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, my dear. Now, what was it you wanted me to do?" |
"I wanted you to read to me. Your voice is comforting." |
He snorted, eyes flicking away as he nervously flipped through the book he had. "Well who am I to deny you any comfort? Especially when you’re singing my praises in the process." |
He smirked. "Yes, my love?" |
to me," she whined, curling up against him. "I’m sick." |
"Ew." His face scrunched up, feigning disgust. His eyes, however, still shone bright, and she knew he was only faking. "Darling, you know I’m not nice." |
"Well you can be nice to |
, can’t you?" |
"You’re lucky I find you so endearing." He lifted his chin, sounding as imperious as a king as he spoke. "I wouldn’t let most people live after calling me |
"Yes yes, you’re terrifying, you’re fearsome and powerful, your handsomeness has no measure." Aspen crawled into his lap as she made her list, nestling her head on his shoulder. " |
you’re also very sweet, and you’re silly, and you’re very good at cuddling." |
"You lost me at the end, dear," he said dryly, looping his arms around her waist. "Go back to describing how powerful and beautiful I am." |
She closed her eyes, heaving a deep sigh. "Won’t you read to me? Pretty please?" |
"Only because you asked so nicely." But he hesitated, the hush of the pages running across his fingertips the only sound in the air. "I’ll be honest, I’m not sure you’ll like it." |
Frowning, she cracked one eye open to find him staring down at the book, looking |
She reached up to press her palm to his cheek, turning his head to face her. "Why? Is there something wrong with it?" |
"If I’m being completely honest here," he started, leaning into her touch. "I snatched it up on a whim. I’m sure you’ll find it quite dry." |
"Don’t say that yet," she muttered. "You have no idea the kind of things I like to read." |
"Oh?" His brow arched. "And what exactly |
you like to read?" |
"I fear I’ve said too much." |
"Well now you’ve piqued my curiosity, darling." His attention was fixed on hers, a sly grin on his face. "I simply must know." |
She rolled her eyes. "Must you?" |
"Yes. I’m sure I’ll die a second time if I don’t find out." |
Knowing there was no point in fighting him, Aspen waved a hand towards her pack. "I have some in there if you’re |
desperate to know." |
"Excuse me for a minute, darling." He removed her from his lap, and Aspen fell back against the blankets, glaring furiously at his back as he searched out the offending pack hiding her contraband books. |
He hummed, sounding a little |
excited, and when he turned around, a shit-eating grin on his face, she realized |
He was holding up her teddy bear, its head lolling to one side. She’d had the bear since she was three, and she’d never gone anywhere without it, not ever. Once soft and fluffy, most of its fur had pilled, its stuffing smushed from being clutched every night so it looked misshapen. |
"Hey!" She got to her feet, reaching for the bear. "Put him back!" |
"Not until you introduce us!" Astarion lifted the bear up, just barely out of her reach. Aspen cursed, wishing she’d grown an extra few inches when she’d been younger. If she had she would have been able to reach her bear with ease, but as it was she was too short. |
, but too short all the same. |
Her arms flailed as she tried and failed to snatch her bear back. "Give him to me!" |
give her back her bear, grinning wider instead. "How have I never seen this little fellow before? I see you almost every night." |
She huffed, pouting as she stepped away, knowing her attempts to retrieve her bear were in vain. "I keep him tucked under my blankets so no one can see him." |
"Oh, so I see I’m sharing you with another man." He was being absolutely insufferable, looking absolutely wicked as he beamed at her bear. "You hid it so well." |
"Oh please." She crossed her arms, shuffling her feet in the hopes of getting his attention. "Won’t you give him back, please?" |
"What’s his name?" |
Astarion clearly had no intention of giving her back her bear, looking far too pleased as he spun it round and around in his hands. |
Grinding her teeth together, Aspen muttered "his name is Cuddles." |
Astarion looked absolutely delighted, hugging her poor bear to his chest. "Cuddles! Well that is certainly... |
"Well I got him when I was three so I wasn’t exactly that good with clever names." She was pretty sure her headache was getting worse from all the teasing. "Can I have him back now? |
Astarion held out her bear, grinning broadly. "Only because that pout is absolutely adorable." |
She snatched her bear back, clutching him to her chest and pressing her face against the top of its head, muttering curses against the matted fluff. |
"Frankly I’m a little disappointed," Astarion mused as he returned to his initial quest of searching for her books. "Here I’d thought |
was the first man you’d ever slept with." |
Aspen had no sharp reply, instead watching him darkly before stalking back to the blankets. "Don’t be mean to my bear." |
He caught her arm before she could bury herself in the blankets once more, drawing her back. "I would never dream of it." |
She did not bother to respond, only arching a brow in answer. |
"You wound me, darling." He held a hand to his chest, as though he had |
been wounded. And she would have believed him, too, were it not for that smug grin still affixed to his face. "I only teased a |
. I think it’s cute." |
She clutched her bear tighter, remaining silent as she inched backwards. |
"I really mean it," he insisted, his eyes softening. "It’s very cute. I hope you will be as steadfast in holding me every night as you have that bear." |
And just like that the frost that had been creeping along her heart melted away, replaced by a soft glow, like the first light of dawn. |
"I will if you’ll allow me," she said, her voice little more than a whisper. |
"I suppose we’ll have to make it through getting these tadpoles out of our brains first," he said with a shrug. "But I do hope that afterwards you will. I’d like to be in your arms every night if I could." |
She beamed. "I would like that." |
"Good." He gave a sharp nod, his smile soft, earnest. "Now then, I think I’ve found what I was looking for." |
"What was it you were looking for?" It took her a moment to remember he’d been on a mission to search out her books, no doubt with the plan to tease her mercilessly for whatever she read. |
With a flourish he lifted a book up, wiggling it in the air. "One of your secret little books. |
it looks like you’re at a |
interesting part." |
Attempting to snatch the book from him was futile, although Aspen did entertain the thought for a few moments before stifling it. He was already rifling through her book, his eyes darting across the page she’d tucked her bookmark, a devious smile curling across his lips once more. |
"So it’s a romance?! So what?!" She threw herself down onto the blankets once more, covering her face with her bear. "It’s not even particularly erotic, I do |
know what has you so excited." |
"Oh it’s nothing." He was humming as he took a seat beside her once more. She heard the shuffle of the book being settled to the side, and then he was cradling her in his arms, gently drawing her head into his lap. "There we are. That’s better, isn’t it?" |
Aspen lowered her bear, holding it close to her chest as she met Astarion’s bright eyes. His whole face was alight, as though he were shining with the light of a million stars. "What kind of books did you |
"Oh, I thought you read books just like this. I’m just delighted to be proven right." |
She closed her eyes, sighing deeply. "Then why are you teasing me?" |
"You just make it so easy, darling. And I’m quite fond of the colour of your blush." |
"I guess I’ll just have to make it |
for you in the future," she grumbled, rolling onto her side. |
"I hope you don’t." He tangled his fingers in her hair, stroking gently. "I love all your frustrated little expressions. I would hate to lose them." |
She groaned, wishing she had something clever to say. But what |
she say in response to such a thing? "I don’t even have anything to say to that." |
"Good, then we’re in agreement. I’ll still get to tease you, and I can enjoy all those adorable expressions you make." |
He chuckled, his fingers brushing against the nape of her neck. "I think you’ve had plenty of excitement for one night now, darling. I think you should rest." |
She rolled onto her back, looking up to meet his eyes. "Are you actually going to read to me?" |
His answering smile was tender, and there was no hint of that devilish light from before. "I did say I would, didn’t I? And I went to all the trouble of finding your book." |
"It’s a very good one, you know," she insisted. "There’s a haunted forest, and they have to find the source of this cursed mist to save their kingdom." |
"Mmm." He ran his fingers through her hair. "I think it’s time for you to rest now, darling." |
going to read it though, right?" |
He sighed. "Yes, my love, I’m going to read it, if you’d ever stop talking." |
"Sorry." She closed her eyes, then cracked them open again, biting the inside of her lip as she smiled. "I love you." |
"I love you too," he said, smiling indulgently. "Now close your eyes or I won’t be reading anything at all." |
Settling into his lap, Aspen grew silent, listening as he began reading from where she had left off in her book, detailing a very sweet scene between the main character and her love interest. Aspen pressed her bear to her face, smiling against the matted fur as Astarion’s voice washed over her like ocean waves against a warm beach. |
He commented frequently on everything that happened as he read, laughing or scoffing or making note when the characters were absurd by his standards, or whether he quite liked what they were doing. |
"Oh she’s devious," he murmured after reading through the action of one of the secondary characters. "I hope we see more of her." |
"She’s in book two a lot more," Aspen commented, cracking one eye open as he turned the page. |
supposed to be sleeping." |
"I am!" She quickly shut her eye, pretending to snore. "See? Asleep." |
He muttered under his breath about how she was being particularly cheeky today, but carried on. His voice softened to a quiet hush, like waves rolling across sun-warmed sand, like an autumn breeze rustling through gold and bronze leaves. It lulled her, turning to a murmur in her mind as she began to doze off once more. Her mind quieted, nothing but the sound of his voice echoing in her ears, and even that too became nothing more than a soft shushing as she sank slowly into her dreams. |
Sometimes she would stir, feeling his hand on the nape of her neck, or her arm, or tangled in her hair. But those few moments only reminded her more of how safe she was, made her feel all the more comfortable as she swayed between consciousness and oblivion. |
More than once she was certain she felt his lips against the top of her head, felt him murmur sweet words into her hair, but she never quite had the strength to pry her eyes open, to tell him how dearly she loved him in return. All she could do was hum, curling up in his lap like a drowsy cat. |
Sometime must have passed, for the light of the lantern he had lit was low, and she could hardly make out any light at all from behind her eyelids. |
"Aspen?" He murmured, his breath tickling the skin of her neck. "Are you asleep, my love?" |
She moaned, forcing out a quiet " |
He huffed a laugh. "Just barely awake, I see. Perhaps that’s for the best. I’m nearly done your book and I doubt you’ll find mine half as interesting." |
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