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The Shadow Curse was hanging heavy in the air, the smell of rot and the cold of the unending darkness. It was a desperate feeling that clung to your bones, soaking your body in the icy tug of feeling hopeless. Octavia had experience with desperate feelings, although those were mostly felt in an atmosphere of the Hells. Not like a field of decay, but everything corrupted as far as you could see and she could relate to that. There was so much to do still, the list of things was neverending.
"Tav, what's on your mind?" Karlach's voice brought her back to reality. Those dark yellow eyes looking into hers, safety reflected in there. A smile appeared on her face, a smile that always was there when Karlach was around. Something easy, something that just happened without any questions.
Gods, she had been terrified when she met Karlach. Burning up with fire, the words of Wyll in the back of her mind, Advocatus Diaboli. She already had enough of devils. But after their minds had merged, she had been able to see the real Karlach. The joy in her, how she approached every day with being grateful where she was and how she was surrounded by friends. Being with Karlach was easy, made her feel a little lighter. But she also knew what devils were capable of, she understood the heaviness of her pact with Raphael. All those times that she was in Avernus and Karlach was fighting below the House of Hope.
It had been easy to drift closer to Karlach, seeking each other out at the campfire or trailing back when they were walking. Every fight she knew that Karlach would have her back, she was never afraid. When they had saved the Grove, she had felt so relieved. Relieved for the people there but also for her. She had done the right thing. Maybe that's were she found the confidence to tell Karlach that she liked her, as more than just a friend. She hadn't expected that Karlach felt the same way. They had shared a searing kiss that night but she had been smitten ever since. Not being able to touch had been a curse, her hands wanting to drift towards Karlach without a thought.
But yesterday at the Last Light Inn, it had finally been able. She had been able to kiss and hug Karlach. Been able to spend the night with her, been able to really be hers. It had been so normal to put her bedroll in Karlach's tent now. after all that time apart it was almost natural. And it was really nice to have Karlach warming her up in a place like this.
"Just thinking about what we need to do tomorrow," she replied. Karlach reached over and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, her hand trailing over her cheek. The movement feeling so intimate, so caring.
"Darling, let's worry about that in the morning. We're all tired, we just need some rest." She was right. She was always right, she always saw the clear solution. Not overthinking like she always did, just the clear path forward.
"You're right, you're always right." A small grin came up on Karlach's face as she reached over for Clive. She put her at the back of her head, she could feel that her hair was touching the teddy.
"Look, Clive is going to take away all your worries for the night. Let's sleep, my sweet soldier. Karlach pulled her closer, the skin that touched her turning blue. A small and content sigh escaped from her. She felt so warm, so safe and so loved.
"Good night my sweet barbarian."
"Good night darling."
There was no indicator that it was morning, no light trickling through the tent or the sounds of birds. When her eyes opened, there was no way to know if it was still the middle of the night. She was so comfortable, her leg caught in between Karlach's, the deep breaths of Karlach in her hair and her arm still firm around her. It was hard to believe that she had her own sliver of peace in all this madness. How she had been so lucky to find Karlach through it all. She pressed a kiss on Karlach's collarbone, as gentle as she could. But it still woke Karlach up, her breaths changing and her boy shifting ever so slightly.
"Is it morning already," Karlach whispered. She got pulled in closer, into a tight embrace. Nothing had ever felt so comforting.
"I don't know, hard to tell here. Not hearing anyone out there." Karlach kissed her hair, almost making her heart skip a beat.
"Let's say that it's not morning yet. Let's stay in the tent as long as we can." Octavia laughed softly, hoping that nobody would hear her. It was so tempting. Outside there was nothing but decay and reminders of everything that needed to be done. Inside there was only Karlach and that warm feeling of being home.
"They'll come get us anyways if they need us." She lifted her head, looking up at Karlach. She was looking down on her with the most loving look that she had ever seen, making her heart melt. The outside world could wait. She shuffled her body a bit higher so their lips could meet. Every kiss with Karlach felt like a wonder, like she wasn't allowed to feel this. Karlachs hand cupped her face, tipping it back slightly so her tongue could slip into her mouth. Not claiming, not brutal. But soft, sweet and full of desire. Like she was the most precious jewel in the world, like how she felt Karlach was the whole world. The one kiss melted in another, only interrupted for small kisses on the cheek or forehead. Karlachs hands on her skin, flowing from her back to her waist. Her hands in Karlachs hair, like she could just slip away from her. Bodies searching connection. They had missed how the rest of the companions had woken up, how they were busy around the campfire.
"I'm not going to wake them up, I treasure my life too much."
"Somebody is going to have to do it, Astarion."
"Chk, this waiting is a waste."
"Tav? Karlach?" Shadowheart had drawn the shortest straw, opening the tent flap. A groan coming from both Octavia and Karlach. It had been nice to pretend what was waiting outside, the reminder of their fate clear now.
"We'll get up, Shaddie. Is breakfast ready?" A laugh escaped from Octavia, the domesticity of the question in contrast with their situation. Shadowheart dropped the tent flap again, probably joining the others.
"Seems like the tadpoles wait for nobody," Octavia muttered. Karlach sat up, looking down at her.
"I love you Octavia."
"I love you too, Karlach." For a second, the tadpoles could be damned.