Work Text:
Rue shivered slightly as they began to settle in for a few hours of rest, the first tendrils of morning light painting the sky a soft orange color. Their thoughts were consumed by their rendezvous with Binx, and Andhera, and Hob. Even though Rue knew ahead of time that the captain would be there, their mental preparations did little to quiet the butterflies fluttering around their stomach as Hob swept in like a summer storm alongside the Unseelie prince. Rather the opposite, in fact— Rue found themselves increasingly, hopelessly enamored with Hob’s tenacious sense of honor, his beautiful golden eyes, even his name (because the K standing for Knickolas was quite possibly one of the most endearing things they had ever heard).
Rue’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by three swift knocks at the door to their chambers. They frowned slightly at the unexpected disturbance; they had not called upon Wuvvy for assistance, and were not expecting anyone else at this hour. Rue quickly tied the sash of their silken nightgown and strode over to the door, swinging it open to reveal none other than the illustrious Captain K.P. Hob, who appeared to be shifting uncomfortably in his stance as if he was unsure what level of formality was required for this interaction. Rue felt their breath catch in their throat at the unexpected sight of the captain.
“Ah, Mistrex of Ceremonies,” Hob looked up at Rue and stumbled over his words slightly as he noticed their attire, “My deepest and most sincere apologies for coming here at this time of night. It was a foolish miscalculation on my part and I will take my leave so as to spare you any… unwanted chatter amongst the Courts.” Hob spun around and began to walk away, his ears drooping and his posture slightly slumped over.
Rue, stunned by the interaction both for its unanticipated nature as well as its brevity, hesitated for just a moment before their body reacted of its own accord. They took a step forward as their clawed hand shot out, seeking the hand that they had swatted away just days prior during the Great Hart Hunt. They had been so caught up in fulfilling their duties as Mistrex of Ceremonies, but if their clandestine meeting at the tailor shop had taught them anything, it was that perhaps their role in the Court of Wonder was not enough to satiate their craving for true connection. As their hand caught Hob’s in a gentle but firm grasp, the captain’s ears shot to attention and he slowly swiveled around to face Rue with wide eyes and a slacked jaw.
Rue sought out the captain’s eyes as they made their quiet request, “Please, stay.” Hob’s eyes were swirling with confusion, and shock, and perhaps a little bit of hope at this invitation, and he hesitated for a moment before placing his other hand atop Rue’s own and bowing slightly as he spoke in a gravelly tone, “Of course, anything you desire. My humble apologies for presuming your own thoughts on the matter.”
At this, Rue let out a breath that they didn’t know they had been holding in. They glanced down at their conjoined hands and reveled in the softness of Hob’s touch, before realizing that they had not yet responded to the captain. Rue reluctantly pulled away as they took another step out of their doorway to allow for Hob’s entrance as they spoke, “No need to apologize, Captain. Why don’t you come in and we can discuss whatever is on your mind?”
Captain Hob nodded and ducked through the slightly too short doorway into Rue’s quarters, and the owlbear did the same as they followed close behind, annoyed by the little reminder that the Court had provided this room to Rue’s shorter, glamoured façade. Captain Hob chattered awkwardly behind Rue as they swung the door shut, and for once, Rue was paying little attention to the captain’s words.
Rather, Rue was lost in thought at the captain’s declaration in the hallway. Anything you desire. Even this slightest possibility that Hob may harbor similar feelings for Rue sent a shiver down their spine. Binx’s advice to divulge their feelings to Hob echoed in their mind, and Rue felt as if they were standing on the precipice of a cliff, as scared of the fall as they were of never jumping at all. Rue glanced over their shoulder at Hob, who was rambling on about the tactical advantages and disadvantages of Rue’s quarters, and their heart fluttered with adoration at the captain’s awkward attempt at small talk. Rue sighed and thought, restraint be damned.
The owlbear spun around rapidly, startling Hob out of his monologue, and asked, “My dear Captain, when you offered anything I desire earlier, did you truly mean anything?”
Hob looked taken aback, as if this was the last question he had expected. Rue winced at the captain’s reaction, silently berating themselves for being too forward. After a beat, Hob took a deep breath and responded, “Mistrex, forgive me, but understanding the unspoken is not a skill in which I am particularly proficient. What is it exactly that you are asking of me?”
Rue steeled themselves as they took a step forward towards the captain. “Hob, my dearest, though we have not known each other very long, you have become the object of my most ardent affection,” Rue took an unsteady breath and continued, “so I suppose what I am asking is this: what if my deepest desire in this world is you?”
Hob surged forward and cupped Rue’s feathery cheek, glancing up at them unsure, as if to confirm that this was okay. Rue sighed happily and leaned further into Hob’s touch, wishing desperately to be as close to him as possible. Hob instinctually responded in kind, placing his other hand on Rue’s waist and pulling them towards himself. Rue’s heart was beating in overtime as they realized how close their face was to Hob’s, how easy it would be to close the distance. Their gaze fluttered down to the captain’s mouth for a brief moment before flicking back up to meet his eyes, which shone with nervousness, and vulnerability, and an intense passion that took Rue’s breath away. His face inched closer as he once again looked at Rue as if asking permission, which was enough to wear away Rue’s last bit of self-restraint.
Rue crashed their mouths together and gently but forcefully pushed Hob against the nearest wall as they explored one another. Rue kissed desperately, as if they could hardly believe this moment was real, and Hob was only too happy to match their frenzied pace. His arms looped tightly around Rue’s waist, and he growled into their mouth as their tongue carved a devastating path. Rue’s head buzzed pleasantly with dizziness and adrenaline, and they pulled away briefly to catch their breath. They planted a line of kisses along Hob’s jaw, before moving upward to experimentally nibble at his expressive ears. Hob’s knees buckled under Rue’s ministrations, and they chuckled as they returned to Hob’s mouth, filing away this information for later. This was a tactical weakness that they were more than happy to exploit.
With the realization that they had all the time in the world, they slowed to a more languid pace, and Rue melted into Hob’s embrace. Rue burned under each touch more and more intensely for Hob. Between the softness of his fur, his earthy musk, and his relentless mouth, Rue’s senses were on overload in the best way possible, and Rue never wanted this moment to end.
Eventually, Hob pulled away with a dazed smile that faded gradually as his eyebrows furrowed and he spoke carefully, “Delloso. Before we proceed any further, I must ask you a question, and I must preface this by stating that I do not mean to question your integrity, but instead seek clarity for my own sake. After the duel, I had been under the distinct impression that I was not worthy of your notice at best, and at worst, viewed with disgust and disdain. So I must inquire, because I do not believe that my heart could handle it otherwise, are these feelings true?”
A flash of regret flew across Rue’s eyes. They knew that the captain had been hurt by the affair, but hadn’t realized exactly how he had interpreted the events of the duel until now. Rue took Hob’s hand in both of their own and pulled it close to their heart as they explained, “I must apologize for my part in the duel. I prevented Wuvvy from bringing you a letter that expressed the extent of my feelings for you, and she needed to seek satisfaction somewhere for the poor way I treated her.” Rue’s head tilted down with guilt at the revelation, but continued, “I need you to know this, Hob, that although I have felt shame about my own actions, I have only ever felt adoration for you, and that fondness has only grown stronger with time.”
A large, toothy grin split across Hob’s face at Rue’s words. “In that case, my darling Rue, I must inform you that when you spoke earlier of not belonging anywhere, how desperately I wished that I could be that place for you.”
Rue beamed at the captain and swept him back up into a warm embrace, less passionate than the last but still with the same level of emotion. They buried their face into the tufted fur of Hob’s neck with a sigh, and for the first time in ages, Rue felt their unrelenting loneliness grow dim. Perhaps, Rue contemplated as the captain pressed his muzzle into their downy feathers, we could belong, together.