Work Text:
------
You knew that your size allowed for some ideas to enter the group’s minds, like the one that you can lift them like a sack of potatoes at the drop of a hat and carry them through a strange jungle after they’ve almost died. Well, really it’s only Beau that thinks that apparently.
You look down on the blue-clad monk, body bruised and battered from the fight with the Specter that she’d tried to be nice to and how well that worked out. Your mismatched eyes roll in their sockets at your friend’s insistent “I’m never being nice again” chant to the rest of the Nein.
You know that Jester’s walking behind you, your ears catching the sound of her sketching behind you. A fond smile splits your face as you imagine the cute tiefling, brows furrowed in concentration as her pencil glides smoothly along the lines she draws, her tongue peeking between her lips as she works out where she’ll hide the dicks in her drawings.
A flash of ginger catches up to you and Caleb smiles at you, a low whisper in your direction, “Glad to be back with us, my friend?” His hand gesturing to the task you are, quite literally, carrying out. You chuckle at your Zemnian friend, shaking your head as your own low voice responds.
“Oh yes. I’m so glad to be back to help lift my share of the load.” The sentence is followed by an exaggerated re-adjustment of the sleepy bundle of monk in your arms. Caleb chuckles, his hand reaching up to pat your shoulder twice in that stilted how-do-I-show-affection way that he does.
A splash and a shout from Jester slows the party and you turn quickly, worry building up in the pit of your stomach. Your hands are full, you can’t help her out of the tar. You look down at Beau, she’s started to doze but her eyes are refocusing at the sounds of Jester’s distress. You wonder if you can get away with dropping the monk, carefully of course, to help Jester. But as you stand there pondering if Beau would fight you on it, Jester’s already relaying to the group that it was a safe puddle and also asking in her usual “innocent” tone why Caduceus had so much trouble with the puddles in the first place.
The Mighty Nein share a laugh at Cad’s expression and you all set back into your marching order, traversing through the jungle to meet Guacamole.
------
You stop for a short rest, Veridian’s manipulation of the foliage around acting as a safe place to lay Beau down in. She gives you a sleepy smile and a quietly uttered “You’re great” before she’s out once more. You smile down at your tired friend, your hand patting her lightly on her head as her snores begin to sound, louder than usual. That fight really did her in, you think, as you turn around to look at the rest of the group. Jester’s not looking so good, but Fjord quickly remedies it and you nod at him with a proud smile. You grin at your friends, talking and snickering amongst themselves, as they all prepare for their own breaks from the treacherous journey. Once again you find yourself thanking all the deities that watch over the Mighty Nein for bringing you back to them. Your fingers find their way working through the short hairs at the back of your neck, tracing along the scar. You close your eyes and your heart grows heavy just remembering all your time with Obann, your eyes open again to focus on your surroundings.
Fjord and Jester are talking quietly just out of earshot, Caduceus is attempting to meditate by Beau’s snoring body, Caleb and Veth talking quietly with Veridian. They’re all there and safe, Yasha. You’ve not hurt them again. You are trying to calm yourself but it is not working as well as you’d hoped and a cold sweat breaks across your forehead. Your hands are clammy and you turn away from the group and walk a short distance, close enough that those who might be watching know that you are not leaving them again. You lean back against a tree, breathing uneven as your body slumps against the bark until you find yourself sitting, legs splayed out in front of your unfocused eyes. You think no one’s noticed you’re grateful, you can do this on your own.
Jester had noticed though. She’d seen you take off and had started walking towards you when Veridian called you all to attention, warning of the sounds within the forest. You’re shaken out of your panic by the pounding footsteps against the dirt, the sound reverberating through your body. You scramble to your feet and walk quickly back towards the group, just in time for everyone to freeze up as Caleb casts a spell, hopefully shielding you all from sight. The monster that makes everyone’s insides quake, with excitement and fear, is thankfully disinterested because of Caduceus’s, and Caleb’s, quick thinking. You sigh, slightly disappointed at not getting to fight such a magnificent monster, before you’re all back to moving again.
------
After almost being boiled alive by Guacamole, you all set up in Caleb’s magical hut and conducting the Nein’s newest nightly ritual. Jester’s tried to make it much more elaborate for a joke at Veridian’s expense but it doesn’t quite work. She’s pouting and you can’t help smiling at how adorable she is, cheeks puffed out and idle fingers petting a wet Sprinkle. Then Caduceus cures Veridian and in a flash, we all watch as she comes to herself, truely, for the first time in twenty five years.
You all reel from the information, the idea that this “forgetfulness” of the Vo can be fixed, but the group needs rest in order to continue searching for TravelerCon destinations tomorrow. You offer to take first watch, so does Jester. She moves to sit beside you, thighs and sides touching, her head resting against your shoulder.
“Yasha?” It’s a soft question, meant for just you to hear as the sounds of the forest and sleeping friends fill the air around you.
“Yes, Jester?” Your head tilts down to look at the woman next to you, the pain in your heart from earlier soothing at just having her close. Your hand reaches out to grab hers, but you hesitate wondering if it’s okay, before two blue hands wrap around your one pale one.
“Fjord was talking about what we, Caduceus, me and him, could do to help the people in the village. And his idea worked! Well, Caduceus actually went through with it, but I’m so glad we might be able to help these people. Aren’t you? Oh, but anyway, I noticed when you went away earlier. I saw the look on your face...do you need to talk?” Her cheerful tone sombers by the end of her talking, your gaze on her fond even as she asks you to talk about how you felt. You pause for a bit, before you remember your promise to her, your promise to each other really. To talk about the feelings and pain together.
“I-,” you start, your voice catching as you find yourself transported back a few hours in time, that same feeling of shame and fear taking over you again. “As we were taking a break earlier, I found myself thankful for all of our group’s gods bringing me back to the group, to you.” You bring your clasped hands up to your lips, eyes closing as your chapped lips press to soft, blue skin. You hear a soft gasp from the tiefling beside you, her tail twining around your waist and you feel your body lean in more to Jester’s at your side. “But that feeling was washed away as somehow I traced the scar...and I flashed back to all the terrible things I did to everyone. I saw Beau bleeding out, your face before the doors closed down in that fucking cave-dungeon where all this started.” Tears slip down your face unbidden as you curl your body towards the hands in your lap, watching water splash on blue and pale skin. Jester pulls one of her hands free to weave her careful fingers into your black hair and tuck it away from your face. Her gentle palm resting on your cheek and her thumb wiping away a falling tear as she pulls your face back up to look at hers.
“Oh Yasha,” her voice is soft as she starts, her accent somehow harsher in the quieter tone, and you love it all the more. “We know you didn’t mean those things. I know you didn’t do it willingly. I watched you the whole time you were...away.” Her own eyes sparkle with tears, sliding down along the curve of her cheeks and you lean your forehead against hers. You whisper a quiet sorry to her that she shakes her head at. “No, Yasha. You’ve apologized enough. In here,” the hand on your face taps a lone finger against your temple, “and in here.” Her hand moves to rest over your heart, its heavy beating betraying your rush of excitement at the intimate touch. A small smile pulls at her lips, “You know, though, don’t you? That all I ever wanted was for you to return to me. And you did. But I’ll take your apology anyway.”
“With a bit of help from Caduceus, of course,” your mood lifting, a smug smile as you catch her shift in tone to one of teasing. A pout pulls at her lips, an exaggerated little groan leaving her.
“You just had to bring it up that he saved you and not me, didn’t you? You’re so cheeky!” Your blue girlfriend is grinning at you shortly after, her lilting laugh and your choked chuckles struggling to remain quiet. You both sit there in quiet content, leaning into each other and drying one another’s face as you return to your watch.
“By the way, Yasha, your performance last night was amazing. You looked so beautiful,” your ears catch the last of her sentence, even as it drifted into a quieter whisper. Turning to look at her, you can see what might be a blush forming on her cheeks before her head ducks down and you feel the hand in yours squeeze tightly.
“Thank you, Jester. I’m glad you enjoyed it.” You lean over and press a soft kiss to her azure locks, her head turning at the exact wrong second and her curved horn jabs your chin. Cursing under your breath, you let out a laugh, her hands flying up to check your face, tilting it this way and that to check your injury. Over her worried mumbling, you realize how close your face is to hers, how long it’s been since you’ve last kissed her, really kissed her. You haven’t in so long, you didn’t think it was right, until you were both comfortable again. “Hey Jes. May I, may I kiss you?” It’s left your lips before you’ve truly realized it and you internally curse.
“...Please do,” and your eyes shoot open at her voice, your brow raising as if to ask for clarification. “I really wanted to kiss you this whole time. Especially after last night. When you looked SO COOL and just SO PRETTY. I wanted to do it ever-” As much as you love her rambling, you interrupt her with a kiss, her words muffled at the end and turning into a soft sigh. You kiss her and you kiss her, so happy to be with her and near her warmth again.
The both of you are still kissing, slow and deep, when you feel a slight kick to your foot. A soft huff leaves you and Jester laughs, her hand coming up to muffle it. You turn to address Veth, a grin so wide on her face and smug as you see Fjord drop something in her hand, a brief glint catching your eye. Fjord doesn’t seem displeased at losing another coin, shooting a wink at you as you help Jester to her feet.
“Well, Veth, it seems you were right. They did sort it out before we got back to the ship. I was sure it’d take longer,” Fjord grumbles, though he still smiles down at your intertwined hands.
“Yes, well, I just know these things. Besides, Jester told me that she’s been itching to make out with Y-” Veth’s retort is interrupted when a blue hand slaps to her face, her eyes twinkling with mirth as Jester shushes at her. Fjord looks at you and you both shrug, bumping shoulders with him as you pull Jester past the two, heading back over to the other side of the dome to rest.
You lay down on your back, gazing up at the rocky ceiling, the slight film of the dome the only thing between you and the stalactites. Jester immediately curls upon your chest, tail wrapping around your thigh as her arm wraps around your waist. You two are no strangers to cuddling after all, impossible to avoid with a tiefling-koala like Jester. You smile to yourself as your eyes close, the soft chatter of Fjord and Veth off to the side helping to lull you to sleep. You press one last kiss to Jester’s forehead before you mutter a soft, “Good night, Jester.”
“Good night, Yasha,” Jester returns, leaning up to press a good night kiss to your lips before nestling back against your shoulder. You drift off to sleep thinking of a beautiful blue tiefling woman whose lips taste of long-awaited sweet buns.