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Big Cat watched from the bed as Thalia paced a hole into the floor of the very cushy inn room she had been provided. He let out a curious mrow, and Thalia fixed him with a glare, before softening with a heavy sigh. She slumped down beside him, burying her face in the thick fur around his neck with a frustrated groan.
"I'm being stupid." she mumbled, her voice muffled by his fur.
Thalia idly ran her hands through his soft fur as she struggled to keep her head blank. Big Cat had been very patient with her today, but any more tears in his fur might have him reaching his limit.
Big Cat made a displeased grumble as she squeezed him a little too tightly, shaking her off of him with a huff. Who could have expected that, she'd gone too far. What a completely new experience for her.
Before she could get too deep into self pity, she was interrupted by Big Cat nuzzling his huge head against her with a comforting purr.
She wished she had a drink. She couldn't stop thinking. About… about lots of things. About Nova. About Nova not being able to look at her, about how sad she had sounded, when Sentry spoke to her. Thalia knew she shouldn't have listened, but clearly knowing something was a bad idea had never been enough to stop her before.
Big Cat knocked her out of her head by knocking her onto her back.
"What, you big lump?" she asked, but there was nothing but fondness in her tone.
Big Cat grumbled at her, sprawling out on the bed beside her and closing his eyes.
"You know you can sleep without me." Thalia said amusedly, scratching behind his ear and being rewarded with a deep rumbling purr.
For a moment, she knew peace, before her thoughts snuck back up on her.
So maybe she hadn't been thinking about a lot of things. Maybe she'd only been thinking about Nova. So what? Who was she trying to justify herself to, anyway? Only her harshest critic, Thalia mused humorlessly.
Thinking about Nova had become far too regular for her liking. It was difficult to admit, even to herself, just how much she missed her. She was sure Kyrie was getting fed up with her half-hearted grumblings about how the ship had been running so much better with them there.
Having Nova around had been… good. It was good. She was excitable and sweet and- and Thalia had ruined everything. She buried her head in her hands and groaned. Once again, she had been an immeasurable fuckup, and ruined her only chance at something good. Not that she'd have deserved it anyway.
And Nova would be off tomorrow doing something who knows how dangerous and- and she wouldn't have even said sorry.
Her hands clenched, and she was standing up without really thinking about it. Big Cat tilted his head at her curiously. She'd been stupid. She'd been so stupid.
"I have to tell her."
Big Cat huffed, resting his head on his paws.
"I know." Thalia groaned, burying her face in her hands, "But I have to."
It was raining in Gusthaven. Beautiful cobbled streets ran thick with dirty water, bewildered high elves huddled under awnings and took shelter in buildings, staring with awe at the natural phenomenon that had never once graced their city. The streets were vacant, apart from the occasional brave soul making a quick dash between buildings. It was getting dark, even without the magical storm cloud tearing across the city, and no one wanted to go out to start the light spells that kept the streets lit for the night.
Apparently, the weather control system had been damaged pretty heavily in the day's conflict. The mages conjuring the rain for the crops had gotten a nasty shock as their storm had grown exponentially as the device sparked and fizzled, before it shot out across the city. Like everything else in her life so far, Thalia was convinced this was a fucking cosmic joke.
A thin layer of water swirled in the streets, endlessly churning with nowhere to go, and Thalia cast one last longing look back at the warmth of the inn before stepping out into the rain.
Her snakes hissed their displeasure as the first freezing cold droplets hit her skin.
"Fuck." Thalia hissed, already shivering as cold water ran down the back of her neck.
She picked up the pace, ducking down to keep some of the rain off of her as she rushed her way through the flooded streets towards the docks. Her snakes were sulking with every drop of water on their scales. Thalia's clothes weren't exactly suited for this kind of weather, and within moments she was soaked to the bone. With every splash of her boots in the shallow water she very seriously considered just turning around, but guilt was, as always, a powerful motivator.
By the time she reached the Stormchaser the water was above her ankles, and her snakes dripped as they drooped around her shoulders.
Nova stared into her hot chocolate as Sentry busied around the room, handing out the remaining mugs.
"Thank you Sentry." Lucius graciously accepted his mug of coffee with a contented sigh. "It's so strange, seeing Gusthaven like this." he mused, leaning over the back of his chair and staring out of the porthole window into the soaked city.
"It's weird that all of those people have never dealt with a bit of rain." Aila said, leaning back in her chair and kicking her boots up on the table, earning her a horrified look from Lucius.
"Yes, well why would anyone choose rain?" Lucius took a delicate sip from his mug.
Aila rolled her eyes. "That's not the point. It’s- you-" she groaned in frustration, "Never mind."
Sentry sat down at the table with her own mug of coffee.
"I think I know what you mean Aila. It is always a little weird being up here." she glanced at Lucius apologetically, "It's lovely, don't get me wrong! But there's something about all of the weather control and that sort of thing that just feels weird to me."
Lucius looked mildly bewildered.
Quill chimed in, "I've got nothing against nature but if I had the chance to never get rained on again I'd take it."
Lucius nodded firmly, "Yes, I still find it fascinating how lowlanders can live like that, never knowing what the weather is going to do. How do people know what to wear each day?! And not to mention-"
Nova loved Lucius, but sometimes it was easier to tune him out. She stirred her hot chocolate slowly. The rhythmic motion was calming, and there was still a lot on her mind after her brief stint of invisibility earlier. She jumped as a big metal hand was placed gently on her shoulder.
"Are you alright Nova?" Sentry asked softly.
Lucius was still babbling away, Quill nodding encouragingly and Aila rolling her eyes.
"I'm fine." Nova murmured, "Thank you Sentry."
"There's someone out there." Quill said, his attention turning towards the window.
"Well that's fucking dumb." Aila shrugged, without a hint of sympathy.
"Weren't you just talking about how much you love rain?" Lucius asked
"That's not the point-" Aila started. As they spoke Quill got up and walked to the window. "Just because I think rain is natural doesn't mean I want to go wandering around in it."
"They're coming this way." he called over his shoulder to them, tilting his head curiously.
Lucius stood up, and came to stand next to Quill, resting a hand on his shoulder and peering out of the porthole window. "They look absolutely soaked." he commented.
"Poor sod." Aila said, leaning back further in her chair, the legs beginning to wobble precariously.
Nova took her first sleepy sip of her hot chocolate.
"Is that Thalia?"
And immediately choked on her mouthful as Quill spoke, spitting it back out all over the table.
"W-what?" she spluttered, leaving her mug behind as she stood up and scurried over to the window. "Do you think she's okay? Is something wrong?"
Nova watched Thalia reach the gangway to the Stormchaser and freeze, staring at it like some insurmountable foe. Nova stared, bewildered, for a moment, before turning and rushing through the ship.
She stepped out onto the deck, and was immediately hit with a harsh blast of cold air and rain. Nova caught Thalia's eyes and they both froze.
Thalia's clothes were soaked through and clinging to her body, her snakes drooping miserably as rain ran over their bodies, and water dripped from her face. Nova's brain short circuited for a moment at the way her shirt was plastered to her chest, and her hand twitched nervously at her side.
"Are- are you okay? Did something happen?" Nova spluttered worriedly as the rain soaked her hair, her curls falling flat and sticking to her forehead.
Thalia was staring at her. She opened her mouth. Then closed it.
"Are the others okay? Are you in danger?" Nova continued to babble, stepping out to meet Thalia in the middle of the deck.
"No. Uh." Thalia swallowed. "They're okay. We're okay."
Nova furrowed her brow in confusion "Then why-"
"I needed to see you - I had to see you." Thalia wiped the rain from her face, and some snakes futilely attempted to shake themselves dry as the rain continued to pound down upon them.
"I don't understand-"
"I'm sorry." Thalia said in a rushed breath, stepping closer. "I- I did something stupid and then I was too much of a coward to say it to your face."
Nova's breath caught in her chest at the vulnerability on Thalia's face. Every time she saw her like this it was so overwhelming, so different to the multitude of walls she normally had up.
"And I- And I understand if this is it. I was terrible and you are fully right if you don't want to hear from me and- and. Fuck, I don't know. I just-" Thalia's voice hitched, "You are someone I respect- someone I care about. A lot. And I- I don't want to hurt you."
"Thalia…" Nova said in a quiet breath as she stepped closer, her voice almost drowned out by the rain.
"You mean so much to me." Thalia choked out. Her voice held a sense of wonder, almost as if she was only just realising this herself.
"Thalia, you're going to freeze to death." Nova fussed.
Thalia let out a startled laugh. With shaky hands, Nova undid her scarf and began wrapping it around Thalia's neck. She took in a harsh breath as her hands brushed against the wet skin there. "You're so cold." she murmured.
Nova looked up and her breath caught again as she met Thalia's eyes. Her hands released the scarf, and nervously ran down her shoulders, before settling on her upper arms, hands clenching in the wet fabric of her sleeves. Thalia's cheeks were flushed in a way that Nova wasn't sure was entirely from the cold, her lips parted slightly and wonder open on her face as rain ran down her face, running along her cheekbones and dripping from her nose.
"Is this you forgiving me?" Thalia asked quietly.
Nova swallowed. "You moved too fast for me. But that doesn't… That doesn't mean-" Nova made a frustrated noise as she struggled to find the right words. "I like you a lot, and maybe we could- not forget this happened but, move on from it?"
"I'm quite fond of the idea of forgetting it happened." Thalia mumbled.
"Well, tough." Nova said, and Thalia laughed quietly. "Can we just start again? Move slower?"
"I can do that." Thalia said breathlessly. "I wasn't expecting you to forgive me." she murmured "I didn't know if you'd even want to talk to me."
"I'm sorry I made you think that-"
"You have absolutely nothing to apologise for." Thalia said quietly, her words leaving no room for argument.
They stared at each other for a moment as the rain continued to pelt down around them. A particularly harsh gust of wind blew over them, and Thalia visibly shivered.
"You should come in, you're going to catch your death out here." Nova said gently, her hands finally dropping from Thalia's arms.
Nova went to take a step back, but paused. She took a deep breath, and with all of the confidence in her she closed her eyes and tugged Thalia down by the scarf. Their lips met quickly, chilled and wet. There was a beat of stunned stillness before Thalia's hands dropped to Nova's hips and she kissed her back. Nova forgot all about the rain as her hands clenched tightly in the heavy, wet fabric of her scarf and Thalia's lips warmed under hers. She tasted of rain, so strongly there was nothing else under it, and Nova pulled back with a breathless giggle.
Thalia's eyes stayed closed for a moment longer, a soft smile spreading over her face as she pressed their foreheads together quietly, hands staying resting comfortably on Nova's hips. She met Nova's eyes with an open look of adoration, and Nova nervously let go of the scarf.
"We really should go inside." She said, almost apologetically.
Thalia hummed in agreement, and reluctantly let her arms drop. Nova gently grasped her by the wrist and led her inside.
"Nova!" Lucius called out.
There was no response as Nova rushed out of the door.
"That was strange," he mused. "Why's she going so fast?"
He moved to follow her, but Sentry stopped him with a hand in his shoulder.
"I think we need to let them talk." she said quietly.
Lucius looked at the rest of his friends with clear confusion, "Am I missing something?" he asked.
Sentry busied herself with wiping the hot chocolate from the table.
"Me and Quill had a talk with Thalia earlier," She explained in a conspiratorial whisper, "She said she'd upset Nova."
Quill was pressed up against the window, angling himself so he could just about see the deck.
"Quill!" Lucius protested, "Don't be so nosey!"
"Oh come on, you're probably dying to know what they’re up to." Aila laughed, letting the legs of her chair fall back to the floor.
Sentry looked between Quill and Lucius, before dropping the cloth and inching her way towards the window.
"Sentry!" Lucius gasped “Of all people I thought you were better than this!”
"I'm sorry! I just want to make sure they're okay!" she justified.
"What are they saying Quill?" Sentry asked, leaning against the window with him eagerly.
"I can only see Thalia, and she hasn't said anything yet. Why are they just standing there in the rain?" Quill complained, straining his neck.
"Is no one else concerned at how invasive this is?"
"Shh, Lucius! They're talking!" Sentry said eagerly. "What did she say, Quill?"
"Uhm." Quill squinted, furrowing his brow. "she's saying, 'I had to see you.'"
Aila made a mocking gagging sound, and Lucius tried to subtly inch closer to the window.
"Now she's saying she's sorry, that she was stupid." Quill continued.
"Why is she apologising?" Lucius whispered loudly to Aila.
Aila shrugged, "How am I supposed to know?"
"She's still apologising, H'esper she's doing a bad job." Quill reported diligently.
"Quill!" Sentry gasped, "I'm sure she's trying her best!"
"She says she cares about her a lot, and she doesn't want to hurt her." Quill continued.
Lucius glanced at Aila, saw she wasn't looking, and tried to peak over Quill's head. He was at the wrong angle to see anything though.
"'You mean so much to me'" Quill parroted excitedly.
Lucius clapped his hands over his mouth to muffle an excited squeal. Sentry gasped, and Aila gagged again, kicking back from the table. Sentry turned to look at Aila.
"I'm going somewhere else. Have fun snooping." she said.
"I'm not snooping-" Lucius tried to justify, but she was already gone.
"Sentry, Sentry, look!" Quill said, tugging at Sentry's tabard, "Nova's putting her scarf on her."
Sentry turned back excitedly, and Lucius scooted even closer with her.
Quill squirmed, and wiggled from side to side, straining his head.
"Nova's in the way, I can't see what she's saying anymore." he complained.
Lucius tried to take the high ground, like he wasn't trying his best to catch a glimpse, "Yes well, you shouldn't have been-"
"By Siaska they're kissing!" Sentry interrupted him excitedly.
"What?!" Lucius gasped, squeezing up against the window between the two of them with his hands on their shoulders, pressing his face against the glass. He just caught sight of Nova dropping down from her tiptoes, but staying pressed close to Thalia.
"I thought this was an invasion of privacy." Quill teased.
"It still is, but I don't care!" Lucius said.
Quill laughed as Lucius strained his head to see better. He watched as Nova began to lead Thalia back into the ship.
"Are they holding hands?" he whispered eagerly.
Quill shook his head, "She's holding her wrist."
Lucius pouted, then froze as he was hit by a realisation.
"They're coming back in! Everyone act natural!" he whispered hastily.
Sentry immediately picked up the kettle, moving to fill it with water. Quill half ran to the table to take a seat, talons scrabbling against the floor loudly. Lucius panicked for a moment, looking around the room rapidly as he tried to think of something he could have been doing. He was frozen in indecision until he heard the door handle creaking, and rushedly leant against the wall beside the window.
They all turned to look as the door opened. A very wet Nova was leading a sheepish looking, somehow even damper, Thalia by the wrist.
"Lucius I wanted to-" Nova paused, finally taking in the scene in front of her. "Are you all okay?"
"What on Aerois are you talking about Nova, of course we're okay!" Lucius said in one rushed breath.
Quill winced visibly.
"Are you sure?" Nova asked, "You're acting weird. Like, really weird."
"Would you like a coffee Thalia?" Sentry interrupted quickly, "I'm just putting the kettle on."
Thalia looked between all of them awkwardly. "Uhm. Yes, that would be very nice, thank you Sentry." she said slowly.
Nova shook her head, "Well, whatever." she mumbled. "I wanted to make sure you're okay with Thalia staying here until it stops raining-"
"That's really not necessary-" Thalia tried to protest
"So that she doesn't catch her death walking back to the inn in the cold." Nova continued like she hadn't said anything.
"Of course!" Lucius said far too eagerly, clapping his hands for emphasis, "We're always happy to have you, Thalia!"
Thalia opened her mouth, but Sentry quickly interjected. "Do you want me to bring these drinks to your room Nova?" Nova made a small spluttering sound, and began to turn purple. "You should probably see if you can get Thalia some dry clothes."
"Oh, right!" Nova said, her voice high pitched and nervous, "That's a really good idea Sentry, yes, thank you!"
Nova hurriedly grabbed Thalia's hand, pulling her out of the room.
"Well," Lucius said brightly, turning back to Quill and Sentry. "I think that went well!"
"Oh, definitely." Quill said, and Sentry nodded brightly. "They were none the wiser."
Nova took her hand and led her away from the room. Thalia considered telling her that her friends had very obviously been watching their whole conversation, but decided that leaving her in blissful ignorance was definitely kinder. She was comforted by the fact that they definitely couldn't have heard any of the emotional things she'd said, the rain was deafening, and they'd been far away. And Quill had already seen much worse than them kissing, he'd been present for the incident that started this whole mess, after all.
They left a trail of wet footprints down the corridors until they came to a selection of doors, and Nova was leading Thalia into her bedroom.
There was a single bed pressed against one wall, and a desk on the other. A small chest rested at the foot of the bed. If it wasn't for the scatterings of notebooks and loose parchment, the room would be devoid of personality. On the desk there was a giant, sprawled out blueprint, being held flat by an inkwell on one corner, and a book, a small pouch, and a rock on the others.
"Just, sit here." Nova said, ushering her towards the bed, "We need to get you out of those wet clothes."
Thalia bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself making an inappropriate comment. It really wouldn't do to immediately undermine her apology because she couldn't restrain herself from making dumb jokes. She nodded, and perched awkwardly on the edge of the bed.
"Uhm, okay." Nova mumbled to herself as she fumbled with the buttons on her wet coat, "My clothes wouldn't fit you. Maybe Lucius?"
Thalia snorted. "We might be the same height dear, but we are very different shapes. To put it delicately."
Nova's cheeks began to turn purple, and Thalia hid her smile in the scarf.
Nova suddenly clapped, and Thalia startled. "Oriya!" she said. "She's more, uhm." Nova cleared her throat. "Your shape."
Thalia raised an eyebrow.
"I'm sure she wouldn't mind!" Nova continued to babble, "Although I can't really ask her because she's not here, and I don't really want to go through her stuff, and she technically outranks me-"
"Nova." Thalia said gently, "Calm down."
Nova smiled sheepishly as she shrugged off her coat. "Right."
The rain had soaked through the thick fabric and the turtleneck she wore under it was wet too. Nova made a face, and tugged it over her head, leaving her in her lowest layer, a slightly damp white shirt.
"How is this wet? How heavy was that rain?" Nova complained.
"It was pretty bad." Thalia said dryly.
She couldn't bring herself to be too upset about her, frankly quite stupid, decision to walk here in Gusthaven's first storm. How could she be, when this was the outcome?
"Okay, okay." Nova said, quickly opening the chest and rooting through it. "You stay here, I'm going to go and-" she sighed, "Rummage through our first mates clothes, I guess."
"You don't have to do that." Thalia protested.
She received an indignant glare from Nova as she pulled a clean shirt from the chest. "I absolutely do. Do you want pneumonia? This is how you get pneumonia."
"Yes, but I wouldn't want to get you in trouble-" Thalia tried again
"It's fine!" Nova said firmly. "It's fine. Oriya will understand, and if she doesn't, well, Lucius is the captain."
"Your understanding of ship hierarchy is once again concerning." Thalia said dryly.
Nova ignored her with a roll of her eyes. She grabbed the bottom of her shirt, then froze.
"Uhm." she said eloquently.
Thalia stifled a laugh. "I won't look." she said gently.
She made a big show of turning her whole body away. Nova giggled quietly, and Thalia heard the rustling of fabric and a lot of awkward shuffling around.
"Okay," Nova said. "I'm going now, I won't be long."
Thalia looked back, and her heart fluttered. Nova was wearing what were very clearly pyjamas, a blue matching set that made Thalia wonder if she ever wore anything that wasn't blue. Her hair was still wet, and plastered to her face, and her cheeks were flushed purple from the cold. Thalia was vaguely aware she was staring.
Nova fidgeted, "What?" she asked nervously
"You're very cute." Thalia said simply
The purple on Nova's cheeks rapidly darkened, "Oh! Uh." she nervously messed with the back of her hair, "I- uh. Clothes?" she awkwardly pointed at the door
Thalia smiled, "Go on then, I'm not stopping you."
Nova scurried off, leaving Thalia alone in her room.
After a moment of awkwardly sitting on the bed trying not to touch anything, Thalia began the ungraceful process of removing her boots. As much as she enjoyed wearing them, tall boots were not something she'd ever gotten the hang of getting off easily, quite probably because she was often very drunk when she tried to remove them. She added her holsters and belt to the pile, and thought about taking the scarf off. It was wet, heavy, and cold around her neck, and probably not helping with keeping her warm at all. That said, she didn't care. That wasn't why she was still wearing it.
She managed to resist the urge to snoop for about a minute, before making her way over to the desk. The blueprint was very complicated magitech, with lots of very rushed scribblings in Nova's neat script. It seemed to be the schematics for Quill's new wing. She'd noticed he barely ever touched the ground now, but there hadn't really been a time where it felt right to bring it up, and it was probably too late now.
The book holding down one of the corners was a colossal tome. There wasn't a title on the cover, and Thalia didn't want to peek inside in case she got the pages wet. It didn't seem all that interesting, anyway. She was more interested in the loose sheets of parchment scattered around the free space left on the desk.
Her eyes caught on one that had her smiling without realising it. It was a sketch of the Twinstar, with a rushed note reading: "Make a better copy later? Remember to ask Thalia’s permission."
The door creaked open, and Thalia turned to see Nova with a towel wrapped around her shoulders, and a pile of fabric in her arms.
"Found you some clothes." she said, dropping a small pile on the bed.
"Thank you, dear." Thalia said.
Nova scooped up the top of the pile, and offered Thalia a towel, which she took gratefully. She draped it around her shoulders, replacing the scarf, and inspected the clothes. There were some simple black trousers, and a shirt in what was quite possibly the ugliest shade of green Thalia had ever seen. She made a face.
"I don't really wear green." she complained, patting at her shoulders with the towel, "Clashes with the snakes."
Nova rolled her eyes, "Really? You're half freezing to death and you're complaining about the colour?"
"I'm just saying I'm a woman of taste." Thalia said, hiding her grin by bringing the towel up to pat her face dry, "Maybe I'd rather the hypothermia."
Her words were muffled in the soft fabric of the towel, but judging by the aggravated huff from Nova, they'd definitely been heard.
"You're impossible!" Nova whined, "Why is it so hard to get you to look after yourself!"
Thalia chuckled, lowering the towel. "I'm just teasing you." she said fondly.
"Well… Don't!" Nova spluttered, folding her arms over her chest.
Thalia undid a button on her shirt, then glanced at Nova with a raised eyebrow. She hadn't turned away, still glaring at Thalia with her arms crossed.
"Are you going to watch?" she asked with an amused smirk.
Nova spluttered, went bright purple, and rapidly turned away. "Sorry!"
"You're more than welcome to." Thalia teased.
Nova squeaked, and Thalia laughed fondly. She quickly got changed, only fumbling a little with trying to remove wet leather trousers. Why were all of her clothes so inconvenient to get out of?
"Done." Thalia said.
Nova turned back, cheeks still blazing, as Thalia finished the last buttons of the shirt.
"Happy now?" Thalia asked, gesturing down at herself, "Clean and dry."
She watched in amusement as Nova's eyes very predictably dropped to her cleavage, and her cheeks turned a deeper purple.
"While I'm not a fan of the colour, I can't fault the cut." Thalia added teasingly.
"Mhm!" Nova squeaked, "Uh- buh."
As if to save Nova from her suffering, there was a very heavy knock on the door. Thalia startled, hand instinctively going to where her holsters normally were, but Nova didn’t seem shocked by it at all. She sheepishly dropped her hand back to her side as Nova opened the door.
“Hello!” Sentry said brightly. She was holding a small tray, with two mugs on it, “I have coffee.”
Nova quickly cleared the bedside table so Sentry could put the tray down.
“Well,” Sentry clarified, “I have hot chocolate for you, Nova!”
“Thank you.” Nova mumbled, the flush finally beginning to die down on her cheeks.
Sentry looked at her, and tilted her head. Thalia was always taken aback by how emotive Sentry managed to be despite her static face.
“Is something the matter?” She asked, tone suspicious.
“Just tired and cold.” Nova said, “Don’t worry Sentry.”
Sentry nodded, seemingly satisfied with this answer.
“Well then, you two have fun!” Sentry said brightly. One of her eyes flickered off, then back on.
Nova spluttered indignantly, “Sentry!” She whined, ineffectively pounding her fists on Sentry’s chest.
Thalia blinked, then a realisation dawned on her. “Was that a wink?” She asked incredulously.
Sentry tilted her head, “Was that right, did I do it right?”
Nova was bright purple again, “You’ve been spending too much time with Lucius,” She complained. “You can’t just wink after any sentence!”
Nova gave up on hitting Sentry, and rested her face on her chest with a small grumble. Sentry patted her on the back gently.
“I’ll see you both later.” Sentry said, soft and confused.
As soon as the door closed, Nova slumped backwards onto the bed with a groan. Thalia watched with amusement, leaning against the desk with an eyebrow raised. She grabbed the cup of coffee, and had a small sip. The warmth was definitely welcome.
Nova stayed sprawled out for a moment, before sitting up and grabbing for her hot chocolate. She just about missed the mug, and instead of moving closer, just pouted. Thalia stood up from the desk with a soft laugh, grabbing the mug and passing it over, before sitting beside Nova on the bed.
Nova took a long sip of her drink, and sighed contentedly. She slumped sideways, resting her head against Thalia’s shoulder sleepily. This was… Nice. Thalia wasn’t used to enjoying a quiet moment; her quiet moments were reserved for self pity these days.
Nova glanced past her, out of the porthole window at the rain still pouring down over the city. “That’s not dying down.” She said softly.
Thalia grimaced, “I suppose I’ll be getting wet again.”
Nova nudged her arm, “Don’t be stupid.” She huffed, “You can stay here.”
Thalia glanced around the room again. “I’ll sleep on the floor.” She offered quietly.
Nova lifted her head from Thalia’s shoulder. “I’m not making you sleep on the floor!” She said, taking another long drink from her hot chocolate.
Thalia cautiously sipped at her coffee, feeling the tips of her ears heating. “I wouldn’t want to impose-”
“You’re not imposing!” Nova rolled her eyes, “Accepting an offer isn’t imposing on someone. That’s not what that word means.”
“It can be,” Thalia protested, “Sometimes people make offers and you’re supposed to politely decline.”
Nova groaned, “That’s stupid. Why can’t people just say what they mean?”
Thalia laughed, looking down at her coffee and not allowing her ears to twitch down. It wasn’t always that easy.
There was another quiet moment as they finished their drinks. The comfortable silence was broken by Nova letting out a squeaky yawn. She blinked, looking startled, and Thalia bit the inside of her cheek to stop a smile.
“Sorry,” Nova said sheepishly, “I didn’t realise how tired I was.”
Thalia gently took the cup from her hands, placing it back on the tray on the bedside table. “You should sleep.” she said softly.
She went to stand, but Nova’s hand caught her wrist. “You’re not sleeping on the floor.” she insisted.
“Neither are you-” Thalia protested.
“Good, great.” Nova huffed, in a very similar tone to when she’d been trying to force a potion on Thalia earlier, “We’re on the same page, lie down.”
Thalia was so startled she didn’t manage to contain the flicking of her ears. Nova pushed gently at her shoulders, and in stunned silence, Thalia scooted to the other side of the bed, lying on her side with her back against the wall. Nova lay beside her, facing towards her. The gap between them was small, the single bed not allowing them much space. As Thalia watched the deep purple spread across Nova’s face she couldn’t help but think of how easy it would be to cross that space, and have Nova’s lips on hers again.
“Are you okay?” Thalia asked softly.
Nova nodded rapidly, hair being ruffled by the pillow. Her cheeks somehow managed to turn even more purple, and her hair began to gently steam from the heat her furiously blushing face was producing. Thalia’s sensitive elven ears faintly picked up the sound of Nova’s heart pounding.
“Nova, if it’s making you uncomfortable, I’m happy to-” Thalia was cut off by Nova smushing her hand over her mouth.
“No.” Nova said, “I’m not making you sleep on the floor. I’m fine! I’m fine.”
“Nova if you don’t move your hand I’m going to bite you.” Thalia said, voice muffled by Nova’s palm.
Nova dropped her hand sheepishly, and gave Thalia a nervous smile. Her hand dropped onto the space on the pillow between their heads, and lingered there.
“As long as you’re okay.” Thalia said quietly.
Nova nodded again, and swallowed. “I’m. I’m going to, uhm, sleep.” she said.
Nova scrunched her eyes closed far too tightly. Thalia could still hear Nova’s heart beating rapidly, and she wished there was something she could do to calm her down. She feared anything she could do would make it worse. The space between them was small enough that Thalia’s snake began to poke curiously at Nova, tasting the air around her, and nudging their little heads against her hand. One simply lay on the palm of the hand Nova had left resting on the pillow. Nova giggled softly as a small tongue tickled her neck, cracking an eye open to peek at the snakes.
“Sorry.” Thalia murmured another apology.
Nova shook her head gently, reaching up her other hand to gently stroke the head of one of the snakes. “They don’t bother me.” she said brightly, glancing up from the snake she was petting to smile at Thalia, “I’m glad they like me.”
“Yes they-” Thalia’s breath caught in her chest, “They like you quite a lot.”
As Nova gently pet any snake that demanded her attention, Thalia heard her heartbeat slow until her ears were no longer picking up on it. She relaxed herself, now that the tension thrumming between them was fading, and her snakes relaxed too, lying over whatever parts of Nova they could reach. Nova's eyes slowly drifted closed as she continued to sleepily pet the snakes that brushed against her hand. The soft stroking of the snake's heads slowed down, until it stopped.
Thalia was amazed at how quickly Nova had fallen asleep, but she supposed they had had a long day. If it wasn't for the fact she was an elf, she'd probably be ready to sleep too. The snakes continued to lick at Nova's face.
"Knock it off." Thalia murmured softly, "Let her sleep."
The snakes reluctantly pulled back, drooping loosely around her shoulders and spilling over the pillow.
Without her goggles on, Nova’s hair had fallen loosely around her face. Thalia swallowed, and allowed herself to slowly raise her hand. Her hand trembled slightly as it sank into the soft cloud hair. Nova shifted slightly, and Thalia froze, hand hovering next to her face. Then Nova sighed, shifting again, and Thalia let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She was being stupid. She brushed the hair behind Nova’s ear, then gently trailed her thumb over the shell of Nova’s ear before pulling her hand back.
As her hand retreated, Nova mumbled something in her sleep, and shifted closer to her. She looked so peaceful, a far cry from how tense she so often seemed. Thalia sighed, and forced herself to close her eyes. She should really sleep. For the first time in her life, Thalia found herself wishing she slept like any other humanoid.
She opened her eyes. Nova was so close to her, but she still felt so far away. Nova’s hand resting on the pillow between them moved slightly, fingers twitching as her brain worked in her sleep. Thalia wondered what she was dreaming about, if she was dreaming at all.
With a soft sigh, she took Nova’s hand in her own, bringing it up to her face and ghosting a kiss over the knuckles. She interlaced their fingers, and rested her forehead against their clasped hands. The sleeve of Nova’s ridiculous pyjama shirt had rolled down slightly, and Thalia could see that the inside was a paler blue with small cloud patterns. Her heart clenched painfully and she pressed a smiling kiss to the back of her hand. How could one person be this cute?
Thalia was struck by remembering she shouldn’t be doing this. She should let Nova sleep, try to sleep herself. Not stare at her like some lovestruck fool.
Thalia felt a sharp jolt of panic, and her eyes went wide.
She quickly turned away from Nova, rolling onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. Where had that come from? She wasn’t- she couldn’t be.
Could she?
Thalia scrunched her eyes closed tightly and took a deep breath. Her snakes were becoming agitated, sensing her swirling thoughts and beginning to hiss and move. She opened her eyes again as she released the breath, and began to count the wooden planks of the ceiling.
As Thalia panicked, Nova murmured in her sleep. Thalia heard the mattress creak, then there was an arm over her stomach, and Nova’s face pressed into her shoulder. The snakes relaxed, little heads bumping against Nova, laying over her head and nuzzling as close to her as they could. After a moment of frozen hesitation, Thalia wrapped an arm around Nova’s waist. Nova shifted even closer, her arm squeezing tightly around Thalia’s waist, and Thalia ended up with a faceful of hair.
Thalia was being ridiculous. Why in the world was she getting so in her own head about this? She was acting like a teenager. No. She hadn’t even been this much of a pathetic coward when she was a teenager. She rolled onto her side, and gently pulled Nova properly into her arms.
Maybe, for once, she could just let herself enjoy something. Nova was soft, and fit so comfortably in her arms. How long had it been since she’d held someone like this? Thalia shook the thought away as quickly as it came, it wouldn't do to dwell on it. Being cursed wasn’t something that lent itself well to casual intimacy.
With a soft sigh, she ran her hand down the back of Nova’s pyjama shirt, and pressed her face against the top of Nova’s head. The soft hair tickled against her cheeks, and when she breathed in she could still smell the faint scent of rain clinging to her. Her hand rested comfortably on Nova’s lower back, and she gently traced small circles there, enjoying the feeling of the soft fabric.
Just this once, Thalia let herself be at peace.
Nova woke up slowly. She was comfortable and warm, in a way that made her want to nestle into her bed and never get up. There was a comfortable weight wrapped around her, and her legs were tangled in her quilt.
She opened her eyes blearily, and was met with the sight of collarbones with a small scattering of scales. She blinked sleepily, eyes drifting closed. It was too warm and she was too comfortable to open her eyes just yet.
As she lay still, her brain began to put together dots. Her eyes shot open again as a realisation suddenly hit her. A quick glance up, and she saw sleepy snakes resting around Thalia’s neck. One of them tilted its head curiously, little tongue flicking out towards her.
She was in Thalia’s arms. Thalia was holding her. Nova stopped breathing. Maybe, if she just closed her eyes and waited, Thalia would wake up and move. She closed her eyes, trying to keep her face neutral as her heart pounded in her ears.
As Nova lay very still, she began to realise that the things she'd taken for granted weren't true. Her legs weren't wrapped up in the quilt, they were tangled with Thalia’s. The soft weight around her was Thalia’s arms holding her. And, most flustering of all, Nova's face was not on her pillow.
A curious hissing filled her ears. Nova tried to stay still as a small tongue flicked over the shell of her ear. She cracked an eye open to look at the offending snake, and heard a quietly exhaled laugh. Her face heated, and she tilted her head up to meet Thalia’s eyes. She was looking at Nova knowingly, like Nova hadn't had her fooled at all with her impression of sleep, but under it was a softness that made Nova's heart flutter nervously in her chest.
Nova swallowed, and her eyes drifted down from Thalia’s eyes to her lips. It was difficult, knowing how her lips felt. It made it hard to think about anything else. Well, did she have to? Lying here in Thalia’s arms, the rest of the world seemed so inconsequential. Maybe she could just daydream about Thalia’s lips. Maybe, she realised, she could just kiss her. She leant forwards slightly, and saw Thalia’s lips twitch into a smile. Thalia leant down to meet her-
A cacophony of clanging and magical whirring had Nova falling backwards with a startled squeak. She tumbled half out of the bed, and if it wasn't for Thalia’s arm around her waist would have landed quite harshly on the floor.
Thalia gently pulled her back into the bed. Her ears were pinned down against her head, and her snakes were hissing, the most agitated Nova had ever seen them. The sound briefly paused, and Thalia rubbed at her ears with clear irritation.
"What in the hells was that?" she grumbled
"Sorry," Nova said, reluctantly sitting up, "There's construction happening."
Thalia groaned, pulling the pillow over her head. "Why are you all staying here? You have rooms at an inn!" she complained, voice muffled.
"Because Aila wanted to stay here and then everyone else ended up here too." Nova explained.
The noise stopped, and Thalia sighed in relief, lowering the pillow.
Nova reluctantly moved to stand. Thalia reached for her, then seemed to realise what she was doing, and tried to turn it into a stretch in a movement so obvious that even Nova could tell. Her arms fell limply above her head with a sigh. Nova stayed seated at the edge of the bed.
"I'm not a morning person." Nova complained.
"Don't get up then." Thalia said, her tone loaded with an emotion Nova couldn’t place, "Stay a little longer."
There was something about Thalia lying in her bed looking so relaxed, the snakes sprawled out around her head like a halo, gently lit by the soft light of the morning sun coming through the porthole window, that had Nova's heart trying to flutter out of her chest. The quilt had been kicked down, lying messily around her legs, and the stretch of her arms above her head had her shirt riding up slightly. Nova could see a small scattering of scales that rode along her hip, trailing both up under the shirt, and further down under the soft trousers.
Thalia’s peaceful expression had become a smirk, and Nova realised she was staring. She closed her mouth, with heat beginning to blaze along her cheeks.
Nova glanced at the door. She really should get ready, they had a big job ahead of them today. She looked back at Thalia, and her resolve crumbled. She lay back down with her back to Thalia and a quiet sigh. Thalia wrapped her arm around Nova, tugging her close and resting her face gently against her shoulder.
“Five more minutes.” Nova murmured, bringing her hand to rest over Thalia’s on her stomach.
The sounds of hammering picked back up, and Thalia’s grip tightened around her waist, the snakes hissing loudly as she pulled Nova closer with a small agitated whine Nova nearly didn’t hear under the deafening sounds. The sounds stopped again, and Nova turned as much as she could in Thalia’s arms, so she could see her face.
“Are you okay?” she asked quietly.
Thalia nodded, but her ears were pressed down. Nova reached out, and gently ran a hand over an ear, feeling it twitch under her fingers. “I’m sorry it’s so loud.” she murmured.
Thalia’s other ear flicked, “It's not your fault.”
Nova smiled tightly. She wished that was true. The Stormchaser wouldn’t be damaged if she hadn’t- Well. That didn’t matter. She moved her hand to Thalia’s other ear, rubbing her fingers over it gently. Thalia leant into her hand, eyes drifting closed, and Nova’s smile softened into something much more genuine. She wiggled slightly in Thalia’s arms, turning herself to face her fully and wrapping her arms around her neck.
There was a dainty knock at the door and Nova muffled a frustrated groan in Thalia’s neck.
“Nova?” Lucius’ voice called through the door, “Nova? Nova?”
Nova didn’t lift her head, instead responding over the messenger ring. “Yes, Lucius, I’m up. Give me a minute.”
Lucius called back out loud, “I’ll see you in the meeting room.” Nova heard his footsteps leaving.
“I really have to leave now.” Nova sighed.
Thalia’s arms briefly tightened, before going slack. “Go on then,” she said with an overdramatic sigh, “I suppose I can’t keep you here forever.”
Nova stood up, making her way to the chest at the bottom of her bed to receive some clean clothes. “I’d let you if I could.” she said over her shoulder, giving Thalia a smile.
Thalia responded with a strangely wobbly smirk, before rolling onto her stomach and pressing her face into the pillow. She stayed lying like that as Nova hurriedly got changed.
Nova placed her folded up pyjamas at the bottom of her bed, casting one last longing glance at Thalia. She tapped her shoulder softly, and Thalia moved to look up at her.
“I’ll see you when I get back?” she asked hopefully.
Thalia nodded, “Come and find me,” she sighed, “I’ll probably be at the Twinstar.”
“Well…” Nova said, hesitating for a moment with her hand resting on Thalia’s shoulder.
“Stay safe.” Thalia said, in a quiet and earnest tone Nova was unfamiliar with coming from her.
“Of course.” Nova promised
Nova paused, and summoned up all of her courage, placing a quick kiss on Thalia’s cheek, “Bye!” She squeaked out, quickly fleeing the room without looking back.