Confidence

“H-hey Wesper. Hand me that will you?” 

Not wanting to reach over the short man hard at work she made herself known.

The gremlin perks up from his notes, to the timid figure who had so quietly sunk into the chair by him, unheard over the boiling of the current chemical project on the table. 

“Oh! Hello sweetheart, you came in like a mouse.”

“O-oh I, sw-sweetheart?” Her heart rate picks up as she watches a smile spread across the goggled face. His examination of those pale ears deepened in hue at the pet name. He holds out the wire loop that was previously out of reach, looking quite pleased with himself.

Eryn quickly grabs it and turns away to work. Missing the swift jabbing punishment from the little mechanical bug perched on Wesper’s shirt collar.

Sweetheart!? W-what was that!?… She looks back to see he is already back to work, no longer basking in the embarrassment he’d caused. His words are always followed up with that goofy look, or laughing… She swallows.

She watches his hands as they page through his notes looking for something. That’s right. There is work to do. Don’t linger on it. Buckling down over her own tools. 

A page sticks. He licks his finger to turn it. Eryn grimaces a little at him doing that in the lab- wait why am I still watching him. Focus.

… 

He hasn’t asked for time together outside of work since -

The lab is quiet aside from the whirring and bubbling of various projects. 

- was that, just a fling?

…

“Wesper.” 

She pulls the attention of the artificer again.

Oh- no.. what are you going to ask him? 

He waits a moment then looks to his other side where a few more tools lay. “Did you need…”

“I uh… yes th-that one please.” He hands her another metal implement… his mouth crooks in confusion over what she needs it for.

She looks it over in her hand and then at her work. Then catches eyes with Wesper who has pushed his goggles up. Leaning one arm on the table face in his hand, smiling at her. Waiting. 

She returns an awkward smile before standing up and walking to another table to… pretend to do something else. That was so. Stupid.

She looks over her shoulder relieved to see he paid no more mind to it and is back to writing. 

Eryn picks up a few more things and begins to work on that side of the room. Giving herself cooldown time. 

Uhg. Be…be confident… be assertive. She pressed a fist into her head, frustrated with herself. 

She glances over to see Wesper has finished what he was working on and is wandering across the room to the little tea table set up away from the chemicals.

… M-maybe now …

*Thunk*

Her gauntlet hits the table as she stands on the other side looking over Wesper. He locks eyes with her- grin already plastered on as if expecting another awkward request. O-of course he’s already got that look.

…

“Wesper. What-” The words choke out and she bites her lip. “What am I to you?” Wesper’s grin softens in thought. She’s been around him enough that she can practically hear the cogs in his brain churning away.

“Well.” His ears twitch thoughtfully. “You are a wonderful lab partner. And cute to boot.” His voice chimes cheerfully. 

She gives a wobbly smile though her face was burning. Why did I expect anything different? 

That mischievous grin of his fell watching her turn away and out the door as quickly as she could. She gave no time for more embarrassment. 

Bow buzzed angrily into Wesper’s ear. 

“Eryn?” 

—---

—---

—---

Stupid. Of course. Of course … I- I’m just a one time fling. Her eyes are locked on the floor and cloudy as she power walks as fast as she can.

“Eryn!” Her shoulders jolt at being addressed by a new voice.

“Steve being a big help to you and Wesper!?” She slows down, seeing the tiefling walking towards her. Or a purple blur of the tiefling.

“Th- the plant? … yes.” Oh… don’t look at me. Don’t make eye contact.

“Was on way to water and-... something wrong. What happened?” Lavere gets closer and his tone dissolves into one much more serious. “What Wesper do?”

She waves her hands in front of her as she continues past. “I- It’s nothing, don't worry.… It’s been a- long day at the lab. I’m just going to rest. ” she trails off, picking up her pace again, passing Lavere.

The druid turns his attention back in the direction of the lab, scrunching his face, accusatory.

. 

—---

—---

—---

WHAM. The door to the lab flies open.

“What you do to poor girl?! You hurt!?” Lavere barges into the lab causing Wesper to nearly fall out of his chair. 

“Wh- What!? Why do you always yell like I committed a murder!?” Wesper yells back to match the tone as he steadies himself. “I would never hurt a hair on her head!” 

“Not head hurt! Heart hurt!” He storms forward and slams his hands down on the table. “You terrible to her. Not catch her, not let her go, lead her on string. Like fish! Must pick one or other.”

Wesper wrinkles his nose at the weird choice of analogy. “What?” 

“In lab, I see you always tease her. What you say this time?” Lavere prods a finger in his direction.

Wesper pushes the finger away in offense. But the twisted face of anger morphs into one more contemplating. 

 “… She asked me. What she was to me?”

“And!? You answer?”

“… a wonderful lab partner.” 

One would think the LOOK plastered across this tiefling face could not grow more sour but it did.

“What!? It’s true!”

“Lab partner is work. What about her, not work? That is question.”

Wesper’s mouth snaps shut from the back and forth argument. He slumps back into the chair and places his face on the table. 

“Wasn’t expecting it.”

“Why not? She like you. Or you blind?” Lavere drops into the opposing chair. He reaches across and scruffs Wesper by his hair pulling his head up.

The goblin reluctantly sits up from the firm tug. “I didn’t think my behavior was… appealing to her. But I never wanted to hurt her.”

“Then why tease!? To be cruel?”

“I-”

“Eye. Eye. Eye. Stop. Do not matter. Do you feel for her?” A gold claw taps the table emphasizing every beat in the scolding. Bow hops down on the table to match the beat with equal sternness.

Wesper averts his gaze... His tail twisting into a knot behind the chair.

The door to the lab creaks. An ovular green head poking around the corner. “Wesper. Is everything okay? Eryn’s face is leaking a lot.”

Wesper’s eyes grow wide as his gaze snaps to Bramble peeking into the lab.

“You fix!” Lavere smacks Wesper upside the head. 

—---

—---

—---

His teasing. His laughing. That.. grin… He was just making fun of me? I- is it just amusing? She paced back and forth. 

W-was it that bad. Th-that he didn’t want to meet outside work again. 

She presses her hands over her face, steaming.

A knock at the door startles her. Stopping her from pacing back and forth.

“Eryn… are you there?” The familiar high raspy voice. 

—--

Wesper stands on the other side, waiting nervously. His fist still hovering in front of the door. 

“I just…a-and you don’t have to answer.  I’m really sorry for being such an ass to you. ”

—-

Eryn moves to the door, stands there.

—--

His ears twitch, hearing her approach. 

“Y-you probably don’t want to hear from me right now and.. I understand.”

“I want you to know I never wanted to hurt you.. But it took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize I was already doing that.”

—-

She holds her hand over her mouth to muffle her crying. 

“Y-you are more than just an amazing lab partner. I know we work a lot. But I love to see other sides to you and I’m realizing why I push so often for reactions out of you.”

—--

He fidgets and tucks his hands into his sleeves. “You really stood up today and that took a lot of confidence… I understand now. A little too late I suppose for a proper answer.”

He chokes out a laugh. “There are some things that are hard for me to assert myself about and you are already ahead of me there.”

“I really messed up today.”

—-

“Wesper…”

—-

…

—-

“Go away…”

—-

The footsteps fade down the hall.

She sits in silence for a long time. Absorbing everything he said. For someone so smart he’s so… stupid.

She looks over to a table with borrowed books. 

Sinking into the chair by it and picking up the last one she had been reading.

She flips to the last marked page. The marker, a folded paper. 

She unfolds it. 

One of a few letters from Wesper on his travels. Mostly a technical summary of what they were working on but… it ends with sweet words and encouragement. 

He really means it.

…

Damnit. 

—---

—---

—---

The party recognizes something is wrong when Wesper makes his way into the updated teleportation room. 

Farryn mirrors the sad look on his face. 

Lavere folds his arms. “Not go well then?” 

Kole… well Kole I think has been distracted with her own love life. 

Roark places a hand on Wesper’s sagging shoulder as he stands in the circle. 

“A-are we all ready?” Bramble asks, hesitating, to the group.

“Wesper…” A timid, out of breath voice from around a hall corner.

The goblin looks up to see Eryn leaning around a corner. Eyes still puffy. He looks over his shoulder to his party looking at him with a mix of… disappointment, concern, accusation.

He holds a finger up to wait a moment and scurries around the corner to meet her. 

He is met with her at his level, having sunk down to the 4ft tall man’s stature.

Eryn is still catching her breath from running here. A look of relief washing over her to see him. She watches as he raises his hands to hold her but drops them slightly in front of him, uncertain. 

She does it for him.

Pulling him in and sinking her face into his coat, smooshing the robotic bug a little between them. Wesper eagerly returns this given the confirmation.

Clawed hands grip her shoulders and pull her back. Looking at her, with the same intensity she’s seen him when tinkering. He moves a hand to her face and swipes his thumb over her cheek wiping the ghosts of tears.

“I’ll stop with the teasing…” 

“N-no.”

“No? But I thought…”

“I needed to know it wasn’t a joke.” 

He fluffs up in embarrassment and shame that that was even a thought.

“It… is embarrassing but- I kinda like-”  His eyes widen and she quickly backpedals on admitting to the charm she finds in it, sputtering out a slight variation. “I like you as you are.”

Wesper does his best to restrain his goofy grin and presses a smile to her cheek in a delighted kiss. 

“Wesper we have to go!” Kole’s voice echoes from the next room.

Eryn wasn’t ready to let go and the feverish little man covering her in kisses clearly wasn’t either. But she does manage to push him off. “...n-next time?” She asks, her face red as ever.

“I will do things better.” He holds her hands to himself, almost equally as flushed in the face from the whole ordeal. “Promise.”

He steals one more peck before hurrying back to the group, being eyed suspiciously for his flip in demeanor. She comes out from behind the wall to wave them off.

—---

—---

—---

She notices a change in his letters and sendings. Adding in extra love whenever able. 

Can’t wait to see that charming fool again.