Stay Still, Will You?

Fandom(s) - The Arcana

Pairing(s) - Asra Alnazar x gn!reader

Summary - The Reader tries to braid Asra's hair but it proves to be difficult when he won't stop squirming.

Warnings - Fluff, he/they pronouns for Asra, long haired!Asra, squint and you'll see perfectionist!reader (I'm projecting ik.)

Wordcount - 850+

A/N - Here's a short one for our beloved Asra because I played his route again and fell in love with him all over again. Hope you guys like this!

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"Will you stop squirming so much?" You snapped. The part of hair clasped between your fingers slipping and merging with the rest, fueling your irritation further.

You sighed as Asra stilled, and focused on the braid you had been in the process of making. Locating the free end again, you carefully reached out to pluck it, clasping it gently between the pads of your forefinger and thumb.

Another rocky movement beneath you and you had to quickly loosen your grip on the hair to avoid tugging at the roots and ruining the tight and intricate work you had been at for fifteen minutes now.

"Asra!"

"I can't help it. This stool is so stiff. It's hurting my butt!"

You inhaled deeply and straightened your posture. Trying to focus again, you separated the strands to their initial position and started twisting them under your fingers. You did that twice before loosening one hand to section a segment from the side and twine it with the rest.

You were able to go only two segments far before Asra was twitching beneath you again, wriggling like a strand of fabric caught in the wind.

"Asra, honey, a couple more minutes." You pleaded, "I just have to finish this one and then I'll tie all three of them together, and then you can get up, hmm?"

The plastic stool he was sitting on while a beautiful shade of lime green with black rubber grips at the end, did not prove to be much efficient when the word 'relaxing' got involved. You had bought it from a local vendor in the marketplace for the main purpose of having a stable footstool to use when you both sometimes had to reach for things located on the higher shelves.

You pick up speed now, fingers weaving the hair more swiftly. A segment in the braid ends up a bit more slack than you would have preferred but you force yourself to avert your eyes, instead lasering your focus on the result of further manoevures of your hands.

A few minutes and you had reached the nape of Asra's neck. A smile lifted your lips. The results were looking good.

You quickly pulled the band loose from the other two braids and untangled a couple of segments from both to align them. Twisting, your hand reaches to pick the bright new red rubber band Asra had purchased to go along with their outfit and tie their snowy hair together.

When you're finished, you brush the hair gently one last time before patting your lover on the shoulder.

Asra looks up, boldly lined eyes meeting yours.

"We done?" They question, leaning their head back and resting it against your thighs.

"Yes." You whisper, shivering as you think of the state of the ponytail you had just finished but still unable to pull away from his captivating violet eyes. They glittered at you - mischievous with a glimmer of tenderness- like you were his quintessential world materialized; his hope, his dreams, and all of his love.

Asra hums, a deep rumble that you feel reverberate through you. Their hand reaches up to your jaw, gently pulling you down to touch their lips with yours. You swallow your instinctive moan, relishing in the softness of their kiss, the moment seemingly eternal.

You pull back and grasp the hand resting against your neck, pressing an affectionate kiss against his palm as Asra flashes you a dazzling smile.

He gets up after, hands immediately reaching back to his rear end with a groan, "Numb. Definitely numb."

You chuckle, getting up yourself to gather all the brushes and bands strewn about and walk over to the vanity to dump them. You'll organize it later.

When you turn back, Asra is gently slackening their hair to reduce the pressure on their scalp. You had styled their hair into three dutch braids that coalesced into a fountain held together by the band you had tied. Their baby hair framed their forehead, some curling past their temple and enhancing the sharp angles of their face.

"Do you like it?" You ask softly, tilting your head, coming to stand behind him.

Asra's eyes flutter to you in the mirror.

"I love it." He replies, turning around to face you. His outfit for the Summer Solstice Festival was snug against his body, shades of buttery yellow and tangy orange peppered with ivory and sparkling red contrasting magnificently with his striking purple eyes.

His arm snakes around your wrist to pull you closer, chest brushing with yours. He was so beautiful; warm brown skin smooth under your fingers, eyes shimmering with the festive spirit of the summer solstice's arrival, and a smile constantly adorning his lips.

"Thank you." They murmur, lifting one of your hands to press a kiss against your knuckles.

You grin at him, heart skipping with passion when suddenly, he spins you away, compelling a giggle out of you as your vision swims joyfully.

"Now, lets leavee before we miss the parade and all your hard work goes to waste."

Pulling you back in with a flourish, he tugs you to the door with a laugh of his own.

With the shining sun above you, your visages were nothing but two streaks of love and glee.