Not-so-secrets

Ashanti nodded, with a smile. "Don't worry. I'll let you enjoy the company of your parents today. We'll fight tomorrow."

"Nothing," Valdyr replied with a sigh. "Just trying to think, I think. Or not to think."

Horknath nodded. "Thank you, Milady. Even if I don't think I will sit and have a tea with them. Or, not right away. It's... not our style", he admitted, laughing. His father was already stretching his arms, a wide grin on his lips.

Serah bit her lower lip again. Was she the cause of that think-not-think? "Ok, this one is as old as that one joke about the Goblin keeping cheese in his socks, so forgive me already", she started, then she took a breath. "A penny for your thoughts?", she asked then with a full, open smile.

"... You're going to fight" Carleen asked him with a smile, arching a brow.

Valdyr snorted slightly, and shook his head. "If you want to ask, just ask. If not, I won't mind it either," he sighed.

Horknath stretched too, making the bones of his fingers snap. "Of course we are", he answered with an excited grin. "I've never beaten my old man before. This will be fun." Grom let out a laugh. "Keep dreaming, boy. Like I will ever let you beat me in front of a public!"

Serah still kept herself rested on the door. "Then I am asking you. I care, y'know", she said with a gentler smile, at least glad he had apparently appreciated the joke.

Carleen chuckled kindly. "Sooo should we all get to the training grounds now for the show? ~"

Valdyr sighed again, and tried to look for his words. "Sometimes I wonder if I will ever match any of your expectations, Serah."

"Sure!", Horknath said, getting up from his seat, as excited as a kid, his father following him swiftly. Ariadne was just laughing at all that enthusiasm.

Serah tilted her head. "... expectations?", she repeated, confused, and wary. "What do you mean? ... even better. What do you think I expect at all?"

"Tell me, Ariadne," Carleen quickly asked her soon-to-be mother-in-law. "They won't get hurt, right?" She seemed a tad bit concerned.

Valdyr shrugged. "Maybe someone with more experience than me when it comes to relationships? I mean. You keep asking me when I'm going to kiss you, hinting at what we should do later on. I mean. It might sound silly to you, but all of this is precious to me. I don't want to rush anything, and yet I don't know if I'll be even half as good as the men you knew before me." He seemed pretty worked up over that idea, too.

Ariadne smiled reassuringly to her. "Don't worry, sweetheart. It will just be a friendly brawl between father and son. For orcs, a good fight is essentially quality bonding time. They won't aim to hurt each other. Even if it could look like they will", she added.

Serah listened to all Valdyr said. Then she straightened up, her expression unreadable, arms crossed on her chest. "... okay, first off", she started, "this, and I mean all this date stuff, caring about each other, holding hands. It is precious to me too. Just because I have had experiences - which, by the way, were just meant to scratch some itches - it doesn't mean I will consider what I will do with you less important than you will. And it will be new for me too, because I will actually give a shit about the person I am with." She took a deep breath. "This said. If it makes you uneasy that I refer to what I have done in my past, you tell, and I stop. I don't want you to think I am trying to pressure you into anything. I just like to run my mouth."

Carleen smiled too. "Well. I'd better get used to it, then," she said, as she followed Gro'mash and Horknath with her. "Oh, by the way. Is it too soon for me to ask for Horknath's childhood stories?" she asked Ariadne, beaming.

Valdyr bit his lips for a few seconds, then replied to her. "I have to admit that it makes me feel... jealous. I mean, to know that there were other guys. That they were probably hot. Tall. And, let's be honest, nobody can be as hairy as me." he told her, arching a brow. But he was saying it kind of like a joke too. That was some progress!

Ariadne beamed too. "It's never too soon, my dear! My boy grew up quick, but I still have tons of stories to share about when he was just a precious little bean!" She gushed over her own memories as Horknath and his father finally got on the training grounds.

Serah's serious façade broke a bit as she snorted. "Oh you know I like you and your hairy-everywhere. That totally plays in your favour", she answered smiling. "Also. You are definitely overestimating the men that are out there, and my ability to attract any of them. I mean. Just how many handsome guys you think you can find in shitty taverns in the middle of the night?" She tilted her head. "And, question. Do you really think you aren't hot?"

Carleen smiled and gladly listened to all of her stories while watching Horknath spar with his father. Damn, did she love him.

"That's a lot of questions," Valdyr replied with a chuckle. "Well, I know that I look good by dwarven standards. But you aren't exactly a dwarrowdam yourself either," he replied with a soft smile.

Horknath and Grom fought for a long time, trying to ground and get each other in chokeholds. In the end, they begrudgingly agreed to a draw. Ariadne was busy telling Carleen that Horknath had been a real handful when he was little.

Serah smiled back at him. "I am not. And I don't know what your standards for 'attractive woman' are. But I do think you are very attractive for mine", she said softly. "And I can't even begin to compare other men to you. I will never do that either."

Carleen politely clapped her hands when Horknath and Grom came back to them. "That was quite a fight !"

"I'm sorry," Valdyr told her in a softer voice, as he finally walked to her, to take her hand in his. He even kissed her knucles. "I'll stop worrying, from now on."

Horknath smiled at her, clearly fatigued after that fight. "It truly was", he said. "I mean, I almost won!" Grom grunted. "You wish", he said. Ariadne laughed. "Grom, don't be so bitter about it. You should be proud that your son can keep up with you", she reproached him gently.

Serah smiled at Valdyr. "It's okay. I am a bit glad it was you being jealous in the end, you know", she confessed, watching him kissing her hand. "At least I know you aren't mad about me being... not untouched, you know. Or not being actually desirable."

Carleen chuckled kindly, and caught Horknath's hand in hers, as she stole a kiss from his lips. "You two should probably go to the baths, after such effort. Just don't try to fight there, please~"

"... But you are," Valdyr replied to her, almost shocked. "Did I give you the idea that you're not?"

Horknath laughed, kissing her back. "We won't, don't worry." Ariadne tilted her head. "You use common baths here in the South?", she asked curious.

Serah bit her lip. "Well, you always got so touchy and weird whenever I hinted to sex or kisses. I didn't know it was just because you thought it was better not to rush. I just thought that maybe you didn't think of me in, y'know. That way."

"We use them sometimes, yes," Carleen replied. "We usually wash ourselves with a basket of hot water and a wet cloth, but then we sometimes get into big, common baths to relax. Would you like to try them?"

Valdyr blushed a bit, and cleared his throat. "If I tell you why, can you promise me you won't tell Yvan? That shithead would forever bug me for it."

Ariadne nodded, smiling. "Sure! We don't have anything like that where I come from", she said. "Would your mother like to join us?"

Serah arched a brow. "Sure, alright. I promise I won't tell him", she said, not really able to hide her curiosity.

Carleen smiled to her. "Probably!" She gestured for her mother to come, as she lead Ariadne to the baths. "... You have nothing with bathing together with people you've just met, I hope?"

"... it only got me to 'react weird' because I've never experiented all that stuff. You know. Dating, kissing, whatever," Valdyr grunted in a lower voice.

"Oh, not at all", Ariadne answered, candidly. "When I was living with my father, I was used to have other women with me while I bathed, and I seldom knew them well." She smiled. "And you two, well. We'll be related soon!"

Serah blinked a couple of times. "...oh. Oh! I... I couldn't have guessed", she said, not knowing what was stopping her from laughing. "You always have had women trying to woo you around, so I thought... oh but you don't have to worry, I don't care if you are... you know", she finished awkwardly.

"Good, then", Carleen replied with a smile. "So let's go!"

Valdyr forced a smile for a few second, which actually grew softer. "You can say that I'm pure and untouched, I won't be offended." He snorted. "You know, I was a close relative of the king, where I lived. Any affairs I could have had would have exploded into a scandal quite easily."

Ariadne followed Carleen and her mother, while Horknath asked Sakrish if he wanted to come with him and Grom too.

Serah muffled a laugh. "You are, and I see. You mean /we/ would be scandalous? That's like my part time job!" She laughed. "You should've told me, though. I would have been even less pushy", she reproached him.

Let's fast-forward a bit for them? I mean, unless you have an idea for something that might happen in the baths!

Valdyr shrugged. "Well. Now you know. I'm sorry for not talking to you about this all a bit earlier," he told her with a soft smile.

Nop we can fast forward to whenever you prefer!

Serah smiled at him. "It's ok. At least we're good now", she sighed. "Don't feel pressured. When and if you'll be ever feeling up for something, I am here", she smiled gently at him. "Until then. Where will we eat tonight! I can't wait to be all over the food!"

Iiii have zero idea ;v; I'm sorryyy! maybe later!

"Do you want to go back to town again?" Valdyr asked her, as he entwined his fingers in hers.