Can you make a fic about teenage reader and sevika (or young lovers) doing the Chapstick challenge?🥹 like if the reader put on a flavoured Chapstick Sevika would have to guess which one it is or the other way around !!
I love love love your work so much💗‼️
-🫀

Thank you so much! 🩷✨🫶🏻
(Y’all I’m so bad at dialogue, I’m trying to write more lately but damn I’m cringing)
Sevika x Reader - One More Game
Summary: A harmless Chapstick guessing game between young lovers quickly turns into Sevika finding excuses to kiss you far more times than necessary.
The challenge started because you were bored.
Which, according to Sevika, was always dangerous.
“You realise normal people just play cards when they’re bored?” she asked, sprawled across your bed.
You sat cross-legged opposite her, holding up a handful of flavoured Chapsticks you’d dug out from your drawer.
“Cards are boring.”
“They are not.”
“They absolutely are.”
Sevika snorted.
You grinned.
“Come on. It’ll be fun.”
She eyed the collection suspiciously.
“What exactly am I agreeing to?”
“You put on a flavour. I kiss you and have to guess what it is.”
The second the words left your mouth, Sevika froze.
Then a slow grin spread across her face.
“That’s the game?”
“Yes.”
“Just making sure I heard correctly.”
Your face immediately warmed.
“Sevika-.”
“I’m in.”
“Of course you are.”
-
The first round was surprisingly difficult.
Sevika applied one while you looked away.
“Ready.”
You turned back around.
She was trying and failing to hide a smirk.
“You look way too pleased with yourself.”
“Guess.”
You leaned forward.
The kiss was quick.
Barely a second.
Still enough to make your stomach do embarrassing things.
You sat back.
“…Strawberry?”
“Nope.”
“Cherry?”
“Nope.”
“Hold on.”
You leaned in again and stole another quick kiss, trying to place the flavour.
“Raspberry?”
“Nope.”
“You have got to be kidding.”
Sevika burst out laughing.
“It was watermelon.”
“Watermelon? That tasted nothing like watermelon.”
“Sounds like a skill issue.”
You threw a pillow at her.
-
Your turn went much better.
Or so you thought.
You carefully applied vanilla.
A safe option.
An obvious option.
Sevika leaned in confidently.
The kiss lingered slightly longer than necessary.
You pretended not to notice.
She sat back.
“Easy. Cherry.”
“What?”
“Cherry.”
“It’s vanilla!”
Sevika blinked.
“No way.”
“It literally is.”
She grabbed the tube.
Read the label.
Stared.
“…Okay.”
You immediately started laughing.
“How did you get cherry from vanilla?”
“I don’t know!”
“You were so confident.”
“Shut up.”
-
By round six neither of you were taking the challenge seriously anymore.
“Orange.”
“No.”
“Mango.”
“No.”
“Passion fruit.”
“No.”
Sevika frowned.
“Kiss me again.”
“What?”
“Scientific purposes.”
You nearly choked.
“That’s not how science works.”
“It is now.”
You rolled your eyes but leaned forward anyway.
The second kiss was longer.
The third even more so.
By the fourth attempt you were struggling not to laugh.
Sevika sat back thoughtfully.
“Definitely peach.”
“There it is.”
“I knew it the whole time.”
“You absolutely did not.”
-
Eventually you noticed something.
“Wait.”
“Hm?”
“You keep getting them wrong.”
“So?”
“You’ve guessed wrong like ten times in a row.”
Sevika shrugged.
“Maybe I’m bad at this.”
You narrowed your eyes.
“Sevika.”
“What?”
“Oh my god.”
The grin she gave you confirmed everything.
“You’ve been doing it on purpose!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You absolutely have.”
She laughed.
You shoved her shoulder.
“You cheater.”
“Worth it.”
Your face immediately heated up.
Sevika looked entirely too pleased about that.
-
The game ended with both of you collapsed against your pillows, surrounded by Chapsticks and half-finished guesses.
You’d long since stopped keeping score.
Neither of you could remember who was technically winning.
Not that it mattered.
Somewhere along the way, the challenge had stopped being about identifying flavours.
The Chapsticks sat forgotten across the blankets, neither of you making any effort to pick them back up.
The room had fallen into a comfortable quiet, broken only by occasional laughter and the rustle of sheets whenever one of you shifted closer.
You turned a Chapstick tube between your fingers before dropping it onto the bed beside you.
“So… what flavour was that last one supposed to be?”
Sevika glanced over.
“No idea.”
You stared at her.
“You don’t remember?”
A grin tugged at the corner of her mouth.
“Nope.”
A laugh escaped you.
The challenge had been your idea, but somewhere between the first few guesses and far too many stolen kisses, both of you had completely forgotten about it.
Honestly, neither of you seemed particularly bothered by that.
Especially when Sevika reached over, lacing her fingers through yours and pulling you a little closer.
i think dan and phil should fake the chapstick challenge for april phools. like they sit in front of the camera with their box of flavoured chapsticks and introduce it and everything and also they stall for ages and over explain everything. then one of them puts on the chapstick and they're just about to kiss (like in the 'but seriously imagine it' vid) when something happens. like either the video ends or an emoji covers the whole screen or phil goes into a nordvpn ad or something like that. or they use it to promote onlyphans. i actually really want them to do that.
Chapstick challenge with @toastytoastertoasting happened. Interesting. I won. That chud only got 1 right. I got ALL OF THEM. Stay woke. No I will not be posting the video.
hi eve! what do you think about a video where couples do the chapstick challenge? like jily vs coops and they compete to see what couple guesses more right! idk i think i would be fun
It's been too long since I wrote one of these--I missed them! Coops, Cubs, and SW Jily belong to @lumosinlove <3
“Welcome back, everyone!” Dorcas said with a smile to the camera. “It’s been over a month since our last big video like this due to scheduling, but we hope you’ve been enjoying our more active social media presence in the meantime. I’m here today with James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and our lovely Cubs. How were your summers, everyone?”
“Hear that, Cap?” Logan’s grin was smug as the cat that got the canary. “I’m lovely.”
“Our summers were great,” Sirius said, ignoring him. “Lots of vacation time.”
“At our house,” Lily teased.
“Yeah, while you were on vacation. It’s called being a good godfather.”
“I’m glad you all had fun,” Dorcas interjected smoothly as she pulled three bags from under her chair. “Because we’ve got a very special game today. Inside these bags are ten blank chapstick tubes, each with a different flavor. One person from each team will apply the chapstick to their lips, and their partner will first have to kiss them, then guess the flavor. Finn, Leo, and Logan, your team will have two guessers.”
“They get two guesses?” Remus protested. “That’s so unfair!”
Dorcas shrugged. “They have to guess at the same time, and they only get one point per correct answer.”
Finn raised his eyebrows. “Y’know, Loops, you’re starting to sound pretty homophobic over there…”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Remus sighed.
The camera cut; when it returned, Lily, Sirius, and Finn were seated in folding chairs with the bags of chapstick in their laps and a small sticky note in their hands. Across from them, their significant others were sitting with large headphones over their ears.
“Can you hear me?” Dorcas called.
Remus didn’t react at all as he messed with the trailing wire; Logan squinted at her. “Quoi?”
“I can’t hear anything,” James said loudly. “This is super weird. It’s just, like, humming. Honey, it sounds like Harry’s white noise machine!”
Lily smiled reassuringly and patted his hand. “A little quieter, lover.”
“What?”
“A little—nevermind.”
Dorcas’ mouth twitched with a suppressed smile. “Non-guessers, you can find all the flavors written on stickers at the bottom of each tube. Please start with number one on your flavor lists when you’re ready.”
Sirius bit his lip as he riffled through the bag, and Remus leaned forward to give him a light peck at the corner of his mouth. “I haven’t put any on yet!” he laughed.
Remus paused. “What?”
“I haven’t put any chapstick on.”
“Slower, I’m not good at lipreading.”
“Mon dieu,” Sirius muttered with a shake of his head.
Next to him, Finn had already applied his first flavor and was sitting with a happy smile as Leo and Logan thought for a moment. “Is it lime?’ Leo guessed.
“I think it’s lime,” Logan said half a second later. Finn gave them a thumbs-up and the three of them high-fived. “Called it!”
“That’s…lemon? Really sour lemon?” James guessed. Lily shook her head and showed him the tube. “Lime. Shit.”
Remus licked his lips. “Lime?”
Sirius nodded. “Oui!”
“Really? Hell yeah!”
“We’re at a bit of an advantage,” Sirius said as he put the lime in his lap and checked his list. “I wear chapstick all the time.”
“Why?” Dorcas asked, sounding rather amused.
“My lips get dry from being at the rink all day.” Sirius shrugged and put the next one on. A mischievous smile flickered over his mouth and he tilted his chin toward Remus. “He won’t leave me alone, either.”
Remus’ eyebrows pitched and he leaned forward. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“You have to go slower, I really can’t—”
“Green apple!” Logan exclaimed, slapping Finn’s knee in excitement as Dorcas covered her mouth to hide her laughter. “I remembered what it’s called!”
“Correct!” Finn announced.
“I think it’s green apple,” Leo said.
James pulled away and rested his chin on his hand. “Kind of a caramel apple, but without the caramel.” Lily turned to face the camera with a look of disbelief. “So just a normal apple, I guess.”
“Yes!” Lily turned his face toward her with a smile. “You got it!”
“I got it? Woohoo!”
“That’s green apple.” Remus wrinkled his nose. “Tastes like those shitty candy apple lollipops, though. Did I get it?”
Sirius nodded and wiped his lips off. “Number three is pomegranate,” Dorcas announced.
Finn frowned as he dug through his bag. “I don’t—there it is. Wow, this smells really nice.”
Leo paused and smiled before kissing him. “That smells really nice!”
“Does it?” Finn laughed before moving to give Logan a kiss.
“Oh, I like that,” Remus said, kissing Sirius a second time. “No idea what the flavor is, but I like it. Hmm. I have to think about that.”
“Is that frosting?” James asked excitedly as he grabbed Lily’s hands. “Do you have frosting flavored chapstick?”
“No,” she laughed, shaking her head. “What the hell? It’s pomegranate.”
“It’s what?”
“Pomegranate.”
“Persimmon?” She rolled her eyes and showed him the sticker. “Wow, I never would have guessed that.”
“Is it cherry?” Remus guessed. Sirius shook his head and his face fell. “Aw.”
Leo and Logan shared a look as Finn kept his poker face. “I have no idea what that is,” Logan finally said. “It’s sweet, though.”
“Is candy-flavored chapstick a thing?” Leo wondered. Finn held the tube up. “Pomegranates are tart. That wasn’t tart.”
“What the hell is that?” Logan looked to someone off-screen and held one of his headphones away from his ear.
“Une grenade!” someone called.
“Oh! That didn’t taste like it at all.”
All four guessers kissed their partners within a few seconds for the fourth—almost immediately, they pulled away, faces twisting. “Oh my god,” Remus coughed, wiping his lips. “That’s grape. Oh my god.”
James’ nose scrunched. “It’s grape. I don’t like it.”
In a moment of direct action, Leo took the wet wipe Finn had been using and ran it over his mouth while Logan stuck his tongue out. “It’s grape, and it’s gross. No more cough syrup kisses, please.”
“You’re halfway there!” Dorcas called, chalking up their correct guesses on a whiteboard as Lily, Sirius, and Finn applied the fifth flavor.
Sirius held his hand up as Remus started moving in and sneezed. “Desolee. Okay, you can go now.”
Remus kissed him and recoiled in half a second. “More cough syrup? Are you kidding me? It’s not any better when it’s cherry.”
“Dorcas,” Leo whined when he pulled away. “The first ones were such nice flavors!”
“My head hurts just tasting that,” James said miserably. “It’s that awful fake cherry stuff.”
“That’s cherry.” Logan smacked his lips with a grimace. “Eugh.”
Dorcas held up five fingers for them to see as she spoke. “Just five more, and you’re all done. Those are the only bad ones.”
Lily lit up as she applied the sixth and James hurried to kiss her. “Oh, that one is nice! You always wear strawberry. It’s my favorite.”
Remus shrugged. “Kiss was great, flavor’s fine. It’s just fake strawberry, yeah?”
“Whew.” Leo’s eyebrows rose after the kiss. “Very st—”
“Oh, strawberry!” Logan interrupted. “Katie makes me wear something like that when we have tea parties.”
Dorcas added more tallies to her board. “Tremzy, you can’t hear me, but that’s the cutest thing you’ve ever said. We need pictures.”
“I’ll find some,” Finn promised.
Sirius rubbed his lips together and made a face; Remus laughed, running the pad of his thumb along his mouth. “Stop, I can’t kiss you like that! It can’t be that bad.”
“That would give me a headache,” James said, clearly disappointed. “It’s some sort of pineapple monstrosity. Pina colada? I liked the strawberry a lot better.”
“It’s pineapple. Does that count?” Lily asked. Dorcas nodded, and she gave James a high-five.
“That’s not bad,” Leo admitted with a shrug. “Tastes like the dried mango we get at the store, the kind with all the sugar on it.”
“I don’t have the first idea what that is,” Logan said. “Knutty, I’m letting you take the reins here.”
“You’re both wrong,” Finn said, enunciating every word so they could read his lips.
“Baby—” Remus faltered with a laugh and held the wet wipes out of reach as Sirius tried to take them back. “Baby, we don’t get a point if you wipe it off. Just one kiss, okay?”
“Fine,” Sirius grumbled. Remus pressed a sweet kiss to his upper lip and handed him a fresh wet wipe. “Happy now?”
“Oh, I like that,” Remus said. “It’s definitely pineapple. I can see why you hated it so much.”
“Cap, do you not like pineapple?” Dorcas asked. His intense wiping of his lips was the only answer necessary. “We’re in the final three. Sirius, your team is in the lead by one.”
“Come on, hubs,” Lily said as she put the next one on. “This is easy-peasy. We have to beat Cap or we’ll never hear the—”
“Mint!” Leo exclaimed, looking quite proud of himself. “Ooo, it’s like Christmas.”
“I can smell it all the way over here,” Remus laughed, though he didn’t pass up the kiss. “That’s peppermint.”
“It’s like a candy cane,” James said dreamily.
“He’s not going to like this one,” Sirius said as he capped the next chapstick. “I like it, though, and that’s all that matters. Pucker up, Loops.”
“Oh, hell no.” Remus leaned back as Sirius leaned in, keeping his lips out of range. “Nope, not a chance. That’s some plastic vanilla bullshit and I’ll be tasting it all day.”
Dorcas tapped him on the shoulder and he lifted one headphone. “If you don’t taste it, you don’t get a point this round.”
“We can take the hit.”
“What? No!” Sirius protested. “I had to taste the pineapple, remember?”
“I love you and I totally want to win this, but I really, really don’t want that taste in my mouth.”
“Fine,” Sirius sighed, wiping his lips off as Remus readjusted his headphones.
James’ face split into a beaming smile after his kiss. “Birthday cake!”
“No.”
“Shit.”
“Vanilla,” Leo and Logan said in unison.
Finn pumped both fists in the air. “Yes! We’re tied for first!”
Leo gave him a high-five. “I don’t know what you’re saying, but you seem excited about it!”
“You should wear chapstick more often,” James said as Lily lined her lips. “It makes you so soft.”
“He has no idea how greasy my mouth feels right now,” she said fondly with a glance to the camera.
“Tell me about it,” Sirius agreed. “Alright, Loops, don’t pussy out this time.”
Remus narrowed his eyes. “You just told me not to pussy out, didn’t you?”
Sirius blinked at him. “I thought you couldn’t read lips.”
“C’mere.” Remus cupped his jaw in one hand and kissed him, then smiled. “Orange. Did we win?”
“Mmm, that’s what the oranges back home taste like,” Leo said, going in for a second kiss.
Logan licked his lips a couple of times. “Tastes like fancy orange juice. I like it.”
“In a cruel twist of irony, my lips are getting dry,” James said when they parted. Lily raised her eyebrows as he thought. “That’s orange. We won, right?”
“Take off your headphones,” Dorcas said, miming the motion until everyone could hear her before holding her scoreboard up. “Unfortunately, James and Lily are in last place with a score of seven out of ten. Cap and Harzy, your teams are tied for first place with eight out of ten.”
“We could have won if you didn’t have a personal grudge against vanilla,” Sirius said under his breath. Remus threw one of the chapsticks at him and Sirius dropped another down the neck of his shirt.
“Boys.” They both gave Dorcas a sheepish look and she shook her head. “Thankfully, we prepared for this situation with a tiebreaker. Nobody but me knows the flavor, and it is not written on a sticker. Remus, Leo, and Logan, you will not have to put your headphones on again, but you will have to correctly identify both flavors to get their point. You will write your answers on these whiteboards. You only get one kiss to determine your guess. On your marks, get set, go!”
Sirius swiped a decent amount over his lower lip and pulled Remus in with his hands on his cheeks; Finn practically used half the stick covering his mouth before collecting his kisses. “That’s interesting,” Leo murmured, tapping his dry-erase pen on his thigh. “That’s very interesting.”
Remus jotted down an answer and leaned back in his chair with a self-satisfied smile. “You know it?” Sirius asked with a grin.
“I do.”
“Is that your final guess?’ Dorcas checked. He nodded, and she took his pen. “Leo, Logan, do you have a guess as well?”
“I think I know one of the flavors,” Leo said cautiously, bending over to whisper it in Logan’s ear. He hummed in agreement, then whispered back.
“This is so intense,” James murmured, looking between the two teams as Lily perched herself on his lap. “I feel like I’m watching the Olympics.”
“If we get one of the flavors right and Loops gets both wrong, do we win?” Logan asked as Leo wrote their answer down.
Dorcas thought for a moment. “Yeah, sure. But only if Remus gets it completely wrong.”
“What’s the prize?”
“You already get to kiss your partners all afternoon instead of running drills. What more do you want?”
“Amen,” Remus agreed.
“Alright.” Leo handed over the whiteboard pen, though he looked nervous.
“Would you like to go first?” Dorcas offered.
“Coconut and lemon?”
“That is incorrect.”
“Ah, fuck me,” Logan muttered. “Loops, you’d better be wrong.”
Remus’ smile was even more pleased as Dorcas turned to him. “Remus, do you know what it is?”
“Well, Ms. Meadowes, I’m glad you asked. That’s Burt’s Bees honey and coconut.” He flipped the board with a flourish. “And it just so happens that my boyfriend bought that exact chapstick at the store last week and has worn it every single day since then.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Leo looked between them in shock as Logan’s jaw dropped. Finn buried his face in his hands. “Of every flavor on earth—”
“I promise it was not intentional,” Dorcas said, though she was laughing a little. “I literally rolled dice to pick it while I was looking at the website.”
Sirius looked to the ceiling as he pulled Remus’ chair closer. “Thank you, universe, for my terrible impulsive habits in the self-checkout line.”
Dorcas turned to the camera with a dimpled smile and spread her hands. “Thank you for joining us for the chapstick challenge, Lions! You can find all these flavors at the link in the description. Like and subscribe for more videos like this, have a great day!”
Y’all remember that chapstick challenge on YouTube a long time ago? *rummages through bags* how ridiculous was that *pulls out overflowing bag of chapstick* I mean just say you wanna make out with each other *neatly sets out challenge applications* am I right? *applies the first chapstick to my lips* 😇
Have you ever done the chapstick challenge (or Xadian equivalent) with Runaan?
you asked for it
Runaan slipped through the workshop door with his ready excuse of the week–a loose handle wrapping on his favorite dagger, conveniently snagged and torn free of its metal binding. His heart thrummed at the sight of Ethari pottering over his worktable, humming lightly to himself as he worked quietly on something small.
The assassin paused in soft admiration. Ethari was sweetly handsome, but he was also tall and strong, with long, lithe limbs and a sturdy back. His sparkly horn tips winked in the light as he leaned forward, and his shaggy hair fell lightly around his ears. Runaan smiled to himself, very much enjoying the view from where he stood.
“Runaan, hi.”
Runaan had forgotten about Ethari’s little mirror. He straightened smartly and hid his soft smile, stepping forward to ask for Ethari’s expertise with his dagger.
But the craftsman wasn’t done talking. “I’m glad you’re here. I need your help.” He held out a couple of small stoneware jars, smaller than his palms.
“Y-You do? With what?” Runaan approached curiously, feeling invited to examine Ethari’s little jars.
“I’m trying my hand at making my own balms. My hands get pretty abused some days, depending on my tasks, and I need to take better care of them. It’s also good for any skin in need of softness.” With no further ado, Ethari switched one little jar to his other hand and plopped the empty one right into Runaan’s for examination.
Runaan’s eyes widened as he found himself suddenly holding Ethari’s hand. He dutifully cast his eyes over Ethari’s palm, appreciating the calluses of hard labor, the strength in its lines, those long dexterous fingers. Ethari’s hand was very warm against his, and Runaan felt his ears heat up. He opened his mouth, but then he wasn’t sure what to say. Agreeing with Ethari on a need for balm might sound like Runaan found his hands rough and unpleasant, when that wasn’t true at all.
But one did not simply toss out hand compliments this early in a courtship.
Ethari lifted his hand away as if unaware of Runaan’s internal panic and chose one jar, setting the other back on his table. He removed the lid and showed Runaan the light creamy contents. “The problem I’m having,” he began lightly, “is that I’ve added a scent to it, but I’m not sure if it’s really strong enough. I know it’s there, so perhaps I’m just imagining that I’m smelling it. Would you test it for me?”
Runaan’s eyes fixed on the jar. “I… Very well.” He reached for the jar, but Ethari smoothly pulled it away and swiped his finger across it. Then he spread it across his lips, working them softly to get an even coat.
Runaan was physically incapable of looking away as Ethari slid his lips together. His cheeks heated, but Ethari didn’t seem to notice.
“Mmm. That’s better. Come on, then. What do you think?” Ethari invited. His lips curled at the edges. “Don’t worry. I won’t bite. Come closer and use that sensitive assassin nose of yours to tell me what scent the balm has. If you can. I might need to start all over with a new batch–”
Ethari broke off as Runaan stepped very close indeed. His breath puffed hot on Ethari’s cheek, shaking a little. Ethari’s smile widened, and he turned his face toward Runaan. Though his eyes lingered on Runaan’s, the assassin’s gaze was locked on Ethari’s lips.
Only a couple of inches separated them, yet Runaan seemed frozen, trembling. Ethari ran a knuckle along Runaan’s arm. “You okay?”
The light touch seemed to snap Runaan from his daze. He leaned closer, closed his eyes, and let the tip of his nose brush against Ethari’s cheek, inhaling softly.
Ethari’s heart flipped at the gentle touch. I’m playing games, but somehow I’m the one who’s losing! This elf really is too hot to be allowed. His own voice shook a bit as he prompted, “So, w-what’s the verdict?”
“Cinnamon. You should add more if you…” Runaan bit his lip and took a step back, adopting a more formal pose. “If you want the scent to be noticeable from a more casual distance.”
If. Ethari felt tingles shoot up his spine. “I’ll take that under advisement. Any other pointers?”
“Body heat.” Runaan’s eyes were on his lips again.
The craftsman’s eyes widened sharply. “What?”
Runaan lifted his chin. “Perhaps I was too hasty. Now that your body heat has warmed the balm, I can smell it even from here.”
“You were just eager to help a friend,” Ethari said, offering him an out despite the cute flush in Runaan’s cheeks.
“Yes, I–”
But Ethari was inspired. “Here, wait a moment. Let me try it with the other balm. Will you indulge me one more time?” He picked up the other jar and began to reach a finger inside.
Runaan’s hand swiftly grasped his wrist, and Ethari gasped at the intensity of his grip. “It won’t do any good to apply the new scent over the cinnamon balm you’re already wearing, Ethari.”
A slow grin spread across Ethari’s lips. “You know what, you’re right. You should wear it.”
“I…?”
Ethari swiftly swiped his finger across the top of the balm and stepped forward, humming his request for permission.
Runaan was too flustered to say no. Mostly because he didn’t want to say no.
So Ethari pressed a soft fingertip to Runaan’s bottom lip and spread the balm across its delicate softness. Runaan held breathlessly still, trembling at his touch, cheeks as bright as moonberries.
“Hold still, not finished yet,” Ethari murmured lightly. But he was trying to keep his own hand from trembling, too. “There we go. Alright, now we wait.”
“F-for what?”
Ethari tsked teasingly. “For your body heat to warm it up, silly. This was your idea, not mine!”
“Oh.. of course.”
“Oop. I got careless and made a mess, just hold still, I’ll get it…” Ethari brushed the edge of his last finger just beneath the curve of Runaan’s bottom lip, smoothing away an escaped smudge of balm.
Runaan sucked in a quiet breath at the sudden touch.
Ethari gritted his teeth, desperate not to smile at Runaan’s flustered state. It was truly adorable and he didn’t want to ruin it. “How about now?” he breathed.
Runaan’s eyes fluttered from Ethari’s to his lips and back up. “Hmwhat?”
Ethari blinked slowly and grinned. “Can you smell it yet? Or should I try?”
Runaan gasped quietly again. Ethari waited for him to pronounce judgment on the balm’s scent. Surely he could smell it by now. But he didn’t say a word.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh, he can play, once he knows the game.
Ethari wordlessly stepped close, dipped his head, and let the tip of his nose brush Runaan’s cheek, just next to his lips. But he didn’t inhale. He didn’t need to–he’d made the balm. He could say the name of its scent at any moment.
He just didn’t want to. Not yet. He was having far too much fun.
And Runaan was letting him.
“I nearly forgot,” Ethari murmured, almost right against Runaan’s skin.
“What’s that?” Runaan murmured back. He didn’t dare to turn his head any further toward Ethari or their lips would meet simply by speaking.
“These balms are edible.”
A sharp exhalation burst from Runaan’s lips, and that soft mouth stayed open. Ethari grinned, holding himself to the game, and leaned in just a bit more. “You taste it first.”
Runaan made a soft noise deep in his throat, and then his tongue slipped out and traced the silken arch of his upper lip. Ethari brushed his nose against Runaan’s cheek again, encouragingly. “Hmm? And?”
“S-Second opinion…” Runaan whispered.
Ethari’s chest fluttered. “Happy to.” One hand cupped Runaan’s shoulder to hold him still, and ever so slowly, to savor this precious moment, Ethari turned his face toward Runaan’s. His own lips parted, and his tongue flicked out, dancing softly along one side of Runaan’s bottom lip, up to the corner of his mouth.
Runaan’s eyes slid closed as Ethari tasted him, and another soft sound resonated from deep in his chest. Under Ethari’s stabilizing hand, the assassin was trembling hard.
Ethari dared not push his suitor too much further or Runaan might bolt. But he couldn’t resist one last tease. “Hmmmm,” he murmured, pressing his lips together thoughtfully–right against the corner of Runaan’s mouth. “Final opinion?”
“Delicious.” Runaan’s voice took on a low rumble, and now it was Ethari’s turn to gasp as his tummy fluttered high into his chest. He pulled back and sought Runaan’s eyes and found them cool and balanced once more. “I enjoy mint very much,” Runaan added.
Ethari chuckled and stepped back, letting Runaan have his small victory. He might not know many courtship games, but the assassin was nothing if not a swift learner. “Of course you do,” Ethari said. “Cool and sharp is exactly your style, isn’t it?”
Runaan tucked his hands behind his back. “It is indeed.”
“Thanks for your help. Maybe I’ll keep the mint one as it is, then. And here, you keep the jar.” Ethari pulled one of Runaan’s hands back into view and pressed it into Runaan’s palm. “Just in case you need it later.”
Runaan looked from the jar to Ethari’s face, and that cute moonberry flush rose in his cheeks again.
