Kiss Prompts (thank you again!!!!)

      What had once been a few handmade books Kawa had crafted themself was now a collection big enough to occupy a large floor-to-ceiling shelf in their workspace. They were immensely proud of their work, largely documentation of field observations in the form of notes and illustrations. Not only was it an immense accomplishment as far as they were concerned, it was also an invaluable reference for the field guides they had been tasked with creating. They also had a few precious books from other nations, having been specially requested and delivered at great expense, on any subject pertaining to natural history that they could get their hands on. 

      It was here, standing at their beloved bookshelf, that Rigur found them, as he often did, when he dropped by after his own duties were finished for the day. Not wanting to startle them, he tapped on the doorframe to alert them of his presence. They had their nose in a heavy purple tome, lips pursed and brow furrowed in concentration, and barely stirred at the sound. “Come in,” they muttered.

      When he went to them and loosely wrapped his arms around their waist from behind, their attention shifted and brightened as though a little spark had gone off. Now they turned their head to smile at him. “Oh, it’s you! Hi!”

      He smiled back and kissed their cheek. “Hi. Don’t let me interrupt your reading - I just wanted to be close to you.”

      Kawa’s expression softened. They leaned back against him and nuzzled his jaw. “You’re so sweet. By all means, interrupt as much as you like. I’m trying to gather some information about this species, but apparently the author was a lot more focused on its potential uses in alchemy. I suspect that’s the reason why it’s so rare around here now. But it’s an important part of the ecosystem. Its loss would be devastating. But I can’t find any information about its breeding habits that might help us with choosing a few pairs for conservation.” They sighed. “Always a shame when nature is only regarded for its potential for consumption.”

      Rigur hummed in sympathy. “Jura Forest is lucky to have you, then.”

      They turned their head briefly to nuzzle him. “I’m doing my best.”

      “I know,” he said firmly, and gave them a squeeze. 

       He peered over their shoulder at the book they held. It was a wordy one, with one small illustration of a lizard in the corner. Hoping to offer them a sense of synergy, he asked, “Read to me?” 

      As intended, they seemed touched. Their voice was soft and adoring when they replied, “Okay.”

      Turning their attention back to the book, they began to read aloud as requested. Almost immediately Rigur could see why they welcomed the distraction he offered - the text was quite dry. Nevertheless, he listened, largely for the pleasantness of hearing their voice rather than out of interest for the topic. After a moment or two, he noticed something out of the ordinary. Kawa wasn’t wearing their swimsuit under their tunic like they usually did. This meant that their neck and collarbone were exposed. It was a rare glimpse that offered an opportunity he did not intend to miss. Turning his head slightly, he nuzzled his face into the crook of their neck to place a tender little kiss there. Immediately Kawa stiffened, and their voice stumbled and halted with a soft gasp. “Ah-…”

      Rigur lifted his head, trying to see their expression. “Was that okay?”

      Hiding their face in their book, Kawa mumbled, “Yes…yes. That was very okay.”

      The tips of their ears were bright red. “Oh, did I find a weakness?” Rigur teased them gently, giving them a little squeeze.

      “M-…Maybe…I-I mean, um, I just—…Yes.”

      They were so bashful that he debated for a moment whether he should press the matter. “Would you prefer it if I didn’t do that again?”

      “No, no,” they replied quickly. “I-I mean, um, you can if you want to. Um…please do.”

      Rigur needed no second bidding. Mindful as always of his fangs, he slowly trailed more kisses from the peak of their shoulder back to that “weak point” at the crook of their neck. This time they tilted their head away to give him more room. He felt the tension leave their body in a sigh. “When was the last time you took a break?” he mumbled into their skin. 

      “Um…” Kawa was quiet for a moment, thinking, then admitted, “I don’t remember.”

      “Too long, then,” Rigur told them.

      He worked a few more kisses up the side of their neck towards their jaw. Then he lifted his head and said decisively, “You know what you need? Some fresh air.”

      “The window has been open all day.” Their protest was half-hearted as they gestured at the window in question.

      Rigur shook his head. “That hardly counts. Come on.” He gave them a squeeze before releasing them and tugging gently at their arm. “Take a break from this, and let’s go do some field work instead.”

      Kawa laughed softly. “Do you mean you want to go for a walk together?”

      His eyes sparkled with his grin. “It counts as field work if you bring your sketchbook.”

      “You’re absolutely right,” they agreed. 

      With that, they set their book in its place on the shelf, laced their fingers in his, and let him lead them towards the door. Their sketchbook remained behind on the table where they’d left it. It would be some time before they missed it. For now, they could focus on some much-needed distraction.