𝓜𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓪

ortho shroud is the type of person who is difficult not to like — with his naturally upbeat and friendly disposition, his adorable appearance, and his unwavering dedication to defending his big brother — so unless you’re actively trying to avoid or antagonise him it’s pretty much a given that you’ll end up becoming at least friendly acquaintances with the technomantic humanoid. but as his best friend, the person he adores and trusts the most outside of his immediate family, you’ll get to see the youngest shroud at his most endearing, his most protective, and his most mischievous in the most hilarious ways (even when you end up being on the receiving end of his pranks). especially so after he gains more independence from his brother and becomes a student in his own right

as a technomantic humanoid with the entire internet, both classified and widely available, at his fingertips it almost goes without saying that ortho is going to know way more than you about most things. and those he’s unfamiliar with, he can just look up and download data for to become an expert on the subject in a matter of seconds. thankfully, though, one of the many privileges of being his best friends is that he’s more than willing to sit down and study with you if you want him to — just ask nicely and all of his expansive knowledge can be yours… just shared at a much slower rate than he might be accustomed to as he doesn’t want to overwhelm you

being as observant as he is, and with having many built in scanners to track and check out the people around him, ortho is easily able to track your micro reactions and expressions so well that he’s often able to pick up on your discomfort or the earliest signs of an onset illness or injury long before you yourself even realise something is wrong. which is, admittedly, a bit weird at first but once you get used to it you’ll come to find his attention to detail and frequent biometric scans to be more endearing than anything else

as your best friend ortho makes a habit of keeping track of all of your health data, including regular scans just to make sure all of your vitals are stable and you’re taking good care of yourself. he also does full body check ups whenever you’re sick or injured to ensure you get the best quality care and only get what you need, like he does for his older brother — which makes him an excellent, if sometimes a little bit overbearing, nurse whenever you’re even slightly unwell

he also keeps track of and dutifully logs any and all data he finds out about your interests, hobbies, likes and dislikes, and so on. including things that you only mentioned once in passing, or that you only gave the smallest sign of being interested in. he’s nothing if not thorough, after all, and as your best friend he wants to make sure that he knows you the best out of everyone — and he just likes learning more about you, so it’s a win-win!

he treats you like you’re another member of the family, inserting himself firmly into the very familiar role of ‘younger brother’ and taking great joy out of teasing you, encouraging you, and just generally treating you like he does idia. just with a touch less concern about your social life as, evidently, you don’t have the same issues as his older brother. that doesn’t mean he’s above messing with you though, he will always find a way…

ortho is immensely protective over both you as an individual and over your reputation, and is more than willing to utelise every tool he has in his arsenal to keep you safe — both from physical threats and from those attempting to tarnish your reputation. and his efforts at keeping you safe can include everything from immediately correcting anyone who insults you within earshot of him, to placing himself firmly between you and an aggressive party, to calmly doxxing someone who was bothering you online (only in their personal messages, he’s not a monster), to pulling out actual weapons to threaten or take out someone attempting to harm you. so… needless to say you’re in safe hands with this one

he greatly looks forward to the time you two set aside to spend with each other, and he feels his most ‘real’ and ‘human’ when he just gets to hang out with you and act like a normal kid for a while. and most, if not all, of his memories of the two of you are backed up to his high priority memory disk just to make sure he never forgets about them no matter how many updates he receives. he also happily recalls these moments to his parents and older brother whenever he gets back — and they’re all just happy to see him having so much fun

you and his older brother are the two most important people in his life, and with how much he pushes idia to go out and make friends it only stands to reason that he’d eventually start encouraging you to befriend him as well — largely because he strongly believes that you’ll be an excellent influence on the introvert. and if he knows that you’re attracted to men and actively looking for a partner he may even go so far as to try and set you two up on a date (partially because he genuinely thinks you’ll get on, and partially out of a more selfish want to have you as an official sibling). though, obviously, ortho will accept your refusal and won’t push you on the matter if it’s clear you aren’t super enthused about the idea

as his hair is literal flames, unlike the rest of his family, ortho is able to alter the colour of it pretty much at will just by switching out the chemicals being ignited. sometimes he’ll even experiment around with various chemical compositions to see what colours come about as a result, and if the difference is notable enough he may go and seek you out to see your response — especially if he’s managed to make something particularly unusual or ‘adorable’ looking. he also takes suggestions every now and again, and once spent the better part of an entire week with bright purple hair because of an inside joke between the two of you that he took to the furthest possible extreme just because he could

by his own admission, ortho can get into pretty much any type of game that’s put in front of him. but after the two of you become best friends he starts to find himself more drawn to the types of games he knows you tend to enjoy on your own — even holding back on doing his own research on your favourites so you can enjoy explaining the rules and content to him on your own time (which becomes one of the memories he replays the most, up there with some of his birthday memories and some of his favourite hangouts with his older brother)

if you have a more distinct personal aesthetic then there’s a solid chance that after the two of you become close ortho will start pestering idia to make him a new gear that matches with you. which, of course, idia will eventually end up doing because he can’t say no to his baby brother forever. but just know that he will not be best pleased if he needs to make a bunch of intricate decorative pieces to ensure that the new body matches the aesthetic you gravitate towards…

every now and again he will skip his own classes, or his brother’s instead, in favour of following you to yours instead. though he tries not to do this too often, and will only really do it if he thinks the subject your cohort is looking at that day is especially interesting — keeping quiet the whole time as to not give the teacher any reason to kick him out

he is incredibly receptive to any positive feedback or compliments you give to him, sometimes even playing into how young he was made to look just to earn an extra ‘good job’ or head pat from his second favourite person (second only to his older brother, naturally, but don’t take it to heart the guy did literally create him after all) — something that he will intentionally mess with the flame output on his head to safely accomplish

being a technomantic humanoid, ortho is significantly stronger than most humans and, thus, is more than capable of picking you up and flying around with you in his arms if ever you ask him to. and he may even offer to do so if he notices you’re in a low mood and he knows flying around is likely to make you happy. be warned, however, that he can and will intentionally speed up and feign dropping you as a prank — of course he never actually puts you in danger, but if you’re easily startled by that sort of thing maybe you’re better off not accepting his outstretched hand…

with every passing week his list of new gears and attachments seems to grow ever larger, and ortho is always happy to put those new and improved updates to use if it means making his best friend’s life that bit easier. sometimes he will even insist on you staying put while he zips back to ignihyde to switch gears so he can take over a task for you — e.g. moving heavy furniture, doing something that necessitates a high degree of precision, etc.

he put you down in his contacts as some variation of ‘older sibling’ — dependent entirely on how you prefer to be addressed — and his chosen profile picture for you is the most unflattering picture known to man. you’re not even sure how ortho managed to get ahold of it, frankly, but he refuses to change it since it amuses him so much so there’s not much you can do about it… and bribes won’t work either, so good luck

ortho absolutely loves being exposed to new experiences, especially if those experiences happen to line up with common tropes and plot points in the media he and his brother grew up watching, so if you’re the type of person who tends to give your friends nicknames ortho will be practically beaming about it. to the point of gushing to idia about his cool new name, and responding with the most excited glint in his eye whenever you call out for him. yes, even if the nickname is objectively kind of cringe or lame. because his best friend assigned him a new title and that’s awesome, and he will argue with you if you disagree with him

he gives the absolute best gifts because, unlike most people, his memory is pretty much flawless and he’s able to literally replay previous memories he’s collected of you to figure out precisely what you like, what you need, and what will make you the happiest. and with the shroud family’s immense wealth there’s nothing standing between him and getting you the best presents you’ve ever had. and, in return, he’s very appreciative of all the gifts you give to him and will do his absolute best to preserve and display them all — always finding room for them all no matter how crowded his room starts to become over the years

kurako is the type of guy to… become flustered when you talk about your interests so happily, finding it devastatingly cute. the way your eyes light up, the way you begin to stumble over your words from how much joy you’re experiencing, the way your hands are so animatedly moving around — it makes the rosiness of his blush increase tenfold. he may have to excuse himself, going to a private location just to punch the wall because your adorable nature nearly just killed him. you just nearly killed him with love, how barftastic.

kurako is the type of guy to… leave lipgloss stains when he kisses you on the cheek. while not always intentional, he thinks your reactions are rather charming. flushed cheeks, jaw dropped, eyes widened; all examples of your cuteness. though, kurako knows how frustrating it can be when a look is thrown off by a new variable. he may at times rub the lipgloss off, but a part of him wants to simply cover your face in kisses all over again. hmm, decisions decisions…

kurako is the type of guy to… memorize your habits, simply because he stares too long by accident. he can be quite observant, him having even learned your routines by now. but, it’s not just the routines he remembers. he knows how you most enjoy your favorite drink, if you prefer pickle or no pickle, what your go to outfits are — simply because he can’t help but take notice of your every move. you’re so beautiful, and stupidly cute. perhaps it is also stupidly cute how he commits your habits to memory, as well.

kurako is the type of guy to… make you realize your beauty if you don’t already recognize it yourself. he is in the definite belief that all girls can be beautiful, this applies to you as well — no matter what your gender is. if you don’t see how beautiful you are, then kurako will have to make you believe it. there are so many things that can make one beautiful; personality, looks, but most of all — their heart. sure, you can slap as much makeup as you want on someone’s face but that won’t change who they truly are. therefore, your heart is the most beautiful thing about you.

kurako is the type of guy to… often think about his mother, and how much she would love you. you are the one who allows kurako to truly be himself, with no limitations or scorn for his love of fashion. his inspirations had always come from his mothers closet of dresses and wares, yet since meeting you — you had become his inspiration too. he wonders, if his mom had been here with him, would she see the beauty you hold too? she had to, right? every person can be beautiful. he would love for her to meet you someday, introduce her to the person who had become his partner, his best friend, and cherished one.

kurako is the type of guy to… be quite jealous when another is flirting with you. a part of him becomes angry at himself when he gets this way, having a mental battle while you ward said flirter off. however, when he sees that you’re uncomfortable then he will immediately tell the person to back off. no one in their right mind should harass someone, especially when said someone is clearly holding hands with the prettied up guy next to them! if he wasn’t so cordial that day, then he might’ve swung.

kurako is the type of guy to… let you borrow his clothes, sometimes even insist that you do. fashion is for anyone, which means that when you have wonderful pieces of clothing; you share them with your beloved. he may lend you one of his fancy blazers or intricately crafted hats, but this is not all. what he finds most adorable is when you borrow his casual clothes, his oversized t-shirt that he wears to bed may be found on you instead. there may be a little explosion that goes off in his mind when he finds you doing so, the guy nearly dying from cuteness aggression.

kurako is the type of guy to… have you lean on his shoulder when you’re feeling upset. while there aren’t always words that can soothe a person, holding them as they process their feelings can. being alone can at times make the feeling worse, so he wants to be there for you all that he can. if simply leaning your head on his shoulder as you cry is enough for you, then it is enough for him.

kurako is the type of guy to… love prettying you up, putting his whole heart and soul into creating a look suited to someone as precious as you. every ounce of love he feels for you is poured into making you feel your most beautiful, whether it be through a full makeover or not. he will never force you to wear makeup, or wear a specific dress that you dislike — he only wants you to feel your most confident. this is what truly brings him joy, seeing you let your true self show without limitation.

kurako is the type of guy to… have been flocked by the ladies his whole life, but now only has his sights set on you. after sometime, the same state of affairs can become boring and outdated. eventually, there will be a desire for change. and that’s when you came into his life. just as he had changed you, you had changed him. you both had helped each other grow a pair of wings and fly off to pursue what you both loved, finding true happiness. there’s no one else he would rather be with when he has you.

𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞

there was always something exceptionally romantic about the traditions of the coral sea.

you recall a specific tale, one of a human and a mermaid inhabitant of the seas. they had fallen so deeply in love that even fate could not stop their fates from crossing, through trial and tribulation their love for another only grew. those trials had even become a wedding tradition for mers to reinforce the affection lovers had for one another. was that not just so romantic?

this tradition was not the only one that had caught your eye, for there was one that had spoken straight to your heart. it told the story of a mer who gave their beloved a silky pearl. this pearl was not like all the others, for it was one found by their own hand and polished to perfection just for their beloved. the metal work done to surround this gem was also carefully sculpted to the future wearers ring size, formed with all the love and devotion one held in their heart.

you wanted to do the same for your own beloved, prince rielle.

he had no shortage of such gems as pearls, heck, his family probably had plenty to go around. he was a prince of such a vast sea, after all. but maybe, this gem so tenderly cultivated by your own hand would become more precious than any jewel.

for months you had been diligently putting most if not all your free time into creating your ring for rielle, it had to be perfect. sneaking a thread around his ring finger as he peacefully laid against you, basking in your embrace, was easier said than done. you hoped he remained oblivious, at least for a little while longer.

then, in a flash, the day was here. your one year anniversary with the mer who had changed your life, for the better. to celebrate, you both agreed to go on a boat ride in a blue lagoon just a little ways off shore from sage’s island. the scene was similar to one you had read in a fairy tale; the one you loved seated right across from you on a small boat with the only lighting being the moonlight, stars, and fireflies.

and the way the boy across from you was staring so nervously yet sweetly toward you made you feel your heart strings tug, just a little. the moment had to be now.

“rielle, i wanted to…” you began, but he spoke at the same time. “angelfish…”

a little chuckle came from the both of you as you waved him off, “you go first.”

the mer sighed with relief, “okay, wow this is really nerve wracking.”

a look of encouragement was slid his way as he kicked his feet slightly back and forth in silence, then, “aww man, i should just go for it.”

your focus was now completely on the redhead in front of you.

“you’ve only been a resident of twisted wonderland for a year, yet it feels like we’ve known each other since forever. i wouldn’t trade these feelings or moments i have with you for the world. all i need is you.” then, he slowly revealed the object he had hidden behind his back. a gasp of awe left you as he lifted the lid of the shell shaped box to reveal a most interesting surprise; a pearl ring that had been crafted by his own hand. an act only done for the one you wanted to spend the rest of your days with. “rielle…”

“i want to promise myself to you.” he continued, “i want to travel the world with you, and see everything there is to see. but, it has to be with you.”

his hand reached out toward your own, and you let him take it. gently, he pressed a soft peck to the back of your hand. he was his most beautiful when he was this intimate with you, yet you couldn’t help but snort a little. of course, he had the same idea as you.

your little laugh caused him to pout, and whine. “i just poured my heart out and you’re laughing at me?”

“not at all. in fact, we had the same idea.” from your pocket, you uncovered your own specially procured box that held your handmade pearl ring inside. your boyfriend's jaw might as well have dropped to the floor of the boat, “you’re kidding.”

the genuine smile on your face told him that you were dead serious about this, which caused him to leap across the space between you and bring you into his arms. soon, he separated, only giving enough room between you slip those darling rings the both of you had devoted so much time to on your fingers. he was quick to interlock your fingers, and pressed another kiss to your hand. this time, on the ring that promised you to each other. “we really are meant to be.”, he whispered to himself.

𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐞𝐥

a diamond in the rough. this exact phrasing was the perfect one to describe your meaning to minajael.

while others would call him rude or brash, you saw the kindness and desire for freedom he had hidden away for years behind the walls he had built. when he felt lonely, with no other friends besides his pet tiger and occasional visit from his cousin, you were there with him to fill his days with a joy he had never experienced before. those memories were more precious than any suitor or jewel thrown his way to earn his attention, for his eyes were always locked onto you.

now, after having been devoted to each other for one year; he desired to seal his love for you.

in the civilizations that were nestled into the warm deserts of the scalding sands, a magic carpet was a national treasure. in a tale from long ago, a prince swept the princess of the sands off on a whimsical carpet ride through the skies. the princess had never truly known what freedom felt like, and the wind blowing through her hair allowed her to let go of the pressure of her status for just a little while. this was the moment he wished to share with you.

along with a picnic basket he had procured, filled with your combined favorites, he invited you for that very activity. with no hesitation, he boarded the carpet with your snacks in tow and sat gracefully down. a part of you was a bit apprehensive to join him, but that eager look in his eyes made you sigh and slowly take the seat across from him.

soon, the magic carpet was off after jasmine had politely asked it to begin its ascent into the skies. it did not go at a very quick pace, for you did not want your favorites to be blown into your face. though, the night sky seemed much more appealing than any dish you had brought with you.

stars freckled the deep, swirling purples and blues of the atmosphere. the skies were abundant with clouds today, and you couldn’t help but reach a hand over the edge of the carpet to touch one. cold to the touch, yet it felt so refreshing to feel the mist against your palms. a small grin creeped to your face, already finding yourself reaching to experience the sensation once again.

as you giggled to yourself, lost in your own thoughts, your beloved gazed at you with a certain attentiveness. these were the instances he adored most, the kind where all he could do was observe and enjoy all the details of your expressions, etching it into his memory forevermore. in this moment, he wanted to remember your eyes, how filled with curiosity they were.

he soon broke the comfortable silence between you, reaching a hand out to take your own. “hayati, do you know the meaning behind diamonds in my culture?” he whispered.

“i believe you’ve mentioned it before,” you answered as you allowed him to take your hand. “why do you ask?”

he slowly reached into his pocket, revealing the most beautiful diamond ring you had ever seen. the gem itself was large, with gold metal work surrounding it to keep it in place. flowers seemed to curl around the gem to help its holding place, and the craftsmanship was simply too perfect to be just any ordinary ring.

“this diamond ring comes from my family’s collection, it is a very important heirloom.” he continued, bringing the piece of jewelry closer to your own hand. “it is said that the next heir to the throne shall give this ring to their future spouse, their diamond in the rough.”

a pure look of disbelief appeared on your face as he began to gently slide said diamond onto your ring finger. “it means that you are the one i want to spend the rest of my days with, hayati.” his voice was laced with desperation, an honesty he had never quite let slip before. “i could care less about what your status is, i just need you by my side.”

with the way he so gingerly held your hands in his, you just had to giggle a little. “that’s silly, jael.”

his eyes widened with offense, but quickly softened at your next words. “because i had planned to give you a ring tonight too.”

this piece of jewelry you had acquired just for him was adorned with a smoky topaz gemstone right in the middle, held down by golden metalwork that seemed to perfectly compliment the gem. gold jewelry was his signature choice — you had noticed. this must have cost you a good sum of money. you tried to play it off, “it’s not nearly as extravagant as yours, or as beautiful.”

“no,” he whispered with a content smile, stroking the gem tenderly with his thumb. “it’s perfect.”

𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐞

wishing wells were a custom where neige grew up. putting all your hope and love into a single wish, then sending it down the well with a voice full of determination was sure to make it come true. every child knew that story, whether they chose to believe in it or not.

neige leblanche continued to believe in this tale. for maybe one day, his wish would come true.

and one day it did — a lovely soul came into his life, and turned his world into one that was constantly filled with color. you.

while the boy’s life was never quite as mundane as others had believed, you allowed him to rediscover that part of himself. days where he would wake up and feel anxiety would be washed away when the next thought was of how he wanted to bake something for you to lift your own spirits. nights where he would otherwise at times have trouble sleeping were filled with dreams and thoughts of you, and how he’d love to hold you in his arms at that moment.

your love had made his wish come true. his wish was you.

your one year anniversary was fast approaching, and he knew he had to make his promise then. you had both agreed to travel back to his homeland over your spring break. which luckily, happened to fall on the exact same week. he needed to acquire the ring he wished to give you as a symbol of his devotion before then, so he set to work.

weeks of research were piled to obtain the perfect ring catered to you. after deliberating with his dwarf friends, he finally decided on the piece that would symbolize your love. an oval sapphire embedded in silver accompanied by swarovski crystals surrounding the primary jewel was his choice. blue often represented loyalty and trust in the language of love, which is what he adored most about you.

then, the day finally came. with gentle pleas for you to wake from your slumber, and a wonderful breakfast prepared just for you — he guided you from his humble cottage he called home to a place he described as ‘most special’.

it was a wishing well, one nearby to the lush forest his home resided in. it appeared worn and eroded from many years of use, yet there was a charm to the brown tiles that were placed on its roof and the vines that crawled up the sides of the well. pink and white flowers bloomed atop, and green leaves rustled in the wind. it was quite beautiful.

“here, wishing upon a well is a tale told to young children,” he began, taking your hand and leading you closer to the well. “when we wish into the well, our hopes and dreams echo back due to the water at the bottom. they say its our dreams returning to come true.”

testing the theory, you shouted your own wish into the deep well. just as he had said, your voice came back up bouncing off the walls of the well. it was louder than you had preferred, leading you to grimace. this made neige chuckle a little to himself, subconsciously twiddling the ring he had hiding behind his back.

he then decided to step closer to you, taking a seat on the edge of the well. “dear…”

ceasing your shenanigans, you turned to him. “what is it, neige?”

“you mean more to me than anything in twisted wonderland.” he admitted, covering your hand that sat on the stone well with his own. “years ago i made a wish at this very well, hoping for someone or something to return the love i felt for them. i believed so deeply in it for such a long time, so long i eventually lost hope of finding that connection. then, you came into my life.”

neige lifted his hand, delicately cupping the apple of your cheek. “you are my wish, my love.”

he went even further, pressing his forehead to your own, both hands now on your cheeks. “i want to be with you for as long as fate allows.”

“you stole my idea, neige.” you huffed, then pressed a quick peck to his lips. “i wanted to make a promise to you, too.”

in your hand was a ring of gold, a rich crimson ruby in the center along with smaller crystals embedded into the metal. how you could afford such a ring was a mystery, perhaps you had been saving for quite some time. the thought made him smile to himself as he silently took the ring from your palm and slid it onto this finger, and did so for you.

red and blue. loyalty, passion, trust, and deep affection.

“it’s wonderful.” he whispered, pressing a kiss to your ring finger.

𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐲!𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨… hold your hand at all times when you’re out in public. his grip is light, yet strong all the same. his skin is soft to the touch, and his love for you is poured into every action.

𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐲!𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨… cook and bake with you. it’s one of his favorite hobbies — cooking is chemistry, after all. but, he enjoys it most when he’s with you. you make the whole process more exciting, and he loves to be able to be near you while you work magic. he may bump a shoulder, or he will wrap his arms around your neck as you’re mixing up batter. he feels the closest to you this way.

𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐲!𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨… gaze at you longingly, and lovingly, while you do solo work. there are always some tasks that must be done alone, and those can be excruciating for neige. all he wants is to be near you, but alone time is sometimes needed to finish a task. so he respects your privacy, until he decides that you need a break.

───

the ebony haired boy laid his head upon your shoulder, reaching his hand up to cling slightly to your arm. you felt so warm, especially when accompanied by the plush bed you laid upon and the fluffy blanket that covered the both of you. the light scent of apples and vanilla flooded his senses, it made him feel so warm.

it made him feel at home, and a satisfied sigh left him.

you continued to type on your laptop, almost solely focused on completing this essay about the history of magic in briar valley. however, neige’s sudden movement made you divert your attention. “neige, is something the matter?”

no reply.

“neige?”

“nothings the matter.” he whispered as he snuggled deeper into your side. “i just like being around you.”

you were never leaving your bed ever again.

You should’ve known something was wrong the moment he got quiet.

No riddles. No circling. No smug commentary about your “predictable persistence.” Just the Sphinx watching you from his perch, chin resting on his paws, eyes half-lidded like some oversized, self-important house cat.

It’s suspicious.

You keep reading anyway.

A scroll unfurls in your lap, your finger tracing over the same line for the third time when suddenly, the sensation of a rough, warm limb drags across your hair.

You freeze.

“…Did you just—”

Another one.

Slow. Deliberate. From the crown of your head down toward your temple. His tongue is warm—too warm—and slightly rough, like sand smoothed by time but still very much there.

You jerk back. “HEY—”

The Sphinx blinks at you. Then, without a shred of shame, he leans forward and does it again.

“STOP THAT.”

“You had dust,” he replies calmly.

“I did not have dust!”

“You live in ruins,” he says, as if that settles everything.

You scoot back, clutching your scroll like it’s going to defend you. “You cannot just— just lick people!”

He tilts his head, genuinely considering that.

“…Why not?”

“Because it’s weird!”

“It is efficient.”

Before you can argue further, one massive paw settles on your shoulder — not pinning, just there, heavy enough to keep you from slipping away easily. His claws remain sheathed, but the message is clear.

Stay.

You narrow your eyes. “Don’t.”

He grins, and immediately leans in again.

You twist away, but he’s faster than something that size has any right to be. His tongue drags along your cheek this time, quick but deliberate, like he’s proving a point.

You make a horrified noise. “That is my FACE—”

“It was dirty,” he says smoothly.

“It was NOT dirty!”

“You are resisting maintenance,” he hums, amused.

You shove at his muzzle. He barely moves, only shifting enough to look more entertained.

“This is not ‘maintenance,’ this is you being annoying!”

“Those are not mutually exclusive.”

He adjusts his grip, paw sliding slightly to your upper arm, anchoring you more securely. Then, with absolute audacity, he starts grooming again — slower now, more methodical.

Hair. Temple. The side of your face.

You squirm, half-laughing, half-genuinely trying to escape. “You’re unbelievable— stop—!”

“You struggle like a kitten,” he notes.

“I am NOT a—!”

Another swipe cuts you off.

You groan, covering your face with your hands. “This is so humiliating.”

“And yet,” he murmurs, nudging your hands aside with his nose, “you have not left.”

“I can’t leave, you’re holding me hostage!”

He pauses.

Then, softer — quieter than before— “I am keeping you clean.”

You blink.

The tone is… different. Still smug, still undeniably him, but there’s something else tucked beneath it. Something less about dominance and more about… intention.

You squint at him. “You just want an excuse to mess with me.”

“Of course,” he says immediately.

Then, after a beat, as he leans in again—slower this time—

“And you come here covered in dust and ink.”

His next pass is gentler.

Less about proving something. More… careful.

You tense at first, instinctively ready to protest again—but it doesn’t come out as strong this time. His paw loosens slightly on your arm, not trapping anymore, just resting.

You huff. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And you,” he replies, voice low with quiet amusement, “are poorly maintained.”

You roll your eyes.

But you don’t pull away when he does it again.

It’s still embarrassing. Still weird. Still very much him being a menace.

…but the way he settles afterward, chin resting lightly against your shoulder, tail curling close instead of lashing—

It doesn’t feel entirely like mockery anymore.

More like a creature who doesn’t quite understand gentleness… trying anyway.

“…If you tell anyone about this,” you mutter.

“I will,” he says instantly.

You groan.

He hums, deeply pleased, and gives one last, softer swipe to your hair like a finishing touch.

“Acceptable,” he decides.

You’re never living this down.

..