Nuru P.O.V:
Yong and I had a plan.
A plan to give Hugo a chance to get closer to Varian. I may not have trusted him at first, but he has proven to be loyal to us so far. Plus, I wanted to help him out, I can tell he has a thing for Varian, he is not as subtle as he'd like to believe. Hugo has a lot of street smarts, and is one of the most intelligent alchemist and mechanics I've met. Unfortunately, when it comes to romantic language he falls flat. The best he can do is a bit of flirting, as well as teasing Varian to death, which is simply unacceptable if he plans on dating my best friend. Not only that but Varian won't shut up about Hugo when he isn't around. It's driving both of us insane, so we figured if they start getting along they might finally admit they have feelings for one another and we'll get some peace on this on this journey.
"Hey, Varian can I talk to you for a moment?" I asked him, as he handed me the fruit salad he had prepared as my breakfast.
"Sure" he said, sitting next to me.
"Could you pick up something from the market for me?"
"Of course what do you need me to get?"
"Just a couple of items for an invention"
"Anything else?" he asked.
"Oh, and some flavored chap stick if you find any" I said, giving him a small smirk.
"Okay, no problem- Why are you smirking like that?" he said.
"No reason" I answered.
Just then Hugo and Yong came along. With his bright red uniform and firecracker smell it's impossible to mistake Yong for anyone else. He sat down next to me and whispered:
"Hugo totally bought it, he said yes to going to the market"
"Brilliant" I said.
The first step of the plan had gone accordingly, now all we have to do was wait until tomorrow and hope for the best.
I playfully ruffled Yong's hair, causing him to yelp.
"Nuru" he laughed. Trying to style his hair again.
Varian's P.O.V:
Nuru had left me a list of the things I needed to buy at the market for her today. They were mostly just gears and wires as well as some chemical compounds, these things were going to be easy to collect since I knew where to find them. The troubling items were going to be the chap sticks, since I never use them, nor know where to buy them. I never asked Rapunzel were she got hers from. I wonder if there rare?
"I'm heading out!" I announced seeing as they were all here.
"Where to Goggles?" Hugo asked casually, using me as an arm rest. My heart gives the tiniest of flutters whenever he calls me that. Goggles. I would never admit it, but I like when he refers to me that way.
"To the market, to get some stuff for Nuru" I said shrugging him off me, causing him to tumble forward.
"I am coming with you" he said, picking himself back up.
"What? Why?" I asked not being able to hide the surprise in my voice.
"To keep you out of trouble, besides, I also need to get stuff from the market" he smirked.
"Hate to break it to you Hugo but I'm not for sale. Also I don't need a babysitter I can take care of myself just fine" I answered crossing my arms looking up at him defiantly. Crippling irritation shot through me when I thought of Hugo watching over me as if I were a nuisance. That's the last thing I wanted him to think of me.
"While I think it's adorable that you think you can find anything in Vardaros without getting shoplifted or kidnapped by The Baron and his men. I beg to differ!" he said, looking down at me, his glasses slowly slipping down his nose. I pushed the back up with the tip of my finger and asked:
"Who's the Baron?"
He looked sideways, fidgeting with the goggles that hanged around his neck.
"He just doesn't like me, okay? And the last thing I need is him using you against us" he sighed, pulling me into his chest to ruffle my hair.
"Fine, we can go to the market together" I said, trying to put flatten my hair, turning around to head to the direction of the town.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist me" he said his smirk returning to his face.
I rolled my eyes in annoyance, but I honestly didn't mind his company as much as I claimed.
...
Hugo P.O.V
"Stick close to me" I said as we stepped into one of the stores, in which an old lady with a beanie was watching us closely then turned to a young ginger haired boy whispering something to him.
Varian complied though I could tell he wanted to do just the opposite, which kind of hurt, I know I tease him a lot but that's just my way of... Never mind. I kept walking nervously checking behind us every time we left a store to make sure no one was following us. I heard people whispering and a lot of glances but no one seemed to be trailing us. Until I saw her, a girl with long black braided hair and a frown looking at both of us intensely. I nudged Varian to make him look in that direction. But by the time he looked she was gone.
"Why did you nudge me?" he asked
"There was a girl just standing there watching us" I said, waling my arms wildly as if that would help prove my point.
"Sure there was" he said, rolling his eyes.
"I'm serious, I hope your almost done so we can get the things for Yong and get the fuck out of here" I whispered looking at him dead in the eyes.
"Okay, okay I just need one more thing for Nuru" he looked at the list, the tips of his ears getting pink "The problem is I-I don't know where to get such a thing" he stuttered nervously looking down, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.
'Cute' I thought, feeling heat suddenly rush to my face.
I shook my head hoping that would make it go away, then gave Varian a look that I knew makes him lose it, he blushed madly hiding his face behind the leather book he was holding along with the shopping list.
"What is Nuru making you buy anyways?" I asked raising an eyebrow.
"Something called Flavored Chap stick" he said, his face slowly turning back to normal.
"You never bought flavored chap stick?" I giggled, "No wonder your lips look so dry" I said lightly tracing my fingers over his lips, lifting his chin up, it wasn't till I heard a gasp that I realized what I was doing. I quickly pulled away, stammering profusely,
"I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me"
"Staring at my lips now, are you?" Varian smirked.
I knew how much of a wreck I looked right now, I could feel the tension in my shoulders and the sweat gathering on my forehead, my brain was going frantic trying to find an answer but I couldn't come up to anything to counter that. I took a deep breath trying to compose myself, trying to play it cool. It wasn't working in the slightest, my hands started fidgeting with the first thing they could find which happened to be my mechanic pet mouse which was trying to wiggle free from my grasp. I had gotten so distracted and focused on Varian that by the time I turned around to someone whistling it was too late...
Varian P.O.V:
We were surrounded by both familiar and unfamiliar faces.
"Well if it isn't my old Alchemist in crime" I turned around to see Andrew, with a ponytail and not his signature man bun.
"Friends of yours?" Hugo questioned, giving me a pissed off side glance.
I was at loss for a response. I was a goner, Rapunzel wasn't here to protect me from them anymore, there was no way I could out-smart him this time.
"What do you want, Andrew?" I asked my voice quivering with panic.
"It's not about what he wants, it's about what I want" A guy who I didn't recognize with ginger hair and a weird shaped black hat with a belt stated in a matter of fact way.
Hugo cursed under his breath, stepping a bit closer to me. I must have looked confused because he just rolled his eyes and ignored me. Directing his attention to the guy with the missing eye.
"Friends of yours?" I asked sarcastically.
He continued to ignore me.
"Hello Weasel" Hugo said, standing up straighter, his face concealing any emotion he had been wearing up to that point.
"Fancy meeting you again Hugo" the guy named "Weasel" said, a sly smile prominent in his features with his hands behind his back.
"Thought you could get away with one my most prize possession and I wouldn't notice?" he asked unamused.
"Took you long enough didn't it, scarecrow?" he snapped back at him.
"Watch your mouth or your boyfriend over here gets it" Andrew said pointing his sword near my throat.
"He is not my boyfriend" he growled, looking thoroughly embarrassed he thought that. I couldn't say I was any better than him, even though I didn't mind they thought that as much as he seemed to.
"Hugo, please, now is now the time for petty fights" I pleaded through gritted teeth, while Andrew.
He looked over to me seeming to get the message, that if we didn't want blood spilled we were going to have to play by their rules.
"What do you want Weasel?" Hugo sighed. Looking as confident as ever.
I knew Hugo had a plan to get us out of this. He always does.
Hugo P.O.V
We are doomed, I have no idea how we're going to make it out of this unharmed. Varian looked at me sideways expectantly, how could I possibly let him down like this? This is all my fault.
"Where is it?" Scarecrow demanded
"I don't have it, but I know where it is" I said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. The truth was I had no clue where it was, I usually work alone but in order to pull that kind of stunt, I had needed the help of the Stabbington Brothers. Since Flynn Ryder had left them I had been their go to resort. We had stolen the Seven Maps of the intricate tunnel system he had designed in order to be able to steal from the seven kingdoms. I had memorized the ones in my kingdom and then sold it to a guy named Quaid, as for the rest of the maps, I have no idea what happened to them.
"Take us there"
"If I take you to where the maps are you have to promise me you'll let Googles-I mean, Varian, go. Deal?" I asked, cursing under my breath for letting the nickname slip.
"He calls you Googles and yet you expect me to believe you aren't dating?" Andrew snickered.
Varian's ears turned a light shade of pink, while I simply wanted turn into a bird or some shit. My stomach swirled like a ballerina at the mention of me and Varian dating. I wish we could but I'm simply not good enough for him, I'll never be good enough for him.
Weasel turned to me seriously considering what I just said.
"You have a deal. Now take us there" he said as we shook hands. Sealing the deal.
I started walking while Googles was being pushed around by Andrew and The Weasel.
"S-stop pushing me" I heard him say.
They weren't listening to him though. Andrew just grabbed him by the wrist, Varian flinched, he looked as if he were about to cry. Suddenly I had the urge to punch something, but it quickly dissolved seeing as that wouldn't get me anywhere. He tried fighting him, but Andrew threatened to pull out his sword, that made him look down and accept being pushed around.
No I thought.
"He said stop pushing him so stop" I said glaring at Andrew.
He glared back but finally stopped pushing Googles around, noticing that I wasn't messing around.
We finally arrived to Quaid's home in the outskirts of Vardaros, I could tell because no one has that many bee hives in their home except if it's Quaid.
Varian P.O.V:
"Never thought you'd see me again did you?" Andrew whispered in my ear.
I shuddered, refusing to play his games.
"Aww come on don't be like that, where's the Alchemist I met at the prison cells of Corona?"
"Gone" I answered dryly.
He got irritated with me after that, starting to push me around, I tried fighting back telling him to stop. But he wasn't listening to me.
I don't know where we're heading but all I know is that I don't want to be pushed around by the same man who manipulated me to be a part of something that I had never intended to be a part of. With his sweet words and flattering gestures. But I'll never forgive what he did to me. How could I? We're in this mess because of me, if Andrew didn't have it out for me I doubt we'd be in such a mess in the first place.
It wasn't till Hugo ordered him to stop, that Andrew actually listened. Which I was grateful for. Hugo had this look in his eyes when he looked at me, so tender yet sheltered, concealing any other emotion he was feeling. Those green eyes always made me stutter like a poet who hasn't found the right words yet.
We finally arrived to where Hugo was leading us, everyone seemed to know what was going on except me! I haven't the slightest idea of what was stolen all I know is that this house had way too many bees buzzing around for it to be considered normal.
Hugo knocked on the wooden door, after a few seconds it opened reveling a thin dark skinned man with a green cape.
Okay then
At the sight of him a look of horror pasted between Andrew and "The Weasel".
"Hello Quaid" Hugo smirked.
The man didn't seem eager to talked to him but stepped outside non the less.
"What do you want, young tradesman?"
"Do you remember the maps I sold you a few years ago? Quaid nodded unamused "well I kind of need them back..."
It wasn't till he looked around that he seemed to realize Hugo wasn't alone.
"What are you doing back here Weasel?" he asked menacingly.
"We-we don't want any trouble, it just so happens that this young man, stole those maps from me... "he hesitated "And I would like them back"
"I'm afraid I cannot return the maps to someone who will only use them to steal" Quaid said, clearly not understanding the gravity of the situation. I glanced at Hugo and he looked like he was about to...
Hugo P.O.V
Give up and go back to the camp.
Is what I wanted to do and would do if Varian's safety wasn't at stake here. Of course he wouldn't give Scarecrow the map, it doesn't take a genius to realize that there's history between these two. Not that I'm not a genius, but Quaid defiantly has beef with Weasel.
"Sorry I can't help you" Quaid said shutting the door.
We stood there to stunned to say anything till a pained whimpering priced the all-consuming silence.
"The deal's off, no map, no mercy" Andrew said, a sword on Varian's throat.
TO BE CONTINUED...