#lee!azune

Hal had always been a morning person, an ironic fact for someone who often made his living working late into the night writing or performing. Honestly, he sometimes played up that part of his personality, waking the whole house with singing and throwing open the windows, solely because he knew it drove most of his family nuts-- even Thaisha, druid though she was, was often loathe to greet the morning sun without several thermoses full of caffeine to get her there. Still, Hal firmly believed in the fact that no matter your troubles in the evening, the morning would bring new energy, new opportunities, and a new attitude to help take on the new day.

Even now-- even after everything had gone completely and totally to shit-- there was a calmness to his mind upon waking that almost, for a moment, made the grief in his chest feel lighter. Of course it took barely a moment for the memories to slam back into his mind-- his brother gone, his friends and family potentially in danger at the hands of the Sundered Houses, and of course the entire damn play that his troupe was working furiously to put up in less than two weeks-- but Hal was no stranger to grief, and was not looking to become acquainted with hopeless despair, so he pushed through and got out of bed.

A noise toward the side of his room made him stiffen before he remembered who'd come home with him last night. There, lying on one of the old chaise lounges Hal kept in his bedroom-office for exactly this purpose, was one Azune Nayar, still wearing his clothes from yesterday but with his armor, boots, and weapons stacked neatly on the floor beside him. The angle of the windows was such that the morning sun hadn't yet fallen over his face as it had Hal's, so the younger man was still asleep. He wasn't a heavy sleeper, to Hal's knowledge, but the emotions he went through last night (on top of the events of the past few days) must've worn him out.

Well. Morning person or not, Hal knew better than to wake a kid who needed their sleep, so he took himself downstairs to continue putting his house back to normal after the throes of people who were in here just the other day for his brother's wake. He slid the wide doors to the dining room closed without looking inside; figuratively and literally, he couldn't cross that threshold right now.

He spent the better part of an hour cleaning, getting himself dressed, scribbling out notes for what he needed to do today at the theatre, and overall trying to keep himself busy until he heard the creaking of his office floor upstairs. The noise pushed him to grab a cup and a water pitcher, along with a jar of fizzy tablets that helped with headaches and hangovers, and he made his way back to his room just in time to see Azune sit upright, bleary and confused.

"Morning, kid," Hal said, trying to inject some levity into his voice. Azune didn't startle at Hal's entrance, but he did turn to him with wide, almost guilty eyes, his face drawn and shy.

"Good morning." Azune's voice was croaky, and he cleared it, almost self consciously. Hal took that as invitation to set the items on the small table next to him

"Water, and some medicine," he said, popping open the jar and nodding his head at Azune. "I know that old thing isn't as soft as it used to be."

Azune nodded, stretching his neck and rolling his shoulders almost without thinking. He reached for the water without complaint; Hal was happy he seemed to take the medicine as a salve for his sore muscles, and not for the pounding dehydration headache Hal was sure he had after crying so hard the night before.

"Thank you for letting me stay here," Azune said after he drank two cups of water (Hal made sure to refill it before he could say otherwise).

"Anytime. You'll always have a place to stay in this house."

Azune nodded again, slow and quiet. His eyes traveled across the room, seemingly taking in the reality of this unorthodox start to his day.

"What time is it?"

Hal leaned back to check out the sun's place in the sky. "Early enough. The market's opening soon."

That seemed to awake something in Azune, a reminder of his job as an Arcane Marshal following the newly imposed limits on magic in the marketplaces. "I should leave."

He stood up, briskly replacing his armor before Hal could say otherwise. He knew there was no use in arguing with his friend, not least of all because it was important for all of them in their little group to keep up appearance and go about their days as normally as possible.

"The day is yours, my friend," he replied, crossing his arms as he leant against the doorframe, "but I'll let you know that there's enough fruit downstairs to feed an improv troupe." It was true; the same source who got them such a great deal on fruit leather for the theatre concessions also had a few bushels of fresh fruit for Hal and the other theatre admins, as an extra thank-you for letting them sell their wares during the play. "If you can spare a minute, I'll get some ready for the road."

Of course, Azune's stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly, making him flush slightly as Hal chuckled. He took another beat, refixing his ponytail and straightening his armor, before nodding. "That sounds... fine, Hal, thank you."

The two head downstairs, Hal quickly steering Azune in the path that would keep them farthest from the dining room. Azune stayed next to the doorway as Hal grabbed different fruits, testing their ripeness and checking Azune's preferences.

"Hal." Azune's voice sounded tight, making Hal whip his head up to see what was wrong, but all he saw was Azune looking mildly sheepish. "You don't have to do that."

Blinking, Hal looked at Azune in confusion before looking back down at his own hands. Old habits die hard, and with three (or four) kids' worth of experience under his belt, it was kind of funny how quickly his hands had started cutting the fruit into smaller chunks without even thinking about it.

"What, you don't like your apples sliced anymore?" he asked, not having to inject any false humor into his voice now. Azune huffed a laugh.

"I can slice my own apples, thank you." He reached for the fruit on the counter but was buffeted by Hal pushing his arm back.

"Uh uh, not on my watch. You sit down and let me get your lunch ready." He reached for a mango, expertly dicing the fruit and pretending he couldn't sense Azune's flustered state.

"Halandil, I don't need a packed lunch. I always eat at the Seven Stars, anyway."

"Uh huh," Hal said, grabbing a little leather pouch and sliding the prepared fruit into it. "Would you like some almonds, too? Or we have some shortbread cookies. Ah, I'll just get you both."

"Enough," Azune said, and the lightness in his voice distracted Hal just long enough for the leather satchel to be plucked from his grasp. Azune was smiling, still reserved but now more mischievous, as he wrapped the bag and put it on his waist. "Your generosity has been more than enough already."

"Who says?" Hal asked, and he slipped forward to maneuver his arm behind Azune, dumping a baggie of raspberries into his vestment. "Seriously, if you don't eat this food Shadia will probably make herself sick on it."

"Give it to your crew," Azune replied, and all of a sudden he and Hal were circling each other as Hal tried to force more and more food on Azune's person. "You have a lot of mouths to feed, there's no need to waste it all on me-- hey!"

Maybe it was the mildly ridiculous situation that they were in, but somehow Hal managed to feint a lunge in order to box Azune in the other way, now keeping him lightly pinned in the corner with his back against two counters. He took advantage of the position to dump fruit, nuts, crackers, and snacks into every pocket he could reach.

"Trust me, this is no great expense," Hal explained. His hands moved fast, keeping Azune guessing where he would strike next. "Bolaire's money alone will kept the troupe fed until the end of the run. You're in my kitchen now."

Azune wasn't quite laughing, but he was getting close to it. "Ha-al-- this is-- so not necessary--"

Alright, that's it. Without anymore buildup Hal reached out and squeezed a spot on Azune's side just below where his armor sat, and all of a sudden Azune's protests wheezed out of him in a strangled squawk. He lurched to the side, trying to grab the offending hand, so of course Hal took it upon himself to give the same treatment to the other side.

"Give it up, kid, you're taking the snacks," Hal teased, alternating his pinches and making Azune jerk back in forth, his body confused and overwhelmed in the face of this unorthodox attack. His chest bounced with quiet giggles.

"Hal-- Ha-al-- Hal," he chanted. It was like he didn't know what else to say.

"Yes, yes, yes?" Hal replied. He waited for Azune to open his mouth again before vibrating his fingers into his stomach, laughing loudly as the shocked giggles that escaped his mouth. "Sorry, kid, didn't catch that. My fault."

The tickles against the middle of his stomach seemed even worse for Azune, and he tried to bend forward at the waist to hide the tickle spot from Hal. His forehead knocked against Hal's shoulder, head and shoulders shaking and shimmying against the gentle yet persistent tickles. When he began to fall lower, Hal interjected with a cheerful, "Up you get!" before shoving his hands underneath Azune's arms, both to keep him upright and to tickle him harder.

"Hal!" Azune cried, throwing his head back and squeezing his eyes shut as he laughed up at the ceiling. He wrapped his hands around Hal's wrists, stomping his feet as Hal dug his twitching fingers deeper into his underarm. "Plehehease!"

"Oh, so polite, such manners," Hal cooed. If it were one of his other kids-- one of the ones who grew up with him and who were more receptive to his signs of affection-- he'd smother their cheeks with stubbly tickly kisses until they were squealing for release. He didn't know how that would make Azune feel, and after what he'd said last night-- "I think my dad would've been a lot like you"-- he didn't know if it was a good idea to go down that road again so early in the day. Still, he made sure to catch Azune's eye and send him a wide grin that made the other man's eyes squeeze shut again in embarrassment. "Now you just have to finish the sentence. Please what?"

"Plehease-- please--" Azune's laughter, like his normal voice, was still rather subdued; if it were Shadia in his position she'd be shrieking loud enough to wake the whole Rookery. He laughed like he wasn't used to it, but also like his body had just been waiting for the chance to feel like this again. In a way, this was also what drew Hal to the arts; culture and history and the chance to rewrite the narrative for once, of course, but also something as simple as making someone laugh.

"Please I'll take the fruit!" Azune squealed, which is when Hal figured he should let the kid breathe. He made sure Azune was at least upright on his feet, if not entirely stable, before letting him go; indeed the younger man stumbled just a bit upon release, rocking back against the counters as he caught his breath. His breathing was labored, but it only took a few measured breaths for him to get it under control. His arms refused to unwrap themselves from around his torso, however, and he eyed Hal somewhat nervously as his laughter trickled out.

Hal took a step back, raising his hands good-naturedly. "What a very good idea that is, Azune. Here."

He reached behind Azune, not bothering to hide his grin at the other man's flinch, before pulling back with a single orange that had been on the counter behind him. Azune watched, face still flushed, as Hal peeled the orange for him before placing it in his hand.

"For the road," Hal said amicably. He stepped away, leaning against the opposite counter as a parade of expressions passed across Azune's face before landing something close to gratitude.

"Thank you," he murmured, then looked up, cleared his throat and made (or attempted) direct eye contact with Hal. "Thank you."

Now it was Hal's turn to stare. The wide-eyed earnestness that shone out of every facet of Azune's being was almost too much, sometimes. He didn't know how his friend, this kid, who'd given so much and still wanted to do more, was able to keep that innocence despite all he'd been through. He didn't want it to ever go away.