Prompts: I didn't really follow them all that much today as this peice had a mind of it's own, I did manage to get a forehead kiss in there so we'll go with that one lol
This one is a bit early for me but it's already the 12th for my friend @nonagesimus who's Rook, Ayden De Riva, along with my own Rook, Ziva 'Mercar' Fontaine are the main pairing of this piece so I figured I'd put it out there a bit early. This is a piece set in a Alpha/Beta/Omega AU and they are polyamorous, with multiple partners briefly mentioned in the fic (Hex and Daphne, two of the ones mentioned, both belong to @lucaniseyebrowlicker
Ziva's pre-heats usually left her feeling like a live wire was running through her; she didn't sleep much, spending days obsessing over the build of her nest, a buzz and tightness under her skin that only the touch of her partners could relieve. This pre-heat had hit her different though, and she was miserable. The buzz and ache were still there but all the energy had been zap from her with sleep still eluding her, muscles spasms and cramps reeking havoc on her pelvis and back, leaving her unable to do much but lay in the pile of blankets on her bed. Her partners had been amazing in trying to comfort her and take care of her, bringing her food, electric blankets and extra nesting material, and at least one of them usually with her whenever was possible to provide the physical comfort and heat her body demanded to be able to sleep. But because they all already had time off coming up for her heat the following week, this afternoon all of them had ended up with appointments and work commitments they had to attend to, leaving Ziva home alone for half the day.
Hex and Lucanis had both brought up trying to get out of their commitments but Ziva had insisted she'd be fine. And Daphne had lingered in bed with her for as long as she could that morning, rushing out of the house at the last minute when they had spent too long exchanging sleepy kisses. And she would be fine but fuuuuuck. She'd managed to sleep a bit off and on but had been awoken by her back protesting the position she had managed to talk herself up in. Ziva shifted uncomfortably on her bed, her back and hips protesting the moment so harshly she let out a loud whine involuntarily. It was only when she heard hurried footsteps down the hall and a sharp knock on the door that she realized anyone had come home yet.
"Ziva?" Ayden asked as they pushed open the door, their brow furrowed as they scanned the pile of blankets in front of them trying to find signs of life. Ziva groaned, burning herself deeper in the the fabrics with a muffled
"'m fine, just cramps. Anyone else home yet?"
"Nope, you're stuck with just me for now."
Ziva rolled her eyes even though Ayden couldn't see. The blankets shifted and lifted in front of her, Ayden having correctly guess the location of her face to peer in at her.
"Have you eaten yet today?"
Ziva stuck a hand out of the blankets at a small cluster of granola and fruit snack wrappers on her bedside table. Ayden followed the hand's movement then turned back to give her a deadpan "that's not real food and you know it" stare. They stood with a sigh, eyes raking over the bed once more before moving back towards the door.
"Wait here."
"No." Ziva mumbled into her pillow but she made no effort to move, hearing Ayden give a quiet snort of laughter as they exited. Ziva wasn't sure how long they were gone, maybe a half hour, before the door swung open once more, Ayden dragging in a hamper of clothes and blankets behind them and balancing a bowl and bottle of water in the other hand.
"I warmed up some of the gumbo Lucanis made the other night, come on" Ayden insisted at Ziva's groaning protest, reaching in to help pull her into a seated position. Despite their insistence their touch was gentle; being the only other Omega in the house Ayden understood Ziva's complaining, even if they never passed up a change to give her a hard time about it. Once up Ayden helped her scoot back to sit against the headboard, placing the bowl and water into her hands. Ayden stood back with their hands on their hips, once again looking around Ziva's bed.
"Was this their attempt at helping you set up your nest?"
Ziva nodding before taking a long sip of water wearily.
"They get an A for effort and being cute when they tried but I fear nothing beats years of experience in nest building to account of things like the fact that I've been known to mimick an alligator death roll in my sleep." She responded dryly, Both of them laughed for a moment before an emotion flashed across Ayden's face. They knelt down next to the bed, reaching out towards one of the blankets but pausing before they touched it.
"You mind if I give it a try?"
Ziva felt her chest tighten at the offer, pressing her lips together to fight back the sting of tears as she nodded her consent. Ayden promptly went to work pulling the new material they had brought out, recently worn clothing from all their pack with some of the extra blankets they kept around just for their heats. They diligently started to arrange it all, their brow furrowed in a serious face that felt almost odd to see on them. They paused to ask Ziva for her preferences here and there, and managed to quickly catch on to when to make adjustments based on Ziva's facial expressions. By the time Ziva has managed to slowly eat the food they had brought her, there was a legitimate nest built up around her. Ayden put the finishing touches up; pinning a few darker sheets around the bed to darken the space, leaving just the fairy lights Ziva had wrapped around her bedposts and a small lamp inside to give light.
Once they had finished Ayden ducked inside, a grin spreading across their face when they caught the sound of a faint purr from where Ziva had curled up, the now empty bowl and water bottle set on the side table. Ayden went to reach for them when Ziva's hand came up and curled around their wrist.
"Can you-Would you mind-" Ziva cut herself off, worrying her lower lip between her teeth as she gave a soft tug on Ayden's wrist towards her, into the nest proper with her. Ayden looked down at her hand with an impossible to read expression for a moment before turning towards her.
"Scoot over." Ziva grinned, moving to give Ayden space. They ended up tangled in a mess of limbs, Ziva's face pressed into the juncture of Ayden's neck, their hand buried in her curls.
"Thank you." Ziva whispered into their collarbone, her fingers gripping the back of their shirt tightly as she felt the buzzy ache in her body start to quiet. She felt the light press of Ayden's lips to her temple, a fluttering erupting in her stomach at the move.
"Someone's gotta take proper care of you, right?" They responded teasingly, but with no real bite to it. Both of them knew the rest of their pack were all likely extremely anxious to get back home to check and dote on her as soon as they could. Ziva giggled and scooted up, her nose bumping against Ayden's, both of their mismatch colored eyes half lidded as they took each other in in the dimly lit space.
"If you're offering to take 'proper' care of me, I have a few other ideas for that." Ziva whispered cheekily, watching the corner of Ayden's eyes crinkled as they smiled in response, their hand on the back of her head sliding down to cup the base of her skull, pulling her in to press their lips together, a promise of more to come.
Written for @ockissfreedom day one: First kiss | Playing along | Cheek
My rook Ayden de Riva, with @lucaniseyebrowlicker's rook Daphne, and also @corvus-frugilegus's rook Nazri.
—
“We could do it, y’know?”
Ayden was sprawled on Daphne’s bed, when she said it. They’d met up mostly for drinks more than a hook-up—Ayden had stayed up late after the NHL awards and then flown out early; their head was still throbbing with a hangover calling for hair of the dog, echoed by the much more pleasant ache in their throat from how enthusiastically they’d blown Naz after the ceremony. Maybe they were just getting older, but the sneaking around had started to stress them out a little more this time. They were long past rookie season now, and the rush of attention that had come with being new on the scene had really only ebbed for a season or two. They were both good enough for the eyes on them to have gotten only more intent over time.
It sent fireworks through their veins as much as it made their ribs feel too small for their lungs.
“Do what?” they asked.
“Get married,” she said, with a grin. “Make a big splash. It’d get eyes off you and,” she waved her hand like she was batting away a fly, “That other guy.”
“Yeah, putting a wedding everywhere would make my life super private,” they drawled. Let their head flop back onto the mattress.
Daphne propped herself up enough to hover over them, nose a few inches from theirs, eyes narrowed, “I’m serious.”
“Fuck off,” Ayden said.
“It’ll make you seem less suspicious,” she said. “And you know I won’t mind about you fucking your way through the entire NHL.”
“I’m not fucking my way through the whole roster, fuck off,” they said. “And I’m not going to ask you to actual, for-real marry me so I look less suspicious.”
“Oh, ‘cause it’d be such a hardship,” Daphne said, shuffling the rest of herself over so she could lie on top of them properly. “Living in your fancy apartment, spending all your stupid brand deal cash, getting free tickets to games.”
“Try long distance house-hunting if I get traded,” they said, and she scoffed.
“No one’s trading you, please. And I’m being genuine. I think we should do it.” One of her fingers tapped at a tender spot in their neck, “Gives you a built in excuse for walking around with these.”
“According to twitter I already have one, and it’s called being a whore,” Ayden said, stomach warming at the grin that split Daphne’s face.
She slumped down onto them properly, turning so her forehead was pressed to their temple. Pressed a firm kiss to their cheek.
“I mean it,” she said. “Buy me a ring. It’ll be great. I’ll get to be a scandalously young divorcée.”
“I’ll think about it,” Ayden said.
—
Having Daphne at home games was fun.
She didn’t come to all of them—the season was way too long for that—but Ayden always felt a little more energised when she was watching. Apparently, that went double when they played Montreal.
There was an edge to it. Maybe one Ayden should’ve expected, but it wasn’t like they were good at forethought. They hadn’t known how to explain any of the plan to Naz, so they’d defaulted to not explaining anything at all. Had sent a text after morning skate like nothing had changed. The response had been maybe, but Ayden had sent Naz enough maybes that the build of adrenaline barely halted. And awkwardness didn’t linger on the ice—Nazri had looked at them, before the opening face-off, like they were trying to figure out what they were missing. But Ayden had won, caught the puck from their left winger five seconds later, and five seconds after that Naz was slamming them into the boards behind Montreal’s goal like nothing had changed.
Only that now Ayden got to slip into the family room in their under-layers before they showered and have someone to meet there.
“You reek,” Daphne said, not unaffectionately. “Surprised you took the time to stop by, given.” She waggled her eyebrows at them instead of actually finishing the sentence.
“Oh, so you were sticking around for no reason?” they asked mildly. Really, they were waiting for a text back. But they were pretty confident it was coming.
“Playing Montreal makes you such a bitch,” she said.
They grinned, slipped their hand into her back pocket to tug her closer. Felt weirdly aware of how normal it all looked. The guys had all rolled their eyes at Ayden apparently skipping the girlfriend stage to go straight to fiancé, but no one actually thought it was suspicious.
“You like it when I’m a bitch,” they said, watching her roll her eyes.
“You’re going out celebrating tonight, thought?”
They shrugged, noncommittally.
There was always something heady about the waiting, the anticipation, something like a game. Whatever it was, it felt like Daphne could read it on their face. She laughed, leaned in to kiss them on the cheek and murmur into their ear.
“Have fun. I’ll text you tomorrow.”
They grinned, kissed her properly, slipped away to properly clean up. Stayed hyperaware of their phone in their pocket the whole way back to their apartment. Felt all that anticipation coalesce into heat when it buzzed.
—
Turned out the wedding only made things better.
They never would’ve admitted they wanted it, but the nights with both Daphne and Naz in their bed always left something burning in their ribs. Good burning, like going camping, or a bonfire on the beach. The end of a cigarette, tucked around the corner of a bar where no one could see. They were sprawled on their bed with Daphne a long warm line against their side and Naz propped up on their arms at the foot of the bed watching them. Ayden kept pressing their toes into Naz’ hip, trying to see when it’d annoy them enough to move.
Daphne said, “Why are you so far away?”
Naz shifted on the bed, shrugged casually, “I should get back to my hotel.”
“You’ve already missed curfew,” Ayden pointed out, rolling their eyes. Poked their foot a little harder into Naz’s hip, until they reached down to pin their ankle to the mattress, eyes narrowing.
Ayden just grinned at them.
The moment stretched long enough that they thought Naz actually was going to leave. Instead, they heaved a sigh, shifting to stretch out along Ayden’s free side. Daphne made a satisfied noise, leaned over Ayden’s chest to press a clumsy kiss to the highest point of Naz’ cheekbone.
The fire in Ayden’s ribs got warmer. Words bubbled up, ideas about taking time during the summer. Finding a way to sneak somewhere together, all three of them. Steal something more than just a night in the middle of the season, when everyone’s schedules lined up. But they didn’t say anything. Kept it all locked under their tongue. Tightened their arm around Daphne’s waist, tucked their nose behind Naz’ ear.
Fell asleep pressed between both of them, knowing it was too much to hope they’d wake up like that too.
—
It wasn’t that Ayden couldn’t take a hit, it was that in a perfect game they were so fast they didn’t need to.
They talked too much, sharpened all their edges, got their opponents wound up enough their reaction time splintered. Left them floundering in the spray they shaved off the ice, meanwhile Ayden was coasting in on the goal. Master of the breakaway, the commentators called them sometimes. It got them into the big leagues, got them to the highlight reels regularly. When Viago had scouted them for juniors he’d scolded them about it, sometimes. Rats took hits. Stupid to build a career on trying to get people to end it. Ayden had taken it as a challenge; do something coach didn’t approve of and score before he could call them out on it. Thighs burning as they pushed themself down the ice, breath tight, stick steady. It didn’t matter how big the enemy was if they couldn’t catch you.
So. It was instinct.
Rafe’s blank face, in the shitty bar lights, was eerily similar to Viago’s. Ayden didn’t wait to see what he’d say.
Saw Bea, over Rafe’s shoulder, grin blooming in recognition before whatever expression was on Ayden’s face had it faltering. But they were already turning on heel, got out the door without anyone getting a hand on them or a word in edgewise. Clear ice. All they had to do was keep their legs pumping.
In theory they went back to their hotel, slept, got to the airport the next morning with no issue. In practice they got back to their apartment and felt like they’d been sprinting the whole time. The place was empty—They’d known it would be. Maybe it was a good thing. Nothing between them and what they needed to do. Daphne had asked for the divorce months ago, and they’d known the marriage wasn’t going to be forever before it’d ever started. Both of them had been putting off actually getting the paperwork done. But now they could only hope they were moving with enough time to let Daphne get out of the way. The papers were in a folder in their office, they’d made some noise about one clause or another their lawyer wanted to take another look at, but they’d been talking shit and they knew it. Dropped their suitcase in their bedroom, went initialed their way through the whole thing before they even unpacked.
Part of them wanted to give Naz a heads up, but they’d never managed a serious conversation before and they didn’t want to start now. Besides, if shit was going to hit the fan, better to keep them nowhere near Ayden.
It’d look suspicious, if it seemed like they knew it was coming. Better to let them get surprised with everyone else.
Their heartbeat settled with every other piece of the plan. By the time Daphne got home, they were on top of things. Maybe not feeling good about any of the things, but they’d gotten the ground to feel mostly solid. Nothing had happened yet, so hopefully that meant they had some breathing space. Tried to keep their face under control when she looked them up and down, eyes narrowing.
“I can’t tell if you had a really good road trip or a really bad one.”
“You didn’t watch?” they quipped, sharply, and she rolled her eyes.
“I’ll care about the Western Conference when we get to the cup and not before.”
“I’ll tell the Kings that the next time I see them,” they said, “We did win thought.”
That was the stupid part. They probably would never have gone to that fucking bar if they’d lost. They liked dropping in to see Bea when they won, playing up the gloating and making him laugh. Fucking stupid decision.
“Congratulations,” Daphne drawled, dry as ever. She’d put her bag down on the kitchen table, was searching through it. Didn’t look like she’d seen the papers they’d left sitting there.
And Ayden was just putting it off and they knew it. Time to bite the bullet.
“I signed the papers,” they said. Nodded to the manilla folder.. Watched her go very still. “I thought—If we wait until summer there won’t be anything else going on, it’ll be big news. But if we sneak it in now, it might get lost in all the end-of-season shit. Everyone’s talking about who’s making it to the playoffs, it’ll bury it.”
Daphne looked up from her bag, met their eyes, “Right.”
There was a furrow forming between her brows. She was looking at them like they’d done something totally unexpected which just—She’d wanted the divorce, she’d called time on everything. Ayden wanted to take the words back already, pull out some dumb excuse, something that needed double checking. They’d run the clock down on themself, though. They bit all of that back.
“I thought you had some things your lawyer wanted to change,” Daphne said, almost tonelessly.
“I’d read it wrong,” they shrugged. “Realised when I talked to him about it that it was all good. Which means the timing worked out.”
“Sure,” she said, “That’s good.”
Everything was too still, and too close, and Ayden couldn’t take the way she was looking at them. They forced themself to move, leant back into their heels.
Said, “I’m still kind of wired, actually, I’ll be in the gym if you need me. I—If the timing doesn’t work for you, you can file the papers whenever. I’ll just—I’ll be good.”
They walked forward. Knew there should be something else to say, couldn’t almost feel it on their tongue, but couldn’t bring anything else up. Pressed their lips to her cheek instead, fingers light on her hip. Her hand caught their forearm, freezing them in place. The frown felt only more intense this close up. For a moment they thought she was going to ask, and if she asked there wasn’t going to be anything they could do to keep their guts from spilling out all over the floor.
But after a long moment she just said, “Ok. I’ll see you later,” and let go.
I know they’re the prompts I came up with, but the role swap one is giving me an AU that somehow never managed to exist before. Good job, me, I played myself.
BEHOLD, as I am beginning all these things-- ANOTHER ART, BUT THIS TIME VALENTINE'S THEMED-- Sylvas belonging to @darth-bagel
Skaia's birthday is, as ever, the time of Maximum Lomves so fjdksla *yeehaw* hehehehehehe
They both wanted to do something sweet for each other but uh, I think Sylvas is winning.
Day 3 of @ockissfreedom. Features my Rook, Daphne Ingellvar, once again, along with a fellow Mourn Watcher: my OC Alix Preisinger.
domestic - wild - neck
read on ao3 here, or below the cut
Usually, it was cold that greeted Daphne when she woke: an empty bed at her back, the small dormitory she’d been assigned three years ago chill and quiet around her. The Necropolis was difficult to heat, with its shifting halls and lofty ceilings, and she lacked the attention to keep the little hearth in her room tended. There was an arm slung over her waist now, though. A leg draped over the backs of her knees, pinning her in place with its weight, and a soft snoring against her ear. Barely more than a breath, low and warm and close.
“Alix,” she whispered, turning under their limbs to face them, the movement shaking them awake.
Their face was less than an inch from hers, their honey-brown eyes blinking heavily at her. Humming, they pressed the palm of their hand flat against her skin, between her shoulders. Firm, solid. A smile stretched her lips. She reached out to smooth her fingers over their brow, brush their hair back from their face and tuck it behind their ear.
“I was dreaming,” they said, voice still loose and distant with sleep. Their jaw ticked under her eye as she fitted her hand against the back of their neck, under the thick sheet of their hair.
“About?” she prompted, and a mischievous little grin wavered across their lips.
“Where’s the fun in telling you?” they hummed, shifting closer. “I’d rather keep you frustrated. Bothered.”
Daphne snorted, threaded her fingers into their hair. Alix angled themself over her, slotted a knee between her legs and pressed it up between her thighs until she was gasping under them. “Bothered?” she breathed, quirking a brow at them suggestively.
They tucked their face against the line of her neck, peppered her with a series of quick kisses.
“Do we have time?” she asked. Ground down against their thigh even as she questioned the logistics of starting up another tryst when they had a lecture to attend in — an hour? Hour and a half? It was hard to recall, when Alix was grinning down at her like time was nothing at all to them. When her heart was beating joyous and wild in her chest, threatening to swell too big for her ribs to contain.
She was content, here, with them. They were warm, easy.
“Do you really care?” they asked, tilting their face closer, rubbing the tip of their nose against hers.
Daphne shook her head, bit her lip to try to contain a face-splitting grin that came anyway. They kissed her then, slow and deep. Unhurried, now that she’d agreed to stay in bed with them a little longer.
She’d stay forever, if they asked.
prompts used: Under the stars/celebration kinda/lips
pairing: my oc Tanaleth and my beloved @8littletalons Everin an pairing that I have fallen DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH AND GOT SAPPY ABOUT (I HOPE YOU ENJOY ITTY)
Tanaleth is perched just below the canopy line the sounds of celebration drifting up along with soft sparks from the large bonfire. Tanaleth quickly found themself wanting to be away from the merrymaking too many eyes followed them making their skin itch at the attention. They don't like the spotlight have never liked being the center of attention, often because for them it always meant something bad had happened, something that was their fault. While that is not the case this time the feeling still remains, to many eyes always makes them wanna run and hide, to disappear for a while. It isn't like anyone ever misses them. At that thought Tanaleth looks back down the party seems to have moved on fine without them, as expected. Tanaleth moves from perching and lay back against the trunk of the tree letting their legs dangle on either side of a study branch. They stay that way for a while the sounds of the party fading further into the background until Tanaleth feels something grab onto their ankle. Reflex takes over, as they draw one of the thin blades ready to defend themself- only to meet Everin's eyes and bright grin looking up at them.
Tanaleth has a flash of guilt at leaving them at the party alone but it struggles to linger as they climb onto the branch across from them still grinning
"You are a hard one to find when you wanna be."
"Fuck sorry, I'm not great at being the center of attention." They quickly stow the blade, attention drawn to the warm they feel as Everin's knees press against their own, grounding them here with them.
"It's okay." They reach their to take theirs running their thumb against the back of Tanaleth's hand over the lightening scars on their hands, "I only had to climb three other trees to find the right one." Everin's smile cuts through Tanaleth's bad mood like a knife, they know it is meant to, meant to distract and disarm them and get them outta this funk. Tanaleth knows because it always works, a little too well.
"Let me show you something," Tanaleth maneuvers themself to where they are standing on the branch reaching down for Everin's hand smiling as they take it without question, with instinctual trust. Tanaleth pushes a couple branches to the side, exposing the night sky dotted with stars as the twin moons shine brightly above them. The slight catch in Everin's breath as they look up at the stars and the tops of the tree canopy put a smile on their face, it moments like these where Tanaleth remembers they didn't grow up with this, that they get to share it, as it was once shared with them. They can't take their eyes off of them as they take it all in, distracted in how the stars are reflected back in their eyes.
"It's beautiful," Everin turns back to them eyes shining, "you're beautiful too, you know that right?"
"You are so cheesy," Tanaleth can't help but laugh though the blush across their face no doubt reveals the effect the compliment has on them.
"Says the one who has been staring at me the whole time."
Tanaleth looks at them before looking up at the stars, and wonders when exactly was the last time they did this with someone else, it had to have been a while. And it hits them the last time was before their father died, when everything was good, he had taken both Tanaleth and her mother out to the cliffs, they remember looking at the stars excitedly pointing out constellations to them always catching them looking at each other instead of the stars. Tanaleth hadn't understood why then but they do now; in this moment where the beauty of the stars doesn't hold a candle to Everin's smile, their laughter. Tanaleth places their hands on Everin's hips. "Can you blame me?"
"No, but I am wondering if you're going to kiss me now or not? I will remind you I did climb multiple trees to find you-" Tanaleth places a kiss against their lips all smiles and laughter before letting themself melt into it i, pulling Everin flush against them as they lean back into the trunk of the tree. Everin's hand trails up Tanaleth's face to tangle in their now short hair, their tongue pressing against theirs before pulling back with a slight nip against their lips. Times seems to slow under the stars the sound of the celebration down below, Everin's breath against their lips leaning in for another kiss; the moment only paused by a soft cracking sound.
"Maybe we should take this somewhere else?" Everin stares down and the branch giving it a little test resulting in the same sound.
"Yeah, that sounds good," Tanaleth thinks of where to go and while they could just take them home, something in their heart calls to them to go a different direction, "and I know just the place."
"Lead the way," Everin smiles mischief painted clearly in their eyes as they step back and drop down catching the next branch, "but last one down owes the other ten andris."
Tanaleth quickly scrambles after them their laughter echoing into the night air. Tanaleth touch's down just a second after Everin breathing a little hard, placing a breathy kiss on their lips before grabbing their hand and dragging them off towards the cliffs. It is a decent walk through the forest to get to the cliffs made longer as Everin's smile makes it impossible for Tanaleth not to stop and kiss them, giggling against their lips feeling free and lighter than they have all night (maybe in a long time), in a way that they only feel in these moments with Everin by their side.
They stumble out of the treeline faces flush lips kiss swollen, and Tanaleth leads Everin over to their father's spot, they guess their's now. The night suddenly feels heavy not in the way that makes Tanaleth wanna run and hide with the weight of expectations and too many eyes, but like a warm embrace, of a fire warmed blanket or an arm thrown over their shoulders a good weight. One they never minded carrying. One that feels like home did, like it can again.
"My father used to take my mother and then me here. He taught me the names of all the constellations both in elven and trade. I was fascinated with them the stories they carried across different people. I haven't been back here since-"
"Tana-" Everin wraps their arms around them from behind putting their face into the crook of their neck
"I wanted to show it to you, I think he would've really liked you."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." Tanaleth leans back into their hold placing a kiss on the side of the mouth before looking back at the stars, and knows it is true.
