Chapter Text
Thunder shook the wooden and stone walls of the tavern, keeping the members of Bell’s Hells from catching up on any sleep. Albeit, not many members were trying to sleep. With their sudden and emotional reunion—with not just Team Issylra meeting Team Wildmount, but also with one Dorian Storm—many members laid in comfortable warmth holding on dearly to friends they missed. Orym found himself surrounded in Dorian’s arms, cuddled up and more comfortable than he had been in years. Imogen breathed in Launda’s smell of sweet rot and cotton, barely containing her desire to snuggle further into her thin, gray shoulder. Ashton laid with their mountain of pillows on a cot by the window, soaking in the drone of rain on the window.
Off in another room, Fearne held Chetney down by his broad, wolven shoulders and sucked bruises onto Deanna’s neck. In an adjacent room, FRIDA and FCG drifted in stasis, connected by dreams and clasped metallic hands. Overall, a very pleasant night, despite the raging storm outside and the never-ending shine of the red moon.
Just as those actually laying down were about to fall asleep, the door to their room unlocked and in stepped a barely dressed Fearne, hair askew and the outer layers of her dress draped in her arms. Orym peeked his eyes open and watched her sway inside, footsteps loud on the wooden floor and a smile bright on her face. Fearne waltzed to Imogen and Laudna’s bed, kissing them both on the forehead before spinning around to Orym and Dorian.
“Oh! You’re still awake.” Fearne hummed as she met Orym’s eyes.
“I think we’re all still awake.” Orym said lowly, noting that Ashton hadn’t yet started to snore and Laudna’s breathing had yet to still.
“That’s not because of me is it?”
Dorian shifted against Orym’s back. “Weren’t you three upstairs?”
“Yes, but you never know how thin the walls can be.” She purred.
Ashton spoke up from their corner. “If I’d heard that old man fucking I would have told y’all to shut the fuck up.”
“Everyone else on the floor didn’t seem to mind it.”
Imogen and Dorian hummed in disapproval of gaining that knowledge, and Ashton said, “It’s probably the most action any of them are going to get.”
“Hm, maybe.” Fearne shrugged and proceeded to crawl over Orym and Dorian to her side of the bed, letting her clothes and hair drape over the two of them. Orym and Dorian pointedly ignored the new scratch marks and bites on Fearne’s pale skin. Meanwhile Ashton, Laudna and Imogen got an eyeful of the rest of Fearne’s curves.
She plopped down onto the bed and the rest of the crew thought that might be it, but when another clap of thunder shook the foundations, Fearne spoke up.
“I’m just too energized to sleep now. Do you guys want to do something fun?”
“Fun?” Laudna asked, “Like what kind of fun?”
“Oh something…” Fearne wiggled her shoulders and tail. “Something spicy, something fun! How come we never have fun as a group?”
There was about to be several responses to that question when Imogen asked, bordering on teasing and genuine,
“What? Like Seven Minutes in Heaven?”
“Oh no .” Ashton smiled like a cat catching a whiff of a mouse.
“Oh? What’s that?” Fearne propped he head up on Dorian’s shoulder, and Dorian too asked,
“Yeah, I’ve never heard of that.”
“Oh gods, sheltered children.” Ashton groaned and Laudna shushed him.
“It’s a pretty fun game! Well, I’ve never played it but I’ve heard it’s good.”
Imogen nodded, sitting up in bed. “It’s uh, well you usually play it after stealing some bottles-”
“Wait- you’ve played it before?” Ashton asked incredulously.
“I have! Once.” Imogen’s face turned red in the dim lantern light.
“Well, what do you do?” Fearne’s tail wagged even more.
“It’s…” Imogen started and turned away.
“You spin a bottle and then go into a closet for seven minutes. What you do in there is up to you and your partner.” Ashton finished.
“Oh… Oh …” Fearne’s smile grew devilish as Dorian turned purple underneath her.
“Whatever you want?” He asked.
“Yup. Whatever you want. Most people make out, or, at least that’s what the ‘heaven’ is supposed to be.”
“Oh that sounds like so much fun! Should I get more drinks?” Fearne reached over her boys and flicked the oil lamp so it burned a little brighter, lighting up more of the room. Everyone blinked at the light, but no one made a move to shut it off or turn Fearne down. They were all still awake anyway and the night's festivities and warmth made them fond of Fearne’s enthusiasm.
“I don’t think we need more drinks.” Imogen countered and flicked her hand over to their pile of belongings on the other wall. An empty bottle from the tavern below rose up and spun into Fearne’s hand.
“More drinks could make it more fun.” Fearne sung.
“Nah, the point is to remember what’s going on. Makes the morning after better.” Ashton countered.
“Hm.” Fearne hummed, getting out of bed and throwing the covers off of Dorian and Orym. “Well, I won’t regret anything.” She said and wiggled her hips.
“We know. ” Half the room replied.
Fearne giggled again before shuffling around the room, getting the space ready for their impromptu game.
Several eyes met each other around the room, cautious, curious, almost daring. Dorian shared a silent conversation with Orym, eyes glowing blue with curiosity and a question. Imogen mentally connected with Laudna to ask what she thought. Both conversations ended with an eyebrow raise and a shrug.
“Fuck it.” Ashton said and pushed himself into standing. He pulled on a jumpsuit up to his waist and helped Fearne rearrange the room.
“Alright.” Dorian sat up, ridding Orym of his weighted comfort. His hair fell down his shoulders, moving slightly in an invisible wind. “Are there anymore rules? You all know I love rules.”
“Uhh.” Ashton pushed the table out of the way before turning and pointing at Dorian. “Yeah, newbies go first.”
“I don’t think that’s an actual rule.”
“Is now, blue boy.”
“Blue boy…” Dorian whispered, his offense only met with a pat on his shoulder by Orym, and a sympathetic smile.
The rest of the Hells slipped out of bed, waking their limbs up and tampering their expectations for the rest of the night. Imogen caught herself peering into her friends' minds—no thanks to the fruity mixed drink Deanna bought her—but instead of shutting them out, her blush ran deeper and she left her circlet on the nightstand.
This was for fun after all.
They were adults, moreso, adults that had seen each other naked and quite literally frolicked in the woods together. What was a little kissing between friends?
So, pajama clad and a little more than warm under the metaphorical collar, they gathered in a circle on the wooden floor. Fearne opened the closet to their room up so that everyone could see just how much room they would have to work with— enough room to kneel in front of someone, certainly– and set the foreboding and promising glass bottle to center stage.
Thunder clapped overhead once again, and the rain only pelted harder against the little window.
“So, really,” Fearne smiled, “Who goes first?”