" last night "

Chapter 9

Satisfied with how much he had flustered Windham, Darion backed away and crossed his arms, his heartfelt smile quickly replaced with the cocky smirk he usually wore.
"Sure, let's get going. But first thing's first," he commented, turning to Overholt, "I don't believe we've met."
The younger overseer straightened his posture. "My name is Overholt, pleasure to meet you."
Darion chuckled and held out his hand. "The name's Darion, and likewise."
Overholt shook his hand, trying to seem as tall as possible with the way he was straightening himself. "I know," he said, "Windham's told me a lot about you."
Glancing over at the overseer in question, Darion raised an eyebrow. "Did he now?"
Noticing Windham's anxiousness, Overholt decided to do him a favor for the first time and brush the question off. "Oh, he just described what your personality's like and what you look like. Although I thought you would be a lot taller."
Windham stifled a laugh while Darion narrowed his eyes at him. "You little shit."
Windham chuckled and shrugged. "What? I thought you would appreciate not being characterized as short in my descriptions of you."
"Whatever, let's just do our job so I don't have to deal with Curnow," Darion grumbled, beginning to walk ahead.
Overholt tilted his head, inquiring, "You don't like him?"
A groan was Darion's only response. "I'll take that as a no." Then Overholt noticed Windham snickering. "What's so funny, old man?"
Darion stopped walking and turned around to glare at Windham. "Don't you fucking dare!"
At this point, Windham was laughing so hard he could barely get the words out. But, from what Overholt could understand him saying, at some point in Darion's life, he had gotten so drunk that he tried flirting with his captain and getting him to sleep with him. None of his fellow guards tried stopping him, unfortunately, but Curnow didn't seem to be bothered too much, which is what makes Darion increasingly embarrassed to this day.
If he remembers correctly, the captain actually responded a bit positively to some of the things Darion drunkenly said.
"Windham, you son of a bitch!" he exclaimed, his face now a bright red.
Windham's laughter had died down to a small chuckle, but he was still clearly amused. "Come on, you have to admit that's hilarious," he remarked.
Darion rolled his eyes and quickened his pace. "Yeah, sure, but that doesn't make me any less mad at you."
The amused expression fell from Windham's face a bit. "Are you actually mad at me?"
Darion rolled his eyes and said, "Yes, I'm furious. Lighten up a bit, my friend!" With a grin, he lightly punched Windham's shoulder.
"You suck."
"Not for free, I don't."
Windham stopped in his tracks. "By the Void, have you no decency? Keep in mind there is a child with us."
Overholt stomped over to stand in front of Windham. "Who the fuck are you calling a child?"
Windham crossed his arms. "You're thirteen. That counts as a child, I'm afraid. Once again, watch your language."
Overholt grumbled another profane insult, but continued walking.
The rest of their patrol was similar to the previous incidents, lightly throwing insults at each other and laughing. Overholt couldn't get over how happy Darion made Windham. He never laughs. Or smiles. But Overholt knew that if he didn't have his mask on, Windham would be grinning like an idiot. He made a mental note to tease Windham about how obvious it is that he's head over heels for the boisterous officer.

*

"So that's your trainee, eh?" Darion inquired over his shoulder while painting the plague symbol over a condemned apartment complex. Overholt left early with another of the overseers, grumbling something about stricture examination.
Windham sighed. "Affirmative. He's a bit loud and way too friendly for his own good. But, he's a hard worker. Reminds me of you a bit."
Darion rolled his eyes and turned around. "Don't make me fling this paint at you, pretty boy," he purred.
If he weren't so used to the provocative pet names Darion had conjured up for him, Windham may have been a tad bit more embarrassed.
"What's with you and all your nicknames for me?" Windham asked, eyeing Temperance as she terrorized a few rats.
"I'unno, display of affection? You tell me." Darion set the paintbrush next to one of the blockades for the next patrol to pick up. Lazy bastard.
"How would you expect me to tell you?"
With a tilt of his head, Darion smirked. "Maybe you're good at reading into things."
"Whatever. Let's make another round through Clavering and get going. I'm beyond tired."
Darion frowned slightly. "You wanna take a nap on my shoulder?"
"I'd crush you. You're short, remember?" Windham snickered when his comment elicited a growl from Darion.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Fall asleep walking if you want, you're passing up a perfectly good opportunity," he taunted.
"We both know I'd end up getting reprimanded," the overseer pointed out.
"Not if I go into an abandoned building you won't," Darion countered. "If you're really that tired, Windham, I don't mind letting you rest against me."
As much as Windham appreciated the offer, he appreciated not being whipped in Holger Square a bit more. "It's fine, I'll be alright. I'm just not really a night person."
"Yeah, I've noticed," Darion retorted, earning him a kick to the shin. "You wanna go, soldier-priest?"
Windham grinned. "Go where? I didn't think you could see anything above your ego, considering how short you are."
Darion faked being hurt, putting his hand over his heart. "I can't believe you would say such a thing, pretty boy." Even then, he was grinning. "I mean," he continued, leaning closer to Windham, "Hasn't anyone ever taught you anything about respect?"
He was in Windham's personal space, and his hands were dangerously close to his hips. "Or should I give you a personal lesson?"
Windham instinctively backed up a step (and then mentally slapped himself), but found his back pressed against the brick wall of the crumbling apartment complex. "I...Um..."
The overseer was at a complete loss for words, so when Darion grinned and backed away with a lighthearted laugh, Windham was both relieved and a bit disappointed. He internally chastised himself, but that didn't do much good dulling the appeal that being pressed against a wall by the man he has a thing for had.
Increasingly often, Windham found himself more and more grateful for that damned mask, because without it, it would have been all too obvious that he kept glancing at Darion's lips.
"Hey, you okay there? Somethin' distracting you?" Darion teased with a grin, tugging on the front of Windham's coat to bring him to eye-level.
"What? Oh, uh, no, I'm–I'm fine, yeah." Well shit, he might as well just say that he's enamored by Darion, because that's the only way it would be more obvious.
Laughing, Darion let go of his coat and responded, "Uh huh, sure."
Windham took a moment to regain his composure, shifting anxiously from foot to foot.
"C'mon, we've got a boulevard to patrol, don't we?" remarked Darion, motioning for Windham to follow.
"Yeah, let's go."
They made a few rounds, everything completely silent, save for their quiet footfalls and Temperance's occasional growl.
"Windham?" Darion was the first to break the silence.
"Yes?"
He was quiet for a moment. "Is everything okay? You were a bit skittish a few days ago. You're obviously not anymore, but..." Darion chuckled bitterly. "I think we both know how easy it is to cover things up."
Windham's reply was a bit too rushed. "I'm fine, yeah, don't worry." He paused. "I'm just... a bit anxious tell you the thing I mentioned a few days ago, I suppose." He looked away and rubbed the back of his neck.
Darion wrapped his arm around the overseer's shoulders. "Hey, don't worry about it. If you don't wanna say anything, just forget about it, and I will too. No worries."
Windham sighed, suppressing a slight smile when Darion leaned his head against his shoulder. "No, no, if I don't tell you, I'd probably regret it for a long time. I appreciate you being worried for me, though. I guess you can see over your own ego, eh, short stuff?"
Windham felt a sharp pain in his side. "What in the Void was that for?!"
Darion laughed. "You call me short, I pinch you. Simple."
The overseer rolled his eyes and nudged him with his elbow. "Idiot."
"Like you're any better, pretty boy," he laughed.
Windham stopped walking suddenly, hushing Darion. "Hey, do you hear that?"
Darion raised an eyebrow, not hearing anything. "No, what is it?"
Windham looked dead at Darion. "It's the sound of you being a little bitch."
Darion glared at Windham for a solid five seconds, looked to the ground, and sighed. "You bastard, I hate you so much," he mumbled, barely able to get the words out with how much he was laughing.
Windham grinned and nudged his shoulder. "No you don't, you love me."
The overseer meant it jokingly, but the way that Darion grinned up at him and said, "Yeah, you're right. I do," tore right through him. He didn't think he could handle anything like that much longer.
     Contrary to what he felt before, he couldn't wait for the remainder of the two weeks to be over.