And I Absolutely Love Seeing Ali Pining - Tumblr Posts
Tough Characters laughing is one of my favourite things. I was smiling as hard as Ambrose that whole time. So sweet!
Rival Potion Shops: Laughter
Another one in Eli’s POV, because what can I say- Eli’s heart eyes give me joy. Maybe they’ll give you some joy, too.
Synopsis: Dawn can make Ambrose laugh. Eli wants to see it.
Word Count: 439
TW/CW: food mention
They found themselves squished into a tiny booth in the back of the tavern, thanks to a sudden influx of plains adventurers into the Scar. An unusual giant migration had led many a fighter down into the chasm, on what was meant to be a sleepy weekend.
But they had to set to work making the booth their own.
“I can make Ames laugh,” Dawn bragged, pointing a chicken bone at Eli across the narrow table. “Just because he doesn’t do it for you doesn’t mean he can’t.”
“Oh, please.” Ambrose squirmed next to her. “We really don’t need to go through this.”
Eli grinned.
“Oh, no, I think we do.”
Dawn pushed away her plate and cleared her throat. Ambrose muttered a curse under her breath.
“Are you going to tell the-“
“The sauce story?” Dawn nudged him. “Yes. Come on, you always laugh at that one!”
“No, I don’t!” Ambrose covered his own mouth, but he couldn’t hide his eyes. They were already crinkling up from a smile, the ice blue of his irises softening into a bright pool.
Eli leaned forward. Suddenly he was desperate for the sauce story.
“How does it start?” he said. Dawn matched his posture and launched into the tale- something about a lunch, an orcish waiter, and a sandwich- but the details didn’t matter, not to either of them. They both kept sneaking glances at Ambrose, who out of spite, was trying so very hard not to laugh. His mouth twisted, his cheeks went pink, his eyes looked everywhere but at Dawn.
“So I’m sitting there,” Dawn half-giggled as she spoke, “this waiter practically sitting on my lap, trying to mop up the sauce while still trying to flirt with me-“
There it went- a peal of laughter, sudden enough to make the others jump. Ambrose’s hand had fallen from his face, and nothing could hide it now. The grin that scrunched up his features, the delightful cackle that Eli had assumed didn’t exist. Eli blinked. If he didn’t already know there was a lantern on the wall behind Ambrose, he may have thought the light was coming from him instead.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Ambrose waved a hand, still laughing, “it’s just- the look on that waiter’s face- Eli, you should’ve seen it-“
Eli felt his cheeks grow warm. Ambrose had always called him Elias.
And yet here he was, calling him by his nickname and- and laughing.
“Huh,” he murmured, watching the smile continue to play across the man’s face. He had never seen anything quite like it, not in all his travels. “Yeah, sad I didn’t see it.”
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