Dire Frivolities

Chapter 126

Henry,

I'd like for us to talk. Let me know when you have the time,

-42

The text was simple, and I'd sent it shortly after Jun departed from the valley. We'd already agreed, but Henry had wanted to wait until I was less distracted by everything going on with the former hero's party. It was a good call, but one that had left me a bit anxious as Jun's training had drawn it out more than I had expected.

42,

I'd like to do so tonight.

-Henry

The response was quick, and I was glad for that, even if I wasn't exactly looking forward to the wait. It wasn't that long, but enough for me to stew. I did my best to stay busy and even finished some work. However, as the hour I expected Henry to text me again approached, I started getting suitably nervous.

It wasn't as if we hadn't seen each other since then. We still spoke pretty regularly, but it had been different. Closer to how things should have started, more business-like but not unfriendly. Most of my relationships with the skeletons were like that, aside from with Henry, Chris, and Dawn.

When my doorbell rang, I found a letter rather than Henry himself. It contained a drawing of my overlook, and I transported myself there. He was waiting on the bench, a few faint lights twinkling in the demonstration town below. The real show was above us, the night sky a rich tapestry of twinkling stars.

"42," Henry said as he stood up. He gave me a reserved bow, and I did a little mock curtsy in reply, which got him to laugh. Some of the tension I'd felt drained out of me. Despite the fairly formal greeting, his posture was relaxed.

"Henry," I trailed off, my planned words failing me. It was easy to imagine a conversation. However, it was much more challenging to articulate my thoughts without jamming my tail in my mouth.

"You read the letter and had time to think about it. H-How… How do you want to proceed?" Henry asked.

"I have no idea," I admitted. That seemed to catch Henry on the backfoot, but he seemed confused rather than offended.

"I like you because of who you are now and the choices you've made here. That letter, what happened, and what you did, didn't change that," I said bluntly. I'd told Henry that much before I'd read it, that my feelings were due to the current circumstances. Henry was speechless for a moment before sighing.

"Icarus told me I was being an idiot, but… You don't care?" Henry asked.

"It made me want to cry and strangle your shitbag father, but that's it," I said honestly. I genuinely hoped that guy lived and died miserably for what he'd done. Henry groaned, a hand going to his face. It didn't cover much since it was bone, but I could understand the feeling behind it.

"Dawn said I was being weird about it too. I… it occurred to me a little late I might be influencing you without realizing it. The Dungeon, its denizens, how I think and feel plays a pretty big role in how everything works," I explained. The hounds and skeletons wouldn't have been able to talk if I didn't want them to. Ability be damned.

"From what I've ex-experienced, you're not incorrect, but it's not particularly subtle when-when it happens," Henry said.

"She mentioned that. That I could probably change your behavior but not your actual feelings," I admitted.

"But it still makes you uncomfortable," Henry summarized. I just nodded at that. It was true and probably always would be.

"That aside, are you okay with how things are? That I can order you to do things, de-summon you? I may not have done or asked anything of you that you find disagreeable yet, but I could," I asked. Henry probably knew better than I did what a Dungeon Master could really do to a summoned monster if they wanted to.

There was a heavy pause, and I fought an urge to say something to end the conversation and run off. If Henry needed a minute to think or get up the courage to say something I wouldn't want to hear, he deserved it.

"Being what I am, a tool for Dungeon Masters didn't par-particularly bother me when it fir-first happened. I thought it was something akin to punishment for my deeds in life. Later I realized it was simply strange circumstances. That even if it were in some way part of a divine machination, it had nothing to do with me personally," Henry began.

"That was… a little humiliating, but I moved past it. So here and now? I'd do as you asked of me even without your powers because I've come to like you a great deal. I also suspect I find quite a lot less distasteful than you seem to assume. I was an assassin, and I was very good at what I did as much because I enjoyed it as the necessity of ensuring my survival," Henry explained.

"I got the feeling from your letter that you liked the technical side of it. Of figuring out how to get at a target and how to take down other classes," I offered. Henry hadn't gone into detail, but he'd mentioned things like that while he never mentioned gore or any joy in the killing itself.

"Y-Yes," Henry said.

"But you chose to be a Chevalier here," I said.

"An old dream of mine. One that didn't mean I couldn't use my old kn-knowledge," Henry said with what felt like a smirk.

"I could change your class, and you wouldn't be able to stop me," I pointed out. Henry might not care about all the heinous shit I could order him to do to others, but that would matter to him. He nodded but didn't speak immediately.

"If that happened, if you became the kind of person who would, I'd cease to love you. Whatever I'd do afterward would be an illusion you constructed yourself," Henry said simply. I nodded, caught off guard but accepting what he'd said.

"Right, but…" I struggled for a moment as I tried to think of what to say. The point I'd been getting at was that I had the ability. My absolute lack of interest in doing so was beside the point. Aaron would have been first up on the list of people whose class I'd change if it were simply a question of utility.

"Dawn told me about your idea of ‘imbalance of power in a relationship’ being problematic. It's part of why I asked to delay this discussion," Henry said. Another sucker punch, but one I was glad of. I'd been trying to convey that, but I knew I could have done a better job.

"So believe me when I say I am aware but still want you," he added.

I opened my mouth to say something, then closed it again. Most of the points I'd constructed had been torn to shreds. So I dug around in my memories to come up with new ones.

I couldn't think of a situation where I clearly influenced Henry off the top of my head. Even when he'd kissed me, I'd been surprised. I'd already started to like him but hadn't thought about our relationship becoming that kind of physical.

As I'd proved with the other skeletons, I was a tactile dumbass. I liked physical affection but didn't give it a lot of thought. It hadn't occurred to me that it might mean more to him initially.

"I want you too," I said finally.

"Gods of good," Henry said in relief. All tension went out of him as he leaned against the shelter post like he needed the support.

"Wow, you okay?" I asked as I rushed over. I put a hand on his shoulder as I looked into his jewels - the instinct probably a leftover from my previous life.

"Fan-Fantastic," Henry said, laughing. "I thought you might refuse for ‘my own good’ and wasn't looking forward to trying to talk you out of it."

"Yeah… I was thinking about it. Only it occurred to me that I had probably misunderstood exactly how soon you became interested in me," I admitted. Of course, there were still problems with the situation, but I couldn't claim I didn't think Henry wasn't deciding to go for it himself. If I were really setting the pace, we probably wouldn't even be doing more than hugging each other as a hello.

"If it was after the first day we met, you m-misjudged it badly," Henry said.

"Wait, seriously? I thought new year’s at the absolute earliest," I said, not quite believing him.

"It had become more than interest by then," Henry countered, his hands settling on my hips. I laughed at that as he pulled me closer.

"Oh, going to tell me you thought I was pretty?" I asked playfully.

"Gorgeous," Henry countered as he leaned in for a kiss. He was either being sweet or had fucked up taste, but I was fine with either answer and kissed him back.