*Vibrates intensely* ace Lambert. Please just, ace Lambert being loved.
I hear you Nonny!! I hear you!! <3 Please enjoy! (Note, Lambert is still trying to come to terms with his asexuality and there’s a dollop of self loathing but he is loved for sure.)
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Lambert inspected the blade of his sword closely. The edge was still razor sharp but the urge to sharpen it further was almost overwhelming. He’d been travelling with Aiden for a while, ever since the cat witcher had saved his life on a contract. They were friends but even Lambert could tell there was this weird… thing between them. Aiden was a born flirt, worse than Geralt’s bard, and Lambert was never one to back down from a challenge so he flirted back. He enjoyed a good flirt. He loved the way people got flustered because of his attentions. It filled him with a sense of pride and reminded him that not everyone thought witchers were monsters.
But earlier that evening Aiden had kissed him on the cheek and he hadn’t been able to hide the way his entire body tensed up. Aiden had pulled away with a hurt expression and they hadn’t talked since. Aiden went into the forest to hunt and Lambert cooked the doe the cat witcher had brought back in silence.
Lambert glanced up at his friend. Aiden was busy whittling a piece of wood with one of his daggers with more force than necessary. It wouldn’t be his best work, the chunks of wood that were splintering off were larger than needed. There would not be any details on this sculpture. Lambert sighed. He knew it was up to him to fix this but he didn’t know how to explain it. He’d always been… broken. He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Aiden was going to hate him. He’d been a fucking tease, flirting with his friend like he had when he’d known he wouldn’t be able to give Aiden what he wanted, but the thing was that he actually really liked Aiden. He wasn’t sure whether it was romantic or not but he definitely liked the cat witcher a shit ton more than any of his other friends. He enjoyed it when they curled up together in one bed roll, he liked that they travelled together and the strange sense of domesticity that provided.
Kaer Morhen was his home. Aiden was his home away from home and he did love Aiden… in his own Lambert way.
But kissing and sex stuff? He just… He didn’t want it. It wasn’t for him. He hated the feeling of being different but he was a witcher anyway so people already thought he was weird. What was one more thing on the list? But Aiden wasn’t most people and Lambert didn’t want his friend to look at him any differently so he was nervous, and fuck did he hate feeling nervous. He was a fucking monster slayer for fuck’s sake. Feelings should have been easy compared to a wyvern or fiend, but here he was contemplating sharpening his swords instead of apologising to his best friend.
“Oh spit it out, wolf.” Aiden snapped. “And if this isn’t a fucking good apology I’ll slit your throat.”
Lambert glared at Aiden and raised his sword. “I’d like to see you try, kitten.”
Aiden gritted his teeth and twirled his daggers in his hands. “You are on thin ice, wolf.”
Lambert groaned and sighed. Starting a fight was the last thing he wanted to do right now. Normally he would happily brawl with Aiden but he wasn’t so sure he would survive with Aiden’s current mood. He sheathed his sword over his shoulder and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“Promise you’ll listen?” Aiden sheathed one of his daggers and nodded. “And try not to judge.” Aiden raised an eyebrow and gestured for him to continue. “I. I don’t like kissing.” Lambert admitted. “Or sex.” He added just to clarify. “I know it’s weird and there’s something wrong with me. Fuck, who doesn’t like sex? Everyone likes sex, but I just… anytime I think about it I just…. ahh!” He yelled and spun away from his friend. It was too much. He couldn’t watch the disappointment in Aiden’s eyes.
“Lambert?” Aiden’s voice was warm like honey, a stark contrast to the icy bitterness just seconds before. Lambert hummed in response. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”
Lambert laughed bitterly. “Yeah right. I’m broken. You don’t need to feel sorry for me.”
“Can I hug you?” Aiden asked quietly, shuffling closer to him until they were only a few inches apart. Lambert nodded and Aiden pulled him into a tight hug, his hands threading through Lambert’s long hair. “You’re not broken, darling. I wish you’d told me sooner. I thought… I thought you liked me and then when you froze up, I thought you hated me.”
“Never.” Lambert vowed as he buried his face in Aiden’s shoulder. “You’re my best friend, my partner.”
“Silly wolf.” Aiden chuckled and pulled back from the hug so he could rest a hand on Lambert’s cheek. “Is this alright?”
Lambert frowned and considered it. He didn’t feel that weird icy emptiness like he did after Aiden had kissed him so he nodded. “Yeah.”
“Good. We’ll work it out, we’ll find a way that suits us. I promise you, my wolf.” Aiden rested his forehead against Lambert’s. “Partners?”
Lambert huffed a laugh. “Yeah. Partners."
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Tag list: @marvagon, @elliestormfound @slythnerd @caspertheassholeghost @feraljaskier @artistsfuneral @hailhailsatan
swooping in here from lamb big bang discord for platonic bonds ♥ there was only one bed! but it's normal and no one bats an eye, aka: falling asleep on each other all the time, sitting up/not sitting up/mid-dinner/in the bath/witchering is exhausting okay (Laiden, if you don't mind? otherwise if I read the pairings wrong anything Lambert lol)
Thank you so much for the prompt! I am in love with Aiden already and slowly falling in love with Lambert as well - and have a massive weakness for platonic bonding and cuddles.
CW: None? Lambert and Aiden snuggle platonically, Aiden being comfortable being naked around him, brief mentions of past violence with other people. Ace!Lambert, Aro!Aiden.
--
There were plenty of reasons for them to share a room together, the most obvious being, of course, that most innkeepers got a little antsy when they saw more than one witcher about. Actually it was Aiden’s experience that even one could cause them to get twitchy, the smell of sweat rising in the air, their hands and fingers nervously gripping things or twisting into the rags they used to keep the bar...well, usually not clean but wiped down and at least not actively wet with spilled drink and whatever else happened to be spilled there.
Considering his traveling partner had the charm of a wooden spoon, it was usually Aiden’s job to secure them a room. With the right smile he could get anyone to hand over a key, knowing just what to say to get his way, and with a wink he’d be off to collect the wolf - hopefully before any sort of trouble started.
The amount of bar fights he’d had to put a stop to since he met the fool. Aiden shook his head as he tugged his wolf out of the bar stool this time, thankful he wouldn’t have to stab anyone tonight. It made such a mess of things, and he was rather looking forward to sleeping in a bed instead of outside in a tree.
“What, is it the kitty cat’s bedtime already?” Lambert’s snark was accompanied by a grin, and it earned him a quick jab to his ribs as Aiden shoved him up the stairs.
“Don’t pretend you’re not tired, little lamb. Not a single punch thrown tonight?”
“Figured I’d cut them some slack this time.” Lambert snatched the key that Aiden dangled in front of his face now that they had reached their room, flinging the door open and heading straight for the bed to drop on it. “Don’t take forever, kitty cat.”
Just for that jab at Aiden’s nighttime rituals, he took his sweet ass time getting ready. His armor came off and was placed just so in the corner of the room, after, of course, it was wiped of dust and any smudges he found. His clothes were changed with his back to Lambert, not really caring much for modesty but at least giving him the decency of not flashing him - not that he hadn’t seen it all before but it didn’t mean Aiden wanted to flaunt it.
Dirty clothes were folded neat and tidy and set aside to be washed later. He gave himself a quick wipe down before putting on some very loose and cozy night clothes, not even turning when Lambert started fake snoring just to be an arsehole. Though he did at least skip the hairbrush, using his fingers instead, working out his side braid and any knots that had formed in the long portion of his hair. After some pleasant scratching to the shaved side, he stretched straight up on his toes, fingers linked and arms stretched as high as they would go above his head.
The popping of his bones was so satisfying. He released the tension and let his arms swing down, shoulders and back loosening up in a sag, shaking his head and the rest of his body to let the day go.
“Record time,” Lambert drawled as Aiden finally turned towards the bed. The wolf’s eyes were half closed, his armor tossed carelessly to the side of the bed and the day’s clothes from underneath still on. It made Aiden’s nose twitch but not enough to not crawl under the covers with his friend right after blowing out the single candle he’d left lit - they’d really not needed it but he rather liked the glow of small fires, the flickering and dancing flames catching his eyes and fascinating him.
He sighed at the comfort of a bed. Not the most cushy of beds, actually it had quite the number of lumps and bumps in it but Aiden really didn’t care, able to sleep just about anywhere as long as his head could rest against something. As soon as he had sufficiently covered himself with the blanket all the way up to his chin he wiggled straight for the warmth of his companion, pinching Lambert’s side at his faux growl over his personal space being invaded.
They both knew he didn’t mind it. That was clear in the way he situated himself right up cozy with his friend, letting Aiden rest his head against his chest and putting a loose arm over him to hold him close.
As Aiden sighed, gently nuzzling into his friend, his now heavy mind let the memory of the first time they’d cuddled like this drift to the forefront of his mind. Lambert had been...concerned, worried Aiden had wanted something, admitting in a rather frustrated and nervous tone that ‘sex makes me itch.”
He had blinked up at his friend, who he’d only snuggled up close to because he was warm and the dearest friend to his heart. It had been a gentle moment for them, admitting each other’s views on such things. Aiden could see how jumpy Lambert was to have opened up to him and how easy it would have been to spook him away, and had opened up in turn, hoping to calm his wolf down. He himself might love sex but it wasn’t what he was after from Lambert, no matter how handsome his friend might be. No, Aiden had merely wanted to feel close to him, close to someone he trusted like he hadn’t trusted anyone in a very long time.
And it felt good, to know Lambert trusted him right back. Especially now, how easy that trust came to the jumpy and crotchety wolf, who ever loved to push others away as if letting someone close would end poorly for him. How easily he accepted them sharing a room and bed, how he didn’t bat an eye at Aiden undressing in front of him or snuggling up close under the covers, because he trusted and knew Aiden would respect his boundaries.
He sighed, eyes closed against the moonlight streaming in through the window curtains. How easy it was for Aiden to trust him right back to not want anything else from him, knowing his dearest friend only wanted to be his friend. That this was not just a step in their path for more as so many might want it to be, no matter that friendship was no more nor less than any other sort of love. He felt his own heartbeat match Lambert’s slowing one, their breaths evening out as sleep took them, the day left behind as they rested for another one no doubt full of mischief - mischief made at each other’s sides, as the friends took on the world the only way they knew how.
For your WIP asks, I'd be very much interested in whatever ace Lambert pt 2 is? Brb, I'm gonna hunt down part 1 💖
Hello!
Thank you! First one is here <3
I know the notes for a potential #2 came from chatting with a friend who suggested it, but I am awful and forget who I was chatting with 😭 It might have been @glittering-git ?!
It's basically just Lamb being soft and maybe blushy, holding hands and shit with Aiden, relishing in having that and knowing there are no expectations for anything more. And there being comments or things from others, teasing or ribbing about getting a room, dirty songs, and Lambert being rankled by it and Aiden shutting it down, being protective and reassuring.
Written for @tumbleweedtech and for the flash fic challenge. Thanks to @glittering-git and @lohrendrell for bouncing ideas & for their eyes.
Grey ace Lambert - Looking at the stars, Lambert finds comfort in the idea that the world is big, and we are small. It gives him the confidence to share something important with Aiden. Vague references of sex, Lambert freaks out a bit, ace feels, it’s pretty soft. 1,751 words
- - -
Lambert lay in his bedroll, staring up at the sky. He’d been laying there for at least an hour, and sleep refused to come. His mind wouldn’t stop whirling, and after tossing and turning and fussing with the clothes he was using as a pillow, he’d given up and settled on his back, listening to Aiden’s soft snores and staring at the sky.
He finally decided to give up the pretence: maybe a change of scenery and some space would help. He carefully peeled back his blanket and rolled up to sitting, pulling on his boots. He walked across the clearing they were camped in towards a large boulder that thrust up out of the ground, like it was reaching for the stars. He climbed up onto it and stared out at the sky. It was a stunning sight. It was a crystal-clear night, the sky covered in millions of bitty twinkling diamonds, and splashed across the deep blue-black of night was an orange and purple glow. It looked ethereal.
It made him feel small and insignificant, but not in the usual way. This wasn’t a negative, misfit, outcast, unloved kind of feeling. It was seeing himself like just a tiny ant, in a hill, in a village, in a kingdom on the continent. Like maybe the things he’d been obsessing and worrying and mildly panicking over weren’t quite the end of all things, like they had perhaps started to feel like. He took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh, feeling tension leak from his shoulders. He let his mind drift, sifting through the last couple of weeks.
Something had changed between him and Aiden. It had started slowly, gently, quietly. They had been sitting in a courtyard outside a village market, eating lunch, laughing over something, and Aiden had reached over and tucked a stray strand of hair that had fallen into Lambert’s eyes behind his ear. Nonchalant, like he did it every day: not breaking eye contact or pausing his laughter. It had taken Lambert’s breath away, though he tried to hide it, acting like it hadn’t affected him. Their hands had seemed to brush against each-other more often, while walking the path, navigating through villages. When Aiden had passed him his lunch, when he had passed Aiden the water skin, the cat’s fingers had seemed to linger just an extra moment, sending sparks skittering up Lambert’s arm.
And then, three days ago. They had been sitting in front of their camp fire, shoulders touching, bellies full with the fowl Aiden had hunted and cooked for their dinner earlier. Lambert had been telling a story of trouble he had caused with Eskel and Geralt at Kaer Morhen the previous winter, and Aiden had been staring at him with fond eyes. It was horribly distracting, and so Lambert had been trying not to look at him while he spoke. When he finished the story, Aiden had continued to stare at him as Lambert looked down at his hands, still smiling at the memory.
“Lamb?”
“Hmm?”
Lambert had turned to look at him then, and Aiden had slowly leaned his head in. Lambert was transfixed, staring at his eyes, then down to his lips, looking soft and inviting in the gentle flickering firelight. Only at the last moment did his brain catch up and start to panic, and he turned his head at the last second, letting Aiden’s lips land on his stubbly cheek rather than his lips. Lambert had cleared his throat, announced the need to piss, and tried not to run out of the campsite in his panic.
He desperately wanted to feel those lips on his own, but he was terrified that that would lead to other things, things he was supposed to want but wasn’t sure he saw the appeal of. Things that surely a man on the path was supposed to be craving. He didn’t want to lead Aiden on, and was terrified of facing rejection at his hands. He didn’t know for sure that he wouldn’t one day want or enjoy those things, but the thought of a kiss inevitably leading to them the same night filled his stomach with dread, weighing him down like a sack of stones. He loved Aiden, had for a while: maybe longer than he realized. He couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing him, or worse, being rejected by him.
When he’d come back out of the trees, they had both acted like nothing had happened. Aiden hadn’t seemed any different than he always was, smiling and friendly and warm. But those extra touches had stopped. No more hair tucking, or fingers brushing. No more touches sending sparks. Lambert found he missed them sorely, like a part of him was suddenly missing. But he didn’t deserve them, hadn’t earned them. If he didn’t want to give Aiden his body fully, he surely hadn’t earned the right to have those.
It was fine. In a few weeks it would be like those things had never happened, and they’d be back to being friends and travelling partners, same as always. He hoped, at least. Travelling with Aiden with this faint ache in his gut was the quietest, mildest torture. Not that he couldn’t live with it. To stay by Aiden’s side, he’d put up with quite a lot, he’d found.
“Lamb?”
Lambert startled at the soft, groggy voice behind him. “Hey, you’re awake?”
“Mmm. Woke up and you were gone. Waited for you to come back from a piss, but seemed like too long, so I came looking.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m fine. You can go back to sleep. I’ll come back soon.”
Aiden ignored his words and walked up to the boulder. “Can’t sleep?”
“Mmm.”
“It’s a beautiful night.”
“Yeah.”
“Something bothering you?” Aiden asked hesitantly. And that wasn’t right. Aiden was cautious, quite often, but the hesitance was new. Lambert quickly decided that he hated it.
“No, everything’s fine,” he said, trying to be reassuring.
Aiden leaned against the boulder beside him and picked idly at a nail. “Look, I’m sorry. I… overstepped, the other night. I won’t do it again,” he ended in a murmur.
“You, no, Aiden, you’re fine. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Aiden snorted softly. “You practically bolted out of camp”
“I, I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry…”
“It’s ok, Lambert. Look, I… I made a mistake, ok? You’re my best friend, and… I really don’t want to go back to travelling the path alone, so—”
“What?! Why would you do that??”
“I mean, if I made you uncomfortable, if you didn’t want—”
“No!” Lambert practically shouted, then tried to temper his voice. “No, Aiden, I don’t want that either. I sleep better with you beside me. Fight better with you at my back. The path is hard and ugly and fucking lonely as shit. You make it bearable.” Aiden snorted again. “I mean, I didn’t mean it like that! You, you make it so much better. I never thought it could be… like this…”
Aiden looked up at him with wide eyes. Before he could think about it too much, Lambert shot a hand out to grab Aiden’s.
“I don’t want to do this alone. I don’t want to do it without you,” Lambert said.
“Me neither,” Aiden whispered. “I’m sorry I did that. I wasn’t thinking.”
“You don’t have to be sorry. It wasn’t… it wasn’t that I didn’t want to…”
“Oh?” Aiden’s eyebrows shot up.
“I just, I won’t be able to follow through, and that isn’t fair, so… so I figured best to stop, before…"
“Follow through?” Aiden questioned, furrowing his brow.
“I’m...I’m weird, or...broken. I don’t want the things you’re supposed to want, that everyone else seems to want.” Aiden squeezed his hand reassuringly, and Lambert decided to get it all out before he could think better of it and shut down. “I don’t look at people and think about getting into their drawers. I don’t daydream about taking people, men or women, to bed. I don’t even understand what most people feel when they see someone and call them hot. I just… don’t get it. And, I mean, sometimes I, you know, um, to myself, and that feels good, but I don’t know if I want to do that with anyone else, and—”
“Hey, hey, Lamb, it’s ok! It’s ok.” Aiden came to stand in front of Lambert, looking him in the eyes, rubbing reassuring circles into the hand he was still holding with his thumb. “There’s nothing wrong with you, alright? Gezras was like that, didn’t have any interest in anything physical with anyone, even aerséy, I don’t think. And I don’t want anything you don’t want! If all you want is to sleep close at night when it’s cold, that’s ok. If you want to hold hands when we walk, that’s great! If, if you want to kiss me, I’d like that, a lot.” Aiden looked up at Lambert through his lashes. “But I don’t want anything you don’t want to give me. Anything you don’t happily want to give. Doing any of those things doesn’t have to ever lead to anything else, and doing something once doesn’t mean it ever has to happen again, ok? I, I feel safe with you, and I always want you to feel the same.”
Lambert felt like his breath had been stolen away by one of Eskel’s blasts of aard during training.
“I do. I always feel safe with you,” he whispered.
Aiden smiled at that. “Good. I’m glad.” They stayed smiling at each other a moment, in awe and wonder. “Come back to bed?” Aiden whispered. Lambert nodded and slid off the boulder, keeping hold of Aiden’s hand as they walked back to their bedrolls. “Is it ok…would you like to just, cuddle? Nothing more.”
Lambert nodded again. “Yeah, I’d like that,” he rumbled.
Aiden grinned, and Lambert felt his cheeks heat up. They shuffled their bedrolls together, pulled off their boots and crawled under the blankets. Lambert shuffled over and Aiden reached out, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him close. Lambert snuggled in, curling around the slighter witcher, tucking his head under Aiden’s chin. Wrapped in Aiden’s strong arms, surrounded by his familiar, comforting scent, Lambert didn’t remember the last time he felt so safe, so at home. Euphoric. It felt too good to be true, but he would hold on as tight as he could.
- - -
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