𝙇𝙐𝘿𝙄𝘾 | 𝙍𝙐𝙉𝘼𝘼𝙉 𝙓 𝙀𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙄
Prompt: Runaan returns from a mission; exhausted. Ethari braids his hair and they have a soft and slow night in the meadow. Then Rayla decides to join them.
Warning[s]: None, all fluffy <3
Pairing: Runaan x Ethari & Rayla [Rayla's scene right at the end]
Word count: 1.5k
masterlist
this is what was mentioned in orphic. the memory rayla was reminiscing about. and i just had to, i think it's beyond adorable. i love ruthari so much <3 have fun reading. :)
Ethari’s hands were gentle as he combed through Runaan’s mane of silky white hair, weaving his fingers through the slightly tangled locks. The moon gleamed above them, the clock ticking on while nature paid no heed to that. Neither did they. They didn’t know how long it had been since they had sat out here. But neither of them cared, or minded. Runaan returned from a mission, tired, but wanting desperately to bask in his husband’s warmth, of course Ethari would never deny him of that simple joy in life. Although an elfling Rayla did. She wouldn’t stop tugging at Runaan’s hair, to the point that the already messed up hair was now practically falling apart. Somehow Runaan had found it in himself to tuck the very… enthusiastic elfling into bed. Huffing and snaking his arms around Ethari as the craftsman waited at their kitchen, chopping some fruit for him.
“It took so long…” He yawned, pressing his face onto Ethari’s shoulder, chin resting there. Ethari hummed, placing the knife away and turning back to his husband.
He ran his hands through his white curls of hair, one of the silver cuffs slipping off and onto his palm. “You should’ve let me put her to bed.”
“It was my turn,” Runaan reasoned, but the way his eyes drooped begged to disagree with the words leaving his mouth. He leaned into Ethari’s touch, barely noticing how the tip of one of his horns poked him. Ethari didn’t react, just continued carding his fingers through his husband’s hair.
“It would’ve been fine, but she’s asleep now. Here.” His warm hand left the plain of Runaan’s face and hair, the assassin frowned from the loss of warmth, but his eyes followed the hand anyway. Ethari held up a plate of nicely sliced fruit for him. How endearing, he smiled. Gently, Runaan accepted the plate, Ethari’s arm snaking around his waist and leading him to the table. Runaan sat down wordlessly, Ethari opposite him as he smiled at his husband.
Runaan picked up a slice, taking a slow bite, but his hand shook slightly. He hurried with the next, until he was on the next slice. And he did it with the rest of the fruit on the plate. Ethari frowned softly, he opened his mouth to say but Runaan smiled at him.
“I’m fine,” He insisted to Ethari’s silent plea. Ethari wasn’t particularly convinced anyway.
“I wouldn’t think so,” He said, standing up. He made his way over to Runaan, pushing the plate away. He held his hands out. Runaan eyed them, glancing at the blacksmith before he accepted the hands. Ethari intertwined their fingers, pulling Runaan up. The assassin stumbled into his chest, cursing himself for the imbalance. “It’s okay, you just need some rest.”
“I don’t want to head back to bed just yet,” Runaan whispered.
Ethari chuckled. “You sound a lot like Rayla now, and no, we’re not heading back to bed just yet.” He tugged Runaan forward, leading the tired assassin out of their humble abode. Into the meadow just outside the Silvergrove. Runaan wasn’t even sure how he managed to keep on walking, but as long as he was with Ethari, he supposed he could do it.
The flowers tickled Runaan’s ankles, but it felt like a breeze to him, with the way Ethari hummed ahead of him and then sat down, pulling Runaan with him. A soft gasp left Runaan’s mouth as he dropped onto the soft grass beneath him. When he hit the ground, Ethari laughed, pulling the assassin’s back closer to him, until he could rest his chin on Runaan’s shoulder, brushing the hair to one side.
“Let me do this for you, just relax.” He twirled some of the white hair around his fingers. Runaan relaxed into the grip, shoulders slumping. Ethari squeezed his shoulder, softly moving the long white hair back over his shoulder. He inched back, just a bit. Runaan missed the warmth, but he didn’t mind.
The assassin watched the moon, the stars twinkling beside her, and he smiled, the soft gleam that she casted down on the grass dancing with the breeze that swept through the meadow, hitting Runaan’s skin like the drafts that swept through their house in the early mornings, when he’d be draped safely in Ethari’s arms and warmth. Who was humming behind him, effectively lulling him into a near sleep state. Although the soft tugs on his hair did anchor him in the real world. He just wanted to fall back, watch those hazel eyes as he slipped out of consciousness for the night.
“Runaan?” The humming stopped, his husband’s soft voice whispering against the shell of his ear. He shivered, nodding in acknowledgement. “Just a bit longer, alright?” Ethari continued, picking up his pace. Runaan wished he’d take longer, he didn’t mind this. It felt incredibly nice.
He didn’t realise when Ethari had finished his braid, already slipping back on the silver cuff that always held it together. He glanced towards his side and noticed a flower getting plucked out. He turned around, but couldn’t fully. Ethari had his hands on the assassin’s shoulders.
“Hold still, please.” He smiled softly.
“What are you doing?” Runaan asked, raising an eyebrow at him. His husband laughed, voice a gentle breath that flushed warmth against his face. Runaan smiled too, reaching back gently, tracing a hand over Ethari’s jaw. “You’re incredible, love.”
Ethari blushed, his face getting warmer under Runaan’s touch. The assassin leaned forward, capturing his lips in a gentle kiss, as a thanks, as a reminder, as many things that he couldn’t put into words. He just wasn’t up to task for that, but Ethari did that. Ethari spoke his appreciation, and his love existed in all the words he spoke every day. In the way he weaved words together, love was prominent. Runaan didn’t do that, he touched, and he gave, and he did. His love was in the way he would leave an extra plate of moonberries every morning before training, and in the way he would take extra time to fix Ethari’s clothes, or when he lingered at the door of the forge. And maybe that’s why they were married. They were different, but perfectly the same.
“I can see a whole ocean’s worth of thoughts behind those eyes, Runaan,” Ethari whispered, grinning. Runaan smiled.
“There are, and all of them concern you,” He said in earnest.
“Alright, let me finish this. Just a few more flowers.” Ethari turned him back around. He closed his eyes, “oh gosh.” Ethari’s voice was much quieter. And then Runaan heard it too. The shuffling. He opened his eyes, glancing at the elfling standing in front of him. Purple eyes gazed up at him in confusion.
“Rayla, you woke up?” He asked, although it was pretty obvious that yes, she was awake—He opened his arms for her, the elfling lunged for his chest, tackling him with her hug, putting as much force as she could, although there wasn’t much force being exerted, to begin with.
She nodded against his chest, relaxing. “What are you doing?” She asked, voice still laced with the last traces of her sleep that should’ve lasted the whole night.
“I’m just doing Runaan’s hair, we were intending to head to bed right after,” Ethari explained softly. He rechecked the flowers that were woven in, letting the braid drape itself over Runaan’s left shoulder. The elfling stood up, using the assassin’s lap to seem taller as she looked up at Ethari, who leaned closer.
“Can you do that for me too? Can you teach me?” She asked, excitement obvious in the way her voice was growing in volume. Runaan traced shapes on her back, making her relax. She yawned, letting him law her down on his lap, her head resting against his chest.
“Of course I can, Rayla. Tomorrow though, alright?” Ethari whispered, now beside Runaan. He brushed strands of Rayla’s hair off her face. “We’ve got a whole night to sleep through. He intertwined his fingers with Rayla’s, squeezing her smaller hand as he watched her fall back asleep.
“Next time, we ought to be more careful…” Runaan said, nodding at the elfling asleep on him. “What if she got lost?”
Ethari nodded, “true, well, she’s here now.”
Ethari smiled at him, and Runaan’s whole heart warmed, along with his face. He let Ethari pull him up gently, snaking an arm around his waist as they walked back to the Silvergrove.
Runaan didn’t speak much, he never did, and Ethari’s voice was soft as he recounted the whole day with their Rayla. The wind hummed in their faces, the usually loud and bustling Silvergrove quiet in the early hours of the morning, or late hours of night. Or whatever the time was. To Runaan, that didn’t truly matter. He was back with his family, and he was sure he would have the best rest with them. Rayla moved in his arms, maybe once, or twice, but it meant near nothing. She always did that in her sleep, he’d noted over the while she had been with him and Ethari.
He looked to his side, Ethari looked as beautiful as ever, animated as he spoke in a soft tone. Runaan smiled. Letting his own words die out in the breeze while his husband became his lullaby for the night. How he was every night. One he never got tired of, he never could.