridiculous how you two affect me. Even though we're grown people who have known each other for years and who have been living together for a while.'

'Nah, there ain't anything ridiculous about it.'

'Indeed. Would you like a complete list of all the times you've rendered us a blushing mess?' Aloth let out a short, awkward laugh, as he reminisced.

'No need, I have them all memorized,' Gaura stated proudly. She let out a sigh as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sea breeze and the touch of her lovers. 'But I will need my hands to eat, so...'

'Oh. Right.'

'Sorry about it.'

Aloth and Edér let go of her as if she burned them. Gaura stole some glances from the corners of her eyes and a satisfied smile crept on her face and she glimpsed a hint of red on their cheeks.