Hey Cyl! I’d like to see your take on a jealous kiss, pretty please 🥹❤️
thanks for the request! this prompt was also requested by @fogno! hope you guys like ittttt <3
Out of Jealousy
They had rescued the grove.
It was strange to Shadowheart—caring about a bunch of refugees wasn’t exactly something she thought would be at the forefront of her mind with everything else. Yet here she was, idly sipping a goblet full of wine with a warm feeling in her chest as she glanced around at the smiling faces of the tieflings occupying the camp. Surely it was just the alcohol kicking in.
Her eyes settled on a much more familiar face among the crowd, one she had come to rather enjoy seeing every day. Vel was sitting on a log by the fire, lazily strumming a tune on a lute as some of the camp gathered to listen. Shadowheart was tempted to go over there herself and reluctantly join the festivities, only to be a little bit closer to Vel. However, the idea was quickly scrapped when she saw their company.
Sitting next to Vel was Alfira, who had her own lute, tuning it to perfection as she watched Vel strum. The tiefling woman was just a little too close to them for Shadowheart’s liking, her leg occasionally bumping against theirs as she laughed at whatever they said.
Shadowheart sipped her wine as the crowd hushed, eagerly waiting as Vel and Alfira prepared to play. Despite the distance, Shadowheart was just as eager to listen, maybe even more than anyone else.
Alfira began to sing, her clear, bright voice carrying easily across the camp. The tune of the lutes complemented her voice as the tieflings played in perfect sync, each note dancing around the next beautifully. Shadowheart was mesmerized as Vel’s fingers plucked the strings with clearly practiced ease. They even sang from time to time, their warmer tone harmonizing with Alfira’s. Shadowheart wouldn’t mind getting to hear that from them more often.
The song eventually tapered off, with Vel playing the last note as it faded out into silence. The camp erupted into cheers and hollers as the two tieflings bowed. Shadowheart’s fingers tightened around her goblet as Alfira beamed at Vel, her blue cheeks flushing purple as a blush crept across her face. The tiefling woman leaned into them even further, their shoulders brushing as Vel laughed. Shadowheart couldn’t help the scowl that twisted her face as jealousy churned her insides, hot and uncomfortable.
She forced herself to look away as her skin prickled with anger, taking a moment to breathe and try to control herself. When she looked back, the crowd had dispersed a little, leaving her a clearer sightline to Vel…who was staring straight at her.
Shadowheart stiffened as she locked eyes with them. Their mismatched eyes were watching her rather intensely, the light of the fire dancing off the intrigue in them. She tried to keep her face neutral, refusing to give anything away as they searched her face.
Vel broke eye contact first, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She watched them lean over to say something to Alfira that Shadowheart couldn’t quite make out before setting down their lute. They stood up, and their gaze found Shadowheart again as they began to walk towards her. Her heart was racing the closer they got, and her mouth was suddenly a little too dry for comfort. She brought her goblet to her lips and threw her head back, gulping down the rest of her wine in one go before Vel reached her.
“Did you enjoy the song?” they asked as soon as they were within earshot.
“I did, actually,” she admitted. “I didn’t know that you could play like that and sing. Your voice is beautiful.”
Vel’s eyes widened in surprise briefly before they smiled, their cheeks darkening with a blush. “Oh, it was nothing special, really,” they deflected bashfully. “Alfira was the one who had everyone’s attention.”
Shadowheart couldn’t help her sour expression at the mention of Alfira. She peered around Vel’s shoulder to look at the tiefling woman still sitting alone on the log. Surprisingly, Alfira was looking their way, stiffening slightly as she met Shadowheart’s less than friendly stare. The bard waved, sheepish and uncomfortable as Shadowheart practically glared at her before returning her attention to Vel. They seemed completely oblivious to the interaction.
“Well,” Shadowheart began, reaching out to brush her fingertips against their bare forearm. She felt rather daring all of a sudden. “Not to give away my secrets, but I was really only listening to you.”
Surprise flashed across their face again, before being quickly replaced with playful confidence. They looked quite pleased as they smiled at her, the corners of their eyes crinkling in a way she had become rather fond of. “Sharing secrets now, are we? Never thought I'd see the day.”
She hummed in amusement at their teasing as her fingers continued their ascent, dancing over the texture of their tunic sleeve and pressing gently into the relaxed muscle of their bicep beneath. “I have plenty of other things to keep. I can let this one slip.”
A glint of intrigue lit up their eyes. The air seemed to shift around them, an invisible force encircling them and pushing them together. Vel seemed to feel it too, as they subconsciously shuffled a little closer until she could smell the campfire smoke clinging to them.
“Oh, really?” Their voice lowered, their words slow and drawn out. “Care to tell me another?”
Shadowheart held her breath as she tried to settle her runaway heart. She wondered if Alfira was still looking, and the thought churned her stomach with that ugly feeling again. As hard as she tried to stuff it down, her emotions built, and her mouth was forming the words before her brain could catch up.
“Lean in closer and I'll tell you,” she whispered.
Vel’s breath caught at her enticing tone. They slowly leaned down, bringing their ear closer to her waiting lips. However, she wasn’t interested in telling them a secret; instead, she reached up to catch their cheek in her palm and tilt their head just right so that she could press her lips against theirs without warning.
Shadowheart felt them tense up, the surprise making them pause before they returned the kiss eagerly. They melted into her touch as their hands found her hips, their head tilting slightly and deepening the kiss. She wondered if they could taste the wine on her tongue as it met theirs, beginning a languid dance that neither of them wanted to stop. Alfira faded into the back of her until she wasn’t even a thought at all as kissing Vel drowned out everything else.
The need to breathe finally broke them apart, their breath mingling as they breathed each other in. Vel’s cheeks looked just as flushed as hers felt, and she couldn’t help but return their contagious smile. She was tempted to kiss them again, but the ambient noise of the party was sobering. They were still standing so close, and she wondered if anyone had noticed.
She dared to look, trying to be subtle as she peeked around their shoulder. No one else seemed to mind, except for a very embarrassed-looking Alfira, who was clearly trying to avert her eyes. The corner of Shadowheart’s lips twitched with a victorious smile that she fought to control, but it was too late. Vel’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, and she was too slow to try and distract them as they looked over their shoulder. They both watched as Alfira made herself scarce, her cheeks flushed even darker as she scampered off.
Vel looked back at Shadowheart, raising a questioning eyebrow. “Did you know she was watching?”
Shadowheart paled. The silence was loud as her brain fumbled to come up with an answer. Vel furrowed their brows.
“Were you…jealous? Of Alfira?” They tilted their head curiously. “Is that why you kissed me?”
“Fine, I was jealous,” she admitted with a huff. “But that wasn’t the only reason I kissed you.”
Vel looked pleasantly surprised at her reluctant confession. Their air of confidence from before returned, and Shadowheart felt her heart skip a beat.
“What’s the other reason?”
Laughter bubbled up in her chest at the eagerness in their tone. Her hands curled tighter around the back of their neck, pulling them closer until her lips were ghosting against theirs. Their hands reactively squeezed her hips, and it made her stomach twist with an entirely different feeling.
“That’s a secret I think I’ll keep."