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Description
It was an odd position to be in.  Oliver was a healer, so if there were a fight he'd pretty well be useless.  But, at the same time, he had more capabilities to handle an intruder than some of them, so he couldn't quite skip out on guarding duties.

It was this that left him with the first, and longest, watch every time they camped.  He'd become used to it, by that night, and slowly sipped his tea to make it last.

Oliver did his best not to shiver when a cold wave fell over him.  "You should be sleeping, Jean."

"Can't," he said as he plopped himself down beside Oliver.  "So I figured you'd like the company."

Oliver nodded and passed over the mug.  "So how are we going to do this tomorrow?"

He took a long gulp and passed it back.  "Ilan's talking about some weapons or scrolls or something stuffed in a cave not too far from here, he says they'll be able to get us past her.  He wants to go fetch that while we case the perimeter."

Oliver nodded.  "We can take care of that."

"What do we do about her, though?"  Jean asked.  "She's too loud and clumsy to stalk around like she'll be meant to."

Oliver shook his head.  "This group is getting more and more complicated."

"You're the one who keeps taking in stray dogs," Jean said, gruffly.  "It's getting too crowded to think, now."

"We need to take the quiet moments where we can get them, then," he said with a shrug.  "The sermons always said that makes them more valuable."  Oliver chuckled into his tea when Jean gave him a look.  "They were mostly talking about meditation, but it's not like priests never have families."

"Are you looking for a family?" he asked.

"I wanted to work with the orphans," Oliver said.  "We took in so many of them, and I loved raising them, but…  I've been thinking that, maybe, it might be nice to have a cottage someplace.  Maybe grow a garden or something.  There's nothing that says I can't take in children when they run out of beds."

"That sounds… nice," Jean told him.  The firelight played on the blush of his cheeks, and he looked away as he was caught.  "That sounds very nice."

"I thought you might say that."

Oliver shivered at a breeze, despite his best efforts.  Jean chuckled, as Oliver'd known he would, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Remove cold," he said, softly.

Whatever his power had done, by the time Jean removed his hand Oliver didn't need to shiver anymore.  He didn't know why he was surprised by it.  It stood to reason that even ice mages must get cold, living so high up all through the year.

"Thanks," he said, with a soft smile and a nod.

"No problem." Jean smirked back.  "I really should get to sleep, though, or you're gonna die tomorrow."

"Yeah, you really should."  When Jean was nearly in his tent, he called out.  "You know, you don't have to dance around it anymore."

Jean looked back, brow raised.  "What are you talking about?"

"I feel the same way."

He paled, and his jaw quivered just a bit.  "What are you talking about…?

Oliver chuckled, and sipped what remained of his now-cold tea.  "Go to sleep, Jean, it'll be your shift soon enough."

Description
It was an odd position to be in.  Oliver was a healer, so if there were a fight he'd pretty well be useless.  But, at the same time, he had more capabilities to handle an intruder than some of them, so he couldn't quite skip out on guarding duties.

It was this that left him with the first, and longest, watch every time they camped.  He'd become used to it, by that night, and slowly sipped his tea to make it last.

Oliver did his best not to shiver when a cold wave fell over him.  "You should be sleeping, Jean."

"Can't," he said as he plopped himself down beside Oliver.  "So I figured you'd like the company."

Oliver nodded and passed over the mug.  "So how are we going to do this tomorrow?"

He took a long gulp and passed it back.  "Ilan's talking about some weapons or scrolls or something stuffed in a cave not too far from here, he says they'll be able to get us past her.  He wants to go fetch that while we case the perimeter."

Oliver nodded.  "We can take care of that."

"What do we do about her, though?"  Jean asked.  "She's too loud and clumsy to stalk around like she'll be meant to."

Oliver shook his head.  "This group is getting more and more complicated."

"You're the one who keeps taking in stray dogs," Jean said, gruffly.  "It's getting too crowded to think, now."

"We need to take the quiet moments where we can get them, then," he said with a shrug.  "The sermons always said that makes them more valuable."  Oliver chuckled into his tea when Jean gave him a look.  "They were mostly talking about meditation, but it's not like priests never have families."

"Are you looking for a family?" he asked.

"I wanted to work with the orphans," Oliver said.  "We took in so many of them, and I loved raising them, but…  I've been thinking that, maybe, it might be nice to have a cottage someplace.  Maybe grow a garden or something.  There's nothing that says I can't take in children when they run out of beds."

"That sounds… nice," Jean told him.  The firelight played on the blush of his cheeks, and he looked away as he was caught.  "That sounds very nice."

"I thought you might say that."

Oliver shivered at a breeze, despite his best efforts.  Jean chuckled, as Oliver'd known he would, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Remove cold," he said, softly.

Whatever his power had done, by the time Jean removed his hand Oliver didn't need to shiver anymore.  He didn't know why he was surprised by it.  It stood to reason that even ice mages must get cold, living so high up all through the year.

"Thanks," he said, with a soft smile and a nod.

"No problem." Jean smirked back.  "I really should get to sleep, though, or you're gonna die tomorrow."

"Yeah, you really should."  When Jean was nearly in his tent, he called out.  "You know, you don't have to dance around it anymore."

Jean looked back, brow raised.  "What are you talking about?"

"I feel the same way."

He paled, and his jaw quivered just a bit.  "What are you talking about…?

Oliver chuckled, and sipped what remained of his now-cold tea.  "Go to sleep, Jean, it'll be your shift soon enough."