text stringlengths 0 41.4k |
|---|
spoiled! At. All." |
"And there’s another one of your faults, my dear," he teased, tugging at her ear. "I let you do whatever you want, and I let you have whatever you want." A sigh, his arms tightening around her as he held her closer. "Although perhaps the fault lies with |
on that. I can never say no to you." |
Unbidden, her lips curved into a smile at that. She could never say no to him, either. |
"Now where was I?" |
"You were listing off all the things you love about me." |
"Oh yes," he hummed. "I remember, now. I was talking about how my dear lover is an |
," he traced his hand down her spine. "Now she’s |
idiot, my sweet fool." |
Aspen smiled again, his words rolling over her like waves. |
"My sweetest fool," he repeated, kissing the top of her head. "Who |
wants to cuddle, who absolutely can’t get enough of me." |
Well he wasn’t |
. She loved to hold him in her arms and play with his hair and feel him close to her. She loved even just sitting beside him, listening to the cadence of his voice. |
sounds for me," he continued, trailing his hand up to the nape of her neck. "Who loves when I kiss her thighs so much that she screams." |
She frowned. "Wait." |
"Whose face turns |
red when I try to compliment her." |
"Who can’t string a sentence together when she’s flustered." |
has to sleep holding me |
her stuffed bear." |
"It’s not a crime to be comfy!" |
He chuckled, losing momentum for a moment, his cheeks smushing against the top of her head. "Oh, my love. How I adore you." |
She clicked her tongue, face scrunched up. Perhaps she would sleep |
with her bear tonight. |
"My dear partner," he breathed, bringing his lips to her ear, his voice heady as wine. "Who shivers when I tell her she’s being |
Aspen bit her lip, willing herself to stay still. |
"Who’s probably already thinking of all the ways I can fill her right now." |
His words were sandpaper scraping against her senses, uncontrollable tremors racing down her spine, across her nerves. Even her hands shook, try as she might to keep herself steady. |
His fingers danced along the nape of her neck, sparks arcing beneath her skin from his featherlight touch. "I haven’t even touched you and I bet you’re wet, so needy already for anything I can give you." She felt his smile, shivered as he nibbled her ear again. "Thinking of what you can do to be praised, my g-" |
"This is slander!" She cried, prying herself free and rolling away from him. "I’ve had enough! I’m going to go find that river and throw myself into it. She would never say such things about me." |
Astarion was laughing, a full-bodied sound that filled the tent, seeped from the fabric like sun-stained shadows. The seductive tone he’d been using gone, melting away beneath his laughter. "You mean she would never say that she loves you?" |
Aspen did not get very far, his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her back against him. She tumbled back, the vibrations of his laughter ringing into the hollows of her bones. |
"You’re making fun of me!" |
-" He was cut off by another bout of laughter, clearing his throat before continuing. "I |
, my pet, that I was listing off all the things I love about you." |
She huffed, crossing her arms. "You were not!" |
"I was," he insisted, lips gentle against her temple as he kissed her. "Because I love everything about you. I love |
of you. All the parts of yourself that you’re proud of, all the parts of yourself you think are embarrassing and shameful. |
She pouted, refusing to look at him. "I don’t see how teasing me about..." She trailed off, hesitating as she struggled to find the right words. Oh how her head hurt; he was such a villain, rousing her like this. "About |
"Things that arouse you is what you mean, yes?" He nuzzled his face against the side of her neck, over where he was most fond of biting when he needed his fill. "What turns you on, my darling. Things only |
can do to you." |
She squirmed in his arms, fighting like a rabid animal to escape. Not that it |
, instead only reigniting his laughter. |
"Alright!" He cried, trying and failing to stop laughing. "My darling, I’m sorry! Don’t throw yourself into the river on my behalf." |
"I’m not doing it for you!" She felt petulant as a child, but she didn’t much care. "I’m doing it for me! For my headache!" |
He managed to hold her to his chest, to tuck her head beneath his chin. Aspen could have fought more, but she gave up resisting quickly. It was far too comfy, the way he was holding her. She figured she at least deserved this, being cradled in his arms after all his teasing. |
"I’m sorry," he repeated, although he did not |
particularly sorry. "I |
teasing you, but I couldn’t help it." |
She scowled, but said nothing. |
"I love seeing you flustered," he murmured. "It’s adorable." |
"You could at least wait until I felt better," she grumbled, making a halfhearted attempt to escape, if only for show. He wrangled her easily, clutching her hands in his so she could not pry his arms from her. |
"Perhaps," he said. "But you’re already so cute when you’re needy." |
She huffed, but any ire she felt was quickly fading, falling away like the sun giving way to the night. "Awfully greedy, aren’t you?" |
"I confess that I am not nearly as selfless as you." He spoke the words against her hair, his thumb stroking the back of her wrist. "I am greedy for everything that has to do with you." |
"Cuddles weren’t enough?" |
"I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied, even if I held you for a thousand years." |
Aspen relaxed into his arms then, settling against him once more as his sweet words flowed through her like honey. She would be lying if she said she didn’t feel warm, if she said his words were like sunshine on her skin. "That’s awfully romantic of you." |
"I’m glad it pleased you." |
makes me forgive you for how mean you were being to me about..." She trailed off, cursing herself. "About my |
"Ah yes. That." He sounded almost sheepish, as if Astarion could |
"If I’m being honest," he said, somewhat reluctantly. "I’d heard that sex can help with headaches. And I’d thought... |
There was something that bloomed in Aspen’s heart when Astarion was trying to be earnest, when he was trying to be soft. It was new to him, removing the mask he had worn for centuries, no longer pretending to be a rake. And while he trusted her, while each night he admitted to loving her, it was still easier to fall into old ways. |
But he was trying; he was still learning after all, and every day was a new challenge in trying to figure out who he was, the things he liked, the things he wanted to |
. And she cherished all his little attempts, no matter how awkward, no matter if he stumbled. |
had been in the right place, at the very least, and she was grateful that he had thought about her, that he had thought about the things that could help her. |
Even if it was a touch |
When Aspen turned around, facing him finally, Astarion’s face was filled with uncertainty. He looked nervous, apprehensive. His brows were drawn, his eyes downcast. |
"I didn’t mean to upset you," he said, the mischief in his eyes fading away. |
"You haven’t upset me." His grip on her hands was no longer ironclad, and she pried them free with ease, reaching up to cup his face. "Thank you for thinking of me, for thinking of a way to help." |
He wasn’t looking at her, staring at some speck on her shoulder. "I only wanted to help. And I thought it might make you happy, too." |
"You know you don’t have to do that. I don’t want you to think you have to use yourself to make me happy." |
looked sheepish, even as his eyes slowly lifted to meet hers. "And what if I |
to? What if I wanted a little passion, too?" |
She felt herself wilting a little. Perhaps if she did not feel so ill she could have given him what he wanted. "I’m sorry I’m unwell." |
"No, I don’t want you to |
, I only-" He gritted his teeth, brow furrowing. "I’m saying everything wrong." |
"No you’re not." She shook her head, even as the world spun. "I promise you’re not saying anything wrong. You’re being sweet, you’re being so good to me." |
He rolled his eyes, but it was clear the praise had found its mark. The corners of his lips twitched, a smile slowly blooming across his lips. "Of course I am. I’m |
She smiled too, drawing his head down so she could kiss his cheek. "I am quite fond of sweet things. So how could I ever resist you?" |
"Perhaps I was made for you," he murmured, the consternation in his expression gone. |
"And I was made for you." |
He smiled then, soft as moonlight limning the night. "Yes, I think you’re right." |
They lapsed into silence, Aspen cradling his face in her palms. She would have gladly held him like that for the rest of the night had her vision not blurred, the throb of her head an incessant beat that refused to leave her be. |
"You still look pale as a ghost, darling," he murmured, a crease forming between his brows. "You really do need to lie down." |
She narrowed her eyes, wanting to tease even as pain and exhaustion ate at her. Any energy that had funneled itself into her veins when Astarion had been toying with her so mercilessly before was promptly vanishing, burning from her veins like fog beneath the heat of the afternoon. |
She hummed, pouting a little. "So no sex?" |
Astarion’s eyes widened, his lashes fluttering for a moment, as if unsure whether he’d heard her correctly or not. |
"No," he said, slow, watching her carefully. Already his eyes were brightening with a roguish light, his lips twitching. "I think it would be best if we waited until you felt better, darling." |
"Alright, you’re probably right." |
right," he added, dropping a kiss to her lips. "Now, why don’t you tell me what you want me to do so you’ll feel better." |
"Could you hold me?" Her voice didn’t need to sound so small, yet it did, as though she were asking for some great treasure that few were honoured to even behold. |
He chuckled. "Am I not holding you now?" |
holding me." She huffed, pouting more. |
He hummed, his eyes aglow. "I feel like you’re forgetting something, darling." |
She pouted more, pleased when he smiled. "Forgetting |
"I think you’re supposed to say |
when making demands." |
She gaped. "I didn’t even know you knew how to say that." |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.