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Yasha could sit for hours watching a crackling fire. She sat thoughtfully sucking on a piece of candy. It was a chilly night. Closing her eyes she pulled her furs around her tighter. Mentally she could toss everything in her mind into the flames flickering in front of her; then whatever fire gods or spirits in earshot could deal with it all then instead of her.
However, at the moment there was another person standing between herself and the flames. Beau danced to a tune in her mind. She hummed and spun around, her hips wiggled, she threw her arms around in the air without a care in the world. If Beauregard was looking she would have caught Yasha's sideways smirk.
Nights on watch with Beau were something she enjoyed far more than she let on. It would go straight to Beau's ego if she knew that Yasha enjoyed it as much as she did. It didn't matter if they were sitting alone in companionable silence, or Beau was spinning a yarn about all that Yasha had missed while she was absent from the group.
“Do be careful, I'd rather not pull you from the fire...” Her flat tone hid her genuine worry when Beau teetered too close to the kindling.
“Like a hot potato! Easy, on the potato, because I'm hot all on my own!” Beau amused herself, but this time took a few steps away from the fire. Beau's sugar rush was getting out of hand.
“You'd be black, the way Fjord likes his bacon.” Yasha took a half-eaten piece of candy and lobbed it at Beau's head. Her aim was impeccable. She snickered when the other yelped in response.
“Still eatable.” Yasha shook her head at this. “Hey! Don't waste the good shit, man!” Beau threw her hands up again, this time in protest, they came back down on her hips in defiance.
“It fell on the ground, besides there's plenty.” Sitting up straighter; Yasha folded her arms to meet Beau's dramatic bravado with her impressive posture.
“Not the point!” Once more she returned to her hopping around; clearly unaffected by Yasha's imposing form.
“I think someone's had too much sugar.” Again, Beau had missed the way Yasha gazed at her longingly. This small human, with kind eyes, and the fight to outmatch almost any beast she could think of was her favourite human.
“I don't think you've had enough! Why don't you get over here and dance with me? It's better than sitting there like a gloomy rain cloud!” That might have very well been true. She took another bite of their treats.
That's when she made her decision. Yasha rose from her spot on the stump taking the few steps to Beau she roped a barbarian sized arm around Beau's midsection.
“Whoa, what are you doing?” First Beau had jumped startled, was then confused as she stilled in place.
“It is cold,” She stated simply.
“And, I'm the hot stuff?” Beau had not been expecting this at all, her stomach flipped at the warm contact of the body behind her. But, she remained tense.
“Yes,” Yasha admitted, not hiding the amusement in her own voice.
“Uh, are you sure about that?” Beau questioned, dropping her head to look at her shoes.
“Yes.”
“Oh,” For all her showboating the Monk had fallen silent. Beau tentatively ran her hand over Yasha's powerful arm. When Yasha added a second Beau's shoulders dropped, she leaned back into the warmth behind her.
They stood silently watching the fire. Yasha rested her head against Beau's.
“Yasha? Why, why right now?” Beau's voice was still unsure.
“I... I was watching you dance, then I wanted to hold you. So, I did.” Beau turned around to face her.
“Just an impulse?” The crinkle in Beau's forehead was a worried one. Looking up to meet Yasha's gaze she searched her face for what was really happening here.
“No, it was a feeling. I do have those, you know?”
“Oh? I thought it was various levels of rage: hungry rage, tired rage, murderous rage, not wanting to get involved with me, rage.” Beau had inched closer into Yasha's arms, balling her fists into Yasha's clothes layers of cloak and furs.
“You should be the one named Jester. But, you're not wrong. Except, that last one isn't right, I needed time, Beau.” Yasha sighed, she closed her eyes hoping for understanding.
“Time,” Beau repeated, letting all of this sink in.
“So, this means there's a level of wanting to be with me, rage?” Her voice was hopeful.
“I wouldn't call this rage, Beauregard.”
Yasha bent her head, carefully guiding Beau's chin towards her. Meeting her mouth, Beau's lips parted, gasping at the moment she'd long waited for. Yasha was kissing her, her fingers disappeared into Yasha's hair, she stood on her toes to make herself taller. Yasha tried not to hold her too tightly, humans were so breakable. Leading the kiss, Yasha fed the desire she'd kept stuffed down inside herself for so long into the other woman's mouth. There was more than enough fire between them to keep them warm tonight, and many more.
“We, we should take the perimeter.” Beau was breathless but managed to string together some coherent words.
“You're right,” Yasha rested her forehead to Beau's.
“Take my hand?”
Yasha was touched that Beau was asking for permission.
“I've always wanted to take your hand, Beau.” Yasha's smile was wide, Beau fell a little harder for her then. Yasha broke the contact between them.
“Yasha, Wait!” Beau did her best to block Yasha from walking away.
“I love you!” Beau blurted it out. As if she hadn't right then, right there, she'd never get a chance to again.
“Oh, Beau,” Yasha paused, but she was nodding. “I love you, too.”