Chapter 334: Plenty Sneaky.

Chapter 334: Chapter 334: Plenty Sneaky.

"...Hmm, Loac’s late," Rogard remarks with a small frown as he hops up on the fence next to Khobi to watch the rest of the soldiers get warmed up, "Come to think of it, he wasn’t at breakfast..."

​"I haven’t seen him this morning," Khobi shrugs casually, munching on a leftover piece of Gandy’s breakfast that he’d managed to swipe while he was busy harassing Rogard, "Dunno where he is; he was already gone when I got up."

​"There’s no way Drogger makes him run laps today, right?" Gandy frowns, and gives Khobi a pointed look, " You’re not even meant to be here."

Khobi gives him an affronted look because one, it’s true but how did he know that, and two, it’s not like he’s in the ring or anything.

​But from the way he’s fidgeting where he’s perched on the fence, it’s so obvious to everyone around that he wants to be.

But the infirmary does not suffer the fools who refuse to heed their warnings, and Khobi’s been told –in no uncertain terms –to stay off his knee for at least a couple of days. Which is really gonna suck if the weather holds; it feels like such a waste to just sit by on the sidelines on a rare day in winter where it’s not raining or snowing.

Just watching the soldiers get warmed up is making his palms itch, and usually it’s bad enough when he just has to wait his turn to get in the ring, but now he’s not even allowed .

​(It’s gonna be a long couple of days.)

​Khobi doesn’t know how Rogard managed it when his ankle was giving him trouble.

​"You...doin’ okay?" he ventures, once the soldiers have dispersed and they’ve been left to loiter on the fence by themselves, and he hopes that Rogard knows he’s not just talking about the bruises, "After...what happened? ...I’m gonna guess you found somewhere to stay..."

​"I did," Rogard replies, and doesn’t elaborate because they both know where, "And...I’m doing okay. Good, maybe." He sighs then; the long, heavy sigh of a long winter giving way to spring, and his eyes soften as he looks up to the sky to feel the sun on his face.

Despite the scuffs and bruises marring his skin, he looks...oddly at ease. Aside from that night at the tavern, it’s probably the most relaxed Khobi’s ever seen him.

"...Better than I’ve been in a long time, I think."

​"...Good," Khobi says, quietly, and means it. "...I’m glad."

​Rogard’s eyes widen, infinitesimally, and for a second there it feels safe enough to let himself smile for real.

​" So sentimental, Khobi ~" he teases, and flashes a cheeky grin when Khobi gives him a withering look and threatens to push him off the fence.

"But...thanks," he adds after a beat when it starts looking like he is, in fact, going to actually push him off, "...For yesterday."

​Khobi just clucks his teeth and gives him a light nudge with his shoulder.

​"Anytime."

​That makes Rogard grin, and when Khobi catches it he cracks into one, too and they descend into an easy silence as they settle in to watch the sparring.

But after the third time he catches Rogard looking Drogger’s way, Khobi awkwardly broaches the subject of how long it’s been going on for, and can only gawk when Rogard tells him.

Rogard, in turn, asks how Khobi figured it out, and gawks right back when he scrunches up his face as though trying to find the right words and then settles on I guess it was kinda obvious ? Which is hardly a good answer, but a very... Khobi one, and makes Rogard laugh.

​It always sucks watching from the outside, but it sucks a little less sharing it with someone else who wants to be out there just as badly, and they take their turn at laughing and jeering and betting on who’s gonna outlast who in the ring.

Of course Khobi’s got no gold, and really, neither does Rogard anymore, but like he had so often done the last time Rogard was out with an injury, Binny materialises with snacks and they bet with those instead.

​Khobi is a terrible gambler, and an even worse loser, but Rogard knew that.

​"So, I heard the cat’s out of the bag," Binny remarks conversationally, as another bout ends and he and Rogard obligingly take a piece of Khobi’s rapidly dwindling pile of snacks. "Y’know, that you’re boning the Captain," he elaborates with an impish wink, giving Rogard enough of a heart attack to give Khobi an opening to snatch a couple back.

​" – Ugh , don’t tell me Yacka told you, too??" Rogard complains, and Binny tosses a piece of fruit up in the air and catches it in his mouth before casually supplying, "Hmm? Oh, no. I knew already."

​" You did ?"

​" Rogard ," Binny snickers, shaking his head as Rogard looks politely aghast, "...Believe me when I say that you are nowhere near as sneaky as you think you are."

​" Excuse me, I am plenty sneaky! " he squawks indignantly, and then haughtily sticks his nose in the air, "And you don’t need to make it sound so crass ! Me and master’s love is pure , thank you very much–"

​" Oho Rogard, that’s a big word~" Binny teases, grin stretching from ear to ear as Rogard promptly flushes pink but doesn’t take it back.

​" Pure my fucking ass ," Khobi snorts obnoxiously, and promptly makes Rogard splutter and Binny howl with laughter as he deadpans, "...Coming from the guy limping back from his nights out in town –" Rogard at least has the decency not to bother denying it.

​"Well, at least one of us is getting laid," he shoots back childishly, and Binny gives him a sly look.

​"Who said you’re the only one?" he remarks airily, and both of them immediately turn to gape at him incredulously.

"Hey, hey," he hurriedly interjects before they start on him. No doubt he saw some of what had befallen Rogard in the mess hall and wants none of it.

"I didn’t say I was , but how would you know? Unlike some people, some of us don’t kiss and tell."

Both Khobi and Rogard look equally offended by the insinuation.

​" What’s that supposed to mean ??"