Beanwaterontherocks

Ronin stepped into Jarina’s apartment, after fiddling with the lock, and was greeted with her steel-toed boots thrown haphazardly by the door. She should have given him a spare key by now, but said she wanted to make him ‘work for it’. He couldn’t deny that he liked that. Her bat-printed bag sat on the couch, her wallet and keys spilling out, it had been equally as manhandled as her shoes.

“Darlin’? Are you here?” He called out into the space. He took off his own shoes and walked towards her bedroom. A pained, muffled hiss answered him, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

As much as he told himself that he was fine, that feeling began to eat at him again. Jarina was in pain and he needed to know if he had to beat some sorry fucker’s skull to bits. He opened the door and found his girlfriend lying on her stomach in her bed, covered in her comforter despite it being hot outside.

She slowly turned over and raised her head to look at him, the comforter fell, exposing her loose tank top and sleep shorts, as well as a thick towel laying under her.

She looked exhausted, her brows furrowed as she bit her bottom lip, letting out another noise like a wounded animal. Dark brown eyes glanced at him, pained. Her long black hair fell onto tan shoulders as she sat up, keeping a hand on her stomach.

“Aw, were you”, she didn’t get to continue her sentence before she sunk her hand into her plush abdomen with a groan “fuck’s sake…were you worried about me?”

Jarina had never been stabbed before, there was still time for that considering she was in a server full of serial killers but for now, the cramps would have to do. It always puzzled her how something as simple as shedding some blood from the inner lining of her uterus could feel like Hostel-level torture. Her head spun a bit as she looked at Ronin.

“The cramps they just…get a little bad some months”, she explained, gripping onto her comforter as she felt another wave of agony wash over her. Ronin walked to the side of her bed, taking a glance at her nightstand, an open pack of ibuprofen and empty glass stood on it.

“I’m guessing they’re not working”, he stated, turning his eyes back to her. Those eyes, dark as polished obsidian, stared at her with a warmth she’d sometimes see in them.

A warmth that always made her face flush slightly, even if she was already feeling a bit heated from her period.

“Nope, I kind of just have to ride it out, maybe it’ll work if I take enough to mess up my kidneys”, she said, turning back to lay on her stomach. The pressure and warmth helped a little bit and she’d take anything she could get at this point.

“Aw come on, you can’t die on me like that, not when you dance with the devil”, he said and Jarina felt a cool hand stroking the back of her head. “That’d just be a fuckin’ tragedy and not even a beautifully wretched one”, he added. She laughed and it hurt to do so.

“Shit, I can barely walk right now, so don’t expect me to tango with you”, she mumbled into the indigo of her pillow. She heard Ronin walk to the other side of the bed, turning her head slightly to peer at him. He stared down at the clothes she had tossed off in favor of her pajamas.

“I bled through, eight hour protection…yeah right”, she said, gesturing lazily towards the shorts she had been wearing. She’d have to wash them later, if the pain eased up. Ronin hummed in response, he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I’ll take care of it, you just focus on suffering a little less, save it for the nine circles”, he said, grinning as he picked up her nearby laundry basket. Jarina got up on her elbow, groaning as another deeply seething pang ran through her stomach.

“Are you sure?” She asked, normally, she wasn’t shy about putting him to work when he stayed over, she just felt the need to ask this time.

“You know I’m no stranger to bloodstains, not these kinda ones either”, Ronin reminded her and she nodded slowly.

“Thanks lutka”, she smiled as she said the sweet nickname, he picked up her clothes and burgundy hair tickled her cheeks as he placed a quick kiss on her lips before walking out and into her bathroom.

Jarina tried to get some sleep, but the hot pain kept her from dozing off. Every time it felt like it was maybe going away it’d come back with a boiling vengeance. How dare she think she’d get a break from it?

A sweet smell caught her by surprise, she sat up to see Ronin holding a steaming mug. When he sat it down next to her she recognized the scent as herbal tea with honey.

“You don’t have to be so nice, I’m not actually dying, you know?” Jarina said, but she couldn’t help the smile on her face as she lifted the mug to her lips. She recognized the cup as one he had made at a pottery cafe they went to, she had a coupon for it…not because she thought it’d be a cute date.

The cup was glazed in black, with little crimson devils and gray crowbars painted on it. She’d never tell him, but she loved drinking her morning coffee from that very mug.

The tea was very warm, almost too hot to drink, but it provided a split second of saccharine relief as it ran down her throat to her stomach, relaxing her muscles.

“Drink up darlin’, I worked hard on it”, Ronin said, moving to sit down on the edge of her bed. Jarina mustered up the strength to poke at his back with her foot. The action made stomach feel like it would implode so she quickly dropped her leg.

“Outside clothes”, she said as firmly as she could in her current stage, it came out a little shaky as there was another phantom stab to her stomach. Ronin threw his hands up in mock surrender, getting up again.

“Shit! Baby, if you wanted me to strip, you could have just asked”, he said, a teasing drawl to his voice and Jarina rolled her eyes. She didn’t exactly mind it when he undressed until he was in his boxers.

She kept some comfy clothes at her place for him, but said nothing when he crawled under the covers with her. Ronin usually ran a bit cold, but somehow, that helped too.

She laid on her side and pressed herself closer to him, until she could lay her head on his pale chest, her breath ghosting over the faded crescent scars under his pecs.

A slightly rough hand rested on her soft hip, before sliding down to rub slow, deep circles into her abdomen. Jarina couldn’t help but sigh at the massage and she heard Ronin’s signature chuckle in her ear.

“What? You like seeing me this pathetic?” She asked, letting out a small, sharp curse when another cramp punched her in the gut.

Ronin’s other hand cradled her jaw, tilting her head up. He smiled at her, a devilish grin as always, but with an underlying, sturdy warmth, fire and brimstone.

“Not pathetic, but you’re kind of adorable right now”, he spoke, his hand continuing to caress her lower stomach. Jarina lifted her head and pressed a kiss to his lips, lifting an arm to wrap it around his neck.

“Yeah, this is their 15th one and it’s only been 12 days, whoever they are, they really want to get out”, you answered, flipping through your diary entries. “There’s 35 dead so far and I haven’t heard of a number over 100, so we can assume there’s around 65 people left”, you said, throwing another stick into the dwindling fire. You had luckily found a small cave to hide out in for the night. 

“Don’t you wanna get out?” Jack asked, grabbing a berry from your ration bag. You sighed and looked to the entrance of the cave. The forest was vast but you could catch a glimpse of the towering wall that kept all the contestants in. How far were you from Uptown? Could this be a private island? 

“I do, but the rules said you just have to be the ‘last ones standing’ to win and that plural means that you can team up”, you said, shooting him a soft smile. Jack smiled back and stared into the flames. 

“I overheard someone talking in the forest once, he said he saw someone being killed with a crowbar, who would be stupid enough to pick a crowbar?” Jack laughed, though his voice was shaky as he was likely pictureing how brutal that death was. Something rose up from the back of your mind, murders committed with a heavy weapon to the skull, murders you had written articles about. 

It couldn’t be. 

“Maybe they’re confident, not stupid”, you mused, looking over at the axe that you had chosen. Most contestants had stumbled upon a depot filled to the brim with weapons and tools. The one in your area was mostly empty, but you had been lucky enough to find an axe. It was heavy to log around, but it was useful. The tool gave you a weird comfort at night, holding it like you were a kid clinging to your teddy bear, scared of monsters in the night. 

“I’ll keep a lookout tonight, you’ve done it the most, so please get some rest”, Jack said, gesturing towards the deer skin you had set up as a bed. 

You looked into the flickering fire as you laid down, the axe propped up right behind you. You closed your eyes, your head thumping with the stress of your situation. No good would come of panicking, but you were by no means relaxed. The game weighed on your chest and every step you took was taken with extreme caution. You wished it hadn’t delved into chaos so quickly, then you might have found a group to rebel with. You sighed as the crackling of the fire lulled you to sleep. 

“Contestant 12 has been eliminated. Cause of death: Contestant 66”.

The announcement stirred you awake, the fire hadn’t gone out so you could clearly see Jack, cutting up a small brown root with his knife. Sitting next to him was your water bottle and he had opened it. 

“Jack, what are you doing?” You asked, sitting up and reaching your hand behind your back, you felt the wooden handle of your axe. Jack jumped a bit at your words, he clearly hadn’t expected you to be awake. You hadn’t slept in 2 days, so that made sense. 

“Oh, I’m just…cutting up some ginger for your water, it really helps with uh…dental health, I read it in my book”, he said, though his voice had a noticeable nervous strain. You were armed with an axe, but his eyes were darting all around the cave, looking anywhere but you as he spoke. Jack’s “Game Master gift” had been a little book on plants, you had flipped through it once while he was asleep. Whatever he was holding was too light and uniform in shape to be ginger. Your mind sparked with a memory of small, white flowers outside of the cave. Your mouth went dry at your realization. 

“Water hemlock…what the fuck. You’re trying to poison me!”, you exclaimed as you stood up, taking the axe with you. 

Jack stood up too, holding the knife out and pointing it at you. You could see sweat start to form at his brow as his legs shook. He looked like a frightened baby deer, like he had done the day you had found him.

“You’re too calm! I started thinking…” he exhaled shakily, "what if you’re the Game Master, you seem to know everything!” you gritted your teeth as anger bubbled inside of you. You had gathered food for this guy when he was too weak to even move and you had spent days awake keeping a lookout. But he had tried to kill you, maybe you had put too much faith in him. 

After all, people were being killed left and right not 2 weeks into the game and he wasn’t any different, even if you had been kind to him. 

“Why would I be the Game Master, why would they play their own game?! It’s clear that they’re probably sitting in a fancy room somewhere, sipping expensive booze and getting off to us killing each other!” You yelled and Jack shrunk in on himself at your tone. “And I don’t know anything, I’m just drawing conclusions”. 

“I just don’t get how you’re so calm…if we’re drawing conclusions, then you probably don’t have anyone to go back to, you don’t need to get out”, he said, suddenly leaping forward with the knife raised above his head in shaking hands. you took a step back, your heart pounding as you flipped the axe, holding by the head and using your whole weight to swing the wooden handle.

It collided with the side of Jack’s head with a thud, sending him barreling to the cave’s floor. He hit the dirt and you saw the mauve bruise blooming on his head, you crouched down and looked at his face. Luckily, he was still breathing. You hadn’t been aiming to kill him, you would like to get out of here without having to kill anyone. You felt a pang in your chest as you packed up your things. You had spent nearly a week surviving with this guy, had he really been suspicious of you the whole time? Your chest stung, guilt creeping up on you and sending your heart to your stomach.

“I’m sorry”, you spoke quietly, slinging your bag over your shoulder and grabbing the knife from his hand. 

__

“Contestant 28 has been eliminated. Cause of death: Contestant 70”.

You had frozen up when you heard that announcement, Jack had been contestant 28. Had he still been unconscious? It had been 3 days since you left the cave, had he been completely defenseless against number 70? He had betrayed you and let paranoia get the best of him but your heart still ached for him. He was scared and terrified when you weren't, he had done it all in fear and desperation to get home.

To blame him completely would be taking blame off of the twisted bastard who was watching them. 

You peered out from the bushes, watching as a man left the cave. 70’s clothes were spotted with blood as he carried Jack’s supplies, leaving his body. Your grip on your axe tightened as your knuckles turned white. You couldn’t take that guy on, especially not since he had a gun sitting in his belt. The splatters of blood didn’t look like he had shot Jack though, the gun was probably for emergencies. 

He never got the chance to draw it as a figure stepped out from the trees, raising a crowbar and swinging it right into 70’s skull. The sharp hook buried into his head, blood pouring down and coating the side of his face.

The man yelled, disoriented as his attacker pulled out the hook and swung again. That impact brought him to the ground. The assailant brought their crowbar down on 70’s head one last time, blood and bits of brain splattering onto their red pants. You could make out burgundy hair, dark eyes, a striped beanie with devil horns and a tall stature. The stench of blood filled your nostrils, making you retch slightly. 

“Contestant 70 has been eliminated. Cause of death: Contestant 66”.

So 66 and the crowbar user were the same person. The way the head was violently smashed in was all too familiar. You had stared at pictures like that late at night, guzzling coffee and chasing a deadline. Your growing suspicions were confirmed as 66 began to contort the corpse’s limbs with loud, sickening cracks and drawing on the ground with his blood.

A scarlet pentagram began to take shape in the dirt. A serial killer in a death game, like a kid in a candy store. 66 stood up from his crouch and looked right at the bush you were hiding in. 

“You enjoying the show, darlin’?” He asked, an amused smile stretched across his face. You cursed under your breath, he had known you were there the whole time. You stepped out, your axe slung over your shoulder. 

“So you’re 66 or should I say the Devil’s Butcher”, you said, looking down at the corpse. He would have killed you straight away if he wanted to, maybe you could get out of this alive. “Not your best work, but I guess you don’t have all your tools”. He laughed as he poked the body with the tip of his boot. 

“Are you a fan? I’d be happy to give you my autograph, if that’s your last wish”, he spoke, blood dripping from his crowbar. It was probably heavier than your axe, but he sure did know how to use it. 

“Not a fan, I’ve just written a lot of articles about your murders, so thanks for paying my rent”, you said sarcastically, you were eerily calm in the face of this danger, more than you had been at any point of this game. Maybe this whole thing was chipping away at your sanity too but that probably would work in your favor. 

“How did they manage to kidnap you? I mean you’ve eluded the police for years”, you commented. There were a few tears in his jacket and his pants were stained with both old and fresh blood. His expression turned sour, his brows furrowing.

“Dunno, I was just finishin’ up a kill and someone came at me with a syringe”, he kicked some dirt on the ground as his eyes filled with a simmering rage “I got that fucker, but there were more of them, last thing I remember is passin’ out and I’m kinda pissed”. 

You nodded at his words, either the Game Master had figured out he was the Devil’s Butcher or they thought he was a random killer. Anyway, they likely wanted to spice up their game. 

“Are you aiming to get out? I’d think someone like you would have fun here”, you said and immediately realized how suspicious you sounded. No wonder Jack had thought you were the Game Master. “Well, I guess the options are pretty limited here, must be constricting”, you added.

“You’re right about that, but I’m not not havin’ fun, you’re pretty relaxed though, think I’m not gonna have fun right now?” He asked teasingly, a dangerous glint in his ink-colored eyes. 

“I think you would have done that already if you wanted to, I’ve got a proposition for you”, you said, lowering your axe. Your heart was beating wildly in your ears, your life was on the line every second you spent not running from him. But it thrilled you, in an odd way. There was no time to unpack that.

“Aren’t you polite, what can you offer me?” He asked, tilting his head in an exaggerated manner. you shuffled around in your bag and pulled out your notebook. 

“I’ve been writing down where the people who dispose of the bodies are coming from, I might be able to find an opening in the wall”, you flipped through the pages and showed him your notes.

“I’m pissed as whoever made this whole game too, so let’s team up and find the guy”, you said., watching his face. He raised an eyebrow and ran a finger over the metal of his crowbar. 

“So all you have is some notes, that’s really temptin’, I’m almost convinced”, he said, his words dripping with sarcasm. you scoffed and tucked the book away, of course he wouldn’t team up with you that easily. You were crazy to do this, but maybe you had to be a bit crazy to survive.

“I also noticed that there’s a bump under the skin on my arm, they have to be using chips to track us”, you explained as you put down your bag you pulled Jack’s knife from it as you felt around for the spot on your bicep.

“I like that they’re keepin’ score, as far as I can tell I’m top of the leaderboard”, he said, watching you curiously. “What the hell are you up to?” 

“I think you know already”, you said, putting the leather strap of your bag in between your teeth as you raised the knife to your skin. “Enjoy the show, 66”, you spoke, your words muffled slightly. A searing pain shot through your arm and warm blood ran down like a creek. You bit hard on the leather as you used the tip of the knife to dig around in the wound. It was the worst pain you had ever felt, your entire arm went numb as your flaming nerves yelled at you to stop. 

Suddenly you felt a hand on your shoulder, you turned your head to look into those dark eyes. Maybe the pain was getting to you, but you could have sworn his eyes had a glint of…some twisted form of respect.

Finally, through the horrible agony, you found something small and hard, you scooped it up and pulled out the knife. Scarlet coated your arm, the wound wasn’t big but it was deep. You panted as the wound stung even without the blade in your flesh.

“Well, would you look at that, there was a chip in there”, 66 took the knife from you, inspecting the small metal square, it had a blinking green light. “My name’s Ronin, by the way”, he said, like now was the optimal time for introductions. 

“Ronin…put the…oh fuck” you hissed as you held your arm, your head was starting buzz from the loss of blood “put the chip in that corpse”. It was the last thing that left your mouth before your consciousness slipped from you, leaving you to hit the ground. 

___

When you came to, you were propped up against a tree, your sore arm was banaged and you could feel some stitching under the gauze. Ronin sat next to you, a hand on his cheek as he grinned, there was an open medical kit in his lap. 

“So you’re contestant 88, they announced your death when I put the chip in, they said it was a heart attack”, he explained, closing up the box. your head was reeling, as you turned to face him, your forearm was dirty with dried streaks of blood. You told him your actual name.

“I take it you wanna team up now, seeing as you didn’t leave me to bleed out”, you said, glancing at your arm. Ronin hummed in an exaggerated way. 

“I think I’ll give it a shot, you seem like a little daredevil, so maybe we’ll get along”, he said, smiling and you caught a glimpse of a black tongue piercing. Looking at him up close while you were fully conscious, he was good-looking. That was a dangerous thought to have, you realized and quickly averted your gaze. 

“I had a plan with all of that, it’ll be easier for me to sneak around if they think I’m dead…wait, we need to-”, you didn’t get to finish your sentence before Ronin held up your chip, it had stopped blinking after your “death”. 

“Right here, don’t think I didn’t see what you were doin’, darlin’”, he spoke and you exhaled in relief. You leaned against the tree. 

“That means you’ll know if I ever decide to betray you”, you stated, the blood loss clearly making you less wary of sounding suspicious. “You think I can kill you?” You asked, a slight smile on your lips. Ronin chuckled in response, a dark joy lacing his voice at your words. 

“You’re a character, let’s make that deal but I have one condition” he leaned in, forcing to look at him as he whispered in your ear: “You can stand by for all of my kills here, but once we find the big boss, you’re helpin’ me kill him”. 

You sat there stunned for a minute, your mind racing at 100 miles an hour. You wanted to get out without any blood on your hands…but maybe that was already too late. You had unarmed Jake, left him vulnerable and stood idly by as Ronin had killed a contestant. You were mad at the sick fuck who had orchestrated all of this, the one who had put people in a death game for entertainment. You gritted your teeth as you thought about it, maybe it was doing the world a service. 

“Fine, it’s a deal”, you said firmly, raising your hand for a handshake. Ronin took your hand, his fingers were cold and he held your hand tight. 

___

You stared at yourself in the bathroom mirror, the guard uniform was a little big on you, but nothing too noticeable. Ronin sat by the sink, cleaning the blood from his crowbar. He handed you the security pass he had grabbed from the guard’s corpse. 

“We need to be quick before they find the body”, you said, tucking back your hair and revealing a dark purple spot on your neck. Ronin’s lips turned up into a smile and you felt your face flush and heart speed up as you recalled that night. Those lips on yours and an unusual softness to the way the killer’s hands held you. His voice speaking lowly in your ear and his lips leaving the skin on your neck tingling warmly.

You shook your head as you snapped out of it, that had just been a way to relieve stress and nothing more. Even if it had been nice…comforting in a way you hadn’t felt in a long time, even before this death game. 

“Aye aye captain but don’t you forget your deal with the devil”, Ronin said, walking up behind you and placing a hand on your shoulder. A memory bloomed in your mind, the look in his eyes the last time he had done that. You humored him, put your hand over his and intertwined your fingers. 

“It’s not like you remind me every day with that annoying look on your face”, you said, rolling your eyes as you grabbed the helmet from the side of the sink. With the visor pulled down, you looked enough like the guard to calm your nervousness a bit. 

“Get out there and make me proud”, he said teasingly, giving your shoulder one last squeeze. 

You flipped him off before exiting the bathroom, you spotted another guard holding a tray with a crystal carafe filled with amber liquid, a cigar box and a glass. 

“Can you believe this? Bringing him his afternoon scotch isn’t in our job description”, the guard sighed. you really wondered what the description for this job looked like. You stiffened up at the casual tone though, had you gotten unlucky and ran into a friend of the guard you were impersonating?

You glanced behind you, the door to the bathroom was ajar and you spotted a peek of burgundy hair. Your nerves stilled, he was right behind you if things went south. 

“How about I do it?” You asked, ready to signal to Ronin if your voice gave you away. The other guard happily handed over the tray and pointed at a door down the hall. 

You took a deep breath before opening the door. The sight that greeted you was straight out of a movie, so cliché it almost made you laugh. A suit-clad man sat in a plush velvet chair, his eyes glued to a screen displaying camera footage from the forest. The TV showed a contestant brutally attacking another with a hunting knife. 

“Contestant 47 has been eliminated. Cause of death: Contestant 92”.

The automated voice poured out from a speaker and the man leaned back in his seat, his hands folding behind his head. You fought back the fuming urge to break the carafe over his skull right then and there. 

“You’re late, you’re lucky I drink it neat, or else the ice would have melted by now”, he spat, turning around to face you. He patted the table in front of him impatiently with a frown. Your eyes widened as you recognized the face scowling at you. Now you knew how he knew of your profession, what a petty asshole. You shoved down the anger boiling inside as you placed the tray on the table. The man crossed his arms, gesturing to the bottle as he tapped his foot. You really had to pour it for him too? 

You uncapped the carafe and poured the likely expensive scotch into the glass. He grabbed it as soon as you finished, looking back at the screen and sipping the booze. you stepped towards the door, stopping at the back of his chair. Your blood rushed in your ears and your heart started beating so hard it was almost painful against your ribs.

You felt the cool blade of the knife hidden up your sleeve as you stepped closer, you had to honor your promise, you liked to think you were a person of your word. 

“Would you get out already? I don’t pay you to stand around-”, his words were cut off by you grabbing his thinning hair and pulling harshly to tilt his head back. He had no time to shout for help as you brought out the knife, biting your lip in disgust as you ran the blade over his neck.

The blood poured out like a running stream, staining his crisp white shirt with deep crimson, he let out a choked sob as he dropped his glass. Crystal splintered against the floor and, as if on cue, Ronin entered the room with his crowbar slung over his shoulder. 

“Simple, but a throat slit’s a classic for a reason”, he said, his smiling showing that he was all too pleased with himself. The man held his hands to his bleeding throat, choking out pleas and cries as his body convulsed. You stepped away as Ronin took his sweet time sauntering over, eyes gazing at the wound. He looked overjoyed, like you had gotten him a present that he had always wanted. 

“The knife is short, stabbing him would have taken too long”, you rationalized, pocketing the damp knife. Ronin crouched down to the man, reaching out and grabbing his chin, the motion made the wound gape like a red maw. 

“Did I put on a good show, sir?” Ronin asked mockingly, the man’s eyes welled up with tears as he nodded, hoping it would please the Devil’s Butcher. “Aw thanks, how about you get a live performance this time?” He asked before  letting go and swinging his crowbar to the man’s head.

He did it again.

And again.

And again. 

you could only watch the wall as the white was splattered with blood and dark bits of brain matter. You heard the disgusting cracks and squishing as Ronin beat his accumulated anger into the man’s skull. 

“Ronin, I said we had to hurry, I think he died on the second strike”, you said, listening as the sounds stopped, Ronin walked up behind you, his shoes splashing in the blood. He rubbed his chin like an art critic as he looked at the wall. Ronin reached out and dipped his fingers into the blood, drawing lines on the plaster until there was a dripping crimson pentagram on the wall. 

“As my biggest fan, what do you think of this?” He asked teasingly as he glanced at you. You shoved him and turned around to hide the smile you couldn’t believe was on your face 

“I think we need to get out of here”. 

Ronin walked over to the corpse and reached into his pocket. He pulled a pair of car keys with a shining Mercedes logo on them and jingled them with a wide grin. 

___

“I knew the guy, he was CEO, I wrote an article about claims of OSHA violations in one of his factories”, you spat as the two of you sat in the 6-figure car, getting blood all over the cream seats. Ronin tapped his finger against the steering wheel, in tune with the song on the radio. 

“Hey cheer up, you’re like a martyr now”, he laughed, looking over the empty, dark highway. 

“Since I have to spend 12 hours in a car with you? Fuck yeah I am”, you said, glancing out of the window. 

You had opened the door to the control building and announced over the intercom that the contestants were free. Maybe some were pissed at their ruined chances for the cash prize. You hoped they all found their way home though, but right now you were exhausted. For the first time in weeks, you truly felt like you could relax. The only thing that was missing was a…

You looked to Ronin, who was holding a cigar out towards you, like he had read your mind. “Ronin! Stealing cigars, I’m so disappointed in you”, you said, chuckling as you took it. Just your luck, there was a lighter in the glove compartment. You took a drag of the expensive tobacco, the smoke filling lungs, burning in the way you loved.

But you definitely preferred your cheap cigarettes. You handed him the cigar, he hadn’t said anything about being a smoker, but he took a drag nonetheless. “How does the fruit of your labor taste?” You asked as he handed it back to you. You rolled down the window to let the smoke pour out. 

“It sucks, let’s get some food, I’m so sick of fucking berries”, He said, glancing at a sign advertising a chain diner a few miles ahead. You just now noticed how hungry you were. You hadn’t had a proper meal in a while. All that was available in the forest were fruits and the occasional wild game.

“I was thinking blueberry pancakes actually”, you said, pulling out a wallet filled with cash from the glove box. 

“I’m gonna get apple pie”, Ronin stated, the red lights of the diner shining in the distance on the highway exit. 

“That’s not a breakfast food, but I guess you deserve it”, you said, looking at the clock that read 4AM. 

“Shit, a compliment from you, darlin’?  You’re makin’ me blush!” He said as they pulled into the parking lot. You rolled your eyes and opened the car door. 

“That’s just blood, wipe that off before we go inside”.

The two of you sat in the virtually empty restaurant in a comfortable silence as you scarfed down your food like starving hyenas. You felt cold fingertips against your hand under the table, you looked to Ronin, who only answered with a smile. You sighed and held his hand, but your heart warmed as he squeezed it softly. 

You would make it back to Uptown and ditch the car on the way. You reached into your back pocket and placed your notebook and pen on the table. 

“You finally want that autograph?” Ronin asked as he grabbed the book. 

“Write whatever you want, I just wanted a keepsake from this”, you spoke as you took another bite of your pancakes. 

Once he was done scribbling, he slid the book back to you. You read the words with a raised brow. “What’s ‘killrch8t_b00t.mango?” You asked, you had expected his phone number or at least a signature. 

“You’ll find out when we get home, I’m sure you’ll fit right in”. 

___

SLAUGHTERHOUSE_LOSERS

@ goreboy:

rejoice losers, your resident Devil has crawled his way outta hell 

@ Angelic:

Ronin! What happened? You haven’t been active for weeks and when I went to your place you weren’t there! I looked everywhere for you. God, I’m so relieved. 

@ K9:

Your absence has been most puzzling, attempting to track you became entirely impossible. I am however pleased that you did not die before being brought to justice.

@ hitmeuppp:

holy shit i thought you were dead or something 

glad to have u back tho

@ goreboy:

Aw thanks for The warm Welcome 

i hope you’ll show my new Friend the same Hospitality 

@ Angelic: 

What do you mean? 

@ goreboy: 

welcome the Newly Christened @MC

@ MC:

Ronin? What is this? 

@ goreboy: 

The hotel room door had barely closed before you pulled V down and finally pressed your lips to his. You felt his hand on the small of your back as he returned your kiss with matching eagerness. His lips tasted like bubbling bright champagne and something that you had never been able to place.

Like walking in the woods on a sunny spring afternoon, the tantalizing smell of brewing coffee and a songbird’s joyful melody. So utterly him, so utterly Valentin Viljoen. The man who was so charming it made you dizzy, yet so preciously bashful at the same time. You moved your hands to slide him out of his blazer, letting it hit the floor. 

You felt the plush mattress hit your back as you had somehow made it to the bed without ever breaking apart. When you finally did (curse your lungs’ need for air), V moved to kneel between your legs, his hands resting on your thighs. 

“I’m…ashamed of my behavior earlier, even after that incident I began to notice how so many others looked at you with those same eyes”, he admitted quietly. “I desperately wanted them to know that you were with me, I realize that I was being far too selfish”. You sat up, taking in his guilty expression. With a quick movement, you pulled him by his turtleneck and kissed him and ran your fingers across the nape of his neck. When you pulled away, you could see the mix of confusion and affection on his face in the dim light.

“V, you deserve to be selfish sometimes and plus, I’m already all yours”, you spoke as you played with the hem of his shirt “I want you, even more than you want me”. 

V was silent for a moment before he lowered his head to your collarbone. 

“What a bold statement, my love, are you willing to test that?” He whispered against the skin of your neck before placing a kiss to your wildly beating pulse. 

His hands were gentle and attentive, making you gasp into the night. Hands that you knew had ended so many lives with quick, precise cuts. Those same hands worked magic between your thighs, his fingertips running over you, pressing into all the right places. You sighed heavily as his touches deepend and his eyes never left your face. 

“Valentin…more”, you managed to get out betweens shaky pants and pleased hums. V’s eyes widened slightly at your use of his full name, but his expression melted into a loving smile as he obliged your pleas. He leaned down, his dark brown locs having come loose from his ponytail and framing his face. You raised your head to catch his lips in a searing, syrupy sweet kiss. The knot of pleasure tightened in your stomach, threatening to come undone at any second.

“You look so beautiful” V said breathily as his skilled fingers pressed on “I’ve been longing for you all throughout the night”. His voice brimmed with sincerity as pure as spring water. A particular curl of his digits had you seeing sparks and stars as you wrapped your legs tightly around his waist.

V pressed butterfly kisses to your cheeks as you bathed in the heated afterglow. You laughed and raised a hand to rest on the back of his head, how did you get so lucky? The room filled with a comfortable silence as the two of you rested in each other’s embrace. 

“Ready for your turn?” You asked after a few minutes, looking at him with a teasing smile. You sat up and gently nudged him onto his back ,swinging a leg over his hips, straddling him. V’s eyes glimmered with tenderness as the next thing he said made your blood rush like a powerful river.

“I don’t intend to be finished with you before the break of daylight”. 

You hadn’t even thought about it, but this was the first time you had called him that…outside of the bedroom. Hoshina just smiled, seemingly not phased by it. 

“I don’t mind, it’s fun and ya have good taste in books”, he spoke, making you forget about your embarrassment. You two were good friends, so maybe it wasn’t weird at all. But would a good friend kiss you as warmly as he’d done that morning? Your chest began to hurt, your feelings were bothering you a lot more now. 

The moth-like yoju flew towards you, its mouth wide open and displaying rows of jagged teeth. You never really got over how unsettling kaiju could look. Larger guns were inconvenient against smaller, speedier enemies. You raised your metal staff and shoved it straight down the kaiju’s throat and angled it so that it pierced through its back. 

“Oh nice, the kaiju-kebab!” One of your officers exclaimed as he pulled his knife out of another monster. 

“That’s so lame, I call it the ‘eat it, bitch’, really gets the point across”, another one spoke as she fired her handgun several times into the eye of a yoju. 

You swung your staff and sent another one flying into a wall, splattering it. You pulled out your handgun and shot the Kaiju between its bug eyes. “Don’t name my moves for me” , you said as you felt your earpiece buzz. 

“All yoju have been neutralized, beginning disposal”, Okonogi said from the operation room. 

“Moths don’t even have teeth…or mouths!” An officer complained as he poked a dead yoju with his boot. 

“Usually they aren’t the size of grizzly bears either, yet here we are”, you said as you returned your staff to the holder on your back. You met up with the Third Division as the disposal crew arrived. The crowd had parted and fences were already being set up to block off the area. Hoshina waved you over to him and you joined him. You all walked towards the cars as the citizens cheered for the Defense Force. 

You smiled, they really deserved this applause. You turned to Hoshina: “How’d it go with-“ 

“I love you, Vice Captain Hoshina!” Someone in the crowd yelled, cutting you off. You whipped your head around, suddenly feeling very irritated. Someone had just screamed what you’d been aching to say. You envied them, they could just say it without having to worry about the consequences. 

Hoshina waved at the person who had yelled, making their face flush. How nice for them. You felt a strong urge to grab Hoshina’s hand or lean in to whisper something to him. You picked up the pace to walk in front of him instead. One of your officers put a hand on your shoulder, maybe you had been frowning.

“Come on, Commander! Don’t get all jealous”, they laughed. Jealous? Who was jealous, what was there to be jealous of? “I’m sure you’ll get some fans of your own!”. You sighed and shrugged your shoulders. 

Of course Hoshina would have fans, Defense Force officers were like celebrities here. While Captain Ashiro was one of the most popular, there certainly wasn’t a lack of Hoshina fans. Even just searching his name led you to several accounts dedicated to posting photos of him.

Your browsing also brought you to some…raunchier accounts. You really hoped those weren’t making him uncomfortable. As you continued to scour online, you felt frustration bubble up inside of you. Seeing people fawn over him made you grit your teeth. You shook your head, you shouldn’t blame them, you couldn’t. Hoshina was handsome, strong and, to their knowledge, single. 

No, he is single. You corrected yourself internally, even though it hurt. You weren’t his partner, there was no reason for you to feel like this. But even so, you closed your laptop and stood up. At least you could actually enact the fantasies they were dreaming about.

You caught Hoshina just as he was leaving the baths, he was clad more casually in a loose t-shirt and pants. With that tell-tale look in your eye, you asked him to follow you. He gladly did so and the two of you, once again, ended up in his room. 

“Ya sure are eager today, ya aren’t tired after that mission?” He asked, though his hands betrayed his words as he pulled you close. His skin was warm to the touch and he smelled pleasantly of soap. If only the baths weren’t shared, then you’d definitely join him for one. 

“Please, what kind of commander would I be if I got exhausted from that?” You spoke as you looked at his neck. The mark you’d left was fading, now just a pink patch of skin. But the fact that he wore something that showed it excited you. Did anyone notice and did they wonder who gave it to him? You longed for people to see the bruises and immediately know that they came from you. 

Without hesitation, you leaned in and sucked on his neck, right over the old hickey. Hoshina hummed in delight as his hands went up your back, pushing your shirt up. You reluctantly pulled away, taking a second to admire the new bruise as you pulled your shirt off.

"Ya sure do like my neck", he said teasingly as he ran his thumb over the purple spot, a satisfied smile on his lips. You tilted your head to the side and pointed at the remnants of one of his bites.

“You’re saying that?”

Hoshina's arms wrapped around your waist and he eyed the bed behind you. You realized as your lower bodies pressed together, he was already hard.

“I couldn’t stop thinkin’ about ya in the bath, ya looked so good after that mission”, he admitted breathily. You felt heat spread throughout your body, he’d just sat there, hard and thinking of you. You bit your lower lip, your head spinning at the image as you moved your hand down to feel him. Hoshina gasped, a bit surprised at your forwardness, but it quickly turned into a smile.

“You clearly didn’t do it there, but do you think about me when you get yourself off?” You questioned, palming his hardness through his thin pants. Hoshina exhaled shakily at your touch, but he kept a grin on his face as he whispered into your ear.

“It’s all I think about, all those cute noises ya make, how ya feel wrapped around me and the way ya look when-”, his sentence was cut short as he moaned when you stroked him harder. The heat between your legs was hard to ignore, but you were determined to see this through. Hoshina lifted his head and looked at you, eyes glimmering with mischief as he grinded against your hand. 

“Although it’s never as good as havin’ ya, just what have ya done to me?” He teased, making your heart pound. One hand slid down to the back of your thigh, dangerously close to your heat. A part of you wanted to give in to the seduction and let him have you. But jealousy was still clouding your mind, even if just for tonight, you wanted Hoshina to be fully yours. 

You pulled on his shirt, spinning the two of you and pushing him down onto the mattress. 

“Sorry Soshiro, but I did say it’d be your turn, I hope you don’t mind”, you said as you pulled his shirt off. His pants and underwear were pulled low on his hips, freeing his aching cock. You wrapped your hand around the base and began stroking him. 

“Ya really are spoilin’ me”, Hoshina said, followed by a pleased sigh as you teased the head “What’s the occasion?” You rolled your eyes at his comment as you pumped him faster. His cock was throbbing in your hand, beads of precum leaked out, making things slide easier. 

You faced him as you did it, thoroughly enjoying his expression. His cheeks were flushed as he tilted his head back. You couldn’t help but lean forward and suck at his throat, leaving yet another mark as you tightened your grip. Hoshina caught your lips in a deep kiss, his hand finding yours and he squeezed it tenderly. 

“How do you feel?” You asked, grinning as you sped up even more. Hoshina keened, raising his hand and softly holding the side of your face. His mauve eyes were gentle, his smile soft and sincere.

“So fuckin’ good, you’re so beautiful”, he said, panting at your strokes. Your heart pounded in your chest, this was all so intimate. You wanted to stay there, to keep pretending that this was love, but it pained you too much to remember that it wasn’t. Instead, you moved down his body and licked a stripe from the base to the head. He sighed sensually, still not letting go of your hand, but you didn’t want him to anyway. 

You took the head of his cock into your mouth, going deeper and caressing the part you couldn’t fit. His precum was salty on your tongue and he felt so hot. The sounds Hoshina made were driving you crazy, his bravado from earlier had melted away as he gave in. As you bobbed your head, longing to reach a hand down and touch yourself. You needed to hear him finish first, to know you’d done that to him. 

When you moved the tip of your tongue around the head, he throbbed and you glanced up at him. Hoshina was panting wildly, he wasn’t even like this during high-stakes missions and you were the one making him act this way. You shuddered when you felt his hand on the back of your head, but his touch was soft. 

“Yeah, that’s so good, keep goin’, I’m almost there!’”, he moaned. Despite how close he was, he never pushed you down further. You pulled back a bit and sucked around the head, locking eyes with him. You were acutely aware of the wetness that soaked through your underwear, but you’d deal with that soon. “I’m coming!” Hoshina exclaimed, calling out your name as you felt him finish in your mouth. 

You pulled off, keeping eye contact as you made a show, sticking out your tongue and then swallowing the saltiness pooled on it. His eyes went wide at your display. How did he like the taste of his own medicine? Clearly, he liked it a lot, because you were pulled down to him. 

“Didn’t I say it was your turn?” You asked, though there was no malice in your voice as Hoshina mouthed at your neck. 

“I’d love for ya to do that again but”, he said as he bit at your skin, leaving a stinging mark “I have to be inside of ya or I’m gonna lose it”. 

Who were you to deny a request like that? Hoshina sat up against the headboard and grabbed a rubber from the drawer. You stripped off your bottoms and underwear, feeling the cool air on your soaked cunt. He immediately grabbed your hips when you moved closer and put the tip to your entrance. You sank down onto him slowly, moaning as your hips met. He gripped your hips tighter, his fingers digging into your skin. 

“Ya always feel so perfect”, he mumbled. You leaned against him and rested your head on his shoulder. 

“You too, Soshiro! You fill me so well”, you said, rocking your hips softly. You sighed as you began to move, grinding against him and feeling the way he hit your inner walls. Your toes curled as you felt him thrust upwards, hitting that spot. Hoshina’s arms wrapped around your waist, steadying you as he moved his hips. Your arms went around his neck, his heart beating right next to your own. 

You moved your hips to meet him, both of you moaning together. You pressed your forehead to Hoshina’s, looking into his eyes. You didn’t care if this was too intimate, you just needed to be close to him. You moved your hips in circles, making his breathing hitch. The way he filled you was nothing less than incredible. You raised your hips and sunk down onto him again with a whine. He moaned lowly when you repeated the motion, his hold on your hips tightened as he took over, grinding into you with a steady rhythm. 

“I’m so close already, ya really have ruined me”, Hoshina chuckled, placing a soft kiss on your jaw. He moved one hand down to rub your clit in tandem with his movements, making your legs shake. You felt your heart pound at his words. 

“If you’re ruined, then I’m fucking wrecked”, you gasped, thrusting your hips and chasing your release. 

“I'd love to see that”, he said, picking up the pace and thrusting up into you, going incredibly deep. He groaned in your ear and you gripped his shoulders, your nails digging into his skin. Your orgasm washed over you, leaving a sticky mess on Hoshina’s lap. He assured you that it’d just be a bit more. He pumped into your overly sensitive cunt and you felt him throb inside of you. Hoshina bit down on your shoulder, muffling his moan as he finished. 

You panted heavily, looking at the bite he’d left on you. It matched the red crescent shaped marks on his shoulders. You smiled, knowing you had marked him up thoroughly. Hoshina licked the wound softly and pulled out of you, laying you down on the bed. Your lips met in a warm kiss as you began to relax in each other’s embrace. 

The two of you cleaned up and crawled under the covers, spending the night in comforting arms once again. Hoshina hugged you from behind, his arms draped around your waist and his face pressed  into your nape. He placed a kiss just below your ear as you began to feel drowsy. 

“G’night, see ya tomorrow”, he whispered. You loved how gentle he could be, you loved his voice, you loved his jokes and you loved…

Fuck, you loved him. You truly loved Hoshina. 

“I can’t wait”, you said with all your heart. But worry grew in your chest, could you ever tell him how you felt without messing it up? 

'Hoshina didn’t think it’d turn out like this. Oh, who was he kidding? He should have known from the moment he kissed you, that he wouldn’t be satisfied with just hooking up. It was getting harder to ignore these feelings, to not want to jeopardize your whole relationship.

You were a formidable officer and a competent leader. You were always down to joke with him and not afraid to tease him back. Whenever he touched the marks you’d left on him, his chest would feel warm. It was like you’d marked him as yours. 

He wanted to be yours and he wanted you to be his just as much. He loved your smile, your laugh and how you’d hold him. He craved you, he wanted to make you happy and to have you by his side. 

“This just came in today”, Captain Ashiro said as she studied the document in front of her. 

“What is it?” Hoshina asked, snapping out of it and smiling like he always did. 

“A transfer request, another division is asking to recruit the Commander”, she said. Hoshina’s heart dropped at the news. Someone wanted to have you transferred to their team, away from him.

“Which division?” He questioned. The Captain handed him the paper.

“The Sixth Division”, she stated. Hoshina’s grip on the document tightened, curling the edges. Sure enough, it was a transfer request with your name on it. And his older brother’s neat signature at the bottom. He couldn’t help but grit his teeth. Hoshina wanted nothing more than to rip the paper to shreds and throw it in the garbage. He wouldn’t let Soichiro have you, he’d never let it happen.

But it wasn’t like he could just keep you from accepting the offer, he wasn’t your Vice-Captain. This was up to you and who was he to get in the way of your career as a commander? It wouldn’t be fair to keep you if you wanted to leave. He handed the paper back, the Captain looked at him with a raised eyebrow. 

“You’re acting like they have already accepted it, maybe you should hurry up and confess to them”, Ashiro sighed as she smoothed out the document. 

Hoshina was dumbfounded, had he really been that obvious this whole time? There was no point in denying it though, he had to face it, especially now. If he didn’t make a move, there was a chance you’d slip away from him. He couldn’t bear the thought of that. 

“What’s the plan?” Kikoru asked the other officers. The Commander’s entire platoon was here, along with some of the Third Division officers. 

“Well the goal of Operation Cupid is to get them together”, an officer from the other team spoke.

“That’s still a stupid name”, Iharu commented, earning an eye roll.

“Jealousy is a great motivator, who’s willing to flirt with the Vice Captain?” The officer asked, looking around the table. She was met with complete silence from both teams. 

“How about your Commander?” Minase asked. “That’s not me volunteering to do it though”, she quickly added.

“It's too weird for any one of us to do it, it'd be like flirting with your older sibling”, an officer said, shaking his head. Kikoru looked over at Kafka with crossed arms. 

“Hey, I’m not doing it, I’d like to live!”, the man exclaimed, putting his hands up defiantly.

“I think we need a new plan”, Reno sighed. 

You uneasily paced through the halls of the Tachikawa base. Your limit has been reached, you needed to tell Hoshina how you felt or it’d tear you apart. Today was an odd one though, your platoon was acting strange, randomly embracing you with exaggerated somber looks on their faces. You awkwardly patted the back of one of your officers as he sniffled.

“I’m going to miss you so much”, he spoke into your shoulder.

“Okay, but the vending machines are just over in the courtyard, I’m not going far” You said, were they pulling some kind of prank? Truth be told, whatever this was, it was funny to watch their bad acting so you didn’t question it. It did get your mind off things. 

You waved goodbye to Minase, who had grabbed your hands and thanked you for all the training tips you’d given her. Even the Third Division was acting like this. The courtyard was empty though, but the silence didn’t give you much peace. You sat down on the bench and opened your canned coffee, a second can next to you. If all went according to the plan you didn’t have, you could talk to Hoshina in the evening.

You had to, you didn’t want to keep doing this when you longed for something more. Maybe you were being selfish, he didn’t owe you anything. If he didn’t accept your confession then that was that and hopefully you could still be…just friends. 

“They’re bein’ so weird today”, a voice spoke and you looked up to see Hoshina standing by the vending machine. You hadn’t even noticed that he’d arrived, too in your own head. You focused on your can, taking a sip before answering him. No way you could face him right now. 

“Tell me about it, I’ve gotten so many hugs”, you said, chuckling lightly. Hoshina sat down beside you and you offered him the other coffee. 

“I’ve seen ya get so many hugs, ya really don’t know what this is about?” He asked you, opening his drink. You shook your head, looking over at him. Did he look…tense? The stillness of his shoulders and expression looked out of place on him, you didn’t like it.

“I have no idea, maybe they got into community theater?” You said, smiling at him and hoping it’d make him forget whatever was bothering him. Hoshina sipped the coffee and put the can down on the bench. 

“They’re really bad at it then”, Hoshina snickered, though he turned to look you in the eye. Maybe it was now or never, the two of you were alone after all and you felt ready. 

“I think we need to talk-”.

“We have to talk”. 

The two of you stared at each for a moment, you rubbed the back of your neck. It seemed like you both needed to get something off your chest. What could he want to talk about? 

“You can go first”, Hoshina spoke, his expression strained. You took a breath and turned to face him, leaning closer.

“I…” you clutched the can in your hand, your knuckles turning white, this was it. “I love you, Soshiro, I have for a long time and I wasn’t sure if I could keep going like this if I didn’t-”, your oncoming nervous rant was cut off by Hoshina. 

He closed the distance between you and pressed your lips together. You were shocked, but only for a moment, you melted into the kiss, threading your free hand into his hair. Hoshina sighed into the kiss. His hand went to your nape, rubbing circles into your skin as you kissed. When you pulled away he smiled, not the usual grin he wore, but a true, happy smile.

“That’s so unfair, I wanted to say it first”, he beamed and you couldn’t help but let out a relieved laugh. He loved you too. 

“Well then you better get to it”, you teased, putting down your drink. Hoshina answered by embracing you, resting his chin on your shoulder.

“I love ya, I’ve loved ya for so long it was driving me up the wall”, he whispered, words just for you to hear.

Hoshina grabbed your hand when you walked back into the building. Holding hands while walking through halls made you feel giddy. You couldn’t help the smile on your face as the two of you walked into the cafeteria. Both a handful of Third Division officers and your platoon were gathered there, a few of them audibly gasping when they saw you. 

“Alright everyone, what was all that bad acting about?” Hoshina asked and you chuckled. 

“Mission failed successfully!” Iharu announced, followed by cheers from the others.

After explaining what they had been trying to do, everyone was given push-ups for trying to trick you. 

“I still think Captain Ashiro was in on it”, you stated as you entered the break room, putting down the cake box. You sat next to Hoshina, who proceeded to put an arm around you. Being affectionate in public like this made your face heat up, but you were so happy that you could do it now. 

“What makes ya say that?” He asked, using his free hand to pour the both of you some coffee. You hummed in response as you leaned against his shoulder. 

“Because I rejected that transfer request yesterday”, you stated, opening the box to reveal mont blanc and a slice of shortcake. Hoshina halted in his movements, his eyes widening a bit at your confession. 

“Oh, I didn’t know that”, he said. You turned to face him and placed a light kiss on his cheek.

“I’d have to leave my platoon behind and…”, you said and cuddled closer to him “I’d have to leave this behind”. Hoshina smiled, kissing your forehead.

“I’m happy ya chose to stay here, I really didn’t wanna let ya go”, he said, your heartbeat quickened, damn him, he knew how to make you flustered. 

“This is your favorite, right?” You asked as you put the cakes onto a plate. Hoshina nodded and took the spoon you offered him.

“I like mont blancs, though I couldn’t eat them all the time”, he answered, tasting the dessert with a pleased hum. 

“I get it, there’s really nothing you can eat a lot and not get tired of”, you said as you dug your fork into your slice. You paused for a second, before grinning at him. You spread your legs slightly and successfully caught his eye, you crossed them again. “Well, almost nothing”, you laughed, shooting him a wink. Hoshina’s hand slid down from your shoulder to your waist and you sighed in delight.

“Careful, maybe I’ll crave some of that later”, he warned, taking another bite of his dessert and making a show out of licking his lips. 

“Don’t threaten me with a good time”, you said as you took a forkful of cake, “Do you want some? Say ah”, you said as you put the fork by his mouth. Hoshina answered with a laugh, that cute laugh you loved so much. 

“A day into dating and you’re already pullin’ out the clichés”, he said as he kept snickering. But he ended up taking the bite, running his tongue over the points of the fork, licking up whipped cream as he looked into your eyes. You averted your gaze, suddenly feeling very warm despite the break room AC. “What are ya actin’ like that for? Can’t take what ya dish out?” He teased you as he took another spoonful of mont blanc.

 You turned and caught his lips, pushing him up against the back of the couch. When you pulled away, you caressed his neck with a smile, seeing a hint of a purple mark. 

“You’re right, mont blancs are good”, you said, recalling the sweet taste on his lips.

You realized something as you sat leaned against Hoshina’s chest. 

“Hey…isn’t this technically our first date?” You asked, raising an eyebrow. He put down his coffee mug and hummed in thought.

“Huh, I guess it is, we really got the order wrong”, he said as he grinned. You rolled your eyes and found his hand, holding it gently.

“We did, but I’m glad we ended up like this after all”, you said. Hoshina cupped your cheek and your lips met in a tender kiss.

Then came the next morning, where you both woke up in each other’s arms. You’d apparently started cuddling in your sleep. It had been the best sleep that you’d gotten in years. The two of you kept the same routine, eventually just embracing the cuddling (no pun intended) and starting it before you fell asleep. Your head rested on Hoshina’s chest as you felt yourself start to doze off.

This was incredibly peaceful, usually you were worried about kaiju attacks when going to sleep. But now you felt calmer than ever. Hearing his rhythmic heartbeat right next to your ear, how you could smell the soap he used and how his arm warmly held your waist. You found yourself looking forward to waking up and hearing his voice in the morning. Training and talking together seemed to be even more enjoyable than before. You wanted to spend as much time with Hoshina as possible. 

Oh…oh no this wasn’t good. Maybe you had actually developed a crush on the guy you were hooking up with.

So much for stress relief. 

“Hey Commander,” Iharu said, waving you over to his table as you entered the canteen. “I’ve been wondering, just how strong are you?” He asked. You were getting along well with the officers of Third Division, maybe it helped that you weren’t their commander. You raised an eyebrow at the question, before remembering who you were talking to. 

“Only one way to find out”, you said as you put a hand on your bicep. Your impending arm-wrestling match drew the other officers towards your table. The people from your platoon cheered you on as you put your elbow on the table and grabbed Iharu’s hand. He immediately began trying to push your arm down.  

“What’s goin’ on here?” Hoshina’s carefree voice said as the crowd parted to make way for the vice-captain. 

“Did the meeting go well?” You asked him as he approached. You smiled apologetically to Iharu before slamming his hand down onto the table with a thud. 

“Same old same old”, Hoshina spoke, but he wasn’t looking at you, his eyes were locked on your hand still pinning down Iharu’s. You quickly let go of it and rubbed the back of your neck, it was still hard to face Hoshina after your realization. 

“Don’t worry, this was my idea, no need to dish out any punishments”, you assured as you stood up from your seat. 

“Lunch’s over, we’re goin' back on the field”, Hoshina said abruptly, leading his officers out of the canteen. You exchanged confused glances with your platoon before following the Third Division. 

“You want my opinion on this?” You asked, leaning against the table Kafka was sitting at. You’d caught him studying in the library and he’d asked about what ‘teens these days’ liked. Apparently he wanted to do something with Kikoru and Ichikawa on their next day off. He figured you’d know, since you had a lot of younger officers in your platoon. “Well I don’t know those two that well but if it’s something that teenagers like…”, you said as you mulled it over “I know they love shipping, but that probably doesn’t help”. Kafka looked puzzled at your answer.

“Shipping? I’ve never heard Kikoru or Ichikawa talk about boats”, he said and you couldn’t help but chuckle. He really was a kind of comic relief. You reached out and patted Kafka on the back in a show of support. 

“You should just ask them if they’d want to do something”, you said as you smiled at him. 

“Commander, I have to talk to you” A familiar voice said and you both looked to see Hoshina standing in the doorway. You could almost see the shiver go up Kafka’s back, you followed the vice-captain. The two of you didn’t go to Hoshina’s office, but to his room. It was a lot earlier than usual, not that you were complaining. 

“Am I so irresistible that you just had to have me now?” You teased and unzipped your uniform jacket. He didn’t answer and, in less than a second, he’d pushed you down onto the bed. You gasped when you felt him latch onto the side of your neck. It started as a kiss, until you felt the prickle of his teeth and a slight pain. You moaned, he’d bitten you before, but never on the neck. The feeling sent sparks flying through your body.

He pulled away and ran his tongue over the fresh wound. You were about to crack a joke, say how you always knew he was a vampire. But you went silent when you saw his face, he inspected the mark he’d left with a searing glance. Hoshina finally looked at you, his hand caressing your neck, going all the way down to your hips. He threw his jacket off, exposing your favorite article of clothing. 

“Let me take care of ya”, he said, it wasn't a proposition, it was an order. 

He stripped off the rest of your clothes, his hand slid in between your legs and ran over your folds. You sighed in contentment, leaning back and breathing heavily. There was no rest for the weary though. Hoshina’s thumb teased your clit and a finger prodded at your entrance. His hands were rough from sword training, but it felt so good. He suddenly pushed two fingers in, making you gasp. His digits sank slowly into your heat. He moved them, still pressing on your clit and heightening the pleasure. You gripped the sheets and moaned as his fingers curled against that spot you loved so much. Hoshina leaned over you, gaze fixed on your expression as he sped up. You almost saw stars when he pressed directly against your g-spot.

“Hoshina!” You exclaimed, nearly tearing a hole in the sheet. He placed a kiss on your lower jaw, leaning close to your ear.

“Soshiro”, he corrected firmly, his fingers curling inside you again. “Call me Soshiro”. You nodded, your toes curling as he added a third finger. His thumb rubbed your clit in circles as his fingers pumped inside you, working you to the brink. 

“Soshiro, I’m almost…fuck”, you said, feeling the incoming wave as you buried your face in his neck. Damned if you weren’t going to mark him too. He ended up with a hickey that almost matched his hair. 

You were rewarded with an even faster pace, you were so close. 

“Tell me, who’s makin’ ya feel good?” He suddenly asked, running his tongue over the bite on your neck. You moaned, tilting your head to give him better access. How were you supposed to say anything with his fingers buried inside you? 

“You”, you moaned as he curled his fingers again “You are, Soshiro!” He raised his head and faced you, leaning his forehead against yours. The gesture was cute, that combined with his fingers was almost too much for you.

“Who else could make ya feel like this?” He asked, quieter than before. You responded by kissing him. It was a almost comically chaste kiss for the situation. Maybe your thoughts were hazy from being so close, but you could have sworn the way he smiled seemed almost…relieved. “Come for me”, he said, pressing down harder on your clit. You saw stars a few seconds later, your legs shaking as you keened, finishing on his fingers. 

Hoshina pulled his fingers out, leaving you feeling empty. You watched as he brought his fingers to his mouth, licking them clean of your slick. You wanted to look away in embarrassment, but you were mesmerized by the way his tongue slid over his digits. He finished by sighing and licking his lips like he’d just had a delicious dessert.

Seriously, was he trying to kill you? You reached for the bedside drawer, intending to grab a condom. Before you could get that far, Hoshina grabbed your hand, intertwining your fingers. You felt your heartbeat quicken, were you really getting flustered from holding hands? This was bad for your newly discovered crush. 

“Not yet, I ain’t finished with ya, I want more”, the man said as he moved downwards, his other hand spreading your thighs. You could feel his breath on your still-sensitive cunt, you moaned as he licked your folds and tasted you from the source. “That’s so much better”, Hoshina all but purred. He dove right back in, not letting go of your hand as he sucked on your clit. He’d eaten you out before, but there was something different this time, something intimate.

You realized it when he dipped his tongue into you and you squeezed his hand. It felt like you were a loving couple and not just doing this for stress relief. Something tugged inside of you and you felt a little somber. The feeling was quickly overwritten by pleasure as his tongue slid into you, his thumb once again lavishing your clit with attention. 

Hoshina’s tongue thrusted in and out of you at a steady pace. Looking down, you saw him between your legs, locking eyes with you as he ate like a man starved. You couldn’t help but put a hand on the back of his head, caressing his nape.

“You look so -ahh- pretty down there”, you said, getting your words out through moans and sighs. He squeezed your hand in response and slid his tongue out, you groaned at the loss, your frustration was momentary though. Hoshina gripped your hip with his other hand, steading you as he mouthed at your entire cunt. His tongue rolled over your clit and down your folds, he looked into your eyes as he did it.

You shivered at his gaze, feeling your second orgasm start to build. You wanted to grind against his mouth and chase your release, but he firmly kept you in place. “Soshiro!” You cried, as the knot in your stomach came undone and you threw your head back. Coming down from your peak, you felt Hoshina’s mouth on your inner thigh.

He sucked at the skin, before biting down like he had on your neck. You noticed that he was still clothed and you could see the obvious outline of his erection through his uniform pants. “This feels a little unfair”, you chuckled breathily. Your legs were still a bit weak but you sat up, reluctantly letting go of his hand. You opened the bedside drawer and fetched a small silver packet. 

“How about we get to the main event, you’re looking pretty eager to”, you said, gesturing towards the tightness in his pants. 

“Y’know”, he began as he pulled his shirt off, revealing his bare chest. No matter how many times you’d seen it, you still felt hot at the sight of his muscles. “You’re so pretty when you’re takin’ charge”. He leaned over and caged you in, with an arm planted on the bed on either side of you. “But I love how ya look under me too and I said I’d take care of ya”. Hoshina pulled down his pants and boxers, taking the rubber from you.

Once he’d rolled it on, he moved the head of his cock around your entrance, teasing you. You groaned in frustration, wanting nothing more than to reach down and push him in. He sighed in your ear as he grinded against you, the sound going right between your legs. You desperately wanted him to make more sounds in your ear. 

“If you want to take care of me, what I need right now is for you to fuck me, Soshiro”, you said impatiently, a challenge in your voice. Hoshina’s hands grabbed your hips, almost forceful enough to bruise. 

“Makin’ demands of a vice-captain, you’ve got some nerve”, he spoke lowly as his dark eyes zeroed in on you. He pulled you closer by your hips, fully sheathing himself inside of you all at once. You moaned, finally getting that fullness that you so deeply craved. Hoshina began to move fast-paced, leaving you empty before filling you again.

You got what you wanted, as now he was moaning and gasping in your ear. You cried out when he thrusted in again, hitting that spot and making your whole body shake. Still sensitive from your earlier orgasm, you felt the third one building up quickly. He pumped into you, going deliciously deep every time. You put your hands on Hoshina’s shoulders.

“I’m so close”, you said breathlessly and he answered with a hard thrust, making you dig your nails in and rake them down his back as you came. 

“Fuck!” Hoshina exclaimed, stopping his movement and you felt drops of warm blood run down his skin. You were about to apologize before you caught his expression. His pupils were blown wide, cheeks slightly flushed pink and his canines on full display in a pleased grin. You had no time to wonder if he had a masochistic side, because he resumed his movements. Your mind nearly went blank as Hoshina reached down to toy with your clit, still grinding into you.

When his breathing got too heavy and his body started to shake, he’d slow down. You wondered at this, was he keeping himself from finishing? 

“Soshiro, I want you to feel good too”, you said, locking your legs around his waist. Hoshina removed one hand from you, pushing his bangs out of his face. He smiled as his hand went to caress your lower stomach, a soft touch in stark contrast to the thrust he gave. 

“I am feelin’ good, so good that I’m afraid I’ll come before I’m finished with ya”, he said, doubling his efforts on your clit as he rolled his hips. 

“Just one more”, he moaned and you found yourself on the edge again. You lifted your head and caught his lips in a kiss. The kiss deepened as you got closer and closer. That feeling of intimacy returned and you felt heat in both your chest and between your legs.

You shuddered as you came, groaning into Hoshina’s mouth. His hand cupped your cheek and you felt his hips stutter. With a final, loud gasp he spilled into the condom. You lay there for a bit, both panting and clinging to each other. He placed a kiss on your forehead before rolling off you and throwing out the used rubber. You leaned against his chest, both of you exhausted and drenched in sweat. You could barely move your legs, completely worn out but you felt great, serene even. 

“So, what did I do to deserve all of that?” You asked as you traced random patterns on his chest, right over his heart.

“I don’t know whatcha talkin’ about”, he said, snaking an arm under you and around your waist.

“Uh huh, you didn’t just give me four orgasms then?” You chuckled and pressed a kiss to his jaw. You wanted to stay like this, dreading the morning where you’d have to leave and go back to just being friends. 

“All ya have to do is ask and I’ll do it again, you’re irresistible after all”, he said while grinning, clearly teasing you about your earlier comment. You scoffed and you felt your exhaustion catch up with you. 

“It’ll be your turn next time, just you wait Soshiro”, you mumbled as you cuddled closer to him. His finger rubbed slow circles into the side of your waist. You didn’t want to fall asleep, you didn’t want to just move on from this when the morning came. The beating of Hoshina’s heart and his breathing ended up lulling you to sleep, the last thing you felt was a kiss on the top of your head. 

“There you are Commander, I was wonderin’ where you went off to”, a voice spoke and you turned to face Vice-Captain Hoshina. He smiled at you, an expression he seemed to wear a lot, you smiled back politely. “Are we boring ya?” He asked in a teasing tone. You’d pegged him as a more laid-back guy and you’d been right. 

But looking closer, there was something enigmatic about him. His cheerful grin, charming as it was, didn’t always seem sincere. There was more to him than a joking personality. Your interest was definitely piqued. 

“I just needed some fresh air, though I’m glad they’re all having fun”, you responded, watching as he moved to stand a few feet from you, leaning against the balcony too. “Thanks for the warm welcome, I’m glad you guys are more tight-knit like we are”, you spoke and took a sip of your now lukewarm beer. He looked at you for a moment, before glancing at the party through the window behind him. 

“I guess you could say that, though you shouldn’t get too attached, y’know”, he commented and you hummed in agreement. That much was true, it was an unpredictable and dangerous job and anything could happen at any time. There was something you had to point out though, to get back at his teasing earlier. 

“I think that’s a little hypocritical, Vice-Captain Hoshina”, you said, looking at him with a smile. He seemed a little taken back, crossing his arms. “You care a lot about your division, I can tell, otherwise you wouldn’t let them throw parties or even care to make fun of them”, you continued and finished off your drink. “Plus, it’s better to take the risks among friends than among strangers”, you said as you looked up towards the darkening sky. He tilted his head before opening his mouth and…bursting out laughing. You saw him double over and clutch his stomach as he chuckled. 

“Ya sound like some kind of fantasy character, what’s with that?” He said as he continued to wheeze. Although his laugh was cute to listen to (something you felt embarrassed admitting) you still put a hand over your chest, in mock scandal. You were about to speak up when he looked at you, his smile softer than usual. You felt your cheeks heat up, probably just because of the alcohol. “I hope we can get along!”, he said as he straightened his posture, holding a gloved hand out to you. You took his hand, shaking it firmly as you smiled. 

“Me too”, you responded and let go of his hand. 

“So, I heard you use swords when fighting kaiju”, you spoke up, recalling the documents you’d read before coming here. “You don’t see that often, even though it’s pretty effective”, you said and Hoshina raised an eyebrow. 

“You think so?” He asked, a hand resting on his chin. You nodded and explained how optimal it could be for smaller kaiju. There was a much less messy outcome than with guns and it gave more precision to exploit weak spots. Hoshina was silent for a moment before he simply grinned again.

“I heard you like different weapons too, ya use a staff right?” He said and you were a bit surprised, he’d read up on you too. 

“Well, it’s more of a secondary weapon, but I’d really like to spar with you sometime”, you said and Hoshina hummed a bit before nodding. 

“Sure, how about tomorrow night?” He asked, you chuckled in response but you were incredibly interested in seeing him in action. 

“Eager, aren’t we? I’ll take you up on that offer”, you chuckled, this was your chance to see him in action. The two of you rejoined the party and you spent the evening getting to know the officers, occasionally feeling like someone was stealing glances at you. 

It went without saying that being in the Defense Force came with a lot of stress. Daily training regimes, missions, strategizing  and, for you and Hoshina, keeping the officers in line. You had taken to sparring with Hoshina a few times a week to decompress and let it out. Sure, it was nice to relax and recommend books to each other but sparring was definitely the best way to relieve stress. 

Or it would have been, if it wasn’t for how you were distracted by something else.

That something being Hoshina in that skin-tight compression shirt. The way his impressive muscles rippled with every move and how snugly it clung to his defined waist. Though it was hard to take your eyes off his torso, his face was also becoming a problem. 

His jovial expression melted into something more serious when he first took a swing at you. His eyes seemed to open more, exposing that vibrant mauve hue that you wanted to look at even closer. You managed to move to the side and dodge his attack by a hair’s width. You kicked your leg out to throw him off his balance, but he dodged it. Typical, you couldn’t always land a hit on him barehanded, you thought back to earlier this week. You’d gotten your staff to Hoshina’s neck, pressing the wood against his skin and the look he’d given you…like he was daring you to do something. You still weren’t sure what that look meant, but it had been incredibly hot. Here you were thinking like this while he was trying to earnestly spar with you. You mentally slapped yourself as you backed up a bit.

“Hey, how about we make a wager? Whoever loses has to do a favor for the winner”, you suggested, thinking about the nice lunch that the vice-captain salary could get you. Just to think about anything else than the flex of his arms. Hoshina grinned as your match paused momentarily.

“Sure, that sounds fun”, he said teasingly, sending more blood to your face. Damn him. 

You saw his gaze rake over you, preparing himself for whatever you might do. A part deep inside of you hoped that he was looking at you like you did him. But you instantly doubted it, your training clothes were an old t-shirt and biker shorts. You gestured for him to come towards you as you assumed a fighting stance, 

Maybe you were extra distracted or maybe his movements were a bit slower as he lunged at you again. That move seemed way too predictable for Hoshina and you actually managed to catch his fist. 

“Wow, Vice-Captain, is something throwing you off?” You asked, chuckling a bit before you saw his expression. It was that exact same look from before, the one that challenged you, made your heart race so much it thumped in your ears. You couldn’t look anywhere but his face and that led to your defeat. 

He swept your legs out from under you, causing you to fall onto your back, hitting the training room floor. He got on his knees and pinned your wrists down 

“I got ya now”, he said as he leaned over you, dark violet locks framing his face, which was now right in front of yours. He let go of your wrists after three seconds, but neither of you moved away. You tried to keep your gaze upwards, but it slowly drifted down to his lips. His mouth was open slightly, he was breathing heavily. You studied his pointed canines, wondering how they’d feel against your lips. 

The match had been over for a hot minute, yet Hoshina was still this close. The two of you simply looked at each other, engaged in some kind of stalemate. What kind of move should you make? You didn’t want to mess up the steady friendship the two of you had. But you couldn’t ignore the heat radiating off his body or how his locked gaze made you shiver. 

“So, what about that favor?” Hoshina asked, his hand raising, hovering just over the side of your face, like he wanted to cup your cheek. It couldn’t be, was he really having the same feelings? Maybe this was only your only chance to know for sure, without completely messing things up. You looked him in the eye, taking a breath before speaking:

“I’ll do you the favor of letting you kiss me”. 

You waited, had you been wearing your suit, it would have warned you of a dangerously accelerated heart rate. If he didn’t feel the same way, you still had time to frame it as a joke, a cheeky remark like the ones you two always shared. There was no more time to nervously ponder. Because Hoshina leaned down and pressed his lips to yours.

It was a feverous kiss, his hand went to hold your face as he pressed himself even closer. You felt relief wash over you as you kissed him back with matched passion. You wrapped your arms around his neck and ran your tongue across his bottom lip. Hoshina chuckled into the kiss before opening his mouth. Those sharpened canines felt just as good as you’d hoped. He nipped at your lips with them, though never hard enough to draw blood. Hoshina’s other hand went down to your thigh, snaking a finger under the hem of your shorts. He pulled the tight fabric and it snapped against your thigh, making you gasp. 

“How am I supposed to focus when you’re wearin’ these”, he said breathlessly when he pulled away from your lips. You laughed and moved your arms from his neck to his waist, running your palms over his clothed, toned back with a satisfied sigh.

“I guess we’re even then”, you spoke, finding the hem of that godforsaken shirt. You were desperate to get it off and feel more of his skin, more of him. 

But you both decided it’d be better to continue somewhere private. You leaned back on his bed, watching as he crawled towards you and caged your body in with his own. Wasting no time, you tugged at his shirt until he got the message and peeled it off. You felt heat between your legs as you pulled off your own shirt. He stared at you, a look like one he gave you when you were sparring. But there was something else in his gaze, a deep hunger, like he’d been holding it back for a while.