Shafir walked up to his apartment. The little property went up a flight of stairs and under him lived the landlords. An elderly couple had rented out a small space to him when the empress did not renew his contract. He pulled out his key as he got to the landing and standing there was a familiar blonde.
“What are you doing here? Wasn’t your punishment by the Empress to do all mine and your paperwork?” Shafir asked as the older elf looked down at his feet. Her exact words were much harsher than that and seemed to have an underlying secret that only she and Eliqinor knew.
“I came to see how you were doing. I hope you didn’t rip your stitches again.” Eliqinor seemed like a flustered child. Fidgeting where he stood and looking anywhere but at Shafir’s face.
“Well, as you can see. I am fine. So if you would kindly move,” Shafir said, motioning to the apartment door. Eliqinor moved over to the railing until there was enough space for them both to fit on the landing. Shafir sighed and moved in front of the door, jamming the small key into the hole.
Click
Shafir turned the knob and walked through the doorway. He wasn’t sure why, but there was a slight nagging at the back of his mind.
Why not let him in?
Shafir shook his head as he went to close the door behind him.
Click
Thud
Eliqinor hadn’t made a move to come in and the dark elf certainly wasn’t going to invite him. The door closed with a soft thud behind Shafir. After everything they had been through with the orc, it was hard to ignore the high elf’s presence.
Something wordlessly nagged at the back of his mind to snatch the older elf’s wrist and drag him into the small apartment.
He relented after his mind battled with itself for a few minutes. It was late and the worst that would happen was an argument. Shafir would apologize to the landlady afterward.
The door creaked open as Shafir peeked out. Eliqinor no longer stood on the landing, instead opting to sit on the step. Shafir wasn’t sure what he was searching for as he watched the rise and fall of the high elf’s back. He was hunched over like he did at work and his hands covered his face.
Something about it irked Shafir. It wasn’t often that he saw the man looking so exhausted. The hunch was solemn and his movements sluggish. He stepped out into the slight chill of the windy night.
“Oh, did you forget something?” Eliqinor asked when he turned to see Shafir standing over him. Shafir stood over him with his arms crossed and a complicated expression on his face.
“No, I just didn’t feel like going inside yet,” Shafir stated. He actually did want to go inside, wanted to find something to eat, and then pass out in his bed and hope for no nightmares. “But I guess I can at least offer you something to drink.”
“No, it’s fine. I was just about to head out. It’s a long walk from the office and I just needed a small break.” Eliqinor always spoke so calmly and casually about things. Shafir knew that walk. In fact, he did it every day. That was one thing that was great about working in the castle. His place was closer to it than the office was.
“Stupid,” Shafir huffed. Eliqinor was always stupid, but this was on a different level. Shafir had mentioned what a long walk it was from the office. So Shafir couldn’t understand why the high elf would come to see him.
“I guess. In a way…” Eliqinor said. There were words left unsaid, but Shafir didn’t push it. His thoughts trailed off to something more mundane before Shafir made a decision.
“Well, as Vice-Captain, I have to take care of everyone. That includes the stupid.” Shafir felt proud of himself when Eliqinor laughed and the tension left his body. He hoped that Eliqinor would come in and get something to drink so Shafir could let him leave with little guilt.
“That we do. So does that drink offer still stand?” Eliqinor asked, and Shafir rolled his eyes. The high elf began rising from where he sat before Shafir spoke.
“Sadly no, you missed the opportunity,” Shafir walked back over to the door of his place and waited as Eliqinor followed him. At least he wasn’t so stupid as not to notice the sarcastic tone.
Now having someone in his home, Shafir realized how plain and boring it was. It made him embarrassed. Back at the House of Honors, his mother maintained his room, so it at least had some pretty decor to fill out the space. Shafir was never one for decorating and he never spent much time in his apartment anyway, so he found little use in making it look nice.
“It looks nice,” Eliqinor said. Shafir took this time to run off to the kitchen to get something to drink. Shafir wasn’t sure how to deal with this. Even though Eliqinor said his place looked nice, he couldn’t help the glaring mundanity of it.
Shafir made himself busy in the kitchen looking for mugs to drink from. The silence was comforting, and it helped the dark elf calm down. It felt like he was the only one in the house. Filling the mugs shocked him back to reality. The water in the bucket was cold and, knowing that someone else was in the other room, had him on edge.
“Here’s your drink.” Shafir handed the drink to Eliqinor, who nodded in gratitude. Once again, the silence stretched on between the two. Shafir didn’t know what to say, and he seated himself in the chair next to the couch Eliqinor sat on.
Eliqinor quietly sipped his water and Shafir could feel the awkward tension in the air. Not even a sword could slice through it. Shafir felt like he had to say something, but he couldn’t bring himself to make small talk. So he blurted out the first thing on his mind.
“What would you do if you had a chance to change your job?” Shafir asked. It was still something that had been churning around in his head since the Empress offered it. He wanted to accept it, but at the same time, Shafir couldn’t bring himself to do it. He watched as Eliqinor seemed to contemplate the question before answering.
“It would depend on the benefits. Pay, vacation time, distance to the job, et cetera. I would have to weigh the difference between them,” Eliqinor started. He seemed to want to continue talking but took more time to think. “Besides, would you be there? That’s a big plus. I don’t think I could enjoy it otherwise.”
"How could working with me, of all people, be a good thing?" Shafir asked. He questioned the sanity of his captain at the remark. All they ever did was argue and fight. How could he consider that a pleasant work environment?
"We work well together and respect each other's work process. Even if we fight, we still manage to get everything done. Is that not good?" Eliqinor probed. When put that way, Shafir couldn't call him out on it. At the end of the day, the paperwork got done, and they left work, accomplishing all of their duties. Not only that, Shafir appreciated that Eliqinor preferred doing paperwork over fieldwork. Shafir hated being cooped up for a long time, so how they separated tasks worked well.
"I would never find working with myself enjoyable. So I question your mental stability," Shafir remarked. He couldn't find a good reason for someone like him to be enjoyed. He would think his poor qualities would outweigh the good work process. "Unless you have some other motive for working with me."
Shafir watched as Eliqinor took a drink from his cup and half choked on the liquid. Shafir didn't think much of it and waited for Eliqinor's coughing fit to calm down.
"May the Mother protect me," Eliqinor whispered with a raspy voice. Their unwavering politeness occasionally drove Shafir to frustration. Even after Eliqinor finished choking him, nothing seemed out of place on Shafir.
"It's getting late. You should be going." Shafir stood from his chair, not even bothering to finish his water. Something about the way Eliqinor spoke lit a fire inside of his stomach and Shafir wanted to keep the small peace they had. If he had to be in the high elf's presence any longer then Shafir wasn't sure he could control himself. Fighting was the last thing he wanted after being able to talk cordially.
"Ah, yes. It's a bit of a walk back to my place in the barracks," Eliqinor stood up, leaving his drink on the floor beside the couch. Shafir watched as he made his way to the door and followed him. Once both were in the entryway, Eliqinor looked back at Shafir as he opened the door. "See you at work tomorrow?"
Shafir took a minute before replying to him and looked away. "See you tomorrow…" Eliqinor smiled brightly.
