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"Oh come on," he rolled his eyes, snorting. "I know how to use it when it’s |
. Like right now, when my |
spoiled love is making demands of me." |
"How is it a demand when you’re already holding me?" |
He shook his head, tapping his ear. "I need to hear you say the words, darling." |
She ground her teeth, wondering if she could make a break for it. Perhaps being comfy and safe was not |
it was cracked up to be. |
Astarion’s brows rose, as if he could sense that she was contemplating bolting. His arms tightened, holding her secure against him. "Well?" |
With a long, drawn out sigh that surely made him proud, she forced out a melodramatic " |
, can you hold me?" |
"Yes of course, my darling." He was beaming as he spoke, dropping a kiss to her nose. "And is there anything else, my love?" |
She looked away, focusing on the shadows stretching across the ground. "Can you play with my hair, too?" |
He tapped his ear again, smirking, and she couldn’t help rolling her eyes. |
"I think I can do that," he said, far too proud of himself. "Anything for you, my love." |
Aspen didn’t argue, although she wanted to. She |
wanted to. But the siren song of his arms and his fingers in her hair and the softness of his chest cushioning her head was far too strong for her to resist. |
Instead, she settled against him, resting her head on his chest as he stroked her hair. |
"You know, I’m sure I could braid this for you," he mused, lifting a strand of hair. She preferred it short, the downy edges brushing against her jawline. And while it was very cute, at least to her, and to Astarion whenever he murmured it as he smoothed it out each morning, it was not particularly conducive to much styling. |
"It’s a bit short for that, isn’t it?" She said, breathing deeply as she turned her face towards his chest. |
"No, I think I could make something work," he said, his voice heavy with confidence. "They would be small, but I could make something nice. Something for my beautiful love." |
She tried hiding her smile, warmth like the first light of dawn brushing against her cheeks as she felt his fingertips at the nape of her neck. "Whatever you think would be best, my love." |
He hummed. "Perhaps I could make it so it looked like a tiara woven in your hair. It would look best with jewels in it, but I |
I can make do with what we have in camp." |
"When this is all over I’ll find a way to buy you as many jewels as you’d like," she murmured, her mind beginning to calm, ripples in a lake growing still. "Every kind you can dream of." |
He chuckled. "That’s awfully sweet, my dear. Perhaps I will find you some as well." |
"Then we could match." |
Cool fingers brushed against her temple, gathering the hair there. "We could. Now why don’t you rest, and dream up all sorts of gifts you can give me when we’ve survived this." |
"It’ll be so many you’ll feel like a prince." |
Another rumble of laughter echoed through her, and she smiled wider, happy she could bring a smile to his face, happy that she could make him laugh. |
is something I think we should focus on once we’ve gotten rid of the tadpoles," he said, laughter still dancing on the edges of his words. "I |
like to be as rich as a prince. Why not just |
She sat up, meeting his eyes, nearly taken aback by how wide they were, how warm and bright. "You want to become a prince?" |
"I don’t see why I |
. I’m sure there’s some decrepit kingdom out there in need of a new leader." He grinned, so wide the points of his incisors stuck out. "And then you, darling, could be my beloved consort." |
"I mean I could just be a princess," she countered. "Equal in all things." |
"Hmm." His eyes searched her face, his lips in a crescent moon smile. "Yes, I think I like that a good deal more. We would be equal in all things. I could be your prince, and you could be my princess." |
She leaned forward to brush a kiss to his lips, savouring the soft sigh that fell from his mouth, the way he melted a little against her. |
"That sounds like |
a nice idea," she said as she pulled away. "Although first we would have to |
such a kingdom." |
that we will need to cure you of this headache. Which means you will need to |
" His tone was almost chiding, and it nearly sent Aspen into a fit of giggles. |
She had to cover her mouth, shoulders shaking as he watched her with a bemused grin. |
"What’s so funny?" |
She shook her head. "It’s nothing." |
"Well it must be |
, considering how hard you’re trying not to laugh." |
She snorted, dropping her hands. "It’s only that for a moment there you sounded like you were scolding me, like you were exasperated I wasn’t listening." |
"Ah." He smirked, tipping his head back. "Maybe I |
, just a little. You really should listen to me, you know." |
"Since when are you the responsible one?" |
It looked like he was trying to fashion his expression into one of disapproval, but he just looked like he was on the verge of laughing again, his lips pressed together in a line looking more like he was fighting off a grin, his narrowed eyes reminding her more of someone trying very hard to hold it together. |
"I never said I was being |
, darling," he said, lips twitching. "Only that I think you need your rest, and I am |
to take care of you." |
"That’s like, the exact definition of responsible." |
," he countered, sounding petulant as a child. "You’re the only one I’d do this for, and it’s hurtful that you’re not even listening to me." |
"I’m sorry!" She whined, hands falling to the collar of his shirt. "Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" |
Another twitch of his lips, his smile no longer able to be contained as it spread across his face. "I suppose I could find it in my heart to forgive you, my love. On one condition." |
She settled her head on his shoulder, pressing a kiss to his throat. "Anything for you, my love." |
"I suspect we’ll be keeping camp here for the next few days. And I wouldn’t mind bowing out of any adventuring for a day." |
"What do you mean?" She tugged at a ruffle on his shirt. "You want to stay in camp tomorrow?" |
"I would. And I’d like you to stay with me." |
Suspicion rose like tides. "Why? What are you planning?" |
A chuckle, a roll of his eyes before they narrowed. He tilted his head to the side, looking at her imperiously. "Nothing to be so worried about, love. Maybe I just feel like your time has been too occupied with everyone else." |
"I didn’t ask |
to hold me while my head felt like it was being torn apart," she shot back. |
," he said, lifting his other shoulder in half a shrug. "But I don’t feel particularly generous in sharing your attentions right now, and I’d much rather spend some time just the two of us." |
the one who’s a little needy." |
He scoffed, pinching her side in retaliation. "Oh please. I’m only thinking of |
. You’ll surely need time to recuperate, I know how your ailments tire you out." |
He cooed the last words softly, tucking her hair behind her ear, watching her with faux concern. |
that’s a reasonable request," she said, finally acquiescing. She’d only really feigned consideration to put on a bit of a show, to tease him a bit. Her mind had already been made up when he’d asked, not that she was ever able to say no, at least not to him. |
His delight was infectious, and she couldn’t help smiling when he did. |
"I’m glad you’re so happy." |
"I am," he insisted, pressing his lips to her brow. "But for right now you must rest, my darling. I want to indulge in lying in your arms as long as I can, and once you’re feeling better I intend to." |
"You’re awfully |
she sang, even as she let him coax her into lying back down again. "It’s not like you don’t see me every day. It’s not like you don’t put up with me cuddling every night." |
"Oh hush." He flicked her forehead, one brow arched. "I’m not " |
putting up with you.’ |
I think you’re wonderful, and I wanted to spend more time with you." |
She rubbed her forehead, pouting. "But-" |
He cut her off, prying her hand from her forehead to glare at her. "Go to |
Aspen didn’t reply, instead closing her eyes, nestling close as he sighed, grumbling something incoherent. She could have teased him longer, she was sure, but her head was still killing her, and she really did need to rest. There was no real cure for the pain, the headaches nipping at her heels like feral dogs until she stumbled, until they overwhelmed her and tore her to shreds. |
But this was nice, lying in his arms, resting her head against his chest as his heart thrummed. It was faint, soft as gossamer on leaves, and as she listened to it her body began to relax, her mind quieting until there was hardly a thought left. |
"Sleep well, my love," Astarion murmured, his fingers combing through her hair, tugging gently as he pulled it into little braids just as he’d promised. |
The dredges of her energy extinguished, Aspen did not have the strength to reply, to tell him how much she loved him, to thank him for holding her. So instead she sank into his embrace, and as she fell into oblivion, she smiled. She was with her beloved, and with him she knew she was safe, and he would be there smiling when she awoke. |
Sleep was coming poorly lately. Miriam gave up on the sending spell she'd been attempting and held a sock full of conjured ice to her face with a defeated groan. She pondered if her father had begun wondering where she and Cassian had gone yet. A dark thought crossed her mind — that if Cassian hadn't gone missing too, she wondered if he'd even bothered looking into it at all — but it was quickly smothered by the renewed ache in her chest where Cassian’s presence had once kept her perpetually crumbling confidence anchored in place. |
She kicked the charred length of copper wire she’d been working with and cursed as fresh pain bloomed from behind her replacement eye. Gods. If she couldn't get this stupid sending spell to work, one day she would actually have to look her family in the face when she broke the news. |
Cassian wasn't coming home. The wrong Taveric survived. |
Defeated, she leaned back against the crumbling wall of some long-abandoned building and watched the stars twinkle overhead. |
(Taunting her, more like.) |
She traced them idly with her free hand and absentmindedly mouthed their names: the Centaur, the Sword and Dagger, the Lady of Mystery. If only her studies had adhered to her mind as easily as the stars. Cassian had just made it all feel so easy, the way he'd told the stories accompanying each constellation with enough enthusiasm to capture her childish attention span at that age. It had all seemed so grand and exciting then. To soar among them, she'd once thought dreamily. What a wonder that would be. |
She closed her eyes and lost herself to memory as she ignored the pressing ache in her right cheekbone where her new prosthetic eye felt like it was practically rattling around in her skull. For all the good losing the eye did her in the first place, considering the tadpole had only burrowed itself deeper into her cranium. She couldn't fault Volo for fleeing after his part in that little mishap of course — she'd be lying if she said she wouldn't have done the same in his shoes — but damn if it wouldn't be helpful to ask him if the thing was supposed to feel so loose right about now. |
Not that she'd trust his answer, but even still. She'd take anything over the silence of uncertainty. |
"You're looking positively thrilled to be out here tonight," Astarion said dryly. He materialized from the bushes in that irritating way he had about him, though it probably said volumes about how exhausted she was that his appearance barely even startled her. |
"Coming to gloat?" She stared at him flatly despite the way opening her injured eye sent sharp stabs of pain straight into her skull. They'd argued over the validity of Volo's proposal, and though she'd never admit it aloud, part of the reason she'd gone through with it in the first place was out of sheer spite. She seemed to have a lot of that lately, all tucked tidily under a fuse that whittled itself shorter by the day. |
"Oh, please," he pouted. "You're looking so utterly pathetic over here by yourself, gloating would take away all the fun." He produced a half empty bottle of wine and thrust it at her with a scowl. "Here. It's terrible." |
Miriam inspected the bottle skeptically. "In my experience people don't start giving away their possessions unless they're either saints or about to kill themselves. Should I be concerned?" |
Astarion scoffed. "Take it, or don't. But don't say I never did anything for you." |
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