Who: Ari & Aspel What: A reunion Where: Theatre District/Ari’s flat When: Right after this and into the next morning Rating: PG-13-ish Status: Complete
Ari could appreciate the utter foolish (some might claim romantic) idiocy of traipsing out on a chilly autumn night in cloak and boots and absolutely nothing else just to meet a lover halfway. She justified it to herself as she walked -- Aspel was tired, she was likely expending borrowed energy to get across town at all -- but she knew that to some extent, she really was being exactly as silly as she’d always sworn she would never be.
Well, what did it matter anymore? She’d broken so many promises to herself at this point that she’d stopped bothering to wave as they flew by on their way into oblivion.
The air was cool and damp, the scent of flowers and greenery long replaced with dead leaves and a hint of woodsmoke. Some people liked this sort of weather -- Ari just wished she’d taken the time to tug on some leggings, cloak or not.
Fortunately, it seemed she would not have so far to go. Maybe Aspel had hastened her steps in an attempt to make Ari’s walk shorter (very possible) or perhaps she’d simply taken longer than she thought to get herself decent, but she spotted a familiar figure walking in her direction as she entered the passage that connected the Theatre District and the Bazaar. “There’s a sight for sore eyes.” Her voice seemed unnaturally loud at this advanced hour, but she wasn’t particularly fussed about it as she closed the difference between herself and the other woman and, placing hands lightly on Aspel’s waist, tilted her face up for a kiss. “Shall we get you into bed?” Certainly Aspel looked like she needed it; even in the faint light she looked utterly exhausted.
Even though she knew - especially at this time of night - it was likely unwise to keep her communicator in hand, Aspel had continued to do so regardless checking the screen every time it vibrated. Which, in many ways, it was Faram sent that Ari was both awake, and willing to entertain such a foolish old smith in this way. Though - admittedly - it was her that was traipsing across town in the middle of the night after what had felt like the longest trip of her life. So, perhaps, foolish was the most appropriate word she could apply to herself on such a night.
However, the half exhausted semi-stupor and routine she’d set into was broken at the sound of a very familiar voice. For the briefest moment, Aspel thought perhaps she’d begun to slip into hallucinations from sleep exhaustion - her and Mag were never cramming a week’s trip into four days again, that was just miserable - but… There was Ari, and the swell of emotions, well…
When she felt hands fall to her hips, Aspel instinctively leaned in for a kiss, before wrapping her arms tightly around the bard.
“There you are.” Came words slightly slurred from exhaustion. “Mm, that sounds as lovely as you feel.” And after a beat, Aspel would finally sigh, and pull back from the tight hug, intertwining her fingers with Ari’s before shifting, and beginning to move along her rather hampered pace.
That their movement was slowed wasn’t much of a worry, though after a few moments, Ari tugged the hand holding hers to indicate Aspel’s arm should come around her shoulders instead. “I’m cold,” she said with a tiny shrug. “Somehow, winter snuck up on me.”
Even if it was actually still autumn.
She ensured that she kept an eye on where they were going, just in case Aspel was too exhausted to take care of it herself, but thought better of letting the silence descend when she remembered that it was technically possible to fall asleep standing up. She had little to say, however, that wasn’t utterly random, except, perhaps, this: “I’m glad you’re back.”
Without much thought at all - if any really - the smith allowed her arm to be redirected over Ari’s shoulders, and gave the bard a slight squeeze once positioned properly again. The words may not have been much, but the simple sentence brought a sincere, warm - if tired - smile to Aspel’s face. “And I that you are awake.” The thought of going to sleep alone, especially with Ari in the same city now, seemed a terribly depressing one… Even if Aspel couldn’t place much more than she’d missed the other woman… Perhaps a bit more than she was even entirely comfortable with, but… Well, it was late, she’d spent many hours traveling, she couldn’t be bothered to be concerned with that now.
“You know.” There was a pause as the words died off thoughtfully, as if her exhaustion logged mind was having problems processing precisely what it was she was trying to think of to say. “I never did finish my story for you.” The words were passive as Aspel had stopped paying much attention to their surroundings at that point, and mostly had started letting Ari lead the way back to her flat.
“Story?” There were still lights on all around the Theatre District, fortunately; in this part of town, there were quite a number of revelers who did not seek their beds until dawn, and that was several hours away yet. Really, Ari thought as she guided Aspel along to the stairs running up the side of the tavern, they were practically turning in early.
“Are you certain you can tell it without falling asleep in the middle? And where is -- there!” She held up her key triumphantly before fitting it in the lock. “Good, I didn’t think to bring my picks, I would have hated to have to break the window.”
“Mm, I have not the faintest.” Which really, she felt like a night like tonight could go either way. Either falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, or staring up at the ceiling for half the night praying for sleep to come. At the stairs however, Aspel couldn’t help but let out a groan, and a mild look of dismay at them. “I really do wish you lived in a place without so many stairs some days.” Mostly days where she was exhausted… Or injured… Or mostly drunk.
Regardless, the stairs would be weathered - with some grumbling and help - and the sudden pleased outburst from Ari regarding the key only startled her mildly before a low chuckle was stuck in her throat. Shifting, Aspel leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the bard, and letting her chin to come to rest on Ari’s shoulder as she leaned over with a slightly muted yawn.
“Yes, one of us breaking your flat is more than enough.” The words were half mumbled into Ari’s shoulder as Aspel’s eyes had already started to drift closed while the other woman worked to unlock the door.
“Oh, it’s happened more times than you know, believe me,” Ari said. “Comfort yourself with the knowledge that you aren’t the only one, darling.”
Door now open, the bard stepped into the flat and immediately tugged off her boots and undid the clasp of her cloak, tossing it at the couch -- she’d pick it up later, or just wear it out again. Over her shoulder, she tossed, “Well darling, I’m ready for bed, why don’t you catch up? We’ll see if you still feel up to a story once you’ve a blanket over you.”
“Mmmm.” And as horrible as it was, Aspel had already - very slightly - started to nod off after having wrapped herself around the bard. When Ari moved, the smith jerked awake slightly, her first step a little unsteady as she - begrudgingly - let go of Ari so that they could both move through the door.
“Hrmm?” Aspel had already stepped through and pushed the door closed absently behind them both, but her brain hadn’t worked through enough to actually think about locking the door. “Ah.” A beat. “Right. Of course.” With that, the smith shifted to begin slowly, and stiffly removing what was needed to get herself ready for bed, and it wasn’t until her top had been completely stripped that she looked down at her pants and boots with a fair amount of frustration and dismay. Why was moving so ridiculously hard? She’d never had nearly this many problems when she ventured around a decade ago… What had changed that she was such a big baby now? With a groan Aspel gave up, dropping down onto the end of Ari’s bed on her behind.
“Sleeping like this is acceptable, mm?”
“Poor darling.” The sympathy in Ari’s voice was genuine as she knelt down and tugged at the boots (no rugs to distress her tonight -- an absent thought, very nearly amusing considering the circumstances), and then the pants, leaving Aspel with no task more difficult than lifting her hips for a moment. Everything was dumped on the floor to be dealt with tomorrow, and Ari crawled into bed herself with a small contented sigh. “It is only acceptable if --” she shifted around a bit until she was curled up against Aspel’s side -- “you keep me warm.” A hand was reached out to fumble until the light was extinguished, and with another pleased sigh, she planted a sleepy kiss against Aspel’s skin and despite suspecting she already knew what the answer would be, said, “So, sleep or story?”
There was a faint huff of air, and a rather pathetic look given to Ari - even with her best attempts to stop such - as the other woman helped her through the steps. Aspel couldn’t help the thought that perhaps in the morning, even her bones would ache and really, that was a terribly displeasing thought. However, before she knew it, they were both down, and Ari had curled up against her side. Without a thought, or a beat missed, Aspel shifted, rolling over and slipped one arm under the other woman, so that both her arms could be wrapped around the bard in a rather tight embrace as her head bowed down.
“Deal.” The word was low, slurred, and really amazing that it might be made out at all with the fact that Aspel had already started to fall asleep even before Ari had asked her next question which only - ever so faintly - barely registered in the back of the smith’s mind and earned a low. “Mmmm.” As the only - rather nonsensical - response.
“Sleep,” Ari decided. Fortunately, it seemed Aspel had followed the advice before the word was even fully formed. Content with the situation, Ari followed suit.
To accommodate her typical schedule, Ari’s curtains were very thick. She woke, therefore, in the artificial twilight that could come at any daylight hour, and upon looking at her clock, realized two things -- it was already noon, and somehow, she had awakened first, which was a circumstance she had not expected. But there was Aspel, still clearly deeply asleep; Ari pushed hair from the other woman’s face, placed a kiss on her forehead, and decided that perhaps she ought to be left alone for the moment. Clearly, the journey had been quite taxing.
It took a bit of maneuvering to extract herself, but she managed it, and belting on the robe she’d left on her beds baseboard, she made her way to the kitchen, finding herself humming softly under her breath as she measured coffee beans into the grinder and began her morning ritual. A strange side effect of her altered definition of “acceptable” emotions -- this was a really pleasant way to wake up.
She was on her second cup of coffee before she poured one for Aspel and padded back to the bed, sitting on the edge and trusting that the aroma would carry properly to the other woman’s nose. A hand was place on Aspel’s cheek, thumb stroking over it. “Darling, I hate to do this, but it’s time to get up, unless you want me to leave you to rest up alone.” With all the times Aspel had left her to sleep in her apartment, Ari couldn’t remember anytime their roles had been reversed -- and if Aspel requested to stay in bed, she had no qualms with it, but at the very least, she thought she ought to offer the option.
“Mmmm?” Came the muted attempt at coherence that was still mostly lost in sleep. There was something about awake, and Ari’s voice, and…. Well, the pillow she’d somehow come to hug was far from as comfortable and warm as the bard had been. Shifting, Ari’s pillow was pushed back into place a bit clumsily before Aspel reached out, groping for where the bard had gone rather ungracefully.
“Come here.” The words were half slurred and probably sounded much more like come ‘eeree than not.
It didn’t take much consideration to set both cups on the nightstand and acquiesce to the request with a small laugh. "Oh, I suppose for a moment," Ari said. Dropping a quick kiss on Aspel’s nose as the other woman pulled her close, she murmured, “You’re rather adorable when you’re half awake, did you know? Unfortunately, I’ll still have to go to work soon.”
Arms wrapped around the bard, and Aspel let out a small contented sigh as she settled in comfortably for sleep again. Though, the mention of work earned a noticeably more coherent groan. That was right, she had some smithing to catch up on today, and realistically, she didn’t really want to let the bard go at all either.
“Do you have to?” The words might have held the slightest hint of whine.
“Don’t tempt me,” Ari replied with a sigh. Truthfully, spending the rest of the afternoon in bed was terribly appealing, and it would save her from her little shadow, too, but Arielle Chiaro was a reliable worker -- even if she seemed flighty in so many other things. She had built up a reputation for it over the years, and she still had a faint fear that Master Pavarelli would find her if she ever shirked for no reason and make her pay.
Just the thought was sobering. His punishments had always been inventive, time-consuming, and generally unpleasant.
“If you’d rather stay in bed, you can. I’ll be back in a handful of hours -- today’s rehearsal is a short one.”
“No.” Aspel let out a heavy sigh again. “I should really go finish up some work at the shop.” There was a faint begrudging edge to the words, and her grip tightened just a bit. Though, clearly through tone and body language this was far from her ideal way to spend the day as well.
With another sigh, Aspel relaxed a little and tugged Ari a bit closer, and kissing the top of the other woman’s head. She would take a moment letting herself rest there. “I would rather stay here however.”
“Curse having adult responsibilities,” Ari responded. “Believe me, I would much rather stay here myself. Alas,” one final sigh of her own, “responsibility calls. I was hoping to awaken you with coffee and coax you into the shower with me, but one way or another, I have to get up…” she craned her neck to look at the clock, “basically, right now.”
“Indeed.” Aspel confirmed without much of a thought for how she’d been acting at all. Though at the devious plans of the other woman, one eye slowly crept open, a smile starting to tug at the corner of her mouth. “Is that so?” A beat as she shifted, raising her head enough to look over at the clock. “After all that traveling a shower does sound heavenly.” There was a faint grunt as her head fell back to the pillow, and a huff of breath was released. “I suspect that means I ought to let you go, no?”
“If you can manage to rise and hobble over to the bathroom whilst still attached to me, by all means,” Ari replied with a light laugh even as she maneuvered her way back to a sitting position. “If not, however, I assure you that my shower has not grown larger since the last time you made use of it, so I am certain you will have your chance at close proximity again shortly.” She grinned, reaching under the blanket to run her hand down Aspel’s side. “Coming?”
A thoughtful noise was given - partly in jest - to Ari's rather silly idea. "Perhaps another time. I would loathe to step on your toes today." A tight squeeze was given to the bard before she moved too far away and Aspel rested there for a moment. Perhaps it was silly of her to feel so frustrated that they both would need to leave this bed but... A pleased noise slipped out at the feel of the bard's hand smoothing over her side as she wetted her lips. Though at the question an eyebrow quirked, and she couldn't help the slightly wicked smile that rose.
"Hopefully, quicker than not." And with those words, and a hungry rake of eyes down over Ari's body Aspel began to untangle the sheets from herself so that they could make proper use of that shower before it was too late.
Another laugh. “We’ll see about that.”
It seemed that this afternoon was pretty much the perfect morning.