Work Text:
“What!?” Avalya couldn’t believe this! She had been brought into her boss’s office only to be told she’d be spending the holidays in some backwater town? What had she done to deserve this, she was the best employee they had, in her humble opinion. She was the most hardworking researcher in the company, never missing a deadline, working both in office and out in the field, and now her boss wanted her to, quote: ‘take a break by having a vacation in town that loves both the winter and Christmas’. This was a joke. It had to be.
“Avalya,” her boss said gently, gesturing for her to take a seat. “Let me explain.” Avalya fixed her boss with a hard stare, not at all pleased by this news, but sat anyway, crossing her arms with a huff. “I know this seems like a punishment, but it’s not. You work so hard, harder than anyone, and you honestly need a break before you burn out. I’m suspending all your research, and I want you to take the entire Christmas season to rest.”
Avalya was not having any of this, she couldn’t stop now, her current project on the hibernation patterns of Ground Squirrels was almost ready for publication, months she’d spent observing their feeding habits, how they’d store food, make nests, and now she was having it all put on hold so she could ‘rest’? Avalya had to protest, she was so close! “Ma’am, please. I just need…” She didn’t finish, couldn’t finish due to her boss’s interruption, a hand raised for silence.
“I hear you, Avalya.” She said lightly, an apologetic look on her face, lowering her hand to rest both on the desk in front of her. “I’m not doing this to punish you, it’s for you. My dear you work so hard, harder than anyone in my employ, but you really need a break. As your boss, and your friend, I order you to take a damn holiday!”
That was how Avalya found herself now, on the train to this hick town. She had been assured she’d have accommodation, a small warm place for her to take her break. She sighed out into the vacant carriage, this was going to be a long season.
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Crack! The axe came down on the log, splitting it cleanly in two, both halves falling heavily to the floor. Wiping his brow, a young woodsman bent down to gather the pieces, placing them neatly onto a pile then grabbing another log for the chopping block. That was one down and only… thirty more to go. He sighed, at least this line of work kept you fit, his physique wasn’t anywhere near his brother’s bulk but he at least kept healthy on top of everything else. He swung his axe down, splitting the wood cleanly in two, collecting the pieces when he heard his name called. “Hadrian!” He turned to see his older brother walking toward him, holding two steaming cups of what he hoped was either tea or coffee.
He leaned his axe against the block, holding his hand out for the hot cup, revelling in the heat against the chilly winter morning. It was a bright one too, and Hadrian hoped it would be a promising day of business. The small forest he and his brother had inherited from their father provided a lot of the townspeople with much needed firewood for the cold nights. Taking a slight sip of the hot liquid, tasting it was coffee, Hadrian looked to his brother, who was staring out at their grove of pines. They grew very well this year, more fragrant than ever, the wood healthy and strong and the pines a very vibrant green; there was a very high chance a huge profit could be made.
Looking over to the forest, Hadrian spoke up, “we have a good harvest this year. I’m sure we can make a profit.” Barristan sighed, their business hadn’t been doing well since their father’s passing but Hadrian was right. The trees this year had boomed, but Barristan knew that it wasn’t just the trees that they had customers, he wasn’t blind to the real reason. He knew he was considered very handsome to many of the townsfolk, Hadrian too, and he wasn’t above using his and his brother’s looks to attract more customers. He wasn’t about to have Hadrian dress as a stripper and flaunt while holding a sign advertising their forest, but he did consider making him dress in something that showed off his physique a little more.
Barristan took another sip of his coffee, smiling at the prospect of eating very well this coming season, “yeah, let’s hope we can actually turn a profit. I’m willing to do whatever necessary to stay afloat, I really don’t want us stressin’ about being able to keep this place open.”
Deciding to discuss it later, Barristan moved to open their business while Hadrian, giving up with chopping the logs, went to prune the trees; trying to make them look as appealing as possible. He was slightly worried about opening late, considering they usually opened mid morning, but he felt it was a choice Barristan made and he trusted his brother’s judgement. Despite only meeting each other after their father’s passing, they grew close quickly and knew what the other was doing without needing to say it.
Their first customer arrived shortly after opening, a kindly elderly couple, intent on buying as much as firewood as necessary for the rest of the winter, and maybe for spring too. Hadrian heard Barristan greet them warmly and decided to head up front to help out, calling out a loud, joyous greeting as he rounded the trees. The couple asked for the wood to be delivered to their home, something Hadrian began immediately, loading their purchase into the company truck. “Hadrian,” Barristan called. “Take these with you, take them to places in the town square.” He continued, handing Hadrian a bag full of flyers for the business.
Delivering the firewood was easy, unloading it less so, but with that now done, Hadrian effectively had the rest of the morning, and most of the afternoon, to himself. He knew Barristan would be fine, his brother would call in some help if he got overwhelmed. No need to think on that now, Hadrian thought, getting a cup of hot chocolate and preparing himself for a lot of walking.
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Stepping off the train, Avalya opened her phone to check the address she’d be staying at. Hoping to find a taxi, she made her way to the front of the station, seeing no cars lined up, ready to take passengers. Sighing, she pulled her suitcase along with her, walking toward a central location. Maybe the locals could help her find her way, knowing she would be wandering for hours otherwise. Why would her boss send her here? It looked very… plain, nothing stood out to her. This was going to be a long ‘break’, she thought, hoping to find a cafe to be somewhere warm. She stopped briefly, getting her bearings, looking back to her phone to check her map, suddenly feeling something crash into her, sending her falling and her phone flying. She yelped at the force, feeling someone catch her before she face planted the ground, looking up at them. Cursing a mile a minute, Avalya looked up at her supposed saviour. She first saw scared eyes, mouth pulled into a concerned frown, eyebrows raised in surprise. Overall a look of apology.
“Sorry, sorry!” The man spoke hurriedly, pulling her back to a standing position with ease. “I should really watch where I’m going.” He scratched the back of his head, looking as sheepish as can be. She noted he had an accent, Greek if she were correct.
Shaking her head, she pointed a finger at him harshly, the man recoiling back with a, rightfully, scared look, “watch where you’re going, imbécile! You could have hurt me-” She trailed off, looking around suddenly in a panic. “Mon portable. Où est mon portable?” Spinning around frantically, she heard the man clear his throat. Turning to him, she saw him holding her phone to her.
“Not broken!” He said joyfully, smiling brightly. “Are you lost?” He asked suddenly, his face taking on a more curious look, but his smile never waned. She thought over his question, supposing he could help, even though he seemed every bit stupid as she assumed. Taking her phone, she opened the page where she’d be staying, showing him the address. He looked at the screen, eyes widening as his smile grew, telling her joyfully that it wasn’t far. “Follow me, my name is Hadrian. Hadrian Custos.” He introduced, holding his hand out.
Not wanting to appear rude, Avalya took it, shaking it firmly, feeling the slight roughness and strength behind it. She marvelled at how her hand seemed to disappear in his, “Avalya.” She said curtly, Hadrian giving a small laugh at her attempt to be professional in their greeting. Motioning for her to follow, she gathered her suitcase. Walking next to him, she took note of how much taller than her he was, barely cresting his shoulder. Despite still being a little mad at him, she couldn’t deny how handsome he was, everything about his features fit. His long hair bobbed and waved with his walk, his jawline casting a handsome silhouette, his eyes, a deep blue, shone brighter against the morning sky. His facial hair completed his look, a neatly trimmed beard. Only a few short minutes later, they had arrived at their destination, Hadrian presenting her cottage to her with a flourish. “Here we are!” He said gleefully, that damned smile never leaving his face. “I hope you enjoy staying here, it looks like you’ll be a neighbour to me and my brother. I’ll be leaving you now, I have to return to work. Bye!” He finished, bowing dramatically, then departing with a wave.
What an odd, silly man, Avalya thought to herself, but couldn’t help but be amused by his antics, walking up the short pathway to her home for the next few weeks.