Making Up Over Dinner

Eir heard the faint steps of Bane's boots growing louder on the concrete as he approached the back room of the faction building. He emerged with two familiar bowls of noodles.

"Can you come and sit next to the fire with me?" he asked, sitting cross-legged before the extinguished fireplace. He set a bowl down next to him and patted the spot beside him, inviting her to sit.

Bane remembered very little of his father. With a tumultuous childhood, he had lost his father first. When his parents fought, his dad would leave and reappear later with a small feast. It seemed to cool tensions. His dad had even told him, "If a woman is ever mad or upset, she's probably just hungry."

Sometimes, Bane would recall random pieces of advice the man had shared with him. They seemed useful now, as Eir slowly made her way over and plopped down next to him. As she sat, the fire magically ignited into a vibrant orange flame.

"Thank you," Eir said, her voice quiet and slightly annoyed.

"Of course…" Bane wanted to continue but took a bite of the savory noodle dish instead. He chewed slowly, savoring every flavor, before swallowing and speaking again.

"Can we talk?" Bane asked, not looking at Eir, his eyes fixed on the newly lit fire. He caught Eir in the middle of a bite. She blushed and quickly swallowed.

"About what?" Eir asked, her tone calmer now. Bane was surprised his dad's advice had worked.

"About each other. Ever since I joined, I feel like I know so little about you," Bane said, frowning.

"O-Oh…" Eir's eyes widened. "That sounds good. Come to think of it, I don't really know much about you either." She averted her eyes, as if ashamed of her lack of knowledge about him.

"We can take turns. What do you want to know about me?" Bane asked, finally looking into Eir's eyes.

There's too much! Eir thought. She could ask questions all night and still have more. She scanned through their time together, and one event stood out as the most intriguing.

"I've wanted to ask about this since it happened. Why were you crying during the blue super moon?" Eir inquired.

Bane looked away and nodded. He thought in silence for a moment before answering. "Well, to answer that, I have to explain some other things…" He took a deep breath and sighed, knowing this would be a long conversation.

"As I've told you, I grew up in the slums of Gren as an only child. Admittedly, my parents weren't the best, though they tried their hardest to make me comfortable. My dad had debts that were nearly impossible to pay off, and if a husband has debts, the same applies to his wife, or vice versa. So, while they were alive, life wasn't too horrible. There were constant fights, but nothing I couldn't handle." Bane paused, eyeing a noodle in his bowl before stabbing it with his fork. Eir listened intently.

After swallowing the bite, he continued. "But one day, my dad didn't return to our little hovel. My mom and I started to worry. Since it wasn't safe to go out at night, we stayed inside and waited until morning. But by then, it was too late. Word had spread that my father had been killed over his unpaid debts. Instantly, our conditions got ten times worse." Bane kept his eyes down, focused on his meal. Airing out his pain was taking a lot out of him. Eir noticed this and stayed quiet, keeping her emotions in check.

"We were constantly moving around, and my mom did everything to support me." Bane's throat bobbed as he remembered what his mom had endured for him. "But soon enough, she couldn't take it anymore, and then I was alone." Bane sat motionless, his eyes downturned.

"I-I'm sorry, Bane," Eir said, her voice breaking as she fought back her own emotions.

"You don't have to apologize. It's all in the past. But to answer your question, I remember seeing a similar moon with my mom all those years ago. Seeing it again just dragged me back. I thought I had come to terms with it and moved on, but clearly, I hadn't." Bane finally turned to Eir, an embarrassed smile on his face as a tear streamed down one cheek.

What do I do?! Eir thought, desperate to help Bane in any way she could. Lost in her thoughts, her vision clouded, and soon tears of her own began to fall.

"Sorry," Bane said, sniffling as he wiped his eyes. Seeing this, Eir knew she had to intervene.

"Cry!" Eir shouted, tears streaming down her face. "Never apologize for crying, especially in a safe place like this. You are safe here and free of judgment." Her emotions were out of control, but she spoke sternly and without stuttering.

Bane giggled at her display, but she was right. It's for the best. I can never move on unless I really let it all out. His muffled giggles slowly turned into silent sobs. He moved his bowl of noodles to the side to avoid his tears falling into it.

"Come here," Eir said, holding out her arms. What am I thinking? Even in such a sad moment, showing her true feelings was hard.

Bane wiped his eyes and squinted at Eir, unsure what she was implying. When he stayed silent, she continued, "Come here… U-Unless you don't want to, of course." She really wanted him to embrace her, and she thought it would be best for him if they did. But she didn't want to force anything on him. It was up to him to decide.

Bane crawled over and fell into her arms, letting everything out as he cried into her shoulder and chest. Eir felt a complex mix of emotions—blushing from embarrassment, crying from sadness, and smiling from happiness as Bane returned her embrace.

They sat there for a few minutes, each providing a shoulder to lean on. Soon, their loud cries became quiet sobs, and then just the occasional sniffle.

"Sorry," Bane's muffled voice came from Eir's chest. His mouth was pressed against her breast, but she endured it without complaint.

"Stop apologizing… I-I know I may not be the nicest, but…" She struggled to get the words out. "But I really want you to succeed, and I'm okay with you being vulnerable with me…" Some of her true emotions finally escaped.

"Okay…" Bane whispered, his voice barely audible. Hearing her say that pushed him over the edge, and his tears returned.

Bane snorted one last time before pulling out of Eir's embrace. Eir simply let go, allowing Bane to recompose himself.

As he rubbed his red eyes and runny nose, Eir spoke calmly. "Thank you for that… And like I said, anytime you need that…"

"Okay," was all Bane said. "Why don't we get back to eating?" It was an abrupt transition, and an awkward air hung between them as they returned to their meal.

Eir broke the silence, deciding her question had been answered. "Then what would you like to know about me?" Bane tilted his head as he looked into the voids of her eyes, then understood. He had almost forgotten they were taking turns asking questions.

Bane thought for a moment before asking, "What was life like up there?" It was no secret, but he wanted to hear it from the goddess herself.

"I'm sure you've heard it's boring, and that's true. It really is boring. After living up there for a few thousand years, it becomes monotonous." She shrugged. Bane recoiled in surprise at the mention of thousands of years—such a span of time was incomprehensible to him.

"Now back to you. Is there anything you want me to look into for home renovations?" Eir asked, deliberately avoiding deeper questions about Bane's past.

"Well, one day I'd like running water, but getting clean water here would be really expensive," Bane said, frowning. Clean running water and slums were mutually exclusive.

"What about you? I'm sure this little shack isn't your dream vision of a Faction Building."

"Yeah, but this little shack does have its charm. But my dream vision…" Eir paused, rocking her head in thought. "I want the biggest building to show that the Eir Faction is the best!" She pumped her arm in a childish display of pride, and Bane couldn't help but giggle.

Eir flushed but didn't scold him, letting him have his moment of fun.

The two of them went back and forth with questions and answers as they finished their meals. Bane slurped up the rest of his bowl and laid down with a sigh.

"Oh… I also want a bed. The floor can be pretty unforgiving," Bane said, looking up at the ceiling as his head rested on the stone floor.

Eir's eyes glittered with excitement. "I see. I can go into town tomorrow to see how much it costs." What Bane didn't know was that she already had prices in mind.

He's going to be so excited when I surprise him, Eir thought, imagining the look on his face. The two of them continued their casual chatter as the night grew late, and eventually, they both drifted into slumber.