Page 31 of The Lost Art of Woodworking and Taking Risks
“I suppose,” Bennan mused. He shrugged. “I mean, it’s not a huge length of time, and there are certainly those who’d say it was too soon. I’m sure for some people it is. But for others, I think they know just as soon as they meet, or very nearly. Is there really a rule about how long you have to know someone before you know that you want to spend the rest of your life with them?”
Chamis was… not entirely certain they were just talking about Ryac anymore.
“I suppose not,” he agreed. “I guess it’s different for everyone, and you can’t just assign an arbitrary date. But is there a… general guideline? A minimum wait that’s generally smart? Will he get back to the castle and realize this was all proximity?”
Bennan shrugged. “He might.”
“And then wouldn’t it be awful if he’d married her and pulled her away from everything she knew, and neither of them were happy?”
“Or they split up now, both are unhappy, and this was their chance at happiness and now it’s spoiled?” Bennan countered.
Chamis made a face. “Well, that scarcely sounds better.” He let out a huff of breath. “You’re proposing action, and I’m proposing inaction. Do we always come down to type, do you think?”
Bennan let out a laugh. “I think you’ve taken action and I’ve taken no action, so no matter what our instinct is, we can work around it as needed.”
Chamis hummed a noise of agreement. Thatwastrue. Sometimes those butterflies and that voice in Chamis’s head were all he could hear at first, but he didn’thaveto listen to them.
That night, they drowsed against one another as Chamis thought, Bennan pillowed on Chamis’s chest, stretched out against him in one of his favorite positions. (Though, truthfully, he liked all the positions, as long as it involved the two of them.)
Then Chamis said, “What about a compromise, then?”
“Hmm?”
It sounded like Bennan had been starting to fall asleep.
“What if they were to agree that they have feelings for one another and decide to write to one another when he goes back? Give it a little time to make sure it wasn’t all just blown out of proportion in their heads, and either can call it off if they realize they don’t suit. But they could keep writing to one another if they think theydosuit, and then in another couple of months, Ryac could request to be posted out here, if that’s what he wanted, and he could come down here and marry her. Or send for her to come up, or, I don’t know, we could request leave and come to get her or something.”
Bennan actually propped his chin up on Chamis’s chest so he could look at him directly. He was grinning.
“Come out here and get her? Is this the man who doesn’t like to spend time with anyone if he can help it?”
Chamis shrugged a bit self-consciously. “I like them. I want them to be happy. And we’re a bit older and probably have more leave, so if it comes to it…”
Bennan’s smile grew even wider, and he stretched up so he could press his lips to Chamis’s. Chamis leaned happily into the kiss.
“I like them too. I think that’s an excellent idea.”
And because Bennan was so awesome, he was the one to take Ryac aside and actually make the suggestion. It was clear the young man had gotten so tangled up in his feelings that he’d felt a decision needed to be made immediately. He looked stunned and then relieved and a lot happier once he’d finished his talk with Bennan—and then, to Chamis’s surprise, he came over and clapped Chamis on the shoulder and shook his hand.
“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you so much! What a great idea! I’m going to go talk to Livara right now!”
And full of enthusiasm and hope, he headed off. Chamis blinked, feeling a little bowled over by all that intensity. Bennan strolled over, still smiling.
“I think you just made his day,” he said. “Possibly his month. Livara excepted, anyway.”
Chamis shrugged. “It’s not nice not to have hope.”
Bennan’s face softened, and he leaned into Chamis’s side.
The solution was accepted, thank goodness, and the last few days of their stay were much calmer than the previous few days had been. (Several people thanked Bennan and Chamis for interceding. It seemed the drama had sort of permeated the whole watch station.)
Their replacements arrived, looking big with news, but when asked, they all just shook their heads awkwardly and said the Captain had a lot to tell them when they got back.
“There’s, uh, a lot that’s happened. But you’ve got to hear it all from the Captain.”
Chamis hoped no one else had been kicked out of the Warriors. (Well, if they’d done something to deserve it, he hoped theywerekicked out, but he hoped that no one else like that was there.)
Chamis was soon distracted with watching as Ryac and his love interest avowed they would write often and would care for one another forever, and then it was time to head back to the castle.
