"I've been alone for a while now, actually. A lot of assholes in paradise, let me tell you." they scowled, unintentionally tensing up.
Neer's smile dropped abruptly into a pout and they reached up to pet Eden's cheek gently. Their hands were clean– well, mostly clean— so they didn't feel too bad about petting their new friend -adjacent. "Poor thing, you weren't made for being alone, were you? You can come hang out with me if you need."
"Let me guess, you're just in it for the pears?" they snarked.
Neer laughed. "Not just the pears," they answered innocently. "You brought champagne too. And also you're not half bad, I guess."
"Yup, just the pears. I'm feeling so betrayed!" they gave a mock-gasp, falling down onto the grassy, muddy ground.
"No! I'm also here for some hopefully high quality alcohol!" Neer plopped down beside them, rolling over onto their side with a grin. "And anyways, if you can't compete with your pears, I don't think that's really my problem, love."
"You're so selfish, but I love it. I'd give you the universe if I could," Psyche said, breathless. They popped open the bottle and took a long swig from it, then set it on the ground.
Neer gave them a searching look and then, before they could think too hard about it, they grabbed the bottle, took a long swig, and leaned forward to mumble "I'll give you one better" before they smashed their mouth against Eden's.
Psyche almost choked. Almost. There was kissing. It was happening, right here, right now, and honestly? Fuck it, this was the best they'd felt in months. They let their lips open up, exploring the combination of the alcohol and the two's saliva mixing together to create a perfectly blended high.
Eden tasted like sweet pear and bubbly golden champagne and something… electric. Something invigorating. Neer just had to knot their hands in Eden's collar to pull them closer, needing to touch and to taste almost as badly as they needed to breathe.
"Mmph" a low moan, unintended but fully enjoyed. Psyche craved this touch, not knowing how long it had been and not caring. But suddenly, anxiety hit. They pulled back, breathing heavy and wiping their mouth. "Are you okay with this?" they exclaimed.
(I'm gonna head to bed, goodnight!)
It had been a long time since Neer had come face to face with a person they actually wanted to touch, so they didn't even try to hold back the whine that left them when Eden pulled back. "Why the hell wouldn't I be? I kissed you. Pretty sure that means I'm into it love, now if you'd just…" They tugged meaningfully on Eden's collar, leaning close again.
(Kay, goodnight)
"Yeah, but it's kind of rushing in." a doubtful look. "Are you really okay? Like, really really?" they traced the hem of their dress nervously, avoiding Neer's eyes.
Neer sighed but they couldn't help the rush of affection that filled their chest. It wasn' often that someone cared enough to check in with them. "Yes, Eden. Really really. We're just kissing, it's nothing I'm uncomfortable with."
Psyche was less concerned about consent (not like they weren't, however), rather more the effect their presence had on mortals. It made them soften, lose coherent thought, melt into divine bliss. It fogged their minds, even the strongest minds. They couldn't be too sure.
"So… you wanna kiss again?"
Neer was starting to feel the effects of Psyche's presence, though they couldn't exactly pinpoint the feeling. Every time the other enby was around, they felt… looser– more relaxed and less able to hold in their impulses. "Yes!" They leaned in, pressing their lips against Eden's eagerly. "I'd like to kiss you all afternoon between bites of pear and sips of champagne."
"Then what's stopping you, darling?" they asked, leaning into what they dearly hoped was a seductive position in the grass.
Neer laughed, gesturing behind themself at the mostly empty flower bed. "The irises, mostly. Also the ridiculous way you're contorting yourself, is that even comfortable?"
"I'm flexible. Sorry, just wanted to seem open." they leaned closer to Neer, until their faces were nearly touching. "Are you going to continue? Never mind the mess or dirt."
Neer leaned forward and kissed them sweetly, pulling away before things could get too involved. "I'm going to continue with my fower bed until it's cleared. If you want to help me, you're free to. If you don't, you can wait for… the 20 minutes or so it'll take for me to finish."
"What do I do? My plants… they take care of themselves." Psyche admitted, then scanned the garden. "I'm not too skilled at the technical things."
Neer gave them a fond smile and scooted over to make room. "You see those purple-blue flowers? You need to rip those out, all the way to the root, and toss them over into that pile over there. They can go pretty deep, so don't worry about mucking up the clay. I'll fix it tomorrow."
