#it has two of my fave things. nix being a nerd and both tormenting each other love wins!!

[deadrlngers]

also 17 for ves and nix 🤪

17. a kiss on the underside of the jaw

The dust nestling on every surface of the abandoned bookstore was indecently excessive and made Fenix twitch his nose in irritation every time a cloud of those tiny disturbing particles rose as he moved around the remaining goods of the store. Yet his undivided attention was on the partially faded titles on the spine of what few books still laid on the shelves, the colours blackened by time, and the book in his hands. His eyes scanned the few starting words of the prologue, the frustration of finding out that many phrases were nearly illegible made it impossible for Fenix to notice the figure approaching him until a pair of arms already snaked around his neck and settled over his shoulders. His body instinctively tensed up as if ready to react to any type of danger, but his mind quickly caught up with the reflexes and he relaxed to the touch.

Fenix didn't remove his gaze from the pages, there was no need: he was well aware of who tagged along on his little outing in the Badlands. “Almost mistook you for another hit man after my own life.” He half-lied; the tips of purple coloured hair made his face tingle as the woman embracing him pushed her cheek to his temple.

“After your heart maybe.” Vesper replied, her gaze following the one of her lover down to the yellowed pages. “Or maybe both.”

The addition made the corner of Fenix’s mouth twitch up slightly in an amused grin before he changed the subject for a more interesting, and funny, topic. “You grew a few inches in ten minutes or what?” He questioned, and glanced down, away from his book, to stare at the short step stool Vesper climbed on.

“Miracle.” She sarcastically retorted and patted the top of his head mischievously a few times, just to emphasize how he was the shorter one this time around – a payback for all the times he poked fun at their height difference. I’m above six feet tall, she would repeat over and over, I’m not the problem here.

“Miracles happen a lot to you when I’m around.” Finally, Fenix turned to meet Vesper’s gaze and her hand slid to the back of his neck to play with the short hair there. They both stood in silence as the space around them was immediately filled with the anticipation of a kiss, powerful and captivating and making them breathless; something like a veil of electric charge pending over them and ready to be unleashed so to push them to act. It was awaiting in the way Fenix’s eyes teasingly dipped down to her lips and lingered there before raising back up again to meet her stare, the smugness of a smirk not showing on his lips but in his gaze; and in the way Vesper’s pupils dilated, effectively communicating one raw emotion, desire.

She was ready to be the first to inch closer just enough to meet his lips, unleash that electrifying power that was threatening to burst, but just then Fenix slipped away from her embrace and pushed himself up on the highest step of the low stool in a swift movement, effectively dispelling that raw power circling around them. He grinned as his eyes scanned the other few books on the highest shelves, ignoring the surely angered Vesper: he could feel the weight of her gaze planted on his back just as she could feel his satisfaction for the goading. Fenix could’ve said a simple ‘on the short side again, mh?’ just to complete his annoying game with a cherry on top. He was expecting an irritated reaction, he wanted to set off that so funny fury of hers, yet nothing happened. Surprisingly, Vesper’s reaction was far more placid: without a word she simply jumped on top of the stool too, turning around Fenix’s frame and making the man clutch –slightly panicked – one of the dirty shelves at the instability created by the unexpected action. Vesper knew he wasn’t exactly a fan of heights, even the smallest ones. Surely she wouldn’t take advantage of that, or so Fenix tried to tell himself while he swiped away the dust on his hand by slapping the palm on his thigh a few times.

Her back was now leaning against the tall bookcase, hands behind her back and her right foot planted between Fenix’s parted ones. “Found anything?” Vesper asked as she looked up at him, no sign of impending vengeance evident in her intentions.

“Not much.” He replied and gave her a wary look, he waved the item in his hands as his eyes kept searching for anything worth looking for. “Some pages are barely clear.” He mumbled, more to himself than to Vesper.

She hummed in response. “What’s the story about? Of the book you want I mean.” She prodded on, genuinely interested in the answer.

“A baron jumps on a tree and swears he will never get off it ever again.” Fenix’s tone was plain, like he just summed up in the clearest way a normal plot.

Vesper bit her lower lip, a small giggle held back as she tried to gain any more information. “That’s it?”

“Well, it’s about the will of a man who wants to fully follow some kind of rule he has self-imposed on himself, the living on trees thing. He’s a gonk, you could say, but without that rule he wouldn’t have…hm, an identity to present to himself and others.” Fenix began rambling, turning idly the pages of the book in his hands. “He lives in a fake isolation as a man that’s actually involved in his times, he partakes in the life of men, he’s even kind to them, helps others…acts altruistically and so on. ‘To truly be with others, is to be separated from them’. That’s why–” Fenix’s chatter suddenly got cut short as he felt a faint pull on his shirt, fingers wrinkling the fabric as they clutched and tugged on it. Then surprise ran deeper when Vesper’s lips came in contact with the skin of his jawline, made scratchy to the touch by the shadow of an unshaved beard and in sharp contrast to the gentleness of the action.

Vesper stood on her tiptoes just enough to fill the modest height gap between them, then she slightly pulled back from the kiss to speak her next words. “You’re kinda hot when you act all clever. With your stupid big words and shit.”

“Act? I’m clever,” Fenix scoffed “I’m smart.” He stressed the affirmation with decision but his mouth felt unusually pasty; words were coming out with far more needed effort as Vesper let the tip of her nose slowly run down the pulse of his neck. Fenix turned quiet, any of his usual jokes died in his throat as languid chills, cold like ice, burned their way down his spine. It was challenging to not shiver.

Vesper whispered a mocking ‘right’ at Fenix’s weak defence of his ego: one last breathy word spoken over his skin to complete the arising of goosebumps. Then she lowered back to her usual height, feet flat over the old unsteady surface, and glanced at his troubled expression with amusement. Once more it appeared, again that unspoken attraction inviting them closer like a magnet. Fenix’s fingertips tingled as he held the half ruined book in his hand, he unconsciously tapped them rhythmically over the cover, just like one plays with their keys when awaiting a kiss at the doorstep and muttering a longing goodnight. Vesper released his shirt from the hold of her fingers in favour of placing her palms over his lower stomach. She looked up at him through her lashes with a type of appetite, a craving, that would indicate that finally, finally, the right time has come and yet, instead of a still missing kiss, she gave a not so gentle push to the man in front of her – just strong enough to make him snap out of his trance with his heart leaping in his throat. Fenix frantically clutched the dusty shelf and gasped out a loud curse when he barely avoided the tiny fall, while Vesper merely waltzed around his frantic moving body and left the stool, skipping the last step with a small hop.

“I’m waiting for you outside as you finish you’re little treasure hunt. The dirt in here is worse than the lowest street of Heywood.” She informed, amusement clear in her tone and a newly acquired glee to her steps as she walked away leaving behind Fenix in his stunned silence. Payback, it was always about payback between them.