Work Text:
We were in a forest, sitting on a tree
I was looking at her lips, wondering what it'd be
Like to kiss her- why didn't I kiss her…
They avoided cities, the population of undead was too high to risk it for anything less than replacing their swords or stocking on ammunition. While a good house and convenient ammenities would have made the winter easier it didn't mean it would be safer. So they stuck to the forests as they made their way north to Kaer Morhen for the second year.
The clearing that they had found to settle in for the winter was well fortified with a ditch along the edge and a stone face at their backs. At night they settled in the shallow cave and huddled for warmth but during the day, more aptly during
that
day, it was warm in the sunlight. Lambert had felled a tree to use as a bench and the fire was crackling merrily as the rabbits caught for dinner roasted.
A radio, pilfered from the ruins of a homestead outside of Novigrad, was playing a soft tune that Lambert knew Aiden loved. It was nearly as old as they were. He was struck with a sudden thought as the singer's voice wavered - they would run out of batteries within the month.
That was alright. Lambert would make a trip into whatever town they passed next just to keep it playing.
Just to keep Aiden smiling.
And Aiden was smiling, his eyes crinkled at the corner, his hair - longer than he’d ever worn it and oh so soft - was loose, and his lips weren’t even chapped. His lips looked soft, always curled like he held the secrets to the universe, and Lambert wanted to kiss them. It wasn’t a new feeling but it was the first time that the thought tugged him forward. He wrapped Aiden’s hand in his own. It would only take a moment, to press their lips together… his hand was slick with sweat. Aiden didn’t seem to mind.
He stood instead,
“Fire’s alright, want to come to the creek with me?” Refill the water bottles, maybe even make tea.
“I’d love to.” Lambert expected for his hand to be dropped, for Aiden to walk by his side or to dance ahead as was his routine. He did not.
“Did you see that?” Aiden asked as they followed the deer trail to the creek, he didn’t sound concerned and so Lambert's hackles did not rise.
“What?”
“A bluebird, there on the branch.” Aiden loved the little details of life, even in the middle of a hellscape he continued to point out the flittering of a bluebird, the laughter of a child as they passed by a compound, the way that a breeze rustled the changing leaves. Lambert couldn’t see the world that way but he could adore the man who did.
He tugged their combined hands. Aiden stopped.
“You alright, Lam?”
“Yeah,” he stepped forward again, cheeks flaming, “just thought I heard something.”
Lambert made tea, he plated their dinner and put their bedrolls against the wall to make a comfortable place to sit. He washed their plates and used the last of their sugar to make Aiden’s second cup of tea just perfect. Aiden was humming, relaxed and soft in the fading light of day.
He was beautiful.
Lambert’s heart was pounding as he settled down with their shoulders pressed together, a steady thrum that Aiden had admitted to finding comforting three summers ago before the world went to hell.
“Aiden can I- is this alright?”
His Cat smiled and squeezed his hand.
Then he kissed him.