Queen vs. The Consequences of Cuddling

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‘Are we going to address the floating eyeball situation (literally), or are we going to keep counting speckles in each other's eyes?’ Eydis pondered silently.

Very, very captivating eyes, but that was entirely beside the point.

Unable to bear Astra's gaze any longer, Eydis crossed to her desk, shrugging off her blazer. Perhaps there were less awkward ways to gather intel than a staring contest.

'An accidental meeting with Theo at the library, maybe?' she mused.

"You... okay?" Astra's soft voice interrupted Eydis’s internal debate. "You should've stayed in bed."

Eydis turned slowly. "My dear roomie,” she drawled, “I assure you, my health is impeccable. But feel free to examine me yourself, if you must."

A faint blush dusted Astra’s cheeks. "Last time I did that…”

"I used you as my blanket," Eydis finished.

The blush on Astra's face deepened, rivalling the scarlet lace lingerie peeking from a shopping bag. Eydis's eyes lingered on them. Normally, she would have scoffed at such a bold, brazen choice.

But on Astra, it might look rather... curious.

'But that's irrelevant,' she chided herself, tearing her gaze away from the garment and back to Astra's face.

But it was too late—her roommate’s crimson eyes had darkened, catching her in the act.

Astra cleared her throat, her gaze falling to the floor as she discreetly nudged the bag containing the lingerie out of sight with her foot. "So you remembered.”

"How could I forget?" Eydis’s fingers absently threading through the silken strands of her dark hair, oblivious to Astra's gaze, which had shifted from the floor to follow her every movement.

The scent of sandalwood clung to Eydis's fingertips. She brought them to her nose, frowning slightly as she caught the familiar fragrance.

"Your essence," she confessed distractedly, her lips tugging up in a half-smile, “is rather... persistent."

Astra’s eyes widened. "My… essence?"

Eydis mentally cursed herself. Had she really just said that out loud? She inhaled deeply, regretting it instantly as a fresh wave of Astra's fragrance flooded her senses.

Her heart hammered in her chest as a vivid memory flashed through her mind, one she had desperately tried to suppress all day: Astra's hair tickling her face, the soft rumble of laughter against her cheek as she nuzzled against Astra's—

Neck! It was her neck! Nothing else.

"Sandalwood fragrance, is it not?" Eydis clarified, forcing a neutral tone. "I could use a recommendation on the specific brand. For... research purposes, naturally."

Her curiosity was genuine. The perfumes her teenage self could afford were less ‘eau de toilette’ and more… ‘odour of the toilet’. Astra’s scent, however, was something else entirely, something unsettlingly divine.

"Why?" Astra inquired, her brow arched in a way that grated on Eydis's nerves.

Infuriating. Distracting.

The Queen lifted her chin. "One mustn't hoard all the finer things in life."

"That's not what I—" Astra muttered, then sighed. "Your scent is lov—fine.”

Eydis froze, the warmth flooding her cheeks a reflection of Astra's own blush at her slip of the tongue. Compliments were no stranger to the Queen, especially with Envy's constant fawning attempts to win her favour. But those were often empty praises with hidden motives.

Everyone in her life seemed to operate that way, didn't they? Yet, a compliment from Astra felt different. It was strangely... genuine.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Recognition flared in Astra's crimson eyes as she met Eydis's gaze. She rose from her bed, her bare feet soundlessly manoeuvring through the obstacle course of her shopping bags.

Eydis fought the urge to step back as Astra boldly closed the distance between them. One hand found the edge of Eydis's desk, while the other came to rest on her forehead, Astra's touch cool and surprisingly gentle.

"Are you truly alright?" Astra asked in her usual clipped tone, but Eydis could see the genuine concern in her eyes.

Disoriented, Eydis gripped the edge of her desk for support, but the Queen of Shadows was not one to cower. She leaned into Astra's touch, their bodies nearly touching.

"One fever dream, and you've suddenly forgotten all about your precious personal space, have you?" Her voice emerged huskier than intended.

Astra's lips curved into a shy smile, a rare and beautiful sight that never failed to ignite a spark within Eydis. For the first time, she wondered if there was meaning to... winning this.

Whatever this was.

"You're one to talk, Eydis," she countered. The way she uttered Eydis's name, a hesitant caress on the syllables, felt… intimate, momentarily erasing all thoughts of her mission.

A mischievous impulse took hold, a desire to tease out more of Astra’s delightful reactions from beneath her icy exterior. Eydis leaned in even closer, her breath ghosting over Astra's skin, her pulse quickening as their bodies brushed.

"Is that so, Astra?” The name, a forbidden word she had subconsciously avoided, slipped out before she could stop it. She savoured the sound, the taste of it on her tongue. "What exactly am I guilty of, pray tell?"

A breathless sound, a delicate gasp swallowed by their quickened breaths, fell from Astra's lips. Eydis fought to suppress a grin, her teeth grazing the plump curve of her lower lip.

Astra regained her composure with impressive speed. "Oh, I don't know," her lips twitched. "Ask me again when you aren't practically inhaling me."

Eydis laughed. "Touché. We have established that you smell divine, haven't we? Or are you fishing for compliments now, Ice Princess?"

“Divine?” Astra faltered once again, struggling to response. "You're...impossible."

"Impossible? Or maybe just...disoriented. If I were to confide in you that I wasn't feeling quite...myself," Eydis's voice dipped lower, "would you offer your expertise, Doctor?"

Astra pulled back slightly, her crimson eyes darkening, almost smouldering. Her depths were a starless sea, vast and uncharted.

Perhaps, in this lifetime, Eydis would finally have the chance to explore those depths. ‘The ocean’s!’ she felt the need to clarify.

"So I'm a doctor now, am I?" Astra finally managed with a low voice. "Not a healer?"

Eydis snapped back to the present. "Do you remember everything I say?" she asked, curiosity replacing melancholy.

"Silver tongue," Astra muttered, eyes dropping to the floor. "Always deflecting."

"On the contrary," Eydis replied softly, "I was... unexpectedly straightforward with you."

“There’s nothing straight…forward about you,” Astra’s response was almost hesitant.

"Is that a riddle, Astra?" Eydis countered playfully. She might not be fluent in the nuances of modern slang, but she was a quick study.

Astra scowled. "And there's the deflection, once again."

Eydis fought the urge to smooth Astra's frown. "No deflection." Noticing the persistent flush staining Astra's porcelain cheeks, she continued, “Are you?”

Astra's frown deepened. "Am I what?"

"Are you alright?" Eydis’s playful tone couldn't quite mask the genuine concern in her eyes. "Wouldn't want you catching whatever I have. Considering..."

Considering our night, Eydis thought, but the words remained unspoken. They felt too intimate, too revealing. Intimacy between women, or in general, wasn't a territory she wished to explore.

Not in this lifetime, nor the next. People like them, creatures of darkness, weren't meant for such...vulnerabilities.

"I'm fine," Astra mumbled. Then, with a barely perceptible smile, she added, "Just... allergic."

"Allergic to what, exactly?"

"Cat fur," Astra replied, her eyes twinkling.

Eydis feigned a gasp, a smile threatening to break free. "Are you likening me to a feline, Ice Princess?"

Astra bit back a smile. "With the way you purr..." She shrugged nonchalantly, "yeah, sure, why not?"

The Queen's melodic laughter rippled through the room. If anyone else had dared to compare her to a mere cat within her own realm, they would have faced swift retribution. But from Astra... it was strangely charming.

"The way I purr?” Eydis purred, tilting her head. "Not the shameless body heat theft? The blatant disregard for personal space? The tendency to knead her roommate's belongings with sharp claws?"

"So you know it's shameless. Not just kneading, but rubb—" Astra’s words caught in her throat as if she'd just let a state secret slip.

But it was too late. Eydis felt a warmth creeping up her cheeks as she leaned in closer. "Rubbing, physically, you say?" Her breath tickled Astra's ear. "You know, for an Ice Princess, you're surprisingly… hot."

Astra seemed to stop breathing at the deliberate word choice. Then, her eyes narrowed. "Eydis, y–"

"Which means," Eydis interjected, "I simply couldn't resist getting closer. Consider it a moment of weakness. A feverish feline seeking a cosy sanctuary in a cold, cruel world."

Eydis immediately regretted her words. A playful jest, a lighthearted parry—that was her intent. But the words echoed in her ears, sounding strangely sincere, even to herself. A dangerous mistake, for honesty was not a weapon in the arsenal of the Queen of Shadows.

The sin of Lust, she realised with a sinking feeling. It was the only explanation for this uncharacteristic lapse in judgement. It would face the Queen's wrath in due time.

For now, damage control. But before Eydis could devise a clever deflection, Astra spoke, her voice laced with a tenderness that caught Eydis off guard.

"Are you suggesting," Astra's words were soft, almost hesitant, "that I am your sanctuary, Eydis?"

Or not, Eydis thought, her mind racing. She was both impressed and slightly unnerved by Astra's perceptiveness. She felt a dangerous intoxication, as if under the influence.

"Mine?" The words that tumbled from her own lips were purely instinctive, and she once again cursed her infernal familiar for its meddling.

But what came next surprised them both.

“Is that an offer, Astra?”

So. Much. For. Damage. Control.