“I’ve had a pupil or two, but never for very long. Their ineptitudes tend to… irk me.”
"Oh? So does my ineptitude bother you, Gale?" Tom's temper was obviously rising quickly, the irritation not quite to 'literally making the wind blow' levels yet but the tightening of his brow and hostile tone an impossible to miss indicator. “Excuse me, then, I'll just keep my fucking questions to myself in future. Wouldn’t want to annoy you.”
"You are not inept! All you lacked was the proper guidance, and..."
Gale trailed off, realising the rare misplay he'd just made. Thomas stared back at him, nostrils flaring, and for a moment it felt like the slowly blossoming bond they’d developed would get hit with another fracture ... but eventually the sorcerer just rolled his eyes.
"Thank fuck you never committed to your pupils, huh,” he said. “I'd hate to have been one of them, struggling with myself, and getting a wizard tutor so completely fucking lost in his own brilliance he'd only bloody fail me.”
“Perhaps my impatience does make me ill-suited to such a career, yes,” Gale replied eventually, feeling the fluster rise in his cheeks; it wasn’t an unfair criticism he’d received and he knew it. “I sincerely apologise. I do, however, stand by my opinion that you are not inept, merely untrained. And you have done very well in working out your powers with that in mind.”
“You’re saying that to a guy who blows a gale every time he gets mad… uh. No. Actually, that’s… no.”
Thomas went pink, the anger draining from his face and replaced with something entirely different. It took Gale a moment to recognise something in his friend he’d yet to see so obviously before during their weeks travelling; Tom was feeling shy. Familiar enough an emotion to Gale himself during the gentle moments of intimacy they’d shared but Thomas himself had either not had the same reaction to their experiences or hid it well previously. Or, well. Maybe it had just been more subtle before. Somehow that seemed more likely right now.
Especially once it clicked why Tom’s ears were growing rapidly red in colour. Ah. Yes. There was Gale’s rush of that particular emotion, along with a cascade of wonderfully pleasant mental images it felt rather risky to have. Certainly better than having his lovely, enticing leader with the increasingly desirous lips still angry at him, yes, but risky nonetheless. Gale tried not to stare at those lips. Tried not to think about the fun things they were capable of beyond the words of magic they’d learned.
“Uh…” Thomas rubbed the back of his head, gaze fixed right up at the sky like it was suddenly the most interesting place in the world. “Perhaps we should… I think we’re fine, so… yeah. Sorted?”
“Quite so. Thank you.”
“Yeah, alright.”
The temporary and astoundingly awkward parting was indeed sweet sorrow. Gale dearly hoped it would become safe to do something about the simmering passions underlying their recent conversations soon or, well. Yes. He’d explode.