The Hero and Betrayer

((In other words, two individuals in desperate need of an actual pairing name))


Tef stripped off his cloak once he was alone in the room. His clothes felt heavy and sweaty; he needed a bath more than he had ever needed one in his life. Traveling like this was difficult.

As he heard the doorknob turn, he did his best to look upset; Bane couldn't know that he enjoyed the company of anyone, much less him.

Bane was laughing as he entered the room and closed the door. He quieted down as he set his things down on his side of the room, stripping out of his sword and his heavy bags and his cloak.

"I'm gonna get a bath, is that alright with you?" He asked, smiling at Tef.

Despite the fact that Tef didn't seem to like him very much, or really like anyone, he liked Tef. After all, Tef was his first and only friend.

"No, because I'm getting a bath," he grunted, crossing his arms. "I was here first."

"Great, let's bathe together!" He smiled widely. "We'll take less time that way!"

Tef blushed, outraged. He stood up, attempting to look taller.

"Excuse me?! Why would I bathe with someone like you? I was here first, I should get the bath to myself!"

Bane frowned deeply.

"O-oh...Okay, that's fine. I didn't mean to offend you or anything." He said, looking hurt. "Sorry."

"...Don't pout. Why are you pouting?" he demanded, attempting to swallow the guilt that rose in his throat.

"I'm not pouting..." He said, as he pouted.

"Stop it. I'm not going to bathe with you!" he insisted, more to himself than to Bane. There was no way the absurd fantasies he had been entertaining for a week could ever come true.

"Okay..." He sat down on his bed, sad. He had kind of hoped to bathe with Tef, for reasons he could not explain.

"...You can't convince me," he grumbled, glaring. "...Fine, if you're gonna be that way, I will--does that make you happy? Stupid."

Bane nodded.

"Really, really?" He asked, already stripping off his clothes.

"Don't look so happy," he grunted, annoyed by how cute he found it. "Whatever, grab the towels."

He nodded, doing as he was told immediately. Oh, he was so excited to take a nice, long relaxing bath with Tef. More than he could explain, not knowing why, really. He just knew it made him happy.

For some odd reason, Tef felt exactly the same. It was extremely unnerving.

He walked into the bathroom ahead of Bane and began to run a bath.

"You had better not touch me."

Bane smiled goofily.

"I won't! I'll stay on my side of the tub. Unless you change your mind; I could wash your back, you know!"

"I can do that myself!" he insisted irritably; in truth, he wasn't that good at it. After some more awkward silence, he shut off the water and stripped off his clothes, climbing in before Bane could get too good of a look.

Bane hummed to himself as he finished stripping out of his clothes. He was covered in a layer of dust, which came off the second he sat down in the tub.

"Mmm, I miss my tub." He admitted, trying not to touch Tef as he got comfortable. "It was triple this size!"

"I'm sure it was, you boastful little..." He sighed, his voice trailing off in the middle of the sentence. "...Why bother. There's something strange about you--I don't like it."

Bane frowned suddenly.

"There is?" He asked, completely uncomfortable in his small, cramped side of the tub. "What is it?"

"...I like you," he mumbled. "That's what I hate."

Bane grinned suddenly, splashing around in the tub so he could hug Tef. Which was even more awkward than usual, considering.

"Oh, I just love you so much!" He insisted, nuzzling him. "You're my best friend ever, you know that??"

Tef's face reddened, less from Bane's exclamation and more because he could feel a penis rubbing against his side. He struggled to escape the embrace.

"L-let go!" In spite of his alarm, he couldn't help but snuggle a little closer; Bane was warm.

Bane let him go, but he didn't change his position much. He was more comfortable now.

"Sorry, right, I forgot, for some reason you don't like hugs..."

"I don't like people," he grumbled. "I don't want to like you, which is why it's so frustrating. You're big and stupid and awkward and warm and kind and genuine and truthful and I hate you for being stupid and everything I like."