#ouchhh

The campsite is alive with the laughter & chatter of the tieflings that no longer bear the weight of worry on their shoulders. The threat of the goblins is no more, their bodies littering every inch of that Selûnite temple, right along with their leaders. Vile creatures with even worse motives. The promise of a good fight was the only saving grace for enjoying being within the walls of that camp. She still feels as if she’s stained with the blood of them, that goblin guts are still beneath her nails no matter how much she’s scrubbed, that all of this was simply a temporary fix. The tieflings still have a long journey to Baldur’s Gate just as she does & she doesn’t have the spare time to aid them on it. Not with this parasite squirming around behind her eye. All worries for tomorrow morning when the wine has run its course & the weight of everything settles back into her once more. Right now, her stomach is in knots for a different reason entirely. 

The warlock.

Grier is... a surprise.

A welcomed one.

She’s good in combat & fine out of it. Zaelun finds it hard to carry proper conversation around her. A mix of nerves & distraction; it’s hard to be her usual self when her mind has been so entirely focused on helping her people. It doesn’t make it much easier that she feels like a babbling fool amongst people she deems pretty, & Grier is more than that. Zaelun can blame it on the wine & that feeling that comes along after a good battle. Her blood still runs hot & her body itches for another outlet. That has to be how she’s found herself here, tucked away in a secluded spot of the camp with Grier at her side. They’ve been chatting, laughing, eyeing one another. The tiefling thought she was being subtle about it, but Gods, she’s awful at carrying her wine, & Grier is almost close enough for Zaelun to smell the alcohol on her lips.

The beat of her heart picks up as the warlock leans into her space, slowly, her eyes dropping down the bridge of her nose to the curve of her lips. A breath gets caught in Zaelun’s throat from the anticipation & her mouth runs dry, finding herself leaning forward subconsciously to close the space. It’s not like she hasn’t wondered what she might taste like. That particular train of thought gets interrupted by the soft, breathy laugh that expels against her lips just before they meet with Grier’s, & the question that follows makes her stomach drop.

"Did you really think I'd kiss you?"

Zaelun retracts from her space as if she's been shocked by some sort of electricity. It's a sobering question. That heavy beat of her heart is no longer from anticipation, but pure & utter embarrassment. Of course she was being utterly ridiculous. Why would Grier want to kiss someone like her?