Aelric's wings twitched, his face reddening further. "I'm not married to him!" he shouted, then paused, blinking as if realizing what he'd just said. "I mean—not that I'd want to—wait, no, that's not what I meant either!"
Bronn sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Aelric, listen to me. Helena's not my fiancée. She's just—"
"His sister," Helena interrupted, her tone sweet and smug.
Aelric froze, his eyes wide. "S-sister?" he stammered.
"Yes," Bronn said firmly, glaring at Helena. "My sister. And she's enjoying this way too much."
Helena gave a mock bow, her grin widening. "Guilty as charged. But really, Aelric, the look on your face was priceless."
Aelric's wings drooped further as realization and embarrassment washed over him. "You mean I just—" He groaned, covering his face with his hands. "I hate both of you."
Helena laughed, a rich, melodic sound that only made Aelric's face burn hotter. "Oh, come now. It's not every day you get to see a fairy throw a tantrum over my dear brother. I think I like you."
Bronn sighed, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he placed a hand on Aelric's shoulder. "Aelric, I wasn't hiding anything from you, okay? You're my best friend. You know that."
Aelric peeked out from behind his hands, his expression a mix of irritation and lingering hurt. "You could've started with that instead of letting her traumatize me."
Bronn shot Helena a glare. "Believe me, I'll be having a very long talk with her about this later."
Helena waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, lighten up, Bronn. He'll get over it."
Aelric huffed, crossing his arms as he muttered, "Barely."
Bronn frowned, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Aelric's flushed face and the awkward flutter of his wings. "Wait a second," he said, his voice low but firm. "Why were you crying about it, Aelric?"
Aelric stiffened, his wings twitching as though they had a mind of their own. "I wasn't crying," he shot back defensively, though the faint sheen in his eyes and the streaks on his cheeks said otherwise.
Helena snickered, clearly enjoying the exchange. "Oh, he definitely was. Look at those puffy eyes. So dramatic. Are all fairies like this, or is it just you?"
"Helena," Bronn growled, silencing her with a glare before turning his attention back to Aelric. "Seriously, Aelric. What's going on? Why did you get so upset?"
"I wasn't upset!" Aelric protested, his voice an octave higher than usual. His wings gave another erratic flutter, betraying his rising panic. "I just—thought it was weird, okay? You having a fiancée and not telling me. That's all!"
Bronn crossed his arms, his gaze unwavering. "That doesn't explain the tears."
"I said I wasn't crying, I was just sweating!" Aelric snapped, "...From my eyes" he muttered his cheeks now a vivid shade of pink. He took a step back, glancing toward the door as though plotting an escape.
Bronn raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Aelric."
The fairy's wings buzzed nervously, and he shifted from foot to foot. "I—I don't have to explain myself to you!" he stammered, his voice cracking slightly. "Maybe I just… care, okay? Maybe I didn't like the idea of you hiding things from me! Best friends are supposed to share everything, right? So maybe I got a little emotional. Big deal!"
Bronn's expression softened slightly, but his curiosity remained. "Aelric, you're not making any sense. Why does this bother you so much?"
Aelric's eyes darted around the room, avoiding Bronn's penetrating gaze. "It doesn't bother me!" he blurted, taking another step back. "I just—I have stuff to do! Important fairy stuff! So, uh… bye!"
And before Bronn could say another word, Aelric's wings gave a powerful flutter, and he shot into the air, zooming toward the open window like a streak of glittering light.
"Aelric, wait—" Bronn called, but it was too late. The fairy was already gone, leaving behind a faint trail of shimmering dust and a lingering sense of confusion.
Helena burst out laughing, clutching her sides. "Oh, that was perfect. He's like a little firecracker! No wonder you keep him around."
Bronn sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "He's my best friend," he muttered, though his tone was laced with exasperation.
Helena smirked, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Oh, Bronn. If you don't see what's going on here, you're even more clueless than I thought."
Bronn frowned, turning to her. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Helena chuckled softly, crossing her legs as she leaned back on the bed, watching Bronn with a smug grin. "Oh, Bronn, you really are dense, aren't you?"
Bronn shot her a glare, still visibly frustrated. "What are you talking about, Helena? He's upset because I didn't tell him about you. That's it."
Her laughter grew louder, echoing in the room. "Oh, sweet brother, you're so clueless it's almost adorable. No, that's not it.*" She sat up, her crimson eyes gleaming with wicked amusement. "Do you really think Aelric was crying over your supposed lack of communication? Please. The fairy is in love with you."
Bronn froze, the words hitting him like a brick wall. "What?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.
Helena rolled her eyes, her smirk widening. "Oh, come on, Bronn. You really didn't notice? The dramatic tears, the shaky voice, the way he stormed out like his heart was breaking? He's in love with you."
Bronn blinked rapidly, his normally stoic face crumbling into a mixture of disbelief and panic. "That's ridiculous! He's my best friend! He doesn't—he couldn't—no, that's not possible!"
Helena tilted her head, giving him a pitying look. "Bronn, you're ancient, but emotionally, you're about as mature as a toddler. Open your eyes! He's probably been in love with you for ages, and you're just too oblivious to see it."
Bronn shook his head, pacing the room as though trying to physically escape the idea. "No, no, no. Aelric doesn't… he wouldn't… he's just dramatic! That's how fairies are! They cry over flowers wilting and the wrong shade of pink!"
Helena snorted, crossing her arms. "Sure, keep telling yourself that. But I'm telling you, those tears weren't for some imaginary fiancée. They were for you, you big idiot."
Bronn stopped mid-step, his hands raking through his hair as he tried to process the information. "This can't be real. I would've noticed. He's never—he's always teasing me! Making fun of me! That's not love!"
Helena smirked, clearly enjoying his internal meltdown. "Oh, Bronn, have you *met* people in love? Half the time, they act like fools. And the other half, they're insufferable. Aelric's teasing? Classic love-struck behavior."
Bronn stared at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "But… he's Aelric! He's tiny, sparkly, and—and annoying!"
"And hopelessly in love with you," Helena finished, standing up and patting his cheek mockingly. "Honestly, Bronn, you should be flattered. Not everyone gets to be the object of a fairy's affections. They're picky, you know."
Bronn swatted her hand away, his face turning an uncharacteristic shade of red. "This is absurd. I need to talk to him. I need to… I don't know, fix this!"
Helena laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, yes, because barging in on a heartbroken fairy and demanding answers always works out so well. Take my advice, brother: give him some space. And maybe, just maybe, think about how you feel before you go charging in there like some clueless vampire knight."
Bronn groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "I can't believe this is happening. Why didn't he just tell me?"
Helena raised an eyebrow, her smirk softening into something almost sympathetic. "Maybe because he knew you'd react like this."
Bronn stared at her, his mind reeling. For the first time in centuries, he felt completely unprepared. "I… I need a drink."
Helena burst out laughing again, watching as her brother stumbled out of the room, muttering to himself. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun to watch," she said to no one in particular, flopping back onto the bed with a satisfied grin.