Fiori nodded, curiosity sated by the explanation as he reached for the bag of coffee beans again. "Alright. You don't need to do that here, you know. It's hot. And these don't have crumbs." He popped one into his mouth to make his point and then Cadmus called them back over to his part of the kitchen and he grinned, walking back over and practically dragging Levi behind him. "How do you like Cadmus?"
“Right, it—“ he nodded to the first comment, barely able to get another word in before they headed back to the other part of the kitchen. “Oh, he’s great.” He replied to his latter comment, “You two seem very…” he searched for the word, grinning, “…close.”
The everpresent smile of Fiori's face that had sprung up when he first saw Cadmus seemed to grow brighter when Levi complimented him, bathing his features in childlike enthusiasm. He nodded softly when Levi said they were close. "Yes. I have known him since we were both children and he is.. my selfsame. My everything. You know this feeling, yes? With your Mordecai?"
“I do know the feeling, yes,” Levi’d expression warmed even more, and then became somber. What if his kingdom thought he fled? Or that he was dead? Mordecai would be devastated. “We known each other quite as long as you and Cadmus have known each other, but it’s been long enough.”
Fiori nodded. "Time is no object when your hearts call out to each other. I… I haven't seen Cadmus in a long time. I missed him greatly while I was away." His eyes flickered over to Cadmus and he smiled, brightening when the cook noticed and blew him a kiss back. "You will feel similarly about your Mordecai. When you get back to him, it will be like a miracle."
“I can’t wait for that day,” Levi smiled again as he watched them. His heart lifted at the assurance when you get back to him. Surely there was hope—a good chance, even—that he would return home. “If you don’t mind my asking, how long were you away?”
Fiori's face fell a little and he held himself more rigidly, locking away the fear that came with any mention of his time at war. "Two years, but it felt like thousands. My uncle wishes for me to return for another tour, but…" He sighed, shrugging way the unease as best he could. "I will say here, for as long as I can. And when I am king I will end this war as quickly as possible."
(hey, fun plot idea, maybe when Fi tries to take the throne his uncle tries to have him killed and he has to, like, run away to Levi's kingdom for help?)
(Ooh I like that! And maybe when he gets there, that could be where he finds out Levi’s the prince of Nord Widona?)
Levi made a face at the mention of Fiori’s uncle. The more he heard about this man, the more he disliked him. From what he was told, he didn’t seem like he was a very pleasant person. He nodded solemnly, “Then I’m looking forward to you becoming king, because I can’t wait for this damned war to be over.”
(yessss)
Fiori laughed, bitter but in slightly higher spirits, and nodded in return. "I think everyone does, to be honest. What have you icebloods ever done to us, really? Certainly nothing worth the lives lost fighting over it." He pursed his lips. "But let's talk about brighter things. Tell me about your Mordecai."
“Oh! I don’t know where to start,” he laughed warmly, looking off to the side with a smile in the corner of his mouth to think. “He’s the son of a courtier, and he’s being trained to be…” he hesitated, trying to find a way to put it without using personal pronouns before landing on, “the next king’s advisor. He’s got dark hair like me, like most of our kingdom. He wears a lot reds, which is… unique. And his personality comes across as cold at first. But as I got to know him, we understood each other more… gradually.”
Fiori frowned slightly at the hesitation but didn't question it. He had trouble shifting words into the right languages often, especially if they were traditional titles like 'kings advisor' that might have a more specific but less accessible name. He smiled as Levi described getting to know Mordecai. "It was the same with Cadmus and I when we were young. It took a long time for us to fall together. It was… difficult. You said marriages were arranged in your country, did you… did you have to dodge one? To be with him?"
He took a breath and nodded, “Yes, I’m currently dodging one now. I’m supposed to be getting married to a woman—my friend— but I’m delaying the wedding for as long as I can until they either give up or I have to marry her.”
"Well right now you're not dodging it, considering you're hundreds of miles away from her, but… I suppose I'd like to wonder why you're being forced into a marriage? You're not royalty, right?" Fiori supposed it would make sense if Levi were a prince, or even a high ranking member of the nobility, because heirs were important, but otherwise, it just seemed cruel and unnecessary. "Why do they care who you marry?"
Levi forced his expression into stoicism, uncertain how to respond to the question about royalty, so he just evaded it entirely, and thought of a half-truth for the last question “They care so much because it’s about wealth and status. Families want their children to marry well, and apparently they can’t trust their kids to find rich suitors for themselves. Marya’s family is extremely wealthy, even more than Mordecai’s.”
Fi nodded, understanding the point even though he didn't necessarily agree with it. "So your parents wish to put your wealth over your personal happiness? That doesn't sit right with me. My country isn't perfect, but marriage, love, those ideas are respected. Revered even. Why is that not so in yours?"
“Family is the most revered concept in my country,” he explained, generally upbeat for the moment. He didn’t mind talking about his country’s traditions, even if he didn’t agree with some of them. But they were still important, right? “Parents are known to make the best decisions for their children of any age. The family bond is unbreakable and undoubtable. And siblings are supposed to be your confidants, even to the point of…of…”
Levi trailed off as a repressed—somewhat recent—memory bubbles to the front of his mind. He remembered his brother’s eyes, the pure disgust in his brother’s eyes in the candlelight, and his voice muffled by the darkness. ”Of self sacrifice,” he finished his sentence much quieter as he retreated into his thoughts, staring downward.
Fiori frowned as Levi trailed off, a few things clicking together in his head. 1. Levi had a bad family member, or at least one who had hurt him. 2. Levi's country was a very strange one. 3. Levi didn't know how to deal with his own experiences conflicting with the values of said country. He reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, gently trying to snap him out of his trance. "We have a saying in my country: blood is thick, but it's the heart that pumps it. Sometimes the family you find- the one you chose- is worth more than the one you were born with."
Levi looked at the hand on his shoulder. His heart was still beating fast, but he was present again. He slowly nodded, “Yes, I like that. I like that a lot.” He considered the phrase and thought of Mordecai, and his friend Marya. They were just as close, no, closer and more dear to him than his brother perhaps ever was. It wasn’t until now that he really thought about that. But why would his brother betray him? Whatever did he do you prompt disloyalty?
"You come from a strange country. But… you are not your country. You make your own values, Levi, or you're a puppet instead of a person." Fiori gave him a soft smile, taking Levi's hand to pull him back into the kitchen. "But we can have this conversation later. After you've eater. Let's go see Cadmus."
Levi agreed, returning the smile as he followed along with Fiori, “I won’t argue with that. I am still pretty hungry, even with the snacks.” He was eager to see Cadmus again. In a way, Mordecai and Cadmus were both in similar positions. And it made Cadmus seem more personal, like a reminder that he would eventually see his own lover again.
Fiori smiled, obviously eager as he led Levi back to Cadmus' part of the kitchens. Camus was waiting with a hand on his hip, two plates of fried bear and greens on the counter beside him. He offered Levi a warm smile and Fi a peck on the cheek before he was ushering both of them over to a small wooden table in the corner. "Y'all sure took your sweet time getting back here," He teased, setting down their food. "Must've been having some conversation."
“Indeed,” Levi sat down at the table. “Thank you so much for making this, it looks delicious,” his mouth started to water again at the very sight of a proper meal on the table.
"Of course. What kind of cook would I be if I didn't make you the best damn dinner I could?" Cadmus grinned, setting down a couple cups and a pitcher of water. "Besides, I want you to feel comfortable down here. You're always allowed in if you need space or some privacy or just a quiet place to work, alright? Never feel like you're not welcome."
“Oh…thank you so much!” A smile spread across his face, “I’ll certainly take you up on that.” Having a place to come for privacy lifted one of the weights of worry from his chest. He was worried about the lack of privacy earlier, and the extreme culture shock between his country and Fiori’s. Changing clothes in front of a person he didn’t know was foreign to him. Sleeping in a stranger’s bed was foreign to him, but now that he and Fiori were becoming friends, he would be able to get used to it.
"I'm glad you will." Cadmus finished setting down the silverware, giving Fiori's hair a playful rustle and dusting his hands off on his apron. "You can always find me down here if you need anything, alright? I know the culture's probably different than you're used to and it can all be kind of a lot to take in, but you've got friends if you need them."
“I can’t thank you enough,” Levi couldn’t stop smiling. He picked up a knife to cut a bite out of the fried bear meat. It smelled so delicious, it was almost as comforting as the feeling of being understood here. Fiori’s friends were so welcoming and understanding; he appreciated it so much that he temporarily forgot the unfortunate events that brought him here.
Fi smiled, mouthing a discreet thank you at Cadmus before he dug into his food as well. Unlike many members of the nobility, Fiori had grown up surrounded by all members of society, and he'd befriended most of them. "This is delicious Cadmus, thank you!!"
Cadmus brushed them off with a laugh and a handwave. "I'm just doing my job the same way anyone else would, and speaking of my job, I'm gonna have to get to work. It was nice meeting you Levi." He waved to the boy and then turned to Fiori with a warm smile, leaning over to kiss him softly. "Nice to have you home, Fi."
Levi waved to Cadmus, “Nice to meet you too,” he spoke in between bites of his meal. He looked at Fiori again with a smile, not saying anything yet because he was still chewing his food, but he willed his expression to say you two are adorable.
Fi blushed slightly when Cadmus pulled away, blushed harder when he saw the look on his face, and then dug into his food half because Cadmus could really cook and half to hide his embarrassment. Cadmus gave them both one last sunny smile before he disappeared into the kitchen.
Levi took a break from the bear meat to try the greens. He ate quickly, but savored every bite he took and the flavors that went along with it. “Mm, I haven’t had something this delicious for what feels like forever.”