#somft kaathu and her somft boyfriend

[atypicalacademic]

Darling

(A/N: Anyway it's a crime that I haven't written for these two yet-)

Title from

Words: 1.5k

Warnings: None

Kadambari Naayagi x Noreis Lemereaux from @greyvvardenfell

“Leave it be, ‘Reis.” Patting the flowing silk folds of her sari haphazardly into place, Kadambari turned around from the mirror. “You’re wearing yourself out for nothing.” Noreis paused, looking over the mess of knickknacks and trinkets, discarded bangles and scarves and hair ornaments strewn across Kadambari’s bedroom- it was in a much better shape now than it had been; when he’d arrived, the jumble of sparkly baubles had been trailing the carpet and spilling over to the living room beyond.

With a determined shake of his head, he swooped the last pile of fabric and baubles into his arms, folding it up neatly and tucking it away to where he knew she could find it.

She would say this, as she always did, until she ran out of space, and try not to let it show how much the thought of tidying up overwhelmed her. For emphasis, he closed her ornate box of accessories with a satisfied click, standing back to admire his handiwork. Tall as she was, towering nearly a foot over him, he leaned against her arm, wrapping his own arms around her plush stomach with a smile. “It’s not for nothing if it’s for you, Kaathu.”

He was rewarded with a blush as she squeezed him closer. “Idhayam,” Kaathu’s wide black eyes found his green ones in the mirror. She bent down to press a kiss to his cheek. “You’re quite the romantic this evening, aren’t you?”

It was Noreis’ turn to blush, lips quirking up shyly as he averted his gaze. “Speak for yourself.”

Outside, the early evening was rapidly pinkening into twilight. Soon, the first strains of the masquerade’s orchestra would rise into the early crowd; Despite having spent the night in Kadambari’s cottage, tucked a little away from the thick of the noise, he had seen the red and golden sparkles of the first dying fireworks. It won’t be long now.

“Kaathu?”

“Hm?”

“I have something for you.” He said.

Kadambari brightened, lighting up with a brilliant smile. “Oh?” Eagerly, she left the mirror to sit at the edge of her bed, one hand cradling her chin and the other still holding on to Noreis, hanging on to his every word. “Will you have me guess, or-“

He shook his head, taking a deep breath.

“It’s- not much.” He mumbled, rummaging with one hand in his pocket. To his relief, the magic had held. The night-jasmines were still dew-drop fresh, tiny star-shaped flowers strung together in a sweet-scented garland. “But when we were watching the stars last night, I found these, and I thought-“

Kadambari cut him off with a delighted kiss. “That’s- that’s perfect! Oh, Reis, would you want to-“

He nodded eagerly, climbing up beside her to pin the garland to her hair. She’d worn it up for the evening, styled into a luxuriant bun to keep the thick locks of her waist length hair from tangling or catching on someone else’s costume. Reis leaned against her back, taking in the light scent of her perfume as he wound the garland of jasmines once, twice around her hair.

She caught his hand before he could pin away the rest of it, gently breaking a small piece away so she could tie it around his wrist. “There,” She said, pressing a kiss to the inside of his wrist. “It’s bad luck to wear flowers alone.”

“Is it?” He sidled up to her with a knowing smile.

She wrapped an arm around him, sighing happily. “You spoil me, pattu.”

“Well,” Noreis laid his hand over hers, tracing circles over the calluses at her fingertips. “It’s the least I can do. It’s- the first masquerade you get to be in the audience all night. I want you to have a good time.”

“And what makes you think I’m not already having a good time?” She shifted him to her lap, dropping her hands to his waist. “I’m with you.”

“But I-“ He swallowed.

“Reis?” She squeezed his hand. “What’s wrong?”

The baby blue of her silk sari was bordered with silver thread, dripping with the frills that set it apart as belonging to her homeland, Balipuram. Color flowed over her shoulder and past like sea waves against her rich, dark brown skin. Her eyes were lined with cobalt wings, a few strands of thick black hair let down from her bun to frame her round face. They matched in the mirror- his own blue tunic was cut from the same silk, supple as water and just as cool- the color shifting in soft ombre at the sleeves and borders, silver sequins laid out in constellations across the fabric- and brand new turquoise stones for his piercings to go with the shade of the beautifully carved seahorse mask that lay beside Kadambari’s squirrel one. It was a gift from Kaathu’s sisters, who’d insisted on making up for their absence by spoiling both of them rotten from their distance.

Gifts, treasures, love- what she wouldn’t give for him.

“I-I can’t dance!” He blurted, in a rush. “In front of- all those people? I’ve seen you dance, and I want you to dance all night, but what if I- what if I make a fool of myself? What if they notice, and then-“

“Pattu, pattu,” She let go of him to cradle his face in her hands, directing him to meet her eyes. Noreis cut himself off, chewing anxiously on his lip. “You don’t have to dance if you don’t want to.”

“But you’d have gone, taken me with you, for nothing!”

“It’s not for nothing if it’s for you.” She reminded him, stroking his dark hair. “I dance every other day. What’s one night that I don’t?” Adjusting the rumpled crushed velvet sash around tied across his tunic, Kadambari kissed his forehead. “The Countess said she’s opening the new astronomy tower at the Palace to the public- with all the revelers downstairs, tonight’s going to be the best time to catch it. We can spend all night there if you want- you and me and the stars, like always.”

Noreis smiled, though his shoulders slumped. “That’s-“ He cast his eyes down. “I still-“ He worried the tassels at his sash, and fell silent.

“Alright.” Kaathu said softly, swiping her thumb over his cheek. “Do you want to dance tonight?”

Slowly, he nodded.

“Then you can.” She soothed him with another kiss. “I won’t let anything stop you. Trust me, my love. I’ve played for my fair share of masquerades. Come midnight, everyone’s going to be too drunk to know their hand from their foot- much less notice you if you make any misstep at all.”

“I-“ He sighed, fighting back the urge to run a hand through his dark hair. “I don’t know how.”

“Is that all?”

Noreis’ brows knitted in confusion.

Kadambari shifted him delicately from her lap, only to get to her feet with a rustle of her jewelry. She held out her hand, expectant. “You’ve held my hand before, haven’t you?”

“Um.” Of course? Noreis laced his fingers through hers, letting her lead him away from the bed.

“Good.” She murmured. “That’s half of all you need to know.”

“But Kaathu, that isn’t dancing.”

“No?” She drifted farther, and he followed. “Here.” Meeting him halfway, she rested a hand on his shoulder, swaying them gently from side to side. “Now we are.”

Her bare feet found his across the carpet, nudging him to climb on to her toes, one arm braced around his back for balance.

“Just hold on.”

He did, as she steered them sideways, next, held on as he followed the sound of her anklets as though he were pulled by a tide, held on as she cupped his cheek with her free hand, nuzzling against her touch.

Even the smallest of her movements were graceful, from the tiny, mincing step she took forward, to the drumming of her fingertips against his shoulder, to the sweep of her eyelashes as she looked down at him. And her grace was his now, as was the music she was humming- a half-familiar tune she’d once sung him to sleep with- barely murmuring the words in her sweet voice though the slow rhythm of their feet followed the rise and fall of the melody.

Noreis let his hand fall to her waist, held on.

“See?” She whispered, her eyes glittering, her smile like music. “You do know how.”

Oh this, this he could do with his eyes closed.

With a kiss to the back of his palm, she let him fall against the crook of her arm, and lifted him by the waist like he were flying. Noreis laughed, clinging to her neck as she captured his lips in a sweet kiss.

When he landed back on the carpet, he was beaming, color painting his cheeks, breathing hard.

She rubbed slow circles against his back until he caught his breath.

“Oh no,” She kissed his cheek in apology. “Are you alright, Reis? I didn’t mean to tire you.”

“You didn’t. Kaathu-“ He shook his head, taking both her hands in his, green eyes brightening to emeralds. “I could do that again.”