Bruce didn't mind so much about Gavin making himself comfortable, although there was a momentary blink of surprise from him. Bruce quickly let it slide though, moving to place is usual bag of supplies down onto the table and began to rummage through it.
"It's nothing special," he assured Gavin as he started to pull out the items from his bag one by one - used potion bottles, containers of poultice and other such items he usually carried around with him. "You have your own tent as well, don't you?"
"Ah - not exactly, no," Gavin admitted, leaning back to trace the edges of
the roof of the tent with his eyes. "I mean - I had one assigned, back at
Haven, but I ah - these days I mostly just sort of... sleep wherever I find
myself," he admitted sheepishly. "Everything was so hectic, and I didn't
want to be a bother...." He turned his head to look at Bruce, and take in
the rest of his furnishings. "At least now I know what to bring back for
you while I'm away. Not in the Mire, obviously, but next time we're sent
somewhere that isn't a pit. You could use a bit of colour in here."
Ah--well. Bruce frowned a little, feeling just somewhat troubled by that response. Space was probably hard to get, what with most of Skyhold still under repairs, but considering how long Gavin had already been here it was... well, odd.
"You don't have to - I don't really come here much except when I'm restocking and sleeping." He glanced at Gavin after that, giving him an inquiring look. "Once you're properly back from the Mire you should go and get a proper place for yourself. It doesn't do you any good to sleep in just any random corner around here."
"Oh, I don't know, I get a little restless if I have to be in the same
place every night," Gavin said with a shrug. "And I'm not used to sleeping
by myself, but you know how things are with the clan, so." He'd already
gone into that - no need to go into it again.
"Something to help with sleep, then. Maybe just a nicer blanket," He
murmured half to himself as he picked some lint from the one he was lying
on. "Though then I would be tempted to steal it."
Bruce nodded to show that he had heard Gavin, and in his own way understood. He wasn't going to push - Gavin had his reasons and Bruce would respect that.
"I'm sure a blanket wouldn't be too hard to acquire." Bruce murmured back in turn. "I can always ask for you, if you want it."
"I meant for you," Gavin teased lowly, offering a smile. "I never had
trouble finding a blanket to share if I want it, don't you worry about
that. But this?" He plucked at the blanket again, pulling a piece of lint
free. "This looks like you've had it for years."
Oh--that's what he meant. Bruce gave a sheepish look at his own mistake, then glanced at the blanket that Gavin was toying with.
"Only for a few months. I got it at the Crossroads right before I joined the Inquisition." He had gotten it at first for something else entirely - protecting his containers, he supposed - but then Haven happened and, well. Since it worked well enough for him, he might as well keep on using it. Other people needed the better blankets more than him anyway.
"What have you been doing in it?" Gavin asked, arcing an eyebrow,
before adding, completely teasing him: "Or should I be asking who
have you been doing in it?"
If Gavin wasn't going to push it further then it was just fine with Bruce - that conversation, he figured, wasn't probably going to go anywhere.
At the question, however, he blinked, looking quite surprised. "Nothing that stands out. Something dull would be nice, but that's about it." Bruce was hardly going to be picky about something such as colors.
Gavin raised an eyebrow. "Something dull?" He repeated, a little
incredulously, more confused about Bruce's surprise than about the actual
choice. "Alright, but something dull in what hue? Blue? Green? It
seems like most of everything in the inquisition is some sort of dull
green... Olive..."
All that he really did in return was to shrug. "I'm not picky about that - as long as it's not ostentatious, I'm alright." Really Bruce didn't have much of a preference about it. He had other things to be concerned about beyond color choices.
"What?" Bruce was surprised, again, and once more that showed on his face. The man blinked for a moment before the surprise passed by enough for him to answer. "No, of course not. Why would you think that?"
He was truly, genuinely confused. Why did Gavin think he had offended Bruce? The elf certainly hadn't done anything at all that would warrant that, to his knowledge.
Gavin looked a little embarrassed and raised a hand to run through his
hair, glancing away. Great, now he felt like an idiot. "Ah - never mind."
How could he possibly say 'usually people actually like the idea of
presents' or 'why don't you have a favourite colour' or 'you don't deserve
something dull'? None of those things were things he could say outloud. So
instead his ears turned a little red.
"It was just a feeling. Sorry. I tend to upset people a lot without knowing
it, so it makes me a bit paranoid."
Bruce couldn't help but frown a little at the way Gavin was reacting, still quite confused, but he wasn't one to push and ask for explanations. If anything he was the last person who should do that.
"It takes a lot to upset me," he returns, assuring Gavin as much as he could. He even smiled just so that Gavin knew that there was no offence at all. "So don't worry about it."
The smile did help, and Gavin offered on in return, even if it was a little
less broad than it normally was. "Yeah, you're probably one of the most
patient people I know," He replied, earnestly.
Even if in the meantime, his mind was racing to come up with something
better than a blanket. Obviously Bruce didn't want that, but Gavin still
thought he needed something in here to help liven up the place. Maybe Bruce
would like books...? But how was he supposed to know what was or wasn't a
good book when he could barely read? He'd seen a few ratty tapestries
around, but those wouldn't make a good present...
His mind had wandered so far that he no longer seemed to be paying
attention to Bruce at all, instead looking around the tent, biting his lip
slightly, his brow furrowed in thought.
The earnest words really weren't necessary, and Bruce personally though he really didn't deserve them, considering everything else. He didn't say anything though, only nodded and then went to finish up pulling out the rest of the things from his bag. His poultices, herbs, potions and of course, the journals that he always kept with him.
He put those aside, away from everything else to lower the chances of messing them up even more, then started to examine his containers to ensure that nothing was cracked or would leak through. Engrossed in his task as he was he never really noticed the sudden silence from Gavin, or the way the elf was looking around his tent for something that really wasn't there.
"I'll think of something," He says finally, standing up. "I think my
stomach is going to kill me if I don't go get something to eat, though. Do
you want me to grab you anything?"
"Hm?" Bruce glanced over to Gavin, blinking for a moment when he realized that Gavin was speaking to him. "Ah--no. I'm alright. Thanks for asking, though."
He managed a smile after his words, doing his best to reassure Gavin once again considering just what happened earlier. He certainly didn't want the elf to take it the wrong way.
Gavin was certainly more muted than he was before - and had the distinct
impression he'd well overstayed his welcome - but at least Bruce didn't
seem annoyed with him. That was a step in the right direction. He reached
out and patted Bruce's shoulder by way of a goodbye.
"I'll come say bye before I head out to the Mire again, this time, I
promise."
"You don't have to do that," he quickly reassured Gavin, smiling still. "Don't worry about me. I'll see you soon."
Perhaps a bit sooner than Gavin thought as well, given the plans he was making for himself - but until he was certain he wasn't going to say anything. No point kicking up a fuss over something that wasn't even confirmed yet.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
"It's nothing special," he assured Gavin as he started to pull out the items from his bag one by one - used potion bottles, containers of poultice and other such items he usually carried around with him. "You have your own tent as well, don't you?"
no subject
"Ah - not exactly, no," Gavin admitted, leaning back to trace the edges of the roof of the tent with his eyes. "I mean - I had one assigned, back at Haven, but I ah - these days I mostly just sort of... sleep wherever I find myself," he admitted sheepishly. "Everything was so hectic, and I didn't want to be a bother...." He turned his head to look at Bruce, and take in the rest of his furnishings. "At least now I know what to bring back for you while I'm away. Not in the Mire, obviously, but next time we're sent somewhere that isn't a pit. You could use a bit of colour in here."
no subject
"You don't have to - I don't really come here much except when I'm restocking and sleeping." He glanced at Gavin after that, giving him an inquiring look. "Once you're properly back from the Mire you should go and get a proper place for yourself. It doesn't do you any good to sleep in just any random corner around here."
no subject
"Oh, I don't know, I get a little restless if I have to be in the same place every night," Gavin said with a shrug. "And I'm not used to sleeping by myself, but you know how things are with the clan, so." He'd already gone into that - no need to go into it again.
"Something to help with sleep, then. Maybe just a nicer blanket," He murmured half to himself as he picked some lint from the one he was lying on. "Though then I would be tempted to steal it."
no subject
"I'm sure a blanket wouldn't be too hard to acquire." Bruce murmured back in turn. "I can always ask for you, if you want it."
no subject
"I meant for you," Gavin teased lowly, offering a smile. "I never had trouble finding a blanket to share if I want it, don't you worry about that. But this?" He plucked at the blanket again, pulling a piece of lint free. "This looks like you've had it for years."
And loved it roughly.
no subject
"Only for a few months. I got it at the Crossroads right before I joined the Inquisition." He had gotten it at first for something else entirely - protecting his containers, he supposed - but then Haven happened and, well. Since it worked well enough for him, he might as well keep on using it. Other people needed the better blankets more than him anyway.
no subject
"What have you been doing in it?" Gavin asked, arcing an eyebrow, before adding, completely teasing him: "Or should I be asking who have you been doing in it?"
no subject
But still, if it wasn't obvious enough: "I used it to hold my supplies on the trip to Skyhold. Some of them needed to be kept as warm as it could be."
no subject
The look only inspired a wider grin, though he didn't push it further.
"Well then it's meant for supplies and not for you," he decided, sitting up and swinging his feet onto the floor. "What colour do you like?"
no subject
At the question, however, he blinked, looking quite surprised. "Nothing that stands out. Something dull would be nice, but that's about it." Bruce was hardly going to be picky about something such as colors.
no subject
Gavin raised an eyebrow. "Something dull?" He repeated, a little incredulously, more confused about Bruce's surprise than about the actual choice. "Alright, but something dull in what hue? Blue? Green? It seems like most of everything in the inquisition is some sort of dull green... Olive..."
no subject
no subject
Gavin tilted his head, one ear twitching slightly, the curiosity evident. Finally he frowned slightly.
"Alright," He said carefully after a moment. "Have I upset you, Bruce? I didn't intend - if I gave offence--"
no subject
He was truly, genuinely confused. Why did Gavin think he had offended Bruce? The elf certainly hadn't done anything at all that would warrant that, to his knowledge.
no subject
Gavin looked a little embarrassed and raised a hand to run through his hair, glancing away. Great, now he felt like an idiot. "Ah - never mind." How could he possibly say 'usually people actually like the idea of presents' or 'why don't you have a favourite colour' or 'you don't deserve something dull'? None of those things were things he could say outloud. So instead his ears turned a little red.
"It was just a feeling. Sorry. I tend to upset people a lot without knowing it, so it makes me a bit paranoid."
no subject
"It takes a lot to upset me," he returns, assuring Gavin as much as he could. He even smiled just so that Gavin knew that there was no offence at all. "So don't worry about it."
no subject
The smile did help, and Gavin offered on in return, even if it was a little less broad than it normally was. "Yeah, you're probably one of the most patient people I know," He replied, earnestly.
Even if in the meantime, his mind was racing to come up with something better than a blanket. Obviously Bruce didn't want that, but Gavin still thought he needed something in here to help liven up the place. Maybe Bruce would like books...? But how was he supposed to know what was or wasn't a good book when he could barely read? He'd seen a few ratty tapestries around, but those wouldn't make a good present...
His mind had wandered so far that he no longer seemed to be paying attention to Bruce at all, instead looking around the tent, biting his lip slightly, his brow furrowed in thought.
no subject
He put those aside, away from everything else to lower the chances of messing them up even more, then started to examine his containers to ensure that nothing was cracked or would leak through. Engrossed in his task as he was he never really noticed the sudden silence from Gavin, or the way the elf was looking around his tent for something that really wasn't there.
no subject
"I'll think of something," He says finally, standing up. "I think my stomach is going to kill me if I don't go get something to eat, though. Do you want me to grab you anything?"
no subject
He managed a smile after his words, doing his best to reassure Gavin once again considering just what happened earlier. He certainly didn't want the elf to take it the wrong way.
no subject
Gavin was certainly more muted than he was before - and had the distinct impression he'd well overstayed his welcome - but at least Bruce didn't seem annoyed with him. That was a step in the right direction. He reached out and patted Bruce's shoulder by way of a goodbye.
"I'll come say bye before I head out to the Mire again, this time, I promise."
no subject
Perhaps a bit sooner than Gavin thought as well, given the plans he was making for himself - but until he was certain he wasn't going to say anything. No point kicking up a fuss over something that wasn't even confirmed yet.
no subject
"Oh." Maybe he was bothering him after all. The ears flickered, the tips falling ever so slightly, completely at odds with the way he smiled at Bruce.
"Alright. See you later," He said, before slipping out of the tent and away, trying not to think too hard about anything.