Work Text:
Frieren had always loved this town, with its warm springs and plentiful shops along the busy streets. The stalls sold food they hadn’t eaten in months and there were books and magic to be found at every turn; even the sweets sold at the various bakeries seemed to taste more delicious after a long bath.
Soaking in the hot springs for the third or fourth time that day—truthfully, she’d lost count—Frieren sunk further and further into the water, thinking about which treat she should get on her way back to the inn. Bubbles rippled out in front of her nose, and she was sure she heard Fern come in and huff a few times, urging her to get out because “Frieren, you’ll turn into a steamed dumpling at this rate.”
Fern merely did not understand the appeal of sitting in a hot spring for a decade or two.
In fact, the last time Frieren was in this town, she recalled something similar—Himmel, Eisen, and Heiter all loved the hot springs, yet none of them wanted to stay for more than a few days. Frieren, however, stayed in the water day in and day out. She went to bed only after the lamps on the streets were lit and she was sure Himmel was no longer waiting for her outside.
Hiding away in the women’s bath, she managed to extend their stay an entire week before Himmel finally caught her sneaking back to the inn.
—
“She’s been in there for three days,” Himmel said as he undressed at the edge of the bath. “Does she eat or sleep? Is she alive? What if she's been turned into a dumpling?!” His eyes darted up to the top of the wall that separated the women’s bath from the men’s, and Eisen chuckled, stripping down to his pants before gesturing for Himmel to meet him at his height.
When Himmel obliged, a strong hand gripped his shoulder. "No peeking over the wall.”
"Eisen!" Himmel's face grew hot. "You think I’d– I wouldn't– never!"
"The demon king would sooner die on his own before our hero peeped at a certain elf in the bath." Heiter said.
"Exactly! How could you think–"
Eisen's beard rustled, his face pulling into a rare smile.
"Ahh, I've been swindled," Himmel straightened up, huffing out a laugh. "Perhaps I should've kept my feelings to myself."
"As if you could do that," Heiter said. "Now, shall we enjoy the hot springs?"
—
Frieren smiled as steam rose up from the water around her. She could hear pleasant laughter from the bath next door but none of the words echoed enough to be heard from over the wall.
It was a fond memory.
She'd try not to stay for too long.