Work Text:
The copper latch pushing into the door sealed away the rowdy sounds of the pub below. Silence fell on the musty bedroom. The two women inside took a moment to breathe. It had been a long journey to this town. The peace was soon interrupted before thoughts could come to the merchant however. As was her usual hobby, Holo decided it would be best to stop her from having a chance to think. “My my,” she sang “I must say I’m surprised, to jump to my defence so quickly, a poor girl would think you’re defensive.” Laura rolled her eyes. She felt almost offended by the accusation. Probably because she agreed with it. “It would have looked worse if I said nothing.” A reasonable argument, she thought. As she turned to finally face her companion, the drooping of fluffy ears were quickly matched by the feeling in her stomach.
“Is that all it is? Defending a nun from harassment?” Her voice may have been wilted and weak, but the words were poisonous barbs that struck Laura. She knew Holo well enough by now to know she was probably just teasing. It didn’t make it less painful. She had long since practiced her ability to keep a cool face, though: it was too valuable a skill for a merchant to not have at their disposal. “But you’re not a nun. Just because they think you are doesn’t change the fact the one I’m defending is you.”
A fanged smirk grew across the room. “Well aren’t you getting better at that? But are you saying you wouldn’t defend a nun from a drunkard like you did me?”
“Haven’t met a nun who’s making me money yet.”
The smirk fell into a clenched pout. Laura quickly stammered to recover. “W-what I mean to say is, you’re special to me.”
“Because I make you money.” Holo completed the sentence, regardless of authorial intent.
Now it was the turn of Kraft Laura to pout. This game they played was fun, it was a little jab that kept her on her toes. The problem arose in that she couldn’t always try to win her conversations; especially if it was Holo. Holo was far better at it than she’d ever hope to be. Her eyes drifted away, unable to meet the accusation made against her. There was a small truth to it somewhere, but it wasn’t like making money was all she cared about. Holo had proven that many times over. She wasn’t a business to her, but at this point… “I’ve sold a lot of things in my cart.” She finally spoke up, looking back up to meet the eyes of the wise wolf. “Wheat, pelts, metals, spices, you name it. But I didn’t sell them because they were in there. I sold them because they were worth good money.”
Holo leaned forward, eyes half lidded. She seemed to be enjoying listening to this metaphor, obvious as it may have been, if her tail was anything to go by. It swung idly from left leg to right as she watched Laura’s face closely. She continued. “I found you in my cart. Honestly, I probably could have handed you over to the church for some kind of reward…” A glare. “But it never occurred to me to even consider it.” A raised brow. “You’re not some product in my cart, Holo. You’re something far more valuable than silver could ever hope to be.”
“Even if there were 100 of them?” She jabbed, arms folding over her chest. Lauras tone shot from the quiet mumblings into a sudden shout. “If I ever once even thought about you not being here I’d have never said yes to that and you know it!”
Holo startled back, eyes going wide as she shifted her weight backwards. Laura suddenly relaxed her shoulders, shortening by about two inches as her posture softened. “Sorry,” she began, placing her hand over her face. “I… I was just scared back then.” she confessed. “Just then?” Holo forced her words in the moment she saw an opening. With a slow, meandering sigh, Laura responded “No… I’ve been scared a lot while I’ve been with you.”
A pause hung over the room. Holo retreated into herself to consider her next action just long enough for Laura to continue. “Usually when you were gone.”
The weight of the air pushed down on the women. It felt consuming, obnoxious in its presence. Holo shifted herself from left to right. Laura stood, still as a statue, caught like a sheep in the eyes of a pack. There was only one wolf, and she felt so surrounded by her. She could feel the pain of the cold every time she wasn’t close. Holo was warm. Dangerous, arguably, but most warriors tended to feel safest sleeping near a spear. But was that what she was? A spear? A weapon? A threat? Far from it, she knew that if it were possible, Holo would never dare hurt her. She wasn’t as mindless as a weapon. She wasn’t as instinctual as an animal, even. Wise truly was a good moniker for her. Laura’s eyes found the woman before her once again. The light of the moon shining behind her gave the wolf a glowing outline. She was literally glowing before her.
The weight of the room shattered. Holo took a step forward, placing one hand on Laura’s. She all but jumped out of her skin to respond to the touch. Holo looked forward, eyes soft, fangs concealed as she offered warmth with her smile. Finally she spoke. “Ten out of ten.” finally, she leaned forward to place her lips against Laura’s. The soft comfort radiated through the merchants entire body. Her attempt at breath hitched, her eyes widening for a single moment. The ice of the outside world melted. She pushed back, hands nervously shuffling. She wanted to hold her, but she feared that even now she did not want to overstep their relationship. She accepted she wouldn’t get all she wanted right this moment, instead taking joy in what was given to her by Holo. She felt a smile against her lips. She felt fingers raise up to her cheek, those gracious digits praising her for the tastes she’d been given. Finally, their mouths would part as Holo pulled just back.
The tiny space between them felt like a chasm. One collected, self assured. The other barely able to realise how much she’d just enjoyed the bridge they’d just shared. Her hand was still on her face. Brown pools obscured the truths beneath those eyes, instead showing only how the pupils had dilated. Not being able to see the moon did not matter when a sight this beautiful took up Laura’s vision.
Holo gently placed a hand on Laura’s wrist, looking down just a moment to guide her to the waist. They both looked up at the same time. It was like making eye contact for the first time ever all over again. “If a girl kisses you,” Holo whispered, “then she will usually welcome your hand at her side.”
The merchant nodded. She leaned forward first this time, seeking once again that same warmth, but the chasm merely grew wider as Holo pulled back. A mischievous allure to her gaze. “Now now, I can’t have you getting all worked up just yet.” She warned. “You swore to show me an excellent bakery tomorrow morning for breakfast.”
Laura cursed her former self. She pursed a lip as she thought. “Well we are in town for a few days.” she began, spare hand reaching for Holo’s shoulder. “We could always do that the day after tomorrow. In turn I could get up early and fix you a breakfast in bed?”
Negotiating was a skill that Laura thought she’d become quite adept at in her years of trade. But there was always a wilier fox, always a wiser wolf. “Attempting to buy a woman’s hand in bed?” She quipped. Laura simply shook her head. “If anything I’d be selling my hand.” The wolf smirked at that. “Then the other hand had better be prepared to make me some more of that porridge. With some meat.” Laura felt one of more typical weary sighs, but her smile and relaxed shoulders made it seem more exasperated than anything. “As you wish.” she relented.
Always a craftier merchant.