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The interior of the sleeping quarters they found themselves in was dimly lit by the now low burning embers of the fireplace. Despite the near freezing winter weather, the room maintained a steady warmth, at least for now. Not that Yasha ever had an issue with the cold, though it did help that there was currently a human furnace clinging to her midsection.
She looks down at Beau’s sleeping form, the soft puffs of air that had slowly lulled her into a dreamless sleep were now full on snores. The sound of them mixing with the crackling of the dying remnants of the fire and the steady torrential downpour that had begun some time in the middle of the night. Yasha watches as the shadows of the rain against the window reflect onto Beau’s sleeping form, the little light from the now slowly rising sun making itself known.
Another day of finding new and creative ways to survive.
Yasha has always enjoyed mornings. Sure she hates the initial waking, as she’s always been quite a hard sleeper, but these days she’s finding it harder to complain when the first thing she gets to see is Beau’s face. Regardless, there’s something to be said about the waking of a city in those moments just before the star rises. Those mornings where it feels as though you’ve woken up before everyone in the world. Where everything is so still and quiet. It always feels monumental, sacred somehow; like the whole world is stretching awake.
For some reason she always thinks it necessary to keep her voice to a whisper and tiptoe around as if the smallest sound would crumble the delicate peace. Like trying not to wake a sleeping giant a second too soon.
Beau seems to have no reservations about waking the giant as she groggily wakes and immediately questions, “D’you do this?” Referring to the storm outside.
Her voice sounds different, deeper, in the mornings. Deeper than her usual voice, that is. Her words come out scratchy and slurred as she tries to orient herself to the new day. Beau’s eyes remain shut as she traces a finger over Yasha’s tummy before flattening out to a palm, resting it in the middle of her chest over the thin fabric of her night shirt. She sighs slowly as she feels Yasha’s strong heart thump rhythmically inside her ribcage.
“Don’t think it works like that, Beau.” Yasha responds with a little smile playing on her lips.
Beau lets out a small huff before opening her eyes and looking up into the mismatched ones of the barbarian under her. “You know what I mean,” And Yasha does, of course she does. But she really doesn’t want anything to ruin this beautiful morning by focusing on any actual issues right now. “Any dreams? Lightning creatures?” The concern is clear, but Yasha can’t help the slight tug at her heart as she thinks about the eyes currently taking up residence on Beau’s body. If anyone’s dreams should be a point of concern, it’s Beau’s.
Yasha also knows that focusing on literally anything other than those eyes is not only a way to forget they exist, but also for her to resist the dangerous temptation to try and find out more. These are both things that Yasha is more than open to being a distraction from. And besides, they have the rest of the day to sit around and wonder how things can get any more shitty for them.
So, instead of responding verbally, Yasha just shakes her head. Beau studies her openly for a moment before craning her neck for a kiss and laying her head back down on Yasha’s chest. Yasha takes the opportunity to run her hands through Beau’s hair. The loose brown strands splayed across her pillow and naked back (Beau insisted it was too hot to sleep with a shirt on), not tied up in its usual style. The monk hums as Yasha’s capable hands scratch lightly at her scalp.
“Don’t fall back asleep.” Yasha whispers when she starts to hear Beau’s breaths slow.
Beau, ever the liar, “Hmm, m’not.” Yasha snorts at that and Beau’s lips pull up in a tired smile as she hears it.
She stops her hand’s movement on Beau’s scalp, Beau sighs at the pause. “I wanna... talk with you.”
“What about?” And huh, Yasha hadn’t really thought about that.
“Uh, I don’t know really. Just wanna hear you.” Beau’s heart squeezes in her chest because she knows the exact feeling. Following their date, they haven’t had much time to just sit and talk about anything other than their impending doom. Which is… depressing.
Beau pauses for a moment, walking two fingers across the smooth skin of Yasha’s abdomen before tilting her head back up to meet her eyes. “I never told you about that time I ran a rival winery out of Kamordah did I?” Beau’s bright blue eyes twinkle in that distinctly conspiratorial manner and Yasha can’t help the chuckle that escapes her lips as she shakes her head.
Beau rises from her position to sit up criss-cross on the bed beside Yasha as she dives into her story, gesticulating wildly for that extra flare. No doubt embellishing on some parts. Yasha tries not to get too caught up in the wine jargon and enjoys the utter joy on Beau’s face as she goes on retelling the events. She listens along, facial expressions ranging from theatrical scandal to genuinely impressed.
“You know, my father didn’t really agree with my methods, but even he couldn’t deny the effectiveness.” Beau states proudly as she concludes her roller-coaster of a story.
“You were quite the troublemaker, huh?” Yasha teases, poking at Beau lightly in the abdomen. She’s quick to grab her hand, jerking slightly away from the playful attack. Yasha always forgets how ticklish she is.
“Were? I still am babe! Certified bad boy.” She responds cheekily, punctuating her remark by kissing the back of Yasha’s hand she still had a hold on. It’s so silly, yet Yasha still can’t help the slight blush that climbs up her neck.
The barbarian removes her hand from Beau’s grasp to gently cup her face, softly caressing along the apple of her cheek. “I don't know, I think you’ve gotten a little soft.” It’s said so earnestly that it snaps Beau out of her playful mood almost immediately as she fully takes in the look in her girlfriend’s eyes.
“Psh, says you.” She says it around a breathy laugh. It’s modest and shy, and oh so sweet. Yasha can’t help herself as she slowly closes the distance between them.
“Yeah, says me.” She whispers against Beau’s lips, delaying their touch for a split second to watch as blue eyes slowly disappear behind eyelids, her mouth partly open in anticipation. It’s a sight that Yasha wants permanently burned into her mind, but she’ll have to take it in fully another time as she can’t seem to leave Beau waiting for another second. She closes the miniscule distance and their lips finally meet for a sweet kiss.
When they part, Yasha’s eyes once again take to scanning over Beau; ever the observer, especially when it comes to the monk. She pushes a strand of dark hair behind the smaller woman’s ear before dramatically sighing and falling back onto the pillows, an arm coming up to cover her eyes. The bed creaks slightly with the disturbance.
When she peaks up Beau is still sitting there, a sweet smile curving on her lips as she takes in Yasha’s theatrical display. “Don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that.”
“Of being dramatic?”
“Of kissing you, dumb-dumb.” Beau raises an eyebrow comically high at the name that Yasha had just uttered.
“Oh, I’m a dumb-dumb now?” Beau questions in mock scandal, thoroughly enjoying Yasha’s playful mood. “What happened to ‘Oh, Beau you’re so smart and I just love the way your mind works,’” Beau retorts teasingly, trying to give her best impression of Yasha, which leaves a lot to be desired.
This doesn’t seem to effect the barbarian in the way she was expecting as she responds coyly, “I don’t recall saying any of that, actually.” And all Beau can do is laugh and it feels so amazingly good to do that after what feels like years of despair.
Yasha looks at her in challenge, seeming to enjoy the energy she’s single-handedly created with her remarks. Beau just shakes her head before climbing on top of her, hips straddling Yasha’s waist and hands placed on either side of her head. Brown tresses frame them, sheltering them from the slow waking of the rest of the world.
They each take in the other for a moment, grins threatening to take over both of their faces. Beau squints her eyes as she takes in her girlfriend’s mismatched ones that are currently twinkling with amusement.
“What’s up with you bullying me today, huh? Thought you said you missed me, all you’ve done is call me a soft dumb-dumb.”
“Gotta keep you humble.”
They hold each other’s eyes for a couple seconds more, though it could be hours as far as they are concerned. They’ve seemingly entered wordlessly into a competition to see who will be the first to break. Beau tilts her head and within seconds Yasha lets out an adorable chuckle, Beau quickly following with her own. The monk shakes her head, looking sweetly at the woman beneath her and leaning back upright. Yasha’s flushed cheeks and wild hair in the morning light are a sight to behold and Beau feels so lucky to be the one getting to see it.
“You’re cute,” Beau compliments when a few more moments pass because she can and after so long of dancing around each other she never wants to waste another second not telling her. Yasha doesn’t really respond except for the soft ‘stop’ that makes its way past her lips, which is more than enough. More warmth fills Beau as she feels Yasha’s cool, strong hands settle on her hips. Getting to be like this with Yasha, after everything, means the world.
“I feel so good when I’m with you. It’s hard to articulate sometimes.” Her heart squeezes in her chest for the second time this morning because of the Aasimar.
There's a soft and knowing smile on Yasha’s lips now as she tilts her head slightly, eyes still on the monk. “Yeah, it’s almost like you love me or something.” Beau lets out a breathy chuckle at that, though it comes out more like a single exhalation.
“Yeah,” She nods, feeling the pricks of tears begin to form in her eyes. “It’s almost just like that.”