#the way imogen says I Will Not Meet You In The Middle and fearne just Looks at her and nods. and Knows.

[yashley]

"I blew out a city by myself. A block, decimated." "Intentionally?" "No."

[cringefaecompilation]

okay actual serious ep80 thoughts now

first things first: "tHeY didn’t LeArN aNyThInG" feels like it’s really reductive. i think people came into this expecting all of their communication problems to be insta-fixed so that they can be a perfect cute little found family and that's just not how bh rolls. i do think that it was a much needed diversion from them constantly forcing themselves into third gear (along with the wok sledding, everyone forgets the wok sledding) to stop the bad guys. other people have pointed out that if not given any instructions they’ll be fine with opening up to each other and being genuine, but they froze and immediately started getting antsy the moment they were told to. i just think that’s funny.

i don’t think imogen and laudna are hypocrites. rather they’re very much stuck with their own traumas and assume that their experiences are universal. imogen thinks she was born cursed and that everything in her life has just been set up to punish her for something she inherently deserves. there’s an abusive cunt off the port bow trapped in laudna’s head that she literally had to force herself to walk away from (and make saving throws to stop) to not be forced into hoovering up that shard without her consent.

they both saw fearne shrug off dozens of times she could have died horribly or faced terrible consequences and get off scott-free and missed the forest for the trees. they want her to take power because she can actively consent to it rather than be slapped with insane power at a young age and then forced to course-correct, which probably explains why they got so angry at ashton for "tricking" her: they saw it as them taking something she could use to better herself.

and on that note, laudna telling fearne she’s glad she could make her choice didn’t feel like it was backhanded, envious, bitter, none of that. i think she genuinely does see this as fearne making a choice on her own behalf in a way that she is incapable of.

the whole kerfuffle with callowmoore didn’t make me hate the ship, but it did make me even less fond of the fans of it given the shippers who turned on ashton saying all kindsa nasty shit that got disproved in the 4sd. i’ve always preferred the idea of a slowburn with these two because ashley has said fearne is unsure of how she would handle love or a relationship herself and now taliesin has said that ashton finds themselves unlovable.

as much as i joke and bitch, i don’t think that everyone’s been "forcing the ship" so much as they’ve been assuming that the constant flirtations between the two of them will make them more comfortable with taking the shard and meeting in the middle. the two of them deciding to be friends for the moment is far superior and makes the slow burn way more likable because now it’s something on their own terms rather than them getting together because they were told to.

irregardless of it stays platonic or develops into romance "callowmoore is abusive" is a terrible take no matter if you like the ship or hate it and i hate that it got blown so far out of proportion anditmademelegithateanothershipbutlikethatsnotimportantrightnowandidontwantpeopletogetmadatmeokay.

and yet! there’s always going to be this huge discomfort of the fact that fearne was always unsure about taking it, didn’t explain why she was unsure to anybody expect for chetney (and orym should have fucking said something), and then just decided to take it just so people would stop hassling her about it. she wasn’t forced into taking it but she certainly was backed into a corner about it. she did not ever want it but she saw that it was making everyone really upset and took it because hey, might as well.

"we all might as well" is something everyone’s been saying and while everyone else has their reasons for making the best out of a terrible situation, fearne notably did not have the exact same problem that most of them shared (i have this insane power inside me threatening to blow at any given second that i just have to live with on a daily basis). she wasn’t even aware of the raw deal she had been saddled in her existence with until it was pointed out to her!

long story short the main problem it seems that bh has to get over is just assuming they know what's best for each other. it should’ve been fcg and i will die on that hill. let ashton have a robot sister.

[leet911]

The Way Things Were

When they finally return to Jrusar, Imogen removes her Circle of the Hidden Eye as soon as they're inside the city proper.  And although the thoughts of the city's denizens start to press in around her, Imogen sends her mind out, searching.

Laudna?  I'm here, Laudna.

It's been weeks of trekking across Exandria, worrying about gods and magic and moons and battles and skyships.  So many failed sendings and teleports, so many sages consulted, so many sleepless nights spent thinking of Laudna, hoping that Laudna was all right, wishing that Laudna could hear her if only Imogen just tried hard enough.

So Imogen searches now, bypassing the drone of thoughts around her, focusing in one direction then another, her brow furrowing as the city gets louder and louder.  The thoughts of each mind she passes become clear for an instant before she shoves them to the background, continuing to scan.

When she hears what she's looking for, it's faint, like a distant wind chime, but immediately recognizable.  Imogen stops walking then, falling into her own consciousness as she makes contact.  The music is strong, and vibrant, and hopeful, and Imogen drinks deeply from it.

Laudna!

Imogen?

Continued below the cut, or on AO3.

And the relief that washes over her is palpable.  Her shoulders sag as they relax, the knot in her stomach loosens just a little, her fingers tremble.  Then she's running, her mind guiding her higher up the spire.

I missed you so much, Laudna.

Me too.

Imogen reaches the cable car station where a crowd is waiting to board.  Without thinking, she runs right up to the edge and leaps over the railing, her powers carrying her up faster than the gondola.  Below, Chetney and FCG look at each other, but Fearne transforms into a stork and follows her flight.

I'm here, Laudna.

I see you.

And as Imogen lands on the core spire, there's a figure running towards her, dark hair and pale skin, thin frame and ragged clothes.  Imogen has never seen anything more beautiful.

The thoughts become jumbled then, on both sides, each a whirlwind of everything that haven't managed to say to each other for weeks.  They have never been apart for this long.  Not since they met.  Not even that time when Laudna died.

And Laudna is here.  She's fine.  She is running into Imogen, laughing and crying at the same time, wrapping their arms around each other as they crash together in the middle of the street, not caring about other people around.

"Imogen." She says, not a question or an exultation, just a name, and Imogen shivers at the sound of that familiar voice.  Laudna's cheek is cool against hers, and Imogen is suddenly embarrassed by how wet her own cheek is.

"Oh, Laudna."

Then Orym is there hugging her too, and Ashton, and Fearne encircling them all.  And when the gondola spews out the rest of their group, there are shouts and laughs and hugs and tears all around.

Later that evening, when they are back at Zhudanna's, alone in their room, they lean against each other on the bed, legs outstretched.  The hands between them are clasped, fingers interlaced, and Imogen tells herself she will never let go.

I missed this so much.

Laudna’s free hand traces up a leg, following the purple streaks, lingering at the hem of the shorts.  Imogen shivers even as she covers up with a blanket.

You don’t have to hide.  Not with me.  Nothing’s changed.

Their faces turn towards each other then, dark eyes meeting amethyst ones, but Imogen averts her gaze just as quickly.  She has changed though.  And not just on the outside.  She wants things with Laudna to change.  I don’t think we can go back to the way things were before.

Now it’s Laudna’s turn to look away.  Why not?

Imogen’s heart skips.  She starts speaking out loud because that would make it real.  And she needs Laudna to know this is real.  “Laudna, I—”

“Ashton told me what you said.”  Laudna doesn’t let her finish.

“What?”

Laudna blinks back tears, and Imogen feels her heart breaking even more.  “Ashton told me what you said.  When I was dead and you needed me back.  I heard Orym, but I never heard what FCG or you said.  It was so muffled, so distant.  I couldn’t make out the words.  But Ashton told me, one night when we were apart, when I missed you so much I couldn’t sleep.  Ashton told me what you said.  So why can’t we go back to the way things were?”

Imogen clenches her jaw and lets out a long sigh.  Several seconds pass before she speaks.  “Because I love you.”  It’s not a secret.  It should never have been a secret.

"Of course, I lo—"

"No," Imogen cuts her off.  She needs to say this.  "I'm in love with you." She needs Laudna to understand.  So Imogen is leaning forward, and there's no turning back this time, even if there's tingling in her limbs, fear and lightning in her veins.  Because Imogen can't pretend anymore.

When their lips touch, Laudna sucks in a breath, but she doesn't pull away.  Imogen kisses her, slow and gentle, asking for permission.  Laudna's lips are cool but soft, parted slightly, and when the point of her tongue pokes out, Imogen can't hold back the gasp of relief that overcomes her. As they separate, Laudna shivers, and Imogen doesn't remember that ever happening before.  Laudna's eyes are closed, eyelids fluttering as she licks her lips, nostrils flaring with clipped breaths.

Imogen slides the back of her knuckles across Laudna's cheek, brushes away a lone tear.  Are you all right?   Laudna looks fragile, even though Imogen knows she is anything but.

Dark eyes open, tear-filled and piercing all at once.  Oh Imogen.  Do it again.

So Imogen covers Laudna's mouth with hers.  This time the kiss is insistent, hungry, forceful.  Imogen doesn't mean it to be so needy, but she can't help herself.  There's a humming that starts, and Imogen isn't sure which one of them it is, if it's even a real hum, or just in their heads.  As the humming increases in intensity, so does their kissing.

Imogen is shaky breaths in between furtive kisses, fidgeting hands in between desperate clinging.  Don't ever leave me.

Laudna squeezes her tight.  I always thought that you would be the one to leave.

And Imogen knows this isn't fair.  They've had far too many close calls to make this promise to each other.  But she says it anyway.  I won't leave.  You're my tether.  If you love me, I'll always stay.

Because these feelings are real. Even if they didn't set out to save the world, Laudna deserves the world, and Imogen would give all of it to Laudna if she could.

[ex-textura]

Hello! I would very much love if you could write something about Orym being his reckless self and the others confronting him about it.... pretty please,, I crave more fics lmao

Hey Anon! I'm sorry I took so long on this, but I've never been a good writer lol.

I didn't beta this so I hope it makes sense <3 and I hope it satisfies your craving somewhat!

[Some assumptions on my part, some characters being OOC I'm sure, some melodrama. Spoilers]

It's loud in the Spire by Fire. Voices bouncing off one another, mugs clattering against mugs in raucous celebration, chairs scraping against well-worn floor, and in the middle of it all they sit.

Surrounding a round table, drinks in battered hands and barely touched plates under bloodied chins they sit in relative silence.

The day has been long, especially for Laudna, Imogen, Fearne, Dorian and Orym. Orym who, trying his best to keep it together, sits with his chin on the table, short enough he doesn't have to bend to do so. Eyes are on him, he can feel it, though he does his best to ignore it. His head is spinning, his eyes are unfocused and his body just wants to rest. But he can't, he knows he can't because these people here. They're here, right now, and if he were to leave he doesn't know what might happen. Maybe he's being paranoid, maybe he's over thinking, but they started their day with loss, and almost added more before it was done. He'll stay, and he'll keep watch, because he can't allow another loss so soon.

"That's not fair," He hears, on the outside of his awareness and it takes him a moment to realize It's Imogen's voice. It takes him a moment longer to realize she's speaking to him and by the way everyone else's attention turns to her apparently it's not in his head.

"I'm sorry..?" His voice sounds as tired as he feels, and he tries not to react to the way it scratches out through his throat. "I don't mean to pry, Orym, but you're thinkin' so loud is all."

Of course...

"You know it's not your responsibility, right? Babysitting us, I mean..."

Her cheeks flush and her eyes are red, dark moons circle them and there's dried blood on her neck and in her hair from where the shade creepers tore her to shreds. The noise of the inn is weighing on her but she meets Orym's gaze and her eyes are earnest. She's worried. Orym doesn't like it.

"It's not like that." Orym starts, and then realizes that yes, it very much is like that and he doesn't know how to excuse it away otherwise. He's the babysitter, he always has been. Keeping people safe is what he does.

"Imogen is right, you know." Laudna. "You took quite the beating back there, too. You don't look like you're feeling any better than the rest of us."

Laudna would know, of course. She was hit just as bad as him by the poison Dugger spewed. He should have protected her better... he could have done more...

Orym shakes his head, sits up a little straighter, a little stronger. "It's just been a long day," He tries. It's true. "I'm just a little tired." He tries to be convincing, he tries to look strong and it looks like the others at the table want so badly to believe him, too, but other than Ashton who shrugs and returns to their drink, no one seems particularly appeased.

Orym picks up his own drink, cup massive in his small hands and he uses it to distract himself from the same blue eyes that have been trained on him since they sat down. Orym knows what he wants to say, but he won't hear it. He can't. Not right now.

Fearne speaks in his place, her voice so soft, but her meaning is firm and Orym doesn't miss it. "He's like that." She says, staring him down. "He's a very competent fighter, but of course we worry about him. He's always just...throwing himself into danger like that."  She waves her hand around casually but it does nothing to lessen the sting of her words.

He looks up at Dorian, and immediately regrets it.

Dorian has been silent this whole time, playing idly with his lute and watching Orym closely. Watching over him. Staring through the veneer of strength into the wounds, the poison, the broken heart of Orym. He plays softly, but to the halfling's ears it sounds like dirge.

Their eyes meet, and Dorian continues to play. Fresh Cut Grass speaks in his periphery, something consoling, something to ease the tension in the room but Orym isn't listening and the conversation moves on without him.

(Conversation... it's an intervention and he knows it. These people are worried, they think he's reckless, he's got a death wish but they don't know. They don't understand what drives him, what scares him....)

"You know what loss feels like," Dorian's musical voice rises over the dirge and din of conversation, "You know how it hurts. Why do you wish that on us?" Orym is speechless.

Orym doesn't wish anything on them, let alone on Dorian. Dorian is his friend, his-....his good friend. He would never. He opens his mouth, but the words stick in his throat and Orym realises in his silence that the words seems to have become stuck in everyone else's throat as well.

Everyone but Dorian.

"We take care of each other, Orym. Always. You protect us, you take the hits for us. You were there for Imogen when she went down. Why won't you let us do the same for you?"

They're looking at Dorian, now. But he looks straight into Orym, unphased.

"I can take the hits. It's what I'm good at." "You're good at far more than taking hits. And we're better at taking hits than you give us credit for. What we're not good at is mourning the loss of loved ones. What would we do, Fearne and I, if you were to go down and not get back up? What would I do?" Orym is silent, again.

Dorian waits.

They don't know... they don't know the selfishness that drives him. They don't know that it's exactly that question that drives him to do what he does. That he runs into the fray, takes the hits, goes down time and time again not because he has a death wish but because he doesn't know what he'd do if something happened to them. If Dorian went down and didn't get back up... if Orym lost someone he loved, when he could have done more to protect them, again.

The silence drags on. Laudna opens her mouth to speak, to break the tension, but Imogen touches her hand and she stops. They look at Orym to respond, and he realizes his throat is too tight to speak.

Dorian is still staring at him.

"It's not like that..." Orym says again, and they still don't believe him. "I take the hits because I can. It's what I can do. It's how I keep you safe."

"We don't ne-" "I need to! I need to, Dorian. I need to do this because I can't-" he's almost shouting and only realizes when his voice cracks and he catches himself, bites the inside of his cheek hard, and grips the end of the table. His fingernails turn white under the flakes of red.

"I'm being selfish. I'm doing what I need to do to be able to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. I know you can defend yourself. You're all very capable. But I can't....I can't just stand by and let you get hurt if there's a way I can stop it. And I'm going to, every time, until I physically can't anymore because I need to!"

There's an arm around him, comforting, as Fearne pulls him to her chest. She pets his brown hair and pushes him against her soft skin. His hands shake and his eyes are wet, but they don't overflow when he looks up to her soft, maybe a little bit sad smile. There's a light murmur around the table. Dorian sighs.

"You're too stubborn..." No argument there, "At least give us this one thing? Promise that you will do your very best to get back up again? Do that for us?"

It's a hard promise to make, truthfully. He knows he can't promise not to go down, and there's not much he can do once he has, but he knows Dorian knows that too. He can promise to want to, and he thinks that might be enough. So he nods, smiles.

"For you," He looks to Fearne, around the table to the others, to Dorian, "I will."

For him, he will.

[nochiquinn]

campaign 3 episode 28: the chaos gremlin strikes again

oh no

liam just stays like that the rest of the game

cashapp being a sponsor is so weird to me

>>there's still a pandemic >>goes to comicon

NO I'm not done being mad about it

"otohan cruel" freudian slip

taliesin no

link….be careful, link….

BUCK FUCKET

I preemptively want this animated

"I can do it, it's FINE"

the map lighting is making everybody look good

well, better than usual

critrolecloset find me sam's shirt

"best friend" did they get divorced :(

if someone doesn't throw banana peels I'm leaving

YEAH YEAH HELL YEAH

liam gets me

there's no law on the books that says a wolf can't play death race

travis is actively hiding

start chewing on wires

name it regigigas bc it's slow to get going

festivalities

turian clan paint

YOU get a bane, and YOU get a bane

"hold on letTERSSSS"

I DESPERATELY want this animated

"deez nuts draw first blood"

laudna my beloved

beam-beam

the flag comes down and there's just an explosion of magic from the middle of the pack

[extreme southern accent] 'cause I'm a pot-hole~

someday I will find that ad to explain why that line is burned into my subconscious

god bless u sam

TEAM DRYBONES

magnet rage

MEAN MAX

okay I'm zoning out I gotta make popcorn

the car is Bugged

NOT THE BEES

ten and two imogen

ah yes, exploding head syndrome

yessssss

pace car fearne

someone draw Tex Avery Ashton please

some days you just can't get rid of a bomb

does this count as critical role parties vs old people

oranges broke her fall it's fine

tesla self-driving car

hey! rude

"they're IN MY ASSHOLE, so I figure they're grappleable"

THERE'S NO LAW ON THE BOOKS

"to help with the net!"

"SATAN TAKE THE WHEEL"

"we're on a precarious cliffside" turn into a fish

"whore dynamite" gdi I just changed my twitter name

"I'm just gonna throw up in her face" like a baby buzzard

"I don't have a mini for [a banana peel]" "how DARE"

fart gust

action surge ankle hack

I love one (1) halfling

I ME-LEE'D HIM FOR YOU GAN

hsfhdjklsa

this is gonna be a hell of a ride at criticalroleland

SLAMMAGE

"I have no sense of shame left in me"

"I'm also now sitting in your lap"

no fuck a gravity well, imogen sitting in ashton's lap supremacy

what in the deadlights

"let's tame it and ride it"

countdown to travis saying kakarot

"why specifically travis" this man first contacted his future wife to try to weasel his way into a DBZ role bc she was voicing kid trunks at the time

it has a WHAT

did he just call travis fjord

"I think it's laudna bc the left blinker has been on for a while"

is the left blinker just fcg's eye

ah geeze there's almost 2 hours left

as the map blinds liam and laura

I am overly enamored by the maplight reflecting in taliesin's glasses

"meets it beats it" is still the stupidest rule

AKIRA BIKE SLIDE

welp I know exactly which part of tumblr just exploded

we don't talk about the cloud motorcycle fight

"fang-like teeth" matthew they're just fangs

pffft them still being awkward

rude???

it's one bladed barrier, what can it weigh, a couple hundred pounds?

did they rename skronky's ring

D:

imogen presenting laudna to fcg: fix her

oh that's so fucking cute

I feel like there hasn't been as much orym and fearne outside of liam making very sure we know he sleeps curled up in the back of her knee and the Pointed Looks whenever fearne is being fearne

dusk is 0/2

"why hasn't anyone asked you to dinner?" this is the neighborhood watch committee reminding everyone that necrophilia is still illegal

(if you get that reference I hope your back pain clears up soon)

travis and ashley are communicating entirely via eyebrows rn

I have processed none of this. half because it's 2 am and half bc trying to decipher travis and ashley's faces

OH?

imogen no but also OH?

just wii shop music

OH???

dusk what the fuck is up with that

chetney has his arm wrapped around dusk's fingertips

"so much bouncer"

travis senses sus

travis what r u doin

TRAVIS

after watching the old man "I see you" gives me psychic damage

"so you're not trying to kill fearne's parents?" "…nnnooOOOOOoOoO?"

CAST WHISPERS

fearne propositions them both

DUSK

I mean chetney fully did this to himself but D U S K

"kill your whole family" IS a well known idiom

liam's face

liam

LIAM

"I go on a murder spree" "congratulations"

"not in a creepy way"

and imogen doesn't even have chetney's whatever, she's just Jealous

imogen you're gonna get psychic backlash'd

curved walls, CURVED WALLS

jdfksjl dusk rebounded onto fearne

BACKWARDS KNEES

"I don't know what I was expecting but it was that"

I'm just remembering marisha going IS THAT MY MOM when they realized it was vilya

matt's southern accent is the best

oh nooooo

UH OH

OH NO

that's extremely cool but also NO

she has this written down

CHANGELING?

erika you wrote this down

ART

ERIKA

MATTHOLOMEW MERCER

that laugh

DON'T YOU HIGH FIVE OVER THAT

erika u fuckin chaos gremlin

I WAS CORRECT

"I DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THAT"

[sociallyawkwardfoxwriter]

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: Major Character Death Category: M/M Fandoms: Critical Role (Web Series),Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse) Relationships: Orym/Dorian Storm, Leon S. Kennedy/Chris Redfield Characters: Orym (Critical Role), Dorian Storm, Leon S. Kennedy, Chris Redfield, Rebecca Chambers, Imogen Temult, Ashton Greymoore, Cyrus Wyvernwind, Piers Nivans, Laudna (Critical Role), Fearne Calloway Additional Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, Nightmares, Burns, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Orym's Dead Spouse (Critical Role), Sobbing, Human Experimentation, Stitches, drugged, Hospitals, Injury Recovery, Chronic Pain, Scars, Strangulation, Panic, Mind Control, Dissociation, Depression

Day Fifteen. Hidden Scars

Every inch of his body ached to the point he could barely shed his clothing before he collapsed on the bed. The last three weeks had been a constant bombardment of difficult terrain and relentless battles that left him with cuts and bruises and bumps. Despite that, rest was difficult to come by when his mind couldn't completely shut off because of the danger they were in. Tonight though, they had the comfort of relatively clean rooms in an inn with beds and doors and minimal risk of creatures sneaking up on them in the night. So, he had every intention of taking advantage and getting a long, long rest.

“Were you planning on making space for me or should I just sleep on top of you?”

“Don't care.”

A laugh followed by the bed dipping next to him tempted him to lift his head, but the pillow felt much too comfortable and his eyes were already closed. “You will in the morning. Plus, it would be uncomfortable for me.”

“Not moving.”

“Fine, I'll move you myself.”

True to his word, Dorian slid his arms under Orym to push him onto one side of the bed instead of being splayed out in the middle. While it wasn't nearly as comfortable as his previous position, it only took a little adjusting to get his muscles stretched out just the way he wanted. He probably took up more than his fair share of the bed by the time he finished, but Dorian would move him if it was that much of an issue.

With the lull of Dorian's voice singing a slow melody, it was a miracle he didn't fall asleep before Dorian rejoined him on the mattress. The gentle brush of a hand along his spine nearly caused a full body shiver from the unexpected touch. Even though he didn't see or hear it, he knew that Dorian had that little grin on his face that he got whenever he caught Orym off guard.

His fingers moved away from Orym's spine to trail along the curves of muscles and bone, until they came to a sudden stop. “When did this happen?”

“What?”

“This.” The fingers pressed firmly along a long patch of skin that barely registered the sensation. “This wasn't here before or this one.”

“They're just scars. It happens.”

“Why didn't you say something? I could have helped heal them.”

“We were barely making it through the day with everyone alive. There wasn't any need to worry you about a little extra healing when it wasn't life threatening.”

“I'm worried that you didn't tell me. I want to help you, Orym. I don't want you to suffer in silence.”

“It wasn't that bad.”

“It could have been completely not bad.”

After releasing a soft sigh into the pillow, he forced his tired body up from the bed to better meet Dorian in the eyes. “I don't mind the scars. I already have plenty of them. What's a couple more?”

“If it's not that big of a deal, why didn't you say something to me? Even if you didn't need healing, I could have helped properly care for it.”

“They were healed enough. It just wasn't enough for it not to scar.”

“How could you know that? There's no way you could check for yourself. It could have been infected and you wouldn't have known.”

“I might not be an expert in medicine, but I know enough about wound care to know when there's a risk of infection. I had you help when my leg got torn open, didn't I?”

“Yes, but...” Dorian let out a sigh of frustration as he ran his hand roughly through his hair, causing it to tangle and bunch instead of fall smoothly down his back. “Is it so wrong that I want to help you with these things regardless of how severe they are? You already bear so much weight on your shoulders. I wish you would let me help you.”

“I didn't realize that's how you saw it.”

“Well, neither did I if I'm being honest. I hate seeing you take the hits for others and end up with these scars because of it. I know that it's who you are, but that doesn't stop it from being painful to watch.”

In the heavy silence that followed Dorian's words, Orym reached out to tangle their fingers together, so Dorian had something to cling to. He took the opportunity to grip Orym's hands tight and released a shaky breath between them. Dorian's eyes drifted down to their clasped hands for a moment, then shifted back up. In the soft light provided by the candle on their bedside table, the bags under Dorian's eyes looked darker than they had before heading to bed for the evening.

“How about this, I will let you tend to my wounds, and I will do the same in return? Maybe, take care of your hair as well. You have a habit of collecting twigs and leaves.”

“I think Fearne is making an actual collection out of them.”

“I'll be sure to give her everything I pick out.” He gave Dorian's hands a squeeze and moved a little closer. “Is that a fair compromise?”

“Yes, I think that's fair.”

“You're sure?”

“Yes, Orym, I'm sure.”

“Okay, then can we go to sleep? I'm not sure I'm going to be able to keep my eyes open much longer, and I don't want you think I'm not taking this seriously.”

Dorian's laugh eased the last of the tension Orym hadn't realized he held in his shoulders from his body. “I can't believe you managed to stay awake this long. I thought I was going to have to carry you up the stairs.”

“Maybe another day, just don't expect me to be able to return the favor.”

“I'll keep that in mind.”

After leaning down to drop a kiss to Orym's forehead, Dorian reclined onto the mattress and shuffled until he got comfortable. He let his arm drop open on Orym's pillow-an obvious invitation for Orym to curl up against his side. With a smile, Orym accepted the invitation as he usually did. Most of his body ended up on Dorian's chest and he threw an arm and leg over him to allow his muscles to stretch out. The familiarity and warmth quickly sent him to desperately needed sleep.