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vexing-imogen · 9 months

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Newfaire Knot

Auggie eyes the pile of clothes that Charlie puts in his hands with apprehension. He doesn't wanna be ungrateful, but...

"Is something wrong, August?" Howard asks, adjusting his glasses.

"Well, no, but," He hesitates. "It's just so fancy."

Charlie pats his arm, smiling indulgently. "That is the point of this evening, Auggie."

He sighs, tries his best not to whine. "Do I have to wear the tie?"

They answer together. "Yes."

"The point of this evening's assignment is to blend in," Howard reminds him. "This kind of event requires a certain level of dress."

Auggie doesn't point out that their scars will make it pretty damn impossible for him and Arlo to blend in. They'd already had that conversation with Alexandra, and all she'd told them was to figure it out. "I don't know how to tie a tie," he protests.

"Get dressed," Charlie says, "and then Howard will help you with the tie."

Howard blinks. "I will?"

She smiles. "You will," she says, "because you have two working hands, and I need all the time I can get to finish my makeup."

The professor sighs. "Very well." He looks to Auggie. "You heard her," he says, gesturing to the water closet. "And do try not to dawdle."

=====

"-and then you're going to tuck the skinny end into the loop, like so."

Auggie copies the professor. "Like that?"

"Yes, perfect," Howard says, barely sparing him a glance. "And now all that's left is to tighten the knot."

Auggie squirms at the sensation, but forces a smile. "That's not so bad."

Howard claps him on the shoulder. "That's the spirit. Come along now."

Arlo is in the foyer with Charlie when they emerge, wearing a deep purple dress and long black gloves that go up past her elbows. She's wearing a lace veil over her eyes the same color as her gloves. He swallows hard. She's... Pretty doesn't even begin to cover it.

She lights up with a delighted gasp when she sees him. "Auggie," she says, rushing up to him, "you look so dashing."

He scratches the back of his neck, feeling the blush flood his cheeks. "Ah, thanks," he says. "You, uh...you look great."

She laughs even as he's kicking himself mentally. "Thank you, Auggie." She reaches up, giving him a small smile. "May I? Your tie is a little crooked."

"Yeah, of course," he says. He holds his breath as she straightens the tie with a practiced hand. Charlie catches his eye with a smirk as Arlo smooths his tie into place, her hand lingering on his chest just a moment too long.

"There," she says softly. "Perfect."

Alright, so maybe the tie isn't half bad.

ii.

Auggie walks Arlo home after their next assignment; more reconnaissance that requires him to wear a suit and tie, though nothing quite as fancy as last time. It's late late, the streets dark and deserted enough that the dark glasses Arlo wears to hide her eyes are tucked away in a pocket.

He's spacing out a bit, his head still a little fuzzy from the knock he took a couple hours back. He lets her fill the silence, content to just spend some time with her that isn't fraught with danger.

Eventually, he realizes that Arlo has stopped talking and is looking up at him expectantly. "Sorry, what was that?" he asks, wincing.

She smiles, and she almost looks nervous. "I asked if you'd like to have dinner with me sometime."

"Like a date?" he asks cautiously.

"Yes, Auggie," she confirms. "Like a date."

He's forming a response when thunder booms across the sky and the heavens open up. They both yelp from the unexpected downpour, and they run to take shelter under the nearest awning.

Neither of them have an umbrella, and the rain is coming down so hard they can barely see the other side of the street. "Looks like we're gonna be stuck here for a while," Auggie says, shivering.

Arlo nods, and he tries to focus on anything but the way her blouse has become completely see through or the way it clings to her chest.

"Auggie," she murmurs. And he could be mistaken, but he swears her gaze flickers to his lips.

"Yeah?"

Instead of saying anything more, she grabs him by the tie and pulls him down into a kiss. They part for just a moment, sharing breath as the rain pounds on the awning above them, just long enough for him to nod; to indicate that hell yeah, he's okay with this. And then he's kissing her again, really kissing her this time. One arm goes around her waist to hold her closer, his other hand tangling in her hair. She tastes sweet and fresh, a bit like the champagne that she'd convinced him to try earlier. He loses track of time kissing Arlo, and they only part again when a trolley rattles by, drenching them both even in their shelter.

The hand that was in her hair drops to join the other one at her waist so that he continues to hold her; not tight, just enough to keep her close. Her hands stay on his chest, one playing with his tie.

"You never did answer my question," she says after a long moment.

It takes a minute for his fried brain to remember what she's talking about. "Oh, yeah." He takes a deep breath, runs a hand through his sodden hair. "I'd love to go on a date with you. Whenever. Anytime you want."

"Oh good," she says with a twinkle in her eye. "That would have been rather awkward otherwise."

iii.

Auggie is a nervous wreck. He doesn't even remember the last time he was this nervous. Maybe back when he was first asking Arlo's folks for permission to court her. But that was months ago, and, well...

Tonight is important, okay?

They're walking arm-in-arm through the public gardens by the university, towards the spot that he and Charlie spent over an hour setting up earlier. Arlo is telling him about her latest conversation with Alexandra and Ezra; how they both feel she needs to transition to a...less public position at Candela.

"Are they asking you to be a Lightkeeper?" Auggie asks, unable to keep the note of hope out of his voice. He's seen too many circles torn apart lately; has heard too many stories of people just not coming home. And, as much as he loves her, he can admit that Arlo has a bit of a martyr complex. She'd rather sacrifice herself than let anyone else get hurt.

He'd rather she stayed alive.

"Not exactly," she says. "They seem rather undecided on if they want me doing research or training to become a Lightkeeper. Alexandra even floated the idea of me staying an investigator so I can stay with our circle, but only working behind the scenes. Which Ezra pointed out would be quite difficult, given we wouldn't always have a reliable means of communication."

The anxiety starts to bubble up in his stomach again as the lane that they need to turn down to get to his surprise comes into view. He stops abruptly, a sudden idea coming to him.

"Is everything alright, Auggie?" Arlo asks, immediately on the alert for trouble.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine," he assures her. He takes both of her hands in his. "You trust me, right?"

"Of course I do, darling."

"Okay." He starts to loosen his tie. "Take off your glasses for me?"

She complies, albeit a little uncertainly. He gets it. It is the middle of the day, and they're in a public place. And people like to lose their minds and accuse her of being a demon.

He moves behind her and gently places his tie over her eyes in a makeshift blindfold. "Is this okay?" he asks, and she nods. He ties it in place, making sure to check that it's not too tight and that he hasn't tangled any of her hair in it.

"What are you planning, August James?" she asks as he starts to lead her forward.

Our life together sits on the tip of his tongue. Her great-grandmother's ring is tucked securely in his pocket. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

She stops walking for a moment. "Well, yes, that's why I asked."

iv.

Her hands are everywhere.

Her hands are everywhere and his heart is still lodged somewhere in his throat and he can't focus because all he can think about is the fact that he almost lost her.

They haven't even been engaged for a week.

They'd gone on their most dangerous assignment in over a year tonight, back into the ruins of Oldfaire. Relatively speaking, it had gone better than the last time. He was alive, she was alive, they'd all emerged mostly unscathed. But.

There'd been a cave-in. They'd gotten stuck on opposite sides of it. And both she and Howard had been barely conscious when he and Charlie finally managed to break through.

He doesn't even realize he's crying until her hands are cradling his face, brushing away tears. "It's alright, my love," she whispers. "I'm alright."

He can still taste the dust on her lips as he kisses her. "I don't want to think about what could've happened if we weren't fast enough."

"Then don't," she murmurs, removing his tie and dropping it to the floor. Her hands are already working on unbuttoning his shirt when she asks, "Stay with me tonight?"

Auggie nods, pushing her jacket off her shoulders. "I'll stay as long as you want." Both of their shirts drop. "I'd stay forever if I could."

Her skirts join the growing pile of clothes on the floor. "Soon, darling," she promises, the metal of her engagement ring cold against his heated skin.

They've done this a few times now, but every moment Auggie gets to spend in Arlo's bed feels like a dream. He has to pinch himself sometimes, half convinced that this is all some grand delusion. She's always more than willing to help remind him that it's real.

She gasps his name as he trails kisses over her chest. One of her hands tangles in his hair, and he groans at the pull. He tries to descend lower, towards her belly button, but she stops him, pulls him back up to kiss her.

He goes willingly for the moment, but he has a plan for tonight. He wants to worship her. Wants to show her just how fucking grateful he is that she's alive.

He trails his fingers up her side, light enough to tickle. She laughs against his lips. "Don't tease," she breathes.

About that.

He rests his forehead against hers. "Do you trust me?"

"August." Her voice is stern, and so are her eyes, though she's still smiling.

"Don't move," he tells her, kissing her quick before he gets out of bed to search through their discarded clothing, feeling Arlo's curious gaze on him all the while. He returns after a minute, his tie in hand.

"Hands above your head," he instructs, though it definitely comes out sounding more like a question. Arlo studies him for a long moment before she does as he asks, crossing her arms at the wrist.

He ties the tie around her wrists, keeping it loose enough that she can slip out of it if she really wants to. "Is this okay?" he asks, eyeing the faint bruising on her shoulders and arms. Hurting her is the last thing he wants.

She wiggles into a more comfortable position, and then she smiles up at him. "I'm good. I'll let you know if I need a break."

"Okay good." He leans in to kiss her, long and slow. "Now, let me take care of you."

#critical role #candela obscura #candela obscura fic #auggie james #arlo black #arlo x auggie #long post #it gets like. white people spicy at the end #enjoy

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