ʜᴏɴᴋᴀɪ ꜱᴛᴀʀ ʀᴀɪʟ ᴏɴᴇꜱʜᴏᴛꜱ, ꜱᴄᴇɴᴀʀɪᴏꜱ/ᴅʀᴀʙʙʟᴇꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴄᴀɴᴏɴꜱ

✶ ᴀᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀɪɴᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄɪᴀɴ & ꜱɪɴɢᴇʀ ꜱ/ᴏ ✶

⋘ ʟᴏᴀᴅɪɴɢ... ⋙

↻ Aventurine's first encounter with you would be an event that is taking place in a casino that he frequents

     ↺ You know how bars have those karaoke nights where people can come up and sing? Something like that

↻ When he first saw you performing, he could recognize some of the songs that he overheard from his subordinates and coworkers

     ↺ They seemed to be fangirling over whoever the singer was, gushing about their appearance and music to each other before noticing Aventurine and skittering off to their work

     ↺ He didn't question what they were listening to, returning back to whatever he was doing in the first place

↻ When you started singing on stage, he was enamored with your voice, the lighting of the casino complimenting your looks and making you appear ethereal

     ↺ Aventurine couldn't focus on his gambles for the rest of the night and days to come, distracted by your performances

↻ He started going to the casino on days that you were performing, making sure to get a seat near you to be able to have a closer look

↻ Aventurine often times finds himself daydreaming, lost in the movements of your hands as they played to the tune of your voice

     ↺ He was lovestruck, but he would never admit that to anyone, maybe not even you...

↻ Unbeknownst to Aventurine, you had noticed his frequent appearances during your appearances and were delighted to have someone of his position enjoy your performances

     ↺ You'd catch his lingering gazes, the flustered look on his face when he caught himself staring for too long, his stuttered movements when he returned to whoever he was milking money from

    ↺ You decided to wait a little longer, wanting to see just how long it would take for Aventurine to make his move before you do

↻ Honestly, you would have never guessed that you'd bump into Aventurine after one of your performances, spotting him waiting near the back entrance to where you had some of your equipment stored (it seems you needn't wait longer for your encounter with him)

     ↺ He was the first to approach you, clapping his hands and giving you a sly smile

     ↺ "What a performance. You always know how to put on a show."

↻ From there on, he'd catch you after you had finished your act for the night, striking up a conversation that could last for hours

     ↺ You'd end up sitting by the bar with him, talking and laughing the night away as the two of you grew closer and learned more about each other

     ↺ It wasn't long until Aventurine asked you out to dinner, a much more romantic setting compared to late-night bar trips

↻ Aventurine, despite his cunning attitude and sly looks, had a much softer and clingier side to him, you discovered further down the line

↻ When the two of you started sharing the same bed, cuddling and holding the other close, you learned of the frequent nightmares he often experienced

     ↺ He hated to admit it, in fact, he never wanted you to find out about the nightmares he faced each night

     ↺ Those unforgiving and relentless nightmares that opened wounds of the past, were never meant to be shown to you but alas, it was only a matter of time before you found out

-----

It was another night that Aventurine had grown accustomed to. Those unforgiving nights when his past had come back to haunt him in the form of nightmares, in which he woke up in a cold sweat and felt his heart beating out of his chest. Invisible hands seemed to tighten around his throat, the fading heat on that damned mark on his neck lingering for a second too long. It almost made him want to scream and cry, but he didn't. He couldn't.

Not when you were lying peacefully beside him.

The steady rise and fall of your chest, your incoherent mumbles, and your body heat reassured him that you were there and that you wouldn't leave his side anytime soon. Yet the shackles of his past still persisted, dragging him into the depths of his own loneliness and despair.

Aventurine had quietly shuffled off the bed, sitting on the edge while feeling the cool night air filter through the window. He glanced over at a nearby clock and found it to be 1:24 AM, nowhere near daybreak. His shaky hands ran through his hair, eyes shut closed as he tried to stabilize his breathing.

To his dismay, he felt you move in your sleep, a groggy voice calling out to him from behind.

"...Aventurine..? Are you okay?"

Aventurine reluctantly looked over his shoulder, plastering that same smile he gave you when the two of you first met.

"Of course, I just needed to use the bathroom." He lied, yet he knew that you would see through him as you always did. That was the most damning part about you, your ability to read people's emotions despite any obstacles.

"...Aventurine, did you have another nightmare?" He heard you speak, your figure moving to sit beside him. He felt your hand gently touch his shoulder, moving to rub comforting circles on his shoulder blades. Aventurine relaxed at your touch.

"I—..sigh... Yes..I did." Aventurine admitted, his gaze never meeting your own. "It's the same damn nightmare, nothing special..."

When his body turned to face yours, you saw the dark circles that began to form from the countless nights he found himself having trouble falling asleep. Your face softened at his disheveled appearance, hands moving to cup his face which he leaned into.

"Oh Aven, you can always tell me when something is bothering you but I'll never pressure you." You hummed, fixing his loose strands of hair. "I'll never leave you to face your troubles alone."

Aventurine could feel his eyes start to water, but he blinked them away, turning his face to kiss the palm of your hand.

"Thank you, my love."

"Of course."

There was a brief silence between the both of you but it wasn't an awkward one. You had moved to let Aventurine lay down, spooning him in your arms which held him close and played with his hair. Although he'd complain about being the little spoon, he would always sink further into your embrace despite his protests. This time, however, he didn't say a word.

Aventurine could hear you start to hum a small song, one which he recognized as the song you first performed at the casino. It was a slow and comforting one. Its tunes melted away his previous stress and allowed him to grow lax in your arms.

Your humming combined with the faint sound of your beating heart slowly lulled him to sleep. His eyes started to grow heavy and his breathing had evened. The light strokes of his hair had him leaning towards your touch.

Aventurine could feel himself slipping into the realm of dreams, which would now be filled with scenarios of you.

At last, his eyes have closed and your humming never ceased, following him into his slumber.

"My thoughts will follow you into your dreams and soothe your worries. Rest well, my dear."

⋘ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ! ⋙

note - did you guys get the reference at the end? ( ❛ ͜ʖ ❛ )