DARKLIGHT

Today, however, you had the day off. Your first instinct was to go look for Pierrot but… Obviously that was off the table. You decided to just take a day for yourself, for once. Some new books, maybe a new pair of earbuds so your boss would quit making fun of you for blasting music after closing. A hot drink and a brownie also sounded good. Your paycheck was cleared just today so you had some fun money.

You took your time at the bookstore, idly reading the first couple pages of any book that caught your eye. A couple horror novels made their way to your arms, as well as some romance novels that you would be ashamed of after you read them. You already had sex with a monster in real life, so why not have some fun with alien barbarians? Maybe you’d hide them from Pierrot, though. You had a feeling that he’d be even more insatiable if he found them.

“My, my… I didn’t know you liked this kind of thing, dear one.” A voice hissed in your ear. You nearly threw your hardback horror novel at the man as you whipped around. Harlequin jumped back with a laugh. Clutching your chest, you slapped at him less aggressively. Your face was on fire.

“How long have you been there?” You never even noticed him. Harlequin was in casual clothes, much like Pierrot was that day. Gray hoodie, sunglasses and face mask, green hat underneath. Covered head to toe to blend in better. You could tell he was grinning beneath the mask as he stuffed a hand into his pocket.

“Long enough to watch you agonize over which trashy monster romance novel series to buy. Are you trying to tell me something, sweetheart?” His free hand tilted the books down, showing the blue barbarians holding their human mates. The books were yanked back quickly.

“I need to kill you with SEVERAL hammers,” you got out, embarrassed. Harlequin snorted at the absurd threat. You stomped past him, knowing he would follow. His footsteps fell in line with your assumption. Predictable ass.

“Well, you couldn’t treat me to coffee if you did that,” he hummed. You almost asked him what he was talking about, then you recalled your last visit to the circus. Amidst all the chaos, you forgot about your little… date? You supposed you did ask him on a date. Flustered, you told him to come on then. He grinned as he followed. You paid for your books, avoiding eye contact with the cashier when Harlequin started snickering, and hurried out of the store.

“Alright, shitass, let’s go.” You put your books into your bag as you two exited onto the sidewalk. Harlequin followed, keeping an eye out for a certain red clown. When his eventual attacker wasn’t spotted, his attention returned to you. You pulled your phone out and he couldn’t help but lean over to see if any new messages had popped up.

“Seems your phone’s been quiet. Your admirer finally give up?” He saw your grip on the phone tighten at the mention of him. You huffed and shook your head.

“I could only be so lucky. I got a text from an old coworker of mine- she ran off the day before I met you. I was worried about her.” You pocketed the phone as you talked. He fell into step beside you, hands in his pockets. Harlequin didn’t press about said friend because, frankly, he didn’t care. He was more concerned about your other unwanted contact.

“Why haven’t you blocked the pest yet, exactly? I know you have a lot of little pleasures you keep to yourself, but that doesn’t seem as fun.” Harlequin watched your shoulders tense. The grip on your bag tightened as you no doubt recalled that heated night when his ticket landed in your palm. His smile widened as he heard your heart pick up.

“I try, but he manages to get a new burner. And changing numbers right now is a huge pain,” you explained with a sigh. Harlequin hummed in response. You led him to your cafe, seeing the new employee struggling to keep up with the lunch rush. Your boss was nice enough to help out and take your orders. He side-eyed Harlequin, but went to work. You two took your coffees and snacks outside. Without thinking, you began to lead him back home.

“So… About the reason for this date,” Harlequin started, looking at you over the rims of his sunglasses. You were silent for a moment, occupying yourself by eating your brownie. Different ways to start the conversation cycled through your mind, but you were at a loss in the end.

“... You aren’t lying to me, right? I don’t want to entertain the thought just to be made a fool of.” You had to be sure. You were already out of your comfort zone. You didn’t want to be thrown into the deep end just because this guy had a hateboner for your… Pierrot. The whole thing was reckless, honestly. 

“Why would I have a reason to lie? I’m in danger no matter what we do, dearest. Might as well have fun with a pretty thing in the meantime.” He moved in front of you, stopping you in your tracks. A single claw pressed to your chin, tilting your head up. You swallowed and you knew he could feel the action.

His claw urged you forward, and you didn’t have the will to resist him. His other hand pulled the facemask down. He yanked the hoodie forward enough to hide your faces as you met the cold lips of his mask. His forked tongue snaked past your lips, flicking against your own. He wasn’t frantic and needy like Pierrot. Harlequin was measured and teasing, leading the kiss like a dance. Claws trailed down your neck, thumb sliding across the hollow of your throat almost tenderly.

“You are-” Harlequin cut himself off, eyes darting above your head. He suddenly shot up, covering your head with his arms and shoving you down. Glass shattered just above your ears and you heard Harlequin hiss. Footsteps retreated quickly as the clown above you cussed them out in Portuguese. You pulled back, looking back to see a black hoodie turn the corner. Then you promptly ignored the lost assaulter and went back to Harlequin.

You grabbed his arms, seeing blood start to seep through the fabric of the left limb. He started to yank back, but you held his wrists firmly. Looking down, you saw a cheap beer label amongst brown, broken glass.

“Come on- my apartment’s closer than the circus,” you urged, guiding him towards your building. Harlequin hesitated, but ultimately followed. He knew it was better to get it dealt with than walk across the city with blood dripping down his arms. But the idea of being at your mercy for it made his skin crawl.

“Sit down and roll your sleeves up- I know it’s just the left one bleeding but I want to double check,” you ordered as you two entered the apartment. There was an authoritative tone to your voice Harlequin hadn’t heard before. Usually you were subdued or nervous around him, but this was a complete shift. He watched you closely as he debated on what to do. Scalding water cleaned your hands before you put on a pair of latex gloves. He finally relented, taking his gloves off rolling both sleeves up to reveal dark green scales. Even if Pierrot didn’t admit to what happened, he knew that their secret was out with you.

You came over with your first aid kit and a small bowl, only hesitating for a moment at the sight of his scales. The shock and curiosity were quickly replaced with a steady focus he was more familiar with. Doctor held the same look when he was patching someone up- or taking something apart.

Careful fingers pulled at the damaged skin and Harlequin growled in response. Sterile, steady tweezers picked out any glass shards that stuck into his skin. Green eyes flitted between your focused gaze and your efficient hands. Glass clinked into the bowl and blood dripped onto the towel you had laid out over the tabletop.

“No wonder Doctor wants to see you again,” Harlequin said. You glanced up at him for a moment but quickly returned your attention to his injuries. A silent prompt for him to continue.

“You two get that exact same look when you’re focused, and he always appreciates a steady hand.” His chin sat in his uninjured hand as he observed you. He could hear your heart race slightly now that you knew how closely he was paying attention, but you didn’t let your embarrassment show.

“And you do look good, focused like this- shit-.” He winced as you pulled out another piece of glass. You wiped down his arm with an antiseptic wipe, tossing it in with the discarded glass. You huffed, rolling your eyes before checking the lacerations for any more stray shards.

“Yeah and you look real good dripping onto my table,” you shot back with a smile. Harlequin huffed a bit, equal parts amused and annoyed. You turned his arm over to check for any more lacerations. 

“Implying I don’t look good every day? How you wound me, dear one,” he said jokingly as you grabbed wipes, medicine and gauze. With no more shards to be seen, you got to work cleaning the wounds properly.

“And which hurts more- the implication or the glass?” you asked, a laugh in the question. With more care than Harlequin was used to, you began wrapping his arm tightly. His fingers twitched at the pressure on his sore arm, but allowed you to move him as needed.

“Oh, the implication for sure. The glass is just another Tuesday.” Harlequin saw your smile fade slightly. You secured the gauze, making sure it wasn’t so tight it’d hurt him later. With all that finished, you wrapped the bowl up in the towel and threw it all in the garbage. Harlequin quirked a brow at you.

“My blood would be one thing, but I’m not eating from the foreign biohazard bowl no matter how many wash cycles it went through.” You grabbed your cleaning solution and a mop to clean up the droplets that got on your floors. With freedom to move, Harlequin began to make himself at home. As your coffee was now on the sidewalk, he took it upon himself to grab a drink from your fridge. He allowed his eyes to trail around your apartment as he walked around. You were too busy trying to keep the blood from staining to notice.

Books were scattered all over the place, as well as dvd cases. You had some posters and other little merch pieces around from different media pieces. The short hallway to your room had various photos hung up, all from your time here. You and, he assumed, Carol going bowling with your boss. Various shots of scenery from the city or its parks. Some hearts drawn in the condensation on the window of your cafe. Even a candid shot of the circus after it had set up, showing Harlequin with one of his marionettes doing a street routine in the path to the entrance. He was the only member of the troupe you actually had a photo of, even if the focus was more on the background than him. He hummed softly before he moved on.

After checking to see where you were, he slipped into your bedroom. Messier than the front, with more books and things thrown about. A few game consoles sat near the tv, with games in the entertainment center below. Your scent overpowered him in here, with your hamper and bedding nearby. He picked through the top of your dirty clothes just to see what type of clothing you were drawn to. Then his eyes landed on the desk.

His little plush self stared up at him mischievously, sitting on the corner closer to your bed. Pierrot’s was in the corner against the wall where his little gift flowers surrounded him and his merchandise hat hung above. The first ticket he gave you still sat in the plushie’s hands and Harlequin wondered if his green ticket would be in his toy’s. If Pierrot wasn’t a nosy bastard, Harlequin was sure he’d know the answer. Something else was on his counterpart, however. A stupid pair of alien sunglasses, the giant lenses almost as big as the plush itself. Harlequin was so baffled that he couldn’t help but laugh.

“What are you- man. You weren’t supposed to see that.” You had poked your head in at his laughter, growing flustered when you saw what the source of it was. He couldn’t help himself as he picked up the stupid novelty glasses. Harlequin held them up, a silent “really?” in the way his hip cocked to the side.

“I dunno. I felt bad the other li’l guy had all that stuff and saw those one day! And they’re green!” You couldn’t help but laugh as well. Harlequin put the stupid glasses back on his tiny counterpart. He made himself comfortable on your bed, stretching out and leaning on his uninjured arm. You decided to sit next to him, sitting up against the headboard. Silence stretched between you two for a few moments. Not uncomfortable, but you couldn’t say it was peaceful either.

“... If I don’t want to give up either of you, would you leave?” You didn’t look at him as you spoke. You saw his reflection still on the tv, intense gaze stuck to your profile. A noise like a scoff escaped him, but there was no bite to it.

“I’d call you greedy. You really want two of us clawing for that heart of yours?” His hand traveled up your thigh. Your breath hitched, finally forcing yourself to look down at him. He could hear your heart racing.

“I do. I’ve spent all my life holding back what I want. If you’re willing, we can work it out. ” Your answer was so serious that Harlequin faltered. You stared down at him with an intensity he’d come to recognize in his companion. Less manic, but the desire was clear in your eyes. For him. For Pierrot, as well, but they had shared a lot in the past.

Surely the lovesick fool would bend over backwards for you.

“Then what are we waiting for, rabbit?” His hand pushed further, claws dancing on your stomach as he sat up. You pulled his face mask down for him this time, initiating the kiss. Harlequin hummed into it. He tilted your head up, flicking his tongue into your mouth teasingly.

Suddenly, something wrapped around your eyes. A scarf- deep green, ironically- was tied around your head. Your fingers dug into his sleeves, jerking back slightly. Fabric rustled, before the tell-tale clink of his mask settling on the bedside table hit you.

“You’ll be good and keep that on for me, won’t you?” Harlequin’s smooth voice was right in your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. You nodded quickly, tugging at his clothes to pull him back to you. He chuckled as he kissed you again, slower this time. Like there wasn’t a care in the world to be had. His lips were warmer than the mask’s, and a lot softer.

Something long and thin wound itself around your waist, slithering up your shirt. You twitched at the contact, grabbing it quickly. Harlequin made no move to stop you as you felt the limb. It was long, its scales smooth under your fingers. The tendril continued to slide along your skin, until it found the still-healing bite mark on your shoulder. The thin tip traced the healing indents of Pierrot’s bite. You heard him mumble something to himself, but couldn’t quite pick it up.

He pushed your shirt up, claws splaying over your chest as he pushed you down onto your back. The bed creaked as he moved over you, more tendrils sliding into your pants and wrapping around your thighs. He felt the muscles tense and twitch, your body unsure if it should open itself up to the new sensations. Not that he was really giving you a chance to close yourself off.

“I like you like this, you know. Heart racing, wondering what I’ll do next… What new sensation you’ll feel…” He dragged his claws down your chest, hard enough that you knew it’d leave welts. You couldn’t help but arch into his hand, however. The tendrils in your pants slid the garment down, where he took them off and threw them off somewhere behind him.

His tongue traced one of the welts from his claws, drawing a sharp breath from you. Your hand followed his arm, searching for his head. Your fingers met soft curls as he bit down on the meat of your stomach. You met his growl with a groan.

The tendril at your shoulder moved higher, coiling around your neck loosely. He laved at the bite as he spread your thighs wider. Your hand wandered, brushing against what you could guess was a horn. Harlequin stilled for a moment, eyes locked on your blinded face. You swallowed, hand pulling back slightly.

“Do… you not want me to touch you, Harlequin?” Your voice was quiet and careful. Harlequin didn’t respond right away. On one hand, he knew the jig was up as soon as that fool of a Pierrot got in your bed. He wasn’t as careful as Harlequin was- too impulsive and inexperienced. And the way you didn’t even flinch at the feel of his horns- how quickly you adapted to his tendrils- spoke volumes. He could keep their secret easy, right now. You were a fool to place yourself at a monster’s mercy.

But… He thought back to your hands on his arm, firm and caring. Not even reacting to the scales and claws as you pulled the glass out of his skin. Even knowing he wasn’t human didn’t stop you from allowing him to blind you. And you were worried about him. How he felt in this moment, rather than making sure he wouldn’t turn on you. Something burned in his stomach.

“Just don’t be shocked at what you might find, dearest,” he said, tone light as he crawled his way back up your body. You heard heavy fabric move before it dropped to the floor. You felt around until you found his arm again, feeling the bandages and working your way up. Harlequin’s clothed hips rolled against you, making you shudder.

“And what does my curious rabbit feel, hm?” His voice was next to your ear, a low whisper laced with something dangerous. You swallowed as he licked a hot stripe from under your ear and down your jaw. Despite how dry your mouth felt, you indulged him.

“You’re smooth… And from what I saw at the table, your… scales are pretty.” You were careful, since you couldn’t see his reactions to your words. You did feel his shoulder tense up before you felt down his chest with both hands. The muscles of his pectorals were wound tight. He bit down on your neck, the same spot he bit that night on the street. A sweet moan tore from your throat as you heard him fumble with his pants.

“This is sex, sweetheart, you don’t need to be so… nice about it,” he hissed. You huffed slightly, twitching when he dragged you down into place.

“Well then your boobs feel great. Is that what you’d rather hear?” you couldn’t help but ask, emphasizing your joke with a squeeze of his chest. Harlequin snorted, grabbing one of your thighs and hiking it over his hip. The tendril around your leg squeezed and massaged as it held the limb in place.

“Thank you, yes. I worked hard on those.” He cut off your laughter with another kiss. His hips rolled again, and you felt two somethings grind against you. He swallowed your startled gasp as they moved along your skin. The tips found your sensitive spots, twisting and sliding along your groin so deliciously you couldn’t help but whine. They were smooth and self-lubricating.

“Do you really have fucking two?” you asked, stunned. All you got in response was an amused hum. One cock slid into you slowly, testing the waters. The second one continued to tease you as he moved lazily. There was no needy desperation like between you and Pierrot. Harlequin knew what he was doing, and knew just how to play you.

“You open up so easily. Think you could take them both, darling?” Harlequin pulled out fully as he spoke, leaving you to whine at the loss of him. He bit down on your shoulder, no doubt intending to leave his own mark alongside Pierrot’s. A sharp groan left your throat.

“Please, Harlequin-!” Your hips rose, trying to grind against him. Harlequin got off of you completely, tendrils dragging you along with him. His strong hands grabbed your ass and held your hips up. A tendril wound itself around your waist for extra security.

“Please, what? Use your words.” The grin in his voice was clear as day. You couldn’t even move your hips now, legs wrapped up in his tendrils to keep them upright and lower body hanging off the edge of the bed. He grabbed your wrists with new tendrils, yanking them down to your sides.

“Please fuck me- use both,” you begged, hands twisting to grab onto the tendrils pinning them down. He let out a snarl, all of his limbs tightening around you. Both of his cocks slid into you slowly, although he was more stiff about it this time. Like he was holding himself back. Despite how the thin tips helped ease his members ease in, the stretch as he slid to the hilt had your legs trembling. His claws tapped on your hips like one would on a desk while waiting, thrusting oh so slowly to see if you could handle all of him.

“You really are greedy, aren’t you? I’d love keeping you to myself. A pretty plaything, tied up on my bed and ready to use. I think you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Harlequin grinned as you whined at his words. He set a nice rhythm now that he knew you could take him. Neither cock was as long as Pierrot’s, but combined they were thicker. And they continued to move inside you, pressing against your sensitive walls and curling in satisfaction whenever he drew a pathetic noise from you.

Harlequin leaned over you, leaving bite marks along your upper chest. A tendril released your leg, which you promptly hooked around his hip to pull him closer. The tip of the extra limb slithered between your legs, twisting and grinding so sinfully you saw stars. It stroked you in time with his increasingly-rough thrusts. You felt like you couldn’t breathe.

Your orgasm hit so suddenly- so intensely- it had you near sobbing. Harlequin released an odd clicking noise from the back of his throat, fucking you through it at a now brutal pace. Your nails dug into the tendrils holding your arms down and your heel dug into his back. He bit down hard on your upper arm, just below the shoulder, and dug his claws into your hips.

Just as the overstimulation began to set in, he pulled out and the bed dipped near your side. A raw, growling moan escaped him as he forced your mouth open. You felt his cum hit your tongue and cheeks, as well as landing on your neck and chest. You whimpered, swallowing when he finally let your jaws go. He panted above you, moving your body back fully onto the bed. His tendrils slowly unwound themselves from you, dragging across your skin like he didn’t want to let go.

“Now you look real pretty like that,” he hummed, stepping away from you. You started to reach up for the scarf, but he grabbed your wrists quickly. His grip was tight.

“Keep that on for a few minutes, would you? Can’t have you ruining the surprise just yet.” He let your arms go slowly, seeing if you’d listen. When you placed your hands on your stomach, taking the time to come down from the encounter, he started gathering clothes. Fabric rustled as he got dressed, then his footsteps receded for a moment. He was back quickly, setting something on the bed near you. He was silent, then he started toward the balcony door.

“Count to 30, then you can remove it. See you soon, rabbit,” he purred. The curtain moved and the door opened as you mentally counted. Both were shut fast. You were a bit disappointed that he left right after, but you chalked it up to him not wanting to expose himself much more to you.

At 30, you removed the scarf from your eyes. You looked to your right to see what he put on the bed. The discarded clothes now lay in a haphazard bundle, with a towel on top of them. With an amused huff, you forced yourself to sit up and wipe yourself down. Looking around the room, you spotted a new addition to your little circus plushie corner.

Harlequin had traded out the alien sunglasses with the pair he was wearing earlier, leaving them sitting in the plush’s hands rather than on its head. On wobbling legs, you stumbled to the balcony door. A peek outside showed that Harlequin was nowhere to be found. You still found yourself smiling, however, as you made your way to the bathroom to take a shower. You froze when you spotted all the bloody bites and deep scratches on your body.