Sharing the Vagabond 》Desna x OC x Eska

Chapter Nine: The Dress [NSFW, 18+]

Although Malina and Eska had always been very supportive of Desna's love for fashion and sewing, it was Kaida's unyielding adoration for his work that lit a fire within him to create more than he ever had before. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate his mother's and his sister's support, but there was always a nagging voice in the back of his mind that told him they were only being supportive because they had to – they were his family. So, when a brand new person entered his life and expressed their extreme admiration of his creations, Desna's love of tailoring increased tenfold.

Desna still made a few pieces for himself, his sister, and his mother, but he found himself favoring creating things for Kaida. Each item he made for her was absolutely gorgeous, and over time, Kaida began to suspect that creating things for her / giving gifts was how Desna showed that he loved her, so that made her appreciate each piece all the more. Desna never gave much thought to why he was so keen on creating new things for Kaida. However, he did notice that he developed a habit of making her things that bared her shoulders and accentuated her waist, and he never felt more flustered than when she'd wear an article of clothing that he'd handcrafted specifically for her body.

After seeing a new style in a Republic City fashion magazine that he'd been bored enough to read, a spark of inspiration struck Desna, and he spent the remainder of the evening in his sewing room – something Kaida had grown accustomed to, and found very endearing. He stayed in there until he fell asleep on the couch in the room, too tired to return to his beloved bathtub, and after breakfast the next morning, he went straight back to the room. It was late that night before he'd completed the piece, as it was a new design and he was meticulous about adding all the final touches to it. As soon as he deemed it worthy of his partner, Desna retrieved Kaida from where she was reading on the balcony and escorted her to his sewing room. The intrigued and excited smile on Kaida's lips quelled the nervousness in the pit of Desna's stomach, present whenever he gifted her one of his creations, always hoping she would like it.

Still lost in his own thoughts, it was Kaida's soft gasp that brought Desna back to the present, as she'd laid eyes on the mannequin he used to stage his latest creations. It held the most beautiful dress Kaida had ever seen; a steel-boned corset at the center, long bell sleeves that hung off the shoulders, and an elegant draped skirt, all made of a deep black fabric that shimmered from the small, subtle touches of silver throughout.

With wide, excited eyes, Kaida turned to Desna and asked in a stupefied whisper, "Is that for me?"

"Of course," Desna answered plainly, relishing in the bright smile that spread across her face. "Do you like it?"

"Like it? Desna, that doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. That dress is a work of art, an absolute masterpiece."

"Only with you in it, my darling," Desna stated, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips, then gestured toward the gown. "Try it on."

He busied himself tidying up his workspace while Kaida changed into the dress, to allow her some privacy, as they had not yet known each other carnally. The temptation had been there many times, yes – when their kisses became heated and desperate, and when Kaida's hands became tangled in his hair, tugging on the roots just enough that all sensical thoughts left Desna's mind – but it had never gone any farther than that. When they'd briefly discussed it, Desna had explained that he felt that it would be deplorable to lay with her prior to marriage, as he respected her far too much to engage in such an intimate act without first making her his wife. But, if he were being honest with himself, his resolve was wearing thin, rapidly diminishing like pulling thread from a sweater – and, after all, they would be married within a few months anyway. However, the one thing that stopped Desna, even when his determination to wait till marriage would fail him, was the simple fact that he was absolutely terrified.