Archive of Our Own ^beta

For weeks, Gale had been struggling to sleep. Overwhelmed with thoughts, he turned and tossed restlessly throughout the night. While they usually gravitated towards the gravity of their situation, with the tadpoles in their heads, his thoughts of late had been centered around the group's leader, Tav. Whether it be seeing them chatting by the fire with their other companions or the way their skin glistened with sweat after a particularly rough fight, he thought of them constantly.

This night was particularly rough for him. He couldn't sleep, tossing and turning in his bedroll for what seemed like hours. After he had finally had enough, he got up and exited his tent, deciding fresh air is what he needed. What he didn't expect however is to see Tav sitting by the fireplace, their head turning to look at him as he stepped out.

“Tav…?”

He called out their name, confused. He walked over, and stood in front of them

“I wouldn't have expected you up at this hour.”

Tav patted at the ground next to them, and he promptly sat down. They greeted him, then spoke,

“I suppose there's just a lot on my mind.”

They stared at the campfire, watching it flicker. They added a log, then turned to look Gale in the eyes.

“If you'll indulge me, what is on your mind? You can always unburden yourself with me.”

They were going to respond, but Gale continued,

“-But I understand what you mean. A lot of thoughts swirling through your head. It's hard to turn them off, right?”

He leaned closer to Tav, but then backed away, clearing his throat

“If I'm wrong though, I understand-”

“No, you're quite right”

They were the one to cut him off this time, and they smiled softly. They looked back to the fire, and pulled their knees to their chest.

“If you would indulge me, what exactly is on your mind?”

Gale inquired, returning their smile as he spoke to them.

“A lot.”

A slight frown found its way to their face as they spoke again,

“Not any rather unpleasant thoughts I assure you. Just… a lot.”

He nodded, understanding what she was saying. The same could be applied to his thoughts, but he assumed that what was on their mind was completely different from him. He looked up at the night sky, seeing all of the stars that glistened and shined. His thoughts stiller lingered on the person in front of him, but he simply shook his head and continued the conversation.

“Sometimes I swear my mind won't shut up at night. Just constantly swirling and whirling with thoughts.”

They stayed silent, then spoke after a moment of silence

“You understand.”

“Of course. If anything, you and I are probably thinking very similarly.”

He paused, contemplating if he should ask them what he was about to ask.

“Do… do you mind if I ask you a question”

His voice had a nervous edge to it, and he cleared his throat before Tav responded.

“Do tell.”

Their interest was piqued, and they fully turned their body to face Gale.

He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to ask them. His palms were already becoming clammy, and he felt his heart rate increase by the second. He took another breath, and spoke,

“Do- Have you… have you ever thought of anyone here in a not so friendly way? And I don't mean dislike, I rather mean the opposite. I mean thinking of them in a… a romantic sense. Thinking of them in a way you shouldn't?"

His voice pitched up higher at the last word, and he looked nervous. He rubbed his hands together slowly.

“Oh gods yes”

They answered rather quickly, smiling sheepishly

“That's what's keeping me up.”

Gale was rather surprised by their admission, but the fact that they were having the same feelings as him felt reassuring. He nodded slowly, not quite sure what to say.

“That is exactly what is keeping me up as well.”

He ran his hand through his hair, chuckling awkwardly.

There was a moment of silence between them before Tav spoke hesitantly, looking down

“...who at this camp is the object of your affections?”

Gale didn't immediately respond. He opened his mouth, then reconsidered what he was going to say. He pressed his lips together into a thin line, thinking. He finally spoke after a long silence, only the crackling fire and the soft sounds of nature around them breaking it.

“You'll think less of me-”

“Nothing you could ever do would make me think less of you”

They shifted, taking his hands in theirs.

Gale looked down at their hands together, his cheeks flushing from the gesture. Despite the warmth from the fire, their hands felt cold against his, and he shivered.

He swallowed his saliva, his heart racing as he prepared to say what he so dreaded to say. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.

“It's… it's you Tav.”

…

“...oh.”

They stayed silent in thought, looking away from Gale. He gently moved a hand to their face, turning their head to face him.

His heart ached watching their reaction, her pause and expression not reassuring him in the slightest. He dropped his hand and looked down, shame and embarrassment clearly written on his face

“I know it's wrong. I know I shouldn't be feeling this way. But-”

He was stopped mid-sentence, Tav's lips pressed against his. He sat motionless, then instinctively moved his lips against theirs.

Their kids was short and sweet, and they both say breathless in front of each other, both in shock and awe of the other.

“Y-you feel the same I hope?”

Gale stuttered, smiling like a fool

“Yes.”

They were smiling even wider, blushing like a virgin

Their admission sent the wizard over the moon, his heart racing now with a mix of excitement and joy. He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, and moved closer to them.

“I thought I was the only one. I thought that my feelings for you would only bring me misery. I tried to convince myself that they were fruitless thoughts, that I shouldn't have been feeling the way that I did.”

He kissed their temple, smiling softly as he took their hands in his own again

“Well, I am quite glad that we are sharing this moment together”

They yawned

“However, I did think the same. I was afraid that you didn't think the same, and that all of my feelings were for naught. That you didn't want me”

Gale squeezed their hands, reassuring them

“No, no. Never think that I don't want you. There is no one else I want but you.”

Their faces moved closer again, but before they made contact Tav backed away.

“... It's late. We should be getting to bed.”

A disappointed expression was as clear as day on his face, but he shook it off and looked at them longingly.

“You’re right.”

He let go of her hands, standing up. He dusted off his pants, and started walking before he looked back .

“Goodnight.”

He called out

“Goodnight.”