@the-extinguished-sun asked: “How can you drink that stuff?”
From this list of prompts
tumblr keeps eating formatting and posting the fic like 3 times in one post if I answer it as an ask SO here we are
Set in a sort of modern AU. I hope you don’t mind that this ended up being shippy!
“Can I get eight shots of espresso, a caramel flavor shot, and then fill whatever space is left with hot black coffee? Thanks.”
Cel ignored the cashier’s skeptical look and paid the ridiculous fee for such an over-the-top drink. When the barista handed it to them, they took a long sip and sighed with contentment.
“How can you drink that stuff?” Azu asked as Cel sat across from her in a big comfy chair. She drank some of her iced coffee, complete with multiple flavors and all the flourishes.
“Drink what stuff?”
“The pure adrenaline in that cup.”
“Oh, this stuff.” Cel glanced at their cup and stared at it for a while. “Well, I haven’t slept in, uh… what day is it?”
“Cel.”
“Don’t worry, I’m kidding. I know it’s Tuesday.”
“It’s Thursday!” Azu exclaimed.
“Oh,” Cel said again, this time with a little bit of concern. “Well, then I haven’t slept in two days longer than I thought. So, espresso. I’ve had them put more shots in before, believe me.”
“That’s not healthy,” Azu replied, leaning toward Cel with worry in her gaze. “You need to sleep. I know you get busy with your work and your contraptions but, please, try to get some rest. And try not to ever drink anything like that ever again, it is a crime against the body,” she laughed.
“It tastes good though,” Cel replied defensively.
“Does it?”
“No, it’s awful. Alright, alright, I’ll try to get some more sleep. I suppose it’s doctor’s orders and all that,” they smirked at Azu, who smiled and nodded.
After they finished their coffees, the pair headed back to Cel’s apartment, where they showed off some of their latest inventions, including a jetpack and a box that teleported items… somewhere. They didn’t know where yet. Azu didn’t always follow the scientific rigamarole, but she listened intently and diligently helped in whatever way she could. To see the glint of excitement in Cel’s eye, the grin on their face, the wide smile when they figured something out… Azu wouldn’t trade that for anything.
A few hours later, they found themselves sat on Cel’s couch, contentedly munching away on the last pieces of a delivered pizza.
“Need another drink?” Cel asked, extracting themselves to step toward the fridge.
“I’m good. Wait.”
“Wait?”
“You’re not going to grab an energy drink for yourself, are you?” Azu asked.
Cel slowly set down the energy drink and shut the fridge. “Uggh, why do you have to make me be responsible,” they moaned jokingly, before stepping back to the couch, empty handed, and flopping down so that their head rested in Azu’s lap. “You’re making me do sleep and stuff.”
“Sleep is good. Sleep is healthy.”
“Lame,” Cel grumbled.
Azu shook her head and chuckled. “You know, I might have to stay the night. Make sure you actually do sleep and don’t brew another hideous coffee concoction.”
“Is that so?” Cel smirked up at her.
“Mm-hm.”
“Oh, how horrible,” they teased.
“You know, there is another benefit of sleep,” Azu said, and Cel sat up to face her.
“I highly doubt that.”
“No, hear me out. When you sleep and wake up with your lovely girlfriend beside you, that seems like a pretty wonderful benefit, don’t you think?” Azu grinned and wrapped an arm around Cel’s shoulders to pull them in close to her.
“That sounds like a benefit of waking up, if you ask me,” Cel replied after pressing a quick kiss to Azu’s cheek and settling into her side. “Yet another benefit of being awake is getting to be with you.”
“You’re impossible,” Azu laughed, and pulled them in a bit tighter.
“Don’t worry, I’ll sleep. No more caffeine for me until I do.”
“Thank you,” Azu said sincerely.
Cel nodded. “I know I tend to overdo it. And I’m glad you’re here to remind me that I need rest too, and food, and water, and anything else that a mortal body requires to keep functioning. I’m trying to be better, mostly for you.”
“I know you’re trying, and you are doing better. But you need to do it for yourself too, not just for me.”
Cel sighed. “Yeah, I s’pose. But it’s easier to do it for you. To make sure I’m healthy enough to get to be around you, to get to be with you.”
“Whatever works, I guess.” Azu smiled.
They turned on the television and flipped through the channels for a while, before Azu noticed that Cel’s commentary had died down. She glanced over and saw that Cel was sound asleep, their head pressed against Azu’s side as tiny snores escaped their lips.
Azu swept them into her arms and carried them gently to the bedroom. All tucked in under the covers, Azu turned to leave the room, only for a croaking voice to stop her.
“You’re still going to stay the night, right?”
“If you want me to.”
Cel nodded furiously as they tugged the blankets up to their chin. “Please.”
“I’m going to shut off the tv and go to the bathroom, and then I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Mmm.”
Azu did as she said, soon crawling into bed beside Cel, who immediately rolled over and flung their arm around Azu’s middle.
“Goodnight, love,” Azu whispered.
Mostly asleep, Cel echoed the sentiment in a series of grumbles.
It was midmorning when Cel awoke, an arm still draped over Azu, who looked over at them and chuckled.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she said.
Cel blinked blearily and yawned a few times before speaking. “You know, I think you might be onto something with the whole waking up beside you thing. Seeing you first thing in the morning… yeah, that’s pretty amazing.”
Azu giggled and blushed a bit at Cel’s sleepy flirting. “And I’m sure that feeling is made all the more potent when you sleep for a day and a half.”
“A day and a half!?”
Azu laughed again. “You slept through a whole day.”
“I’m sorry, you didn’t have to stay,” Cel said, their body slumping. “I didn’t mean to make you waste a day with me just sleeping away.”
“It’s alright. It’s not like I laid here beside you the whole time. I have my laptop, so I was still able to get some work done, and then I crawled back into bed with you when it was nighttime again. You barely even noticed.”
“Well… thank you for staying. It means a lot.”
“Of course.” Azu leaned over and pressed a slow kiss to Cel’s forehead.
As she did so, however, Cel had an idea.
“Wait, this is genius. I can stay up for a week, and then sleep for a day, and be good to go for another week. Efficiency! This is perfect!”
Made a Dark/Beholding necklace! I'm not as in live with it as I an with my Web/Veholding one, but given how much smaller this one is I'm pretty happy with it
