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When Eda woke, the house was quiet.
On any other day, this would be a red flag that triggered enough adrenaline and have her tearing out of bed to find and neutralize whatever fire or imminent disaster her dumb kids had managed this time.
Two days ago, however, Luz had been invited to an extended camping trip with the Park family, who had been nice enough to allow King to tag along as well, after he voiced his irritation at being left out of a fun trip.
They wouldn’t be back for another day, and while the thought of her impulsive, trouble magnet kids being away for so long would have her worried to death about the shenanigans they could be getting into, the Parks were a pair of good, practical witches, their daughter even more so.
She got photos and reassuring hext messages that everything was going fine at least twice a day, and Willow’s fathers were kind enough to let Luz borrow the family raven to call Eda each night so she could ramble for a good half an hour about everything she’d done that day, as well as King, though he was much less of a talker.
Which left Eda alone for a few days with the house to herself.
Well, until yesterday, that was.
Eda rolled over to the other side of her nest that, while currently empty, still carried the scent of rosin and pine.
Raine.
She grinned to herself, a fluttery feeling squirming in her stomach.
Her newly rekindled relationship with Raine was slow going. There was a lot of baggage between the two of them, more than a little hurt and sour memories both of the far past, and more recent months leading up to the failed day of unity.
But they had kissed her on an impulse, bruised and sore on the battlefield, and Eda hadn’t let them take it back, so here they were.
Where here was, exactly, Eda still wasn’t sure, but she was happy with every last second she could get in the presence of the sweet, stubborn bard she never dreamed she’d have a right to call hers again.
Raine had been oddly upset to hear that Eda was spending the next few days alone, save for her crazy house demon. She’d told them she didn’t mind it, but maybe her melancholy at the lack of noise and entertainment her kids usually brought to the house was more obvious than she thought, because they’d showed up at her door an hour later with her favorite take out, asking if she wouldn’t mind some company.
For all Eda denied being some clingy mom who actually missed her kids, or some other mushy biz…They had lifted her spirits, enough to enjoy some good, greasy food and laugh at a trashy crystal ball drama with her partner.
It had been a fun evening.
… and an even better night.
Her toes curled pleasantly at the memory of how they’d worn her out last night. Already her neck itched pleasantly from the necklace of marks her partner had gifted her around her throat, and trailed all the way past her sternum.
Eda stretched her legs and curled her toes and the soreness that made itself known nearly made her want to giggle under her breath.
Titan, she loved them.
It was still a little terrifying.
In a good way.
The best way.
She inhaled more of Raine’s lingering scent from the sheets.
Her smile faded a little.
She recalled the warmth of their skin, and felt a pang in her chest at how cold she felt without it.
Eda had known Raine would likely leave in the morning, she just wished they would have woken her up to say goodbye instead of sneaking out like this had been some kind of one night stand.
She instantly dismissed the thought and berated herself for it.
No, they didn’t mean it like that. Raine had probably just meant to be considerate, letting her rest while they crept away to do…whatever it was the Bardic Representative Council Member does on their weekends.
…Although, did Eda really know how Raine felt about their current relationship with her?
They hadn’t actually talked about their situation that much.
Now that she thought about it…’relationship’ was probably a pretty loose term for what they were currently doing.
They didn’t really go on dates, which admittedly Eda had mostly chalked up to being old, and busy with their respective responsibilities. And any time they spent together was generally not out in public.
Despite having been cleared of all crimes after defeating Belos, Eda’s reputation in the public’s eyes was still far from favorable, and Raine…they were a council member. It had been hard for them to step back into such a public role in the first place, and having so many eyes on them, so much more distrusting already after the old coven system fell to shambles, was all the more difficult.
If the public also found out about Raine’s relationship with Eda…what would that mean for them?
Insecurity clawed at Eda’s chest, feathers pricking at the sides of her face and her inner wrists.
Should push come to shove, she refused to be the thing that stood between Raine and the successful career and stable life they deserved.
Even if that meant, her time at their side was limited to behind closed doors and in the darkest hours.
Eda groaned and sat up.
That’s it. Clearly lazing around in bed alone was making her dramatic.
She needed to get up and…clean something, or something. Take her mind off of things until the kids were finally home and she had a proper distraction from all these stupid relationship worries.
…and coffee.
She really needed some coffee.
Eda stumbled out of bed, rubbing her eyes with a groan.
She hissed under her breath as she got to her feet, legs trembling a little.
Titan, fuck she was sore!
She pulled on an oversized sleep shirt, and contemplated a loose pair of shorts but decided to forgo anything else.
It was best not to test the limits of the vivid bruises painting her thighs.
Eda went over a list of chores in her head and tried to calculate the likelihood that the takeout leftovers were still edible despite having been abandoned to sit out on the coffee table all night.
Eh, she’ll probably try them no matter what. She’s eaten worse.
She was too lazy to hunt for her slippers when she discovered they weren’t by the door where she usually left them, and she shivered when her feet touched the cold stone stairwell. Her gait was unsteady as she descended, and she cursed under her breath at her limping.
On her way downstairs, Eda paused in front of Luz’s room, taking in the empty space.
The bed was a newer touch, albeit one that had been a long overdue, and the sight of the messy sheets covered in knicknacks and wrinkled shirts from Luz’s frantic last-minute packing for the camping trip had her lips quirking up for a second before she sighed.
One more day. Then both her kids would be home and she wouldn't have to resort to letting Hooty ramble about bugs just to get some noise around the house.
…Titan, what has her life come to?
The kids really need to get home so she can go back to acting like she never misses them.
Cursing her stupid attachment ( not maternal love and the next person that accuses her of such is losing an eye) to her dumb troublemakers, Eda shook her head and continued her path downstairs.
Halfway down the last flight of stairs, Eda paused.
She sniffed.
…Did Hooty fuck with the coffee maker again?
Her eyes widened and she hurried down to the living room, faltering when she noticed the excitable demon was outside, preoccupied with the early morning insects.
Something creaked in the kitchen and Eda stiffened.
Her ears twitched up as she strained her hearing.
Again the floors creak.
Someone is humming softly in a silk-smooth voice.
It should be embarrassing, how quickly excitement blossoms in Eda’s chest.
Her ears perk and swivel forward, eyes dilating.
Carefully, she takes a peek into the kitchen.
Oh.
That’s Raine.
Her Raine.
Heat rises to her cheeks.
Raine is sitting in her kitchen, eyes bleary, humming under their breath with a mug of coffee cradled close to their chest.
But that’s not what has the majority of Eda’s attention. That has her heart skipping a beat.
They were wearing her clothes.
Warmth pooled in Edas chest.
It was seven in the morning, the sun was shining, and Raine Whispers was standing in her kitchen, wearing her clothes.
It was cute.
The thick, warm skirt was longer on them, trailing past their ankles, but the sweater they'd swiped was tight around their broad shoulders, sleeves bunching up into sweater paws and fuck it was CUTE.
They looked so comfortable, like there was nowhere else they, Raine Whispers, would rather be than lounging around Eda’s house in stolen pajamas.
Pretty…
It takes all of her concentration not to chirp at the sight of them.
Strange bird noises erupting from her mouth had become a regularly occurring incident she blamed on how much time she spent as the harpy these days. It was… weird.
And she didn’t want to ruin the moment with her dumb bird brain.
Raine looked up and Eda lost her breath when they made eye contact and she realized she’d been caught.
Suddenly shy, her tongue sticks to the roof of her mouth at the sweet, warm smile that lights up Raine’s face when they spot her.
“Hey,” they said quietly and Eda felt a shiver go up her spine at the gravely edge sleep had given their soft voice.
She cleared her throat.
“Uh, hey.”
They gestured to the pot on the counter.
“I made coffee.”
Just when you think a witch can’t get any more perfect.
“Titan fucking bless you for it,” Eda groaned, making a beeline for the open cupboard to search for her favorite mug.
The first sip is always the best, and Eda’s sigh is damn near indecent at the instant hit of caffeine to her system.
Raine was a bard of many talents, but their fantastic coffee was probably one of the best. What a shame there wasn’t a coven for that.
She shuffled over to the table, and mere inches from the nearest free stool, Raine surprised her by darting an arm out and seizing her by the waist.
Eda shrieked and clutched her coffee protectively as Raine tugged her into their lap.
Raine set their own mug aside and wrapped both arms around Eda’s waist, craning their neck to nose at a sensitive purpling bruise on her throat.
“Hey,” they sighed, arms tightening around her.
“You-”
A strangled noise escaped her mouth and sparks fizzled from her fingertips at the gentle kisses Raine peppered over the hickeys painting her neck.
“You al- mm- already said that.”
“Doesn’t count,” they mumbled into the crook of her shoulder. “You were too far away.”
Their hands were warm and possessive wrapped around her, their chest a line of heat against her back as they held her close like they were trying to fuse their bodies together.
Some of the tension left Eda’s shoulders and she sighed again and leaned back against her partner.
“Made yourself comfortable, then?” She asked in a coy tone, plucking pointedly at the thick magenta wool they were wrapped in.
She felt them grin into her shoulder.
“Guilty as charged.”
Raine’s hands idled over the thin fabric of her ratty old shirt, skirting the edges of the threadbare hem where it rode up on her thighs and inhaling deeply.
“Did you sleep alright?” they asked.
“Mhm. I didn’t expect to see you this morning,” she admitted.
They paused and pulled back a bit.
“Why not?”
Eda shrugged and took a sip of her coffee.
“Just figured you’d be busy is all.”
Raine shook their head.
“Not on a weekend.”
She frowned.
“You sure?”
Titan, if they were missing something important just to keep her company, she’d feel terrible.
They pressed another kiss to her shoulder.
“I can’t think of a single thing I’d rather be doing, right now.”
Her ears spasmed.
“Oh.”
“Do you have anything on your schedule today?” They asked politely.
She shook her head.
“Meh.”
“How much longer until the kids are back?”
She huffed.
“They’ll be home some time tomorrow morning.”
“I’m sorry. You seemed so sad when you had to hang up after Luz’s call last night.”
Callused thumbs rubbed soothing circles into her hips.
“I can’t imagine how much you must miss them.”
Eda stared down into her mug, tapping a nail against the chipped porcelain.
“I’m…fine.”
“Eda…”
“I am!” she protested, wincing at the unconvincing waver in her voice.
Raine moved a hand from her waist, tucking under her knees and before Eda could process what was happening, they were scooping her up.
“Ack! Raine!”
She kicked her legs out on reflex and wrapped her arms around their neck, nervous at the alien sensation of being the carried rather than the carrier.
Raine ignored her squirming and set her down on the couch with a soft thump, settling down half on top of her and wrapping their arms around her skinny form.
“Raine-”
“I know I don’t say it a lot, but I love you.”
Eda’s words caught in her throat.
Raine chuckled, but there was an edge to it.
“It used to be the other way around, before. And now, you’re the one being far better than I deserve, while I’m not even paying enough attention to your life to notice when your kids are gone for a week. For that, I'm sorry.”
“What?” Eda asked, incredulous. “Rainestorm, no, that’s not-you don’t have to keep track of that stuff, it’s fine-”
“It’s really not, Eda,” they retorted. “You deserve to be paid attention to. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy that I haven’t been, especially if it’s gotten to the point that you're starting to close off again.”
Guilt. Horrible, writhing guilt squirmed in Eda’s stomach.
Fuck.
What had she done this time? Eda could have sworn she was doing better. What had she missed?
Fear mixed with the guilt and she clenched her hands into fists around the hem of her shirt.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…you know you don’t have to hide from me, right?”
“I’m not.”
Raine huffed and gave her a sad look.
“I know you miss the kids, Eda. You’ve been trying to act like it doesn’t upset you since last night, but…”
They scratched the back of their neck and leaned a little more of their weight onto her.
It was comforting.
“I just want you to know that…I’m not going to judge you for, for loving your kids enough to miss them when they’re gone. I wouldn’t throw that back in your face, or just, your feelings, in general. I wouldn’t. You can, ah, you can trust me with them, if you want. Need. Whatever.”
Eda went still.
“Oh.” she croaked.
“It’s just that I always see you deflecting everything you feel, like, I don’t know, you’re waiting for your emotions to get thrown back in your face in a cruel joke and I know-”
There was genuine distress in Raine’s face, and Eda took their hand, hoping her thumb swiping across their knuckles was enough of a clumsy attempt at comfort to calm them down.
Raine took a deep breath, though their ears were still pressed tightly against their skull.
“I-I know it must be hard…to let me back in after…everything. I’ll never stop making amends for that, but I-”
“Wait, wait, Rainestorm, what?” Eda cut them off, brow furrowing in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
Raine’s breath hitched and she realized with a note of horror that there were tears budding at the corners of their bright green eyes.
Carefully, Eda shifted underneath them so they were chest to chest.
She took their face in her hands and swiped at the moisture threatening to spill down their cheeks.
“Hey,” she cooed. “Talk to me, Rainestorm.”
Oh, what a cruel turn of the tables this was.
The irony of their positions wasn't lost on her.
They hiccuped and shuddered, and Eda cradled their face in her hands all the while. A silent assurance that they could catch their breath and she would wait for them.
Whatever they needed.
It was the least she could do.
At last, they took a deep breath, leaning into her touch.
“I was so horrible to you,” they choked out.
It took Eda a few moments to understand what they were talking about.
The parade.
The long, painful weeks that followed.
Bitter poison in a remedy’s clothing.
Bitter words, cradled close to her chest, like shards of glass she was afraid to put together, lest they create an image not of lies crafted by outside influence, but truth prompted by inhibition.
‘I don’t associate with wild witches anymore.’
Heat pricked at her eyes, and she had to stifle a sniff.
“Oh, Rainestorm, no,” she protested. “Baby, no.”
She’d never held it against them.
How could she?
The moment they slammed their lips against hers over Belos’ corpse-
Before then, even-
The moment their eyes cleared.
Before-
Further, further.
The moment venom poured from their lips.
There had never even been a choice.
Not when it was them.
Her Rainestorm.
But there was no way to say any of that, was there?
It would likely be ill-received, in fact.
There was no pretty, delicate way to say that they could pull out a dagger and ask for her eyes, her lungs, her heart, and she would have cried at the loss but let them take from her all the same.
There was no pretty way to say that her love was ugly and frenzied and not even their worst words under the influence of a sadistic hag could make it go away.
Not their words…
Not even the lichtenberg scars burned into her flesh like a cruel, pale web, arching down her back and intersecting with the twin abrasions where her wings burst forth as the harpy.
“There’s nothing to forgive,” she said instead. “None of that was your fault, baby.”
They shook their head and she gripped their face a little tighter in response, forcing them to look into her eyes.
“I mean it,” she said seriously. “Do not go blaming yourself for any of that, Raine Whispers! You wanna put fault on anyone, you can put it on the bastards we already put six fucking feet under! Hell, put it on me, but I will not let you blame yourself for this!”
Raine hiccuped, a few more tears sliding down their cheeks.
“W-what? Why would I blame you? This isn't-you’re not the one who…”
Her legs were going numb under her partner's weight, and the sting of pins and needles when she shifted over the couch cushions so that she was sitting up and leaning against them was grounding.
They'd been skirting around this conversation for a while, the two of them.
Eda had wanted to believe they didn't need to talk about it.
Rain had kissed her and said they were sorry, and Eda said she loved them, and that was the end of it and they could move on.
Except that they couldn't, could they?
She closed her eyes.
“I still see it sometimes,” She admitted quietly. “The day you were captured. I’m hanging onto your hand and then you make me let go and over and over again, I keep telling myself, if…if I had just been a little stronger-”
Raine opened their mouth and she growled.
“Don’t. I know, alright? I fucking know, you don’t blame me, you wanted me to let go, and I shouldn’t blame myself and blah, blah, blah. I know! But guess what?”
She let go of Raine’s face to grab their hands, still looking them in the eyes with determination.
“If I don’t get to blame myself for letting go, you don’t get to blame yourself for being fucking drugged!”
“I hurt you,” They protested tearfully.
“I gave as good as I got,” She retorted, raising their arm pointedly to show off the thin, raised talon marks there. “I’m not delicate, babe. I can take a hit. It hurt more to see you under that fucking weed’s control than anything you could throw at me.”
She batted her eyes, trying for some levity to ease the grief in Raine’s eyes.
“I’m a tough girl, hon.”
She arched her purpling neck with a smirk.
“You should know that better than anyone, by now.”
That earned her a weak chuckle and Eda mentally preened at her success.
“Edaaaa,” they whined, face turning red. “Don’t tease me, this is serious!”
She snorted and pressed a quick kiss to their cheek.
“I know it is,” she reassured. “But I also think this might be one of those things we’re never gonna agree on.”
She softened and kissed them again for good measure.
“I’m never gonna let you apologize, because I already forgave you. And because we’re both idiots, I know you’d say the same damn thing.”
They pouted wordlessly and Eda knew she had them dead to rights.
“...you’re not an idiot,” They finally grumbled.
She grinned.
“Neither are you…most of the time.”
They squawked in mock outrage and she laughed, opening her arms.
“C’mere Rainey.”
They leaned forward willingly.
It took some awkward shuffling, but eventually the pair of them lay down on the couch, chest to chest with their legs tangled together.
Raine’s face fit perfectly into the crook of Eda’s neck and they hid there gratefully, lips brushing her pulse.
“I love you,” Eda mumbled. She probably said it a little too often these days, but she’d nearly lost them too many times to pass up any opportunity, now that she was allowed to say it again.
“I love you too,” They returned without hesitation. “I just-”
“Nope.”
They frowned.
“I’m sor-”
“Nuh uh.”
“Eda-”
“Shush, Rainestorm. You’re gonna ruin the moment.” She closed her eyes pointedly.
Raine huffed and muttered something about stubborn witches under their breath but settled down all the same.
Chest to chest like this, Eda could feel their heart thud against her own, gradually syncing up, the three beat tone of their bile sac just barely faster than the offbeat jitter of her own corrupted organ.
Eda snuggled impossibly closer, fingers tracing the outline of Raine’s spine and burying her face in their hair.
She hissed when they shifted their leg and it pressed against one of the bruises on her thighs and she could feel their breathy laugh against her collarbone.
“Sorry.”
“Liar,” she shot back.
They squeaked, and she could feel the heat coming off of their face.
“I am!”
Eda snorted.
“Keep telling yourself that, buster.”
“...you do look very pretty like this.”
She grinned.
“Ah hah! I knew it!”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me!” They groaned.
“I do. You looove me.”
“...I really, really do,” Raine mumbled, right into one of her hickeys, causing her to squirm a bit.
She curled her arms into her chest and Raine took her hands, playing idly with her fingers. It was a cute fascination of theirs, to compare the differences in scars and calluses between their hands and hers.
They traced the rough pads of her fingers, tapped against the length of her nails, before tracing down to run along the lines and seams of her palm.
Raine pressed a kiss to her palm before moving further down, past her wrist.
“You still have your feathers.”
She made a dismissive sound.
“Oh, yeah. I haven’t had the chance to shave ‘em off yet.”
They shook their head subtly.
“I think they’re cute.”
Raine cradled her wrist in their hand and thumbed at one of the pins sticking out of her arm until the keratin shell snapped and they could smooth out the resulting red plume to its fullest shape.
With deliberate gentleness, they continued this pattern on the next feather, and the next. Straightening the small red flecks that poked out of Eda’s skin and brushing away the keratin.
Even when the keratin was clear, they kept stroking the length of her arm, fingertips leaving a tingly trail in their wake.
“So soft,” they whispered.
Oh.
‘Matelovepreengoodsoftgentlematepreenmatelovelovelove-’
A decidedly animal noise escaped Eda’s throat.
Raine froze.
Embarrassment flooded her system.
They loosened their grip on her arm.
“Sorr-”
“Are you okay? Did that hurt?”
The genuine concern in their voice made her pause.
The mushy, squirmy feeling in her chest intensified.
She jolted forward and kissed them.
Raine made a surprised sound but let go of her arm to cup her jaw and return the gesture.
When they broke apart for air, her partner was beaming.
“ Very okay, then, I take it?”
“I have no idea what the fuck you just did to my brain, but yeah,” she panted. “Tha-that was…”
She kissed them again, nipping at their lips while gripping the collar of their stolen sweater tightly.
“S’good,” She settled for, breathing heavily.
They hummed.
“Good to know.”
There was something niggling in her head, urging her to ‘return the favor’, so she listened to it and dug her fingers into their hair, running through the fluffy pale locks.
Raine made an interested noise and leaned into her touch when she scratched at their scalp, and something like pride or contentment or a weird mix of the two
Something throaty rattled in her chest in cadence with her breath.
Raine giggled.
“Shush,” She muttered, flushing.
“Aww, but I like it when you purr,” They teased. “You’re so cute.”
“I could tear you to shreds in five seconds,” She grumbled, nipping at their ear to make a point.
Raine shivered, eyes dilating.
“Oh, I know.”
Amusement soothed her ire.
“Settle down there, Rainestorm. I am way too sore for another round right now.”
Raine sputtered, embarrassment flooding their face with red as they avoided making eye contact.
Eda couldn’t help it, she burst out into full, loud laughter.
“Edaaaa! Don’t tease!” They whined.
She laughed even harder.
Their ears trembled and they hid their face back in her chest.
“Stop iiit!”
“O-okay, okay.”
She relented and allowed her snorts to subside, whipping a stay tear from her face.
Even when she stopped shaking from the force of her laughter, Raine continued to hide their face.
She chuckled and nudged them.
“Rainey, I’m done, I promise.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Their pouty response was muffled against her skin.
She barely suppressed a giggle.
“ Rainestorm,” she cooed.
Their ears twitched up at the saccharine sweet tone she used to deliver the endearment but they remained stubborn.
“No.”
She smirked.
So that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?
Eda pressed a kiss to Raine’s hair, then their forehead, to the tip of their ear.
They shivered, but held firm.
Slowly, without taking her lips away from their sensitive ear, she dragged a hand down their side and gripped their waist.
She was rewarded with a tiny squeak.
Eda nipped their ear with her fang and lapped at the mark to sooth it.
“ Raine,” she murmured, rubbing circles into their hip.
Raine twitched, breath hitching.
“I thought you were sore.”
“Oh, I am,” she groaned, stretching her legs a little and wincing.
She bit her lip, considering.
This did feel nice, though.
Decent, even.
Good.
Her neck tingled and throbbed a bit from the fresh attention it had received this morning, and her legs were…mostly okay.
…
And Raine’s attention to her feathers had definitely done… something.
“But…” she spoke up hesitantly.
Green eyes peaked up at her.
Victory.
“But?”
Eda cleared her throat.
“...How gentle can you be?”
They grinned.