#space makes things

As you walked into your shop, all you heard was silence. You expected Julian to be here, or at least Asra. You peeked inside and slowly closed the door once you were completely inside. “Asra? Julian?” you called out, glancing around. You could soon hear soft whining from the bedroom. You rolled your eyes as you approached the room. It wasn’t hard to tell who it was coming from. “You’re so dramatic,” you teased once you caught sight of Julian. He just whined again.

As you got closer to him, you realized that he had turned off all the lights. You sighed sending a little flame to light the candle near the bed he was sprawled across. Surprised, he jumped up and yelped, finally looking at you in the process. He tried to brush it off by getting into a “seductive” pose and smirking. You put your hands on your hips, giving him a stern look. His smirk faltered and he sat up. “I was lonely while you were gone,” he explained. “And I figured you would probably be stressed, so I came here early. I’ve been waiting here for a while. I made some tea and it’s still warm,” he added, gesturing to the cups on the nightstand. “It’s your favourite.”

You paused, before moving to the bed. You slipped your coat off as you walked, draping it over a chair nearby. You handed Julian a teacup and took one of your own as you climbed onto the bed. Julian’s face lit up and he happily wrapped his arms around your waist. The two of you cuddled up to each other, the former plague doctor purring softly while burying his face in your soft hair.

You took a quiet sip of your tea, you and Julian just basking in each other’s presence. You both said nothing for a long time. You actually thought that Julian had fallen asleep, his breathing deep and slow. So you untangled yourself from his arms, taking both cups and bringing them to the kitchen. You quietly set them in the sink and, just as you were about to turn around, jumped a little when you felt arms wrap around your waist, paired with a face buried in your neck. “You’re too warm to be able to sneak away from me,” Julian teased in a purr. You rolled your arms, but were definitely grateful for his warmth.

You stood there for a moment before deciding that the kitchen wasn’t the best place to cuddle. “Alright Ilya, I get that you’re touch starved right now,” you joked, “but I’d like to not awkwardly stand in the kitchen.” You could feel his face heat up against your neck, causing you to laugh softly. You slipped out of his grasp, taking his hand as you lead him back to the bed. Truth be told, you were indeed exhausted. You had been working for hours on end, helping the Countess rebuild the flooded district. You fell onto the bed first, closing your eyes as you felt Julian practically wrap himself around you. You both fell asleep peacefully to the sound of each other’s heartbeats.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"You'll forget me soon enough. Everyone does eventually."