Work Text:
The restaurant was empty of customers, the only people inside being Dylas, Margaret and Porcoline. Meg was playing one of her favorite songs, the sweet melancholy notes echoing off the walls. Porcoline was practically dancing in the kitchen, not even paying attention to what ingredients he was grabbing before adding them to whatever dish he was making (and occasionally taking another ingredient to eat for himself, while Meg was busy playing the piano). Dylas cleaned the tables, making sure that they didn’t have any leftover food or dishes left behind by those who have already left. It was just another day in Selphia, and Dylas was happy with it, even if it wasn’t what he thought his life would lead to.
“Dylas! Do you mind taking Arthur his lunch? I bet the poor dear hasn’t eaten anything since he started working this morning!” Porco called out, setting a plate of freshly made Curry Manju on the counter. Dylas looked over the room, satisfied with his work as he made his way toward the chef.
“After you take that to him you can have the rest of the day off!”
“Are you sure?” Dylas knew that while the lunch rush was over, more tourists would come in for their evening meal.
“Of course I am! I see how hard you work, and I want you to take a break. Now shoo and give Arthur his food!” Porco made a waving motion at Dylas, as if he was an annoying fly. Dylas laughed a little, the familiarity of the situation being a warm comfort.
The study, while being just as welcoming as the restaurant side of the building, was much quieter as the door shut behind Dylas. Arthur was sitting at his desk, multiple letters and books open before him as he wrote on his own blank piece of paper. He looked up as Dylas approached his desk, and smiled as he placed the food before the prince.
“Ah, thank you. I didn’t realize how much time had passed.” Arthur set down the quill in his hand and stood up, stretching his muscles for what Dylas had guessed to be the first time since he sat down to work that morning.
“Man, how much work do you have to get through?” Dylas considered himself a hard worker, but would never throw himself into it like Arthur did. It was impressive, and Dylas would be jealous of the work ethic if it didn’t draw the worry of everyone else in town.
“A lot, that’s for certain. It would be nice to have another sleepover, if you want to tell the other guys.”
Dylas agreed with Arthur, it would be nice to have another sleepover, since it has been a while since the last one. Hell, when he took the time to think about it, he realized that the guys hadn't been able to hang out as a big group since Arthur and Frey were married.
“We haven’t had a sleepover since you and Frey got married, huh? You two gonna be able to handle a night without each other?” Arthur laughed at the teasing.
“Oh, I’m sure we’ll more than make up for lost time. The girls are having their own sleepover at Meg’s house, so unfortunately you and everyone else will have to make do.” Dylas smiled at the return, and was glad that he felt close enough with the people around him for them to talk like this.
“Sure, I’ll spread the word. Enjoy your lunch.”
Dylas heard Arthur say “Thank you,” before he walked out the door and into the warm spring afternoon.
*~*~*~*
The usual walk around Selphia led to Dylas running into Leon, Vishnal, and Kiel. They had all gladly agreed to the sleepover, saying that they would be at Arthur’s study the next evening. The only person that Dylas needed to find was Doug.
It was odd, how Dylas was the one spreading the word about the sleepover and having to find Doug. Usually Doug was the one to tell everyone else, with him having to go out and find Dylas. Maybe there was a god who looked after small happenings and liked to have things balanced, he mused.
Now he stood in front of the Sincerity General Store, debating with himself over whether or not he and Doug would start a fight just by him walking in. While they were much better about it now (which Dylas was very thankful for, he felt like an ass half the time they argued), they have also started fights because of much less offensive things.
Dylas swallowed the worry, knowing that it wouldn’t do him any favors. He walked into the store, the bell above ringing in greeting.
As it turned out, there was no need to worry. Inside, there was no Doug to be found. Granny Blossom was standing next to the shelves, taking stock of what was there and putting new items on display. She turned when he walked in, smiling and calling out in welcome.
“Good evening, Dylas. Did Porco need anything before the evening rush?” Asked Blossom, as she tried to set a box of new produce on the top shelf. It was slightly too tall for her though, so Dylas helped her by placing it there for her. Blossom patted his arm in silent thanks.
“No ma’am, I'm just looking for Doug. Arthur is planning a sleepover for tomorrow and he’s the last person I have to tell.”
Blossom looked out of the window for a moment, a worried look flashing through her eyes before answering.
“I don’t know for certain. I would try the lake, since I know he isn’t out training today. If you can’t manage to find him, then I’ll tell him for you.”
That was… an odd answer. Dylas knew that Doug usually let Blossom know where he goes (a habit that Doug would never admit to). He thought about asking her if something was wrong for a moment, but stopped himself. It would be rude to ask, since she more than likely wouldn’t tell him about Doug’s personal business.
“Thank you, I’ll see if he’s there. Have a good day.”
Dylas walked out of the store and towards the lake, enjoying the cherry blossoms that have come into full bloom. The warmth in the air reminded him that it would soon be time for those blossoms to fall and herald in the summer. Watching the seasons change ever so slowly was something he took for granted before he became a Guardian, and the fact that he enjoyed it now only made him joke that his soul aged in place of his body while he was stuck as a monster.
The cherry blossoms carried sorrow as well, as they reminded Dylas of what he both saved and lost. It was still odd to walk past the castle's vast entrance and not see Venti on her perch. Even after a year, he could still swear that he hears snippets of her voice or feel the soft, subtle rumble of her afternoon snoozing through the ground. He missed her, everyone did, but all they could do was move on. The thought of not being able to do anything left a rock in his stomach, but that was the reality of the situation. Dylas took comfort in that if there was a way to bring her back, he wouldn't be alone in doing so.
He had reached the lake during his contemplation, and fortunately he could see Doug sitting at the edge of the water. Something about him was wrong, though, more closed off than usual. He had never seen the dwarf in any other mood than cheerful or pissed off, and the latter only happened when they got into some argument or another.
“Doug?”
No answer, whatever the dwarf was thinking about being more important than someone talking to him. Dylas walked closer, trying to get a better look at Doug.
And quite frankly, Doug looked like a wreck. There were bags under his eyes accented by dried tear tracks that ran down his face. The distant look in his eyes haunted Dylas, the unfamiliarity of seeing Doug like this feeling uncanny. He paused his approach a few feet away, wondering if he had any right to intrude on what he could tell was a private moment, and warred with himself on whether or not to leave.
The part of Dylas that had its own tendencies to hide all of his problems told him to leave the dwarf in peace. Doug had come out here to be alone, and Dylas had no right to disturb that. At the same time, however, he wanted to help. Perhaps the family he had gained in these recent years have influenced him to interfere with other people’s problems (even if they were the problems of the local annoying dwarf).
And before he knew it (and before he could talk himself out of it), Dylas walked over what felt like an invisible line as he went to sit down beside Doug. It was only now that he seemed to notice Dylas’s presence, jumping as his mind woke up to his surroundings.
“Shit, dude, warn somebody before you walk up! Almost gave me a heart attack!” Doug halfheartedly laughed, trying to hide whatever was making him visibly worried before. The change was almost too natural, and it made Dylas wonder how much he did this to put on a cheerful mask so easily and quickly.
“Are you okay?”
Those three simple words made Doug pause, the smile he tried to keep up falling slightly. Dylas could see the panic flash through Doug’s eyes as they searched his face.
“I-I’m fine. I should be asking you that, since-”
“I didn’t ask if you were fine. I asked if you were okay.” Dylas didn’t intend for his words to sound harsh if they did, but if Doug was anything like him then a firm push to actually talk was needed for them to get anywhere.
“I…” Doug’s response seemed to die in his throat, and he turned back towards the lake. Dylas looked toward the clear water himself, watching the ripples of movement from the fish below serving to reassure him in his actions.
Doug didn't speak at first, and Dylas let him have the silence. He understood the difficulty of opening up to someone else, and rushing Doug to answer would only make him isolate himself more. He wasn't an expert at emotional conversations, but he knew enough about his own habits to recognize them in others.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, then you can just walk away. But if you do need someone to hear you out, you can come to me.”
Doug didn’t respond, not for a while. They both looked out at the lake, breeze flowing through the trees and the distant sound of the town sounding much farther away than what it truly was. Doug shifted himself on the ground, and Dylas thought he was going to stand up and leave before he lifted his knees to hug them into his chest.
“Would you be completely honest with me, Dylas? Even if it would hurt me?”
Dylas knew that it was a loaded question, but nodded anyway. If it was honesty that Doug needed, then he would give it to him.
“Do you blame me for what happened to Ventuswill?”
The question surprised Dylas, even when he did expect for Doug to ask him something heavy. Venti had been gone for a year, with Frey and the Guardians working hard to find a way to get her back. Doug’s involvement with all that had happened with the Sechs and Venti became something of a social faux pas in town, no one talking about it out of consideration (for who, it was never clear). It was a hard time for everyone, especially for Dylas and the other Guardians who had only gotten their old friend back for a short time before she was taken away.
And Dylas, despite his ongoing rivalry with Doug, never blamed him for what had happened. Doug had been lied to, manipulated into believing that Venti had slaughtered his village. Dylas could never blame Doug for what happened.
“No, of course not.”
“Why not? No one in town holds me responsible for anything I did, and I don’t understand why.”
Dylas was quiet for a moment, thinking of the best way to answer him. Did Doug feel this the entire time, keeping this to himself for it to fester for over a year?
“It was clear that the Sechs manipulated you into doing what you did, and when push came to shove you helped us when we needed it. I remember marching into the clinic when you got injured protecting Frey, mad because I had only heard snippets of what was going on. Even while Jones was bandaging that gash on your arm you were still trying to make sure Blossom was okay, and I knew that whatever happened you would do what it takes to protect her and this town.”
Doug took a moment to let Dylas’s answer sink in, but answered quickly.
“That doesn’t mean that I should be forgiven. The only reason the Sechs even knew how to get the Rune Sphere shards was because I reported it to them. They knew when and where to attack because I told them. I knew that something was wrong and that I shouldn’t trust them, and I did that anyway.”
“And everyone in town still chose to forgive you, didn’t they? You know as well as I do that the people here don’t do things the easy or normal way. You see yourself as someone who should be punished, but I can guess that everyone here saw that you needed help more.”
Doug stayed quiet after Dylas finished talking, taking in all of what he said. Dylas spoke once more, trying to calm whatever else was eating at the dwarf.
“I think that when Venti comes back, she'll be just as happy to see you as everyone else in town. If you approached her about it, she’d probably just spout some nonsense about it ‘tormenting you enough’ just to sound wiser than she is.”
Doug laughed a little at that, and the small smile that stayed on his face had a little less weight to it. Dylas could tell that everything on Doug’s mind wasn’t cleared, but he could tell that it helped, even if it was just a little bit.
Doug stood up, brushing himself off before looking back down at Dylas who remained seated.
“Thanks… I needed to talk to someone about that.”
“Don’t worry about it, all I wanted to do was help a friend out.”
Doug looked down at the former Guardian, a muted but real smile on his face. He started to walk away, but Dylas called out when he remembered the reason he sought Doug out in the first place.
“Wait! Arthur’s planning a sleepover at the restaurant for tomorrow, if you wanna come.” Doug turned back around and smiled, giving a thumbs up in his usual cheerful manner as if the conversation from before had never happened.
“‘Course I’ll be there!”
Dylas looked back out at the lake as Doug’s footsteps became more distant, letting himself contemplate over what just happened. As he watched the water ripple on the surface, he felt the warm breeze that heralded the coming summer, feeling that things were about to change.