Losing & Pulling

Nadja had decided that The Guide was, in fact, hers. Not that she hadn’t known this before, but there was a certain satisfaction in claiming something outright—preferably with her hands, her mouth, and an unapologetically possessive glare for anyone foolish enough to look too long.

The problem was that Nadja had not anticipated just how difficult it would be to keep her hands to herself. Or her mouth. Or her fangs, honestly. The Guide had this infuriating habit of existing in a way that was… distracting . She was quiet, meticulous, and entirely too composed for Nadja’s liking, which only made Nadja more determined to disrupt that composure at every possible opportunity.

Which was why, on this particular evening, Nadja had The Guide pinned against a shadowed wall in the club’s back hallway, her fingers tangled in the dark fabric of The Guide’s robes, and her lips thoroughly occupied with ensuring The Guide forgot every single one of her responsibilities.

“Nadja,” The Guide whispered breathlessly, her hands braced against Nadja’s shoulders, though there was absolutely no effort to push her away. If anything, her grip was anchoring her. “We… we should get back to work.”

“We are working,” Nadja replied between kisses, her tone smug and unrepentant. “This is very important vampire business.”

The Guide huffed a laugh, the sound quickly swallowed by Nadja’s mouth. She melted into the kiss, her usual stoicism crumbling under Nadja’s relentless affection, her hands sliding from Nadja’s shoulders to her waist, pulling her closer.

And that’s when the door next to them creaked open.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” came Laszlo’s voice, dripping with amusement.

Nadja groaned, pulling back just enough to glare over her shoulder, though she made no move to actually step away from The Guide.

Laszlo stood there, leaning casually against the doorframe, sipping from a glass of blood-infused whiskey. “You know, there are private rooms for this sort of thing. Lovely velvet couches. Much more comfortable than… walls.”

“Go away, Laszlo,” Nadja snapped, refusing to release The Guide entirely.

The Guide, for her part, attempted to compose herself, though her flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips betrayed her. “We were just… discussing club matters.”

Laszlo raised an eyebrow. “Ah, yes. Very productive. Carry on then.”

Nadja made an aggressive hissing noise, which only caused Laszlo to chuckle as he sauntered off, entirely too pleased with himself.

Once he was gone, Nadja turned back to The Guide, her expression softening. “Now, where were we?”

The Guide opened her mouth to respond, probably with something reasonable, but Nadja didn’t give her the chance. She leaned in again, reclaiming her mouth with a kiss that left no room for argument.

They managed another blissful minute before the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall.

“Ssk sshh sskk skkk?” called one of the wraiths, oblivious to the scene they were about to walk into.

Nadja groaned against The Guide’s lips. “I am going to commit several murders.”

The Guide chuckled softly, gently pushing Nadja back just enough to straighten her robes. “Later.”

“Promise?” Nadja asked with a pout.

The Guide rolled her eyes fondly. “Yes.”

Later that evening, after dealing with the usual chaos of nightclub management (which involved exactly zero murders, much to Nadja’s disappointment), they found themselves alone in Nadja’s private lounge.

“No interruptions this time,” Nadja declared triumphantly, locking the door for good measure.

The Guide smiled softly. “You’re very determined.”

“Yes, and?”

They didn’t make it to the couch. Nadja had The Guide pressed against the door in seconds, her hands exploring with the kind of familiarity that came from knowing exactly where to touch to elicit those breathy little sounds she loved so much.

It was perfect.

Until the door rattled behind them.

“Nadja?” came Guillermo’s muffled voice from the other side. “Are you in there? I need to ask about the supply order…”

Nadja froze, her face contorted with rage as the fragile thread of the moment snapped. Her forehead dropped to The Guide’s shoulder with a guttural growl. “I am cursed.”

The Guide laughed quietly, her fingers threading through Nadja’s hair in a soothing gesture. “Perhaps we should go somewhere less… public.”

Nadja straightened abruptly, her eyes blazing with fury. She spun around and kicked a small, ornate side table across the room with supernatural force. It splintered against the wall, sending shards of wood flying like deadly confetti. A decorative lamp exploded in a burst of glass as her voice rose in a shriek that could curdle blood.

“GUILLERMO, IF YOU VALUE YOUR PATHETIC LITTLE LIFE, YOU WILL DISAPPEAR BEFORE I TURN YOU INTO A RUG AND SET IT ON FIRE!”

Silence fell on the other side of the door, punctuated only by the sound of rapid footsteps retreating down the hallway.

Breathing heavily, Nadja turned back to The Guide, who was valiantly attempting to suppress a smile but failed miserably, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.

“I hate him,” Nadja hissed, though her frustration was already fading under the warmth of The Guide’s amused gaze.

The Guide stepped closer, gently cupping Nadja’s face. “Do you, Mistress Nadja? Because I think you’re irresistible when you’re furious.”

Nadja’s scowl twitched, then softened into a reluctant grin. “You have terrible taste.”

“And yet, here I am,” The Guide murmured, leaning in until their foreheads touched.

Nadja let out an exaggerated sigh, though her arms wrapped around The Guide with fierce possessiveness. “Yes, well. Lucky for you, I’m easily distracted.”

She didn’t wait for a response, pulling The Guide back into her arms with renewed determination. This time, not even Guillermo could ruin it.

Or so she thought.

Just as Nadja leaned in, an ear-splitting wail echoed through the club—not an alarm, but the unmistakable sound of Baby Colin, one of the club's most eccentric performers, having a full-blown tantrum. The shriek was high-pitched and relentless, rattling the very bones of the building.

Nadja froze mid-kiss, her expression darkening as the noise drilled into her last shred of patience. Her eye twitched dangerously.

“SKATA!” Nadja’s voice boomed, shattering the lights in the room. 

“LASZLO IF YOU DON’T STOP THAT THING RIGHT NOW…!” she screeched, her voice somehow louder and more terrifying than Baby Colin’s cries.

She stormed out of the lounge like a hurricane in velvet, slamming the door so hard it nearly came off of its hinges.

The Guide followed at a safe distance, biting back a laugh.

For the rest of the evening, Nadja snapped at everyone in sight, her foul mood casting a shadow over the entire club. She broke three glasses, threatened a wraith bartender, and glared daggers at anyone who dared to smile. Baby Colin was swiftly soothed with promises of extra stage time and glitter, but the damage was done.

—

After the fourth attempt, Nadja had reached her limit. There were only so many times she could be dragged from the precipice of satisfaction before something inside her snapped. Not in the dramatic, violent way it usually did, but something quieter, deeper. A simmering frustration that had nothing to do with rage and everything to do with want .

She found The Guide in her chambers, a small, private sanctuary tucked away from the bustling chaos of the nightclub. The door was slightly ajar, warm candlelight spilling into the hall, casting flickering shadows along the stone walls. Nadja didn’t knock. She simply pushed the door open quietly, slipping inside with the grace of a shadow.

And froze.

The Guide stood with her back to the door, unaware of Nadja’s presence. She was in the middle of unfastening her dark robe, letting it slip from her shoulders with effortless grace. Beneath it, she wore a simple nightgown, soft fabric cascading over her form like moonlight captured in cloth. But it wasn’t the nightgown that made Nadja’s breath hitch.

It was her hands. Bare. No gloves to hide behind, just pale, slender fingers tracing idle patterns along the wooden edge of her vanity—delicate, exposed, and achingly beautiful.

Nadja felt rooted to the spot, her usual bravado slipping away in the face of something so disarmingly intimate. This was The Guide unguarded, stripped of formalities, leaving only herself in the quiet glow of her sanctuary.

The Guide turned slightly, her gaze catching Nadja’s staring at her back. She startled, her hands instinctively moving to pull her dressing robe back over her shoulders, but Nadja was across the room in an instant, her fingers gently catching The Guide’s wrists before she could hide.

“ Don’t, ” Nadja whispered, her voice softer than she intended, laced with something raw and unfamiliar. “ Please. ”

The Guide hesitated, her eyes searching Nadja’s face, looking for… what, exactly? Reassurance? Permission? Whatever it was, she seemed to find it because she slowly let her robe slip to the floor again, standing exposed to Nadja’s gaze.

Nadja exhaled shakily, her fingers brushing lightly over The Guide’s bare skin, tracing the elegant curve of her wrist with a reverence she couldn’t disguise. She’d imagined this moment before—what it would be like to see The Guide without the layers she wrapped herself in, both literal and metaphorical. Reality was infinitely more devastating.

“ You… you’re beautiful, ” she murmured, the words slipping out like a confession.

The Guide’s breath hitched, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned into the touch, her dark eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight, filled with something Nadja couldn’t name. Something fragile. Something fierce.

“What are you doing here, Nadja? It’s almost sunrise.”The Guide asked softly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Nadja swallowed, her thumb brushing over the delicate curve of The Guide’s cheek. “ Losing my mind, apparently. ”

The Guide stilled, her fingers slowly curling around Nadja’s wrist, not to pull away but to anchor herself. There was something sacred in the way she held on, as if Nadja’s presence was both the question and the answer.

Nadja didn’t want to let go. This… this was the most intimate thing The Guide had ever shown her—not the bare skin, not the absence of gloves, but the quiet vulnerability in her eyes. The trust. It was devastating, like being handed something fragile and priceless with the unspoken plea not to break it.

Her gaze drifted down, unable to resist the pull, to The Guide’s hands—pale, delicate, and startlingly human. Fingers slender and graceful, marked with faint lines and stories Nadja had never been told. She’d never seen them like this before, unshielded, raw in their simplicity. The absence of gloves made them seem almost sacred, as if they were not meant for anyone else's eyes. Nadja was mesmerized by the way they trembled slightly, the faint twitch betraying nerves The Guide would never voice.

Her fingers drifted up The Guide’s arms, trailing light touches over her shoulders, her collarbones, the elegant line of her neck. She wanted to memorize every detail, to map the constellations of her skin with reverence and hunger alike.

“Nadja,” The Guide breathed, the sound of a fragile thread pulling Nadja closer.

Their eyes met, dark and shining, filled with everything neither of them dared to say aloud. It was The Guide who moved first, tilting her head slightly, her hair cascading over her shoulder like liquid shadow. Nadja caught a glimpse of fangs peeking out behind parted lips, a sight that sent a shiver racing down her spine.

She kissed her.

It wasn’t like their previous kisses—hurried, desperate, stolen between moments of chaos. This was slow. Purposeful. A kiss meant to be felt in every corner of their beings, every breath, every heartbeat. The Guide’s lips were soft and warm, a contrast to the coolness of her bare skin beneath Nadja’s fingertips.

Nadja melted into it, her whole world narrowing to the soft press of The Guide’s mouth against hers. Her lips were so gentle that Nadja barely had to move, her tongue tracing slow patterns along The Guide’s teeth. The Guide let out a small hum, her hands finally uncurling to slide up Nadja’s arms and cup the back of her neck.

Nadja broke away, gasping for air (as if they needed to breathe). She leaned in again, kissing The Guide a second time. And then a third. Her fingers curled under the edges of The Guide’s nightgown, the fabric thin and silky under her hands.

“Tell me if this is okay,” she breathed, her lips grazing The Guide’s ear. “Tell me to stop, and I’ll stop.”

The Guide nodded, her fingers tightening against Nadja’s shoulders.

Nadja swallowed, her throat suddenly tight with want. “Good.” She inched The Guide’s robe up, her heart pounding with each new inch of skin she revealed.

“Very good,” The Guide agreed, her voice still barely a whisper. Her fingers slid down Nadja’s back, sending shivers racing down her spine. 

It was soft. So soft. The Guide’s skin was soft under Nadja’s fingertips, like she’d never been touched before. It was intoxicating, her scent filling Nadja’s head and making it hard to think, hard to do anything except press herself closer, wanting to drown in the feel of her.

“I want you to tell me again,” Nadja breathed, her lips tracing patterns along The Guide’s neck. “I want to hear you say it again.”

She didn’t know why. She only knew that it was important, that she needed to hear those words spill from The Guide’s lips.

“Yours,” The Guide whispered, her hands curling into Nadja. “I’m all yours.” She said it again and again, each word softer than the last until she wasn’t speaking at all, her mouth finding its way back to Nadja’s.

She wanted The Guide. All of her. All to herself.

She kissed The Guide like she was drowning, she kissed her until her lips were bruised. She kissed her like she wanted to swallow the words from her mouth, like she wanted to own every sound she made, every thought in her head.

The Guide’s fingers curled in her hair, her body arching up, trying to get closer. Even though they were undead, her mouth felt warm under Nadja’s lips. So warm, and it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.

Nadja gripped her hips, pulling her in tight. She wanted to fuck her, wanted to press her down into the lounge bed and take her hard and fast. She wanted to be rough and wild and possessive in a way that made The Guide shatter around her.

But she couldn’t.

The Guide was quickly overwhelmed. She’d only recently begun to trust Nadja, to let her see behind the mask. It was a gift. A rare and precious thing, something Nadja didn’t want to crush.

So she held herself back. She kept her teeth locked on a moan and her fingers gentle, her touch as soft as silk. She pressed The Guide down onto the lounge, kissing her and kissing her until The Guide’s hips were restless and her fingers curled around Nadja’s shoulders.

Nadja paused, ghosting her lips across The Guide’s cheek. “Are you—” she began, her voice thick and raspy. “Are you okay?”

The Guide nodded. “Yes. Yes, I’m fine.” Stuttering her words.

Nadja trailed her fingers down The Guide’s torso, her touch feather-light. “Tell me to stop,” she said. “Tell me, and I’ll—fuck,” she swore, her breath catching as The Guide’s legs curled around her waist. “You feel so good.”

The Guide shivered, her hands drifting down Nadja’s neck. “You feel—” she started, her words trailing off into a moan.

Nadja covered The Guide’s mouth with hers, kissing the words away. She kissed her and kissed her until the sounds were only in Nadja’s ears, until The Guide was lost in the feeling of her mouth against skin.

“Nadja, please,” The Guide gasped, her nails digging into Nadja’s shoulder, her hips moving restlessly.

Nadja kissed her, her movements slow and sensual. Her fingers skimmed down The Guide’s body, her hand brushing lightly between her legs. She pressed against her clit, rubbing it through the thin fabric of her nightgown, her touch light, gentle.

The Guide shuddered, her thighs clenching around Nadja.

“Look at me,” Nadja murmured against her neck.

The Guide blinked up at her, her eyes wide and dark.

“I like this,” Nadja said. “I like you here, under me, with your hair all over. I like you like this.” She rocked her hips against The Guide, the friction of their bodies together making Nadja shiver.

The Guide moaned, sliding her hands down Nadja’s body. She gripped Nadja’s thighs, her nails biting into skin.

“You’re mine,” Nadja said, her voice rasping. “And I want to devour you.”

She pressed harder, grinding against The Guide with a desperate kind of want, wanting to feel her against her own cunt, wanting to press into her wetness. She kissed The Guide’s neck, her lips marking The Guide’s skin, wanting to leave a bruise there like the one she had in her chest.

The Guide shook beneath her, moaning Nadja’s name.

Na-Nadja—” The Guide stammered, her hips bucking wildly.

Nadja sucked in a deep breath, holding herself still. 

The Guide blinked up, her eyes shining.

“You’re sensitive,” Nadja realized, her voice laced with wonder. “You haven’t—fuck, you’re so sensitive.”

The Guide swallowed, her fingers trembling against Nadja’s hip. “It’s—it’s too much.”

Nadja stilled. “Too much,” she repeated. 

The Guide squirmed against her, her movements restless.

“You want more?” Nadja asked, her breath hitching.

The Guide nodded.

“Okay, baby.” She pulled The Guide’s nightgown up and over her head, casting it aside like the unnecessary garment it was. Her gaze trailed over The Guide’s naked body, her breasts high and flushed, her nipples pink. Nadja wanted to lick them. To put them in her mouth and bite them until The Guide screamed.

She touched The Guide’s sex and foundher wet.

The Guide writhed against her, her head tilting back. “Mistress Nadja.”

Nadja shivered. “Say it again.”

“Mistress N-Nadja,” The Guide whimpered.

Nadja buried her face against The Guide’s neck, inhaling the scent of her, the taste of her skin filling her mouth. 

“I want—I want you,” The Guide gasped. “Please. I want you.”

“Fuck. I’m so—” She licked her lips. “I want—”

“Tell me,” Nadja demanded, her voice harsh. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want you inside me,” The Guide whined, her hips rolling up in a desperate bid for friction. Her hand faltered against her sex like she wasn’t sure how to make herself come, like she didn’t know her own body, her own skin.

Nadja took The Guide’s hand in hers, her grip tightening around The Guide’s wrist. “You don’t need to beg me.” She pulled The Guide to her mouth, lapping at her fingers and then her palm.

The Guide gasped, her head tipping back. “N-Nadj..ah.. ” She shivered and shook in Nadja’s hands, her skin hot and slick with sweat.

 “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Her fingers curled around Nadja’s top, her nails digging in hard enough to cut skin.

Nadja smiled, her teeth sharp and hungry. “Look at me.” She repeated the command until The Guide’s gaze was fixed on her.

The Guide whimpered, her whole body trembling. “You’re mine,” she whispered, her words a quiet declaration.

 “I’m—” Her breath caught. “I’m yours.”

Nadja’s heart caught, her undead blood pounding in her veins. She caught The Guide’s mouth in a kiss, her lips hungry, her tongue wet and wanting. She ate The Guide’s words whole, swallowing them down until they were deep inside her.

The Guide rocked up against her, the friction sending a wave of pleasure through Nadja.

“I’m going to make you come.” Nadja slid down The Guide’s body until she was hovering above her. She wanted to put her mouth there, wanted to taste The Guide on her tongue, to feel the warmth of her cunt against her lips.

She slipped her fingers between The Guide’s legs, pressing against the wetness that awaited her. The Guide was already soaked, her arousal dripping down her legs, her clit swollen and flushed.

“Mhmmm–” Nadja kissed the inside of The Guide’s thigh, her eyes fixed on the sight before her. She’d never seen anything more beautiful—The Guide spread out for her, bare and open like a flower.

The Guide moaned, rolling her hips up against Nadja’s mouth. “N-Nadja, please. Please. ”

Nadja pressed her face into The Guide, her tongue parting her folds. She licked into her like she wanted The Guide to feel it in every corner of her body, like she wanted The Guide to shatter.

The Guide trembled, her thighs clenching against Nadja’s shoulders. Her fingers caught Nadja’s hair, the strands wrapping tight around her wrist.

Nadja groaned and then licked in deeper, her tongue lapping around The Guide’s clit. She sucked it into her mouth, pulling and tugging at it until The Guide cried out, her back arching. Her thighs tensed, her legs trying to close around Nadja’s head.

Nadja pushed them wider, licking and sucking at The Guide until she felt her come against her mouth. The Guide shuddered and cried out, clenching around Nadja’s fingers.

She kept licking, her tongue dragging wet patterns across The Guide’s flesh until she couldn’t move any longer. Nadja slowed and then stopped, kissing the inside of The Guide’s thighs and the curve of her hip.

The Guide’s eyes were closed, her chest rising and falling in ragged breaths.

“You’re—fuck, you taste good.” Nadja licked her fingers, her tongue slipping up and down her own skin.

“I’m not done yet darling.” She slid her fingers into The Guide again, her teeth catching on a smile.

 “N-Nadja, I can’t—I can’t do it again. I can’t.” The Guide shook her head, her eyes finally flickering open.

Nadja licked The Guide's esssence off of her lips. “Yes, you can.”

She curled her fingers inside The Guide, finding the spot that made her shake and shiver. “You can, baby.”

She wanted to feel The Guide come apart beneath her again. To make her writhe and twist with pleasure until she didn’t know if she was alive or dead.

The Guide whimpered and then cried out, her hips thrusting up against Nadja’s hand.

 “That’s it baby.” Nadja fucked into The Guide harder, her fingers curling and uncurling inside her, pushing The Guide towards the edge. “Come for me again,” she murmured, her lips brushing against The Guide’s hip.

 “Come on, baby. I want to feel you come around my fingers.” She wanted to get The Guide off, wanted to make her lose her mind.

 The Guide gasped, bucking hard against Nadja, sucking and clenching around Nadja’s hand. “Fuck, I’m coming!”

Nadja fucked her through the orgasm, her fingers never slowing, never stopping until The Guide collapsed against her, her thighs trembling around her neck.

Nadja caught The Guide around the waist, holding her tight. She kissed the curve of her neck, wanting to stay inside The Guide forever. Wanting to keep her trapped beneath her.

 “That’s my good girl.” She licked at The Guide’s sweat, her teeth biting into her neck. “That’s my very good girl.”

She kissed The Guide, her mouth soft, her tongue gentle. The Guide was boneless against her.

“Nadja,” The Guide said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I...”

The Guide sighed, her chest rising and falling with the sound. “I...” she said again, her voice trailing off into a long, shaky breath. “Nadja.”

The Guide reached up, her hand curling under Nadja’s jaw and tilting her face up. “I... I want to touch you,” she said, her eyes dark and wild. “I want—want to touch you.”

Nadja stared at her, the air caught in her throat. “Oh,” she said. 

“Oh.” She pushed herself up over The Guide again, pressing their mouths together in a soft, soft kiss.

 “Fuck,” she swore. “You have no idea how much that turns me on.”

The Guide smiled, her fangs gleaming sharp. “I know.”

Nadja nodded, her heart still thundering in her chest. She wanted The Guide’s hands on her. Wanted her to touch and caress, to explore her body as if Nadja were a wonder of the world.

With a flick of the Guide’s wrist, her clothes were instantly disintegrated into tiny pieces. Nadja gasped, that took her by surprise; she didn't know the Guide could do that.

She pushed herself up again, straddling The Guide’s hip. The Guide’s fingers were so gentle as they cupped Nadja’s breasts, her thumbs tracing slow patterns over Nadja’s nipples.

Nadja gasped, her hips rocking down as her eyes fluttered closed. “Fuck.”

The Guide kissed her again, her hands sliding down Nadja’s sides to cup her ass. Nadja shivered, the feeling of The Guide’s touch making her skin prickle with heat.

“I want you to fuck me,” she mumbled against The Guide’s mouth.

The Guide pushed her back, her fingers trailing over Nadja’s skin as she moved down Nadja’s body. Nadja watched her, her eyes burning with the heat of her gaze as The Guide settled between her thighs. She cupped Nadja’s sex in her palm, her thumb sliding over Nadja’s clit. Her hands felt practiced and precise. 

Nadja moaned, the sound ripping free before she could muffle it. She didn’t ever want The Guide to stop.

The Guide didn’t stop. She pressed her mouth against Nadja’s, the taste of her own arousal still on her lips. She sucked Nadja’s clit into her mouth, and Nadja gasped, her head falling back as her hips rocked up, pressing herself harder into The Guide’s mouth.

The Guide licked her slowly, the movements of her tongue teasing and soft. Nadja felt like she was melting, felt like the pleasure was going to consume her completely. She wanted it to, wanted it to take her away until she was nothing but feeling and sound and skin. She wanted it to be only her and The Guide in the entire universe. Only them.

The Guide pressed two fingers inside, and Nadja cried out, the feeling making her entire body shudder with pleasure. Her fingers knuckle deep inside her—The Guide fucked her slowly, her tongue working Nadja’s clit in teasing strokes as her fingers pressed in and out.

Nadja clenched around her fingers, her walls fluttering  as her orgasm hit. The Guide ate her through it, her mouth never leaving Nadja’s skin. She licked and sucked and kissed until Nadja came again, harder, the force of it making her bones shake, lights flickering around them.

The Guide didn’t stop, fucking Nadja through her orgasm and then bringing her back up again, adding another finger. 

“Ohh, étsi gamiména kalá,” Nadja gasped.

The Guide obliged, pressing her fingers inside Nadja as her tongue swirled around her clit. Nadja came again, this time harder, the feeling stronger than it had been in a long time. The Guide kept going, her fingers working until Nadja was shuddering with pleasure, her legs clenching around The Guide’s head. Nadja being careful enough not to crush her.

Nadja let out a broken moan, the sound echoing through the room as The Guide licked her into another orgasm. She felt her stomach clench, felt the feeling ripple out from her core and explode in a wave of wet heat.

“Eísai polý kalí, agápi mou…” She felt like she was going to pass out, felt like her whole body was going to shake apart under the force of it.

“Fuck.” She let out another moan as The Guide licked away the last drops of her arousal.

She collapsed onto the lounge, her body boneless. She was so sated, so warm even in her undead body and relaxed under the weight of The Guide’s kisses. She felt alive, her blood thundering through her veins.

Nadja blinked up at the dark ceiling, her chest rising and falling unnecessarily, as if her undead body was trying to remember how to breathe. The cool air of the club brushed over her heated skin, a stark contrast to the lingering warmth The Guide had left in her wake.

She felt fingers trailing along her thigh, feather-light, tracing idle patterns that made her shiver in a way entirely different from the frenzy just moments before. Nadja tilted her head slightly, lazily, to find The Guide nestled beside her, eyes dark with something softer than hunger, something more dangerous—affection.

“You…” Nadja's voice was husky, raw from moans she hadn't bothered to stifle. “You’re rather good at that.”

The Guide smiled, just the faintest curve of her lips, her fangs poking out, and pressed a gentle kiss to Nadja's hipbone. 

“Thank you, Mistress.”

Something warm and foreign bloomed in Nadja's chest at the title, spoken with such reverence yet devoid of its usual teasing lilt. She reached out, threading her fingers through The Guide’s blonde hair, pulling her up until they were face to face. No playful smirk, no sarcastic quip came to her lips—just a breathless, “Stay here.”

The Guide settled beside her without question, an arm slipping around Nadja's waist, fingertips brushing the bare skin just above her hip. Nadja was used to passion, to heat and fervor, but this… this was different. It was quiet, grounding. She found herself nuzzling into the crook of The Guide’s neck, pressing a kiss to the cool skin there.

“Is this alright?” The Guide's voice was barely above a whisper, as if afraid to shatter the fragile intimacy between them.

“It’s more than alright,” Nadja murmured, her hand resting over The Guide’s heart, feeling nothing but somehow everything all at once. “I didn’t know it could feel like this.”

The Guide tightened her hold slightly, her thumb drawing slow, soothing circles against Nadja's skin. They lay there in silence, not the awkward kind, but the kind filled with unspoken words.

After a few moments, The Guide gently shifted, reaching for a soft blanket draped over the back of the lounge. She carefully tucked it around Nadja, her movements tender and precise. Nadja arched a brow, amused yet touched but they were naked and they needed to cover up they wouldn't want the wraiths seeing them.

“What are you doing?” she asked with a small, lazy smile.

“Making sure you’re comfortable,” The Guide replied softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from Nadja's face. She conjured using the ether—a cool, damp cloth from a nearby table, gently dabbing at Nadja's flushed skin, her touch reverent and careful.

Nadja hummed in contentment, the coolness a stark contrast to the heat still simmering under her skin. “You’re very thorough,” she teased, though her voice held genuine warmth.

The Guide chuckled softly, setting the cloth aside and pressing a tender kiss to Nadja’s forehead. “You deserve to be taken care of and you can’t fly home anymore. I don’t want you to get all grumpy on me now.”

She felt a cabinet open and saw a vial with blood in it, putting it on Nadja’s lips “Drink, you need it.” 

“You are awfully romantic, did you know that? Nadja quipped. 

“Mhmmm” The Guide mused. 

Nadja sighed, her eyes fluttering closed. For the first time in centuries, she didn’t feel the itch to move, to conquer, to chase. She just felt… held. And she liked it more than she cared to admit.

Nadja smiled, small and genuine, finding The Guide’s hand with hers once more. Their fingers intertwined, and for once, she let herself simply be.