Celebrating Teia/Viago February 8 - 14th! a rara avis event Organized by @wishforhome, @inquisimer, @mxssful, & @plisuu
pfp & banner art by @avvarqueen
Thank you to everyone who participated in our inaugural Teiago Week! We loved seeing everyone's fantastic creations and the fandom is richer for your having shared your talents with us ❤️
See All #Teiagoweek2026 Works Here!
by type: fanart · fanfic
by prompt: leather · lace · ink stains · lipstick marks · royalty · commoner · gloves · touch · partner · rival · battlefield · bedroom · breaking up · making up · undercover · open · meetings · partings · blindfolds · bite marks · praise kink · hair pulling · dom/sub · knife play · mirror sex · voyeurism · body worship
I'm behind/I didn't find out about the event until later. Will you still reblog my works?
Yes! There may be a delay in reblogs now that the event is officially over, but mention @teiagoweek and tag #Teiagoweek2026 in your post and we will reblog it here.
If you posted something during the event that has not been reblogged, please make sure you mentioned @teiagoweek in your post, and that it follows the event guidelines. If it still isn't reblogged, drop a link in our Ask Box so we can make sure to share it here!
For @teiagoweek 2026. Prompts: Meetings, Undercover. (CW: Violence, some blood, and non-explicit sexual content)
This is the final chapter!
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
"You cannot possibly be suggesting I seduce Matimo Lavazzo?" Viago blurted out.
Teia's nostrils flared in distaste and she practically rolled her eyes at him.
"Come now, you're a Crow. You can't tell me you're like one of those fledglings who refuses to seduce another man out of misguided pride. Antivan machismo is so trying."
"I'm not averse to sleeping with men, if that's what you're getting at. That's not the problem. I don't take seduction contracts. I am… not constitutionally suited for them."
"I find that hard to believe."
"You… do?" Viago felt a blush build up under his skin, hoping that the lantern light was dim enough that it didn't show. Ridiculous. He was no green lad. Why did Andarateia Cantori affect him so?
"I've been following your career for some time," she admitted. "I like to know which other Crows I might encounter when on a job. That beard is the only reason I didn't recognize you on sight. I've studied your portrait, not to mention your resemblance to the King."
Viago stroked his new beard down to its point. He didn't often go undercover for just that reason. He looked far too much like his father, and it was difficult to be inconspicuous when one's face appeared on the local currency. The beard changed the shape of his face and concealed the conspicuous dimple on his chin.
"It's a lot of work to keep up, so I'm glad it's doing its job," he said.
"It suits you," she replied simply. Well, then. The beard would stay.
"But I still don't understand," Teia continued, an adorable wrinkle forming between her brows. "You're cultured, highly intelligent, and handsome. Surely you're perfectly fine at seduction contracts."
Viago cleared his throat awkwardly, his gloved hands resting in his lap. "I don't like being touched by people."
She cocked a brow at him, her mouth tilting into a half-smile. "I get the feeling it's a bit stronger than simple dislike. But I touched you earlier and you didn't seem to mind."
That was true, he realized with a start. He spoke slowly in response, mulling over his unusual reaction.
"I suppose you might be an exception, for some reason. Or perhaps I did hit my head on the floor."
She laughed then, a genuine laugh. It was rich, undignified, and beautiful. He wanted to hear it again. If only he were good at making people laugh. She leaned forward, her eyes shining like a hunter who had found their target.
"Regardless, we have a shared mark. I have the opportunity lined up this coming evening. It's my only night off. And the big meeting is the next day, yes?
His heart sank into his stomach. "It is."
"Then you'd best tuck Señor Lavazzo away somewhere safe and join me, yes?"
This contract was a test. A test of whether he could handle a job that required him to deviate from his usual skill set. If he could handle a seduction kill, surely that would ingratiate him to his Talon? It was just…
He shuddered. Best agree before he changed his mind.
"All right," he said. "I'll do it."
"Excellent." She gave him a tiny, secretive smile that made his breath catch. "Now go home, get some rest, and meet me at the market fountain at noon bell. We're going to need to make you over, and I know a very discreet tailor."
"This is not my preferred style," Viago groused, standing on the tailor's platform and tugging at the intricate lace that sprayed from his jacket cuff like an overdone party favor. "I look like Illario Dellamorte without the proper musculature." The lace was annoying, but the way his shirt's open collar plunged almost to his navel was downright untenable.
Teia laughed. "You could do worse for a seduction contract than Dellamorte the Lesser. He'll be as good as I am in a few years."
Viago raised a brow. "He's older than you."
Teia ignored that tidbit, stretching out one finely manicured finger and tapping the part of his chest that was actually covered with fabric. She'd avoided touching his skin out of consideration, he supposed. He rather wished she hadn't.
"Besides," she said. "Some of us find los hombres flacos rather appealing."
He frowned. "You're mocking me."
"I'm not. Teasing a bit, perhaps, but my preferences are honest."
Her smile was soft. Genuine. If she were anyone else he would almost believe her. But, as he had witnessed, she was a master of her craft. And she needed his cooperation.
He sighed. "I'll do my best, but I can't guarantee results."
She patted his arm. "Remember your training and be yourself. I think this will go better than you expect."
Be yourself. He wasn't certain how skulking in the corner of a far less cultured salon than the ones he normally attended was going to work in his favor for a seduction contract.
Viago was used to salons populated by art aficionados. This one quite obviously had far more base purposes. His outfit was on the modest side for the room—the host's butler had eyed him with suspicion when he'd handed over his invitation. He could scent lyrium in the wine he was pretending to drink. Gauzy curtains concealed dark corners to which he'd seen several pairs of people abscond, already. This was decidedly not his scene.
He scanned the crowd, wondering which of the gentlemen was their mark. Teia had described him as average height, well-built, and handsome in that classically Antivan way. Unfortunately, that described a fair percentage of the room. Worse, his surveillance wasn't going without notice. Men and women alike returned his gaze, brows quirked as though to encourage his interest. He kept yanking his stare away before remembering he was supposed to look potentially interested.
Por la sangre del Hacedor. Where was Teia?
As though his thoughts had summoned her, she swanned into the room. She was wearing—or not wearing—a taffeta confection that barely covered strategic body parts. He remembered the generous view he'd had of her the night before and began to sweat again.
All eyes were on the gorgeous elf from the moment of her entrance, and she worked the room like the consummate professional she was. She seemed to know everyone there, greeting them with enthusiastic air kisses and a flurry of compliments. She stopped by several groups before "spotting" him and rushing over.
"Ah, you made it!" She exclaimed, taking his gloved hands in hers and rising to her toes. He bent over so she could greet him properly, her lips barely brushing one cheek. He blinked and swallowed. She pretended not to notice.
They made inane small talk—not Viago's specialty, but Teia kept things running smoothly—until a handsome man approached them.
He was several years Viago's senior, several inches shorter, and no small number of pounds heavier. A solid man who kept himself in shape. His dark wavy locks were tamed by pomade, curling attractively around the nape of his neck. He carried himself with confidence, his sharp eyes hinting at a touch of wickedness.
"Tita, my dear, is this a friend of yours?"
Teia didn't bother to correct the man, so Viago held back. Tina wasn't her real name, anyway. Instead, she gave him a warm smile and gestured toward Viago.
"This is Viggio Paloma. We met through a shared business interest. Viggio, this is Matimo Lavazzo. He's quite the man about town."
Matimo was also gloved, Viago noticed, though that had been a fashion of late. It made him seem less eccentric. He gave Viago a solid handshake, then sidled a bit closer.
"I must admit, I've been hoping for an introduction," he spoke, his voice a low purr. "I've been watching you stand here on the fringes like a pup without a master."
One gloved hand rose, moved toward him, pressed softly at the hollow of his throat and traced a line down his chest. Viago breathed in steadily through his nose, trying not to look discomfited. He's not poisoning me. His gloves are clean. He's expressing sexual interest. He has no reason to poison me.
"Tell me, Viggio," Matimo continued. "Are you a pup in need of a master?"
His seduction training, to which he'd paid meticulous attention despite knowing he was unlikely to make use of it, told him to be coy, to wheedle, to imply that yes, a master was exactly what he desired. Yet he hesitated. Teia had told him to be himself. She knew this game far better than he did, and she'd proven far too adept at reading him thus far. He glanced to the side for a sign from her, but she had already melted away into the crowd. Fine, then. He would be himself.
"I am my own master, Señor Lavazzo. I think you'll find I'm not easily tamed." He smiled at the man then, but it was a smile of intimidation.
Matimo laughed, white teeth flashing, eyes crinkling at the sides. "Oh, a challenge, is it? I like that even better. Would you perhaps like to find somewhere more private where we can… negotiate on the matter?"
It almost seemed too easy, but Viago had observed how things often progressed between men and couldn't find anything terribly unusual about Matimo's approach. He responded before he could talk himself out of the plan.
"Perhaps I might. You had better be worth my time."
A self-satisfied smirk crossed the other man's face. Viago had to admit it was appealing. If Matimo weren't a mark, if they'd had time to get to know each other, perhaps he would even find this enjoyable. But that was a luxury he didn't have.
"I'm well worth every moment, never fear," Matimo spoke softly, for his ears only, then held out a gloved hand. Viago took it and allowed himself to be led into a back hallway.
The die was cast. There was no turning back now. He would fulfill his contract, or he would perish. Such was the way of the Antivan Crows.
They stepped into a lavishly-appointed chamber. Viago's sharp eyes scanned every corner. Canopy bed draped with luxurious fabrics, side table with tapas and, yes, wine. Teia had promised him there would be wine available in all the side rooms.
A stick of incense burned near the entrance. When Matimo closed the door, the smoke began to gather in the room and he caught the scent. Mierda. He knew that smell. Blood lotus. Unlikely to cause full hallucinations when simply breathing its smoke, but it would dull the senses.
His mind was whirring with the necessary change in strategy. He would need to be swift. He was unprepared when Matimo grabbed him and pushed him against the wall, bracketing him with muscular arms. The man took his chin between his fingers.
"Not so challenging now, are you, little pup? Time for your training. On your knees. Now."
Viago swiftly ducked under Matimo's arms, side-stepping him. He moved to the table and began pouring wine in the provided glasses.
"Let's not be hasty," he said. "It spoils the atmosphere, don't you think?" He lifted his glass in a toast to Matimo, and while the other man's eyes tracked its movement, he poured the dose of poison in his cufflink into the other glass. He held the poisoned glass out in offer.
"I don't want to get to know you, I want to fuck you," Matimo grumbled, but he took the glass.
Viago frowned. In his opinion, sex devoid of affection was like art created for purely commercial purposes: tawdry, unsatisfying, and ultimately a hollow pursuit. He chose his liaisons carefully, but knew many other men did not. He-
His thoughts were interrupted when Matimo stared him straight in the eye, lifted the glass to his lips, and downed the entire thing. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, smirking at Viago.
"A la salud," he sneered. Well, then. That was, once again, easy. Now Viago simply had to wait for the poison to take hold of the man, hopefully before the blood lotus smoke affected him too severely.
He barely had time to put his own glass down before Matimo advanced upon him, backing him against the bed. One shove had Viago tumbling backward, his shoulder blades hitting the mattress. The other man pounced, looming above him. He ground his crotch against Viago's, his turgid arousal obvious.
"You want to know me?" Matimo asked, rhetorically. "I'm a man who's moving up in the world. Soon I'll be the owner of Treviso's finest casino. What do you think about that? I'd say it's very useful to be my friend. If you're a good boy and beg well, we could even be special friends."
Matimo dipped down and bit Viago at the base of his neck. Viago growled, shoving the other man off him. He stumbled backward. Viago sat up. They glared at each other, breathing hard. Then Matimo grinned, a wicked look in his eye. He opened his mouth to speak…
He coughed, clutching his chest. His eyes went wide, his mouth gaped. Thank the Maker.
"What?" Matimo gasped. "You."
Had it not occurred to him until that very moment that Viago could be dangerous? That is what came of thinking too highly of one's abiilities and position. Viago was a proud man, but he knew better than to assume he was ever a safe one.
Viago sat ready, though he was beginning to feel as though he were drifting through a fog. Damn that incense.
He'd read that a desperate person sometimes gained incredible strength, and that theory was proven when Matimo rushed him a second time. Hands like steel bands gripped his forearms, pressing him into the mattress.
"What have you DONE to me?" He yelled, his face red with exertion, sweat dripping down his forehead. Viago looked calmly back into his eyes.
"The Crows send their regards," he said.
"Pinche puto, I'll take you with me!" The other man growled, one hand going to Viago's throat. This time, the notion of death didn't sit so well with him. He struggled, but Matimo's hold was far too strong and the blood lotus smoke was making him dizzy. The hand constricted. His airway closed. Black spots began floating in front of his eyes.
His hands turned to claws, scraping at the sheets below him. He bit his tongue in his struggle to breathe. All the while, Matimo's angry, red rimmed eyes gazed at him in fury. They would be the last thing Viago would ever see, proof of his insufficiency as an up close and personal assassin.
The world went dark, and then…
A cry. A sudden rush of air into his lungs. The sensation of liquid splattering across his chest. Viago gasped and sputtered, the world blurry. A figure before him. Not the mark. Too small. Too dark-skinned. Too…
"Gracias al Hacedor, I'm not too late," spoke a voice more sweet than clover honey. Soft hands supported his shaking shoulders, soft whispers urged him to breathe in and out, slowly, slowly.
The world came back into focus, the most beautiful focus he could imagine, because the face of Teia Cantori hovered before his vision.
"You're all right. It'll be all right," she said. He nodded, numb enough that he wasn't embarrassed by his ragged state. That would come later.
"Can you stay sitting?" She asked. He tested himself. The room had stopped sitting. He nodded, not trusting his voice quite yet. "Good. Stay there."
She turned and went to the side table, fiddling with some implements that she'd pulled from her belt pouch. He looked around. The incense stick had been snuffed. Matimo Lavazzo lay on the floor, his throat neatly cut from ear to ear. She really was quite good at that. Foamy spittle flecked the corpse's lips. He wouldn't have lasted much longer if the poison had reached that stage. Viago may, in fact, have survived on his own. He was glad she'd stepped in, anyway.
He looked back at his rescuer. She had poured some of the water from a carafe into a smaller glass, and a number of familiar paper strips dangled in the liquid. Very familiar strips. They were identical to the ones in his own test kit. Fuzzily, he remembered his Talon asking him to create some extra kits to give to a friend. It seemed that "friend" was the Seventh Talon. It also explained how Teia had identified the soporific with which he'd attempted to dose her.
He watched her, enjoying the way she moved around the room, all grace and precision. She gathered up a towel, then watched as the test strips turned green. She lifted the glass and showed it to him. He smiled.
Then she poured him a glass of water and wet the towel. She returned to his side, sitting on the mattress next to him.
"Sorry about the blood," she said, wiping down his chest.
"Wasn't going to keep this awful shirt anyway," he rasped, then coughed.
"Ssh, ssh, drink."
As she had so generously assured his safety, he did. The cool water soothed his throat. He was careful not to drink too much, too quickly. She watched him with approval.
"That's right, slow and steady."
They sat in silence while he recovered. Finally, he looked at her, curiosity overwhelming him.
"You could have let me die. You'd have the full credit for the kill, and you'd have removed a rival."
She shook her head. "You're not a rival today, Viago de Riva. You're my partner, and I don't leave my partners in the lurch."
"You are a singular woman, Señora Cantori."
She laughed, her eyes sparkling. "I know. Now, let's get out of here."
Tavo Lavazzo was still alive. Viago stood next to him as the remaining four petitioners awaited his final decision about the casino sale. He knew it would be one of the two remaining, quality proposals. He simply had to remain on guard until the paperwork was signed.
The old man smiled as he regarded the petitioners. "Thank you for your dedication to this process, my friends. I am very pleased to announce that I have decided upon my successor. Proposal number three is my choice. Will you kindly fetch my new owners for me?"
The unsuccessful petitioning representatives filed out of the room alongside the successful one. This was the most dangerous part. Viago had instructed Security to line the hallways while he protected Lavazzo, but there was always a chance that an assassin would take a last-minute opportunity. He had a throwing dagger in hand, hidden beneath his jacket. His aim was deadly, and he was prepared.
The door opened and Viago couldn't decide whether to tense or relax, for two familiar figures strolled in, looking quite at ease. All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, and he nearly laughed. Of course.
Lucretia Cantori, the Seventh Talon, was the author of proposal number three. The older woman arrived in fine style, a fur-trimmed coat bedecking her slender frame, silver hairpins (deadly, no doubt) holding up her elaborate hairstyle. Beside her walked Andarateia Cantori, who gave him a tiny smile and a wink.
Tavo grinned at Lucretia, who held out her hand in greeting. "I always knew you had excellent taste, you old goat," she said as he kissed her ring.
He laughed. "Your business case was most excellent, Señora. Knowing it came from a beautiful woman of my acquaintance is simply the icing on the cake."
Viago watched his employer interact with the Talon who had won his bidding process. Lavazzo knew that Viago had dispatched his scheming nephew, of course, but he hadn't mentioned the man that Teia had assassinated several nights before. Surely he suspected what had become of the first missing petitioner. It was, after all, the price of doing business in Antiva.
The papers were signed. Viago had completed his contract. Soon he would return to Salle and be promoted to Master Assassin. It should have felt more monumental, but the itch that had always existed just under his skin told him that it was only the next step in his ascension to true power. And now, that itch had an odd, secondary component. It was reacting to another presence in the room. He shoved that feeling down. Ridiculous.
Lucretia was looking over the paperwork. "I see you are open to a new name under new ownership," she said. "The Sapphire is a lovely name, but I feel that it should sail away into blissful retirement with you, my friend."
"I am content with that," Lavazzo said. "What do you propose to name it?"
"I believe we should stick with the gem theme. Which precious stone do you think best represents House Cantori, dear Teia?"
Teia cocked her head thoughtfully. "Hmm, a ruby, perhaps? No, red is too representative of the Crows in general." She looked up, golden eyes meeting Viago's blue. "What would you propose Señor Paloma?"
He gazed steadily back at her. "I believe that only the finest gem will do for such grand ladies. A diamond, naturally."
"The Cantori Diamond," Lucretia mused. "Yes, I do like the sound of that."
Tavo and Lucretia strolled out of the room to have further conversation, arm in arm. Andarateia lingered, leaning one shapely hip on the table in front of him.
"It was rather fine, working with you," she said. Was that a touch of something beyond simple appreciation in her eyes? No, likely just his imagination.
"Agreed," he said stiffly.
"Perhaps we might work together again someday."
"Mmm, perhaps."
"At the very least, we'll be seeing more of each other once we are both Talons."
Shock coursed through him. "You would become a Talon?"
"Of course. Lucretia will be looking to pass the torch soon, and why shouldn't the position go to the very best? That is what the Crows say, is it not? That anyone may become a Talon, if they are skilled and deadly enough."
She was smiling, but he saw the flinty determination in her eyes. He didn't have the heart to tell her that the the seat of Talon was simply not that accessible. It nearly always transferred to those of elevated birth and status. People like him. Not elves of disputable pedigree.
"Then I wish you the very best in that endeavor," was all he replied.
She leaned toward him, offering a bare hand. Did the woman never wear gloves? He wished she'd be more cautious. Nonetheless, he found himself taking that hand in his own and pressing his lips to her warm, brown skin. Ridiculous, again.
And yet his usual fears seemed to have hidden away somewhere. After all, she had just saved his life the night before. She was very unlikely to poison him now.
She departed with one last, devastating smile, leaving him alone in the room. If he were a lesser man, he might even admit she'd left him feeling a bit bereft.
Nonsense. He was about to return to Salle and become a master assassin She was returning to Rialto and, even with her impressive skills and the Seventh Talon's favor, was a newly-fledged seduction expert.
What were the chances he would ever see her again?
los hombres flacos: skinny men, connotation often negative, but being used for friendly teasing here
Day 7: Break up, make up... (Full here <-) They could be doing both things tbh xD I love my toxic pookies uwu
lil bit late @teiagoweek <3 Thanks for the event I had so much fun seeing everyone's art and fics!
We did it y'all we made it the final Teiago day. Thank you so much to @teiagoweek for helping getting all these Teiago ideas from wips to fic
Title: potential break up fic
Rating: E
Words; 1,618
Summary : Teia and Viago had another fight that led them to no speaking for a bit. When he shows up at the diamond they both swallow their pride to patch things up
Read below the cut or on AO3
The atmosphere above the diamond was tense. Most crows who stayed were from either house de Riva or her own house. Her sparkly mulberry colored ink glided across the page in anger. She scribbled out Viago's name. Teia hadn't meant to write his name. But he had been annoyingly on her mind since their fight a few days ago. Until he comes groveling I don't want to see his attractive face. While they weren't broken up yet the smart crows were avoiding any location they both could be. Carphria was on one the wooden sofas with the red cushions. Teia set down her ruined notes and draped herself around the younger de Riva.
“Hey Teia. This is the only way I can get Lucanis a gift without Spite or him finding out.”
“You're so sweet Phria. Would you like to go to an opera with me if your talon doesn't apologize before that night?”
“Uh sure,” she said awkwardly.
The eluvian whirled to life and out stepped the bane of her existence. He scowled at her but approached Carphria. The younger de Riva tensed. Her purple eyes darkened. Teia turned her back on Viago. She undid two more buttons on her gold shirt. It made more of her cleavage be on full display.
“Cari can you tell Teia that the shipment of aphrodisiac lube she wanted is delayed.”
“Uh sur-,”she said getting cut off.
“My pretty little dagger tell Viago that he's being petty when he should be groveling for what he did.”
“Via-,” Carphria said yet again getting cut off.
“Tell her I will not grovel when I'm not at fault for this fight!”
“Guys le-,” she said getting cut off for the third time.
“I did nothing but tell talon de Riva he was wrong. Something my sweet Phria will understand given he refuses to swallow his pride.
Carphria looked annoyed but didn't even bother speaking this time. This wasn't the first time they weren't speaking and put her in the middle. A pair of silver crystal grace cuff links on Viago's black jacket. She had gifted them to him years ago after the ventus contract. Someone was coming up the staircase. Illario was strutting up the stairs dripping in arrogance. Carphria jumped up.
“Sorry I have to go Illario and I have plans.”
“We did,” he said skeptical.
“That's a first,” Viago huffed.
She wrapped an arm around his shoulder. A small blade was pressed to his shoulder blade. Caterina had raised him with enough self preservation skills that he was going along with his own kidnapping. His blue eyes held fear. All Teia could hear said was Carphria threatening to ruin his dates for a month. The very sparse gaggle of crows had vanished leaving the two fighting talons alone.
“The cuff links look in good condition. What's the occasional,” she said crossing her arms over her chest.
“Just felt like they fit the outfit best. Considered the blue saphiret glass ones you got me too. I'm willing to talk if you are,”he said as if he was pulling teeth.
“I missed you too Vi. My bedroom or should we pick neutral ground. Like the Dellamorte guest house,” she said swallowing her anger.
“Your bedroom. I don't want to have to pay Lucanis if I break something,” he said fighting whatever was brewing in his blue eyes.
The fight was over something so minuscule and couldn't remember the reason just that he wasn't groveling and her anger. They walked towards the penthouse suite. She bumped his hip with hers to annoy him. His black curls were down and loose as if they refused to obey his command. He was beautiful and tormenting her. A glove covered finger touched her wrist. It was warm and made her want to rip his clothes off and fuck him against the wall. The double doors opened revealing her room. There was a pink sex swing dangling from the ceiling, multiple pieces of furniture options, and a massive four poster canopy bed. The canopy had red and gold fabric with silver chain draped throughout it. Her room looked like a sexy palace. Viago dropped to his knees.
“You were right Teia. I was being overly cocky when I should've listened to you. My improvement on pillow talk almost took my eyebrows off. I should've listened to my queen for her area of expertise. My ego wouldn't let me swallow my pride. All I can go is kneel before you and hope I haven't caused a breakup. I will polish your entire shoe collection with my tongue. Go without gloves for an entire week. Hook myself up to the fucking machine and let you watch it fuck me until I'm a blubbering mess. Please just let me make it up to you,” he said earnestly.
Viago pressed his nose to the floor. Her cheeks burned. How did that make him hotter? He kissed her shoe. Teia felt her heart pound in her chest. Her lover was groveling and offering to push himself beyond his comfort level.
“Keep your slutty gloves on I'm not cruel. But I want you to fuck me against the wall after some foreplay where you show me I'm a goddess.”
“As you wish.”
His lips started going up her leg starting at her ankle. He drew heart with his tongue over a group of three freckles. Teia relaxed. Kisses went up her thigh and kissed her covered slit. He then moved to the next leg just in a reverse motion. His hands massaged her legs. She could feel slick dripping onto her underwear. Viago stripped everything but her underwear off. His greedy mouth moved to kissing up her torso. He whimpered as he kissed around her belly button. Every kiss sent a chill down her spine. She leaned in kissing his forehead as he stood up and kissed her breasts. Soft facial hair moved over her skin. It made her head tilt back. Dark brown curls swished on her back.
He took her nipple into his mouth and start sucking. She moaned. Her thong slid down her thighs. Viago inserted two bare fingers into her cunt. His fingertips rubbed circles over her most sensitive spots. Slick coated his fingers. She bit her lip to hold in a wanton moan. Viago sped his fingers up. They curled touching her g-spot. Teia clenched around his fingers. He was kissing her body while whimpering. While she could tell he was playing up his reaction up it made her squirm. She came around his fingers with a moan. His tongue lathed up her arousal. Her hand grabbed his hair as he started eating her out.
“Yes please don't stop Viago,” she loudly moaned.
Viago smirked up at her as his tongue swirled around soaked cunt. Her thighs pressed against either side of head. He moaned as he was lapping up her slick. Her body was melting with his touch. She could see his bulge trapped inside his pants. He removed his face from her cunt. Even his eyelashes had droplets of slick on them. Viago stripped himself to nothing but the pink chest harness and thong he wore. Both were items she left on the floor of his bedroom the night they had their fight. She kissed him. Teia sucked on his lip. Her hand grabbed him by the harness pushing him to the wall.
Teia dropped to her knees and removed her lacy thong off his body with her teeth. He moaned. His warm terracotta skin started turning red. She kissed his tip. As he shivered she sucked his cock just hard enough to work him up more. Teia played with his balls and pubic hair as she sucked. Her lip formed an o around the base of his shaft. She pretended to gag from deep throating him. Her tongue curled along the underside of his cock. A pleasurable groan left his lips. She loved how he was coming undone and the blissed out smile forming on his face. Teia stopped suckling and pulled away with a wet pop.
“Fuck me Vi.”
“Of course my goddess.”
He lifted her up and held her against the wall. She passionately kissed him as his cock slowly spread her folds. Dark hair framed her sex. Once he found a steady rhythm she moved her hips to take him deeper. He was whimpering in her mouth. Teia's thighs trembled as he got near her g-spot. Her arms wrapped around his neck. He sped up thrusting a bit harder. Teia moaned as her cunt tried dragging him in deeper. Viago bottomed out. He pressed her knees into her chest. She made a very loud moan.
“Yes. Vi please. Fuck oh maker,” she said clinging to him.
Even as he was balls deep in her and she was on the precipice of coming he was worshiping her body. Viago was panting. His head vent to the crook of her neck as he came. Hot ropes of cum filled her up. As one the larger bursts occurred she came. He managed to not drop her. Teia was moaning his name on repeat. Once she finished he carried her to her bed. He cleaned up her cunt by eating her out; complete with swallowing the mixture of their fluids. Teia felt like she was floating in a slow body of water from how great it felt. Viago held her close as they both recovered.
“You're more than forgiven. This was never going to cause a break up. I love you Vi.”
“My beautiful Teia I just wanted to beg for you. I can't feel my body but yours is soft, in, my arms, and gorgeous.”
After a very frightful and colorful display between Teia and Viago at the Diamond, the two Talons spend some time apart from each other. They still have their duties, of course, but they aren't as close as they once were. Then a contract given to Viago from Teia appears on his desk, and Viago is positive that the Seventh Talon as decided his time has come.
And that's the last installment for Teiago Week 2026 for me!
This was so much fun!! :D
AO3
Viago paced in his office as a peculiar contract sat on his desk. It was clearly a contract that was meant to test him, but he didn’t understand the test. The client was unknown yet vetted, given the circumstances of how the contract came about. The First Talon had approved the contract herself, which made the situation even more dire.
He had handled his own contracts, so for another Talon to be involved meant that this was meant to be a test in his eyes. This also meant that it was all more entertaining and enjoyable for his sister and protégé, and that infuriated him even more.
Isa sat on the edge of the room in the sofa that usually was unused. It was there for decoration and to fill the space. Now Isa was using it to watch him try to work out what the hell was going on while caring for her blades.
Viago nearly kicked her out several times, but she would always point out something else he didn’t think about that made the contract just a little more interesting. He was getting hung up on details while she could sit back and see the fuller picture. She wasn’t going to be on this contract, though.
Teia was going to be his partner in this.
Usually, this was a great thing. Something he often hoped for and worked towards.
However, he and Teia had a pretty public and vicious fight at the Diamond over something that vicious fight at the Diamond over something that Viago didn’t remember the context of. He just remembered shouting about something that Teia was upset about. It could have been his fault, but he didn’t recall. He remembered, though, that his Crow was present for the end half of it. And now Isa was adamant about not getting involved after what they put her through. She was not willing to give him an inch of anything unless he was able to prove that it without a doubt did her absolutely no harm.
Both of the Talons had started shouting at her in an absolute rage about something that she had no context for as soon as she walked into the attic, and it had been the only time in her life that she truly feared for her life in the Diamond. She never heard the full question that Teia was trying to ask before the argument blew out of proportion. A warning was given, and Isa went into flight or fight mode. She didn’t even realize that the anger wasn’t even directed at her before she reacted.
In a panic, she fled from the room so quickly that it nearly stopped the argument, but a new one had cropped up immediately about who had truly scared Isa. That argument didn’t stop until Illario came by about an hour later asking why he found Isa in the Drowned District. That had startled both Talons out of their anger enough to hear the Dellamorte out.
It had by accident, but he had found her in the abandoned bell tower while he was looking for smuggled wine that he knew that the Fledglings hid there at times. When he asked her what she was doing there, she said, and he quoted, that he wasn’t fooling anyone and Viago must be pretty pissed to have sent him to finish the job. That sent him down to the Diamond looking for answers immediately, forgetting about the stolen wine entirely.
It had taken three days to convince Isa to come back home. Viago had to talk to her everyday outside the bell tower to assure her that neither he nor Teia were angry at her nor were they going to kill her, but he couldn’t get too close to her without her drawing a dagger on him. She even threw one near his head when he tried to get closer to her when she told him to back off. He was sure that they were going to draw too much attention, but it seemed that she picked a pretty secluded spot.
It had been a few weeks since then, and Isa still hadn’t seen Teia. She was at least willing to live under the same roof as Viago again. Now, he wondered if Teia was planning on killing him during the contract, and Isa was pointing out the weak points that the contract gave him. Whether or not she was trying to help, he didn’t know. He had taught her how to be petty and helpful somehow at the same time.
“Do you know if the argument was my fault, though?” Viago asked after a lull in the conversation. Isa glowered at him, always irritated when he brought up the fight. She was the only other one who was there who could off some insight. He wasn’t sure how to apologize, and he needed to do it quickly. It had been a few weeks already, and now they had a contract to complete. “What are you going to do if Teia kills me?”
“Follow the next Talon’s orders and rules to the best of my abilities,” Isa answered as she sharped one of her blades. There wasn’t an ounce of humor in her voice, which made him cautious. She usually would laugh when she talked about anyone replacing him. It was meant to be seen as a joke as if House de Riva would die with them. She wasn’t laughing now. “Or maybe I’ll transfer to a different House. The Dellamortes seem to be in need of some help nowadays since they’re down to single digits without outside help.”
“You’d have to marry in,” Viago warned as Isa slowly turned to stare at him.
“I said what I said,” she reiterated, knowing that it would irritate him to no end.
She knew that he didn’t like Illario very much, but the fact that Illario didn’t flirt with his sister was one of his saving graces. Illario was a seductionist by trade, so Viago didn’t want to see his sister’s heart get whipped around like a dog’s chew toy. However, that still didn’t mean that her words didn’t annoy him further.
Viago was just glad that she had no awareness of the Demon. He wasn’t sure what he would do then.
“You’d marry Illario just to annoy me from beyond the grave?”
“Teia wouldn’t kill you.”
“You don’t know that,” Viago hissed, folding his arms. Their last fight was their biggest yet, and neither of them had seen each other than outside of their Talon meetings. Not to mention his sister’s reaction was out of the ordinary. He couldn’t even remember what he had said that made it that way, and now he felt alienated and uncomfortable. Isa hummed.
“Teia wouldn’t kill you. I never said she wouldn’t make you wish you were dead,” Isa replied carefully with venom in her glare. “Which is why I haven’t checked to see if I’m on her shitlist. I’m not interested in seeing if her anger in you has extended to me, fratello. So, if she renders you immobile or otherwise impaired where you are unable to lead House de Riva, I will move to protect myself.”
There was a beat of silence.
“Is that how I sound when I talk about people planning to kill me?” Viago wondered as she rolled her eyes.
“Focus on the contract, stronzo!” Isa practically shouted as Viago got his answer.
Yes, Isa was being petty, but she was being sincere. She was still scared of the Seventh Talon’s wrath.
Viago waited at the agreed meeting place as he kept his head on a swivel. He still wasn’t sure that this wasn’t a contract where Teia was just going to come out of the shadows and kill him.
He nearly breathed a sigh of relief when she appeared in front of him, walking in just as she normally would have for a contract at any other point in time. He watched her with wary eyes, and she almost looked disappointed. Not in him, per se, but in something else.
“Ah, you’re here,” she remarked with a forced enthusiasm. Viago blinked with a furrowed brow.
“Of course. You sent a contract,” he answered. She pressed her lips together as she took a deep breath.
“Right.”
“We should get going.”
“I suppose,” Teia replied with a sigh.
Viago could tell that she was expecting something more, but he wasn’t sure what. They hadn’t spoken casually since he was at the Diamond when Illario informed them that Isa was in the tower. Since then, there had been Talon meetings were they had been cordial, but he never stuck around afterwards like he used to.
“You look good,” Teia mentioned as he turned to her with a look of bewilderment. “How’s Isa?”
“Why?” he asked cautiously with a sharp edge to his tone. Teia frowned and looked to the ground.
“I haven’t seen her since our fight,” she answered in a quiet voice before swallowing. “I don’t know how to reach out, and Illario told me that it took you a while to convince her to come home.”
“Yes, she’s... jumpier now, I suppose,” Viago admitted before exhaling.
“I suppose I shouldn’t be that surprised. I didn’t realize she would react like that.”
“She thought that we were going to kill her.”
Teia stopped in the street with a surprised look.
“You can’t be serious,” she whispered, shocked and appalled. Viago shrugged as he stared at her. This... was not the reaction that he was expecting. “How could she possibly think I wou- hold on, you said we?”
“I did,” he confirmed, turning towards her.
“She thought you were going to kill her? Then and there?” Teia whispered before covering her mouth. Again, Viago lifted his shoulders and looked away. It wasn’t his favorite thing to think about. “Buenos dioses, tengo que hablar con ella.”
“Why?” he asked again, this time slowly with curiosity. He couldn’t understand why Teia would need to speak with his sister.
“Because that argument we had should have just stayed between us. I never meant for it to come between you two,” Teia answered.
Viago froze, genuinely shocked. He never blamed Teia for driving him and his sister apart. He had an equal share in the blame, and he had shouted and screamed just as much as Teia had that day.
“I carry the same amount of blame,” he sighed, closing his eyes briefly. Teia nodded, folding her arms. “And I can see if she would like to speak with you. It would take some time.”
“I would like that,” she admitted with a deep breath. He dipped his head in acknowledgment. She clenched her jaw and turned away, so Viago started to walk towards their destination again. “I’ve missed you.”
“Che cosa?” Viago responded immediately before stopping. He turned to her, now startled. “You’ve been angry with me this entire time.”
“No, you’ve been angry with me this whole time,” Teia countered with a sigh. Viago paused and stared at her. “You won’t even look at me when we need to go to our Talon meetings, and you rush off as soon as they’re over. You don’t come to the Diamond anymore, either.”
“I thought it would be best to keep my distance,” Viago admitted in a softer tone. “I thought I had finally crossed a line I couldn’t come back from.”
“Vi, don’t tell me you thought that I would kill you,” Teia complained, throwing her head back. He cleared his throat and turned away from her. That was exactly what he had thought “We get into it, but I would never kill you. Maybe maim you, depending on what you did, but not over an argument!”
“That is... that is good to hear,” he admitted, a light blush appearing on his cheeks as he looked at the rooftops briefly. Teia covered her face with her hands as she cursed under her breath.
“I mean, we would be having a different conversation if you actually followed through with it, but you didn’t, so I’m not that upset,” Teia replied as Viago blinked.
The topic of the argument. He still didn’t remember what had started the argument, but he remembered that he didn’t think that it was a huge deal. That was what caused the explosive ordeal, and he knew better than to mention his thoughts on it now. They didn’t need to have an argument in the middle of the street.
“You didn’t, did you?” Teia asked as Viago shook his head slowly, pretty sure he didn’t do anything crazy or intense in the last few weeks that would upset her in anyway. “Now I really need to talk to Isa. Vi, you can’t continue to experiment on her like this! What poison did you use on her this time? Did she even know before she took it? Did she have a say?”
Oh.
That’s right.
This had started because a de Riva Crow had died because the Crow had been careless and accidentally poisoned himself. Teia had grown worried about all his Crows and how they were constantly around poison, especially his sister. When he brought up that she had a basic immunity to the basic de Riva poisons, Teia demanded to know how he knew that.
The fight had escalated from there, and he thought that Teia was overreacting. He had been careful with Isa’s training, as he had been with all his Crows. Isa was just the only one who stuck to the daily poisoning regimen he recommended and practiced keeping up the immunity. He thought that would ease her worries about the de Riva.
It... had not.
“I promise, I have done nothing outside of her consent. Nothing has changed since we’ve last spoken,” Viago replied immediately, holding up his hands. “Nor have I ever done anything without her express permission. She knows the risks of using poison without proper immunity. I simply recommended the regimen to her, and she has taken to it. Which is why she and I have the strongest immunity to poison within our House, if not Antiva.”
“Even when you experiment with new ones?” Teia wondered, crossing her arms. Viago nodded firmly, glad that the Talon was equally as protective of the young Crow.
“She and I both test them on ourselves with supervision,” he admitted with a sigh. “I just do not make it known that I test the poisons on myself. That way people don’t think to avoid using my own poisons on me. It might buy me time in the long run.”
“Why didn’t you say anything before?”
“I tried, but we got into a screaming match where we both just saw red. I don’t think either of us were listening to each other anymore at that point. Then Isa walked in, and I think that was when everything fell apart.”
“Ah, right,” Teia sighed, closing her eyes. She couldn’t remember exactly what she said, but she had demanded to know if Isa was safe in House de Riva as Viago shouted over her to keep silent and not answer questions.
Teia might have slipped in there that Viago was going to kill her if she wasn’t careful. With how heated the argument was and without the proper context, Teia wasn’t exactly surprised that it took three days to convince the Crow that she wasn’t being hunted down. And it wasn’t a huge jump to think that a Talon would be angry with an entire House if they were angry with their Talon. Teia was different, but Isa would probably start to question certain things after that display.
“Did you really need to tell her that I was going to be the one to kill her if she wasn’t careful?” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. He remembered that part of the argument now, and why he promptly forgot about it. He didn’t want to think about it more than he needed to. Isa was safe within the estate again, and Teia wasn’t actively hunting them that he knew of. It was a relief to find out that she wasn’t ever hunting them.
Teia winced as she grimaced. That particular wording of hers had been replaying in her mind for the past few weeks.
“I shouldn’t have said that,” Teia admitted, shaking her head.
“To be honest, I thought you knew about the poisoning thing,” Viago sighed, shaking his head. “I probably should have handled it better as well. The Crow who pricked himself with his own blade had been an idiot, but I was being callous.”
“You saw it as a personal failing, didn’t you?”
Viago remained silent as he folded his arms.
“Vi, you prepared him as best you could, and you aren’t to blame for accidents or mistakes. Especially when it happens when your Crows should have known better,” Teia reminded, remembering that he had been in a rather sour mood that day that they had the argument.
“It just makes me wonder if I prepped the other Crows enough. If I should do something different. Maybe-” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought.
“One mistake doesn’t mean the system is failing,” she added. “It just means it might need some adjustments, so it doesn’t happen again, or as often at least.”
“You’re right,” he admitted, shaking his head. Teia smiled for the first time that night. He had missed that smile. “I’ve missed you, too.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I haven’t been angry with you, by the way.”
“Fooled me,” Teia remarked with a sigh. He frowned and nodded.
“I know. I thought that I kept my distance that maybe your apparently nonexistent temper would cool,” Viago answered with his attempt at a joke. Teia rolled her eyes at him. “I’m sorry for avoiding you.”
“Is that all you’re apologizing for?” she wondered as he smirked.
“I’m not going to apologize for trying to prepare my Crows to the best of their abilities. I will apologize for the way I told you and for the way I handled it, though. It got out of hand too fast,” Viago replied as he dipped his head.
“I’ll take it,” she shrugged with a laugh. “And I’m sorry for implying that you would ever kill any of your Crows on purpose, especially your sister. And I will admit, I didn’t handle the news well either. I will do better.”
“I accept your apology,” Viago replied earnestly.
“Are we okay again?”
“I think so.”
“Ah, good,” Teia sighed, stepping closer towards him. “Because I have one more thing to confess and apologize for.”
“And what’s that?” he asked, suddenly wary and concerned. She grimaced and held her hands behind her back.
“That contract I sent you was a decoy. It’s not real. It was a ruse to get you to speak with me again,” Teia mentioned as Viago blinked at her in disbelief.
“It was signed by the First Talon.”
“Caterina was tired of our wistful glances. She, um, pulled me aside and told me to get it together.”
“Che cazzo,” Viago whispered, hanging his head as he placed his hands on his hips. “The First Talon put you up to this?”
“More or less, I suppose,” Teia admitted with a half shrug. Viago exhaled, shaking his head. “But it frees our night up.”
“It does,” Viago admitted before laughing to himself. “I don’t suppose you still serve that barolo wine I like at the Diamond?”
“Oh, La Biscia Barolo? You think that I would get rid of your favorite?” she teased with a wide grin. Viago smirked and held out his arm to her. She saw a hint of uncertainty, knowing that he wasn’t sure that she would take his arm after everything.
Teia walked over to him and threaded her arm through his happily. He exhaled as if he had taken a deep breath of fresh air, escorting them back towards the Cantori Diamond.
A few weeks prior at the Diamond...
Isa walked in with a few contracts that Viago needed to look over. Bernardo had noticed that they had been sitting on his desk for a few days now, and he was sure they needed to complete. So, Isa walked over to hand them off before she went down to the market. As she passed the attic threshold, she could hear a screaming match as several Crows were quickly buzzing around to get their work done so they could leave.
Isa looked around curiously, confused about what was going on. Then she saw that it was Viago and Teia fighting, and Isa grew concerned. They fought occasionally, but never to this scale. She stood still, watching for a moment before Teia saw her. Teia’s eyes narrowed in on the de Riva Crow, and Isa’s immediately instinct was to flee. However, this was Teia, and she still had to give the papers to Viago.
“Isabella!” Teia shouted, likely louder than she wanted, given her grimace. Isa blinked and bowed her head, retreating into the comparability of formality. “You are going to tell me exactly-”
“You will tell her nothing!” Viago yelled as he followed her on her heels. Isa stared at him in surprise.
“Yes, she will! I need to know-”
“This is de Riva busi-”
“You have made it my busi-”
“I have not! She is perf-”
“She is not fine!”
“You can see she is still standing!” Viago pointed out before Teia rolled her eyes.
“And for how much longer?” Teia demanded before Viago scoffed.
“This is ridicul-”
Isa’s blood ran cold when Teia turned to her with an anger that Isa had never seen before in her life.
“Viago is going to kill you if you do not watch yourself!”
Isa didn’t know when she dropped the contracts. There were fear and concern underneath the anger in the Seventh Talon’s voice, which told her that she was not safe with Teia either. A warning with no context.
The Crow ran from the attic, hearing shouts from Viago, but she did not stop. She didn’t even risk taking the zipline, afraid that it would slow her down, and allow Viago to catch her.
I added Isa's perspective at the end to show why she ended up in an abandoned bell tower for three days
Find me on ko-fi || 🦋Commissions open🦋
tags for visibility below the cut
I'm actually really really proud of this one. I spent a stupid long time smoothing out all the lines. the art I do really isn't powerful or special it's just poses I like. this one feels powerful.
@teiagoweek
tags: @handsignals @pixiedurango @wolfmoonwildflowers @casa-dei-corvei @genjyoandgojyoandhakkai @blackwall-my-tiny-husband @tarasmom @lotusfueltofire @kai-dimir @crushedv3lv3t @styxdysnomia @beachhotdog @mushrooms-x-moss @serensama @jukkaricity @serialsforbellara @waxlyricalmoon @nyx-de-riva @paxvoik2
tag list a WIP, let me know if I should add or remove you on on this post 𖹭.ᐟ
Teiago Week day 6- battlefield/ bedroom and knife play
Thank you to @teiagoweek for hosting
Title: Dagger dance
Rating: E
Words: 1,866
Summary: When a contract both Teia and Viago took over for one their crows turns out to be an ambush they fight together. Fighting puts Teia in the mood for some knife play and Viago is happy to give her what she needs.
Read below the cut or on AO3
Viago pressed his back to Teia's with his rapiers drawn. The contract had been a set up, just not intended for them. One of Teia crows fell ill so they took over the contract.They were at the center of the dusty room. Multiple masked figures surrounded them.He could feel her muscles tighten like a wound spring. Neither talon made a move. The stand off went from watching everyone to combat. An arrow was shot at Teia. She dodged it with a flip. Viago stabbed his poisoned blade into a charging warrior's neck. Blood sprayed the floor.
He kept Teia in his peripheral vision as they both fought. A throwing knife hit the chest of a mage aiming for Viago. He threw a vial of All choked up at a group of three people. The scent of bitter choke cherry filled at room. Coughing and pained screams came from the group. He was quick to act on Teia creating openings. She did a flip backwards while firing her crossbow.
“Vi arms!”
The poison blades went into one hand. He held out his arms behind his back. They formed two loops. Teia hooked her arms with his and lifted her body up. He kept her stable as her legs primed for a kick. Viago knew the boots Teia had on contained a hidden weapon in the toes. She did a powerful kick. Sparks appeared where she hit against the plate metal armor. Teia put her feet firmly on the ground. Viago was flipped so they changed positions. His poison blade arched a thin stream of poison into the sparks. It created a chain reaction spreading the flames to multiple people around them. Brown curls smacked his shoulder as Teia attached. She did a butterfly jump into the frey of another fight. He stole a glance at her ass.
“Good hit Teia. Made your ass a weapon.”
“My ass is always a weapon. On your left!”
Viago dodged the incoming lightning spell. He lost his footing for a second due to a puddle of blood. As a great hammer started to swing towards him it's wielder fell backwards. A familiar dagger was in their throat. She kissed his cheek before bouncing back to the group she was fighting. He stabbed an archer. Wooden crates were thrown down from the second story. Viago grabbed Teia and wrapped around her. He covered her his with his upper body. Just in case that dodge was miscalculated. She kissed his throat. Her honey brown eyes gave him bedroom eyes. If they weren't in combat he would've given in. His earring clicked against her multiple pieces of ear jewelry.They threw another group of crates down. Wine bottles shattered. Viago scowled as the wine smelled exactly like his favorite white wine. A wine that cost five hundred gold minimum a bottle depending on the vintage. Some the shattered wood bounced hitting his arm. Teia stole one his grenade vials. She shook it and threw it up onto the landing. Glass exploded and blue smoke swirled around the crate thrower. Viago tapped two fingers to the tip of his nose. Teia nodded with a smirk. Lovely she's going to go feral how is she so hot.
Both talons ran in separate directions. She scaled up the wall and had a blade between her teeth. He took the steps four at a time. Teia made it up to the second floor first. A red rope was being used as a garrotte on the Qunari she stole it from. The last enemy hurled wine bottles at Viago. He dodged them. As the almost hit him he saw the labels were infact his favorite white wine. The Light shall lead her safely. Through the paths of this world, and into the next.For she who trusts in the Maker, fire is her water.As the moth sees light and goes toward flame. She should see fire and go towards Light.The Veil holds no uncertainty for her.And she will know no fear of death, for the Maker. Shall be her beacon and her shield, her foundation and her sword. Viago felt most people didn't deserve something from the chant of light from him but the wine deserved a king’s funeral.
The pommel of his blade struck into the nose of the panicking man. He kneed him in the stomach hard. Viago yanked the man by his hair and dragged him over the shattered glass from the bottle. The glass cut up the man's palms. Both his blades slashed before going into a kill spot. Teia made a loud oh before laughing.
“Vi you're going to hate me. The ledger says some the crates of wine was yours.”
“The merchant will be replacing them or I personally will put a contract on their head. Guess we're drinking red wine for the foreseeable future,” he grumbled as his eye twitched.
“You have an entire wine cellar full of white wine. If we find a bed or flat surface can I fuck you? You were so hot fighting.”
“Depends what you deserve and the surface. Absolutely not outdoors in this weather my silk will be ruined.”
“Knife play if you have the aftercare. But I'll take a quickie on a desk if I have to,”she said in a sultry tone.
“When have I ever left my house without my antiseptics and healing items?”
She smiled before heading down the hallway. Doors slammed shut as Teia was seeking. I have the floor plan she doesn't need to do all of this. Her dark brown curls bounced behind her. He was only catching the flick of her curls vanish him. Her hips wiggled as he caught up.
“I found a bed. No waiting an hour. I wasn't going to make it if we had to wait.”
“Did you accidentally get dosed with an aphrodisiac?”
“No you're just that sexy,”she whined.
Her halla like eyes were undressing him. He pulled her into a kiss. His hands stripped her out of her gear and pants.There was a damp spot already on her underwear. Teia flushed a bright red in the face. Her pointed ears moved up and down. He motioned to the bed. She laid down at the ready. Only her purple shirt covered her body. Which didn't last long as she immediately pulled it off. He shook his head pulling out the tools he'd need.
“Slow down Teia were not on a time crunch,” he said.
“Make me Vi.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. She was smirking. Viago slowly removed every piece of his clothes. Teia whined a bit. He removed his gloves. The cold antiseptic was dabbed onto her skin where he planned to make shallow cuts soon. She moaned a bit. Her cunt was framed by dark brown curls. He picked up a dull dagger. The flat steel ran over her body. Teia shivered. He rested the blade flat against her tit. A small whimper fell from her lips. If he didn't know better he'd assume she had abstained from all sexual activity for a month to be this needy.
“How much longer until the real show,” she huffed.
“The more you ask and act like a brat the longer I won't give you what you want. I know you want me buried inside your cunt with a blade to your throat,” he teased.
Teia’s nose scrunched as she pouted. He kissed her. With the non-cutting edge of the knife he scratched Viago into her warm terracotta skin. Her hips bucked. Slicked dripped down her thighs. He picked up a knife that never had been sharpened and traced it over her clit. She was forcing herself to keep quiet. It was obvious she was holding in sassing him. Slowly he carved superficial cuts into her skin. Viago avoided areas where arteries cluster like the folds between her cunt and legs. She was beautiful as she squirmed.
“You can do better a butter knife would cut me better.”
Viago did a deeper cut. Red blood trickled down her torso. Next he carved a heart into her body just below his name. Her head tilted back. Loud moans filled the room. His cock was hard and grazed against her skin as he cut more.
“Vi if you're a coward we can stop,” she said her voice dripping with a bratty tone.
Black curls fell into his face as he gave into what she wanted. The cuts weren't deep enough to scar even if he didn't do the healing potions for aftercare. His finger rubbed her cunt. One hand kept slicing her with the blade. He patiently waited until she mewled to put the blade to her throat. The tip dug in just enough to draw a drop of blood. She looked surprised. He sucked on her nipple. Teia was moaning. His cock head rubbed against her entrance.
“You're going to be a good girl or I'll leave you even hornier with no chance of relief.”
Her nails dug into his back as he slid into her. Viago kept an eye on the blade he held to her throat as he thrusted. He was trained to use his daggers to kill in hundreds of ways his with a knife to the throat. Her walls fluttered around him. She moaned. He slowed down his pace reading her body.
“You're fine Vi I'm just sensitive. Oh fuck yes right there,” she whimpered.
“That's a good girl take my cock. How does it feel?”
“Amazing Vi. My heart is racing like I'm on a contract gone wrong. I can f-feel your cock both hitting my g- spot and rubbing a circle on it,” she said holding in a moan.
The knife pressed harder into her throat without hurting her. He sped up his thrusting as she came. Viago was fucking her through her climax. Her toes curled. Teia’s nails dug deeper into his back. He licked a bit of blood off her lower body. His cock twitched. Her legs wrapped around him. She came again with a loud moan that sounded almost like a pleasurable scream. Viago laced his hand with hers as he came inside of her. He was panting. His thighs burned like he ran a marathon. Once Teia let him go the after care started.
Viago kissed every cut. He applied more antiseptic to the cuts just in case. They were then patted dry with sterile cloth. A clean wet cloth was used to wipe off their mixed fluids off her thighs. Next he put a healing salve on them. Finally he kissed her forehead as the health potion was poured into her mouth. He kissed her passionately. Every cut was already vanishing. Viago got them both dressed quickly. With a quick yet gentle scoop he picked her up. Carrying her all the way back to the inn they stayed at. Finally he held her close as the delayed bliss hit.
“Thank you Vi. I needed that.”
“Anything for you. We can go for a second round of knife play with me on the receiving end when you're ready. You seemed to have fun. I love you Teia.”
A week of coloured pencil doodles, digitally adjusted, made for @teiagoweek ♥
✦ Day 1 — Leather & Lace: His leather and her lace gloves, and a quick kiss~💋
✦ Day 2 — Ink Stains & Lipstick Marks: She covered him in kisses, but ended up pouring his ink all over his meticulous paperwork!
✦ Day 3 — Royalty & Commoner: The King's bastard & the urchin. The Antivan Crows might not be the best organisation, but it offered them a way to prove themselves, regardless of their background. They don't have to kneel in front of a throne, to starve in the streets. They can fight for what matters to them.
✦ Day 4 — Undercover & Open: Sneaking messages, hiding amongst the masses and seducing targets🎭
✦ Day 5 — Partner & Rival: I needed to draw them fighting side by side at least once in my life, so here it is!
✦ Day 6 — Battlefield & Bedroom: Training together, until she ends up winning, and he doesn't complain about that. It will probably end up in their bedroom🤭
✦ Day 7 — Breaking Up & Making Up: Going through one of their many arguments, breaking up and making up constantly over little things.
For @teiagoweek 2026. Prompts: Meetings, Undercover.
(CW: Violence, some blood, and non-explicit sexual content)
The window had a standard casing. Viago was through it in under a minute, landing cat-silent on the bedroom floor. Now, to figure out where they were meeting-
"Oh, goodness, you're in a hurry!"
It was Cassini's sultry voice, but not as he was used to hearing it. The pitch was higher, the tone far less genuine. By the sound of footsteps rushing up the stairs, the voice's recipient didn't mind.
Viago slipped into the wardrobe. Normally he enjoyed being a tall man, but it was definitely a disadvantage in wardrobe skulking situations. He'd barely situated himself when he heard a pair of footfalls cross the room's threshold.
There was nothing interesting about their conversation whatsoever. There was barely a conversation even happening. He heard groping, kissing, a body being tossed onto the bed, Cassini's breathy giggles—despite never having heard her laughter, he was certain she didn't genuinely laugh like that—and the nobleman's pleased grunts.
This wasn't the first time Viago had been stuck in a wardrobe listening to two people having sex as part of the job, but it was certainly the most unpleasant. The man was a pig, clearly only interested in his own pleasure. Viago may not have had an extensive history of conquests, but when he made love to someone, he did it right.
Stuck in place with nothing else to do, he couldn't help but imagine what he'd be doing instead. He would be taking his time undressing her, revealing her gorgeous form to his eyes and tasting every inch of her (once she'd thoroughly bathed in a controlled situation that ensured she had no toxins on her skin, of course). He would take his time touching her, learning her most sensitive spots, making her fall apart entirely before he even thought of slaking his own lust.
The man on the other side of the wardrobe door hadn't bothered with any of that. The bed was rocking rhythmically within moments, Cassini crying out in time with the wooden squeaks. Hacedor, she was loud, and to his ears, inauthentic. It was as though she wanted the entire household to know what was happening more than she wanted to express her pleasure.
Viago winced as her shrieks grew louder, louder, culminating in a piercing wail, and then… silence.
He heard no movement. No awkward rolling over in the bed. No footfall. ¿Qué demonios…?
Only a single, tiny, metallic squeak let him know anyone was even in the room. And then, more silence.
He sat in the wardrobe for some time, listening to his own breath ease in and out between his lips, until his back began to cramp. He had no choice but to leave the wardrobe and figure out what had happened.
It was pitch black. The candles had been snuffed. He could detect the basic shapes in the room, but little more.
There was a person-shaped lump on the bed. A moment of panic washed over to him until he confirmed it was too large to be Cassini. He crept over to it, held one hand over the mouth. Nothing. With a grimace, he slid off one glove to check the pulse point at the neck.
Wet. Only years of discipline kept him from gagging aloud. He drew his shaky hand to his nose, sniffing. Blood. Neck slit. When…?
His brain went into overdrive as he drew a clean handkerchief and a vial of cleanser from his pouch, scrubbing his tainted hand.
Her cries. They weren't advertisement. They were camouflage. No servant would want to investigate such noises, and none would have heard any noise the man had made upon his death. The squeak he'd heard must have been the window frame during her exit.
Viago let out a silent sigh. Cassini was his assassin, and she was good. Definitely not some lower-level cuchillo operative. He was likely dealing with another of the great houses. He needed to figure out who this man was and how he was connected to the casino sale.
He also needed to leave. He'd almost turned his back on the body when an anomaly caught his eye. Barely visible in the dark, a piece of paper had been placed between the dead man's lips. He pulled it free and stuffed it in his pouch.
He was nearly to his door in the small boarding house room he was renting when he heard a soft rustling sound around a blind corner. He leapt backward and a man wielding two gleaming daggers appeared in the space he'd just occupied.
He didn't need to think. Decades of training did that for him. His own knife flew from his hand and buried itself in the man's neck. While the assassin gasped and gurgled, Viago knocked him to the ground and finished the job.
He replaced his knife with one of the assassin's daggers, stepped over the body, walked into his room, and shut the door behind him. As long as there was a Crow dagger in the body, someone would alert a cleanup squad when they saw it. Nobody would ask too many questions, even if the man was outside his door. Antiva knew better than to interrogate Crow business.
He lit his lamp and sat on his sad, rented bed with a heavy sigh. He turned the assassin's other dagger over in his hand. House Nevai, a cuchillo of House Dellamorte, if he recalled. That meant his assumed identity was secure. Someone was trying to assassinate Viggio Paloma, man of business, not Viago de Riva. House Dellamorte would never give a contract on a de Riva to one of its cuchillos. They would do his House the necessary honor of sending one of their own.
Someone didn't want Señor Lavazzo to have access to too much business advice. Probably one of the three weaker petitioners, not that it mattered. The casino owner didn't need any help in that department.
He'd need to send a missive to House Dellamorte and inform them that their contract needed to be re-negotiated, preferably at a rate above what the client could afford. The last thing he needed was to have to slaughter half of House Nevai while they attempted to complete it. Or worse, to have them resort to poison and catch him in a vulnerable moment. He shuddered.
Placing the dagger to the side, he set his mind to his second conundrum of the night. He pulled out the slip of paper that had been placed between the teeth of Cassini's mark. He unfolded it to see three simple words written in charcoal.
"DO NOT INTERFERE."
His mind reeled. Had she known he was there? How? He'd watched her like a hawk while tailing her. She had never looked up at him. He'd been incredibly silent while sneaking into the townhouse, he thought.
This was a problem. He could no longer be content with watching her moves. If she was threatening him directly, he'd need to schedule some quality time with her.
The next two days were a flurry of news and activity. One of the top three representatives dropped out of the deal. Viago had looked into Cassini's victim, a wealthy trader aiming to become a Merchant Prince. Not a member of Lavazzo's family. Viago's client could still be in danger from whoever was employing Cassini.
Viago received an answer from House Dellamorte. They had wriggled out of the contract, but no, they would not be able to inform him of the client's identity. Bad for their reputation, as he well knew, did he not? He did.
The rest of his time was spent preparing to capture and interrogate Tina Cassini, whoever she actually was. That night, he followed her to her actual lodgings, located in a shabby but still relatively safe part of town. Once she had departed for work the next day, he broke in.
He noted the paper she had placed under the windowsill, just so, to alert her if anyone had forced entry. He would return it to its proper place before leaving. Her apartment was small but scrupulously clean, save for the overflowing wardrobe in the corner. He (mostly) approved. He cast about for an appropriate way to enact his plan.
There. Near the washing-up sink. An earthen cup on the nightstand. The perfect way to ensure she ingested his poison. He took out his kit and brushed a clear adhesive over the inside of the cup. Then he withdrew a packet labeled "Sopo-riffic," spreading the clear crystals evenly across the sticky surface. It would dry transparent and had so little taste that she was unlikely to notice even if she filled her mug with water.
After that, it was merely a waiting game. Viago returned home for a quick nap, then set himself up in the bushes outside her back window. He could see most of the room from there, his opera glasses at the ready.
She returned, lighting the lanterns in her room and sloughing off her jacket wearily. Viago swallowed down the feeling that he was intruding on her privacy; as a poisoner he spent a great deal of time surveying marks. Just because this one was a beautiful woman who he did not intend to kill (if he could help it) shouldn't make a difference.
He tried not to watch too closely while she disrobed. Never mind that he could practically hear the swish of silk as she pulled her dress up over her head, revealing lacy black lingerie that made him swallow, hard. She also wore several knives strapped to her person, reminding him with whom he was dealing. It only heightened his growing ardor. Fortunately for the state of his dignity, she disappeared into his blind spot for a few moments and came back sans knives, wearing a brief scarlet slip, her mug in her hand.
She sat on her bed, facing directly toward the back window. It was as if she was looking straight at him, even though he knew that was impossible. She couldn't see out the window with the lanterns on in her room. He was perfectly well-hidden.
He watched her tip her mug to her lips, her throat swallowing as the dosed water flowed down her throat. She placed the mug back down on her nightstand and set to caring for her knives, cleaning them off and sharpening them against a whetstone. Her shapely legs crossed and uncrossed as she worked, Viago's eyes guiltily following their every motion.
After several minutes, her brows pinched together in confusion. She yawned and stretched, every line and curve of her gorgeous body on display. A drop of sweat slid down the back of Viago's neck. She rose and doused one of her lamps. On the way to the other, she began to sway. She changed course, collapsing onto her bed and clumsily pulling the covers over herself. The drug was taking effect.
A lucky break for Viago. He still had a bit of light to work with.
He waited patiently until he was certain her breathing was even. Then he slipped from his hiding place and through the window.
She didn't so much as twitch when he approached. She was as gorgeous in repose as she was awake, her long lashes fanning out over high cheekbones, her hair draped over the pillow in a lush fall of curls. He drew several soft, silken cords from his pack. There was no reason to bind such a beautiful Crow with coarse rope. Viago was a professional.
He drew the blanket off her, holding his breath. No response. She was quite unconscious, he was certain.
Certain, until he bent over her to bind her hands behind her back and she sprang to life, knocking him to the ground with a fierce growl. He barely managed to curl up enough not to bang his head against the floor. Not that that mattered, for her steel was at his throat. He was a dead man.
For someone who had spent so much of his life being paranoid over his inevitable death, the end felt rather peaceful. Perhaps it was because of the paranoia. It was over. He would be at peace, finally. He closed his eyes and a soft, contented sigh fell from his lips.
Except… nothing happened. The woman was astride him, her steel still pressed to his throat. Yet she hesitated. Why? She was one of them, surely. She had survived this long. She had foiled his brilliantly executed plot. Surely she…
Viago cracked one eye open, his vision consumed by her beautiful, furious face. Adding the other eye allowed him a view of the dagger's hilt. Crow issue, of course. The symbol there. House Cantori. One of the best, if ranked slightly below his own. He found his mouth opening, his voice soft and even to avoid any accidental cuts.
"You're not killing me. Why?"
Her angry brows drew even closer together, and if she hadn't been holding a dagger to his neck he sensed she'd have thrown her hands up in exasperation.
"That is what you choose to ask me? Crows!"
His mind whirled with confusion. "You're one of us."
"That doesn't mean I always understand us."
She shifted, though her dagger didn't waver one bit, and he was suddenly aware of their situation. She was straddling him, wearing only that brief slip in the most enticing red color. Certain inconvenient parts of his anatomy were starting to notice, as well. He grimaced.
Her eyes flashed with some unreadable emotion, and he knew she'd felt it. She spoke again.
"You really weren't planning to assault me, were you?"
Angry defensiveness shot through him.
"No! I would never-" His exclamation was cut short by a searing pain at his throat. Mierda. She swore as well, pulling the dagger back a touch. She allowed him to press one hand to his throat, staunching the shallow cut.
"Then why, exactly, did you try to dose me with a non-lethal poison?"
She'd detected and then figured out the nature of the poison? He had severely underestimated her.
"I needed to be sure of who you are and who you're here for. I was only going to interrogate you."
She gave him a funny look and then, inexplicably, one finely manicured hand reached down to cradle his face. The minute shift of her body atop him made him harden uncomfortably. He bit the inside of his lip.
"Oh, darling," she said. "And it didn't occur to you to simply ask?"
It had not.
"You threatened me. Told me not to interfere." It was a reasonable objection.
"I did no such thin-" Tina spoke, then paused, gasping. Her free hand flew from his face to cover her mouth in shock. "You were there! Hijo de cabrón. You took the note?"
"I…" Viago had a sudden, gut-twisting revelation. "That wasn't for me."
Something deep inside him did appreciate the irony of being called a son of a bastard, however.
"It was absolutely not!" Her plush lips pursed with displeasure. "It was for Lavazzo's family. I knew their assassins would be following in my wake. I didn't even know you were an assassin. Congratulations on that cover, by the way. I thought you a most annoying little pest."
Viago tried not to think too hard about the fact that he hadn't been playing very much of a role with her. He'd certainly not been at his best during their interactions.
"So you're not working for the family. I…" He paused as she shifted her weight once more and a rush of desire pulsed through him. "Could we perhaps sit up? Negotiate? I don't wish to harm you, and I'd rather you stopped doing… that. It's distracting."
She gave him a small, sly smile. "I have no idea what you mean." She absolutely did. But she stood and crossed to her wardrobe, pulling on a diaphanous robe that did little to obscure her delectable form. He gathered himself together, getting off the floor with a grunt, and sat in a dining chair. She perched on the side of her bed, one leg crossed atop the other, petite foot dangling.
"Viago de Riva," he said simply, by way of actual introduction. "And we can negotiate as long as you mean no harm to Señor Lavazzo."
"I don't. My client wishes the sale to go through."
Good. Excellent, in fact. Viago allowed himself a tiny smile. It seemed that her client was knocking off rivals to their business proposal, but that was no concern of his. His contract didn't extend to protecting any of them.
"Very well. It sounds as though you have run afoul of some members of the Lavazzo family?"
"I know of one in particular. His bid isn't competitive and he desires the casino in any way he can obtain it. He's likely to make an attempt on Lavazzo himself before long, but I've been having difficulty approaching him. I'm beginning to think he's not interested in women at all."
"You're not willing to consider that you've simply failed to seduce him, Señora Cantori?"
She gave him a look through her lashes, brushing her hair behind her ear. The way she moved… Hacedor. His cock began to harden anew, even though she was across the room.
"Andarateia. Call me Teia. And I am not willing to consider that. I'm the best, you know."
His mouth was dry. "I… I can concede that fact, Teia."
Her name felt pleasant to speak, and the pleased smile she granted him appeared genuine. It threw him for even more of a loop than her practiced seduction. She leaned forward, her chin in her hand.
"So if I'm understanding correctly, we both have an interest in eliminating one Matimo Lavazzo before he strikes out at his uncle?"
"Indeed, we do, and I commend your intelligence ability in tracking him down."
"Why thank you. I've been attending the salon he frequents, and I believe you might just be his type. Shall we work together?"
Viago stared at her. His type? Wait. No. No no no. Absolutely not.
Teia takes a knife to her side, and Viago has to quickly finish the contract before rushing her back to safety. Unfortunately, the Diamond is too far away, but the de Riva estate is closer. So Viago takes Teia back to his home, and he will make sure she makes it through the night.
TW: first aid talk, suturing (it's not too bad, but it's in here)
AO3
The contract went south too quickly. Viago was able to handle it, but it came too late and at a cost. The target was dead, and he was able to obtain proof of death just as the client requested.
However, the target was more cunning than either he or Teia had expected, and Teia had taken an unexpected blade to her side as a result. A precise throwing blade had struck her just below the ribs, and Viago saw red.
In truth, most of what happened after that was a blur, and there were just bodies after he came back to himself. He knew he had gone overboard, but knowing the client, there wouldn’t be any complaints. The First Talon wouldn’t care either, but it was still messier than he cared about it being, and Teia was now on the ground in pain.
She had tried to brush it off, but it was clear that it wasn’t something that she was going to be able to walk off. Viago said nothing has he carefully lifted her from the ground as she groaned in pain. He was sure there was some light protesting form her, but he wasn’t listening. He needed to get her back to safety somewhere so he could make sure that she was going to make it.
So, he carried her along the rooftops back to the de Riva estate since it was closer than the Diamond or any Crow clinic that would be open at this time of night. He knew enough about first aid that he could help stop the bleeding. He just knew how to stop clotting better, but he had enough medical books to get his way through this. He could take her to see a healer in the morning when everyone was awake again.
The doors of the de Riva estate slammed open as the Talon carried his partner through the entrance, and Viago made a mental note to apologize to his staff for startling them later. However, they could see why he was being uncharacteristically loud, and they rushed to assist in any way they could. Someone went to get water while Bernardo, his head of staff, led the way to one of the guest rooms where it would be safest to help Teia. Viago even took notice that one of the maids grabbed a mop and started to clean up the dripping blood coming from Teia as they went through the hallways.
Bernardo grabbed several linens from the closet on their way to the room, and he set them out on the bed, commenting that he didn’t want Signorina Cantori to sleep on a blood-soaked mattress after she was seen to. Viago nodded, letting the butler work before rushing out to see where the water was and to find where they kept the spare first aid supplies.
“Call for Isa,” Viago informed, knowing that he would need someone to watch the estate while he was distracted. Having an injured Talon with a distracted Talon was an opportunity for anyone wanting power, and his protégé would be able to deter any lingering vultures. Bernardo simply nodded before disappearing beyond the doorway.
Viago grabbed one of the spare linen sheets that Teia wasn’t lying on and she started to rip long strips from it. She was barely conscious as she watched him through nearly closed eyes. He kept glancing at her, seeing how far gone she was and if she was still with him. He had been careful to keep the blade in without moving it around too much, and he hoped that he had kept the blood loss to a minimum.
“You take such good care of me,” Teia whispered with a small smile. He stared at her for a moment before exhaling.
“You are feeling the effects of blood loss,” he informed, ripping another strip away.
“Maybe,” she drawled before humming. “But you do. Who else would carry me back all the way to their home to rip apart their bedding to make sure I live?”
“I suppose,” he smirked, sure that any one of her Crows would make sure that she made it back safely. She was a good leader, and they trusted her for the most part. Although, it was true that a fellow Talon wouldn’t go this far for another Talon in most situations. Teia was special in his eyes.
“So, doctor, how long do I have to live?” Teia asked with a soft smile.
“Many, many years, signorina. You aren’t going anywhere any time soon,” Viago answered with a smile.
Bernardo entered silently with the water and supplies before leaving again, mentioning that he would be downstairs if anything else was needed. Teia thanked the man as well just as he passed through the door.
“That’s good to hear that I get to live,” Teia remarked with a smile. “I was hoping that would be the case.”
“As if I would ever let you die,” Viago scoffed, shaking his head while he went through the supplies that Bernardo brought. Teia relaxed at that, knowing that he wasn’t exactly his usual guarded self either. He was saying things he would only admit to after long days when he was very tired or too distracted to know what he was saying. It was his truth, though, regardless of how he was put in that state.
“Good to know,” she remarked, staring at him.
Viago replaced his gloves with something more sanitary that didn’t already have dried blood all over them before grabbing a chair to place next to her. He grabbed a suturing needle and the strips that he had torn off. Teia exhaled, realizing that this wasn’t going to be pleasant.
He furrowed his brow before he rummaged through his bag on his belt. Teia watched him and was surprised when he pulled out a small vial.
“What is it?” she wondered calmly.
“I call it A Nod in the Poppies,” Viago answered with a grimace. “It’s a newer poison that I’ve been working on, and one that has some strange side effects.”
“Have you been testing it on Isa?”
“With her permission. After testing it on... other subjects.”
Teia hummed at that.
“What are the side effects?” she asked.
“Strange lack of lucidity with slow reflexes and low response to pain,” Viago answered calmly before exhaling. “In small doses that are monitored, it acts like a pain blocker or reliever. I do not recommend it to be widely used, though.”
“Oh?”
“A story for another time.”
“So, it’ll block the pain I’m feeling?” she wondered as he grimaced.
“That is what I’m hoping. I don’t know,” Viago admitted. Teia stared at him, realizing that this was a completely brand-new poison that could have other uses that they hadn’t understood yet. “But if your pain is unbearable, I think it could help.”
“Would it kill me?”
“No.”
“Then I’m willing to try it,” Teia replied, reaching out for his hand. Viago squeezed her hand in his with a nod. He pulled out a dropper before giving her a few drops into her mouth. “How long will it take?”
“A few minutes, I think. Not too long,” he reassured as she nodded, relieved for that.
“Then you better get started,” she remarked, looking up at him. Viago exhaled and nodded.
Teia could feel the strange poison start to take effect, and she felt the pain slowly ebb away. It never fully vanished, but it was more bearable. She winced when Viago removed the knife from her side, but she was able to handle it without crying out in pain.
She could feel his hands on her skin as he staunched the bleeding with the linen before grabbing the suture needle. Tears pricked at her eyes as she turned away.
This wasn’t the first time that Viago had given her stitches, and she doubted that it would be the last time, either. She just could stand the sight of the needle, and so she turned away instead of watching.
Teia decided to look out the window instead, watching as a few stars shined through the open window. Although, she didn’t remember anyone going to open the window.
“Vi, the window,” she whispered, still unable to look in his direction until the task was done. He hummed, and she could hear the smile in his voice.
“Isa is around, and she wanted to make sure that she could hear to make sure that you weren’t dying, amore,” Viago answered softly. Teia relaxed again, forgetting that his protégé was patrolling the area for signs of danger. “She opened the window while I was ripping the linen.”
“Well, I’m glad she did. The stars are gorgeous tonight,” Teia replied with a sigh. She felt a warm hand on her cheek before Viago hummed. She wasn’t too cold or too warm, but it was possible that the poison was affecting her mind a little. He remembered Isa getting a little loopy as well.
“I’m almost done, cara mia,” Viago reassured as she smiled. That was good news. Then she could rest properly. She could see why Viago called in A Nod in the Poppies. She was feeling very sleepy all of a sudden, and she would love to take a nap now.
“Anything to worry about?” she murmured with a smirk.
“Not a thing,” he replied, tying off the stitches before kissing her temple.
Viago stood from the chair to gather the bloodied linen and medical supplies to place them in the hallway. He would deal with it if Bernardo didn’t get to it first. He closed the door and walked over to the window, leaning out of it a little. He tapped rhythmically on the pane before nodding one.
“Questa stella brilla come un diamante,” he remarked before closing and locking the window. Teia stared at him in confusion before he shrugged. “Isa would have broken in to make sure you were alright if I just closed the window without letting her know you were fine. We’ve developed a code by now.”
“Adorable,” Teia cooed as Viago rolled his eyes.
“Yes, yes,” he sighed, shaking his head. “I mostly didn’t want her to startle you in the middle in the night where you randomly get up and reopen your wound.”
“Still sweet,” she pointed out. He smirked, realizing that he was fighting a losing battle.
Teia always saw right through him. The others always saw his prickly demeanor and thought that was all there was. He was just a stuck-up bastard that only cared about results. Teia knew better.
Teia could see that he cared about results because results meant that his Crows were being safe and getting the job done at the same time. It meant that his work was paying off.
Viago wanted to have the best House because that meant that he had the safest and most secure House. It meant that he could depend on his Crows, and they could depend on him. Most of the de Rivas did, and the rest of the Crows didn’t understand because they didn’t see past the cold front.
Viago, as much as he would never admit it, was sentimental, and that was one of his best qualities. He was sentimental about his House and about her. She couldn’t imagine a better partner for contracts or to be in her life.
“Alright, let’s get you cleaned up and ready for bed, then,” Viago sighed, wetting more linen to wipe away any lingering blood on her skin.
“How scandalous,” she teased.
“I would imagine. Especially since you are going to rest in here while I assist Isa in patrolling until you’re awake again,” he added with a smirk. She exhaled dramatically.
“You are no fun,” she teased. He chuckled, shaking his head.
“I will be more fun when you are not drugged or actively bleeding from a fresh wound,” Viago promised before removing his second pair of gloves of the night. “Now, do you want help getting undressed and redressed, or would you like to manage it on your own?”
“Help would be nice,” she admitted with a smile.
“Then I will help,” he replied.
With some careful maneuvering, Viago helped her sit up a little before carefully removing her leathers without jostling her too much. The poison was likely to be in her system for a while yet, but he still didn’t want to cause her any undue pain.
He carefully folded each piece as they went as Teia relaxed, starting to ache where she had been stabbed. Once her leathers were off, he moved them to the hallway as well. Viago sighed, seeing that the bloodied linens and medical supplies were gone as he had guessed. He placed her leathers down before standing up.
Viago nearly drew a dagger on the shadow that appeared next to him before he saw the piercing green eyes of his sister. He frowned, irritated that she had snuck up on him like that.
“What are you doing?” he asked, knowing that she was supposed to be outside.
“On my way back out. I thought Teia might need something clean to rest in,” Isa explained, holding out a nightgown and a dressing robe. Viago thinned his lips, accepting the thoughtful gesture. “I’ll make sure no one takes advantage of the situation, fratello. Just make sure that mia soré makes it out alright.”
“She’s already on the mend, sorella. I promise,” Viago reassured as his shoulders dropped slightly. Isa nodded once before she went to return to the shadows. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you’re both safe,” Isa smirked before vanishing out the hallway window again.
Viago walked back in to see Teia smiling as he held up a change of clothes for her.
“Ah, mi hermanita is a sweetheart,” Teia replied as Viago nodded.
“She said that she’s going to watch the estate while you heal,” he informed as she smirked.
“You know, I have to go back to House Cantori eventually,” she teased. Viago lifted his shoulders as he slowly walked over to her, liking this game.
“I don’t know, House de Riva has its perks.”
“Oh? Such as?”
“It has me. You’d see me so much more often,” he remarked with a shrug, reaching to hold her hand gently. She smiled at him before pretending to think about it.
“I don’t think one House can have two Talons,” Teia reminded with a raised brow.
“We’ve been trendsetters before,” Viago argued.
“Not sure the other Talons would approve of that. We know Caterina would have a fit,” Teia laughed as he smiled.
“I suppose so,” he lamented.
This was a conversation that they had so often, it now sounded scripted. Two Crows from different Houses joining together wasn’t unheard of. It happened all the time.
Two Talons joining, however, was something entirely different. One would have to give up their Talonhood in order to join the other House in order for the union to work.
And while the idea of a domestic life sounded nice, they both agreed that they worked better as Talons working together. They rarely agreed on everything, which was why it was allowed to continue. Neither was under the other’s thumb when it came to politicking, so their relationship didn’t affect the Crows in the way that the other Talons cared about.
Although, every once in a while, an upstart would think that their relationship was their weakness, and that corpse would prove that they were stronger together than they ever would be apart. Even during their off seasons, as Isa kindly put it.
“But I like when I do get the opportunity to spend time in the estate,” Teia mentioned with a smile. Viago smirked and sighed, wishing that this had been through better circumstances.
“We should make more time for it then,” he offered as she nodded.
“As long as I don’t have to be stabbed every time,” Teia laughed. Viago grimaced and looked down at their joined hands. “I’ll keep a better eye on my surroundings so that doesn’t happen again.”
“It wasn’t your fault. That assassin wasn’t there when we entered. I don’t know where he came in with that throwing knife,” Viago sighed, shaking his head. “But I intend to find out.”
“You aren’t going to send your Crows on a wild goose hunt, are you?”
“Well, the knife is intricate. I don’t think he expected you to live or for me to take you with me with the knife still in your abdomen.”
“So, you actually have a lead?”
“I do. Plus, I killed all his allies, so he’s either desperate to get out of Antiva or desperate for revenge. Either way, it’ll make him sloppy and perfect for tracking,” Viago answered with a smile before beginning to help slip the nightgown on over her head. “But that’s a problem for tomorrow.”
“Are you heading out now to patrol? To make sure that I’m still safe and sound?” she purred, adjusting the fabric so it sat well against her. Viago smiled and nodded.
“Once you are asleep, yes, but I’ll be here until you do,” he answered, squeezing her hand. She glanced down, noticing that he hadn’t replaced the gloves that he usually wore around everyone. She smiled gently.
“You really do take such good care of me,” Teia mentioned before he kissed her forehead.
“Of course I do, amore,” Viago replied sincerely. “I would do nothing less for you. Now, lay back down and get some rest. I do need to return you to the Diamond at some point before we have Cantori Crows swarming the city looking for you.”
“I suppose you have a point,” she relented, letting him lay her back. He sat on the bed beside her as she leaned against him with her head on his shoulder. “Gracias, mi amor.”
“Tutto per te, cuore mio,” Viago whispered in her ear before kissing the top of her head, letting her slowly drift off to sleep.
