[IC] Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

[Rogue Sloth]

At the sound of footsteps in the far side of the alcove, Crow looked up and saw Penelope walking towards him in her new dress. His heart beat slightly quicker at the sight of her. She looks stunning, he thought as his eyes wandered over her body. The navy dress was plain in design, but it accentuated the curves of her hips and chest even better than the last dress did. He couldn’t help but stare at her, entranced by her swaying hips as she approached him. He wondered what the rest of her figure looked like, hidden beneath that thin layer of fabric…

Stop it, Crow averted his gaze, blushing furiously. She’s your friend! Don’t imagine her naked. He took a steady breath, trying to calm his racing heart and focus on something else—the ground, the clouds in the sky, the distant voices of people on the main road—anything that would distract him from the beautiful woman standing in front of him.

Crow nodded absently when Penelope said they just needed to find an inn. He took one last calming breath and then forced himself to meet her gaze. Surprisingly, her face was slightly pink as well. He wondered why she was embarrassed. Oh, gods, he paled. Does she know what I was thinking about? He shook his head. No, that would have been ridiculous. There was no way she could possibly have known. She doesn’t even know I think of her as more than a friend sometimes.

“Seems like it,” he answered her after an awkward period of silence. “We should get going.” He moved away from the wall, standing up straight, and headed back to the main road with Penelope. He glanced at her again as they walked, still not used to seeing her in such a provocative dress. It looked so good on her. He had to say something.

“Um,” Crow started smoothly. “You look beautiful in that dress. It’s… quite flattering on you.” He looked up to see that they had reached an inn. Eager to get away from the uncomfortable subject, he moved for the door. “Looks like we wound a place to stay. We should check in.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope felt a small bit of panic run through her as there was an awkward silence after her words. She thought he might have caught onto how she looked him over. She lightly bit her tongue and remained quiet as they walked on to find an inn. The knight’s heart still raced as she worried about her actions making things more awkward. First last night and now this! I need to stop being so careless... She scolded herself.

Crow’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she finally dared to look over at him again. She froze at his words and her heart leapt at his compliments. She certainly hadn’t been expecting that to come out of his mouth. “T-Thanks.” She said awkwardly, blushing yet again. Her thanks barely had a chance to come out of her mouth before he soon switched the subjected and moved on to head inside the inn.

What’s yer point? Am I not allowed to find ‘Penelope’ attractive? The drunken words from a couple nights ago suddenly rang in her head. In that moment, she began to realize that perhaps it wasn’t just the alcohol talking. Time seemed to slow down as she walked into the inn, thinking over the things that had happened between them as of late. But he kept thinking of you. Like a lovesick puppy. Now Olivia’s words echoed in her head and suddenly the pieces started to mold together. A pulse of excitement rushed threw her at the thought that maybe Olivia hadn’t been completely lying.

But does he really feel the same as me? Or is it just a physical thing? She thought with some doubt. Penelope debated the possibility. Admittedly, she couldn’t quite give a certain answer though she suspected that he was merely just attracted to her and attraction didn’t always equal love.

“Welcome!” Said a cheery innkeeper. His voice snapped Penelope back. She blinked, finding herself confused and a little flustered. “What kind of room are ya looking for?”

“One with three beds.” Penelope said trying to pull herself away from such crazy thoughts.

“Three beds! That’ll be forty-five tael.” He told them, his eyes shifting to Crow expectantly.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow held the door open for Penelope to step through first. His mind raced, separating him from the world around him as he thought about what he had just said. He wondered if he should have just kept his mouth shut rather than complimenting her aloud. She had sounded so uncomfortable when she had thanked him. Was she embarrassed that he had been staring so much? It wasn’t like he could have helped it. Like all men, he was drawn by attractive women. The fact that she was his friend didn’t change that.

He followed Penelope to the front desk, still in a daze. What if she figured out my feelings for her? he blanched. This could change everything. Damn it! Why did I have to say something to her? As much as he desired to have her, he knew she would never be his. The next best thing was their friendship, and now he didn’t even know if he would still have that by the end of the day. He wished he could go back in time and take everything back.

He blinked, suddenly realizing the innkeeper was staring at him. “Err, yeah,” he said slowly, trying to remember what the man had said to Penelope. Unfortunately, he had been so distracted that he couldn’t remember. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’m sorry. What was that?”

“Forty-five Tael,” the innkeeper said, giving him an estranged look. “Had a little too much to drink, huh? You seem out of it.”

“No, I was just… nevermind,” Crow dug in the coin purse and handed the man his money. “Here.”

“Thank you very much!” the innkeeper handed him back a key. “You’ll both be in room twenty-four on the second level.” He leaned towards Penelope, speaking quietly. “Make sure your companion here gets plenty of sleep. Wouldn’t want him hungover when you need to hit the road again tomorrow morning.” He chuckled to himself.

“I heard that,” Crow narrowed his eyes. “And I told you, I’m not drunk.” He turned to Penelope. “Come on. We should go find Hartley and tell him where we’ll be staying tonight.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope watched as Crow seemed to be just as lost in thought as her. She was curious what he was thinking about as it was like him to get so distracted. Is it still about me? She wondered. Now that she suspected him of possibly feeling the same, she felt both a mixture of excitement and fear. While she longed to be with him, she was still a knight. How a knoght and thief could ever be together seemed to allude her.

She gave a small chuckle at the innkeepers teasing and nodded her head to him. "I'll keep my eye on him." She promised with a smirk. She turned back to Crow and nodded her head in agreement before following him out of the inn. She began to walk on back the way they had came, falling into yet another silence.

The knight found heself unsure about what was going on between her and Crow. She kept glancing his way, wondering if she was perhaps wrong but everything seemed to make a little more sense now. What am I even going to do about it? Is there even anything I can do about it? She felt her face warm up at the thought of telling Crow her true feelings.

She pushed the thought aside and soon focused her gaze ahead as they walked. Hartley and Kip soon came back into view. The two were slightly separated now as Hartley stood off to the side fidgeting awkwardly while Kip kept her gaze low. Penelope frowned at the sight. "Uh oh.." she mumbled to Crow.

Hartley spotted them and quickly made his way over to them. "Did you already tell her?" Penelope asked immediately in a hushed voice. Hartley flinched and scratched the back of his neck.

"Err... yeah.. It just sorta came out while we were talking." He said averting his gaze to the ground.

"And I guess it didn't go well huh?" Penelope said with a small look of worry.

"No... Er I mean I don't know. She said she needed some time to think.."

Penelope looked past him over at Kip. She let out a small sigh. "Well stay here. I'm going to go talk to her." She instructed, thinking it might help both of them. She moved on past the two thieves and over to the girl.

[Rogue Sloth]

The walk back to find Hartley and Kip was more than uncomfortable for Crow. He wished Penelope would say something—anything—to break the silence that had fallen between them. He would have done so, himself, but his tongue was tied with worry. He didn’t know what was going to become of their friendship now that Penelope seemed to have figured out about his feelings towards her. If only he had kept his mouth shut, he could have kept the secret longer.

He glanced at Penelope, only to find her deep in thought as well. She’s probably trying to figure out the best way to let me down, he dropped his gaze wistfully. Of course that’s what it is. She’s too nice to let me keep thinking I might someday have a chance with her. He felt a strange mixture of disappointment and relief at the thought. While he wanted desperately to have her, he knew he could never be with a knight. It didn’t make sense. At least this way, he would have some sense of closure.

Crow looked up again when they finally found Hartley and Kip. He frowned, noticing the distance between the two. It’s just like me and Penelope right now, he noted dryly. Hartley must have told Kip the truth a little earlier than he had planned to, and she didn’t seem to be taking the news very well. He sighed. It had been too much to expect anything more of her. Why would any woman, even a peasant, choose to accept a thief?

As Penelope began questioning Hartley, it seemed that Crow’s suspicions were correct: He had been honest with Kip and she hadn’t taken him back. Crow opened his mouth to suggest that they just head back to the inn and call it a night, but Penelope spoke first, saying something he never expected.

“Well, stay here. I’m going to go talk to her.”

He stared after her in surprise as she left to talk to Kip. What could she possibly have to say to change the girl’s mind? He suddenly remembered what she had said earlier: I hope she accepts him. The poor kid has enough problems with his family. Last thing he needs is to be rejected just because he’s a thief. She really was going to try. He wondered again how far that courtesy was extended. Did she just think that way about thieves and peasants, or would she consider the possibility of a knight and a thief? There’s no way, he reminded himself. Don’t forget how uncomfortable she was when you complimented her. She doesn’t have feelings for you.

“So,” Hartley’s melancholic voice drew Crow from his thoughts. “What’s going on between you and Penelope?” He rolled his eyes when Crow spun on him with wide eyes. “Please. I can tell something happened. You both looked just as distant as Kip and I are right now.”

“It’s nothing,” Crow lied.

“Come on, Crow,” Hartley said blandly. “You’re more obvious than you think you are.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Why do you think I was so aggressive in my pursuit of Penelope? I was trying to stay ahead of my competition.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Crow averted his gaze. “I told you, we’re just—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hartley interrupted. “‘You’re just friends.’ You keep saying that, but I’m starting to think it’s more for you than for me.”

Crow said nothing.

“Why won’t you tell her the truth?” Hartley asked. “You just made that big speech to me about how I needed to be honest with Kip, and how I’d never know if she’d accept me if I didn’t try.”

“It’s not the same,” Crow muttered. “Penelope is a knight. Knights and thieves are natural enemies. We may be able to be friends now, but it would be impossible to continue when we go back to our lives in Brerra. Besides, you and Kip were already courting before you became a thief. She has feelings for you. I doubt Penelope would want anything to do with me romantically, especially when she could have any nobleman she wants.”

“Sounds like a lot of excuses to me,” Hartley nudged him with his shoulder. “You think too much. Love doesn’t have to make sense. It isn’t logical. It’s just a feeling, and if Penelope feels it for you the way you do for her, then what’s stopping you?”

“I hate that you’re actually making sense right now,” Crow scoffed. “When did you get so wise, kid?”

“I always was,” Hartley smirked. “You just took a while to notice.”

“Alright,” Crow gave the boy a shove. “Don’t go getting a big head because you said one smart thing.”

Hartley laughed and then grew quiet as his eyes fell on the two women, “I just hope she cares strongly enough for me that she won’t be scared off…”

“With Penelope talking to her, I’m sure she’ll come around,” Crow rested a hand comfortingly on the boy’s shoulder. He looked up at Penelope, watching her from a distance. Stop thinking, huh? he mused. Maybe the kid is right.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope moved to quietly sit down next to Kip. The young woman looked up at her but said nothing, merely shifting her gaze away looking as conflicted as Penelope felt. The knight shifted uncomfortably, unsure where to start. “Hartley said you needed some time to think so... what are you thinking?” She asked in a soft voice. Her gaze was sympathetic as she looked over at the blonde.

“I’m confused..” Kip admitted with a small frown. “I waited so long for him.. I thought-I thought that when we finally met again that we’d be able to settle down and have a nice normal life.. maybe even have some children at some point..” She gave a bashful look at the mention of kids and toyed with the sleeve of her dress. “But.. now it seems like that’s impossible. If he’s a thief, he can’t settle down.. Not without risking his own capture.”

Penelope nodded her head in agreement. It seemed her and Kip shared some similar worries.

“You’re right.” The knight said. “That probably is impossible. So what you need to decide is what is more important to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you need to decide if having a stable life is more important to you than being with Hartley.” Penelope explained. Her eyes briefly drifted towards Crow before focusing back on Kip. “I won’t lie. A life with the thief means that you’ll probably have to move from town to town. There’s the risk of him getting captured or killed. And I don’t even know how raising children would work..” Penelope frowned, clearly having thought about some of these things before, and watched as Kip seemed to deflate slightly at her words.

“But if you can’t see yourself settling down with anyone else... Or if the pain of missing him out-weighs everything else, then-then you should just be with him. You guys can figure out the details as you go but what matters is that you’re with the person you love the most.” Penelope said with a certainty she had been missing for a while now.

Kip blinked then giggled at the knight, suddenly brightening up. Penelope looked at her with a startled and confused gaze. “What?

“Well.. It just seems that you’re talking more to yourself than to me.” Kip said with a knowing smirk. Penelope’s face flushed a bright pink. Finally speaking about everything that had been weighing down on her suddenly made things more clear as she applied her own words to her own situation. I guess she’s right... Penelope glanced over towards Crow again and then quickly averted her gaze.

Kip’s gaze softened and she reached out to place a hand on Penelope’s shoulder. “But thank you. I think I get it now.. And I think I know what I want.”

“Well.. What’s the verdict?”

“I can’t see myself with anyone but him.. I mean, I waited this long and I don’t want to lose him again.” Kip said, a rosy blush appearing on her cheeks.

Penelope smiled, feeling a little relieved. She had still been worried for Hartley despite having dealt with some of her own problems. Knowing that Kip was willing to accept him gave the knight a small glimmer of hope. If they can be together... then maybe we can too... She thought biting her lip nervously. If he feels the same that is..

“Come on. We probably shouldn’t keep them waiting any longer.” Kip said rising to her feet. Penelope tried to suppress a smile as she noticed a newfound confidence in the young girl. She wished that she shared it. Even though she had come to a conclusion, she was still wracked with worry at what Crow would think. The knight even wondered if she could find the courage to bring it up to him.

“Yeah..” Penelope said as she rose to her feet and headed back over to the two thieves alongside Kip. Kip became a bit bashful once more as she moved up to Hartley, who was noticeably still nervous. He looked at her with expectant and worried eyes.

“L-Let’s go talk somewhere...” Kip told him as she gently grabbed his hand. She shot a grateful look towards Penelope and headed off with Hartley to find a more private place to speak.

Penelope watched them go before turning to face Crow. She felt her stomach churn anxiously as she thought about what to say. “Well, I think things are going to work out for them..” She said with a small smile.

[Rogue Sloth]

“Oh, gods,” Hartley paled. “They’re coming back.” He began to fidget nervously as Penelope and Kip walked towards them.

“Calm down,” Crow said, although he felt just as anxious as the boy. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides, forcing himself to follow his own advice.

“But what if she turns me down?” Hartley swallowed. “What if she doesn’t want to marry me anymore?”

“What if she does?” Crow turned to him. “Is that the face you want to show her if she says she wants you to court her again? Have a little pride.”

“You’re right,” Hartley squeezed his eyes shut and took a steeling breath. When he opened them again, there was new resolve in his expression. He stood, still trembling slightly, as Kip approached him.

“L-Let’s go talk somewhere...” she girl said quietly.

“O-okay,” Hartley’s voice cracked in anticipation. He coughed in an awkward attempt to hide it as Kip reached to take his hand and lead him away. The boy cast one final glance back at Crow, who offered a reassuring nod, before he took off with her.

“So, she decided to take him back, after all,” Crow murmured when Penelope said everything would work out between the two. “That’s good. Hartley was a nervous wreck.” He turned to look at her, unable to help but notice how good she looked even in the low light of the evening.

Now it was his turn to feel anxious. Hartley was going to get the answer he had been waiting for, but Crow had no idea how Penelope would react if he told her the truth. Perhaps she had some idea already about how he felt towards her, but one offhanded comment couldn’t tell her the full weight of his emotions. Besides, even if she did know, he had no clue if she loved him too—or if she was even attracted to him, for that matter.

Stop thinking, Crow repeated the command in his mind. He couldn’t lie to himself any longer. He wasn’t okay with just staying friends with Penelope. It was torturous to him to have her so close, yet unable to have her close enough. Whether she felt the same way or not, he needed to have some closure. He took a shaky breath, To hell with palace raids. This is the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do in my life.

“Take a walk with me,” he said, breaking the silence between them. His nervous green eyes met hers. “I think we need to talk about something too.”

[BuzzingBee]

“I noticed.” Penelope mused softly as Crow mentioned how nervous Hartley had been. I’m not any better.. She thought as her gaze drifted down towards her shaky hands. Her gaze popped up with a startled look as Crow broke the silence.

“O-Ok.” She said with a small nod of agreement. His nervous eyes sent a wave of fear and excitement over her. Is he going to admit his feelings? Or is has he just realized mine? Oh gods is he just trying to reject me nicely? The knight couldn’t help but panic at the thought and for a brief moment she considered keeping her mouth shut and feigning ignorance.

No I can’t just not say anything! I have to tell him, even if I was wrong about his feelings, even if he rejects me, I have to tell him. Penelope’s eyes began to burn with determination however, her mouth remained tightly closed by the fears she had. She looked over at Crow, the words felt like they were stuck in her throat making it feel tight. Damnit! I’m a knight! Be as brave as you are in battle you coward! Her walking slowed slightly as she looked over at him. The knight timidly reached out and grabbed his hand, wanting to make sure she couldn’t back out from telling him the truth.

Penelope took in a deep breath and tried not to focus on the rapid pounding of her heart. “Crow..” She finally managed to speak. She paused and averted her gaze. “Listen.. I.. uh... This is probably going to sound ridiculous to you but... I love you. And-And I get it if you don’t feel the same! I just, after talking to Kip, I needed to tell you.” She spoke fast and wasn’t able to bring herself to meet his gaze.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow lapsed into silence again as they walked along the road. There was no going back anymore. He had already told her he had something to talk about, so he had to just square his shoulders and do it. He glanced at Penelope once more, but couldn’t bring himself to speak. Why was it so hard? He had resolved to tell her how he felt, but the thought of actually saying it out loud was mortifying. Even when Olivia and Hartley had accused him of being in love with Penelope, he had never said the words back to them or even to himself.

His breath caught in his throat as he felt Penelope suddenly take his hands in hers. He stared at her, wide eyed with shock. What is she doing? His already quick heartbeat picked up even more as they stood, hand in hand, gazing into each other’s eyes.

“Crow…” Penelope spoke at last. Her voice sounded tense, as if what she was about to say would be difficult for her. She’s figured me out, his chest felt hollow. This is it. She’s going to tell me she’s not interested. He wanted to close his eyes, afraid to meet her gaze yet unable to look away. He braced himself for the inevitable. It’ll be fine. I knew this was coming all along. This is the closure I’ve been waiting for.

“Listen… I… uh… This is probably going to sound ridiculous to you but... I love you. And-And I get it if you don’t feel the same! I just, after talking to Kip, I needed to tell you.”

What did she just say? Crow felt lightheaded. He blinked, unsure if he had heard her correctly. Did she actually say she loved him, or was he so desperate for her affection that his imagination was playing tricks on him? He couldn’t believe his ears. She said it. She loves me, and she said it, his mind reeled.

Before he knew what he was doing, Crow had dropped Penelope’s hands and was wrapping his arms around her, pressing one hand to her waist and another to her upper back. He pulled her close and met her lips in a passionate kiss, closing his eyes to the world around them. He still couldn’t believe it was real. His fingers ran through her long hair and down the length of her spine as he deepened the kiss, holding her slender body as tightly as he could to his own.

He didn’t want to stop, but eventually had to pull away to catch his breath. Panting slightly, he rested his forehead against hers, meeting her gaze once again. “I probably should have said this first, but I love you too, Penelope,” he laughed softly. Gently brushing a loose strand of hair from her face, he touched his lips to hers in one more fleeting kiss. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to do that.”

[BuzzingBee]

It felt like time slowed down for a moment as she awaited his response. Her heart began to sink as she felt him let go of her hand. It was a brief second that she thought he was about to reject her but she didn’t even have time to fully process it as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She was surprised as his lips suddenly met her’s in a kiss. All worries and hesitation drained out of the knight as she closed her eyes and melted into the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed into him.

As he pulled away, she met his gaze with a bright smile. She blinked in mild surprise as he addressed her by her name and smirked at him. “Well, I think I got the message but it’s still nice to hear.” She said with a small laugh. The knight lightly toyed with his hair as he gave her another quick kiss. “If you’ve waited as long as I have then I might owe you an apology.”

She moved to lightly caress his cheek with her hand, still rather shocked by the mutual feelings. Penelope grinned and him again and shook her head. “I guess I should start listening to Olivia more...” She mumbled with a small smirk as she thought about the other female knight. Though if I had listened to her back then, I might have made the wrong choice.. She thought to herself.

The knight suddenly became aware of the world around them. She had been so swept up in the moment that she didn’t even bother to think what kind of scene they were causing out in the street. Her cheeks grew red from embarassment as she realized a few people were looking over at them with confusion and curiosity. She let go of Crow and took a small step back to put a bit of distance between them. “I guess this probably wasn’t the best place to do this..” She told him with a small, embarrassed chuckle.

[Rogue Sloth]

“Oh really?” Crow grinned at Penelope mischievously. “I might have a few ideas about how you can make it up to me.” He slid his hand around her waist, sensuously tracing the curves of her body. He still couldn’t believe he was really holding her in his arms—that he had just kissed her. The woman who had stolen the thief’s heart loved him too. He leaned forward, wanting to kiss her again, but this time she pulled away from him, saying that they shouldn’t have been so physical in public. He looked up, finally noticing the people around them. A few onlookers were staring and whispering amongst themselves.

He placed a hand on her hip and drew her close to himself once more. “Let them watch,” he smirked. “Or is that just your way of saying you want me to take you somewhere more… private?” Casting her a teasing wink, he dropped his arm from around her waist. He found her hand and laced his fingers through hers, giving her a light tug to lead her along the road. “It’s getting late, so we should head back to the inn though.”

On the walk back, Crow found that his eyes continued to wander back to Penelope. She really was beautiful. Her slight hand fit comfortably in his, and he enjoyed the feeling of her body pressed against him when they had embraced. And that kiss. His heart raced at just the thought of it. Before he had met Penelope, he had been with a number of peasant girls in the outer villages, but none of them had ever made him feel the way she did. There was something so different about kissing a woman he loved, and who loved him back. He felt like the luckiest man alive.

Struck by a particularly strong wave of joy, Crow gathered Penelope to himself and kissed her one more time. “I still can’t believe this is happening,” he breathed, tracing the length of her jawline with his lips. “You’re so gorgeous…” He pressed a kiss to her neck, snaking his arm around her back. Suddenly, his stomach decided to intervene, letting out a growl. He flushed, stepping back from her and averting his gaze. “Err, do you think the inn serves dinner at this hour?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope rolled her eyes at his teasing. “It’s my way of saying let’s not stand out so much.” She said, gladly intertwining their fingers as he grabbed her hand again. She nodded her head in agreement and moved to walk closely besides him. The warmth of his embrace and the softness of his lips against hers were still on her mind. She pressed her lips together, trying to contain the smile that kept finding it’s way back to her face.

It all felt so surreal. A knight and thief in love. It had sounded ridiculous and absurd, yet there she was, walking besides him and beaming with joy over the result of her confession. She looked up at him with clear affection. It felt so freeing not have to worry about hiding her feelings around him anymore and with everything seeming to work out so perfectly, the knight nearly wondered if she was dreaming. If I am, I don’t want to wake up.. She thought. There was plenty to still be worried about but those things were pushed to the back of her mind at the moment.

Penelope wrapped her arms around him once more as he suddenly pulled her into him again. She kissed him back, smiling against his lips. “I can’t either..” She admitted quietly. She closed her eyes as he traced her jawline with his lips. Her heart still managed to leap at his compliment, especially now that she didn’t have to second guess anything. The knight smirked as she heard the rumbling of his stomach.

“Maybe. If not, I’ve still got some food I took from the wagon.” She told him with a small chuckle. She leaned up and kissed his cheek then took his hand in hers once more. She turned and began to lead the way into the inn. There seemed to only be a few people in the dining hall, though nearly all of them were drinking rather than eating. However, spotting a couple fresh dishes among the mugs of ale, Penelope figured that they were still serving dinner.

“Looks like you’re in luck.” She mused as she began to head over to an empty table.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow grinned as he followed Penelope into the inn, unable to wipe the ecstatic expression off of his face. He squeezed her hand, which was in his once again as she led them to the dining hall. Although he was elated that she had confessed that she loved him too, part of him wondered where their relationship was going to go. He couldn’t imagine courting her for marriage—there was no way her stoic father would give his blessing to a thief—yet he didn’t want to end things with just a fling. Penelope was different than other women. He wanted to hold onto her for as long as he could.

“Thank the gods,” Crow said with relief when Penelope said he was in luck. “I don’t know if I could have lasted much longer without food.” He sat down with her at the table, reminiscing about the first time they had eaten at a restaurant. It had only been a little more than a week ago, but back then they had both been tormenting each other as prisoner and guard. It was strange to think how far they had come in such a short amount of time.

It hasn’t been long, but we’ve been through a lot together already, he thought, looking at Penelope across the table. From long talks in the wagon to the battles they had fought, it felt like they had been together for an entire season. He hoped the journey back to Brerra would feel just as long.

Soon, a wench came up to take their orders, “What can I get for you both today?”

“I’ll have a stew and a mug of ale,” Crow said.

“What do you want in the stew?” the girl asked, writing down his order.

“Surprise me,” he winked and turned to Penelope. “What would you like, darling?” He rested his hand on top of hers, running his thumb gently across her knuckles. He remembered how he had done the same thing not long ago to irritate her. Now that the gesture was genuine, it felt much better to him.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope looked over at the wench as she came to take their orders. She looked over at Crow as he addressed her and placed his hand over hers. The gesture made the knight recall the time he had done the same thing but with the motive to mess with her. It was a bit strange to compare them as they weren’t that far apart time wise. Yet, so much had happened to and changed between them that it made it feel so far in the past.

“I’ll get the smoked rabbit and cooked vegetables.” Penelope said. She thanked the wrench as she headed off with their orders. The knight was still thinking about things that had happened over their days together and how everything had lead them to where they currently were.

“Well.. I think this has been my favorite day of the journey so far.” She mused, smiling over at him. “No attacks or trouble and I got to kiss you.” She blushed a little at her own words despite a glimmer of victory in her eyes. After all the trouble they had seen, the day seemed almost too perfect.

“However, I’m starting to believe that Hartley’s not the most oblivious one out of us.” She said shaking her head. She gave an amused expression. “Now that I’m thinking about all those awkward moments.. I was so dense. My gods, I even woke up in your arms and still thought there was no way you felt the same.” The knight shook her head and covered her face with her free hand at the realization. “I started to suspect something a little earlier today but I still wasn’t sure.”

She couldn’t help but recall other times too that she had thought he was acting strangely but merely ignored it or blamed herself for the awkwardness that often followed. I was so busy trying to make sure I wasn’t obvious to him that I didn’t even pick up on the signs about how he felt. She thought, letting her hand fall back to the table as she looked back over at him. Penelope was suddenly a lot more grateful for meeting Kip and Hartley as she doubted much would have changed without them around.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow nodded and laughed lightly when Penelope said that day had been her favorite of their journey so far. “I can’t say I disagree,” he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Although I think today has been even better for me. I got to kiss the most beautiful woman in all of Brerra.” He smirked at her coyly.

At her mention that Hartley wasn’t the most oblivious one of the three of them, he grew quiet, contemplating her words. What she said was true. He suddenly realized that they had been awkward around each other since before they had even crossed the border to Younis. It was strange to think that they had each been pining for the other for so long without noticing that they both wanted the same thing.

That was why… his eyes widened with the realization that Penelope had had feelings for him at the time when he had gone off to be with Olivia. That must have been why she was so upset that night. She hadn’t been mad at Olivia for taking her friend away, she had been hurt that he had wanted Olivia over her. He averted his gaze, Well, now I feel like a jerk. He wasn’t sure what to say to her. He couldn’t lie and say that he hadn’t actually been interested in the other knight, but would she even believe the truth—that he had only pursued Olivia out of a physical desire? He wasn’t sure, but he felt like he had to say something.

“Listen, um,” Crow fidgeted uncomfortably. “About what happened with Olivia… I’m sorry. I didn’t know how you felt about me, and I’m sorry if I caused you any pain. I swear I wouldn’t have gone after her if I had known.” He forced himself to meet her gaze again. “Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

“Alright,” the wench, who had just returned with their food, said. “One smoked rabbit, and one pork stew with a mug of ale.” She set down the dishes on the table.

“Thanks,” Crow said as she walked off to serve another table. He turned back to Penelope, nervously awaiting her response.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope raised an eyebrow as she noticed him shifting uncomfortably. She blinked in surprise as he brought up the situation with Olivia, even apologizing for that night. She was reminded of how upsetting it was to watch the two and how miserable she had felt when they left alone together. The knight glanced down at her food as the wench set it down on the table in front of her before looking back over at Crow.

“It’s ok, Crow. You didn’t know... Besides, Olivia told me about what happened between you two.” Penelope said with a small smile. “She said you kept thinking of me... And she might have called you a lovesick puppy.” She added with a giggle. However, her smile faltered slightly as she considered how she acted after learning that information. She recalled how she did what she could to put distance between them and how awkwardly she acted around him.

No wonder he thought Olivia said something different to turn me against him... The knight frowned slightly, suddenly feeling like Crow shouldn’t be the only one apologizing. She looked down at her food, lightly picking at it as she debated what to say.

“S-Since we’re on the topic,” Penelope began with a look of guilt, “I’m sorry about how I acted after that... I was a little scared and over-whelmed at that time. I just, I didn’t understand how it was going to work. A knight and a thief, I mean and I knew that I didn’t just want what Olivia wanted. It just didn’t seem like it could and-“ Penelope paused, realizing she was beginning to ramble. She flushed slightly and lowered her gaze. “W-What I’m trying to say is I’m sorry I made you feel like I didn’t trust you anymore because of what Olivia said. And I’m still not sure how it’s going to work but at least now, I’m willing to figure it out with you."

[Rogue Sloth]

“S-she said that, did she?” Crow felt his face grow hot as Penelope explained what Olivia had told her. He had thought the woman had simply said something to sabotage his friendship with Penelope, but apparently she had told her everything instead. It was true that he had been thinking about Penelope, but it still embarrassed him that she knew he had been so obsessed with her that he couldn’t sleep with Olivia that night. He had never struggled with an issue like that during a fling before. Olivia must have been trying to make him look bad by telling her about it. “Well, I’m thoroughly humiliated,” he shook his head, laughing uncomfortably.

Penelope went on to apologize for how distant she had become after Olivia had talked to her. He nodded in understanding, “Don’t worry about it. We’re fine—in fact, we’re more than fine now. There was no harm done.” He smiled at her. “Let’s not focus on the future. We have each other right now, so we should just think about that. We can worry about later on when we get there, alright?”

Crow leaned across the table to kiss Penelope once more. As his lips met hers, he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. There was plenty of them to worry about—her status, her family, the target on his back—and perhaps it wasn’t wise to pretend like all of the problems didn’t exist, but he didn’t want to think about them now. He wanted to hold onto the time they had together without distraction.

“Well, well, well.” Crow pulled away from Penelope at the sound of Hartley’s voice. The young thief stood near their table, his arms folded over his chest and his lip curved upward in an amused smirk. “So, you finally told her how you feel, huh?”

“Shut up,” the older thief rolled his eyes. He noticed the boy was alone. “Where did Kip go?”

“She went back to tell her family the news,” Hartley’s smirk spread into a grin. “I’m courting her again!”

“That’s great, kid,” Crow congratulated him.

“I still can’t believe this is happening,” Hartley said dreamily. He sat down next to Crow at the table. “Of course, this means I’m going to have to stay behind in this town. I hope you both can understand.”

“Naturally,” Crow said through a mouthful of stew.

“I’m still planning to stay the night at this inn with you though,” Hartley looked between his two companions. “Unless… you’d prefer me to get my own room?”

Crow glanced at Penelope. He would have been lying if he said he didn’t like the sound of sharing a private room with her. To have a place all to themselves, with no other people and no interruptions… This isn’t a one night stand, he reminded himself. Don’t rush it. Whatever their relationship would turn out to be, he wanted it to last. To do that, he would have to learn how to take things slow.

“You can stay,” Crow turned back to Hartley. “After all, this is the last night we’re all going to be together before Penelope and I have to keep moving.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope relaxed slightly at slightly as he assured her everything was alright. She smiled at him and nodded her head in agreement. “Alright.” She said before leaning over to meet him halfway for the kiss. It would be difficult for the knight to not completely worry about what the future for them held. She always felt better when there was a plan. However, she found that focusing on the present might not be as difficult as she thought so long as she was with him.

She broke away from the kiss and turned to see Hartley. She smiled as Hartley announced that he would be courting Kip once again. She was glad that her talk with Kip had ended so positively for both of them. Her face heated up as Hartley spoke of getting his own room. The thought of being completely alone with him was equally exciting as it was terrifying for the rather inexperienced knight. She nodded quickly in agreement with Crow.

“Yeah, might as well spend the last bit of time together.” She told Hartley. Admittedly, she was a little sad that their time with the young thief was coming to an end. It was inevitable but Penelope had grown fond of his company despite the times he occasionally annoyed her. At least when they separated, she could have the comfort of knowing that it was for the best of reasons.

“Yeah..” Hartley looked over at Penelope and smiled at her. “Thanks for convincing her by the way.. I’m not sure she would have taken me back if it wasn’t for you.”

“Nonsense.” Penelope shook her head. “I didn’t convince her. She wanted to be with you, she just needed a little help realizing it is all.”

“Well either way, thanks... And uh..” Hartley scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Sorry about how I acted until now... But in my defense I clearly had competition.” He chuckled with a glance towards Crow.

“Very tough competition.” Penelope agreed with a small smirk. “But it’s alright though, Hartley. I’m just glad everything worked out.”

Hartley nodded his head excitedly, however, he seemed to deflate a little afterwards as it set in that this would be their last time together. The young thief quickly bounced back with a large grin. “That’s why we should celebrate! Let’s drink!” He said before quickly flagging down a wench to order two more mugs of ale.

Penelope raised an eyebrow at him. She seemed ready to protest, but since she was in a rather good mood and it was the last time they’d be with Hartley, she decided to just go with it. The knight sent a smirk over at Hartley. “Alright but just a little. Try not to get as drunk as last time though.” She said with a small laugh.

[Rogue Sloth]

When Penelope agreed with him quickly, Crow felt certain he had made the right decision by telling Hartley to stay with them for the night. The flush on her cheeks made him wonder though. She seemed flustered by the thought of spending the night with him. He eyed her curiously for a moment and then froze. Has she never been with a man before?

As he thought about it more, it began to make sense. Nobles were much more formal about their relationships than peasants. From what he knew, most noblewomen were formally courted by suitors in the presence of their family members. Penelope had likely never been courted before, since she had opted to become a knight instead.

I need to make sure I don’t push her to do anything she isn’t comfortable with, he thought, realizing just how physical he had been with her that evening alone. He didn’t want to make her feel like he was forcing her to do something she didn’t want to do yet.

Crow focused in on Penelope and Hartley’s conversation again when they mentioned him as the boy’s competition. He rolled his eyes, “It’s hardly a competition if one of the challengers already won.” He smiled at Penelope. “It was over before it even began.”

He groaned as Hartley ordered more drinks, “Not this again.” He could still feel the pounding in his head from his hangover the day before. As one who preferred not to get drunk at all, this wasn’t his idea of a good time. The ale at this inn wasn’t as strong as Malcolm’s home brewed stuff, but he still didn’t want to risk having too much. “I’m just going to stick with this one mug, thank you very much,” he said, taking a swig of his drink.

“Come on,” Hartley nudged him. “Live a little.”

“Is it really living if you can’t remember the day before?” Crow shook his head.

“Of course it is,” Hartley said without hesitation. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“Not at the bottom of a drink,” Crow answered snidely. “Get drunk if you’d like, but you’re not going to convince me to join you this time.”

“Suit yourself,” Hartley shrugged. He picked up a fresh mug of ale, brought to him by the wench he had signaled to earlier, and downed half of the drink at once. He slammed the glass down on the table with a loud exhale.

“Classy,” Crow muttered.

“What about you?” Hartley turned to Penelope with a challenging grin. “Can you prove that you’re more of a man than your lover?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope listened to the two talk as she grabbed the other fresh mug that the wench brought and took a sip from it. She rolled her eyes at Hartley’s challenge. “I hardly think a man is measured in how much he drinks.” She responded. “I’ll drink with you but I have no plans to give myself a headache tomorrow.”

“Killjoys.” Hartley sighed then clinked his glass against Penelope’s, shooting her a grin once more. “But fine! I’ll take what I can get it!”

Hartley lifted the mug to his lips once more and took another long drink. Penelope looked over at Crow and gave a small shrug before taking a large drink from her own glass. She didn’t drink very often, mainly because of a less than graceful night with some of her comrades back on the first day she had risen in rank to the royal guard and due to the simple fact that she had a low tolerance to alcohol. As she finished her first drink, she already felt it having a small effect on her system. Hartley was quick to get them a refill. Figuring she’d be alright since she wasn’t drinking on an empty stomach, she went along with it and began to take a sip from her second drink.

Once she reached the bottom of her second drink, Penelope slowly began to realizing she might have over-estimated what she could handle. At the most, the knight only meant to get a bit tipsy, however, she had drifted further than that. Well at least I’m still aware of what I’m doing... I think...

“Alright Penny! You could still catch up to me you know~” Hartley said, his words slurring as he worked on his fourth drink.

“Nope.. No way.” Penelope said as she pushed the empty glass away from her. The knight spoke carefully, clearly trying to keep herself from slurring her words. “I’m done. You should be too by the sound of it.” She paused before slowly rising up to her feet. She swayed slightly but managed to keep upright. “We should get back to our room before you pass out or something."