Colored digital sketch of Holle, a small masc xaela au ra with dark blue skin and mottled scales, halfway to climbing into the lap of Haurchefant, who is leaning back in a red chair with his legs spread wide and a beaming grin on his face. His white button-up shirt is partially undone, and Holle is pulling at his tie, about to go in for a little bite.
A little nibble, from @clefari.bsky.social
| #hollekha | #haurchefant |
FFXIV gpose of a slender male xaela au ra with dark blue skin and marbled scales, wearing a draped black bottom, posing on a ledge in the pool in Empyreum
low effort "I need to look at my WoL" for the day
| #hollekha |
FFXIV gpose of Aymeric sitting below Holle, a xaela au ra with dark blue skin and marbled scales, who is perched on the edge of a bath. His skin is damp, and he is cupping Aymeric's chin in one hand. Aymeric has one arm around him, hand at his waist, while the other is near his knee.
AO3 screenshot you can coax the cold right out of my by meepfeather Final Fantasy XIV; 05 Feb 2026 No Archive Warnings Apply, Aymeric de Borel/Warrior of Light, Aymeric de Borel, Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Au Ra Xaela Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Red Mage Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Male Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Touch-Starved, Chronic Illness, Scale Care, Bathing/Washing After interrupting his new lover's after-bath routine, Aymeric gets a hands-on lesson in just how much time and effort Holle puts into caring for his scales.
💙you can coax the cold right out of me
Scalecare • 2.3k
WoL/Aymeric
🔗 archiveofourown.org/works/78973321
| #hollekha | #aymeric |
FFXIV gpose of Aymeric sitting below Holle, a xaela au ra with dark blue skin and marbled scales, who is perched on the edge of a bath. His skin is damp, and he is cupping Aymeric's chin in one hand. Aymeric has one arm around him, hand at his waist, while the other is near his knee.
Same as the prior shot, just zoomed out a little farther.
A close-up of Aymeric's face, showing him gazing adoringly up at Holle.
gpose of a slender male xaela au ra, Holle, with dark blue skin and marbled scales, posed in front of a blue and gold window and blue flowers; he is wearing tight ivory-lace pants and a crop top with slightly billowy sleeves, and is looking back and down at the viewer, he is tail curled
I can't make you love me, but I'll try.
| #hollekha |
gpose of a slender male xaela au ra, Holle, with dark blue skin and marbled scales, in front of many glowing flowers (most of them red or blue); he wears a cropped lace jacket and black fingerless gloves, and is reaching down towards the viewer
Words have nothing to say.
| #hollekha |
In sorting through my snippets yesterday, I decided I that do in fact like this version of this fill better.
| #hollekha |
No sooner had they all run than Holle let himself fall, the world spinning as he sagged to the ground. He couldn’t stay here, he should move, it wasn’t safe - but it was all he could do to drag in desperate gasps for air, to stem the pain and the panic that burned in his veins and blacked out his vision. If any of them came back, he was as good as dead. He knew it, and still he could do nothing but gasp and shake, helpless in the wake of the adrenaline. The shock. It was far from the first time he’d fought for his life, but this was different. His hand shook violently as he pressed it to where Wilred’s blade had pierced his shoulder. It had meant nothing to him, to hurt him; Holle had just been an enemy, an obstacle, nothing more. He remembered the day he’d arrived in Little Ala Mhigo. Remembered being cornered by the other children: outsider, stranger, unknown and different. How Wilred had intervened, declaring him one of them - wasn’t his father Ala Mhigan, after all? And wouldn’t X’rhun be disappointed in them all, to see how they treated his son? No, Holle belonged. Wilred had declared it so. From that day on, they'd been inseparable. And no one had been surprised when that childhood friendship had turned to something more, into sneaking off at all hours, the devotion and obsession of first love.
But just as he had once given it, Wilred had now revoked that belonging. Declared him traitor. Anything, everything they had ever been was ripped away. There had been only hatred in Wilred’s eyes, blame and burning anger. He hadn’t hesitated, not even for the barest of moments. He had wanted to hurt him. He had wanted him dead. And his refusal to die was just one more betrayal. One more reason to hate him. What had happened? When had it all gone so wrong? He’d been angry with him for leaving, but this? This was something deeper, something rotten, that couldn’t be Wilred. Or could it? Had he truly caused this? Was Wilred right, and he’d abandoned them, abandoned them all, and deserved this? Between ragged sobs, Holle tried to force himself to focus, to rein in his racing heart and get himself together. He needed to heal himself, to the extent that he could. Stop the bleeding, get cleaned up, bandage it, hide it. Take all of this, all the pain and confusion, and bury it. He couldn’t go home like this. Couldn’t let his mother see. Couldn’t let anyone see.
He couldn’t go home like this. He couldn’t go home. It wasn’t his anymore. He didn’t belong. He never had.
Finally cleaned up this snippet of Holle immediately after the fight with Wilred in ARR.
| #hollekha |
Holle, a slender male xaela au ra with dark blue skin, marbled scales, and white hair, posed leaning against a black and purple air-wheeler from Solution 9; a couple of vending machines glow in the background.
a sketchpage commission of Holle, a male xaela au ra, doing some impressively flexible stretches before his morning workout
biiiiiiiig stretch, from @clefari.bsky.social 💕
| #hollekha |
Unsure what to expect, whether his new roommate was an early riser or a late one, Hien carefully cracked open his door and was relieved when the hinges didn’t creak. He shuffled out - barefoot but otherwise fully dressed - only to stop just halfway out the door. Holle, it seemed, was indeed an early riser: he was not only up and awake, but had pushed aside the sofa to make space for himself. Space he was currently using to do a handstand, back arched and one leg curled so that his foot nearly touched his head. Hien had no doubt that the former gymnast could do exactly that, if he wanted to. As it was, he held that pose for several seconds more before carefully straightening his body, then shifting his weight to just one hand, legs skewed in a way that would allow him to better maintain his balance. He made it look easy. There was no denying - particularly in his current outfit - that the slender fencer was built for it, all long limbs and lean muscle, but Hien knew the practice, discipline, and control it took to hold poses like that, the deceptive amount of strength required. The ease with which he did it was proof of years of practice, a daily routine rarely if ever missed.
Hien couldn’t help but admire it - purely from a fitness standpoint, of course. He was very definitely not appreciating the way the morning sun played on the xaela’s unique scales, or how well his lycra shorts hugged his ass. Nope. Not at all. Whatever he was or wasn’t admiring, he was broken out of it by the quick snap of movement that was Holle bouncing out of his handstand in a little flip that had him right back on his feet. No wonder he’d moved the furniture. Aware that he was gawking and very much needed to stop, Hien cleared his throat as he finally stepped the rest of the way out of his room and shut the door behind him. “Good morning.” Holle’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with surprise as he met Hien’s, then quickly looked away. “Oh. Hey. Sorry, I- I hope you don’t mind.” He pushed a hand through his hair and kicked the ball of his foot against the floor, tail flicking. “There’s more space out here.”
“Hey, it’s your space,” Hien assured him. “Nothing I’m not used to seeing, anyway.” Although maybe in this instance it might be better if he could unsee it, because Holle really was disarmingly attractive. And cute when he was embarrassed. Fuck. “Right.” It was Holle’s turn to clear his throat as he rubbed at his upper arm. Desperate to save them both from the deepening mire of awkwardness, Hien asked, “So, ah, have you eaten yet?” “Mm,” was the answer, clarified by a small shake of his head. “I know you’ve got your drinks, but do you want to go get coffee or something?” He would have offered to make breakfast, but that would have to wait until he’d had a chance to go grocery shopping. “Oh, um, sure? There’s a place a couple blocks over, I’ll just- Gimme a few minutes?” “Of course, take your time.” No sooner had he said it than Holle had disappeared into his own room, leaving Hien to stare at the patch of sunlight he left empty behind him.
Fluffvember Day 27: Routine
Modern AU, Hien realizes he may be In Trouble.
| #hollekha | #hienrijin | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
He woke to being set down on a feather-soft bed, and when Aymeric straightened to move away, Holle reached for him instinctively. “I’m still here,” he assured him, cupping his cheek for a moment. “I just need to take your boots off, that’s all.” Once Holle had mrr’d his acceptance of this necessity, he proceeded to do exactly that. Under ordinary circumstances, this was not a task he would have needed help with, and had he not been so godsdamned tired, he probably would have protested and at least tried to do it himself. But he didn’t have even that in him. By the time Aymeric had finished, Holle had nearly dozed off again, and was only stirred by a gentle hand against his horn. “Do you want to sleep? Or would you like a proper bath? I think your scales could do with some oil, but it can wait for tomorrow, if you’d rather.” A bath sounded…wonderful, once he managed to process the thought. Like something that might help him feel like an actual person again. “Mm,” he answered, willing his body to sit up in spite of the pervasive exhaustion and the countless aches that all blended into. “If it’s not too much trouble?”
“Never.” Aymeric pressed a kiss against his forehead and gently scooped him into his arms again before he could make any further efforts to get up. “I can walk,” he mumbled, though even he was unconvinced. “That may be,” Aymeric allowed, “But you should save your strength. You’ve had a long day.” It wasn’t like he’d done anything. Dozed. Been visited by his parents. Dozed off again. Eaten something, because someone had insisted. Fallen asleep. But for his first full day awake (more or less) in the weeks since he’d nearly died, that was apparently enough. Aymeric set him on the edge of the tub to tug off his loose clothes, and Holle grumbled, though wasn’t sure whether he said he could do it himself or just thought it. Either way, the sentiment was clear enough.
“Let me take care of you, Holle.” Aymeric cupped Holle’s face in his hands, thumbs brushing over his cheeks. “Please?” There was a pain and a pleading there that Holle couldn’t say no to; though he hated needing help, hated the thought of being an imposition, but the look in Aymeric’s eyes made it clear that he needed to do this. And he had been doing this. For six weeks, while he’d waited for Holle to wake, not knowing if he would wake, he’d been taking care of him. Holle leaned into him with a sigh, and nodded. For that, he received another kiss to his brow. “Thank you.”
Fluffvember Day 26: Wounded
Post-EW, Aymeric just wants to take care of a lizard.
| #hollekha | #aymeric | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
“You know, I was starting to get used to having you to myself all the time,” Haurchefant mused, nipping very lightly at his throat. “Yeah?” Holle, who sat straddling the elezen’s lap in the small room they’d been given, nuzzled his nose against his partner’s while his tail flicked and curled behind him. He’d been perfectly happy with their cuddling, but somewhere along the line it had turned to kissing, and now here they were. He had no complaints. “Mm. Nothing against our companions and their esteemed company, of course, but…” Knowing your friends were in a tent just a few fulms away could be a bit of an obstacle. And the prospect of sneaking away and getting caught was equally unappealing. (For Holle, at least. He was fairly certain those were the opposite of obstacles for Haurchefant, but he respected that Holle was rather more…private.) So with the Feat of Repast complete and a place with more than fabric for walls to sleep in, this was not at all a surprising turn of events.
A chuckle followed, and a husky, “Is that a yes?” This was important. Haurchefant was asking for permission to push him, to play with him, because like many au ra, his refractory period was so short as to be almost nonexistent, and that drove Haurchefant wild; but Holle was also easily overstimulated, and couldn’t always tolerate it. But tonight… Holle rocked against his lover, grinding their clothed bodies against each other. “Yeah,” he answered, kissing along his jaw and to the underside of one long ear. “Yeah. Please.” Haurchefant’s grip on him tightened further, and Holle took the tip of his ear between his teeth. The telltale creak of door hinges froze his blood, and he shut his eyes, unable to turn to look. There were really no good options here. His sister. The twins. Koana. Thancred, who would never let him live it down. X’rhun cleared his throat. “Dinner’s ready.” The undertone of held-back amusement was easy to hear. “If you want some. Later.”
A chuckle followed, and a husky, “Is that a yes?” This was important. Haurchefant was asking for permission to push him, to play with him, because like many au ra, his refractory period was so short as to be almost nonexistent, and that drove Haurchefant wild; but Holle was also easily overstimulated, and couldn’t always tolerate it. But tonight… Holle rocked against his lover, grinding their clothed bodies against each other. “Yeah,” he answered, kissing along his jaw and to the underside of one long ear. “Yeah. Please.” Haurchefant’s grip on him tightened further, and Holle took the tip of his ear between his teeth. The telltale creak of door hinges froze his blood, and he shut his eyes, unable to turn to look. There were really no good options here. His sister. The twins. Koana. Thancred, who would never let him live it down. X’rhun cleared his throat. “Dinner’s ready.” The undertone of held-back amusement was easy to hear. “If you want some. Later.”
And then he was gone, leaving Holle to sag forward into Haurchefant and bury his face against his shoulder while his cheeks burned and his tail lashed. That had not just happened. Please let that not have just happened. Except that it had. Holle exhaled a long, despairing noise. “Fuck.” Haurchefant laughed, and then he kept laughing. “It’s not funny,” Holle groaned. Haurchefant wrapped one arm around him, and with his free hand stroked soothingly at his hair. “It is a little funny.” “Maybe if he’s not your dad,” he grumbled into the elezen’s shirt. “Fair enough.” He kissed the top of his head. “So do you want dinner?” “No!” Gods, no. Sit at a table across from his father after that? Absolutely not. Haurchefant rubbed at his back. “Sooo, did you want…?” Oh. Right. “Yeah. Yeah, just…give me a minute? And make sure the door’s closed all the way.”
Fluffvember Day 25: Kill the Moment
Mid-DT, this is what happens when you don't make sure the door is completely shut.
| #hollekha | #haurchefant | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
“Holy shit.” Holle looked up sharply. “Is everything okay?” He approached to see just what Hien was leafing through, and his expression paled: it was his recent shoot with Haurchefant, and there he was, kneeling over the elezen’s lap, tie pulled tight around his neck, teeth at his throat, poised to bite. “I- I’m sorry. I-” “What? No!” It was Hien’s turn to blanch, realizing the insecurity he’d just unwittingly stepped on and pressed. “Holle, these are amazing.” “Really?” Holle looked up from the floor. “You think so?” “Yeah, really.” Hien reached for him, hooking an arm around his waist and pulling him close, the touch as reassuring as the words. “Seriously, just look!” “I don’t-” Holle laughed, relieved even as he admitted, “I see myself so much, I can’t really tell anymore.”
“Well, I see you all the time, and I can tell. These are really good.” Hien gave him a gentle squeeze. “I just have one question.” “Mm?” “How do I sign up to be the other guy in this picture?" “I mean, I think you kind of already have,” Holle pointed out with a laugh, even as he moved to straddle Hien’s lap. His eyes brightened in anticipation, and he set his hands on Holle’s waist. “Yeah?” “Mm-hm,” Holle hummed, leaning in to kiss him.
Fluffvember Day 24: Nibble
Modern AU, Hien has a very important question.
| #hollekha | #hienrijin | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
“Holle?” He froze, the familiar voice ice in his veins, and turned his face into the dark of his old hiding spot, trying to wipe away the tears before Haurchefant could see them, but it was hopeless. “Holle, what’s wrong?” A kind hand reached for his shoulder, and Holle jerked away from the touch. “Nothing. I’m fine.” “Holle.” Haurchefant reached for him again, and this time didn’t allow him escape, taking him by the shoulder even as he tried to duck away and turning him towards him. Holle looked away, stubbornly refusing to meet his eyes, tail lashing in telltale irritation. “I said I’m fine.” “You’re hiding in the darkest corner you can find. You are not fine. Talk to me, Holle.” Gentle fingers caught at his chin to tilt it up, but he refused to allow it, pulling sharply away from the touch. “Please don’t. I can’t, Haurche, I just- I can’t.” “Holle, you have to tell me something.” The worry and hurt in Haurchefant’s voice were like knives to his guilty heart. “What happened? What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing!” Holle turned away, wrapping his arms around himself and trying to shut out the elezen’s insistence. His stubborn, relentless need to care. “You can’t fix everything, Haurche.” It was a cruel thing to say, and he regretted it the moment the words left his lips; he didn’t have to see Haurchefant’s face to know that he might as well have slapped him. And yet, the knight kept trying anyway. “If someone did something-” “No one did anything!” Not intentionally, anyway. Gundobald had merely asked a favor of him - one that had ripped open all of his old wounds, the ones he’d finally stopped picking at and re-infecting himself. It was such a simple thing, what the man wanted of him, but it hurt, gods, it hurt. Holle stifled the new sob that tried to claw its way out of his throat. “I just- There’s a lot here, okay? I just…I just needed a minute.” When Haurchefant reached for him again, he let him; he still very much didn’t want to be touched, not now, not by anyone, but he forced himself to allow it, a silent penance for being difficult. For worrying Haurchefant. For not telling him everything. Holle guiltily endured the hand stroking his hair, the sincere attempt to comfort, and tried to let it work. It didn’t. “Holle, you know you can talk to me. You don’t have to hide.”
“I know.” And he did. He did know that. But some things just hurt too much. “It’s not you, I just- I can’t. I can’t. I’m sorry.” “When you’re ready, then. I’m here.” Haurchefant pressed a kiss to the top of his head, and Holle closed his eyes. “You should go home. I- I need to do something for Gundobald.” “I could help?” Holle shook his head. “No, I need to do it. Just me.” “Okay.” Haurchefant was far better, far more understanding, than he deserved. The truth was, there was no reason he couldn’t come with him, other than that he would have to explain. The sword Gundobald wanted him to deliver to Ala Mhigo. Why him. Why it had to be him, and why it shouldn’t be him. Why he was who he was. All the grief, and guilt, and pain, all knotted together and eating away at the center of him. Even if he’d stopped making it worse, it had never gone away. He didn’t deserve for it to go away. “I- I’ll be home tomorrow, okay? It won’t take long.”
“Holle…” He knew he was being distant. Knew he was hurting Haurchefant with his refusal to let him in. But Haurchefant just sighed into his hair and kissed his head again, and rubbed his arms reassuringly. “I love you.” It wasn’t meant to guilt him, but gods, it did. What should have been comfort was salt in raw wounds, here, where he’d grown up. Where everything had gone wrong. He’d never felt less deserving of care, and Haurchefant gave it to him anyway. He always did. “I love you, too.”
Fluffvember Day 23: Hiding Place
Post-EW, a visit to Little Ala Mhigo proves very upsetting for Holle. Haurchefant tries to help.
| #hollekha | #haurchefant | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
Holle awoke to the savory aromas of garlic and onion wafting through the manor. That certainly solved the mystery of why he’d been dreaming about food - something he never did. He slowly uncurled himself from the sofa and pushed to his feet, where he then took a moment to ensure he stayed on his feet. He’d learned the hard way that moving quickly, or even at an average pace, was little more than a shortcut to the floor at this point in time. Feeling as though he was made of sludge, but drawn by a familiar smell that belonged not in Ishgard, but in his childhood memories, he shuffled his way into the kitchen. There he found Haurchefant, humming to himself as he stirred a pot on the stove. “Hey,” Holle said, intentionally alerting the elezen to his presence; he knew full well that he tended to sneak up on people without actually meaning to do so, and he didn’t want to startle his friend while he was in front of a hot stove. “Oh! You’re awake!” Haurchefant’s bright smile, his genuine happiness to see him (when he’d just seen him yesterday, and the day before that, and so on), made Holle feel warm. Special. “How are you feeling?”
Holle shrugged. “Alright, I guess. About the same.” Like shit, basically, but with the resignation that that was just his life, at the moment. Constantly exhausted, short of breath, the aches and pains of a body that had been pushed far beyond its limits and now felt barely held together at all. Nothing that was going to change in a day, or that was worth complaining about. Instead, he shuffled closer, sniffing at the air and leaning to peer into the large pot - and exclaimed in surprise. “Is that bantan? Where did you learn to make that?” Haurchefant laughed. “One of the recipes your mother gave me. I hope I’ve done it justice.” The contents of the pot could not have been more unassuming, a very beige broth simmering away with bits of ground meat and tiny clumps of flour. Exactly how it was supposed to look. “It smells good.” “Garlic always does. I just hope it tastes good. This whole crumbling flour into the soup business is new to me.” He continued to stir, frowning thoughtfully at his work. “She did show me how, but…” “She did?” He couldn’t say he was surprised - his mother was practically smitten with the knight.
“Mm. She insisted that this was the most important recipe she was giving me, and I needed to get it right.” He chuckled. “I’ll admit, I’ve been half afraid I’d turn around and she’d be behind me with a spoon, waiting for me to profane the family recipe.” Holle laughed. “She’d never. She likes you too much. Besides, she’s made bantan with all kinds of stuff: peiste, marmot, adamantoise. Sandworm, once. That was terrible.” He made a face at the memory of that very…unique texture. “It’s supposed to be mutton, but we didn’t get that very much.” “Well, as you may have noticed, Coerthas has an abundance of karakul. And, fortunately, very few sandworms. Possibly due to the lack of sand. Now go have a seat, hmm? This should be done soon.” In other words, Haurchefant thought he’d been on his feet for long enough. Not inclined to argue - knowing that he would inevitably lose - he went obediently to the dining room to wait. Several minutes later, Haurchefant appeared with two bowls of bantan and set them down, one for each of them. The soup now had a bit more color, thanks to a generous sprinkling of green onion. Rather than sit down, however, the elezen went back to the kitchen, returning a moment later with a little dish he set beside Holle’s bowl.
Chili flakes! Holle’s tail thwapped gently against the leg of the chair, and he shoveled a small spoonful onto his bantan. He stirred it all together as Haurchefant sat opposite him, and eagerly dug in - it didn’t for a moment occur to him that it wouldn’t be anything other than delicious in spite of it being Haurchefant’s first attempt, and his trust was well-placed. It was perfect, rich and gamey and wonderful, and the happy twitching of his tail continued. He didn’t even realize that Haurchefant was watching him until he laughed. “I’m not going to be hit with a spoon anytime soon, I take it?” Holle shook his head. “No, this is really good. Even better than I remember.” “Well, maybe don’t tell your mother that.”
Fluffvember Day 22: Scent
Post-EW, Holle wakes up to a tasty treat. 🍲
| #hollekha | #haurchefant | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
“Is there anything I should or shouldn’t do?” Holle shook his head, dipping his fingers into the pot of oil and rubbing it between them. “Not really. Just rub it into my scales and try not to miss any spots. But it’s okay if you do,” he then amended, quick to absolve Aymeric of any possible fault before he could even start. “Missing a spot for a day or two won’t hurt anything.” Aymeric had no idea if that was actually true or not, but resolved to be thorough regardless. He pulled off his gloves and rinsed his hands in the water before running his fingers through the oil, unsure how much might be too much or not enough, and brought them to rest on the back of Holle’s neck. He felt the barest shiver as he did so, a frisson of tension that ran down the xaela’s spine. “Is this alright?” When Holle nodded, accompanied by a little sound of assent, Aymeric began to very gently knead at the scales there. Holle shifted slightly, a twitch of his head and a hiss of breath between his teeth, and Aymeric paused. “Are you sure? You don’t have to let me do this, if you’d rather not.” “No, it’s alright,” Holle assured him. When Aymeric looked skeptical, he continued, “I like it. I do. I’m just not used to it, is all. Letting someone else take care of my scales is…”
Rather than knead again just yet, Aymeric rubbed lightly at the back of his neck as he finished for him, “Intimate?” A little laugh accompanied the answering “Yeah.” “I’m impressed you manage this by yourself,” he observed, taking Holle’s slight lean towards him as both approval and permission, and focused on rubbing the oil into his scales. “I’m not sure I’d be able to reach.” He laughed again, and with it, Aymeric felt the tension finally sap from Holle's body. “Practice. And I’m pretty flexible.” “I’ve noticed.” Fury, had he noticed. The lithe xaela could move in ways Aymeric couldn’t even dream of achieving himself, but he was going to curb those thoughts before they went too far. Holle had given him a job to do, and he couldn’t let himself get distracted. Instead, he asked, “You do this every day?” “Depends.” Aymeric carefully swept damp strands of Holle’s hair aside before coating his fingers in more of the oil and returning to his ministrations; he started to knead again, and this time, Holle relaxed into the touch, into him. “Soap dries out my scales, and it’s, well, it’s dry here anyway, so every day is better. Every two or three is okay if I don’t have time, but before long they’ll start to crack.”
All the more reason not to miss spots. One more pass over the back of Holle’s neck to be sure, then a return to the oil before he started between his shoulderblades. “That sounds painful.” “It is. They split there not long ago because I wasn’t taking care of them the way I should.” Aymeric ran his fingers over the expanse of scales, almost winged in their shape, searching for evidence of the neglect, until he felt the faintest ridge. The marbled pattern of Holle’s scales made it impossible to see in the low light, but he could feel the subtle difference in the otherwise soft texture. “Here?” The little “mm” of confirmation hummed against him prompted him to lighten his touch. “Does it still hurt?” Holle shook his head. “No, not anymore. It feels a little tight, sometimes, but it doesn’t hurt. You could probably press harder there, if anything.” A suggestion Aymeric complied with, pressing his thumb down in increments along the ridge of previously damaged scales; he recognized the relief in Holle immediately, the telltale exhale and the shift of his shoulders, the little groan, a reaction further reinforced when he curled himself closer. Aymeric grinned, allowing himself a moment of smugness. “Better?”
“Yeah,” Holle admitted. “That I can’t do by myself.” “So that’s why you really wanted my help,” Aymeric teased, “I see how it is.” Holle laughed - a sound Aymeric had heard much more in the last day and a half than over all the months Holle had spent in Ishgard, and one he could very much get used to. “Yeah, you caught me.” Aymeric worked at the spot a little longer, until he was quite sure it was thoroughly seen to, before continuing with the rest of that particular area of scales, then followed them down his spine. As he did so, Holle relaxed further, eventually turning in his arms so that he could better lean into him. Though the change in angle made things slightly more difficult, Aymeric wouldn’t have so much as dreamt of asking him to move back to a more convenient position. He was comfortable, he was happy, and judging by the way his breathing had evened out, he was on the edge of falling asleep.
Fluffvember Day 21: Relaxation
Post-StB, Aymeric learns a little about scalecare.
| #hollekha | #aymeric | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
Hey Holle had scarcely typed back a ? when a picture of a very familiar, singularly pathetic-looking calico kitten appeared, staring through the metal grid of a cage door. Nobody claimed her 😟 They want to know if we want her Why? Because we found her I’ve never had a cat. Do you want one Do you? 🥺 You’re cleaning the litterbox. And paying the pet deposit. The next reply was a selfie of a beaming Hien, holding the wide-eyed kitten next to his face. She looked to be mid-meow. It was a very cute picture, and Holle frowned and shoved back the silly little flip his heart did as he looked at it. Make sure she doesn’t have fleas.
_______ Hien didn’t do anything by half. By the time Holle arrived home a few hours later, the usually-tidy living room was covered in cat stuff. A scratching post. A cardboard thing he assumed served a similar function to the scratching post. A bed in the shape of a fruit tart. A little hidey-hole-thing that was also an orange. A tiny hammock. Toys. So, so many toys. Holle stepped on a little ball that jingled when he rolled it away (under the couch, possibly to be lost forever). Also on the floor, amidst the sudden abundance of cat accoutrements, was Hien, sitting cross-legged with the reason for all this new stuff drowsing in his lap. “Hey!” “Hey.” Holle carefully picked his way across the room to avoid stepping on anything else, and sat on the sofa. If he leaned forward a little to get a better look at his new new roommate, it was only to make sure she seemed no worse for wear after her misadventure up a tree a few days ago, or for her stay in the shelter. His only investment in any of this was that he’d been the one to get her out of the tree. It was just a matter of principle. “Sorry about the mess. I’ll clean up, I promise.”
Holle shrugged. “It’s fine. Is she alright?” “Yeah! She’s great! Just tired, that’s all. Here,” Hien scooped both hands under the kitten, gently lifting her to deposit right in Holle’s lap. “Watch her while I clean up?” Holle was so taken aback, he couldn’t even begin to form the words to protest. He was left with no other choice than to stare down at the tiny creature in his lap, who blinked up at him in sleepy confusion at her sudden change in venue. He thought for a moment that she might jump from his lap - was it even safe for her to jump from couch-height? - but evidently, she deigned the effort not worth it, and soon went about resettling herself. Little paws kneaded at his lap, and he winced when tiny claws pierced right through his jeans. “Hey,” he grumbled halfheartedly as she made her biscuits without any concern for his tender flesh. “That hurts.” Unsurprisingly, this did not dissuade her, and he sighed in resignation. “Does she have a name?”
Fluffvember Day 20: Bakery
Modern AU, a third roommate makes themselves at home.
| #hollekha | #hienrijin | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
"You, ah-" Holle's fingers tightened in Hien's hair, threatening to loose it from its ties as he pulled heedlessly, surrendering to the slow and almost unbearable press of Hien's cock, "You're big." He felt the huff of laughter in response. "Well, on behalf of my ego, thank you." In spite of his amusement, however, Hien stilled to ask, "Is that alright? I can go slower." Though the pause was for his benefit, it was maddening, and he arched into the hyur with a whine, encouragement to continue that he readily heeded while Holle tried to wrap his mind around words. "No, it's good. I- nngh, slow is good, or not, I just-" Fuck, but it had been such a long time, and Hien was so thick- "Already can't finish a sentence?" His cocky grin was well-earned, which served to make it deeply irritating. "You're going to make me insufferably confident at this rate." "Hien," he whined - when had he become this whining, hungry thing? - finally freeing Hien's hair, albeit unintentionally, in his struggle not to squirm. Because however desperate he was, slow was exactly what he wanted, to feel every last ilm of the Doman prince, to be taken apart piece by piece and put back together.
"What? Say it, whatever it is." "I don't- hh, I don't know, I- You feel so good, I- I've never… Haah!” He buried his face in the crook of Hien’s neck and forced back the wail building in his throat. It didn’t help matters when Hien went abruptly still. “Holle…please tell me you’ve been with someone before this.” “I- Of course I have! I’ve just never been with anyone like you.” Grumpily embarrassed. “You’re- I like it, that’s all I was trying to say.” It was true. Though not tall, Hien was substantial, muscled and thick, and while they were barely an ilm apart in height, Holle felt dwarfed regardless. “You do?” Holle couldn’t begrudge Hien the smug edge of his voice, but he was pleased for another reason as well: Holle had confessed to trouble expressing his likes and dislikes, so even such a broad one was some measure of progress. “Thank you for telling me.”
Fluffvember Day 19: Overwhelming
StB, a touch-starved Holle who hasn't been with anyone in years is having A Time.
| #hollekha | #hienrijin | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
Aymeric leans Holle back over a table in the strategy room; Holle playfully puts a hand over his mouth as though to stop him from kissing him.
Fluffvember Day 17: Temptation
How to stop your bf from working too late (again).
| #hollekha | #aymeric | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
After gathering up the clothes strewn on the floor, Hien laid his robe out on the bed, careful not to disturb the Warrior still fast asleep there. Holle’s clothes, he folded and set aside for the time being, until he was awake to say whether he wanted them washed or not. It would be easy enough to find him something else to wear in the meantime, but Hien knew that his skin and especially his scales were quite sensitive, and he suspected those sensitivities likely extended to the soaps used on his clothes. With his own clothes deposited in the hamper, he set about dressing in fresh ones - but when he turned back to the bed to retrieve his robe, he found that it had become the property of a certain mage, who even in his sleep had already managed to wind it around himself, face nuzzled into the fur trim and tail thumping softly against the bed in total contentment.
Hien laughed and sat beside him, stroking a hand over his hair, then his thumb along the underside of his horn. That started to stir him, and soon Holle was rubbing against his hand with a sleepy little hum. “Good morning.” “Mmm,” was the reply, as Holle blinked his eyes open and smiled up at him. Kami, but he could not have been any more adorable if he tried. “I’m going to need that back eventually, you know. I have a meeting with Hakuro in an hour.” Holle groaned and buried his head against his thigh, arms snaking around him. Hien laughed again and bent to kiss him. “After that, I’m all yours. Promise.”
Fluffvember Day 16: Borrowed
Post-EW, Holle is a robe thief and also does not like to wake up when he's comfy.
| #hollekha | #hienrijin | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
The telltale jerk of the xaela sleeping beside him pulled Aymeric from his own sleep. He was awake, and fully so, within the space of a moment, and sat up to assess Holle’s state. His tail, though trapped under the covers, lashed in agitation, and he whimpered as his body gave another jerk. “Shh, shhh.” Aymeric brushed a hand over his furrowed brow and through his hair. “Holle, it’s alright.” When the nightmares had first started, it hadn’t taken much more than that to quiet them, but over the past fortnight, instead of improving, they had steadily worsened, until he was harder and harder to bring out of them. A pained sound clawed its way out of Holle’s throat, and he writhed and kicked. “No, no…” Please, not this again. Aymeric ran a hand down his body, rubbing at his arm, willing him to wake. It didn’t work. No matter what Aymeric said or how, no matter what he did, Holle continued to twitch, and between whines there were panicked, murmured pleas: unintelligible, mostly, beyond the “no” repeated over and over with one familiar name. It wasn’t long before the whining became a keen, and the twitching became thrashing.
Guilt ate at him as Aymeric straddled his much smaller lover, moving to trap his body with his own, to pin him and contain his thrashing before he could reopen the wounds that had taken so long to heal. The wounds that had very nearly killed him. The Warrior fought his hold, because of course he did, twisting and straining, and Aymeric bent his head and closed his eyes. “Holle. Holle, please. I’m here. You're safe. Please.” He hated this. He hated that he had no choice but to pin him like this, to make the nightmare worse by making him feel trapped, but it was this or watch him hurt himself. Holle writhed in his grasp, in what little room he had to do so, bucking and bending as he tried to free himself - and Aymeric knew full well that if he let him go now, he would be hit and kicked. Not that he could do much damage, as weak as he still was. Aymeric held him there until the futility of his struggles exhausted and broke the fight in him, until the despair overtook him again and he arched and shuddered and wailed, and Fury, Aymeric couldn’t stand the sound, the heartbreak and the utter defeat of it, the way the fight went out of Holle with one final shudder and turned instead to sobs. He released him then, only to gather him into his arms as the sobs now wracked his fragile body.
Aymeric rocked him and held him close, tears rolling down his own cheeks as Holle cried himself out in his arms. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you, you’re alright. You’re safe.” But the trouble was, at its core, this wasn’t about Holle’s safety. This wasn’t about the battle that had almost killed him. As Holle gasped breaths between the sobs he couldn’t stop - and Aymeric knew he was trying, knew how much he hated being seen like this - he tried to speak, desperate to explain himself, as though he needed to justify his state. To be forgiven for it. “I can’t- I can’t-” “Shhh, shhhh.” Aymeric stroked his hair, trying to get him to settle. To breathe, instead of wasting his energy and breath on unnecessary apologies and explanations. “It’s okay. I know.” “I can’t- I can’t save them,” he despaired, in spite of Aymeric’s assurances. “They won’t- They won’t let me. He won’t…he won’t listen. Why won’t he ever listen?” There was no logic that could cure nightmares. Aymeric knew that well; he’d fought his own, and even now, when the cause was so far behind him, there were nights when they came back all the same. No amount of reminding Holle that his friends were safe and whole and well could erase the fresh memories of them sacrificing themselves before his eyes, one after the other after the other. Even Haurchefant. Even though Holle had begged.
Fluffvember Day 15: Trope of Choice (Hurt/Comfort)
Post-EW, Aymeric deals with Holle's nightmares as best he can. (This takes place immediately before "Heartsick.")
1/2
| #hollekha | #aymeric | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
Aymeric standing and speaking, talking with his hands.
Aymeric writing with a quill.
Aymeric adjusting his gloves.
Holle, a slender xaela au ra with white hair and marbled scales, wearing the sleeveless martial artist's vest and his own short gloves, stands with his arms crossed. He looks very grumpy.
Fluffvember Day 14: Gesture
Heavensward: the expansion of Holle being distracted by Aymeric's hands (and annoyed about it).
| #hollekha | #aymeric | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
Aymeric had rushed to Falcon’s Nest the moment he’d heard something was amiss, but by that point, the damage had already been done. The woman had railed against peace with the dragons, and Emmanellain had ordered a soldier to stop her…a task he had accomplished by shooting her in front of the assembled crowd. All that was left was to try to pick up the pieces. Anah, the more well-known of the two Warriors of Light, aided by Thancred and Haurchefant, was already doing just that. But… Aymeric flagged down the Scions’ rogue. “Have you seen Holle?” Thancred stroked his chin. “Come to think of it, no. Though he often makes himself scarce when there’s a crowd.” “Even in a crisis?” The man’s grim pause spoke volumes. “...No. No, you’re right. Shit.” “Make sure the others know he’s missing. We’ll find him.” They’d find him, and it would be nothing. He’d just have been roped into some errand or another, and he’d be annoyed with them for fussing. But Aymeric couldn’t help the sinking feeling in his gut. ________
“Holle? Holle!” There, slumped behind a pile of supplies, lay the missing Warrior of Light. Aymeric rushed to him, kneeling by his side and taking him by the shoulders to gently shake him. “Holle!” Nothing. He was breathing - shallow, too shallow - but otherwise didn’t stir. Aymeric pressed a hand to his brow, and was horrified to find that the mage’s skin was ice cold. Something was very, very wrong. He gathered him into his arms, ignoring the pain in his side as he again moved too quickly (let Lucia scold him later) and rushed from the tavern. “He’s here! I found him!” His shouting - and that he was carrying him - would doubtless convey that he had not found him well, and bring the others running from their own searches. To a nearby soldier who stood gawking at him, he snapped, “The chirurgeon. Now.” As he stood waiting for what seemed like an age, he couldn’t help but marvel at how small the Warrior was. It was one thing to see him, so slight as to look almost delicate, but another entirely to hold him in his arms. He might as well have been holding a bird, for all he weighed. And he was so, so cold. Aymeric held him close, and prayed.
Fluffvember Day 13: Delicate
HW, Aymeric finds Holle after he's been drugged.
| #hollekha | #aymeric | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
Fluffvember Day 2: Token Modern AU, Hien finds something Holle forgot he had. 1/2 | #hollekha | #hienrijin | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
“It tickles,” Hien repeated, but when Holle just looked up at him, refusing to be amused, he relented and gave an actual answer. “Tender. Deep breaths still hurt a little, or if I sleep wrong.” Holle hummed to himself and splayed out his hand, letting his magic flow once more. Broken bones were stubborn, difficult and slow to heal for someone of his rudimentary skill. He could help them along, and dull the pain, but he couldn’t just fix them. It was frustrating…and made him wish he’d cared more about learning to heal. He felt as much as heard Hien chuckle, and a calloused hand slid over his. “That tickles, too.” Holle looked up, into soft hazel eyes filled with a tenderness that made his heart flutter. “Hien…” Oh, this was a bad idea. This was a terrible idea. But when Hien brushed a damp lock of hair from his face, fingers lingering and tracing over his scales, he didn’t pull away. “May I kiss you?”
Finding that he didn’t much care about what was a bad idea or not, Holle nodded. Hien’s lips were warm, like the rest of him, and chapped from the sun and the wind, little differences from what he was used to that Holle thrilled at, his tail curling in the shallow surf that lapped at them. When Hien sought to deepen the kiss, Holle allowed it, and soon he was being deliciously devoured, Hien’s tongue in his mouth and one hand winding in his hair to pull his head back. Holle moaned, letting a shiver run through him, letting Hien have his way for a moment longer before he started giving as good as he got. He let his own hunger take over, wrapping one arm around the man and pulling himself closer. It was an awkward movement, like anything he did out of the water, but all that mattered was closer, lips and tongues and teeth and shared hunger. Holle’s fangs caught at Hien’s lower lip, but the iron tang of blood dissuaded neither of them. When Hien finally did break the kiss, they were both breathless and panting, and he had practically pulled him into his lap. One hand rested at his waist, fingers skimming where skin met scales, while the other remained in his hair, thumb brushing against his horn. “Fuck, Holle…” Hien leaned his forehead against his and closed his eyes. “Fuck.” It had, apparently, finally occurred to the stranded prince that this was, in fact, a bad idea. But, in the end, that didn’t matter.
Fluffvember Day 12: Seaside
Using this as a shameless excuse for mer AU Holle/Hien kisses.
| #hollekha | #hienrijin | #AU | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
“The nightmares are getting worse. I managed to wake him this time, but…I don’t know what to do. I can’t stand to watch him suffer like this.” “I’m not sure there’s anything you can do but here for him. What happened out there…” Haurchefant stared off into the distance for a long moment, then shook his head. “I’ve had a few nightmares, myself.” “It’s you.” Haurchefant looked back to Aymeric, tilting his head in question. “He calls for you, Haurchefant. He watched everyone die, but you… You’re the one he calls for. It’s eating him up inside.” Hauchefant sighed and slumped back into the chair. “Aymeric, if there’d been any other way, I…” “I know.” Aymeric knelt before him, hand on his knee. “And I’d have done the same. But you need to talk to him.” He had to look away from those pleading eyes. “The more time that passes, the less sure I am that I heard him. I can’t…I can’t put that on him, if he didn’t-”
“I’m sure. I wasn’t even there, and I’m sure. He loves you, Haurchefant. So tell him.” Aymeric reached up, not just forcing him to look at him, but pulling him forward enough to press his forehead to his. “Tell him you heard him. Stop going home after dinner, and stay. Stay with us.” “Aymeric…” “I want you here, too. It’s been so long, I’d almost forgotten what it’s like, being around you all the time. How much light you bring into my life. I love you, Haurchefant. I’m not sure I ever stopped." “Aym…” Haurchefant’s voice cracked as he looked for the words. “I’m so sorry I didn’t see it. That I ever lost sight of it at all.” Aymeric brushed a gloved hand over his cheek, sweeping away the hair that had fallen into his eyes and tucking it back behind his ear. “I’ve been so preoccupied, for so long…” Haurchefant huffed out a laugh. “There was only a thousand-year war to end, and you’ve only had a country to run ever since. I think I can forgive it.” Aymeric smiled up at him, and pressed a kiss to his brow. “So you’ll stay?”
Haurchefant let his eyes slide closed, let that one small gesture of affection wash over and warm him, and nodded. “I’ll talk to him. If it’s what he wants-” “He does.” Long fingers combed through his hair, soothing away his doubts for now, before Aymeric reluctantly stood. He did, after all, have a country to run, and he was going to be late. “I’ll bring him down. If he has another nightmare, I…I don’t want him to hurt himself.” “They’re that bad now?” Aymeric nodded grimly as he looked toward the stairs, in the direction of where Holle yet slept. It wasn’t unusual - the mage still spent more time asleep than awake, exhausted by his ordeal and the injuries that had nearly killed him. For a time, they’d feared he would never wake at all. “He thrashes. He could open something back up, or fall out of bed…” Haurchefant stood, pulling Aymeric into an embrace. “It’s alright. I’ll stay with him. I won’t let anything happen.” “I know.”
Fluffvember Day 11: Heartsick
Aymeric and Haurchefant discuss Holle's worsening nightmares after Ultima Thule.
| #hollekha | #haurchefant | #aymeric | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
Holle, a small xaela au ra with dark blue skin and marbled scales, cuddles up to Haurchefant at the front of a tent.
A shot showing them from behind, revealing that they are in front of a campfire in southern Kozama'uka, with waterfalls and vibrant foliage in the distance.
Fluffvember Day 10: Camping
| #hollekha | #haurchefant | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
Hien looked down at the familiar patterns of his dogi as he reached for it, and paused. He’d donned it countless times without a second thought…but this morning, he hesitated, fingers lingering over the fabric, over the fur trim. And felt not fur beneath his fingertips, but fever-hot skin, scales rough from shed and oiled damp, and the nails that had raked his back and shoulders, the way the Warrior had clung so tight. Hien sighed and curled his fingers in the fur, trying to let the thoughts go as he breathed out. Turned them to quieter memories instead: Holle wrapped up in the robe, fast asleep and stubbornly so. His grumbling when forced to wake, the way he would burrow and avoid it for as long as possible. The grumpy little lash of his tail when he had to wake up anyway. Hien smiled, then shook his head at himself. What a fool he’d been, promising help without strings or ulterior motive. Just help, nothing more. He’d meant it, he’d meant well, but Holle, with his sad eyes and surprisingly fragile heart, had burrowed himself deep under his skin. The want to help him had become a need, to see him smile, to see him thrive. To keep him safe, even from his own thoughts. To hold him close, even as he pined for some far-away someone. He should have known better.
Fluffvember Day 9: Getting Dressed
Hien reflects on the...other uses his robe saw during a particular episode on the Steppe.
| #hollekha | #hienrijin | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember |
“I told you to let it go!” “Wilred! Hey!” Holle grabbed his shoulder, and Wilred shrugged him off, looking the other way. “Really? You pull that shit and now you won’t even talk to me?” “I just don’t see what the problem is.” His shrug was sullen, almost pouting. “He bothered you, and I told him not to do it again.” “But he didn’t bother me! He asked me a harmless fucking question, and you had to go and be an ass about it, even though I asked you not to. I asked you to leave him alone!” “And I didn’t. So what?” “So- So what?” Holle bit back a snarl of frustration, his tail lashing behind him. “You embarrassed me, that’s what! What am I supposed to do the next time I fight him, huh?” “Maybe he should have thought about that before he asked you out!” Holle closed his eyes and took a shaking breath, trying to rein in the frustration that had been building inside him for months. He tried, and he failed. “And maybe I should have said yes!” Wilred stared at him in shock. “What?”
Holle sank down to sit on the edge of the bed, feeling oddly defeated by how freeing it had been to say that. “Maybe I should have said yes. Maybe this was a mistake.” “Holle…” Wilred stood and closed the distance between them, setting a hand on his shoulder. He batted his hand away and repeated, with more conviction this time, “This was a mistake. I knew it. I knew it was, but I never could tell you no.” Wilred reached for him again, and he jerked away. When he tried a third time, Holle snapped. “Don’t touch me!” He hated saying it, hated that he had to say it, hated all of this. “You never fucking listen. When did you stop listening? Why?” “Holle, please.” This time, at least, he didn’t reach again, holding up his hands in entreaty. “Please what? Let you micromanage my life? Tell me who I can talk to? What jobs I can take? Or should we cut to where you tell me you’re sorry and you won’t do it again, except you will do it again because you always do, because you don’t trust me! Why can’t you just fucking trust me?!” Wilred opened his mouth to respond, and Holle cut him off with acid, knowing exactly what he was about to say. “Don’t you even. We broke up.”
“But you still should have-” “Come crawling back to you for help because I went into a shed? Absolutely fucking not. The only thing I did that I shouldn’t have done was agree to try again.” “Holle, you don’t mean that.” “Yeah, I do. I really do.” Holle felt a strange sort of peace settle over him as he finally said it, in spite of the tears running down his face. “Get out, Wilred.” “Holle, come on-” “Get out. Go crash with Rory, or something. And when we get home, get your shit and leave.” His name had barely left Wilred’s lips again when he fixed him with an icy glare, both daring and threatening him to try. He watched as Wilred weighed his options, and realized that there was no winning this fight. Not right now, at least: Holle knew full well, from prior experience and the stubborn set of his jaw, that for his oldest friend, his first love - and oh, he loved him still, he did, it had just all gone wrong somehow now that they weren’t kids anymore - this wasn’t over. But it was. It was.
Auraugust Day 17: Quarrel
Modern AU, Holle realizes there is no fixing his relationship with Wilred.
| #hollekha | #wilredglasse | #AU | #auraugust2025 | #auraugust |
Holle tugged open the door, and found himself face-to-face (well, face-to-chest) with someone he immediately took two steps back from, and turned to leave - he didn't even care in which direction, he just needed to go, and now. Unfortunately, it was much too late for a clean escape. “Holle!” He didn’t want to turn around. Didn’t want to chat, didn’t want to deal with this in any way, but what was he going to do, run? Holle took a breath, set his jaw, and half-turned. “Wilred.” “Holle, hey.” His ex looked something akin to relieved, and that alone set him more on edge. He knew that look, just like he knew the smile that had always warmed his heart. That he could never say no to. He tried to avoid making eye contact. “Hey.” “It’s good to see you. How have you been?” “I-” Holle struggled, fighting the ingrained need to be polite, to answer and go through all the pleasantries. “Can we not, Wilred? Please?” The other man wilted, and Holle had to stave off a stab of guilt. He was like a kicked puppy when he was hurt. “Oh, I- Yeah, of course. Yeah. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
And there it was, the prelude to a guilt trip, and maybe he deserved it. Maybe he was being too harsh, maybe he had been too harsh, maybe, maybe, maybe. But he didn’t have it in him. The most he had was “Sorry.” _________ He made it home on autopilot, and almost didn’t bother to take off his shoes before hunkering down on the sofa, shutting his eyes and curling his tail around himself as he made himself take a deep breath, and then another. He certainly didn’t hear Hien, forgot he was even in the apartment, until a hand on the sofa next to him applied enough pressure to make him aware of it, and he opened his eyes to see his roommate crouched before him, looking concerned. “Hey. Are you alright?” “I- Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, I just…” He shook his head. “It’s nothing.” He watched Hien weigh how much he could pry. He rested a hand near his knee, and sighed, evidently deciding that the answer was ‘not much.’ “As long as you’re alright.”
Hien lingered a little longer before standing, and once he’d left - though he was clearly conflicted about it - Holle closed his eyes again. A short time later, he heard the gentle thud of a full mug being set on the sidetable, and felt the weight of someone settling on the other end of the sofa. A hesitant hand just above his foot. “Hey. Do you want to talk about it?” Holle shook his head, even as he came to the distant realization that the weight of Hien’s hand was a comforting one, rather than something he wanted to pull away from. That he wanted the company. That it helped. That there was something reassuring in someone worrying after him, and that he shouldn’t be worrying him unnecessarily. Holle sighed and sagged forward, until his face pressed against his knees. “I ran into my ex, that’s all.” “Shit, that’s always rough.” Hien rubbed lightly at his shin. “I’m sorry. You want some space? I can disappear for awhile.” Holle shook his head again. “No, it’s alright.” And so Hien stayed, saying nothing else for a long while; at some point, he did lean over to pull the throw from the ottoman and drape it over Holle’s legs. They simply sat, until Holle’s breathing evened out, and the tension slowly began to ebb from him, bleeding away once he was able to let go of the spike of stress that had knocked him so off-balance.
Hien felt that change in him, and patted the top of his foot. “We should eat. Do you still want pizza?” Right. Like the pizza he’d been going to pick up for them, until he’d run into Wilred just inside the door and come running home instead. “Shit, I forgot. Sorry.” “Don’t worry about it.” Hien stood and stretched, then retrieved the mug of now-cold tea from the side table. “A little walk won’t hurt me. So, pizza? Or something else?” “No, pizza’s good. Maybe from somewhere else, though?” Hien laughed. “Fair enough. I’ll be back in a little bit, alright?” Rather than head right out the door, however, he detoured to the kitchen, and promptly returned with warmed-up tea; this time, he delivered the mug right into his hands. He then ruffled his hair, and Holle found himself smiling up at him. “Thanks.” “Anytime.”
Fluffvember Day 8: Tension
Modern AU, Holle runs into someone he was not ready to see again just yet (and forgets he was supposed to get dinner).
| #hollekha | #wilredglasse | #hienrijin | #fluffvember2025 | #fluffvember | #AU
