by Megan Derr
"It focused too much on high-level theory," Asa said dismissively. "It really would've been nice to be able to expand on some of the basics, or to have more practical homework or sessions where the students actually got to practice using their magic. People learn better through doing, not through sitting in a classroom being lectured at." Asa paused, running a hand through his curls slowly. "Sorry, I'm ranting again."
"It's fine. I like to listen," Bralin said, grinning. He really did like to see Asa get all riled up and he really did have a real passion for teaching. "I really think you'd do well as the full-time trainer for the curse breakers. You have a lot of passion for teaching."
Asa shrugged, looking faintly embarrassed still—but also a little pleased. Bralin gave him a quick smile, standing and picking up the empty potato platter. He left Asa sitting at the table to fetch the next course of the meal, already plotting ways to get Asa to start "ranting" again.
The rest of dinner passed too quickly, in Bralin's opinion. He got Asa talking about magic and his interest in latents—letting it slip that there were a few latents struggling through the curse breaker training. Asa, in turn, managed to get him talking about his family (which consisted of the uncle who'd raised him, dead nearly a decade now) and how he'd gotten into curse breaking (the first job he'd found that hadn't involved magic commissions).
The night had turned brisk at some point while they'd been eating and conversing, and it was late enough that there was hardly anyone out. Asa walked close to him—not close enough to trip Bralin up, but definitely closer than propriety dictated.
"Do you think it will take long for you to find out if Mestal is still after us?" Asa asked quietly as they left the cluttered cottages of Bralin's neighborhood and headed the taller, more run-down neighborhood that bordered it.
"Probably just a few days?" Bralin offered, gesturing for Asa to turn left. "I can't meet with Liok often, but there are channels I can send him messages through. I'll also talk to Cos tomorrow, and see what protections he's got in place at Amara's farm."
"Thank you," Asa said, and in the half-moon's light, Bralin would swear Asa was smiling. "Especially since you owe us nothing."
"Least I can do," Bralin said quietly, not wanting to bring up how much of a dick he'd been. Better to leave that in the past, especially since Asa seemed to have forgotten it, or at least wasn't holding it against him. "It's not about owing you, or you owing me, Asa. You're a friend, at the very least. I would do the same for any friend."
Asa was quiet for a moment, and Bralin hoped he hadn't stuck his foot in his mouth again—he'd been doing so well the rest of the evening.
"Then, just thank you," Asa said, tilting his head towards Bralin and smiling. Bralin grinned back, not stopping to think about it, but just reaching out and grabbing Asa's hands. Asa shot him a startled look, but he didn't protest, just gripped Bralin's hand tightly for a moment.
"I'll drop by as soon as I know anything," Bralin promised as they neared Asa's apartment building. It was mostly dark, but a few windows showed the faint, flickering glow of candlelight.
"I'm out most afternoons," Asa said, coming to a stop outside the rusty gates but not freeing his hand. "Morning would be the best time to drop by."
"Then I'll come by in the morning," Bralin said agreeably, wondering how often he could drop by before it got old. He could bring Asa and his family breakfast a time or two—
"Thank you for dinner. It was wonderful," Asa said, and it was obviously the start of a goodbye. Bralin nodded automatically, a little relieved he wouldn't have to climb the stairs again.
"We should do it again," Bralin said, reluctantly letting go of Asa's hand.
"Maybe after things with Sariah and Eli are settled?" Asa suggested, and it was only a few days delay, but Bralin was disappointed.
"We can set a date when I drop by with what I've learned," Bralin said decisively, deciding he could get at least one more dinner with Asa in before he left. If he left; if he didn't, Bralin could hopefully get in much more than a few more dinners.
"Okay," Asa agreed without pause. He looked up at Bralin, still smiling, and it was just a small, reserved smile, and Bralin really wanted to Asa laugh, see Asa with no worries about his family, his job, his life—he wanted a real, full-out, unreserved smile.
Bralin stepped closer, ready to step away if Asa showed any signs of turning away—but Asa just quirked a corner of his lips up and met him halfway, leaning up when Bralin leaned down; curling his hand in the front of Bralin's jacket when Bralin curved his hand around Asa's neck—and kissing back as Bralin kissed him.
Bralin pulled away first, his hand buried in Asa's curls. Asa laughed softly, stealing a quick, brief kiss before freeing himself from Bralin's grip and putting a small amount of distance between them.
"See you," Asa said, and he was smiling wide now, happy and unrestrained. Bralin grinned back stupidly, echoing Asa's parting words—and then grinning wider because he would see Asa again later, and if he was lucky, quite often.
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Epilogue
"It's a little small," Bralin said from the doorway, blocking Asa's way in. Asa rolled his eyes, shifting the crate he was carrying.
"I'm sure it's fine," Asa said, giving Bralin a pointed look before finally just shoving the crate into Bralin's hands. Bralin grinned sheepishly before backing into the room slowly. Asa followed curiously, glancing around the room as Bralin moved to set the crate down against the far wall. It wasn't a large room, but Asa hadn't expected it to be. His bedroom at the apartment had been smaller, even if he hadn't been sharing it. Asa smiled—even if it was technically moving into the curse breaker barracks, he was moving in with Bralin. They got a larger room because they were sharing it, and Bralin's things were already piled haphazardly around the room.
"It's fine," Asa said, though Bralin would probably continue to fret until their things were unpacked and they'd been living there for a few weeks.
"I can try to finagle bigger," Bralin said, frowning critically at the room.
"We don't need a lot of space," Asa said patiently, fighting a smile. "We won't be in here most of the day."
"Right," Bralin said, sounding unconvinced.
"If it doesn't work in a few months, we can try and work something out then," Asa said, even though he was pretty sure nothing was going to convince Bralin to stop worrying about the room. Probably better to try and distract him than to reason with him. "When do you think you'll start normal curse breaker duties again?"
"Not for a few months," Bralin said, shrugging and looking a little thrown at the subject change. "I'll probably do some work around the city, but I get to be your assistant of a while first. You know this. I've told you this before."
"I do know," Asa said agreeably. He crossed the room to where Bralin stood, smiling when Bralin immediately pulled him close. "I was trying to distract you from fretting about the room."
"There are better ways to distract me," Bralin grumbled, looking put out that Asa hadn't tried them.
Asa laughed, standing up on his toes to kiss Bralin. He pulled back quickly though, twisting free of Bralin's grasp easily. "Yes, but I do have more things to move."
"Well, I'll still be fretting about the room then," Bralin promise, flashing a grin that promised a lot, mostly involving the wide bed shoved into the corner of the room. Asa just laughed, leading the way back into the barrack's hallway. It was deserted, but Bralin spell-locked their room anyway before heading back to the cart they'd borrowed to move what little Asa had from his apartment.
It wasn't much—Asa had made Sariah take most everything they had with her when she and Eli had left for Amara's farm. They'd had a warm welcome, and Sariah had seemed happy enough. Asa was confident they'd be safe there, too, because of Cos's protections and because it seemed Mestal was more focused on rooting out other, potentially more troublesome problems from within his organization.
He did miss Sariah
and Eli, but he was rather glad he hadn't stayed with them. Thankfully, Sariah hadn't pushed the issue at all, just smiled sadly and made him promise to write often.
Distracted by his thoughts, Asa nearly ran straight into Bralin, who had paused just outside the barracks. His hair was nearly glaring in the sunlight, and Asa smiled, amused because Bralin always complained about it but it was one of Asa's favorite things about him. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" Bralin asked, and Asa laughed, because Bralin had been asking him that for the last few months, ever since he'd decided to stay in the city.
"Yes, Bralin, I'm sure," Asa said, poking him in the side. "I miss them, but I want to be here."
"That's not what I was asking," Bralin said, catching his hand before he could fully pull it away. "Are you sure you're okay with living with me? We could still get separate rooms."
"And then we'd end up spending the night in one or another's rooms anyway," Asa countered easily, shaking his head. It was kind of funny, how worried Bralin was over everything. He was worse than Roark whenever he had to leave Cos alone and ship out with his regiment.
"Right." Bralin grinned dopily at that, and Asa smothered another laugh, tugging Bralin towards the cart where his things were piled. Asa freed his hand from Bralin's and picked up the nearest crate (donated by one of the residents who lived below him and worked loading unloading ships at the docks).
Bralin grabbed a crate, then proceeded to stack it on top of another and heft the pile. Asa raised his eyebrows, and Bralin shrugged as well as he was able with the load he was carrying.
"What? I want to get this part done, so we can get to the part where you distract me," Bralin said, giving Asa a heated look. Asa just rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but smile a little.
"Then get to it. But if you break anything, you'll have to distract me," Asa warned.
"I've got it," Bralin said confidently, lifting the crates an inch higher as he headed back towards the door. "And don't worry, I'll distract you whether or not I drop anything."
"Thanks," Asa said dryly. "Now get going, or I won't distract you."
Bralin snorted, but obliged, and Asa followed him into the building, trying not to smile too much.
Fin
About the Authors
Megan Derr
Megan grew up a military brat and traveled extensively with her family. She is now firmly settled in Ohio, with two roommates and their four cats. She has always been book obsessed, and writing obsessed since she first gave it a whirl in college. Romance and fantasy are her primary obsessions, but she’s game to write just about anything and enjoys a challenge. She is a sucker for stories of enemies becoming lovers. When not writing, Megan is drinking too much coffee, reading still more books, and harassing family and friends, or otherwise doing whatever possible to avoid editing.
Sasha L. Miller
Sasha has been writing slash ever since she began writing awful fanfiction in her freshman year of college. She grew up in the boonies of Northern New York (nowhere near NYC) and then branched out for college in a different part of the boonies of NNY. She then spent a few years in Vermont before finally landing in Cincinnati, where she shares a house crazy roommates and crazier cats.
