#every day i feel like i need to shake hands with geminitay

[thefireintheshadow]

GeminiTay whispers to you: How’s it going over there?

Etho snorted - he couldn’t help himself. The sweet little elf had murdered him twenty-eight times that day. And despite all the ribbing from all of their friends, she’d been really nice about it.

And was still being nice, considering she was checking in on him after the flood of said ribbing in the chat.

It was all in good fun…but he deserved a bit of his own fun, too. So he sent a private message back: Oh, you know, wallowing in depressed drunkenness because I’m so washed up.

He chuckled under his breath and went back to organizing the TCG deck he’d been working on, but the reply came quickly and he paused again.

GeminiTay whispers to you: Aw, poor guy. Why don’t you come over to the castle tonight for dinner so I can make it up to you? Soak up all that alcohol lol

His eyebrow raised at that. This couldn’t be how she’d made it sound. She was a lot younger than him, and though while they were having their little PVP practice today it had felt like chemistry…well, they were just sparring. Adrenaline and all that…

GeminiTay whispers to you: if you’re not busy and you actually want to hang out, no pressure

GeminiTay whispers to you: i get it if you’ve had enough of me today haha

Her sudden rambling and lack of punctuation and capitals warmed something in Etho’s chest. He could almost hear her voice, babbling away, see the way her nose wrinkled a little when she was nervous…

He shook his head. He’d fallen into fantasy land so quickly it terrified him a little bit.

And as much as he’d originally set out to make her squirm, he felt bad that he was leaving her hanging. He typed back: As long as you put your swords away lol

GeminiTay: No weapons of any kind I promise :)

He chuckled again, and his cheeks flushed a little beneath his mask when he realized he’d been goofily grinning at the screen.

She’s too young for you, idiot, he thought. She literally kicked your ass today, that has got to be the least attractive thing ever.

Still. She was a beautiful woman. And somehow, her kicking his ass that day was…kinda hot.

It’s just dinner. She’s just a nice friend being nice. That’s all.

---

Somehow it hadn’t felt real until Etho actually accepted her dinner offer, and Gem’s nervous butterflies in her stomach tripled when she realized that he was actually coming over.

She’d always looked up to Etho, he was a veteran expert in so many ways, and every time they interacted always left her feeling flustered and warm.

But that day…they’d sparred for so long, and he’d actually wanted to learn from her, and it was such a heady experience. And she kept beating him, killing him over and over, and still he stayed, with that good-natured laugh of his, having fun.

They’d fallen into some kind of chemistry, Gem knew - she just knew - she couldn’t have been imagining it, the whole exchange had had her feeling some kinda way. By the time she’d made it home she was flushed and warm and fluttery and feeling like she needed to…burst into flames, or something.

Every time his eyes had shifted into mischief, every time he’d thought he had her and then no, she was striking him down again, and he was laughing, healing up, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet to get ready to take her again…

She sighed, the motion not cleansing any of her heat at all, running over and over the vision of his lithe frame moving around the battlefield like a ninja, the two of them locked in a deadly dance…

God, I need to focus. She shook out her hands, giving her whole body a shake as if she could break loose of the tension curling her nerves into knots. She walked into the kitchen, but even the scent of the hearty stew she was nurturing wasn’t enough to calm her buzz.

Etho had taken such a ribbing in the chat all day, and she knew it was all in good fun, that he would take it all in stride, but it still made her feel a little bad that she’d roasted him so publically. At least, that’s what she was telling herself. She totally hadn’t used checking in on him as an excuse to invite him over.

Totally, surely not.

But now he was actually coming, he was coming over and they were going to be alone, together, eating at a table, swords away. Chatting. He would have to take his mask down to eat, and she’d get distracted by his lips wrapping around his spoon…

Focus!

But Gem couldn’t focus. It was worse now, knowing he had accepted her invitation. Part of her had thought he would say no, that he’d have other plans, that he wouldn’t want to spend the evening with her because they’d already spent all day together, you know, her murdering him over and over.

But he’d said yes, and now she was doing this, and how was she supposed to survive? Because there would be no release or break in the knot forming in her belly. He was older than her, he had so many older relationships with the other hermits, surely he couldn’t be romantically interested in the young punk desperate to prove herself after only being around for like two years, right?

Deep in her heart, she knew she was being too hard on herself. But it was easier and safer than hoping.

Because hoping led to darker, dirtier fantasies, and that would just make this dinner so, so much harder.

Gem groaned as she gently stirred the stew, sprinkling in a little more salt. This was going to be absolute torture. But she probably deserved it.

And…she couldn’t wait.

---

Etho arrived right on time, landing at the front of Gem’s - absolutely impressive - castle. The amount of time and care put into such a massive build was staggering, and though he’d flown past it many a time, he’d never actually been inside.

The details along the ceiling of the first tunnel had his jaw dropping. He stared up dumbly, appreciating the architecture, his walk slowing to a stop.

“You coming inside, or you just going to gawk all day?” Gem’s teasing tone startled him, and he flicked his gaze down as if he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

He almost wished he’d kept staring at the ceiling.

Gem had been gorgeous earlier that day even with a messy braid, sweaty and darting around with a sword in her hand. He often interacted with her while she was busy, working or doing any kind of exertion, ruffled by the energy of the day.

He’d never seen her like this, in the comfort of her own home, softer . Her strawberry curls cascaded over her shoulders and down her back, cute elfin tips of her ears poking out the sides. Her dress was more casual than the intricately embroidered elf garb, but somehow more elegant because of the way she carried herself. The fabric was light and silvery, layered and ruched so it bunched in little ruffles around her chest and shoulders, a cute bow securing the billowy skirts around her waist.

He tore his gaze back up to her eyes, fighting hard not to notice how low cut the ruffles were, the little swell of cleavage there, demanding his attention. He wanted to say hello, say fucking anything , but his tongue seemed permanently glued to the roof of his mouth.

“I will take your dumbstruck silence as a compliment,” Gem said, and his heart near stopped in his chest. He’d been caught. “Lower your expectations, though, this hallway was the first thing I decorated and I am so not even close to done with the interior of this thing.”

Etho let out a chuckle of relief - she’d been talking about him being dumbstruck by her building, not her . Though, he didn’t miss the little quiver beneath the surface of her light and sweet tone.

She was nervous.

Why was she nervous?

The thought sent a little thrill up his spine. If he made her nervous…no, he had to be sure.

He might have been out of the physical sparring game for a while, but if there was one thing he was always good at, it was mental sparring.

He could think of a thousand and one ways to try to fluster her…and this evening just got a whole lot more exciting.

---

Gem resisted the urge to wring her hands as she led Etho through the castle. He liked the dress. She’d originally been wearing a casual overalls and t-shirt, and had changed into the babydoll dress at the last second before she could talk herself out of it.

She’d felt a swell of pride in her chest when she’d caught him gawking at her intricate build work, but the widening of his pupils when he raked his gaze over her…she’d nearly melted to the floor.

He’d tried so hard to hide it, but it seemed he hadn’t even been able to speak. She’d broken the tension, she thought, but she’d barely been able to contain her nerves.

And now, she could almost feel the heat of him as they walked, as she chattered away about this block and that, and he kept pace with her, not quite beside her but just a half-step behind.

She kept glancing back at him, craning her neck, mostly finding him appreciating the decor but occasionally he’d be looking right back at her, a little twinkle in his eyes over the mask. Similar to the twinkle right before they ran at each other, swords raised.

She had to concentrate hard to keep her knees from buckling. God, he was hot. It should be illegal to be that hot.

They entered the dining room, where she had meticulously decorated not too long before. The table was huge, made for a feast, but she’d set two places on the end, on the corner, Etho’s spot right at the head.

“So intricate,” Etho said as he looked around, slowly turning to take it all in as he followed her. “You could give Bdubs a run for his money.”

“Oh my gosh, no,” Gem replied with a laugh. “You’re just trying to flatter me now. I told you no weapons, you don’t have to butter me up so I won’t kill you.”

He chuckled and took a seat, the one on the side.

“No, this one is yours, “Gem insisted, patting the high-backed chair at the head of the table. “Better view.”

He laughed as he changed seats. “The King’s spot huh? You really do feel guilty.”

She wrinkled her nose at his teasing tone, loving the way ‘King’ came out of his mouth. God, how she wanted to worship at his feet. Focus, Gem!“Just wait ‘til you try the soup,” she quipped, hoping she sounded casual. Playful. Anything but desperately staring at his hands as he toyed with the corner of the embroidered napkin in front of him.

She tore herself away and returned with two steaming bowls, setting them both down. She relished the way Etho’s eyes widened at the sight, as he took a deep breath, taking in the aroma.

“This looks amazing, Gem,” he praised, and she couldn’t help but preen a little. She liked impressing him. She liked the sound of her name on his lips even more.

They paused in silence for a moment, then Gem had a horrific thought she hadn’t anticipated. “Oh, jeez,” she gasped. “I… do you want me to like, turn around or something?” She’d been so excited to see his face that she hadn’t thought of whether he would even be okay with it. Her stomach plummeted to the floor. Stupid, stupid, stupid-

“Oh, no,” Etho said, a blush creeping up over the top of his mask. “Sorry, I spaced out. It’s just been a long time since I’ve had a home-cooked meal like this.” 

Gem opened her mouth to say something, but her breath hitched when he pulled the mask down. In reality, it was only a few seconds, a casual gesture, but for Gem it was like time slowed down. Etho revealed his face with agonizing slowness, and god he was beautiful, high cheekbones and smooth, flawless skin, lips so plush and soft looking that it took everything in her power not to reach out and run her fingers over them.

He took a spoon with his deft fingers and brought some soup to his mouth, and she was staring but she couldn’t stop. She watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, a small moan escaping him as he savored the taste, and that noise did things to her, things she didn’t want to experience in polite company, and she pressed her thighs together under the table and how was she going to survive this?

“So good, Gem,” he said, and then he was looking at her, and shit he’d caught her. He smiled, amusement dancing in his eyes, and to see that smile, actually see it, she thought she might melt into the floor. “You doing alright over there?”

It was her turn to blush, and she stared down into her soup, wishing she could hide in it. He knew. He knew... but he wasn’t running away. He was still here and teasing her about it, that was a good sign, right?

The sun was setting, and the rays fell through the window, a waterfall of fire over the dining room.

“You’re right, the view is better from here,” he said, and she beamed a little, looking up, but he was looking at her.

Oh.

“You should try the soup,” Etho said with a wink that turned her legs to jelly. “It’s delicious.”

“Well I know that,” she said, laughing, and the tension broke a little. “I made it.”

He pointed to the window with his spoon. “The curve up there is really cool, how did you do it?”

Gem took the opening to chatter about building, finding it easier to talk and eat and distract herself from drooling all over him. By the time they were scraping the bottom of their bowls, the moon was just beginning to bathe the world in its ethereal glow. 

“Want to see the balcony?” Gem asked. “It’s got a great view of Pearl’s which looks so cool at night.”

Etho grinned and shoved back his chair. “Yeah.”

He didn’t pull his mask back up.

---

Etho was in trouble. He wasn’t blind. He’d gone beyond flustering her, and he’d barely done anything. She’d been squirming in her seat and it had taken every ounce of his willpower not to bend her over the damn table.

He’d managed to distract and relax her with building chatter, but he hadn’t been distracted enough to keep from noticing how goddamn gorgeous she was. And now, following her outside, the moonlight sparkling in her long shiny curls, thin fabric of that innocent-but-sinful dress swishing back and forth against the back of her perfect legs.

She leaned on the railing of the balcony, and even in the moonlight he could see the light pink of her cheeks as he joined her. There was music in the distance, probably floating up from Impulse’s base, considering it was a classic rock power ballad.

“Isn’t it gorgeous?” Gem breathed, staring across the water.

But Etho couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. Sorry, Pearl, he thought. “Yeah.”

She seemed to sense his gaze on her, because she looked at him. “You’re not even...” she trailed off, as if her breath left her, cheeks flushing deeper.

Etho took a chance, taking one of her hands in his and pulling her away from the railing. She made a small noise of surprise and he caught her against his body, one arm around her waist and the other still clasping her hand. She seemed to catch on as he began to sway, bringing her free hand up to rest on his shoulder. 

“You know what I was most sad about missing on the Empires server?” he asked.

Her eyes glittered with amusement. “Joel?”

He snorted, shaking his head then bent, lowering his mouth to her ear. “Seeing you in your princess dress.”

She quivered in his arms, as if a thrill ran up her spine. “Princess Gem could have still kicked your ass,” she said, voice breathy.

He chuckled. “Maybe,” he admitted, “but I’m sad I didn’t get to see GeminiSlay all fancy in pink.”

She tilted her chin, and the air charged between them. “All you have to do is ask.”

His heart pounded so hard he was sure she could hear it. “Is that so?”

She swallowed hard and drew her bottom lip between her teeth before letting it go. “Yeah.” 

He stopped swaying, staring down into her big beautiful eyes. “Can I kiss you, Gem?”

Her lips parted on a gasp. “Uh huh,” she whispered, and they crashed together like a storm.

[finish on ao3]

and a huge huge thank you to @blacktofade for beta-reading this beast, ilysm <3

[pebbltree]

good to know everyone is zooming in on that picture and trying to figure out wtf is going on