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Nefer is not surprised when she finds Lauma alone in a quiet alley, sequestered away from the loud festivities of Moon-Prayer Night.
Lauma sits on a lone chair, her eyes closed, near dead to the world as soft snores rumble in the back of her throat. With her antlers glowing so brightly, she looks like a piece of art.
Nefer doesn’t mention the fact that Lauma always looks like art, beautiful as she is. There is no need to state the obvious.
With a chuckle to herself, Nefer quietly makes her way around the back of Lauma’s chair. Once there, she wraps gentle fingers around the base of Lauma’s antlers. “If you’ll allow me the honour, Lady Moonchanter,” she says in her best Frostmoon Scion impression, but she is found out immediately.
“Nefer,” Lauma murmurs as she stirs awake. Once she takes notice of the hands steadying her antlers, she moans quietly. “Thank you, Nefer, but you needn’t do that.”
Nefer shrugs, but she keeps her grip all the same. “Of course I don’t, but if you can’t even stay up for the entirety of Moon-Prayer Night, clearly your antlers are causing you more trouble than you’re letting on. Quite frankly, I think the stall with ears and antlers to try on pale in comparison to what you have to deal with everyday. Am I wrong?”
Lauma doesn’t answer.
She doesn’t need to. Nefer is never wrong.
“So allow me to help,” Nefer settles on, then begins massaging where Lauma’s antlers meet her head. “They’re heavier tonight, aren’t they?”
Lauma gives a weak nod, then leans further into Nefer’s touch with another moan. “They are. But it isn’t anything I can’t handle.”
“Oh, is that why you’re slacking off while everyone else enjoys the festival?” Nefer quips.
Lauma hums. “I did enjoy the festival. I helped Columbina, the animals and Kuuhenki hang up their prayers. It has been a fruitful evening.”
Nefer grumbles, not unlike that of an unpleased cat. “What have you done for yourself?”
Though she can’t see her face, Nefer knows Lauma well enough to see, in her minds eye, the way she blinks, not quite following. “Those.. were for me. They made me happy.”
Nefer can’t argue with that—helping others free of charge is completely up Lauma’s alley—but this is a special night. One she has waited for all year. “Is that really all you want of tonight?”
Lauma takes a while to answer. So long that Nefer almost thinks she has drifted back off to sleep. Instead, she says, “have you enjoyed yourself, Nefer?”
Nefer rolls her eyes—Lauma can change a subject far better than that. Come on—but she answers nonetheless. “I did. I even had a water balloon fight for the honour of Jahoda. She better be grateful.”
Lauma hums, the sound sweet and melodic, often accompanied by a warm smile that makes Nefer’s stomach feel funny. “That pleases me, Nefer. That is all I want.”
“For everyone else to have fun, you mean?”
“Yes,” Lauma agrees. “I went through all the trouble of organizing this Moon Prayer Night to honour Kuutar, yes, but also for the people of Nod-Krai. Nothing could please me more tonight than hearing that everyone had a good time.”
“Hm,” Nefer hums curtly. Something about that annoys her. Maybe it’s the selfless, goody-two-shoes bullshit that always gets on her nerves, or maybe the fact that Lauma genuinely doesn’t care how much strain she puts herself under for the sake of others. Either way, something is rubbing her the wrong way.
“For such sharp claws, you use them so gently,” Lauma whispers, tilting her head to lean into her touch once more. “This is enough for me. Thank you, Nefer.”
Nefer lets her hands slip from Lauma’s hair, and she can’t help the frown that tugs at her lips when Lauma turns in her seat to face her.
“Nefer?”
Nefer snaps. She can’t tell if it’s the look in Lauma’s eyes—pleased and soft and weary and concerned—or the gentle caress of her sweet voice saying her name over and over and over, but something draws her down to Lauma’s lips, and even more strangely, Lauma immediately tilts her head back to accept her.
The kiss is slow and searching, and almost thoughtlessly, Nefer slips her hands right back into Lauma’s hair to help support her antlers again. She is immediately rewarded with a low, deep moan as Lauma parts her lips for her.
They slot together like they’ve done this before—like they were born for this—and as much as Nefer enjoys any opportunity to kick fate in the ass, if this was always in her cards, she can’t exactly say she’s mad about it.
Lauma raises her hands, gliding them up Nefer’s thighs to then hold her at the hips. Nefer mewls, a soft little sound of pleasure that Lauma swallows into her own mouth with a pleased hum.
When they pull apart, it is only for air. Something about the fire in Lauma’s blue-pink eyes tells Nefer she wants to continue just as much as Nefer does, but they are still at Moon Prayer Night. Sequestered alley or not, they can’t go any further than this.
“You’re so benevolent, today,” Lauma says slowly. The soft scratch in her voice, the way she pants around the words, fills Nefer with an unbridled satisfaction. Like a cat who got the cream. “Not only did you donate generous sums to the production of the festival, but now this. Should I check your health?”
Nefer gives a sly chuckle. “Worry not, Lady Lauma. This was all as much for me as it was for you.”
Lauma blinks, like a puzzle piece has just clicked into place.
Nefer clenches her teeth. Perhaps Jahoda’s tendency to speak out of turn has rubbed off on her—she never would have so willingly divulged valuable information without something in return beforehand.
“Your help with the festival.. that.. was for me?” Lauma asks, always one to read between the lines.
Much like Nefer, she’s seldom wrong once she has all the necessary information.
Nefer clears her throat. Doubling down on her nonchalance will only prove Lauma right, but denying her outright feels wrong too.
Nefer can’t stand the idea of the dejected ’oh’ her pretty mouth would make.
“Ughh, you are the bane of my existence,” Nefer growls, even as she continues to work nimble fingers into tired flesh. Lauma and Jahoda—her biggest weaknesses. When did she get so soft? “Fine. If you must know: yes. Partially for you. Since I have spent so much of my hard earned money, you owe it to me to at least attempt to enjoy it.”
Lauma smiles to herself, all pale pinks and vibrant blues, and Nefer feels her heart squeeze in her chest. Pretty. She is so, so pretty. “I enjoyed myself greatly. Even more so now that you have joined me. Thank you, Nefer. This Moon Prayer Night was.. most magical. I doubt we’ll ever be able to top it.”
Nefer allows gravity to drag her hands back down to her sides as Lauma stands to her feet before her. Normally, the fact that she is taller annoys Nefer. Right now, though, as she tilts her chin up to look Lauma in the eyes, all she feels is warm and bubbly.
Lauma is absolutely stunning under the glow of the moon, the rays of her antlers shining iridescent blues across her face, and once again, Nefer is glad she didn’t lose her vision forever during the fight against Rerir. How could she have gone without seeing this masterpiece?
“What can top the Moon Goddess coming in person?” Nefer says, a jest to lighten the very serious mood she created but isn’t quite sure how to deal with. Lauma doesn’t bite.
“You have made this a most memorable night for me, Nefer,” Lauma says, tugging on the last sappy string of yarn to Nefer’s heart—the one she could never quite part with. The one where her father still resides. “Would you allow me to kiss you again?”
Nefer thinks it a bit silly to ask now, when she herself never asked, but that is the difference between her and Lauma. The anticipation of knowing it is going to happen, but not when, where or how is exciting, to say the least.
Heat blooms in Nefer’s gut, sweet and sticky. Lauma’s piercing gaze, patient but wanting, is like a fan to the flame. Nefer has no choice but to say, “yes. Please?”
The next kiss they share is less innocent than the first, Lauma leading Nefer until her back hits the alley wall, their lips never once parting, even as Nefer moans on impact, but what is she supposed to do? Ask Lauma to stop?
Nefer could never bring herself to do that. On the one hand, her more cunning, self serving side says this feels way too good to ever stop. On the other hand, this newer, gentler, caring side of Nefer says Lauma is enjoying herself, and what more could she ask for than that?
Maybe they spend the next ten minutes back there, Nefer’s hands in Lauma’s hair, Lauma’s lips all over Nefer’s skin, but when they leave the alley, hand in hand, ready to partake in the festivities, Nefer finds that the anxious thrum that had been bugging her all night is gone.
She has done good. Lauma is sated, Jahoda is having fun, and the Traveler and Columbina are enjoying themselves.
“This way, Lauma. Aino and Ineffa have set up a game with some Kuuhenki that you might like. That being said, I hear Ineffa is certainly cheating.”
Lauma giggles behind her hand, following Nefer’s lead without hesitation. “That sounds lovely.”
With a jolt that reminds her of her simple, naive father, Nefer realizes it is only now—when the people she cares about most all have smiles on their faces—that she, herself, is pleased.