Work Text:
She knew she needed to rest. Unfortunately, she had been trying for the last few hours to will herself to sleep and she was starting to get aggravated. At this point she was mostly just closing her eyes and hoping the sound of her own breathing would lull her to sleep, but she just wasn’t ready yet. Too much was on her mind and the current overbearing darkness of the Shadowlands wasn’t helping anyone to sleep any better. Even though she had been warned, she still wasn’t prepared for this. She was so thankful for the respite the Last Light Inn provided, especially the actual beds. It was a small pocket of normalcy in an otherwise unnatural environment. But no matter how tired she should have been from the day’s activities, sleep just wouldn’t take her.
Whenever it got this bad, her only choice was to just stay awake. Eventually she would be too tired and fall right to sleep, even if only for a little while. She decided to go for a little walk by the lake behind the inn. She put pants on and grabbed a robe to cover her shoulders before she headed out of the side entrance of the inn. There were many Harpers and tieflings still up and moving about, most on watch, but she was definitely not the only one wandering around because their sleep schedule had been ruined.
Even though she found her surroundings to be quite unnatural, she did find some peace looking at the small body of water behind the inn. There was something oddly beautiful about it. Perhaps it was because out here she could pretend that it was just a normal night anywhere in Faerûn. And if she didn’t focus too hard she couldn’t see the borders of the orb protecting them in the distance. She was just on a normal adventure ready to end her day. She was just at a normal lake on a normal night, enjoying some peace and quiet.
She walked up to the shore, careful not to get so close that she would end up with her shoes and feet wet. She walked along slowly, staring at the dark water hitting the ground near her. She suddenly heard something like a twig snapping and looked further down the shoreline to see Halsin’s familiar form sitting and intently staring out at the water. She had only hoped to find a moment of peace; to have a nice calming walk around the lake, but Halsin was also a very welcome sight.
“Shit,” she whispered to herself, and briefly wondered if she should turn around and find her own quiet spot. As much as she would have liked to sit with him, he looked as if he was in thought and she didn’t want to bother him.
Yet something still pushed her forward.
“What are you doing out here so late at night, my friend?” Halsin finally turned his attention to her.
She began walking over to where he sat more confidently. Her heart beating a little faster in response to his voice.
“I couldn’t sleep…” she began, “just like everyone else, I think.”
“Looks like we have the same problem then,” Halsin chuckled.
“Join me?” He patted the patch of ground next to him.
“I hope I’m not intruding,” she said; though she smiled at his invitation and gladly sat down.
“Nonsense,” he shook his head, insisting. “Your company is always welcome.”
“I was just enjoying the surroundings of the lake, anyway. Trying to find some peace in this curse…if only just for a moment.” He spoke quietly.
She nodded and settled in next to him. Thankfully he had brought a blanket to sit on so that they weren’t sitting flat on the stone that made up the lake shore. They sat comfortably enjoying each other’s company in silence. The waves gently rolled back and forth in front of them; the artificial light from Isobel’s protective spell reflecting down onto the water. She felt safe and relaxed at his side. The desire to move just a little closer to him and nestle into his side becoming harder to resist with their current atmosphere.
If she pretended hard enough she was just on a normal shore, on a normal evening, at a normal lake enjoying her handsome friend’s company.
“I want to thank you.” Halsin suddenly broke the silence between them.
“Hmm?” She titled her head up to look at him, and almost immediately looked away as he was staring intensely right back at her.
“It hasn’t been easy seeing the ravages of the shadow curse…but you’ve welcomed me into your camp, shared more than your company with me. Thank you for allowing me to come with you. You’ve given me a second chance to right this wrong…”
“Of course,” she said.
She instinctively reached over and laid her hand softly on top of the hand he had resting on the ground. She looked into his eyes and gave him her most sincere, reassuring smile; hoping that he knew how much she appreciated his help on this journey. He truly didn’t have to be here, but as she had his support in getting rid of her parasite, she would do whatever she could to help him get rid of this curse.
“I truly enjoy having you with us, as well.”
He smiled back at her; eyes bright under the glow of their temporary moon. She sat holding his hand for a moment, looking into his eyes and suddenly the air around them began to change. She felt the warmth of his hand under hers. The sound of the waves softly hitting the ground near them seemed to get louder. Halsin picked their hands up so that he could lace their fingers together. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she let him take her hand. It was sudden, but it felt right. And with that spark, she found herself moving closer to him as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Halsin began leaning down closer to her and she felt his arm wrap around her side until his hand was resting between her shoulder blades. His warm eyes only invited her further in, closer. She sighed contentedly, lips parted slightly, waiting. And just like that, he had closed the short distance between them, gently placing his lips against hers. Finally. She wrapped her arms gently around the back of his neck and deepened the kiss.
Since the tiefling party, they had had many more interesting nights at camp. Many nights that they stayed up late talking. Many times they found themselves sitting a little too close to each other, or much too close to ending up in each other’s tents. But as undeniable as their connection was, they had never actually made it this far before.
She was the first to pull back to catch her breath. But if she still had any lingering doubts, or any thoughts that maybe it wasn’t the right time and Halsin wanted to slow down, they were put to rest as he placed his hands on her hips and swiftly moved her so that she was in his lap. She gasped, caught off guard, but couldn’t help but laugh as she settled on top of him.
“Sorry,” said Halsin with a laugh. “You were just a little too far away for me.”
“It’s okay,” she said. A teasing smile formed on her lips as she moved her legs to place her knees on both sides of him, straddling him.
“This is much better.” She kissed him again, this time much more certain. She took her time to enjoy the feeling of Halsin’s lips against hers, how his tongue entered her mouth and moved against her own. She relished the feeling of his strong hands caressing her sides and moving slowly down her back. She was extremely aware of how he felt almost pinned between her knees.
“Truthfully, I had been holding back around you.” Halsin spoke in a low voice once they separated. As he spoke he continued gently running his hands over her arms.
“I had hoped to…spend some time like this with you in more natural settings. But Oak Father preserve me, I’m not sure I can resist any longer.” Halsin looked up at her and she knew what the fire in his eyes meant; she gazed back with the same intensity in her eyes.
“Hmm, well for what it’s worth I think that as long as I have this tadpole, things are gonna be a little unnatural,” she said as light-heartedly as she could manage.
“I think we should make the most of our time together…” She whispered next to his ear before nibbling at his earlobe and then moving to kiss a trail down his neck.
“You do make a very good point,” said Halsin. His eyes fluttered shut at her touch, and he began to recline back, giving her easier access to his neck.
She sat back up and smiled at him. With longing in her eyes, she began to gently tangle fingers into his hair; wordlessly asking him to continue. He kissed her softly, indulging her, and soon the fires from all those missed nights at camp were burning between them. He moved to kiss along her neck down to her chest, gently sucking at her sensitive skin.
She breathed in sharply. Halsin was very good at this, so much so that she was starting to lose her balance sitting on top of him. The robe that had been covering her shoulders had been removed long ago. She didn’t need it to keep warm anymore. She had imagined nights like this before, but nothing could compare to the actual feeling of Halsin’s lips on her. But this wasn’t enough; she wanted him on top of her. All over her.
“Halsin...” She called out, trying to steady her breathing.
He stopped and looked up at her, giving her his full attention. In the glow of the protective spell she could see a familiar wild glint in his eyes. She began to realize they needed a change of location; somewhere much more private. And she knew of just the place.
“Come up to my room?” She arched an eyebrow at him.
“Lead the way,” said Halsin. A look of anticipation flashed across his face, and a low laugh that almost sounded like a growl rumbled in his chest.
People would definitely see him going into her room, but she didn’t care. She wanted this. Her only focus now them making it upstairs without interruption.
It took all her willpower to walk back into the inn composed and at a natural pace, Halsin not far behind her. They made their way through the din of the main room, and past the bar area, undisturbed. Once they reached the base of the stairs, she let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding.
It was only a few more steps away. Her head was already buzzing as they made their way up the stairs; she was almost dizzy thinking of what was to come. As she reached for the doorknob to her room, she grabbed Halsin’s hand. She made sure to kick her shoes back off before sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to cross the room and touch her again.
A smile formed on Halsin’s face as he held her gaze. He pushed the door closed behind himself and locked it. Finally they were alone, and suddenly, she was much less concerned with sleep.