@tempashari said: [ BEHIND ]: upon entering the same room as the receiver, the sender steps behind them, and winds their arms around the receiver’s waist, drawing them close against them.
she wishes it did not bother her that she was not invited; vex’ahlia hates almost every person who’d be in attendance at the ball, and would be aware of their judging eyes boring into her, tearing apart her clothes, her jewellery, the common blood in her veins. and yet...it feels like a knife, to be kept on the outside again. to know that her father likely had a hand in this, that she is not good enough. vax doesn’t care, and she is jealous. and keyleth...it was easy enough to lie to her, to claim a headache rather than a lack of invitation. she should not miss out for vex’s sake. even if marriage is hardly the desire.
the door opens and then closes, and vex doesn’t move from the window, book in her hand falling to her side. she’s expecting her brother’s footfalls, but the scent of keyleth’s perfume catches her instead. relief curls around vex, filling her chest with a fluttery warmth---and it is nothing compared to the warmth of keyleth’s arms, even chilled from the night air. ❝ you’ve returned early, ❞ she murmurs, hand sliding down keyleth’s arm. her book drops to the windowsill as she leans back, slowly and deliberately sliding the silk glove from keyleth’s hand, fingers trailing. ❝ the ton’s loss is my gain. ❞
