.˚𓏲♱ kitsu ! 🦇ೄྀ

It wasn't long after their first meeting that all of Mondstadt knew about their relationship. While it was obvious that it would become known quickly, it wasn't because rumors spread fast in Mondstadt, but because the Vice-Captain wanted everyone to know.

Lohen mentioned her whenever he could, constantly. During patrols, meetings, training sessions, even casual conversations that had absolutely nothing to do with her somehow still circled back to her.

He was hopelessly and embarrassingly devoted to the witch living outside the city.

And the laughter and comments of others did not embarrass him, did not stop him, but quite the opposite. They seemed to function as motivation, as if they only encouraged him to do more, to be more affectionate, more shameless, more eager to follow her around her cottage carrying crates, gathering herbs, chopping ingredients, or allowing himself to become what Lisa jokingly referred to as the witch’s favorite lab rat. Lohen personally preferred the term devoted assistant, and she preferred willing lover.

And in a way, they were all right.

Over the months they had been a couple, they’d tested harmless sleep tinctures, enchanted teas, truth serums that made Lohen spend forty uninterrupted minutes praising her beauty in an incredible detailed way, and even a pastry experiment that had temporarily caused glowing flowers to bloom in his hair every time she kissed him. And Lohen had love every second of it.

“Most men would fear being experimented on by a witch,” she had said during one of the first tests together.

Lohen, sprawled comfortably across her couch with his hair a dark color, different from usual, and his eyes a more bluish color, thanks to the appearance-changing potion, had only smiled lazily. “Well yes, most men are weak… And you know I'm not like them, I’m better.”

And she knew it. Lohen was the most obedient, the most willing, the most... devoted, ready to help her try anything.

And he was going to prove it to her once again.

It all started with Varka, again. Specifically, with the crate he dropped onto her kitchen table one rainy afternoon.

“Straight from Sumeru!” he’d announced proudly. “Exotic herbs, flowers, spores, roots. The researchers there said you’d probably know what to do with this,” then he had paused. “Actually, they also told me not to mix some of them together.”

That had been the least helpful warning imaginable. Especially to a curious witch like her, she had a fascination with trying things she shouldn't, investigating and experimenting with things she didn't know.

For three days she sorted through the ingredients carefully, identifying properties, reactions, magical traces, describing everything down to the smallest detail in her notebook. Most of them were harmless, some medicinal, others are a bit more fun, some have stranger and more curious effects and a few mildly dangerous.

And then, there was that one flower. With deep crimson petals, dusted with golden pollen and a scent just sweet enough to put her immediately on edge.

The moment she crushed a few petals beneath the mortar’s pestle, she knew the flower was anything but ordinary. Heat unfurled slowly through the air around her, subtle at first, then almost dizzying, carrying with it an intoxicating aroma that clung to her senses despite the small amount she had used.

Curiosity overpowered caution soon enough. She continued testing it, documenting every reaction with growing unease as hurried notes accumulated across the margins of her notebook. Heightened stimulation. Noticeable amplification of the senses. Emotional responses intensified beyond normal parameters. Each observation seemed to build upon the last, forming an increasingly alarming pattern until, at the bottom of the page, she underlined her final conclusion twice: Potentially catastrophic aphrodisiac.

And that was precisely why she should have gotten rid of it; it was perhaps too dangerous, especially seeing that it seemed to have such a large effect in such a small amount, much more than any aphrodisiac she had studied before.

But the curious, fascinated part of her, the alchemist in her, the side that swelled with pride at having managed to extract and create something so rare, ultimately proved stronger than her better judgment. Because in the end, she kept a sample. A tiny one, carefully sealed away under the excuse of ‘research purposes.’ She had no intention of using it, of course, it was merely a keepsake of her discovery, a small trophy commemorating her success.

Unfortunately, she had overlooked one very important detail.

Lohen spent more time in her cottage than at the headquarters of the Knights of Favonius, and he was every bit as inquisitive as she was. So, it took him far less time than it should have to find the sample she had hidden away.

“You made a mysterious potion and didn’t tell me?” he asked, sounding genuinely betrayed. "You hurt me, sweetheart."

She looked up from her notes flatly. “It’s potentially dangerous.”

“And?” he questioned, as if that weren't reason enough to justify not having said anything about it.

“And I’m not giving it to you, Lohen.”

He leaned against the doorway of the kitchen, arms crossed, clearly unconvinced by her words. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t know exactly what it’ll do yet.”

“That’s what makes it interesting,” he smiled excitedly, causing her to frown.

“That is what makes it concerning.”

“Oh, there she is,” he murmured fondly, unable to stop looking at her, his eyes almost shining. “My beautiful and responsible witch.”

She looked at him with narrowed eyes. “Don’t flirt your way around this, Sir.”

“I’m not flirting, sweetheart.”

“You called me beautiful and looked at me like that,” she answered, raising an eyebrow, while he smiled trying to look innocent.

“I call you beautiful constantly.”

"Yes, but you used that voice you use when you want something and that look you know the effect it has on me, I already know your tricks, Vice-Captain.”

Letting out a low laugh, Lohen pushed off the doorway and crossed toward her worktable, gaze dropping toward the small glass vial which he was holding in his hand as he placed it on the table. The liquid inside shimmered dark gold beneath the candlelight, looking irresistible, as if it were calling to be drunk.

“You tested it already?” he asked, standing next to her.

“On diluted elemental reactions only.”

“And?”

“And I’m fairly certain it acts as an extremely intense aphrodisiac.”

Lohen stared at her in silence, blinking several times without saying a word or making any gesture, until finally a sound of surprise escaped his lips. “Oh,” that single word carried entirely too much interest.

She pointed at him immediately, shaking her head and causing the witch's hat she was wearing to wobble a little, but it didn't fall off thanks to Lohen gently holding it. “No, don’t even think about it.”

“What?”

“You’re making that face.”

“What face?” he questioned, pretending not to understand what was happening.

“The one that means you’re about to volunteer yourself for something reckless.”

His smile widened slowly. “I love that you know me so well, sweetheart. But I promise I have a good argument,” he said smoothly, “if not me, then who?”

She groaned softly and set her quill down. “Lohen, no.”

“I’m serious.”

“More like delirious if you think I'm going to let you try it,” she muttered. “You are absolutely not drinking an unidentified aphrodisiac flower potion for my research.”

“Again,” he said reasonably, “who else would you trust? I am your most reliable test subject, your partner, your volunteer.”

“You’re impossible,” she sighed.

“And yet you love me madly”

“…Unfortunately.”

He grinned like that answer alone had already secured victory, and then his expression softened slightly as he crouched beside her chair. “I trust you,” he said quietly. The teasing remained in his eyes, but beneath it sat genuine sincerity. “You’d never let anything truly happen to me.”

Her chest tightened helplessly. Archons, that man was going to be the end of her.

“Lohen, I still don’t know how strong the effects could be,” she warned, struggling to keep her voice steady. “I don’t know how much it might affect you or how your body will react to it.”

“Then you’ll monitor me.”

“And if something goes wrong?”

“You’ll fix it.” His answer came without hesitation, spoken with such unwavering certainty that it stole the breath from her lungs. “I meant what I said before. I trust you completely,” his gaze softened as he drew her a little closer by the waist. “I have absolute faith in you and your abilities.” Then, quieter this time, even more gentle. “I’m not worried,” he murmured. “Because I have you, sweetheart.”

The way he said it, low and warm against her skin, was devastating enough on its own. But paired with the look in his eyes, with the gentle touch of his nose brushing against hers, with the slow circles his thumb traced over her waist as though he already knew she was losing the argument… it became impossible to resist him. And he knew it.

She let out a slow, defeated breath, closing her eyes for a brief moment as if trying to gather what remained of her resolve. It was useless. Every bit of caution she had clung to was crumbling beneath his touch, his voice, the impossible certainty with which he looked at her. When she finally opened her eyes again, there was reluctant surrender shining in them.

“…Okay,” she muttered softly, already knowing she was going to regret how easily he affected her. The corner of his mouth lifted immediately, smug and warm all at once, but she pressed a hand lightly against his chest before he could say anything. “No teasing,” she warned, though the lack of firmness in her voice ruined the effect entirely. “You won, alright? We’ll do it.”

His expression softened at once, satisfaction melting into something gentler, more affectionate, and the way his hands settled more securely at her waist made her heart stumble again.

“But,” she continued quickly, trying to salvage at least a little dignity. “We’re doing this carefully. I’m monitoring everything, and the second I think something is wrong, we stop immediately.”

Lohen’s gaze never left hers as he leaned in just enough for his forehead to rest against hers.

“Whatever you say, sweetheart,” he murmured, far too pleased with himself. He was sure that the experiment was going to be very interesting and educational.

At first, nothing happened.

Lohen sat comfortably across from her at the kitchen table, one elbow resting lazily against the wood while she observed him carefully over the rim of her notebook.

“No dizziness?” she asked.

“No.”

“Heart rate normal?”

“Mhm, beating only for you.”

“Vision changes?”

“Only the usual overwhelming distraction caused by your beautiful face, sweetheart.”

She sighed deeply and continued writing. “Lohen focus, please.”

“I am focused.”

“You’re flirting.”

“I can multitask, one of my many talents.”

Ten minutes passed. Then twenty and still nothing.

She was beginning to suspect the potion had either failed entirely or required stronger concentration when suddenly Lohen went quiet. She immediately focused her gaze on him, noticing the tension in his shoulders.

“…Lohen? Are you okay?”

He inhaled slowly through his nose. “There it is.”

Her attention sharpened instantly. “What are you feeling?”

“Warm.”

“How warm?”

“Not painful,” his brows furrowed faintly. “Just… is like something spreading inside, everywhere.”

She took notes as she noticed how the changes in him were gradually becoming evident. The tips of his ears had begun turning pink and his pupils looked slightly larger too, his breathing quickening a little.

“Any other change?” she asked carefully, holding his wrist for a few seconds to measure his pulse.

Lohen swallowed once. “…More sensitive.”

“How so?”

He leaned back slightly in the chair, exhaling slowly. “It feels like everything’s sharper suddenly,” his voice had lowered slightly. “Your perfume, the candles, your voice, everything, specially you.”

Her writing slowed slightly, observing him, analyzing his reaction, his gestures, his face. “And physically?”

A faint shiver rolled visibly through him then, his gaze flickered toward her hand hat was now resting near the notebook. “When you touched my wrist earlier,” he said quietly, his gaze fixed on hers. “It felt like an electric current running beneath my skin.” His fingers curled slightly at his side, as though remembering it even now. “I could still feel it minutes later, as if I still had your touch.”

Her breath caught slightly despite herself. “And now?”

Lohen laughed softly under his breath, though it sounded strained around the edges. “Now I’m trying very hard not to think about you touching me again.”

Heat curled unexpectedly through her stomach but she ignored it, mostly at least. She nodded, continuing with her notes while they waited a few more minutes to see how his condition would continue to evolve.

“Any discomfort?” she inquired, her eyes fixed attentively on him.

“No.”

“Pain?”

“No, sweetheart.”

“Can you still think clearly?”

He looked at her then, directly, and the sheer intensity in his expression nearly made her lose her train of thought entirely. “Barely,” he admitted, taking her by surprise.

The warmth beneath his skin seemed more obvious now, a faint flush spreading slowly across his throat while his pupils continued dilating wider and wider the longer he stared at her. And he was staring, constantly, like he physically couldn’t stop, as if taking his eyes off her would kill him.

“How strong are the urges currently?”

His jaw tightened slightly before he could answer. “…Manageable,” the way he had said it, with a half-strangled voice, the Adam's apple moving with difficulty in his neck and his eyes fixed on it, made it more than obvious that he was lying.

She stood immediately and moved toward one of the cabinets, taking out another small bottle, this time with a violet liquid. “After obtaining the sample, I looked for a way to make an antidote, just in case.”

Behind her came a soft laugh. “You really prepared for everything.”

“Unlike you, I think ahead.”

"Another one of the many things I adore about you,” he said, causing her to roll her eyes while waving the small vial.

But the moment she turned back toward him, her breathing became shallow and her lips parted slightly in surprise, because Lohen looked wrecked. He was still seated, still trying to behave, but barely. His hands flexed slowly against his knees like he was physically restraining himself from reaching for her, his breathing had deepened and the look in his eyes… It looked almost hungry now.

“You should take this,” she said softly, holding out the antidote.

Lohen stared at the vial, then at her and then very deliberately at her mouth, while licking his lower lip. “…Question,” he murmured.

“What?”

“If not the antidote…” His voice had gone rough around the edges. “What other solutions are theorized?”

Heat rushed instantly into her face. “I mean, there are rumors,” she admitted carefully. “But nothing verified, nothing too certain.”

“What kind of rumors, sweetheart?”

The nickname should not have affected her as much as it did in that precise moment. Lohen had been calling her that since the day they met, shamelessly slipping the endearment into conversation with that infuriating confidence of his until it eventually became something familiar, something warm. Over time, it had grown softer around the edges, threaded with unmistakable affection and quiet tenderness.

But this time… this time it sounded different. This time, the word left his lips low and rough, steeped in something far more dangerous than fondness alone. There was restraint in it, strained thin at the edges, but beneath that restraint lurked hunger, deep, aching and barely contained. The sound of it wrapped around her like heat crawling beneath her skin, making her pulse stutter helplessly.

She hesitated, only for a second, but he noticed immediately. Of course he did. he was watching her with the sharp focus of a hunter tracking prey, attentive to every tiny reaction she gave him no matter how subtle. And somehow, her hesitation only seemed to intrigue him further. Something darkened in his expression then, not cruel, never cruel, but intent, interested, starving. His gaze dipped briefly to her mouth before returning to her eyes, enough to make her breath catch.

“...Physical intimacy may counteract the effects,” she said quietly. “Temporarily, at least.” Silence followed, a silence that felt heavy, even dangerous in a good way, thick enough to suffocate the air between them.

For one suspended moment, Lohen simply stared at her as though the words had not fully settled in his mind yet, as though he was forcing himself to process them carefully instead of reacting immediately. She could practically see the restraint straining inside him, stretched painfully thin. Then he stood, slowly. The movement itself looked deliberate, controlled with visible effort, but the second he straightened to his full height, a sharp shiver rolled through him from shoulders to spine, powerful enough that she noticed it instantly. His hand tightened briefly against the edge of the table beside him, knuckles whitening for half a second before relaxing again.

Her breath caught, the effects were worsening faster than she had anticipated.

Heat seemed to radiate from him now, subtle but unmistakable, filling the small space of the cottage until it became harder to think clearly herself. His breathing had deepened, slower than before but heavier somehow, and every muscle in his body appeared taut with restraint, as though he was holding himself back through sheer force of will alone. When he lifted his gaze to her again, the sight nearly made her pulse stumble. His pupils had blown wide enough to consume almost all the colour in his eyes, leaving only a thin ring of colour visible around the edges. Hunger burned there openly now, dark and intense enough to make warmth curl low in her stomach despite herself.

“Physical intimacy,” he repeated softly. The words came out rougher than before, quieter too, as though speaking required effort. His gaze did not leave her face for even a second while he said it. It dragged over her slowly afterward, unbearably attentive, and she suddenly became acutely aware of every inch of exposed skin, every shallow breath she took. Another shiver passed through him, smaller this time, and he exhaled through his nose with visible control. “Sweetheart,” he murmured after a moment, voice low enough to send heat racing up her spine, “you really should’ve led with that part.”

Her throat suddenly felt dry. “It’s only a theory.”

“Mhm.”

“You should still take the antidote, Lohen.”

Lohen crossed the space between them carefully, as though moving too fast might snap whatever fragile restraint he still possessed. Every step looked measured, deliberate, but she could see the tension coiled beneath it, in the tightness of his shoulders and in the way his fingers flexed once at his side like he was resisting the urge to reach for her immediately.

When he finally stopped in front of her, he was close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. It wrapped around her instantly, warm and dizzying, carrying traces of cedar, leather and something distinctly him beneath the lingering sweetness of the flower’s effects. His gaze dipped briefly toward the antidote vial still clutched in her hand before lifting back to her eyes.

“Or,” he murmured, voice low and wrecked and wanting enough to send heat down her spine. “We could test the theory properly.”

The words sent a pulse of heat straight down her spine.

She hesitated. The antidote remained loosely trapped between her fingers while Lohen stood impossibly close, close enough that one small movement would bring them flush together. The warmth pouring off his skin felt almost feverish now and she became painfully aware of how uneven his breathing had grown.

“Lohen,” she said softly, trying very hard not to focus on the way his eyes kept drifting to her mouth between sentences. “You’re not thinking clearly right now.”

A quiet laugh escaped him, breathless around the edges. “My love,” he murmured, the endearment sounding almost unbearably tender despite the roughness in his voice. “I never think clearly when you’re near me.”

Heat bloomed instantly across her cheeks. Archons, even now, even half-drunk on the effects of a dangerously potent aphrodisiac, he still flirted with her as naturally as breathing.

“The potion is affecting your judgment,” she insisted weakly, though her voice lacked any real conviction now.

“It’s affecting a great many things,” he admitted honestly, his gaze dragging slowly over her face before settling back on her eyes with enough intensity to make her stomach tighten. “But not that, I am really sure of that.”

“You shouldn’t decide something like this while under the effects of an unknown aphrodisiac.”

Lohen stepped closer again, close enough now that the antidote vial trapped between them pressed lightly against his chest. And the reaction it caused in him was immediate, a visible shiver rolled through his entire body at the contact, his eyes fluttered shut briefly, like he was fighting to steady himself, and when they opened again the restraint inside them looked dangerously thin.

“You don’t understand,” he said quietly. “I already wanted you before this.” The words settled between them, warm and heavy enough to steal the air from her lungs. His gaze held hers with almost painful intensity now, honest in a way that made her chest tighten. “I always want you,” he admitted softly. “I want to hold you. I want you in my arms whenever I can get you there,” his fingers tightened faintly at her waist as though the confession itself cost him restraint. “Half the time you’re talking to me, I’m trying not to think about pulling you closer. This only…” he exhaled shakily, jaw tightening as another tremor passed through him. “Intensified it.”

“Lohen…”

“I’m serious,” his hands remained carefully at her waist, gentle despite the tension visibly straining through him, like he was still trying, desperately trying, to behave even while every instinct inside him screamed otherwise. “If you tell me no,” he said softly, voice quieter now, almost reverent despite the hunger threaded through it, “I’ll drink the antidote.”

That alone nearly undid her. Because he meant it, even like this, even visibly suffering through whatever hellish concoction she had created. He was still placing the decision entirely in her hands.

“But if you’re asking whether I want you…” his jaw tightened faintly, like even the question itself strained something inside him. “Archons, sweetheart.” A helpless laugh escaped him then, the sound thick with frustration and need. He dropped his forehead briefly against hers, exhaling shakily as though trying to steady himself and failing miserably. “You have no idea,” he murmured hoarsely. “You have no idea how badly I want you.”

His fingers flexed against her waist, restrained tension trembling through the movement.

“I fucking need you,” the confession came out rougher, almost desperate now, like the words had been dragged out of him against his will. His breathing faltered for a second before he continued, quieter but somehow even more devastating. “Need to touch you. Need to hold you,” his eyes lifted back to hers, blown dark with aching want. “Need you close enough that I can’t think about anything else. “It’s always like this,” he admitted quietly, the confession slipping out of him before he could stop it. His gaze stayed fixed on hers, painfully intense, stripped completely bare now. “You probably wouldn’t even like being inside my head,” he murmured with a breathless, almost self-deprecating laugh. “You’d see how bad it really is. The things I think about when it comes to you…” his fingers tightened faintly at her waist again, like he needed the contact to ground himself.

“Archons,” he shook his head once, visibly overwhelmed by the admission alone. “Sometimes I think you’d be terrified if you knew how much I need you,” he confessed softly, the words sounding almost torn out of him. “Not just like this. Not because of the potion.” His gaze dropped briefly, like admitting it aloud made him feel too exposed, too vulnerable. “It’s constant,” he murmured. “You’re in my head all the time.” A shaky breath left him. “Sometimes it feels less like wanting and more like… an addiction I never learned how to survive. Like my body recognizes you before my mind even has the chance to catch up.” His fingers flexed weakly against her waist. “Like being near you is the only time something inside me finally settles. And when you’re not with me,” he admitted, quieter now, “I still catch myself reaching for you.”

Another breathless laugh escaped him, strained around the edges.

“Sweetheart… if you could see the inside of my mind, you’d probably realize this stopped being reasonable a long time ago.”

“You don’t mean all of that.”

“I do.”

“It’s the potion talking.”

Lohen shook his head immediately. “No,” he said firmly. “The potion only removed what little self-control I had left,” his forehead dropped lightly against hers then, his skin fever-warm, almost burning against her own. The contact drew a shaky breath from him, like even something as innocent as this had become overwhelming now. His hands tightened faintly at her waist before relaxing again, as though he was painfully aware of every ounce of pressure he put on her. “You think I haven’t imagined something like this before?” A strained laugh slipped out of him, quiet and breathless. “Half the time I’m around you, I’m trying to act like I’m not completely losing my mind over the fact that you’re standing so close to me. I’ve imagined kissing you until neither of us can think straight… Pulling you into my lap whenever you look at me like this.” His voice dipped lower. “Keeping you underneath me just so I could hear those little sounds you make when I touch you.”

The confession visibly cost him composure. She could feel it in the uneven way he breathed, in the tension wound tight beneath his skin.

“And if I need to get on my knees and beg for you properly,” he murmured, gaze dark and devastatingly sincere as it locked onto hers again, “I will.”

Her breath caught sharply. “Lohen…”

“I mean it,” his fingers tightened faintly at her waist. “Don’t leave me like this.” There was desperation creeping into his voice now beneath all the devotion and teasing, painfully intense, focused entirely on her. “Please,” he whispered. “I only want you. I need you.”

Archons.

That destroyed the last of her resistance almost instantly. She exhaled slowly, the sound shaky despite her best efforts. Every rational thought in her mind was still screaming at her that this was reckless, irresponsible, an absolutely terrible idea.

Unfortunately, Lohen was looking at her like she hung the stars over Mondstadt, trembling with restraint while still waiting for her permission like it was the only thing that mattered. And she was only human, a human weak for him.

“…Fine.”

Lohen went completely still.

For one suspended heartbeat, he simply stared at her as though he wasn’t entirely certain he had heard correctly. The tension running through him froze all at once, sharp and stunned, before something softer, something dangerously adoring, flooded his expression so quickly it made her chest tighten. The look he gave her afterward bordered on reverent, like she had just handed him something precious. And somehow, impossibly, that expression alone made heat rush straight to her face faster than any of his shameless flirting ever had.

But before he could speak, she immediately lifted a finger toward him in warning. “Under my conditions.”

The Vice-Captain of the Fifth Company nodded so fast it was almost embarrassing. “Anything.”

“You’re still technically my test subject.”

“I happily volunteer.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I, my love.”

Her lips twitched despite herself and the sight of it seemed to affect him instantly. His gaze dropped to her mouth again with visible hunger before he caught himself, inhaling sharply through his nose like even that tiny expression of amusement from her nearly shattered whatever restraint he still possessed.

“Sweetheart,” he said quietly, sounding genuinely overwhelmed now, “you have no idea how difficult you’re making it for me to behave.”

She stepped closer, fingers sliding lightly beneath his chin to tilt his face toward hers. “I want to continue observing the effects,” she murmured softly.

Lohen looked moments away from losing his mind entirely. “You can observe whatever you want,” he said immediately.

“That eager?”

“My love,” he breathed, looking at her like she personally held the fate of his soul in her hands, “you could ask me to sign my life away right now and I’d ask where to place the signature.”

A laugh escaped her and Lohen visibly shuddered at the sound. “Gods, don’t laugh like that right now,” he muttered weakly. “You’re making this worse.”

“And yet you still agreed.”

“Enthusiastically,” he confirmed it, nodding his head.

“Poor decision-making skills,” she said, unable to suppress the smile that blossomed on her lips.

“Severely compromised by how beautiful you are.”

She barely had time to roll her eyes before Lohen suddenly moved.

One moment he was standing in front of her, looking entirely too pleased with himself, and the next his arms slid beneath her knees and around her waist with effortless confidence. A startled sound escaped her as the floor disappeared beneath her feet.

“Lohen!”

“I’m being efficient,” he replied smoothly, already carrying her toward the hallway before she could properly protest.

“You’re impossible.”

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, warm despite the visible strain still lingering beneath it. “You like me impossible.”

Unfortunately, she did. Very much. Especially like that, carrying her through the cottage as though she weighed nothing at all, one arm firm beneath her legs while the other held her securely against his chest. Even in his current state, every touch remained careful, almost instinctively protective despite the tension visibly coiled through him. She could feel it in the tightness of his muscles beneath her hands, in the uneven rhythm of his breathing against her temple, in the way his fingers flexed slightly whenever she shifted in his arms.

The effects of the flower were only getting worse. Every accidental brush of her fingertips against the exposed skin of his neck seemed to hit him like a physical blow now. His breath would catch immediately afterward, shoulders tightening for half a second before he forced himself to relax again.

By the time they reached the bedroom, Lohen already looked thoroughly unraveled. His pupils remained blown wide enough to swallow nearly all the colour in his eyes, and there was a flush spread across his skin now that hadn’t been there earlier. He set her down carefully beside the bed, though his hands lingered at her waist for one extra second before he reluctantly stepped back.

Her pulse skipped traitorously at the sight of him standing there. Archons, the man looked devastating.

She pointed toward the bed, forcing herself to maintain at least some degree of composure.

“Lay down.”

Lohen obeyed immediately. Without hesitation, without teasing argument, not even the faintest attempt to challenge her authority.

And honestly, that affected her far more than it should have.

He stretched back against the mattress, eyes following her every movement with open anticipation as she approached slowly. There was trust in that gaze too, complete and unquestioning, threaded so naturally beneath all the hunger that it made warmth tighten painfully in her chest.

He was waiting, watching her, looking completely hers in this moment and the realization sent another dangerous thrill through her body.

Then soft green light flickered around her fingertips, which he noticed instantly. His eyes widened just slightly before recognition settled over his expression, followed almost immediately by a slow, delighted grin that made heat rush straight to her face.

“Oh?”

The amused sound barely left his mouth before thick ivy curled upward from beneath the bedframe. The vines moved smoothly at her command, winding around his wrists first before securing them carefully, but firmly, against the wood above his head. Then came his ankles, restrained just as effectively beneath twisting green vines that tightened enough to hold him in place without causing pain.

A feeling similar to that time when they had first met and she had tied him to a post.

Lohen exhaled shakily the moment the restraints settled around him. Not fearful, Archons, no. If anything, the idea of him restrained seemed to affect him even more. His head tipped back briefly against the pillows as though he needed a second to process it, throat working visibly before he looked at her again with flushed cheeks and pupils blown impossibly dark.

The expression on his face bordered on worshipful now. Entirely too pleased and too affected.

“You really have no business looking that beautiful while tying me up,” he murmured, eyes following her every movement with shameless appreciation as she removed her hat and carefully placed it aside. The warm candlelight caught briefly in her hair afterward, softening her features in a way that made his breath hitch again. “I swear every time you use those vines on me, I fall in love with you a little harder.”

She stifled a laugh when she saw his completely lovestruck gaze. It was ridiculous, honestly. Completely ridiculous. The man was restrained to her bed, visibly half out of his mind from an aphrodisiac strong enough to make his hands shake, and somehow, he still looked at her like she was the most breathtaking thing he had ever seen.

“There’s something deeply wrong with you,” she informed him, unable to fully suppress her smile now. “You know that, right?”

“Oh, sweetheart, I’ve known that for years.” His grin widened immediately, mischievous despite the heat still burning behind his eyes. “But thank the Archons they sent me someone just as concerning as I am.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly in mock offense. “I am not concerning.”

Lohen actually laughed at that, low and warm and entirely unconvinced. The sound softened into something fonder as he shifted lightly against the restraints, the vines creaking faintly around his wrists. “My love,” he said gently, “The first time we trained together, you threatened me with carnivorous plants.”

“They were defensive plants.”

“You said they could dissolve bone.”

“They can dissolve bone.”

“That does not help your argument.”

She rolled her eyes, though the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her far too easily. Lohen watched it happen like a man witnessing something sacred, completely enthralled by even the smallest changes in her expression.

Slowly, she stepped closer again. The mattress dipped softly beneath her knees as she climbed onto the bed, settling carefully between his legs. The movement drew an immediate reaction from him. His breath caught sharply, shoulders tightening against the pillows while his gaze darkened with helpless intensity.

Her fingers drifted toward the fastening of his shirt, brushing lightly against the fabric stretched across his chest. The contact earned another visible shiver from him, one strong enough that the vines around his wrists creaked faintly in response.

“Well,” she murmured, slipping open the first button slowly, “if you’re technically my test subject, I should probably continue observing how sensitive you’ve become.”

Lohen let out a shaky laugh at that, though it dissolved halfway into a breath the moment her fingertips brushed accidentally against the warm skin beneath his collar. His head tipped back briefly, throat working hard.

“Sweetheart,” he warned softly, voice already strained, “you’re discovering entirely too quickly that I’m weak for you.”

Another button came undone and then another. With each inch of exposed skin, his reactions only worsened. A faint tremor ran through him every time her fingers grazed him, his breathing growing progressively more uneven beneath her careful attention. And the worst part, the part making heat creep steadily higher into her own face, was how openly affected he allowed himself to be. No shame, no attempt to hide it, just completely beneath her touch.

His eyes never left her face while she pushed the loosened fabric aside, exposing more of his chest. The look in them nearly made her lose her composure entirely, dark with want but softer too, threaded through with so much affection it almost hurt to look at directly.

“There it is again,” he murmured quietly.

She blinked. “What?”

“That look you get when you’re focused.” His smile softened, utterly smitten. “You have no idea how beautiful you are when you’re studying something.”

Her fingers paused briefly against his chest. “You’re flirting while tied up and half delirious.”

“And somehow it’s still working.”

Unfortunately for her dignity, it absolutely was.

Clicking her tongue, she leaned down and kissed him. The reaction was immediate, a sharp breath caught in Lohen’s throat the second her lips touched his, his entire body tightening beneath her as though she had struck something unbearably sensitive. The restrained sound he made against her mouth nearly undid her on the spot, low and shaky and so obviously affected that warmth curled instantly through her chest.

He kissed her back like a starving man despite the vines keeping his wrists pinned above his head. Every movement carried restraint stretched dangerously thin, his shoulders tensing whenever instinct told him to reach for her only for the ivy to hold him in place. Her hands slid upward slowly, fingers brushing across his shoulders before tracing down the exposed skin of his chest, and the contact earned another visible shiver from him. Goosebumps rose beneath her touch almost instantly, his breathing growing heavier each time her palms wandered lower.

Lohen’s head tipped back briefly against the pillows when she kissed along his jaw, then lower toward his throat. A strained exhale escaped him at the feeling of her mouth against his skin, the sound rough enough to send heat flooding straight through her.

“Sweetheart,” he breathed, already sounding wrecked, “you’re enjoying this entirely too much.” She hummed softly against his throat in response, entirely unapologetic.

The vines loosened slightly at her silent command, just enough for her to slide his shirt from his shoulders and tug it fully off him. The fabric disappeared somewhere onto the floor beside the bed moments later, leaving him bare beneath her hands. And Archons… That did not help her composure in the slightest. Lohen was already unfairly attractive under ordinary circumstances, but flushed and half undone beneath her, chest rising unevenly with every breath while ivy curled around his wrists, he looked genuinely devastating.

Worse still was the way he looked at her, completely open, trusting and overwhelmed by her.

Her fingertips drifted lower again, exploring slowly, deliberately testing the limits of his reactions now. Every brush of her nails against his skin made his muscles tense beneath her touch. Every kiss she pressed against his chest earned another shaky breath from him.

And when she finally reached the edge of his trousers, Lohen broke. A low, helpless sound escaped him before he could stop it, somewhere between a groan and a muffled moan, deep enough to vibrate through his chest. His head fell back against the pillows again, throat exposed as he inhaled sharply through clenched teeth, the noise sending a pulse of heat straight through her.

“Oh?” she murmured softly, fingertips resting just at the edge of his waistband. “That affected you more than expected.”

Lohen laughed weakly at that, though the sound dissolved immediately into another unsteady breath when her fingers shifted slightly. “My love,” he said hoarsely, eyes half-lidded now as he looked back at her, “at this point, breathing near me is affecting me.”

Her fingertips lingered at the waistband of his trousers, tracing the edge of the fabric with infuriating patience. Back and forth. Slow enough that it felt deliberate.

Every reaction was immediate.

She could feel the way his stomach tightened beneath her touch, muscles jumping instinctively whenever her fingers brushed too close to a particularly sensitive spot. His breathing, once merely uneven, had deteriorated into shallow, ragged pulls of air. Each exhale sounded strained, as though maintaining even the smallest amount of composure required conscious effort.

Leaning down, she pressed a soft kiss just below his navel and the response was instantaneous. Lohen's entire body tensed beneath her, a sharp breath escaped him before he could stop it, and the sound alone sent a flicker of satisfaction through her.

She continued downward at an agonizing pace, leaving a trail of lingering kisses across warm skin, without rushing, as if she were precisely planning everything she did. Every touch seemed calculated to observe, to test, to discover precisely where his limits were. And every discovery made her increasingly aware of how little restraint he had left.

The vines around his wrists shifted faintly as his hands flexed against them on instinct. Not enough to break free, just enough to reveal how badly he wanted to reach for her.

"God’s sake…" he breathed, the words emerged rough and unsteady.

She hummed thoughtfully, as though making a note of the reaction.

His eyes narrowed immediately. "You are enjoying this far too much."

A smile tugged at her mouth. "Research requires thorough observation, didn’t you know that?”

The look he gave her was almost offended.

Then her fingertips slipped beneath the edge of his waistband, barely enough to make contact, but it was enough to get a reaction from him. His breath caught sharply, every muscle in his body seemed to lock at once before slowly releasing again.

The reaction was fascinating under her eyes. And if she was being honest with herself, it was deeply satisfying, so she repeated the motion, letting her fingers brush lightly against warm skin before withdrawing again. Then once more, never giving him enough time to adjust, each touch left him looking progressively more undone. And by the third time, he had abandoned any attempt to hide it.

Lohen’s head rested against the pillows, eyes half-lidded and fixed entirely on her. The flush coloring his face had spread further now, and there was a tension in his expression that made it obvious exactly how much effort it was costing him to remain still.

Then, just as abruptly as she had started, she stopped, making Lohen look at her. She lifted her head, resting her chin lightly against him as she studied him with open curiosity, noticing how his chest rose and fell heavily, his pupils remained blown wide and every line of his body looked wound tight with anticipation.

"Tell me how you feel right now," she said softly.

For a second, he simply looked at her blinking, trying to process what he had asked her. Then a strained laugh escaped him. "You're conducting an interview?"

"I'm collecting data."

"Of course you are,” despite everything, a faint smile touched his mouth. But it lasted all of two seconds before another shaky breath ruined it. While she waited patiently, Lohen closed his eyes briefly before answering. "When you touch me, it feels like every nerve in my body notices,” the honesty in his voice made something warm twist inside her chest. "Everything feels stronger than it should. I can feel where you've touched me long after you've stopped, as if my body refuses to let go of it."

Her fingers drifted toward the fastening of his trousers, and for one glorious second, hope flashed across Lohen's face. Then she stopped, and the realization hit him almost immediately.

"You're doing that on purpose," he accused, though the complaint lacked any real bite.

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Doing what?"

Lohen let out a disbelieving laugh and tipped his head back against the pillows. The vines shifted faintly as he moved, and when he looked at her again, there was a mixture of exasperation and unmistakable devotion in his eyes.

"Sweetheart," he said, voice rough with restraint, "I need you to stop conducting experiments on my patience."

That earned a quiet laugh from her. Unfortunately, hearing it only seemed to make things worse for him. His gaze followed her every movement, every tiny expression, as though she had become the center of his entire world. And so it was, she had become his whole world.

"Please," he murmured after a moment, the teasing finally giving way to something more vulnerable. "Do something. Anything, just... Do something, please, please sweetheart. I need more, more of you, more of this.”

She tilted her head slightly, studying him with a smile that was far too pleased with itself. The expression was playful, almost innocent on the surface, but her eyes betrayed her immediately. There was amusement there and something darker too. A mix of satisfaction, curiosity and the unmistakable thrill of discovering exactly how much power she held over him in that moment.

"Hmm,” her gaze drifted lazily over him, taking in every visible sign of his unraveling. "I don't know if you've earned it yet." The words drew an immediate reaction, Lohen let out a strained breath, his chest rising sharply before falling again. "You look so pretty like this," she continued softly. "All flushed and desperate."

His eyes closed briefly, the fact that she sounded genuinely pleased by that observation was almost worse than the teasing itself.

"Maybe I should make you wait a little longer."

The threat hung in the air between them and then her hand finally moved, the contact drew a sharp inhale from him. Every muscle in his body seemed to lock for a heartbeat before tension flooded through him all at once. His head tipped back against the pillows, a broken sound escaping before he could swallow it down.

The vines around his wrists tightened as his hands instinctively flexed against them, enough to reveal how badly he wanted more. A quiet, helpless noise slipped from him as he shifted beneath her touch, his entire body responding before his mind had a chance to catch up.

A small click of her tongue broke the silence. "You should already know struggling is pointless,” there was no real reprimand in her voice, only amusement. "We both know how strong my vines are.” The vines curled slightly against his wrists, almost as if responding to her words. "These aren't going anywhere until I decide otherwise."

Lohen laughed, a short, breathless sound that carried more frustration than humor. His composure was slipping faster now, every controlled breath seemed harder to manage than the last, every second stretched his patience thinner.

And she knew it.

"Sweetheart..." the nickname sounded rough, almost pleading. "Please,” the single word carried enough sincerity to make her heartbeat stumble. “Please, I beg you to do something,” his voice dropped lower, quieter, more vulnerable. “Anything, I don't fucking care what,” a shaky laugh escaped him. "Just don't stop touching me and then disappear again. Please, please, please.”

For several long seconds she simply looked at him in silence. Watching him, taking in the flushed skin, the uneven breathing, the way his eyes never once left her face. Then her expression finally gentled, the mischief remained but affection slipped through it now, warm and undeniable.

“Shh,” her voice came out quieter. "It's alright.” The words seemed to affect him immediately, because some of the tension left his shoulders. "You've been very patient, very obedient… and incredibly easy to study." Lohen groaned softly upon hearing how she praised him. "I think," she murmured, brushing a hand through his hair, "you've earned a small reward."

She hummed softly at his obedience, satisfaction flickering across her features as her attention finally shifted to the fastenings of his trousers. Her movements remained unhurried, deliberate enough to make his patience fray further with every passing second. She undid the button first, then the zipper, acutely aware of the way his breathing hitched in anticipation.

Lohen watched her through half-lidded eyes, every muscle in his body taut with expectation.

When she finally hooked her fingers beneath the fabric, he lifted his hips as much as the vines allowed, eager to help despite the restraints. The sight drew an amused smile from her.

"Look at you," she murmured. "So cooperative."

A strained laugh escaped him. "You've made it very difficult to be anything else."

The fabric slid slowly down his legs until it was discarded somewhere beside the bed. Freed at last, he exhaled shakily, his head falling briefly against the pillows as though the relief alone was enough to overwhelm him. His cock sprang up against his abdomen, flushed dark and painfully hard, already leaking at the tip, it was as if it were calling for her.

Her gaze lingered on him, enjoying the view, appreciating every detail that her eyes fell upon. And judging by the way heat immediately climbed higher into his cheeks, he knew exactly what she was doing.

"Sweetheart," he warned weakly.

"What?"

"You're staring, a lot.”

A smile tugged at her mouth. "Research."

"That excuse is getting less convincing every minute."

She laughed softly before her next move.

Her hand settled around him at last, careful at first, testing his reaction. The response was immediate, his entire body tensed beneath her touch before a shudder rolled through him from head to toe.

"Fuck—“ the curse escaped from his lips as his hips jerked upward, chasing her touch.

She stroked him slowly, more curious than hurried, watching every expression that crossed his face. His breathing grew increasingly uneven, chest rising and falling in sharp, ragged pulls while his fingers flexed helplessly against the restraints above his head.

She smiled, repeating the soft caress, letting her thumb brush over the sensitive head and spread the bead of precum. Every touch drew another hiss or low groan from him, his body twitching and straining against the vines as he tried to thrust into her fist.

"How does it feel now?" she asked softly, slipping back into her role as researcher despite the warmth steadily spreading through her own body, while she continued moving her hand up and down.

Lohen let out a gasp with a groan, a disbelieving breathless sound. "You are unbelievable."

"I'm asking a scientific question."

"Of course you are." His eyes closed briefly before opening again. "It feels like every nerve in my body is awake, I can feel everything… Fuck, don’t stop please, don’t stop.”

Deciding she had tortured him enough for now, she tightened her grip and began stroking him properly with firm, steady strokes from root to tip. Lohen let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief, his head falling back against the pillows as a deep, broken moan vibrated through his chest.

“Fuck yes…” he gasped, voice hoarse.

She kept her eyes on him the entire time, drinking in every reaction. The way his abs tensed and fluttered, how his thighs trembled, the way his cock throbbed hot and heavy in her hand, thick, flushed dark, and leaking steadily now, clear beads of precum sliding down the shaft and over her fingers with each slow, deliberate pump.

Lohen’s breathing was ragged, chest heaving as desperate little sounds fell from his parted lips, half-moans, half-whimpers that made heat pool low in her belly. His fingers twisted in the sheets, knuckles white, fighting the urge to grab her head and thrust.

But she wanted more, just like him. So, with a wicked little smile, she shifted lower between his spread legs, her hair brushing over his thighs. She held his gaze for one heartbeat longer, watching the raw anticipation flash across his face, then lowered her head and took him into her mouth without warning.

“Fuck—” Lohen’s moan was loud and wrecked, torn straight from his throat as wet, velvet heat enveloped the sensitive head of his cock. His hips jerked up instinctively before he forced them back down, trembling with the effort.

She didn’t tease this time because she wanted to feel him lose control. Her lips stretched wide around his thickness as she sank down, taking him as deep as she could in one smooth motion. The taste of him, salty, musky, purely masculine, flooded her tongue. She hummed around him, the vibration pulling another broken groan from his chest, her tongue pressed firmly along the thick vein on the underside, tracing it slowly while she sucked hard, hollowing her cheeks.

One hand stayed wrapped around the base of his cock, stroking in perfect rhythm with her mouth, twisting gently on the upstroke. The other slid up his tense abdomen, nails lightly scraping over his flexing muscles, feeling every twitch and shiver.

“Archons, sweetheart” he rasped, voice hoarse and wrecked. “Your mouth— Fuck, it’s so fucking good…”

She took him even deeper, relaxing her throat until her nose brushed against the dark hair at his base. The wet, obscene sounds of her sucking filled the room, filthy, slick and simply perfect. Saliva dripped down his shaft, coating her hand as she worked him faster, tighter, hotter.

It didn’t take long. Only a couple of minutes of her warm, wet mouth and rhythmic stroking had Lohen unraveling. His hips began to stutter, thrusting shallowly into her mouth as his control slipped. His entire body went rigid, powerful muscles locking up from his chest down to his trembling thighs.

“I’m… fuck, I’m going to—” he choked out, voice strained and desperate, cracking on the words.

She didn’t pull away. If anything, she took him deeper, sucking harder, her eyes locked on his face with wicked satisfaction.

Lohen came with a deep, guttural groan that bordered on a broken cry. His cock pulsed violently against her tongue as thick, hot spurts flooded her mouth. Wave after wave of his release coated her throat, and she swallowed greedily around him, milking every last drop with slow, firm strokes of her hand and rhythmic pulls of her lips. His body shuddered violently beneath her, abs clenching, thighs quivering as helpless moans spilled from his lips.

Only when his orgasm finally began to ebb did she ease off him slowly, letting his spent cock slip from her mouth with a wet, obscene sound. A thin string of saliva and cum connected her bottom lip to the flushed head for a moment before she licked it away, savoring the taste of him.

For a few moments, he simply lay there trying to recover. Trying being the important word.

A soft laugh escaped her as she brushed her fingers lightly across his thigh. “Gods, Lohen,” his gaze shifted toward her sluggishly. “You usually last far longer than that.” The words immediately earned a groan from him.

“Sweetheart...”

“No, really,” her smile widened. “I don't think I've ever seen you unravel that quickly.”

A mixture of embarrassment and disbelief crossed his face. “Neither have I.”

And it was true, because Lohen was not someone easily overwhelmed. Even at his most affectionate, most passionate, he typically possessed remarkable control over himself. The fact that he had lost it so quickly was concerning from a scientific perspective and fascinating from every other perspective.

“Is that fucking flower, it definitely has to be,” Lohen muttered, dropping his head back against the pillows with a groan. “Because if this is being recorded in your research notes, I'd appreciate a footnote explaining that this is absolutely not normal for me.”

She laughed at his words. “I'll be sure to document your complaints.”

“Thank you,” the dry response made her laugh even harder.

For a brief moment the tension in the room softened, but then both of them froze because something was happening.

Her gaze dropped first, Lohen followed a second later and silence settled over the room.

“...Oh.”

The effects hadn't faded, if anything, they appeared to be escalating. Despite having barely begun recovering, despite the lingering exhaustion visible in every line of his body, the evidence was impossible to ignore. The flower wasn't allowing his body to rest.

“Archons…” the sound was filled with equal parts frustration, embarrassment and resignation. “It won't stop.”

A fascinated smile tugged at her lips. “Interesting.”

“Interesting?” He turned his head toward her in disbelief. “Sweetheart, I am experiencing a crisis.”

“A fascinating crisis,” she said, unable to suppress the smile on her lips.

Lohen groaned immediately.

“Please stop sounding excited about this.”

“I am a researcher.”

“You are enjoying this far too much,” the accusation only made her smile widen. “You are impossible.”

“Yet here you are.”

“Yeah, because apparently,” he murmured, gaze fixed entirely on her, “I seem to be completely obsessed with you.”

The admission made her smile warm, affectionate, dangerously pleased. Then she rose to her feet beside the bed and for a moment, Lohen simply watched her, confused until the realization dawned.

Without a word, she began undressing for him.

She unbuttoned her shirt slowly and let it slide off her shoulders, revealing her skin. Then she hooked her thumbs into her pants, sliding them down her hips and legs at a deliberately teasing pace and every trace of coherent thought appeared to abandon him. Lohen’s gaze never left her, dark and intense, completely captivated and unable to look away, his cock twitching visibly against his stomach as he watched her strip down to just her underwear.

By the time she turned her attention back to him, he looked almost stunned. “Archons...” he breathed. The words emerged rough and reverent, like a prayer. “You're beautiful, so fucking beautiful, I’m a damn lucky bastard.”

She climbed onto the bed with slow, deliberate grace, now dressed only in a delicate set of black lace that left very little to the imagination. The sight alone seemed to steal what little composure Lohen had managed to recover. His eyes followed her every movement, dark and intent, as though looking away was physically impossible.

When she settled over his hips, she took her time. Her hands wandered across his chest, tracing the contours of warm skin, occasionally dragging her nails lightly downward just to watch the resulting shiver travel through him. Every reaction fascinated her, every hitch of his breath and every tightening of muscle beneath her fingertips.

Lohen groaned softly when she shifted closer, his gaze fixed entirely on her. “Sweetheart…” the warning lacked conviction, it sounded far more like a plea.

She smiled. “What?”

“You know exactly what.” His answer dissolved into a shaky breath as she rolled her hips in a slow, deliberate motion. Not enough to give him what he wanted, just enough to keep him constantly aware of her presence. The vines around his wrists creaked faintly as his hands flexed against them on instinct. “Please,” he breathed, the word emerged rough and strained. “Stop teasing me… I need you,” the honesty in his voice sent a pulse of heat through her.

For a moment she simply looked at him, until she finally relented. A little.

Slowly, she lowered herself until the thin lace separating them became the only barrier left. The instant contact drew a sharp gasp from him. His entire body reacted, shoulders tightening, chest expanding with a sudden breath and head falling back against the pillows as though the sensation alone was enough to overwhelm him.

“More, I need more, please.”

She braced her hands against his chest for balance and started moving, slow, deliberate rolls of her hips, sliding her soaked panties up and down his cock. She rocked back and forth, then added small circles, grinding her clit against his throbbing shaft with every motion.

Each motion drew another reaction from him, his breathing grew increasingly uneven. Low sounds escaped him that he clearly had no intention of making, the flower had stripped away too much restraint for that. Lohen had always been expressive around her, but never like that, never so completely incapable of hiding what he felt. Every emotion crossed his face openly. Need, relief, frustration, affection, desire and more. All of it laid bare beneath her.

"My love..."

The words dissolved into another shaky breath and his body shifted instinctively beneath her, chasing every bit of contact she allowed.

The friction was driving him insane.

Every slow roll of her hips sent sparks of overwhelming pleasure racing up his spine. The soaked lace of her panties clung to her, creating a slick, teasing barrier between them. The wet heat of her arousal pressed right against his throbbing cock as she moved above him with such confident, sensual grace. Each grind pushed him closer to the edge, until he couldn’t hold back anymore.

Without warning, Lohen’s entire body tensed violently. His abs clenched hard, thighs shaking beneath her as his hips stuttered upward in erratic thrusts.

“Fuck,” a deep, guttural moan tore from his throat as he came again, hard.

Thick, hot pulses of his release spilled across his own abdomen in messy streaks, some of it splashing onto the front of her ruined panties. He kept twitching and spilling, the orgasm ripping through him with surprising intensity for a second release so soon.

She slowed her movements but didn’t stop completely, gently rocking against him as she watched the blissful agony play across his face. Lohen’s cheeks were flushed a deep crimson, his eyes half-lidded and glassy with overwhelming pleasure and clear embarrassment. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, looking almost mortified at how quickly he’d fallen apart again.

But her own desire was burning far too hot to let him retreat into shame. So, she leaned down closer, her hair falling around them like a curtain, and whispered softly against his lips. “Don’t even think about feeling shy, Lohen,” her voice was low, warm, and dripping with lust. “You’re so sensitive tonight… it’s honestly really fucking hot.”

She kept moving in slow, teasing circles, rubbing her soaked panties against his spent cock, spreading the evidence of his release between them. Lohen let out a broken whimper, still trembling from the aftershocks.

Even as he panted heavily, trying to recover, she felt it happening again, his cock twitched beneath her, thick and insistent. Slowly but surely, it began to harden once more, swelling against the messy, ruined fabric of her panties. The aphrodisiac was merciless, refusing to let his body rest.

“Please…” he begged, his voice hoarse and wrecked, barely more than a desperate rasp. “Don’t stop. I need more… I still need you so badly.”

His cock was already fully hard again, throbbing urgently, as if the last two orgasms had done nothing to ease the fire burning inside him.

She reached back with one hand and slowly slid her lace panties down her hips, lifting herself just enough to pull the soaked fabric off completely. The ruined garment was tossed carelessly aside, leaving her fully bare and glistening above him. Lohen’s eyes darkened with raw hunger at the sight of her exposed, slick folds hovering just over his aching cock. It twitched hard against his stomach, leaking steadily in desperate anticipation.

Straddling him once more, she wrapped her fingers around his throbbing length, stroking him with slow, torturous pulls before guiding the swollen, flushed head to her dripping entrance. Their eyes locked and with a shared, shaky breath, she sank down onto him in one smooth, deliberate motion.

A loud, synchronized moan filled the room as he stretched her open, filling her completely. She was incredibly wet and scorching hot around him, her walls fluttering and clenching as she took every thick inch. The delicious stretch made her eyelids flutter and her lips part in a silent gasp. Once fully seated, with him buried to the hilt inside her, she paused, savoring the feeling of being so perfectly full.

Then she began to move.

At first, her hips rolled in slow, sensual waves, grinding down so her clit rubbed deliciously against his pelvis with every stroke. Lohen groaned helplessly beneath her, his arms straining hard against the vines that bound his wrists to the bed. He tried to thrust up into her, chasing more of that tight, wet heat, but she immediately pressed her hands down on his chest, pinning him firmly in place.

“Uh-uh,” she murmured. “You stay still. I’m in charge right now.”

She kept riding him with deep, luxurious rolls of her hips, but every time his hips jerked up instinctively, she slowed to an agonizing stop, lifting just enough so only the tip of his cock remained inside her.

Lohen let out a wrecked, frustrated sound. “Please… don’t stop,” he begged hoarsely, eyes glassy with need. “I need you to move. Fuck, please ride me properly.”

Instead of giving in, she smiled down at him and sank back down torturously slow, clenching around him on the way. She repeated the cycle again and again, riding him hard for a few blissful moments, then slowing or stopping completely whenever he tried to take control, leaving him throbbing and desperate inside her.

The room was soon filled with the wet, filthy sounds of her pussy taking his cock, soft, slick noises every time she sank down, mixed with his deep, broken moans and her breathy sighs. She braced her hands on his chest, nails digging lightly into his skin as she picked up the pace for a while, bouncing on him with rhythmic, powerful strokes that made her breasts sway beautifully.

Lohen’s head pressed back into the pillows, veins standing out on his neck as he panted and groaned. “You’re killing me… Please, sweetheart. Let me move. I need to fuck you harder.” Every time she denied him, his cock throbbed angrily inside her, twitching and leaking. His thighs trembled violently beneath her, muscles rock-hard from the effort of holding back. “Archons, please…” Lohen’s voice was completely wrecked now, raw and desperate. “I’ll be good, just please don’t stop. I need to feel you, I need you.”

She smiled, unable to refuse his pleas and finally gave him what he wanted. She started riding him harder, faster, her hips slamming down onto him with wet, obscene slaps. The vines creaked as he pulled desperately against them, lost in overwhelming pleasure, moaning her name like a prayer every time she took him to the hilt.

Suddenly, Lohen’s entire body locked up beneath her. His powerful muscles strained hard against the glowing vines, veins standing out along his arms and neck as his hips jerked upward in short, desperate thrusts, the only movement the bindings allowed.

A deep, guttural moan tore from his chest, bordering on a broken cry as he came for the third time. His cock throbbed violently inside her, pulsing thick and hard with every powerful spurt. Hot, heavy ropes of his release flooded her walls, filling her completely as her pussy clenched rhythmically around him, milking every last drop. His whole body shuddered violently through the orgasm, thighs quivering, abs contracting in waves, chest heaving as a string of raw and broken moans spilled helplessly from his lips.

She slowed her movements but didn’t stop, continuing to ride him with slow, deep rolls of her hips, drawing out every second of his pleasure. The wet, filthy sound of his cum mixing with her own arousal filled the room with every glide.

When his breathing finally began to calm, just slightly, she leaned forward and brushed damp strands of hair from his forehead with surprising tenderness. Still fully impaled on his cock, she looked down at his flushed, blissed-out face. “How do you feel, love…? Is the effect starting to fade at all?”

Lohen let out a shaky, breathless laugh that quickly turned into a low groan. His eyes, still dark, wild and burning with insatiable lust, met hers with an almost feral intensity. “Fade?” he rasped, his voice hoarse and wrecked from moaning, while his chest continued to rise and fall rapidly. “I feel like I could fuck you for days… and still not be satisfied. This fire in my veins hasn’t even begun to die down. I’m still so fucking hard for you, Sweetheart. Can’t you feel it?”

As if to prove his point, his cock gave a heavy, insistent twitch deep inside her, still buried to the hilt in her cum-slick heat.

He swallowed hard, eyes pleading. “Please… untie me. Let me go, my love. I’m dying to touch you.” His voice dropped into a low, sensual growl. “I need my hands on your body, I want to feel you, all of you.  Please, I’m begging you.”

His desperate words were cut off by a sharp gasp as she deliberately rolled her hips in a slow, teasing circle, grinding her swollen clit against his pelvis while keeping him fully sheathed inside her. The movement made her walls flutter around his oversensitive cock, drawing a needy, broken sound from deep in his throat.

“Hmm… I don’t know,” she muttered, repeating the same torturous grind, sliding her soaked pussy along his entire length without ever lifting off. “You look so good when you’re like this, all tied up, flushed and begging so sweetly. Maybe I should keep you bound just a little longer…”

Another slow, sensual roll of her hips made Lohen’s breath hitch sharply. He strained hard against the vines, the magical bindings creaking as his muscles bulged with effort.

“Fuck, please,” he begged, voice cracking with raw need. “I’ll be so good for you, I swear. Just let me touch you… I need to feel you. I’m losing my mind, sweetheart. Please untie me.”

His cock throbbed angrily inside her again, another thick bead of precum mixing with his previous release as his body demanded more.

Nodding slowly, she moved, lifting her body slightly to separate from him, a gasp escaping her lips as she felt the emptiness when his dick left her, while he bit his lower lip hard, already missing being inside her. Finally, with a soft hum, she reached out and flicked her fingers. The vines responded instantly, loosening and retracting smoothly from around his wrists before disappearing entirely.

The moment the vines dissolved, Lohen didn’t waste a single second.

With a low, hungry growl, he surged upward and captured her mouth in a deep, desperate kiss. There was nothing gentle about it, it was raw need and pent-up hunger unleashed. He bit down on her lower lip, tugging it between his teeth before soothing the sting with his tongue. When she gasped, he took full advantage, sliding his tongue against hers in a heated, possessive tangle. The kiss was messy, urgent and completely intoxicating.

His hands roamed greedily over her body, finally free to touch what he’d been aching for. Strong fingers skimmed down her sides, gripped her waist, then slid up to cup her breasts possessively. He trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses along her jaw and down the column of her neck, sucking and licking at her pulse point until she shivered.

Lower still, he lavished attention on her chest. He took one sensitive nipple into his mouth, sucking hard and flicking his tongue over the stiff peak. His hand kneaded the other breast firmly, thumb brushing over her nipple before pinching it lightly. He switched sides with a needy groan, giving the neglected breast the same hungry treatment, sucking, licking and grazing his teeth over her soft flesh. Every mark he left was deliberate. Dark hickeys bloomed across the curves of her breasts, along with the faint imprint of his teeth, clear signs of his claim on her. He groaned deeply against her skin, the vibrations traveling straight to her core as he worshipped her.

She arched sharply beneath him, pressing her chest closer to his mouth with a loud, breathy moan. Her fingers threaded through his dark hair, tugging hard as pleasure coursed through her. “Lohen…” she gasped, her voice wrecked and needy.

The sound of his name on her lips only seemed to spur him on. He released her nipple with a wet pop and looked up at her, eyes dark with lust, lips slightly swollen and glistening.

“You have no idea how badly I needed to touch you,” he rasped, voice rough with desire. “How crazy it drove me… being tied down without being able to touch all of you.”

And unable to stop himself, he captured her lips again in a desperate, hungry kiss, as if she were the only one capable of mitigating the craving he was experiencing.

He pulled back from the desperate kiss, breathing heavily as he hovered above her. His eyes were dark, ravenous and completely feral with need. For a moment he simply looked down at her. flushed, marked by his mouth and utterly beautiful beneath him. His cock, already hardening again with unnatural speed thanks to the aphrodisiac, throbbed hot and heavy between them, still slick from her earlier attention and the remnants of his previous releases.

Without a word, he shifted lower, his strong hands spreading her thighs wide apart. He settled firmly between them in a deep missionary position, caging her body with his own. Bracing himself on his forearms, he lined up the thick, swollen head of his cock against her dripping entrance.

With one smooth, powerful thrust, he buried himself to the hilt inside her and both of them moaned loudly at the overwhelming sensation. She was incredibly wet, scorching hot and still so tight around him, her walls fluttering and clenching greedily as he stretched her open.

Lohen let out a shaky, broken breath against the side of her neck. “Archons…” he groaned, voice hoarse and low. “You’re so fucking tight. Even after everything we’ve done tonight, you still feel perfect around me.”

He started moving with slow, deep rolls of his hips, pulling almost all the way out before sliding back in with deliberate, powerful strokes. Each thrust made her breasts bounce beautifully, the dark hickeys and bite marks he’d left earlier standing out against her flushed skin. He leaned down and captured her mouth again in a deep, messy kiss, swallowing her moans as he gradually picked up speed. Soon his thrusts grew harder, more intense. The obscene sound of skin slapping wetly against skin filled the room, accompanied by their ragged breathing and desperate, needy sounds. Lohen buried his face in the curve of her neck, sucking and biting at her sensitive skin, leaving fresh red marks and blooming hickeys that made her gasp and arch sharply beneath him.

“Lohen!” she cried out as he sank his teeth into the tender spot where her neck met her shoulder.

“You feel incredible,” he rasped hotly against her skin, punctuating his words with a particularly deep thrust. “So hot… so fucking wet. Every time I push in, you squeeze me like you never want me to leave.” He groaned deeply, the sound vibrating against her throat as he drove into her harder, angling his hips to hit that perfect spot inside her with every stroke. “Fuck, I can feel you pulsing around me. That fucking flower is making everything more intense… I can’t get enough of you, sweetheart.”

He hooked one of her legs over his arm, spreading her even wider, allowing him to sink impossibly deeper. The new angle made her cry out in pleasure, her nails digging hard into his back as he began pounding into her with long, powerful strokes. The head of his cock dragged perfectly against that sensitive spot inside her with every thrust, sending waves of sharp pleasure through her body.

Lohen kept kissing and biting along her neck, her collarbone, and the swell of her breasts, anywhere his mouth could reach, leaving a trail of possessive red marks. Between heavy thrusts, he whispered filthy praises against her ear, his voice rough and dripping with lust.

“I love how you take me… so deep. Can you feel how hard I am for you?” He groaned as he slammed into her again. “Even after coming so many times, I’m still so fucking full for you.”

His pace became almost punishing, fast, deep and relentless. The bed creaked loudly beneath them with every powerful thrust as he fucked her hard into the mattress. Their bodies were slick with sweat, skin gliding together sensually with every movement. Every time Lohen bottomed out inside her, a wet, filthy slap echoed through the room, accompanied by the heavy sound of his balls smacking against her ass.

And she was completely lost in pleasure, her head thrown back against the pillows as broken, unintelligible sounds spilled from her lips. The words melted into desperate whimpers and breathy cries that barely formed coherent thoughts. Each brutal thrust punched the air out of her lungs, turning her moans into high-pitched, needy noises she couldn’t control.

Unable to stop himself, Lohen captured her mouth again in a heated, messy kiss, their tongues sliding and tangling desperately while he continued driving into her without mercy. Her moans vibrated against his lips, her legs wrapping tighter around his waist, heels digging into his lower back as she urged him even deeper.

His breathing grew more erratic, chest heaving against hers. His thrusts started losing their steady rhythm, becoming wilder and more desperate as he chased his release. “I’m…  I’m going to come again,” he groaned against her mouth, voice strained and rough. “Come with me, sweetheart, I know you are almost there… I want to feel you clenching around me when I fill you up.”

She could only respond with another string of incoherent sounds, a trembling cry mixed with a desperate whimper as the pleasure coiled tighter and tighter inside her. Her nails raked down his back, her walls fluttering and pulsing wildly around his thick cock.

With a few more brutal, deep thrusts, Lohen buried himself as far as possible and came hard. A loud, guttural groan tore from his throat as his cock pulsed violently inside her, flooding her with thick, hot spurts of his release. His entire body trembled above hers, muscles taut and straining as the intense orgasm ripped through him again and again.

She cried out sharply, her own pleasure peaking as she felt him filling her. Her walls clenched tightly around him in rhythmic spasms, milking every drop while broken, ecstatic sounds continued falling from her lips.

Even after the strongest waves passed, Lohen kept moving, slow, deep grinds of his hips, pressing himself flush against her as he drew out every last spark of pleasure for both of them. He kissed her softly through the aftershocks, swallowing her quiet, trembling whimpers while their bodies remained tightly joined.

For a long moment, neither of them moved. The room was quiet save for the sound of their breathing gradually slowing, the last remnants of laughter, affection and exhaustion settling comfortably around them. Lohen eventually shifted, pulling back just enough to press a kiss to her forehead before collapsing beside her with a dramatic sigh.

She immediately narrowed her eyes. “That dramatic sigh means you're thinking something.”

“I would never.”

“Lohen.”

“Alright, maybe a little.”

She snorted softly and turned onto her side to look at him. His hair was thoroughly disheveled, there were bite marks scattered across his neck and shoulders, and somehow, he still managed to look entirely too pleased with himself. “How do you feel?” the question immediately brought back her researcher instincts.

Lohen considered it seriously. “Better.”

“Better?”

“Much better.”

She hummed thoughtfully. “The effects seem weaker?”

“I think so.”

For several seconds, silence settled between them. Until Lohen blinked and his expression changed.

“Oh.”

She immediately noticed. “Oh?”

He stared at the ceiling and then let out a long sigh. “Nope,” a pause. “There it is again.”

She groaned. “Are you serious?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Lohen.”

“I wish I was joking, my love,” he rubbed a hand over his face.

She dropped backward onto the mattress. “You've got to be kidding me.”

“Sweetheart, this is entirely your fault.”

Her head snapped toward him. “My fault?”

“Yes,” he pointed at her. “You created that thing.”

“You drank it.”

“You left it where I could find it,” he said it as if that were a valid answer.

“I told you not to take it, Lohen,” she murmured, raising an eyebrow. “I offered you the antidote!” Lohen smiled at her words, the audacity of that bastard. “Honestly,” she declared, sitting up, “I should leave you here to suffer the consequences of your own actions, I've already done too much.”

She made a show of climbing out of bed.  “Sweetheart,” the wounded tone immediately made her suspicious, so she ignored it. A second later she heard: “Sweetheart.” even more pathetic that time. “You wouldn't abandon a wounded knight, would you?”

She laughed. “Oh, now you're wounded?”

“I am suffering tremendously.”

“Somehow I don't believe that.”

Before she could escape any farther, strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her backward. A startled laugh escaped her as she landed against his chest.

“Lohen!”

“You can't leave, my love.”

“Yes, I can.”

“No.”

“That's not how that works.”

“It is today, you can’t leave me.”

She rolled her eyes, though she couldn't stop smiling. Then she suddenly froze, upon feeling something firm against her belly. “Wait.” Lohen looked entirely too innocent.

She pointed accusingly.

“Is that...?”

“Mhm.”

“Seriously?”

“Mhm.”

“Archons above.”

His grin widened. “That would be the effect you have on me.”

“You are impossible.”

“You've said that several times tonight.”

“Because it's true.”

He laughed and buried his face briefly against her shoulder, the sound warmed her from the inside out. When he finally looked at her again, his eyes were bright with mischief.

“So...”

“No.”

“You don't even know what I was going to say,” he blurted out with mock indignation.

“I absolutely know what you were going to say.”

His grin became completely shameless. “Still.”

“Lohen.”

“Sweetheart.”

She tried very hard not to laugh but failed immediately, and his smile softened.

“Looks like we might be here a while.”

She groaned dramatically and dropped her forehead against his shoulder. “This is why Albedo says I shouldn't test experimental compounds at home.”

“Well,” Lohen began, unable to suppress a smile. “I think you should keep doing it.”

She immediately narrowed her eyes. “That is not the lesson you're supposed to take from this.”

“I disagree.”

“Lohen.”

“Sweetheart.”

The smile on his face only widened. “I think you should keep experimenting, with me as the test subject, especially if the experiments are going to be like this one. This is by far my favorite investigation,” he declared, and it was clear that although he was joking, there was truth in his words. “In fact, I think we should try it again after the effect of this one wears off. Perhaps you should do something to increase our energy, if we're going to be up all night...”

She slapped him on the arm, causing a laugh to escape his lips. “Shut up, we're not going to do this again, ever."

“Mhm, say what you want sweetheart, but we both know that's a fucking lie.”

“It is not.”

“It absolutely is.”

“It isn't.”

“Mhm,” the infuriatingly knowing look remained firmly in place. “Maybe I should ask Varka for the contact information for the people in Sumeru to see if they can get us more of those flowers.”

She sat upright so quickly she nearly headbutted him. “No””

Lohen blinked. “No?”

“No,” she pointed a threatening finger at him. “Do not ask Varka.”

“Why not?”

“Because!”

“Compelling argument,” he said, stifling a laugh.

“Lohen.”

“Sweetheart.”

“Neither Varka nor anyone else needs to know about this.” The amusement in his eyes intensified. “I mean it.”

“Then how exactly do you intend to stop me from doing it?”

“I'll go get the flowers myself, if necessary,” the words left her mouth and silence followed. Her eyes widened while Lohen's grin became positively wicked.

“Ah…”

“No, don’t.”

“So, you do want this to happen again,” he blurted out in an arrogant tone.

She buried her face in her hands. “You are the worst.”

His laughter filled the room, warm and victorious, entirely too pleased with himself. “I knew it.”

“You know nothing.”

“I know enough.”

She groaned, because he looked unbearably smug. “If I start planning a trip to Sumeru…”

“If you finish that sentence,” she interrupted, pointing at him again. “The only company you're going to have for the rest of the night until the effects wear off is your own hand.”

Lohen looked genuinely horrified, utterly scandalized, and the reaction was so immediate that she almost laughed.

“Sweetheart, you wouldn’t…”

“Try me.”

“That's cruel.”

“Try me.”

He opened his mouth again, but she didn't even let him finish. “Just shut up.”

Then she grabbed him by the front of his shirt and kissed him and the rest of his protest disappeared instantly. A pleased sound escaped him as his arms wrapped around her waist, hopeless, completely hopeless.

But then again, so was she.

After your surprisingly uneventful return from your expedition, it's a mere 3 nights later that you stumble upon Lohen at the training grounds again.

3 nights. 3 days of normal knightly busywork, training sessions, and acting like you don't see the way the vice captain's eyes follow you across the room. 3 nights of god awful sleep, staying up until the moon is shining through your window and thinking about that idiot. And his soft blue hair. And the thick scars adorning his body. And the way his cold hands feel when he-

Fuck it, you're getting up. You're going to the training grounds to practice shooting again; every archon that might be listening knows you aren't getting to sleep at this rate, after all.

At least it's nice out. These past weeks have been beautiful; even the daytime sun has rarely made outdoor activities unbearable. The gentle glow of streetlights keeps you company as you walk. With your training clothes hastily thrown on, it's a familiar scene, coming this way in the middle of the night while avoiding your troubles. The only difference is—

"We have to stop meeting like this, cadet." He doesn't even bother turning around as you approach, eyes focused on the target as he aims a crossbow precisely.

You slow and then come to a stop a few yards away, disbelief on your face. Lohen's in his training sweatpants too, a very plain black t-shirt in place of the usual tank top. You think it might be... a sleep shirt? 'Why's he here instead of sleeping, anyway? Wait. I think he mentioned he comes here when he can't sleep too. Or maybe when he's stressed...?' Your stomach twists with a bit of anxiety. '...Can he not sleep because of the same reason...? No. That can't be it. It's probably work related. I could ask, but.. '

"What, rabbit got your tongue?"

He snaps you out of your thoughts as he shoots and hits the bullseye. "Isn't it 'cat?'"

"Maybe. Same difference." He glances over his shoulder at you. "Wanna try?"

"I'm better with a bow, my aim with these is shit."

He snorts. "No shit, I'm the one watching you shoot all your arrows into crates instead of dummies."

You look at Lohen, under the light of the waning moon, at the way the wind ruffles his hair and at the expectant expression on his face as he holds out the crossbow. You decide the can of worms is going to wait, and you close the distance between you both before accepting the weapon.

You fidget with it for a moment, ensuring it's loaded properly and trying to get a decent grip. Taking a deep breath, you raise the crossbow and close one eye, aiming carefully at the dummy just a little ways away. You shoot, and then curse under your breath as the arrow goes sailing past your target.

Lohen whistles low. "Wow, you really are better at being prey than a hunter."

Face burning as you clumsily reload the crossbow, you hiss out a "shut the fuck up Lohen" before trying again.

Lohen watches in curious silence as you shakily try to steady your aim, and then seemingly gets impatient. You almost jump as you feel cold hands (god dammit) make contact with your bared shoulders. "Eugh, no wonder you always miss." Your heartbeat hammers in your ears as his hands slide down your arms, chest pressed against your back through thin fabric as he adjusts your hands' positioning. "It's harder for me to see how you're fucking up from in front of everyone," he says, voice quieting as he continues. "Can't exactly do this to fix it right then, either." You feel your face warm up, knowing he's right. His finger covers yours on the trigger. "Steady, and..."

It damn near hits the bullseye this time, a better shot than you've ever made with one of these. "Whoa!"

"See? Not so hard." Lohen chuckles, not moving away quite yet. His hands lightly trace back to your shoulders, then your upper back. "You feel tense," he says lowly.

"...A bit." You force yourself to sound casual despite the shiver threatening to creep up your spine. You slowly lower the crossbow. "I'm guessing you are too? If you're here, I mean."

He hums. "I suppose," he says lightly. (He had looked a bit worn down when he looked at you earlier.) His hand stops moving and you feel him lean closer, breath hot on your ear and voice low. "Need to release some of that tension? Blow off some steam, maybe?"

Lohen catches the way your breath hitches, and the way you go rigid under his light touch.

"You make for great prey, as we just discussed."

Suddenly feeling for all the world like a rabbit caught in the jaws of a wolf, you turn your head just enough to meet his gaze. The nervous, wide-eyed way you look at him from the corner of your eye (along with that deliciously flustered expression) is his deciding factor.

You feel him move away, but you don't have time to feel relief (or miss him) as he yanks you back by your shirt and starts to drag you along. "Great! It's settled then."

You stumble and nearly trip; Lohen releases your shirt as you turn around to face him, and grabs you by the wrist before continuing on his merry way. You try to protest. "Vice captain-"

"Lohen," he says cheerily.

"Lohen, do you even know what time it is? We're on duty tomorrow. Look at the moon-" You nearly eat shit trying to keep up with him.

"Are you going to be able to sleep thinking about it?" He doesn't slow his pace, or even turn around.

"Well..." Your voice is less confident now, and you don't dignify the question with a response.

"That's what I thought. Let's go, little bunny."

---

As you approach the forest entrance, Lohen finally releases your wrist and neither of you say anything about that. You both simply act like you'd forgotten he was holding it. (You hadn't. He hadnt.)

"Well then!" He claps his hands together, big grin on his dumb face. "This is a much better way to spend the evening than shooting at practice dummies. Let's see..." He slings his bag from his back and onto his arm, and starts rummaging through it. When he finds his bottle of water, he drinks from it before tossing it your way. "I figure you'll need that, since you didn't exactly have time to prepare this time." His sentence trails into a low laugh that you ignore, as well as the shiver it tries to send up your spine.

"Well, duh. I did drink a little water before I left the house, at least."

"Good! Hopefully not too much," he says, shooting you a snarky, knowing grin. You consider throwing the bottle at his head, but figure you're about to be in danger enough, so you settle on a hiss of "shut the hell up, Lohen" instead.

He glances up at you again. "Have you eaten?"

"Huh?"

"You deaf? Is there food in your stomach?"

You huff in annoyance. "Yes, fucker, I had some leftovers before I tried to lay down."

He tuts at you, looking pleased. "Better watch that mouth, cadet, before I fuck it." You startle, trying to stammer out a protest, but he just speeds right past it. "But good! I don't need you passing out on me, not like this."

"Not like this??" you ask, face still burning, mind catching up as you take a long drink from his bottle.

Lohen approaches with a wicked smile. "Not like this. But I'm sure I could arrange something. After all, you've willingly drunk something I gave you multiple times now..." He laughs heartily as you nearly choke on the water. "Kidding, kidding! Probably."

You glare at him, wiping the water dripping down your chin, as he closes the distance between you in a few steps. "I could just go home, you know. Get some sleep before you put me through more hell at work tomorrow."

He cocks his head, pouting mockingly. "Oh, like you'll be able to sleep at all if you go back now. Don't you worry, I'll make sure to tire you out before you drift off into dreamland."

Feeling bold, you roll your eyes a little. "Think you fucking me again is going to tire me out that much?"

"No. I'm going to fucking chase you." Lohen's bag drops at the same time as your heart. His tone is suddenly icy cold, and his smile matches. Your mouth goes dry. "After all, I told you that I missed the chase... and I didn't get to chase you at all last time. Isn't that right?" He leans in, breath ghosting across your lips as he lowers his voice. "There's no hiding this time, pretty thing. I want you to run from me."

You inhale shakily, closing your eyes as arousal and a spike of fear courses through you, settling right between your legs. You decide against incriminating yourself more with a response.

The way he laughs softly against your lips, combined with the way his eyes are half lidded and staring into yours, is doing diabolical things to your coherence. "Five. Minutes."

"Five...?"

"All you need to do," he breathes out, "is last five minutes. Half as long as last time. You think you can do it this time, hm?" His voice is so soft and so gentle and absolutely dripping with condescension.

Your lashes flutter a bit at the arousal that tears through you. "Y... yes."

The way his eyes narrow in excitement does nothing to help you. "Alright then. Thirty second head start. Better make it count, little rabbit."

Then, he's grabbing you by the arms to spin you around and shoving you harshly into the woods, turning away with a laugh as he begins the countdown.

---

It takes you a moment to get your balance after being pushed, but with the new and terrifying threat that's about to come tearing after you through the trees, you force yourself to start booking it anyways. You try to be some semblance of stealthy as you run, avoiding underbrush and stray leaves when you can, but... really, you know there's no point. By the time you hear Lohen get to "15", you give up all pretense of stealth and focus on putting as much distance between yourself and the vice captain as you can.

It's nearly pitch black as you run, trees obscuring any potential moonlight from view. You feel your legs starting to get tired as you hear him cheerily call out "10, 9, 8..." and force yourself to keep fucking going, you don't want him catching you so soon. Archons only knew what he'd do if he did.

Your lungs are screaming, and though you keep moving, you slow down to just enough of a jog to catch your breath a bit, the distance comforting you somewhat. You can barely hear him as he finishes the count with a "...2, 1! Let's play!"

And then, unlike last time, when the countdown ends you do hear him. Distant branches snapping, leaves rustling. You're half expecting to hear him barreling after you, but he sounds... unhurried, casual. The thought isn't comforting.

You switch tactics, back to stealth. Slipping between trees as quickly as your body will allow, trying to mentally keep track of where each sound comes from, how close it is. He doesn't sound like he's getting closer too fast, but... he's definitely getting closer. You figure now's as good a time as any to take a turn, ducking low as you slink to the left, trying to throw him off.

You only make it a minute or two in that direction before everything goes silent. The crickets, the frogs, the distant sounds of Lohen's boots telling you where he is. The hair on the back of your neck stands on end and you swear to god you can feel eyes on you. You cover your mouth with your hand to quiet your breathing, and you pick up the pace, running, panic beginning to set in.

You think you hear something off to the left and make the mistake of turning your head to look on instinct, and you happen to miss a tree root growing gnarled from the ground. The tip of your shoe catches it and sends you crashing to the forest floor...

...Just in time for a knife to go whirling through the air where your neck was, blade sheathing itself firmly in the bark of the tree above you. You barely see it, but the second you process what just happened, you're frantically scrambling to your feet to run again, fear striking your heart properly now.

You hear a laugh way too close, he's way too fucking close. You don't even look in his direction, simply darting the other way, trying to weave between trees and mossy logs, trying anything at this point that might slow him down. "One minute," he says, voice lilting again in that excited sing-song way you only hear when he knows he's already won. His voice is so close; you can hear every deliberate footstep behind you.

You can hear your heartbeat pounding in your ears as you see a clearing, and the pure panic-inducing feeling of being chased by a predator kicks something in the back of your brain into overdrive. Instead of trying to simply evade him or strategically use the landscape, the only thing your mind allows you to do is make a break for the clearing in one last desperate attempt to get away. (You don't realize you seal your fate the second you step foot into it; Lohen is scary fast, adept at hunting down his opponents, and loves the final stretch of a good chase.)

You force your body to move, muscles straining painfully as you sprint as fast as you physically can.

And then you hear a high, breathless laugh, and hear Lohen's footfalls change as he breaks into a full on run.

You can't help the panicked shriek that slips out on your exhale as you continue pushing your legs beyond their limit. The sound of Lohen hot on your heels, the rough, excited pants coming from behind you, the feeling of something cold grazing the back of your neck, the feeling of that something moving forward, quickly sliding around your throat, tightening, and-

Your terrified scream gets cut off as Lohen's hand gets a proper grip around your neck, and the world spins as you get thrown to the ground, cold hand still firmly in place as he crashes to the ground with you.

He has you on your back, haphazardly keeping your body to the ground with his. When you get your bearings, you look up fearfully and... and you don't think you've ever truly seen this look on Lohen's face. He's breathing hard, entire body shaking a bit against yours from the adrenaline and the exertion. His wine-dark eyes are wide and entirely fixed on you, staring directly into yours with an intensity that makes you shudder. For once he's not grinning or sneering down at you, and somehow that's all the more intimidating. Sweat trickles down his skin; down his temple, down the muscle of his bicep, down the expanse of his chest and under his nearly soaked t-shirt.

"I didn't wanna... say anything at the end and... and accidentally break you out of that headspace," he pants out. You open your mouth to say something but it dies in your throat as the frigid hand around your throat squeezes in warning, and a grin finally splits his face again. "Never seen you like that. Fuck, I wanna... wanna see you like that again. The way you screamed..." He trails off and you feel the way a shudder wracks his body.

...You also feel the way your own traitorous cunt's practically dripping in response.

Lohen knows. Of course he knows. He laughs down at you, still sounding more unhinged than you're really used to, as he loosens his grip. "I'd ask how you liked it, but I think I have... a pretty good idea."

His hand slips lower. The exhaustion and adrenaline drop from the chase leave you too tired to thrash or struggle against him (as though it ever helped you), but you still manage to shakily spit out a "shut up I don't know what you mean".

He stops for a moment before laughing louder, tilting his head in amusement. "Oh, playing innocent again? Still embarrassed about how wet it makes you?" He coos at you mockingly. "I would be too if I was this fucking depraved."

The surprised little whimper at his sudden wave of viciousness only spurs him on. Lohen adjusts his position, and suddenly you're stuck in one that's all too familiar as his cool fingers slide down, under your sweats, into your panties, and three slip straight into your sopping wet core. He groans at the feeling.

"Holy fucking shit you're even more soaked than I thought you'd be, you're disgusting."

You whimper and try to squirm away, but Lohen's already caught you. His hold on you doesn't even budge, and he's right in your face with a mean smile. "You remember this position, don't you, cadet? When I beat you into the ground and found out you were getting off on it?"

You squeeze around his fingers tightly as a choked moan escapes you, eyes darting around in humiliation as you try to find anything to look at that isnt Lohen. "Shut up, fuck-"

He sneers. "I can be nicer. If that's what you really want." The cruel curl of his fingers doesn't stop, but the offer he throws you like a lifeline hangs in the air. "Is that what you want, pretty thing?"

You lock eyes, and Lohen's cock twitches in his pants; you look guilty. You try to hide it, but he's able to see the disappointment in the furrow of your brows. His canines glint in the low moonlight of the clearing as he grins. "Yeah, I didn't fucking think so. That's not what makes your poor pussy drip, is it? You wanna be able to fight me for it, and you wanna fucking lose."

Your back arches as he drags you closer and closer to release, fingers pumping in and out of you viciously, higher and higher until...

He pulls them out without warning.

"Lohen!" you whimper out pitifully, gasping for breath. The way he laughs in your face nearly gets you there anyway, but not quite.

Before you can protest any more, he drags your sweats and your panties down in one smooth motion, taking them off completely this time. Heat blooms across your face even worse now, feeling more vulnerable than during past incidents. Lohen pushes your thighs apart, openly taking in the view as the dim light catches on your glistening folds. He sees you turn your head away to avoid seeing him stare.

"What, feeling shy?" he teases, but his hands reach up for the neck of his sleep shirt, pulling it off. "There, we're even." A nervous giggle bubbles out of you through the intense emotions. He scrunches his nose, and you vaguely wonder if you'd be able to see a flush on his cheeks if there was any more light. "Ugh, fuck, you're cute."

"Wha-?" You're cut off with a surprised noise as he leans forward and kisses you deeply, tongue licking into your mouth affectionately. The way he licks and bites and sucks makes your head spin, and you barely register it when you feel something press against your entrance. Barely register the way your knees get forced to your shoulders. And you don't realize that you're getting folded into a mean mating press until it's too late.

You pull away from the kiss, gasping, "Wait, fuck-"

"I caught you, I'm fucking breeding you." And Lohen slides home in one long thrust.

It steals the wind from you, and a choked whine escapes instead. The drag of his cock against your walls like this, as he presses his weight down onto you, is almost too much to bear. Your eyes roll back as he starts moving in earnest, and your hands scramble to find purchase on Lohen's naked back. You can faintly feel the raise and texture of the scars tearing across it, but you have a rather difficult time focusing on that with the way he's dissolving your thoughts.

"You're so— so fucking wet, oh my god," he gasps, already sounding fucked out. His head rests in the crook of your neck as he fucks into you, still finding plenty of inspiration to spew filth right next your ear. "Can't believe all this is from me chasing you, fuck. You're such a freak."

Lohen moans brokenly at the way you clench around him at the degradation. You put up a weak fight, even through the little whimpers he fucks out of you. "You g-got off on chasing me, who's the- the real freak?"

He grabs you by the jaw and lifts his head, pressing his sweaty forehead to yours, messy hair brushing against your face with every thrust. "I did. Matter of fact, I got off on every fucking thing I did to you. You know that?"

Your eyes widen a little and the way your cunt squeezes tightly gives you away.

Lohen's panting as he grins at you. "Every. Fucking. Thing." He punctuates each word with a brutal thrust that sends your eyes rolling into the back of your skull. "I got off on chasing you. Scaring you, hunting you like a f-fucking deer. Pissing on you, don't forget that one," he says, laughing meanly, breathlessly. "I got off on spitting in your mouth. Remember that? I beat my dick for days thinking about that." The high pitched moan that forces out of you makes his cock twitch inside of you as he slows his pace just enough to get your attention.

"But first I got off on fighting you." Lohen grinds deep as he says it. "Remember the first time I ever made you fight me for real? Hand to hand?"

Your eyes roll back at the way his dick drags against your sweet spot, and it takes you a moment to process his words. "I do, that was wh- when you got me in a h... headlock for the first t... Wait, that was m-"

"Months ago, it sure was." He slowly starts picking up the pace. "I thought I was imagining it back then. Thought I was just projecting." Lohen's voice drops to a whisper. "Do you know how fucking hard I was? How bad I wanted to take it straight to hell, fix your attitude, make you cry, fuck you into the dirt?"

You can't even think straight between the cruel fuck of his hips, the grip on your jaw, and the fucked out edge in his voice. You want to reply to his— his fucked up version of a confession, that's what it is, you realize with wide eyes— but words won't come out.

"I want to devour you," Lohen breathes out.

"Then fucking do it already," you whimper out, and you slide both hands into his messy, sweaty hair, getting good handfuls, before harshly yanking him into another filthy excuse of a kiss. The noise he makes at the sharp pain is nothing short of sinful, high, drawn out moan pouring into your mouth. His own hand slides to your throat, tightening at the sides and making you go light headed as he licks messily into your mouth again, fucking into you at a vicious pace again.

Lohen's other hand snakes around your thigh and to your lower tummy, right over your bladder. And before you can get your thoughts together, he presses. All at once, the orgasm he ripped from you earlier is teetering more closely than ever as a sharp pleasure rips through your poor dripping core. The noise you make into his mouth is absolutely pathetic, loud and startled and entirely wrecked.

He pulls back from the kiss and presses your foreheads together again, looking you in the eye with a mischievous grin as he releases your throat. "You're only g-gonna be able to cum thinking about me now. You know that, right?"

Lashes fluttering and eyes rolling back as it creeps up, the last coherent thing you manage is a shaky confession of, "I already do."

"Oh, we're so fucked," he laughs out, strained, and you feel his cock twitch before he gasps out "You're mine, fucking cum for me."

And you're gone, liquid gushing out of you as he keeps fucking pressing down and forces you into the most intense orgasm of your life. Pleasure tears through you as you incoherently whine, one hand tangled in his hair gripping tightly and the other on his back, nails digging in so hard it almost bleeds. The added pain only serves to send Lohen over the edge with you with a broken groan, making good on his threat to breed you as you feel his cum splurting into you, gush after gush, as deep as he can get in this position.

You both go limp, breathing heavily as sweat starts to cool on your bodies, but neither of you speak for several minutes.

You break the silence, a funny little smile trying to split your face. "Six months?"

"I am not too tired to kick your ass," he pants out. You swear you can feel his cheek get warmer where it's pressed into the side of your neck, and you snicker, a hint of giddy nervousness coloring it. Without thinking, you run your fingers over the scars on his back and through his hair. He first tenses up, before slowly melting into the touch.

Exhaustion begins to truly seep into your bones now, the exertion of the chase and the sex now setting in. "We should... we should get back. Ah, fuck..."

"What?"

"We're both on duty tomorrow," you say with a tired groan.

"Oh, no we're not."

"Huh? Yes we-"

"I left a note before I went to the training grounds."

You roll your eyes. "Sure, but what about m-"

"You're sick tomorrow."

"I'm sick tomorrow," you repeat, flabbergasted.

"I'll approve it when I'm back in a couple days," he yawns, finally starting to get off of you and find his shirt. "They're not gonna question me."

Scrambling for your own clothes, you reply, "They're gonna question us, you idiot-"

"That's what you're worried about??" Lohen cackles as he pulls his shirt back over his head. "Those rules really aren't enforced nowadays, no one gives a shit about romantic involvement between knights anymore, even superior and subordinate." He pauses and shoots you a grin. "Unless you're just embarrassed that they'll know you like how I treat you. Good, I like fucking with you anyway."

Your face burns, and you weakly scowl at him. "You suck, do you know that?"