Well it's not my job to make sure you are properly groomed!
[It's surprisingly easy to fall back into their usual bickering, so much so that it does seem natural. The servant, at least, seems to accept that response. Even though it doesn't explain why Concord's hair is a little messy, it makes the servant think that he got an answer anyway.
And then Concord is gone, out the door, and the squire casts one more look at Ali before excusing himself as well. Ali is left standing there with the mail he had taken moments ago.
Ali and Concord already have a plan for the next time they'll see each other, so he doesn't make a point of seeking Concord out or trying to talk with him beyond what their jobs would require. They're still keeping this a secret, and Ali doesn't want to draw attention to himself or Concord needlessly. Nobody would let him live it down if they found out he had hooked up twice with someone and is planning to hook up a third time on top of that.
Perhaps more concerning, there are a couple people within the castle who know Ali's deep dark secret, his shame that prevents him from transforming into his dragon form most of the time, and he does not want that getting back to Concord at all. For some reason, he actually cares about the man's opinion of him, and he would hate for his size problems to be a source of torment.
'For some reason' has become a much-used phrase in Ali's mental dialogue too, a way of explaining away things he knows the answer to but doesn't want to face quite yet. 'For some reason' he finds his gaze lingering on Concord when they are in the same area for any reason. 'For some reason' he keeps finding business that takes him past the training grounds or any other place Concord frequents, even when he used to delegate message-sending and other minor tasks to his assistants. 'For some reason' he keeps thinking about the festival and is actually looking forward to it, when he had always avoided the noisy gatherings in the past. 'For some reason' he personally delivers the funds to the knights' office, and is slightly disappointed when it's one of the clerks for the knights who takes it from him and thanks him for his hard work.
'For some reason' he actually dresses up on the night of the festival, foregoing his usual work robes for a nicer set of trousers and a dress shirt and coat. Ali doesn't attend court events- he is not a noble and, even if his position would beget him an invitation if he pursued it, everything would be quite awkward with him around- so he doesn't have anything as fancy as those dress clothes, but this is still a step up from his usual attire. And he feels absolutely silly wearing it, so much so that he's fussing at the hem of his shirt as he waits for Concord to arrive.
Why is he dressed up when they only planned on sex? Because something in Ali's mind is telling him that doing something nice first, even if it's a quiet affair at the castle while everyone else is out at the festival, would be a good idea. Ali isn't really romantic, but he gets the feeling that Concord is, somewhere deep in that complicated heart of his. And 'for some reason' he feels like he should make the effort for Concord.]
no subject
[It's surprisingly easy to fall back into their usual bickering, so much so that it does seem natural. The servant, at least, seems to accept that response. Even though it doesn't explain why Concord's hair is a little messy, it makes the servant think that he got an answer anyway.
And then Concord is gone, out the door, and the squire casts one more look at Ali before excusing himself as well. Ali is left standing there with the mail he had taken moments ago.
Ali and Concord already have a plan for the next time they'll see each other, so he doesn't make a point of seeking Concord out or trying to talk with him beyond what their jobs would require. They're still keeping this a secret, and Ali doesn't want to draw attention to himself or Concord needlessly. Nobody would let him live it down if they found out he had hooked up twice with someone and is planning to hook up a third time on top of that.
Perhaps more concerning, there are a couple people within the castle who know Ali's deep dark secret, his shame that prevents him from transforming into his dragon form most of the time, and he does not want that getting back to Concord at all. For some reason, he actually cares about the man's opinion of him, and he would hate for his size problems to be a source of torment.
'For some reason' has become a much-used phrase in Ali's mental dialogue too, a way of explaining away things he knows the answer to but doesn't want to face quite yet. 'For some reason' he finds his gaze lingering on Concord when they are in the same area for any reason. 'For some reason' he keeps finding business that takes him past the training grounds or any other place Concord frequents, even when he used to delegate message-sending and other minor tasks to his assistants. 'For some reason' he keeps thinking about the festival and is actually looking forward to it, when he had always avoided the noisy gatherings in the past. 'For some reason' he personally delivers the funds to the knights' office, and is slightly disappointed when it's one of the clerks for the knights who takes it from him and thanks him for his hard work.
'For some reason' he actually dresses up on the night of the festival, foregoing his usual work robes for a nicer set of trousers and a dress shirt and coat. Ali doesn't attend court events- he is not a noble and, even if his position would beget him an invitation if he pursued it, everything would be quite awkward with him around- so he doesn't have anything as fancy as those dress clothes, but this is still a step up from his usual attire. And he feels absolutely silly wearing it, so much so that he's fussing at the hem of his shirt as he waits for Concord to arrive.
Why is he dressed up when they only planned on sex? Because something in Ali's mind is telling him that doing something nice first, even if it's a quiet affair at the castle while everyone else is out at the festival, would be a good idea. Ali isn't really romantic, but he gets the feeling that Concord is, somewhere deep in that complicated heart of his. And 'for some reason' he feels like he should make the effort for Concord.]