#cylinderwrites

thanks for the request! this prompt was also requested by @fogno! hope you guys like ittttt <3

Out of Jealousy

They had rescued the grove.

It was strange to Shadowheart—caring about a bunch of refugees wasn’t exactly something she thought would be at the forefront of her mind with everything else. Yet here she was, idly sipping a goblet full of wine with a warm feeling in her chest as she glanced around at the smiling faces of the tieflings occupying the camp. Surely it was just the alcohol kicking in.

Her eyes settled on a much more familiar face among the crowd, one she had come to rather enjoy seeing every day. Vel was sitting on a log by the fire, lazily strumming a tune on a lute as some of the camp gathered to listen. Shadowheart was tempted to go over there herself and reluctantly join the festivities, only to be a little bit closer to Vel. However, the idea was quickly scrapped when she saw their company.

Sitting next to Vel was Alfira, who had her own lute, tuning it to perfection as she watched Vel strum. The tiefling woman was just a little too close to them for Shadowheart’s liking, her leg occasionally bumping against theirs as she laughed at whatever they said. 

Shadowheart sipped her wine as the crowd hushed, eagerly waiting as Vel and Alfira prepared to play. Despite the distance, Shadowheart was just as eager to listen, maybe even more than anyone else.

Alfira began to sing, her clear, bright voice carrying easily across the camp. The tune of the lutes complemented her voice as the tieflings played in perfect sync, each note dancing around the next beautifully. Shadowheart was mesmerized as Vel’s fingers plucked the strings with clearly practiced ease. They even sang from time to time, their warmer tone harmonizing with Alfira’s. Shadowheart wouldn’t mind getting to hear that from them more often.

The song eventually tapered off, with Vel playing the last note as it faded out into silence. The camp erupted into cheers and hollers as the two tieflings bowed. Shadowheart’s fingers tightened around her goblet as Alfira beamed at Vel, her blue cheeks flushing purple as a blush crept across her face. The tiefling woman leaned into them even further, their shoulders brushing as Vel laughed. Shadowheart couldn’t help the scowl that twisted her face as jealousy churned her insides, hot and uncomfortable. 

She forced herself to look away as her skin prickled with anger, taking a moment to breathe and try to control herself. When she looked back, the crowd had dispersed a little, leaving her a clearer sightline to Vel…who was staring straight at her.

Shadowheart stiffened as she locked eyes with them. Their mismatched eyes were watching her rather intensely, the light of the fire dancing off the intrigue in them. She tried to keep her face neutral, refusing to give anything away as they searched her face. 

Vel broke eye contact first, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She watched them lean over to say something to Alfira that Shadowheart couldn’t quite make out before setting down their lute. They stood up, and their gaze found Shadowheart again as they began to walk towards her. Her heart was racing the closer they got, and her mouth was suddenly a little too dry for comfort. She brought her goblet to her lips and threw her head back, gulping down the rest of her wine in one go before Vel reached her.

“Did you enjoy the song?” they asked as soon as they were within earshot.

“I did, actually,” she admitted. “I didn’t know that you could play like that and sing. Your voice is beautiful.”

Vel’s eyes widened in surprise briefly before they smiled, their cheeks darkening with a blush. “Oh, it was nothing special, really,” they deflected bashfully. “Alfira was the one who had everyone’s attention.” 

Shadowheart couldn’t help her sour expression at the mention of Alfira. She peered around Vel’s shoulder to look at the tiefling woman still sitting alone on the log. Surprisingly, Alfira was looking their way, stiffening slightly as she met Shadowheart’s less than friendly stare. The bard waved, sheepish and uncomfortable as Shadowheart practically glared at her before returning her attention to Vel. They seemed completely oblivious to the interaction.

“Well,” Shadowheart began, reaching out to brush her fingertips against their bare forearm. She felt rather daring all of a sudden. “Not to give away my secrets, but I was really only listening to you.”

Surprise flashed across their face again, before being quickly replaced with playful confidence. They looked quite pleased as they smiled at her, the corners of their eyes crinkling in a way she had become rather fond of. “Sharing secrets now, are we? Never thought I'd see the day.” 

She hummed in amusement at their teasing as her fingers continued their ascent, dancing over the texture of their tunic sleeve and pressing gently into the relaxed muscle of their bicep beneath. “I have plenty of other things to keep. I can let this one slip.”

A glint of intrigue lit up their eyes. The air seemed to shift around them, an invisible force encircling them and pushing them together. Vel seemed to feel it too, as they subconsciously shuffled a little closer until she could smell the campfire smoke clinging to them.

“Oh, really?” Their voice lowered, their words slow and drawn out. “Care to tell me another?”

Shadowheart held her breath as she tried to settle her runaway heart. She wondered if Alfira was still looking, and the thought churned her stomach with that ugly feeling again. As hard as she tried to stuff it down, her emotions built, and her mouth was forming the words before her brain could catch up.

“Lean in closer and I'll tell you,” she whispered.

Vel’s breath caught at her enticing tone. They slowly leaned down, bringing their ear closer to her waiting lips. However, she wasn’t interested in telling them a secret; instead, she reached up to catch their cheek in her palm and tilt their head just right so that she could press her lips against theirs without warning. 

Shadowheart felt them tense up, the surprise making them pause before they returned the kiss eagerly. They melted into her touch as their hands found her hips, their head tilting slightly and deepening the kiss. She wondered if they could taste the wine on her tongue as it met theirs, beginning a languid dance that neither of them wanted to stop. Alfira faded into the back of her until she wasn’t even a thought at all as kissing Vel drowned out everything else.

The need to breathe finally broke them apart, their breath mingling as they breathed each other in. Vel’s cheeks looked just as flushed as hers felt, and she couldn’t help but return their contagious smile. She was tempted to kiss them again, but the ambient noise of the party was sobering. They were still standing so close, and she wondered if anyone had noticed. 

She dared to look, trying to be subtle as she peeked around their shoulder. No one else seemed to mind, except for a very embarrassed-looking Alfira, who was clearly trying to avert her eyes. The corner of Shadowheart’s lips twitched with a victorious smile that she fought to control, but it was too late. Vel’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, and she was too slow to try and distract them as they looked over their shoulder. They both watched as Alfira made herself scarce, her cheeks flushed even darker as she scampered off. 

Vel looked back at Shadowheart, raising a questioning eyebrow. “Did you know she was watching?”

Shadowheart paled. The silence was loud as her brain fumbled to come up with an answer. Vel furrowed their brows. 

“Were you…jealous? Of Alfira?” They tilted their head curiously. “Is that why you kissed me?”

“Fine, I was jealous,” she admitted with a huff. “But that wasn’t the only reason I kissed you.”

Vel looked pleasantly surprised at her reluctant confession. Their air of confidence from before returned, and Shadowheart felt her heart skip a beat. 

“What’s the other reason?” 

Laughter bubbled up in her chest at the eagerness in their tone. Her hands curled tighter around the back of their neck, pulling them closer until her lips were ghosting against theirs. Their hands reactively squeezed her hips, and it made her stomach twist with an entirely different feeling.

This one was so sweet to write aaaaa I hope you like it!!

As comfort

Vel wiped at the beaded sweat on their brow as the sun as they kneeled beside a bed of flowers, carefully tending to them. Their knees were beginning to ache from the position, but they wanted to ensure everything was in order. Shadowheart loved her flowers, and they would be damned if they weren’t perfect.

A small, gentle hand tapped the back of their shoulder unexpectedly. “Mum?”

Vel hummed questioningly, looking over their shoulder to find their daughter, Elara, standing behind them. The tiefling child looked upset about something, her green eyes slightly glassy and her lips sunken into a frown. 

“What’s the matter, little flower?” Vel’s eyebrows pinched together in concern as they brushed their hands of dirt before shuffling around to face her. Elara rushed forward without warning, and they caught her in a hug as she rested her cheek against their shoulder.

“Mummy got the hand ouchie again,” Elara mumbled. Vel glanced toward the cottage with a frown.

“It happens sometimes, it’s okay,” they stroked her dark, braided hair soothingly.

“I was helping Mummy make Grammie's pie. She dropped the bowl and it broke, and she got upset. She made me come outside,” Elara sniffled. “I hope I didn’t make her mad.”

“You didn’t make her mad, flower. It wasn’t your fault. Mummy just needed some space.” 

Elara pulled away, looking at Vel with teary, determined eyes. “I want to make Mummy feel better.”

Vel couldn’t help but smile. She looked so much like Shadowheart with that look in her eyes. “What do you want to do for her?”

Elara’s brows furrowed and her nose scrunched as she thought for a moment. 

“I don’t know,” she whined, sticking her lip out in a pout. “Will you help me?”

Vel hummed, pretending to have a long, hard think about it as Elara stared at them in anticipation. They finally settled on an idea, smiling warmly at their daughter.

“I have a perfect idea. Let’s go, and be quiet. We don’t want Mummy to find out!”

Elara giggled wildly as Vel scooped her up in their arms, standing with mild protest from their knees before making their way to the barn.

— — — —

Shadowheart sighed as she scrubbed at the wooden floor, cleaning up smears of plum jam. Her hand flexed around the rag as she paused for a moment. The pain had become a lingering, dull ache, and she scowled as she glared at the cursed wound. It seemed Shar was still intent on punishing her from time to time—petty and vengeful as always.

Satisfied that the floor was clean and all the bowl shards were picked up, she gave the rag a quick wash before hanging it up to dry. Luckily, she had salvaged enough fruit to make the pie, and their dessert wasn’t ruined. The same couldn’t be said for her afternoon, the guilt churning in her stomach as she thought about sending Elara away. She didn’t want her daughter to see her in pain, even if it hadn’t been the first time.

Shadowheart looked out the window, glancing around for the girl in question. Surprisingly, she was nowhere to be seen. Even Vel was out of sight, no longer kneeling by the flowers. She tried to breathe through the sudden flare of irrational panic as she headed outside.

“Elara? Vel?” She called out as she stepped out onto the porch.

“Mummy!”

Shadowheart looked toward her daughter's voice, finding Vel carrying Elara out of the barn on one hip. She couldn't help but smile as she looked at her favorite tieflings, stepping down onto the grass and walking towards them.

As she got closer, she could see something long and reddish coiled in Elara’s arms, and Vel looked to be carrying a pair of sticks in one of their hands. She raised an eyebrow at them, but they just smiled.

“What trouble have you two gotten into now?” Shadowheart mock scolded, looking pointedly at Vel especially. They feigned ignorance, gesturing towards Elara with their head. 

“We made you something!” Elara exclaimed excitedly.

“She did all the real work,” Vel hummed, their chest puffing proudly.

“Alright, show me then,” Shadowheart tilted her head curiously.

Elara’s eyes sparkled as she held out the object in her arms. It unfurled to reveal a plush tail, styled after a tiefling tail, made out of thin leather and rather crudely sewn together. Shadowheart blinked in surprise as she took the tail, examining it for a moment. There was a rope at the base of it, clearly meant to be tied around a waist.

“Is this for me to wear?” 

“Yes! Put it on, put it on!”

Shadowheart tied the tail around her hips, adjusting it so it sat comfortably above her backside. She looked over her shoulder at it, wiggling slightly to make it move while Elara watched excitedly. 

“Can’t be a tiefling without your horns too, Mummy,” Vel chuckled, shaking the sticks in their hand for emphasis. 

Elara grabbed the “horns” from Vel. They were fashioned similarly to the belted tail—two sticks attached to a section of thin rope. Shadowheart ducked her head just enough so Elara could try to tie the rope around her head. When she struggled, Shadowheart helped finish the job, making sure the “horns” were secure against her temples. 

Elara squealed excitedly. “Now you look just like us!” 

Shadowheart couldn’t hold back her laugh. Elara and Vel looked just as elated, with joyful smiles that made her heart sing. Looking at her little family, she realized her hand didn’t hurt anymore.

“Come here, you sweet little monster,” Shadowheart growled playfully, tickling Elara’s side as she squirmed in Vel’s grip. She planted an exaggerated kiss against her pink cheek as the young tiefling giggled uncontrollably.

“And you…” Shadowheart looked up at Vel, subtly batting her eyelashes at them. She stretched up onto her toes, looking to plant a kiss on their lips.

“Eew!” Elara whined as their lips were just inches apart. “Gross!” 

Vel huffed out a laugh. They pulled away from Shadowheart, setting Elara down on her feet. They playfully nudged one of her horns with their hand. 

“Alright, go on. Give Mummy and me a minute alone. We will play with you after.” 

Elara scrunched up her nose, giving a long, drawn-out “fine.” As she turned to run off, Vel gave her back a quick flick with the tip of their tail, ushering her along. They both watched Elara run off, already whistling for Buttons the wolf to come and play.

“Elara told me about your hand,” Vel’s soft voice pulled Shadowheart’s attention to them. They grabbed her hand gently, bringing it up toward their chest.

“Is that why you guys did this?” Shadowheart gestured to the horns with her free hand. 

Vel smiled, their thumb massaging her knuckles carefully. “She wanted to cheer you up, and you know I’d do anything for you.”

“Well, it worked,” Shadowheart smiled. “Although, there is one more thing you can do.” 

Vel raised a curious eyebrow.

“You can give me that kiss now,” she murmured, her cheeks turning pink.

They blinked in surprise for a moment before their expression softened into pure adoration. They wasted no time, their hands finding her hips as they pulled her closer. She cradled their face as they closed the distance together, and their lips met in the middle.

Warmth flooded down to her toes as they kissed, soft and languid. Kissing them felt like the first time, every time, and this was no exception. She could feel all of her negative feelings melt away as their lips fit perfectly against her own, so tender and caring as always, comforting. Shar may try to have her say in the matter sometimes, but she could never take this away from her.

They pulled apart with flushed cheeks and breathy laughter, just holding each other in peace for a few minutes. Vel gave her another surprise peck before smiling at her with a curious tilt of their head. 

“Feeling better?”

Shadowheart smiled, rubbing a thumb against their cheek. “Much. Thank you.”

The sound of elated laughter pulled their attention from one another, finding their daughter rolling around with Buttons. Vel gave her hips a quick squeeze before letting go, holding out their hand for her to take while bowing like she was royalty.

“Well, my beautiful, honorary tiefling, shall we?” They nodded toward Elara. Shadowheart giggled, taking their hand like a princess would take a suitor's hand.

Thank you so much for the ask, anon! Hope you enjoy what I cooked up for ya :)

Where it hurts

Shar was a cruel goddess.

It wasn’t exactly a secret, to everyone but Shadowheart at least. She had been blinded and brainwashed, crushed by her desperate devotion to a being that only wanted her as a puppet. The illusion had finally been lifted throughout their quest to save Baldur’s Gate, but she paid dearly for it with one last bitter lash from the Lady of Loss.

Saving her parents had been the final tipping point. Shadowheart couldn’t have imagined Shar could do anything worse to her than she already had after sparing Aylin, but she had been terribly wrong. Shar had struck her down with that torturous wound, setting her nerves alight and twisting every tendon and muscle with unimaginable pain. She watched as the wound spread across her hand like a creeping shadow, consuming the limb while twisted purple veins bloomed from her original burden like thorned vines. When the torture was over, her hand was left disfigured and aching as a permanent, crippling reminder of her disobediance.

Shar continued to use it as a conduit for pain, inflicting it upon Shadowheart whenever she felt particularly petty. Shadowheart tried her best to settle into her new life alongside Vel and her parents, even building a homestead out of an old cottage outside of the city. It was everything she had truly wanted in life, and felt she deserved.

Yet, as hard as she tried, the damage done proved to be too much to bear. She decided to truly be free, she would literally cut herself from Shar’s cruel grasp, choosing to remove the offending hand entirely. The Lady of Loss would not have her say any longer, even if it meant having one less hand to love her animals with. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a complete fix. New sensations plagued her even in the absence of dark, cruel magic. Sometimes there was an itch she couldn’t scratch, or tingling across fingers that were no longer there. There would be other times where pain would overtake her, all her muscles tensing as if the wound was still there, with no way to massage and alleviate the ache. 

Like now, for example.

Shadowheart was working in the garden when the pain struck, a sharp cramp blooming where her palm would have been. She clenched her teeth as the pain came in waves, rubbing uselessly at her forearm and praying it would work this time. It was almost like Shar was still there, laughing in her ears as she hunched over her lap and waited for it to pass.

“Shadowheart?” 

Vel’s voice was as gentle as their touch as they grabbed her shoulders. The tiefling immediately caught on to her discomfort, moving to kneel in the grass in front of her before taking her arm in their hands. Their hands glowed with healing magic, the cool feeling flowing through her veins as she leaned into them. The magic did little to help, but the gesture itself was enough to ease some tension.

The pain began to ebb, enough for her to breathe but not to forget. She finally relaxed a bit, slumping into Vel’s waiting arms. She felt them pressing kisses against her silver hair as they drew soothing patterns between her shoulder blades with their fingertips.

“Are you having phantom pain again?”

“Yes,” she mumbled into their shoulder, just wishing it would go away. 

They held her in silence for a few minutes before giving a sympathetic squeeze and pulling away. They reached up to brush an errant strand of her bangs out of her face, searching her face with concerned eyes.

“I want to try something,” they began. “I read about it in an old healer's tome some time ago. It might help you.” 

Shadowheart’s face scrunched up in thought as she eyed them. They watched her expectantly, clearly wanting her to say yes.

“I suppose there is no harm,” she sighed. Vel smiled warmly.

“Okay, hold your hands out then,” they paused. “Or, well, hand.”

She raised an eyebrow at the poor joke but did as they asked regardless, holding her arms up with her one palm facing up. Vel closed their eyes in concentration, taking a deep breath as their hands began to glow again. She watched with curiosity as the air beside her residual limb began to change. A glowing shape materialized further, morphing into something she easily recognized—Vel had cast a mage hand spell.

Vel’s hand twitched slightly, and the spell reacted obediently to their commands. She felt the cool brush of magic on her skin as the hand settled into place right at the end of what was left of her arm, settling until it was a perfect mirror of her existing hand. She blinked in surprise, it had been quite some time since she had seen herself like this, even if it wasn’t real.

“How is this meant to help?” She asked skeptically. 

“Do you trust me or not?” They raised an eyebrow at her. She furrowed hers in response.

“Of course.”

“Then just let me do this.” 

Vel’s hands moved to hover just above hers, hesitating briefly before letting them make contact. Their touch started with her forearms, dragging mirrored paths across her skin. She fought the urge to squirm at the tickling sensation as they continued downward towards her wrists. Eventually, they reached where the mage hand was mimicking her missing limb, and the sensation disappeared on that side. 

“Focus your mind,” Vel murmured, their touch dancing between where she could feel and where she couldn’t. “Concentrate on making the hand an extension of you, and feeling my touch on both sides.” 

“But it isn’t mine,” she huffed. “I can’t feel what isn’t there.” 

Vel playfully rolled their eyes. “Shh. Just focus.” 

She sighed in exasperation but listened anyway, doing her best to pay attention. Vel’s attention shifted to the underside of her “hands”, continuing to brush their fingers along the lengths of her arms. 

“Make a fist, with both hands.”

“I don’t think—“

“C’mon, love,” Vel prodded gently. “Make a fist with both hands, really try.”

Shadowheart took a deep breath, looking down at her mismatched limbs. She tried to remember what it felt like, trying to imagine herself curling both hands into fists. The fingers on her real hand twitched nervously, and she held her breath as she let them curl toward her palm. To her surprise, the mage hand curled in perfect sync with her real hand, almost as if she had done it herself. 

“Again,” Vel urged, trying to hold back a smile.

They continued touching the backs of her hands as she rhythmically opened and closed them, the mage hand obeying her every time. She began to feel something, like a strange tingle, or maybe an itch. As Vel swirled a circular pattern on the back of the glowing hand, she swore she felt it, as if they had touched her actual hand.

“Wait,” she gasped, her heart hammering in her chest with excitement. “I think I felt that.” 

“Good, keep focusing,” Vel smiled for real this time, and she could hear the pride in their tone. 

The feeling of their touch grew stronger and stronger, until it was an almost perfect mirror of her real hand. Her brain had recognized the hand as her own, and it was like she could really feel again. She couldn’t help the elation that swelled in her chest and burst out as a breathy laugh. 

“It worked, it really worked.” 

Vel hummed. “Patience. I’m not done yet.” 

They grabbed her hands gently, their thumbs finding the centers of her palms. They began to massage them with small, firm circles, digging into all the right places. Relief washed over her as they rubbed at all the spots she had wished she could reach during all those moments of pain. She practically moaned as they gently stretched her fingers in a way she didn’t even know she needed. 

“Feeling better, I take it?” They teased, continuing their care. “Keep letting your muscles relax, I’ve got you.”

Shadowheart gladly obliged, simply enjoying her lover’s gentle touch. After some time, the pain was gone entirely, with no more lingering ache of muscles and tendons begging for a break she couldn’t give them. Her arm had finally relaxed. 

“How is your pain now?”

“Gone,” she answered with a smile. An idea suddenly crossed her mind as she finally looked up to meet their eyes. “But, there is one more thing.”

Vel furrowed their brows. “Yes?”

“I want to hold your face, with both hands. Please.”

They looked surprised before a radiant smile lit up their whole expression. They didn’t reply verbally, instead slowly guiding her hands toward their face. Her breath caught in her chest as her fingers first made contact with their jaw, sliding over their skin until her palms were cupping their jaw. Their fingers tangled with hers as they leaned into her touch, pressing her hands against their warm, red skin. 

“It’s been too long since I have been able to do this,” she whispered as tears welled up in her eyes. 

Vel nuzzled further into her touch, turning their head until their lips brushed against her spectral hand. They pressed a firm kiss against her palm, feeling the pressure of their lips. It was a healing feeling, and she felt truly free for the first time in a while—no pain, no regrets, only love. 

They pressed lingering kisses to each digit even as the spell began to fade out. She could feel the sensation waning as the spell disappeared, leaving her back to reality. A single tear spilled over as Vel cradled her residual limb. 

“I’m sorry, I wish I could keep the spell up forever,” they murmured, reaching up to wipe away the tear with a thumb. “Are you okay?”

Vel grunted as she abruptly crashed into them, throwing her arms around their neck in an embrace. They pulled her closer as her tears soaked into their shirt, not from sadness or loss, but from overwhelming happiness. 

“More than okay,” she replied.

ooooh this is a good one! hope you enjoy!!

Out of anger

Vel sat on the cold, stone bench, lazily circling the rim of a wine goblet with a fingertip. Their mismatched eyes scanned the room, flitting across shadowed faces in the dimly lit hall. A scowl twitched at their lips as they watched the Sharrans gorge and enjoy themselves. They supposed they were meant to join in on the Nightfall feasting, but they wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

Even for her.

Instead, they tried to look busy, dodging the advances of any initiate who stumbled over, looking for a piece of them. Not many wanted much to do with a former Selunite, corrupted and reluctant. They would have been strung up long ago, a vicious trophy for the wolves who waited for the opportunity to tear them apart—but the Mother Superior would never allow it. 

“You’d do better to join in, you know.”

The familiar, melodic voice sent a shiver down Vel’s spine. They turned their head, and there she was—the Mother Superior herself. Shadowheart.

Shadowheart approached them with slow, languid steps. They watched the tantalizing sway of her hips as she walked, and they suddenly wished they had downed some of their wine. 

“I’m not interested,” Vel mumbled.

Shadowheart huffed through her nose with dry amusement. Her hand found Vel’s shoulder, and they fought the urge to flinch. She was far too close all of a sudden, placing herself between their parted knees as if personal space meant nothing. Their eyes briefly flicked to her exposed cleavage at their eye level, and she definitely noticed. A sly grin curled her lips.

“So stubborn. What will the others think?”

“They can think what they please,” Vel glanced at her hand as her fingertips traced idly over the stitching on their robes. “They will, however, think you’re playing favorites if you keep this up.”

“I am playing favorites,” she purred. They swallowed as Shadowheart’s fingers brushed across the front of their throat before trailing up the side of their neck, pausing to feel their pulse as it quickened under her touch. 

“You’d do better to wash your hands of that silver blood of yours,” She touched along their jawline, teasing, or maybe threatening. “Or else your peers eventually will.”

Vel scoffed. “I’d like to see them try.”

Shadowheart’s brows twitched just slightly, a display of real emotion slipping through her carefully practiced mask. “I’d hate to lose my favorite.”

“Isn’t loss part of the appeal, Mother?” Vel said dryly, the words like poison on their tongue.

She looked taken aback for a moment before her expression hardened. She stopped her gentle touches to instead grab them roughly by their jaw, fingers painfully digging into their cheeks. They bared their teeth at her as she forced their head back, glaring down at them.

“I think it’s time you join us, and enjoy some wine, Velhron.” 

Shadowheart grabbed the goblet they had been fiddling with, still brimming with untouched wine. She kept their face in a firm grip as she brought the cool metal to their parted lips. Vel sharply breathed through their nose in surprise as she began to pour the sweet liquid into their mouth. They tried to keep up, swallowing gulp after gulp so they didn’t choke. Excess dribbled from their lips, dripping over their chin and throat in red rivulets.

Vel panted as she stopped, pulling the goblet away so they could breathe. Shadowheart’s pupils were blown as her gaze flicked down to their mouth. Keeping a firm grip on their jaw, she used it to pull them closer as her lips crashed into theirs.

The kiss was messy and desperate, tongues and teeth clashing in desperation. Anger burned hot in Vel’s veins as they breathed her in. She tasted so familiar and so foreign at the same time, a reminder of kisses by a waterfall tainted by all the blood on their hands that led them here—a far too obedient dog at the feet of Shar’s chosen.

Shadowheart pulled away, her teeth catching their lip momentarily as she let their face go. The taste of her tongue and the wine mingled as they swallowed, a warm feeling dragging its way down until it settled in the pit of their stomach. Their mind was hazy—drunk on the wine, on anger—on her.

It was far too easy to give in to the feeling. It was no wonder why all the empty and the lost turned to Shar.

“I hate you,” Vel whispered.

Shadowheart didn’t look angry at the words. Instead, a soft, knowing smile curled her kiss-swollen lips. A gentle glimpse of the Shadowheart they used to know.

“You only wish you did.” Her fingertips stroked their cheek, a soft and soothing balm to her previous aggression. 

Hearing it out loud was more painful than anything the others could inflict upon them. Shadowheart leaned close enough that her breath ghosted across their face. Their eyelids fluttered in anticipation as her lips brushed theirs, their trembling hands finding the backs of her thighs. She smiled—dark, dangerous—beautiful.

“Lose yourself with me,” she whispered. They exhaled as she spoke, letting her steal all the air from their lungs.

Vel paused, getting hopelessly lost in her green eyes.

thanks for the request Delt!! @fogno also requested this one!

To shut them up

“Have they gotten that bloody gate open yet?”

Shadowheart huffed at no one in particular as she stared down the bridge, glaring at Vel and Gale at the other end, trying to open a locked gate. After nearly being burnt to a crisp by stone gargoyles, she was not entertained by their insistence to stick around and fiddle with an old gate. Whether it once belonged to Shar or not, she was ready to leave this molten, crumbling hells hole. 

“Aha!” 

Gale’s voice rang out in victory, and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She focused her attention elsewhere as the bumbling duo inspected the fruits of their wasted labor. She was going to lose her mind if she didn’t.

Finally, a pair of footsteps to her side made her look up. She folded her arms across her chest as Vel and Gale approached. Vel in particular had a rather self-satisfied expression, and she was not amused.

“Are you done now?” She pursed her lips at the tall tiefling. “Have you forgotten about getting to Moonrise? The whole point of us being down here?”

Vel didn’t even flinch at her clipped tone, still looking far too cheery. Shadowheart tried not to watch the bead of sweat that rolled down their temple as their red skin glistened. She could feel her face get warm, and not just from the ambient heat.

“Come on, Shadowheart. It won’t hurt us to do a little exploring,” they suddenly smiled. “Besides, I found something for you.”

Shadowheart noticed that they had their hands behind their back, clearly hiding something. She furrowed her brows, squinting at them suspiciously. 

“What’s your game?” She sneered. 

Vel raised an eyebrow. “No game here. Do you want it or not?”

She paused in consideration. “Fine.”

Vel smiled again and finally pulled whatever it was out from behind their back. Shadowheart’s lips parted in surprise as they held an idol of Shar in their palms, expertly carved out of black marble. It was dark and beautiful.

They held it out to her expectantly, but she hesitated to take it. 

“Why would you of all people give me this? A Selûnite bearing gifts sounds like a trick if I ever heard one.”

Their expression cracked just slightly, a sliver of annoyance slipping through.

“Do you really not trust me now, after everything? Just accept the gift,” they said exasperatedly. 

Shadowheart reluctantly reached out for the gift. The stone idol was warm from their hands as she turned it over, inspecting it. She ran a thumb over the small, intricate details.

“Checking to see if I poisoned it with my Selûnite magic?” Vel sounded far too smug for her liking. She glared at them, clutching the idol to her chest defensively.

“You wouldn’t dare; you are far too soft,” she scoffed. 

“So you think,” they teased, their lips twitching with a smug grin. “Who knows what tricks I have up my sleeves? Perhaps—”

Vel’s voice blurred into the background as her irritation boiled over. Her eyes caught their silver Selûne pendant hanging from their neck, staring her down, and it only served to annoy her further. Gods, she wanted them to shut up. 

Before she could decide otherwise, she reached up and grabbed their pendant, tugging harshly until their head jerked down low enough that she could stretch up to kiss them.

Their lips met harshly at first, venting her frustrations as the emotion exploded from her chest. What followed was a slow, seeping warmth that threaded between her ribs and enveloped her heart, melting her anger away entirely. Vel had gone stiff for a moment before melting along with her, returning the kiss with an eager passion.

Shadowheart pulled back first, blinking in surprise at the tingle on her lips as Vel’s eyelids fluttered open.

“What was that?” They asked, wide-eyed.

“I just wanted to shut you up,” she deflected, feeling her face burn.

“Right,” Vel smiled, a dazed and dreamy look in their mismatched eyes. She was almost tempted to kiss them again as her eyes flicked to their lips. 

Until a pained yelp pulled them out of the moment.

“Vel! Gale sprained an ankle again!” 

Vel sighed but sprung into action regardless, their hands already glowing with a spell as they descended the ladder further into the forge, leaving Shadowheart standing alone.

She stared down at the idol in her hands. She felt a prickle of guilt in the back of her mind as she carefully tucked the gift in her pack, preparing to follow the others. There was much to think about all of a sudden as the warmth in her chest lingered. 

still amazed people are reading this one lol. this fic is my pride and joy, and I thank everyone for the support!

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