Chapter Text
I'll watch the night turn light blue
But it's not the same without you
Because it takes two to whisper quietly
The silence isn't so bad
'Til I look at my hands and feel sad
'Cause the spaces between my fingers
Are right where yours fit perfectly
***
Snow crunched under Andromeda’s boots as she hurried from her car to her apartment building. It was extremely late, and she hadn’t even been on the work schedule for the night, but she agreed to take the shift from Alfira who had come down with a terrible cold. Astarion had made it known up until the moment she left how annoyed he was that she agreed to do something nice for the tiefling, but Andromeda didn’t mind. She could use the extra money from tips for gifts for the holidays.
The air in the lobby felt comforting and warm as the door clanked shut behind the elven woman. Shaking the fresh snow off her coat and brushing it out of her hair, Andromeda pressed the button of the elevator. The machine made a dinging sound as the doors immediately opened, causing Andromeda to smile at her good luck.
The music in the elevator was a holiday favorite of Andromeda’s and she found herself mindlessly humming along. Her feet ached and she was antsy to get upstairs so she could peel herself out of her clothes, take a hot shower, and curl up in bed.
With another ding from the elevator, she practically ran out and down the hall to her front door. Her key clicked in the lock before she pushed the door open and slipped inside. She was unsurprised to see that the apartment was dark, only the light in the kitchen left on. It was well after 2AM and Astarion had to work early in the morning.
Kicking off her boots, she put them on the shoe rack before padding over to the counter to drop her keys and her bag. Chuckling lightly, she picked up a piece of paper that was left in her usual spot.
I’m still mad at you for working today.
Astarion’s elegant handwriting was a comfort to her even if the note was expressing that he was displeased with her. Setting the note back down on the counter, she kept her footsteps light to avoid making noise as she made her way down the hall to the bathroom.
After a nice, hot shower, Andromeda felt a little more relaxed and ready to slip herself into bed. It felt like it took an eternity to brush out her long hair, but once it was no longer sopping wet and tangled, Andromeda brushed her teeth and followed all the steps in the little skincare routine that Astarion had carefully picked out for her, insisting that it would do wonders for her skin type. He hadn’t been wrong, of course, but when she was tired, sometimes she really did not want to bother.
Once she finished the final step, Andromeda finally crossed the hall and crept into the bedroom, doing her best to make sure she was quiet as a mouse. The light of the TV illuminated the room and her heart immediately fluttered at the sight of Astarion. He was facing the door, but she couldn’t see much of his face. He was clutching her pillow rather tightly, his face buried in the material. A small part of her wanted to snap a picture, but she knew she would never hear the end of his complaints if he ever discovered that she had.
Dropping her towel to the floor, Andromeda quickly dressed herself in her comfiest pair of sweatpants and her favorite shirt that she had stolen from Astarion. After a quick trip back to the bathroom to hang up her towel, Andromeda was back to slide herself under the covers. Despite her best efforts to do so stealthily, it was a fruitless act. Astarion’s eyes fluttered open as he jerked awake. Confusion painted his features momentarily before they warped into her favorite pout.
“Oh, hi.” His sleepy, grumpy voice was one of her favorites.
“Hi. Sorry for waking you.”
He yawned, releasing her pillow so she could use it. “Yes, well, that wouldn’t have been an issue if you hadn’t decided to abandon me this evening.”
She laughed quietly, settling her head next to his. “I’m sorry.”
He continued to pout, but she couldn’t help but notice the way he scooted a little closer. “How was your shift?”
She sighed and shrugged. “Busy. Exhausting. But I made a decent amount in tips.” She paused. “Could I kiss you?”
Astarion huffed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “I don’t see why I should let you.” He licked his lips. “But I’m selfish so I will.”
She smiled up until the very second his lips pressed to hers. His hands were cold as they drifted up her shirt to rest on the small of her back, but she didn’t mind. She was used to him always having chilly hands. The couple snuggled closer together under the silken sheets, their mouths never separating.
When Astarion finally pulled back, he sighed but had a soft smile pulling at the corners of his lips. “Hi,” he said again.
She smiled in return. “Hi, pookie.” She kissed him again. “I’m sorry I didn’t spend the evening with you.”
His pout returned and, even in the darkness, Andromeda could see the way the tips of his pointed ears turned pink. “I suppose I can forgive you.”
Leaning forward, he nuzzled his nose against her cheek. With every kiss, cuddle, and word of affection, Andromeda could feel all remaining tension from her busy work day dissipating from her body. It didn’t matter how stressful her day was, being in Astarion’s arms was the comfort she always needed.
“Is it still snowing?” Astarion asked after almost a dozen more kisses.
“Yeah, it started coming down pretty good just after I got in the building.”
“Glad you’re home then.” His fingers danced through her damp locks, making her eyes flutter closed when he gently massaged her scalp.
“Me too, but not so much because of the snow. Just because I missed you.”
He playfully made a noise of disgust. “How clingy of you.”
She chuckled, burrowing herself deeper under the blankets and tighter into Astarion’s arms. He made no complaints that she had gotten closer and also slung her leg up over his hip. “Perhaps a little,” she replied, nuzzling her nose against his. “I don’t really think you mind though.”
His eyes were closed, but a smile crossed his perfect features. “Perhaps I don’t. But don’t tell anyone.”
“Of course not. Can’t let anyone think that you actually like me.”
They both started giggling like a couple of idiots. It made Andromeda’s heart sing to know she got to spend every day loving her best friend. Astarion wiped a few tears from his eyes and sighed. “As much as I do enjoy laughing like a couple of hyenas, I probably should try to get back to sleep since I have to be up in a few hours.”
Andromeda nodded, pressing her lips to Astarion’s cheek. “Yeah. Thanks for chatting with me for a little bit.”
“Yes, you’re welcome for giving up some of my sleep to talk to you even though you abandoned me today.” His tone and expression both betrayed his words, a clear indication that he was not being serious.
“I am honored by such an act of chivalry.”
“You should be. I’m probably going to have bags under my eyes tomorrow and it will be entirely your fault.” He pouted even though his eyes were still closed.
Andromeda took that opportunity to pepper his face in kisses until he physically could not keep up with the pout. When she pulled away, he was grinning in a way that was utterly endearing and somehow made her fall in love with him even more. Although she didn’t know how that was possible.
Rolling onto his back, Astarion gave his chest a little pat. She didn’t hesitate to take the invitation and snuggled right up into his arms again. A smile pulled at the corners of her lips when a kiss grazed the scarred part of her forehead. “I love you,” she said softly.
His voice was already thick with sleep. “I love you too, Andie darling.”
Her eyes fluttered closed, happy to be in the comfort of her partner’s arms. She wasn’t entirely sure how long it took for her to fall asleep, but it couldn’t have been long. The last thing she remembered was smiling over the gentle sounds of his breathing and his steady heartbeat fluttering in her ear like a lullaby.