[ Always Dreaming ]

Hades looked at Hythlodaeus with an incredulous expression, the man was upon him with yet another ludicrous favour.

"Let me get this straight… you need me to jeopardize my dignity— just so you can get a good grade? Surely you can test a single concept on your lonesome?" He said, looking warily at the undulating thing in Hythlodaeus' hand.

The lilac-haired man rolled his eyes for what felt like the umpteenth time that day. He could very well test the concept on himself, and it wasn't as if he hadn't done so before, in its many versions, but this one was his final chance. Or, well, the final design that he was willing to put himself through before finally giving up and just turning the blasted thing in. With a long sigh, he gripped the moving slime in his hands a little more tightly than necessary, it reacted by stiffening slightly and moving to push itself against his hold.

"Now, now, my friend, it won't hurt you, and I must add that I've tested its predecessors vigorously." And by all Creation did it feel great, but there was always something missing by the end of it that he hadn't quite grasped entirely. "I only need you to test this once."

A single eye twitched as Hades watched the slime react to Hythlodaeus' hold. Stern golden eyes met the other's mischievous gaze, searching for any excuse that might give him an escape from this foolish endeavour. But no. He knew that if he refused, Hythlodaeus would pout until he gave in, or even worse… smile and bury his disappointment. "I… fine. Just once, then."

Another nagging hesitation was that Hythlodaeus had been getting uncannily good at finding Hades' weak points, something that'd usually take Ancients much longer to figure out about one another. The man's rhythmic control over their pulsing of aether during sex, the way he could bring Hades to his knees by barely doing anything, and how he employed magicks in creative ways despite saying how bad he was at it… it almost made Hades worry that he could not keep up. And Hades never had trouble with keeping up, until now.

"No— it's alright. Let Hythlodaeus be better than you at one thing…" he thought, the white haired young man's eyes glancing low, towards the side. "Two things." He added, remembering the young man's soul sight.

Hythlodaeus would have cheered right then and there, but that would probably annoy his dear friend Hades, and that was not what he wanted to happen, for now, anyway. His grades depended on this, and he desperately needed the help. Instead, he leaned forward to place a small kiss on the man's cheek, earning a slight huff from the younger man.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, my dear! You have no idea how much this means to me." Truly, he had some doubts that Hades understood how deep this project meant to him. Sure, it was a bit of an impish idea for him to go through this route instead of doing something maybe a little easier, such as just taking samples directly from the source himself, but where was the creativity in that? Besides, if he was going to make this easier for future concepts, Hythlodaeus needed this to work.

He lessens his grip on the slime, which relaxed in his hand until it was almost like putty. It had even started to try and 'escape' as one does when they're a seemingly helpless slime. He scooped it up with his other hand and squeezed it again with both, causing it to react by pushing back against him in an amusingly defiant manner. "My only warning is that it's rather cold in the beginning. It should warm up from your body temperature quickly enough, however."

The young man held out the slime to the other, lavender eyes narrowing as he smiled, a mischievous glint flashing in them. "All you have to do… is think about something lewd."

"W-what?" Hades blushed at the idea. "Is that not a major flaw? How are animals going to imagine something-" The slime seemed to immediately gravitate towards Hades. "… lewd." He looked up at Hythlodaeus with an unamused look. "You'd have me mimic the feelings of animal in heat or wanting to reproduce, is what you mean to say…"

He grabbed the slime forcefully and made his way to the bedside, squinting at the way it squirmed in his hand. He had to admit, it was quite a complex concept, the way it could react to one's individual feelings, and if Hythlodaeus was to be believed, it would adapt to any and all reproductive system to simulate the target. But compliments would have to wait until after he tested this.

"I trust you that this won't… try something foul on my body." A pause. "Other than it's intended uses, I mean."

Hades sat down, slime in hand and a pout on his face. Despite the protestations… he couldn't deny the closer he got to testing this concept, the more his curiosity grew.

"Of course, of course," Hythlodaeus waved his hand, his eyes still trained on the slime. It moved tentatively at first from the way it was manhandled, but then it seemed pretty content in being in Hades' hands. Mentally, he marked that down as a win in his book. The slime needed to handle any hostile situation it was in if it was meant to help in the reproduction of the creatures on Eitherys. This, in theory, suggested that the slime needed to be either docile or forceful, depending on the situation. With Hades, it appeared that being slow in its advances was giving it the win that it needed to slip on by and do exactly what needed doing.

Nerves ate away at the end of his thoughts as the slime moved a bit tentatively, but he brushed them away once he saw it gain some confidence in itself and slowly move down from Hades' hand to drop down onto his lap with a plop. It left no mess in its wake. Yes, good, exactly what he wanted.

"The changing size- it's not necessarily a flaw per say…more of an addition I wanted." He started, approaching the bed, sitting at its edge as he watches the slime grow a little bigger. "Don't worry about it getting larger is other certain places either. It's trying to accommodate you. It's intended to work on any height the concepts might be in, as well as any challenges it might face during mating."

"Thinking ahead for contingencies, hm? I suppose that's… commenda-" Hades gasped as he felt the slime move up to his crotch. "able… might want to turn down the eagerness." He mumbled, knowing that the comment was not constructive criticism, but rather something he said to cover his own excitement… if this thing was reacting to his feelings, that is.

He didn't want to think about it.

Reaching out, he pried the slime off and handed it to Hythlodaeus. "I do not want to get my podea dirty, so if you could please hold your shifty homework for a second…"

Averting his eyes and hiding his flushed cheeks behind his bangs, he took off his robe and neatly set it atop the bedside drawer. Next, he slid off his podea and tights underneath. Now fully naked, he pulled his knees together and looked at Hythlodaeus, his face mostly hidden aside from his piercing golden eyes. "You may start your experiment, or test. Whatever it is," he huffed, not moving an inch or changing his conservative position.

While the other man had stripped off his clothes, Hythlodaeus kept himself occupied by pulling and prodding at the slime. It reacted by doing nothing for the most part and sometimes trying to slip away from the Ancient's fingers to attempt to drop back down on the bed. When that didn't work, it started to reach for Hades' assistance, maybe it sensed something in the man? Hythlodaeus wasn't entirely sure, but it was something he would have to look into in the future. Either way, he was being entertained by the slime that he grabbed with both hands and started to pull it wide apart. It, in turn, dripped onto the bed until only a small piece remained in each of Hythlodaeus' hands, and most of it was on the covers.

He pouts, but the slime pays him no heed as it slowly moves its way towards Hades. It was now bigger than the last time it had been on the man's lap, having been comically stretched out and abused by its creator. With a defeated sigh, Hythlodaeus drops the small pieces onto the slime, which get quickly absorbed into the bigger form— this doesn't deter it from approaching Hades in its slow crawl. With one thin, small, slimy arm, it wraps itself just as cautiously around the man's ankle. Its hold tight enough for leverage, but not tight enough to bruise.

The lilac-haired man's gaze moves from the slime to his fellow partner in crime…er, science, and raises a brow. "You do have to be interested to get it started, my dear. Not so…" He waves a hand to gesture to everything and nothing at the same time. The slime seemed to visibly deflate and become putty once more— slowly, as though it were the one being rejected in its advances for sex, which was very much appearing to be like the case.

Hythlodaeus needed to rectify this situation, or his grades would surely drop a letter, and his perfect scores since he started the semester would finally cease to be. He scooted himself closer to Hades, taking in everything that he was in front of him with as much love and adoration as he could muster -which was a lot- and pressed his lips lightly on each exposed knee.

"If you do not wish to, we do not have to, my dear." He would have to do testing on himself in the next few days, but if Hades were truly not feeling up to it, then Hythlodaeus would not push. Besides, who was he to deny the fun it was to be with a slime? Even if his slime experiments thus far seemed to fail, by the end of the coupling.

"N-no. I said I would help and I am not going back on my word." The man said stubbornly, but even so, his legs moved so slow as if one was creaking open the steel bars of a cage in Pandaemonium.

He shuddered at multiple things; the tender kisses Hythlodaeus kept placing on him, the cool air hitting his privates, the slime grabbing at his ankles. With a deep breath, he leaned back into the pillow, sitting half-upright and fully spread his legs, holding them apart with his hands. Why did he feel more exposed than usual? Was it because of this… sentient(?) experiment slowly creeping up his thigh?…

"What… does it do first, usually?" Hades asked, trying to keep his tone even. His eyes tracked the movements of the glittery, slippery thing approaching his privates. The anticipation, to his dismay, already had him slightly wet. His bits were always more on the more modest side… fully concealed and sheathed until he was raring to go. Though, to someone with Hythlodaeus' perceptive eyes, they'd probably already notice the slightly puffier roundness and slick close to almost dripping out from his slit.

"Well," he breathed out, his gaze flittering between the approaching slime and Hades' brilliant golds. "It has to access where to go first." The slime, having taken hold of both of Hades' ankles, had its physical being stretched out a bit further from the motion, but it did not deter it from its function. Slowly, tentatively, it approached Hades' core with a cautious gait. Little tendrils formed at its 'front' to curiously prod at the man's folds, taking any slick it found down into its own slime-y nature, like lapping at nectar from a flower.

"Then it begins prepping the target."

The little tendrils pulled away so that they could form together into a thicker appendage that could simulate a lick between Hades' folds with more width than it could before. Hythlodaeus watched from his position, mindful of not getting in the way of the slime working as was intended. The now tongue-like appendage of the slime continued to lap at his privates until it developed its own slick that helped it slide between the folds and prodded the man at his slit's entrance. Another appendage grew from the bottom of the thicker one, this one smaller and less thick to poke lightly at Hades' puckered asshole. The slime had begun to stretch out even further overall, now having grown more arms to wrap around the man's thighs and waist.

Now, Hythlodaeus' experience with the slimes from before had made him prepare for what he was about to witness. At least mostly, but still…if it didn't give his body a reaction to watch his dearest friend about to be fucked by a slime…well, what sort of person would he be? Damned, probably. He hummed lightly, teeth biting into his lower lip as he scoots a little further back from his lover to give the slime more room and so that he can observe the goings on better.

Hades' breath hitched as he felt an appendage press against his lesser-used hole. "W-wait- why would it use there too?" He asked with furrowed brows, searching an answer from his teasing partner. Not that he minded having both of his holes used thus, but the surprise made his face grow redder. His eyes darted from Hythlodaeus' face back downwards once more as he felt himself get tighter around the top of his crotch; he bit back a moan as he noticed he had already partially unsheathed, his cock throbbing from under its hood ever so slightly. Like this, it resembled a larger clitoris that most mammalians had, a fact that Hythlodaeus would usually point out to tease his partner. But, the resemblance did not last long as the slime's ministrations worked him up more and more, its tendrils grasping at his length, ever so gently going in and under his sheath to pull him out more, adding to the pressure against the sensitive walls in there. It didn't take long for Hades to grow hard into his almost-full length.

"Maximum pleasure." He said in a voice that was dripping with lust, his eyes observing the slime as it continued its lapping, but had also grown appendages to curl around the growing length. "Not all creatures gain pleasure in the areas we expect so…I had to have this little guy learn on its own what would work depending on the individual."

Hades groaned as he was beginning to be stretched open from both entrances, and then… a simultaneous thrust made him topple from his sitting position back into the fluffy pillows under his head. He let himself softly land on his back, toes curling slightly as he got filled… was the slime enlarging inside him? "Ngh… I- I suppose it'd be a good idea t-to aim at any available…" He couldn't finish his sentence out of embarrassment, hoping Hythlodaeus understood.

Turning his head to the side, Hades buried his face in the pillow, muffling the oncoming moans as the slime shifted to find the angle it'd be presumably be fucking him in.

"Oh, yes." Hythlodaeus nods in understanding, hand upon his own chin as he watches the slime begin to move in and out of Hades' entrances while simultaneously running its tendrils up and down his hardened shaft. It was doing exactly what he had made it to do. Achieving maximum pleasure for the individual to obtain orgasm. For males, it would be to obtain semen, while for females, it would be to push for ovulation. As for their own species carrying both sex traits… well, Hythlodaeus had a little fun with the mechanics of the slime for beings with such genetic makeup.

Said slime thickened inside Hades -his inner walls stretching further to accommodate- while simultaneously pushing his legs up towards his chest. Both of Hades and Hyth's brows raised in wonder and anticipation as the slime prepared itself to thrust into its subject again, this time with a little more force.

Sucking in a deep breath, Hades steeled himself for the thrusts, face still out of his partner's view. The slime set a familiar pace, and amidst the thrusts, its hold, the angles… the image of Hythlodaeus became more and more vivid in his mind's eye.

Hold on.

He opened his eyes, turning his head to stare at the slime, and then gazed at Hythlodaeus, who had the exact expression he thought he'd have when gazing upon him; one of unadulterated mischief and arousal. Catching his breath, he tried to speak between the thrusts, "This thing is mimicking you." He said, chest rising and falling faster. "That won't work if its supposed to adapt."

Hades' face dropped upon voicing his concern. He immediately realised how incriminating his words were— if indeed the slime was working as intended, that'd mean…

"Oh! So you were thinking of me, my dear," Hythlodaeus says with such glee. He leaned forward, careful not to get too near the slime and disrupt its pace. The slime seemed eager suddenly, giving a hard thrust in its own reply until it was fully sheathed inside him. "You have no idea how happy that makes me, Hades. That thinking of me makes you so…" He licked his lips.

"Aroused."

The Ancient crawled across the bed until he reaches Hades' head, where he then pressed his lips lightly against his, he pulled away quickly, just as Hades was starting to lean in, so as not to get the attention of the slime. The white haired mage let out a whine as Hythlodaeus was away again all too soon.

"I wish to have you as well, my sweet…" He gave a sweet genuine smile, but then in nary a second with an index finger in front of his lips, he was back to his impish self. "-but first! Homework."

"N-no, I wasn't thinking as if…" he tried to deny. He couldn't have been trained to subconsciously wish for Hyth's specific ministrations in such a short time… could he? The slime continued its thrusts and stroking of Hades' cock at the same time. Two 'arms' sprouted from the slime to slide up Hades' sides until they reached his hardened nipples, where they rubbed them in circles and occasionally pinched them.

His thoughts of how deeply Hythlodaeus had imprinted himself on him was cut short as the slime started playing with his chest. When it found them sufficiently erect, its tendrils enveloped them completely in its gelatinous tube-like structure, copying the sensations of being sucked on.

He wouldn't last much longer like this.

His moans got faster, shallower— he turned to the side, desperately in search Hythlodaeus' lips once more for comfort.

"Hyth… please—" He whined, that stoic voice of his cracking beautifully.

Such delightful desperation; one that tugged at his heartstrings and made the tent in his podea twitch. He leaned forward, pressing his lips once more on his lover's with a deeper kiss than before. Filled with teeth and tongue. It wasn't a beautiful kiss, more of a hungry one that sought to be satisfied of its wants. He only pulled away to take a breath before diving in once again to pepper kisses down lover's cheeks and neck.

"Oh, to hear you call my name, my dearest… truly it makes my soul sing..."

And sing it did for the man beneath him. Oh, how he wished he were the one entering him right now. To feel him tighten around him, squeeze the width of him until he's close to the edge of cumming inside him. Sadly, he had to scoot those thoughts to the side and let the slime do its work, which it was so gloriously doing. It played with Hades' nipples, sucking and pulling at them in time with the thrusts and strokes. Both of Hades' holes were filled, his cock being played with, and now his nipples too. Hythlodaeus could give up the man's mouth to the slime also, but he wanted this bit of the man to himself.

His mind in a haze, Hades forgot to pull his tongue back into his mouth for a moment after Hythlodaeus retreated, making for a cute open-mouthed expression as he panted like a small puppy. Regaining a semblance of awareness, his eyes were drawn downward towards a prominent bulge underneath Hythlodaeus' robes… by the Stars, he needed him… but he knew the other was holding back for the sake of their little experiment.

Hopefully, he wouldn't have to hold back much longer, as Hades already felt himself on the brink from being stimulated in so many places at once.

"C-can't hold on-… I-I'm…" Hades whined as his pitch rose higher and higher with each thrust, 'oh's and 'ah's constantly tumbling from his mouth. His toes curled, his eyes shut, his hips twitched upwards— the sensations overwhelmed him and pushed out any coherent thought until all was left was a desperate need for release.

The slime continued its punishing momentum, pushing in and out of the man from both holes, while wrapping itself entirely around the man's cock. It was preparing itself for exactly what Hythlodaeus made it to do. With a mighty cry from Hades, semen poured out of him into the slime where it was collected closer to its 'center'. It continued to milk him of every drop that he was willing to give and more. Hythlodaeus found it incredibly fascinating to see his work do precisely what it was meant to do instead of exploding into puddles of slime like it had for him in the past.

Yes, success! He mentally cheered his enthusiasm as he watched the slime bring its many 'limbs' closer to its body to be correctly absorbed back in. The package of 'cum' it had obtained deep within its bowels was quite visible against the light blue of its body.

"Thank you so very much, darling, you really did provide a lot." And he meant it in both the help with his homework and for the amount the man gave in pleasure.

Hades' chest rose and fell as he tried to steady his breathing, his extremities twitching at how tense he had held himself when he climaxed. "Y-you're… w-" He stopped in his tracks at an unfamiliar sensation. Something… felt different.

He looked down, not only was he hard still, but his secondary penetrative appendage had emerged from sheath, this one being the more tentacle-like organ.

"H-how?…" Hades' mouth went agape. "It doesn't… hurt? It usually hurts when I try to force them both out but now… it doesn't hurt." His eyes were wide at the sight, glancing between himself and Hythlodaeus as if to say did you know this'd happen? Did you do this?

Hythlodaeus opened his mouth into a small 'oh'.

Well, that was an unexpected development that he really wished he had brought a paper and pen to bed with them. Damn his short-sightedness! Still, it was a welcome distraction from the tent under his own robes. The second appendage of Hades' sex organs usually didn't come out of its hiding place alongside the main one without much coaching and willpower to push themselves past exhaustion; even then, he could only count on one hand the number of times it had appeared thusly.

At this point in their lives, Hythlodaeus was content with defeat at ever pleasing Hades in his entirety. But now… it was the opportunity was here once again, under his piercing iris hues. The arousal he felt at the notion was starting to become uncomfortable.

He takes a small breath through his nose before starting to remove his clothes as quickly as possible until he is kneeling beside his dearest friend, naked and standing at full attention. His shaft twitches from the cool air.

It was usually one or the other, and Hades could never tell nor will which organ would come out. But now, with both of them out, without hurt and no sign of retreating… his eyes locked onto Hythlodaeus' lavender ones and then trailed down to the man's arousal. His sight blurred from overstimulation coupled with the enticing scene before him, and then without warning, he pinned Hythlodaeus down onto the bed, reversing their positions, his breath tickling the other's ear as he spoke, "I… I want to… please—"

Hades bit his lip and breathed through his nose heavily as his dual appendages prodded at Hythlodaeus, the bigger one leaking against Hythlodaeus' cunt while the other teased the rim of his asshole, both his hands kept gripping the other's wrists tightly, almost to the point of hurt.

Hythlodaeus didn't dare try to keep the whine down his throat. This wasn't an entirely new side to Hades, but one that was just as rare to see. Hades, being so undone by the ministrations that Hythlodaeus did to him, that he would be on top of him, crazed with lust, made his pussy clench at nothing and his cock twitch with need. He breathed heavily, lavender hues blinking their long lashes as he looked up at Hades with a smile. "Oh. Oh, do with me what you will, my love." Permission was given freely, and his legs would spread open in welcome to the other man.

Ah, how he wanted to be filled by both of Hades' appendages. To feel him writhe inside him, fill him up and just… The pastel-haired man bit his lower lip to stifle the perverted thoughts that rose within him suddenly. If he thought too hard about it, he would spill his release far too early to be pleasurable for them both. He needed Hades inside him just as bad as he needed air.

"And please do not hold back."

Hades shifted one of his hands gripping Hythlodaeus' wrists to travel up his arm, reverently gliding against the man's smooth skin. Then up to his bicep, his shoulder… he swallowed slightly, remembering how in contrast to most of the man's soft body, his newly picked skill of archery had made the young man's shoulders grow big and strong. It made him feel… safe; thinking about Hythlodaeus' arms wrapped around him, soothing him… he shook himself out of his daze and trekked his hand inward and down, resting it on one of the man's pillowy pecs. He squeezed it slightly as he leaned forward, putting more of his weight on him.

"I wouldn't dream of disappointing you—" He whispered, looking into Hythlodaeus' lust-filled eyed with yearning, as if he hadn't had the man in millennia.

Angling himself properly, he pushed into both holes slowly, adjusting as he went. He let out a groan at how tight the man felt the more he entered, burying his face against the crook of his neck as he barely held himself together enough to not slam into the man in one go. Once he was all in, hips flush against the other's, he propped himself up a little, checking Hythlodaeus' condition.

To be touched and loved by Hades was something that Hythlodaeus cherished with all his heart, body, and mind. He had placed his arms around the man's shoulders so that his body curved inward as Hades pushed inside him. He was always stretched so well with him, but they had to be a little careful with how thick the other was. It was that perfect line between pleasure and pain that he adored so much that he groaned.

When he was finally pushed fully inside him to the hilt, Hythlodaeus released a breath, shakingly through his mouth. His lips then pressed lovingly against Hades' nape, kiss after kiss after kiss. He felt so full with both lengths inside him, both holes filled and tightly clinging to him. It was something that very few could boast about.

"You're doing well?" Hades asked, humming contentedly at the kisses. He closed his eyes, trying to subdue the squirming of his lower prehensile appendage around Hythlodaeus' hole, the tentacle-esque organ was much more tactile, but also difficult to control. Concentrate… he thought as he willed the tentacle to press upwards, rubbing at the man's sensitive spot… and his own cock, which was separated only by the thin wall of warm flesh between Hyth's cunt and asshole.

Hythlodaeus shivered while moaning softly against Hades' neck. It was a weird sensation to feel the tentacle press within his inner walls to push up against Hades' cock. He wasn't sure how to describe it other than as strange yet satisfying. He didn't mind it in the least. "I'm doing very well, love," he says, leaning up so that he can speak in his ear. "No need to tease me so".

"I'm not trying to-" Hades' words got cut off with a high-pitched gasp. Something had unceremoniously shoved itself inside his holes and was mimicking his rhythm— no… overtaking his rhythm.

The slime. The damned slime.

It gripped Hades' hips and thighs as it forced the man's lower body to thrust into his partner over and over— he wouldn't last long in this state. Dammit! He wanted to take his time, rare that it was to have Hythlodaeus so unraveled beneath him.

"Y-your damned homework assignment i-is— H-hah- Hyth!-" Hades whined, his voice tinged with desperate pleading as those furrowed brows arched up, "Make it stop!"

"Oh!" Hythlodaeus gasped out as he felt his lover thrust into him suddenly. A part of him wanted to praise the slime for its tenacity, but a larger part of him was more taken by the feeling of two cocks pushing into him. Stretching his holes, filling him with their thickness until all he could feel was pleasure from his groin to the ends of his fingers and toes. His arms wrapped around Hades' shoulders, holding him closer to him so that he could press his lips gently yet sloppily against the man's neck. Legs wrapped themselves around Hades' hips, allowing him to push closer to the man's cocks and be thrusted even deeper.

"Oh! L-let it continue, Hades! Oh, please! This is so very g-good!" The slime seemed to be spurred on by Hyth's words, thrusting itself into Hades' holes with responding vigor.

"C-can't… I- I'm- fuck!!—" Hades' eyes shot open at the revitalized movements of the slime, his breath catching in his throat as he came, filling Hyth's hole with intermittent warm bursts of seed.

"N-no more- please…" He almost begged as he came down from his high to hide his face beside Hyth, muffling himself into the pillow as he rode out his climax, the slime still making him thrust into his partner. Hades made a noise that was music to Hyth's ears as the overstimulation made him squirt ever so slightly, clearer, watery fluid, its viscosity making it run down his thighs.

Hythlodaeus was close, far too close, so that all he could feel were the thrusts into his body. The waves of pleasure pushed against his frame and made him moan so loudly and wantonly. He could distantly feel the increased wetness along his thighs, and hear the noises their bodies made along with the soft whines of his bed partner who had been pushed to the brink as they continued their fervent lovemaking. With a wanton cry of his own. Hythlodaeus came hard enough that he threw his head back against the pillows, back arching up until he was pressed chest to chest with his lover. The slime, in turn, as if sensing both their exhaustion, pulled out with gentle ease from Hades' holes.

It crawled itself off the bed, plopping down onto the floor with a squish, where it stayed while giving a soft glow of what could be described as 'content'. Hythlodaeus wanted to check on the slime, really he did, but his body wouldn't listen to him. So he stayed where he was underneath Hades', peppering kisses to his exposed shoulder and running his hand through silver locks. "So good, my love. So very good," he whispers against sweat-covered skin.

The man on top of him could only give a groan of exhaustion, his body and mind utterly spent. All he could do was murmur his partner's name before his eyelids became heavy, falling asleep on top on the young bard. It wasn't long after pulling the blankets on both of them and de-summoning the slime that Hythlodaeus was also taken into a tired but pleasant slumber.

"Almost perfect marks, Hades!!" Hythlodaeus said running up to Hades in the Akademia hallway, pulling him into a big hug.

"Let me go you fool—" he held the excited young man back at arm's length before whispering in a hushed tone, "not here!—"

Hythlodaeus snickered, finding Hades' penchant for public decorum ever amusing.

"So… what is this about?"

"The slime we tested-!"

"You tested."

"Right. That I alone tested," he held back a snort, "gave me almost perfect marks! The only lacking part was its survivability, er… the professor said it seems to be easily ingested if caught."

Hades almost cracked a smile, part out of genuine happiness for his partner, and part entertained by Hyth's oversight. "That's good."

"Y-yes! That's… good." Hyth blinked a couple of times, before pulling himself out of his daze. That hint of softness under the surface of the inexorably detached Hades never ceased to make his heart flutter.

"I'll see you after classes are over, then? Azem wanted to check out the new potions exhibition nearby." Hythlodaeus smiled, tilting his head in a cute manner.

"Mm… sure. I'll see you then."