Jeez...no wonder Brae had nearly froze to death. He wasn't dressed any better for the weather than Niaaki was beneath that cloak, though Niaaki at least had an excuse! Brae seemed like he wanted to be out here, or that he had at least planned to be out in the cold. Maybe? Well, that's what he was assuming since it was typically a bit difficult to accidentally end up in the frozen tundra unless you were intending to go there, weren't intending to go there and were just too stubborn to turn back, or had a teleporter friend like Niaaki had who apparently didn't have a very good sense of direction--again, not that he was complaining, because at least they were far from the drow that had captured them and wanted to kill them and stuff if they didn't join their ranks and be their slaves or something creepy like that. Beneath the furs, which Niaaki also draped on his chair behind him as he felt warmer now, about the only warm thing he had on him were his dark gray breeches, decorated with an assortment of belts, and his boots. His shirt, however, was thin and short-sleeved, though he wore an arm warmer of sorts on his right arm, and...that was basically it.
Certainly not arctic gear.
Niaaki waited patiently as Brae went to get the bread and water, and when he came back, the scent of fresh baked bread that wafted to him never smelled better. He could feel his mouth watering, but he reminded himself that he shouldn't eat as much or as fast as he wanted to. His stomach still didn't feel one-hundred percent, but it was getting better!
Yet once Brae settled down and set the bread down, Niaaki quickly went for it. "Thank you, Brae," he said again, polite to strangers as always, and broke off a large chunk from the loaf. But he managed not to devour it like he wanted to and instead just nibbled tentatively at it.
Or started to.
Because that was when Yuuki "busted" in, and he was right! Niaaki, as usual, wasn't too aware of his surroundings, especially zeroed in on his food as he was, and he didn't even notice Yuuki until he heard a chair scraping across the floor. Niaaki jumped in surprise and snapped his attention over to him...and then his face brightened when he saw who it was. Yuuki! Yuuki put his hand on his shoulder and slid it down to pat him between the shoulder blades, and Niaaki instantly relaxed, flashing a tired grin up at his friend and "older brother". Even if he'd been miffed--and a bit freaked--about being left alone in a strange tavern around a bunch of drunk guys, now that Yuuki was here, he was quickly forgiven!
He did have to snort, though, at his apology. Disappearing? Niaaki gave him a wry, knowing look, casting a pointed look up at Yuuki's messy hair. Mhm. "...Right. Disappearing." Heh. He knew exactly what Yuuki had been up to. Or, at least, he could make an educated guess. He took another bite of bread and swallowed, then shook his head. "Do not worry about it. Did you have...fun?" Another slight smirk.
And then Yuuki had to go and be his usual, blockheaded self.
...Oh no...
Lovely new friend?
...He...thought Brae was a girl, too, didn't he? Well, one didn't generally use the word "lovely" on men and he'd mistaken Brae for a girl at first, too! Gaaah...
Flushing a little--oh Gods, hopefully Yuuki wasn't getting the wrong idea!--he was quick to speak up and try and save the situation. "Ah...yes. Yuuki, this is Braeden--he--" He just had to through the "he" in there, though he didn't emphasize it! He was going for subtlety, here, and hopefully Yuuki would catch on. He hated it when people called him a girl and he only assumed poor Brae would feel the same! "--ah...he helped me. Brae, this is Yuuki, my best friend and older brother, just not by blood."
Now hopefully Yuuki wouldn't ask what Braeden had helped him with. Oi. Niaaki took a small sip of the warm water and another bite of bread. He was trying his best to act one-hundred percent (and to wash away the smell of alcohol) because the last thing he wanted Yuuki to know was how...stupid he'd been. Ugh.
