Work Text:
They were cleaning up after dinner when the incubus dropped his request. “Can I……” His friend could hear the hesitation in his voice, and, before he could even think about swallowing the rest of his question, she quickly replied: “Sure. What do you need?”
“Oh, oh. Um.” It was hard to imagine this tall, lean, impossibly handsome incubus shrinking on himself when he got nervous. “It’s…… no, it’s not nothing. Something came up during the day, and I still feel the tension lingering.” The incubus’s fingers traced the clean bowl in his hand. “And I thought I had become better at handling stress.”
“You did! You found the courage to tell me when you need help.” She gently took the bowl into her own hands, putting it back onto the shelf. It was a lovely ceramic bowl painted in white and blue, plus some flowers she couldn’t name. “And honestly? I need to get more sleep, so we’re basically scratching each other’s back.”
That put some weight off the incubus’s shoulder. “So……. How do you plan to help me with sleep? We can always cuddle…….” No matter how much time had passed, he would always blush at the memory of their first sleepover. The rainy, steamy morning after that, too, and……
Within what felt like a few minutes, the idea of sleeping suddenly felt a lot less agonizing. He already felt a lot better, but he wanted more. So there he stood, tail swishing expectantly.
His partner told him: “Go shower and get in bed. Remember to keep your hands warm.”
“Um……?” The incubus made a soft, questioning sound. His tail, betraying his fake innocence, gave an enthusiastic twitch at the implication.
She stared at him, hands folded with a defeated smile and sighed. “For cuddling.” Then, she watched in amusement as the incubus fled into the shower.
※
When she stepped out of the steam, the incubus had settled in their shared bed, oleander eyes and champagne gold strands peeking out from beneath the covers. All he did was stare, but somehow she hurried her steps to join him.
As soon as she slipped under the covers, the incubus was immediately all over her. His left hand found home in hers, fingers entwined; his face buried in the crook of her neck. The more the incubus breathed in her scent, the more he realized: he needed this. The intimacy between them opened a time capsule loaded with nostalgia and comfort.
Her other hand, which wasn’t held captive by his, ghosted across his back. Then, as gentle and delicate as a butterfly’s wings, it patted against his upper back. She made sure to end each pat with a downward stroke along his spine, because the incubus would reward each and everyone of them with slow, steady breath right above her collar bone. His tail, in addition, came up to pat her side, as if it was trying to return the favor. His partner wondered if the incubus was aware; a glance at his peaceful expression and closed eyes suggested otherwise.
“Feeling sleepy already?” His partner asked, her soft voice resembled a gentle sigh. Her hand that was patting his back moved up to pet the incubus’s hair. The netherborn nodded at first, then he suddenly looked up, eyes glinting with great anticipation. “Can I have a good night kiss?” If it wasn’t for the two horns on his head, his sweet, innocent tone would have made her believe she was holding an angel.
Alas, she knew this incredible man was no angel. He was her incubus. “Always.” She surrendered to his want, leaning in to kiss him on the lips. “Good night.”
End