#widoleaf

[LONG SHADOWS - READ HERE ON AO3]

The Mighty Nein fail to defeat Lorenzo and the Iron Shepherds when they assault the Sour Nest. They are captured, broken, and sold as slaves to a mysterious Master Pietro, who operates a workshop that makes extremely dangerous and coveted illegal magical artefacts. Caleb and Nott must toil in a field of cursed flowers, while the others are sent to the bleak depths of a mine. Cold, hunger, exhaustion, and the looming threat of violence are their constant companions. As if these very real and present dangers aren’t bad enough, they are also being stalked by a sinister magical being. Something strange and uncanny lurks in the shadows, something that was there on the day that Molly died, something that haunts Caleb’s nightmares… Something that Caleb fears will ultimately kill him, and go after Nott next, until all of the Mighty Nein are dead. Caleb can’t see a way through the darkness until it’s almost too late. But this is a story of survival. And when the Mighty Nein get there, they’ll find healing, justice, and heroism waiting for them on the other side. And if everything goes as it should… Caleb will even find an unexpected chance to love and be loved in return.

So, I have a lot of fics in the drafts that are like Hypnotic and many more that are just a few lines of dialogue in a barren field of word documents. I was sorting through some of those small few lines of dialogue and have a few I could actually get mileage on.

So without further a due:

“You know, you really should smile more.” King says, leaning in, drinking in the subtle smile on Caleb’s face. “Laugh more really.” A smile, that is suddenly drawn into a tighter line as a blush creeps up Caleb’s cheeks. Kingsley narrows his eyes a little as Caleb twitches a bit, awkwardly. “What?” He tilts his head, regarding him.

There’s an ember of a giddy feeling that has been building up in Kingsley’s stomach throughout this evening’s interaction (and really, any time he and Caleb have gotten close). When Caleb looks at him, that ember begins to flicker to life, his metaphorical kindling igniting - buzzing, flipping, aching to push the wizard into a little more lightness. But, Caleb can’t maintain eye contact when he tries to open his mouth to explain. “N-Nothing. I was just remembering- thinking of, um…”

Kingsley feels something slightly uncomfortable squirm in his chest. “Something… Molly used to do?”

“Not just him.” Caleb admits lightheartedly, and Kingsley can see him fighting off a smile again. “But yes, everyone really. They really had a knack for…” He cuts himself off, biting back the growing smile.

Okay. Yes, Kingsley thinks, he will chase after whatever thread will get Caleb closer to smiling.

The tiefling leans in closer, reaches out a hand toward Caleb, who shrinks back just a hair, twitching when Kingsley enters his personal bubble. King lays a hand on his wrist, thumb gently padding over the skin. “Tell me?” He smiles and tries to catch Caleb’s eyes again.

He sees Caleb’s eyes widening for a moment before the wizard is reining it in on instinct. Caleb looks all the way away from him. His eyes shut for a second and he lets out a genuine huff of a laugh. “You already know how to ruffle feathers, in a different way than Molly did, but…” Caleb bumps shoulders with King. “I don’t know if it’s a smart move on my part to give you more ways to do so.”

Caleb’s shying away with a chuckle before Kingsley can lean into the touch. King leans forward, craning his neck around and placing a hand on Caleb’s knee. “Hey.” He hopes his expression looks sweet and kind and innocent. Caleb’s leg jumps slightly at the contact. Kingsley studies the blush rising on his cheeks, and finds himself smirking.

Caleb turns his head toward him a bit. “Perhaps,” He looks the tiefling up and down. “I could show you.”

Kingsley raises an eyebrow just as Caleb reaches forward and, mirroring him, places a hand on King’s knee. He watches the wizard curiously, when suddenly there’s a squeeze. Then another, more deliberate.

Kingsley grins, squirming slightly as the bubbling feeling inside of him boils over, filling him with a silly giddiness. “Oh.” He twitches his leg at another pinch. “I’m so glad you showed me.” He lets out a reverent sigh. “Caleb, you are so dead.”

“Maybe, once you stop laughing long enough to get your hands on me.”