rinu

no matter how exhausting things got, he always made time for you. in his own way, he knew exactly how to comfort you.

today was one of those days.

your trip to amphoreus had been long and… tragic, to say the least. so to make it up to both of you, caelus decided to take you out on a date in penacony before your next destination.

you ended up at a restaurant you hadn’t visited with him in a while, the familiar warmth settling in as plates of penacony’s delicacies were set before you. the aroma alone was enough to make you smile, and you found yourself savoring each bite a little more than usual, stealing glances at him across the table.

he looked oddly pleased—watching you enjoy the food like that seemed to be more than enough for him.

afterward, the two of you wandered through the park, the air light and lively. neon lights flickered softly around you, laughter and distant music blending into the background. caelus dragged you over to a slot machine, insisting it’d be “just one try,” only for that one try to turn into several.

you laughed as he got oddly competitive over it, the machine chiming brightly every time he managed to win something small—little trinkets, cheap prizes, but he did handed them to you like they were treasures.

it surprised you, honestly—how he’d somehow managed to scrape together enough to treat you to all of this.

the food, the games, even the way he casually pulled you into a few shops along the way. he’d pick things out with clear consideration—accessories, small pieces of clothing—and just hand them to you like it was nothing.

you were beyond happy after everything that happened, and seeing the way he watched your reactions, a quiet sort of satisfaction in his eyes every time you smiled… it made your heart skip a beat every time.

even though he was a fool most of the time, he’d never stop having the title of best boyfriend in all years to come.

“oh, i missed penacony…” you said warmly, your fingers intertwined with his as you walked side by side. you had just finished another game at the park, and with the sky growing darker, you were now heading back to the hotel.

“yeah, and we even ran into some old friends too,” he added, taking a sip from the milktea he bought earlier.

you tilted your head slightly.

“how come you’re not done with that yet?” you asked. usually, caelus would’ve finished anything he ate within minutes—but somehow, that milktea had lasted hours.

“huh… oh. right.” he let out, glancing at you.

“it’s because i’ve been too busy admiring you.”

you froze for a second, heat rushing to your face. without thinking, you smacked him lightly with the raccoon mask you had won earlier.

“stop staring at me!” you huffed, quickening your pace—though your hand never left his, instead dragging him along with you.

“hey, hey!” caelus laughed, easily keeping up.

after a while, you both reached the hotel. by then, caelus had finally finished his drink—mostly because the ice had melted, watering it down completely.

meaning, he wasn't actually able to savor the taste despite drinking it all up…

the moment you stepped into your shared room, a yawn slipped past your lips.

it had been a fun day… but exhausting, too.

still, you needed a quick shower.

“i’ll shower first,” you said, and caelus nodded in response.

“[n], let’s watch a movie after!” he called out, already dropping onto the couch with the remote in hand, grinning at you.

“huh? sure. got anything in mind?” you asked, unbuttoning your vest.

“yeah!” he chuckled and your eyes lit up instantly.

you loved horror movies—you could watch them all night if you wanted to.

“don’t start without me!” you huffed, quickly making your way to the bathroom.

you didn’t waste any time once the water started running. by the time you stepped out, hair still damp and clinging slightly to your neck, caelus had already set everything up—snacks neatly placed on the table, the lights dimmed just enough for the mood.

he was patiently waiting for you.

“aren’t you gonna shower?” you asked, towel in hand as you dried your hair.

he shook his head, already reaching for you. before you could react, he pulled you down beside him on the floor, arms slipping around your waist and holding you close.

“i’ll shower after,” he murmured, one hand grabbing the remote as he started the movie.

you draped the towel over the armrest, settling against him without much resistance. your head rested on his chest, nuzzling into the warmth as the screen flickered to life.

the movie started slow.

you liked horror movies—but jumpscares? not really. you thought this wouldn’t have any because caelus knew that, after all…

but apparently, knowing meant he chose one full of them.

the first loud sound had both of you flinching and the second had him gripping onto you tighter, while the third…

“ahh!!”

“what the—!”

you both ended up yelling at the same time, immediately going silent right after.

…

“…why did you even choose this?!” you scoffed, reaching up to pinch his ear.

“ow— ow! it’s because march recommended—”

you cut him off instantly, your hand clamping over his mouth as the movie shifted into a tense scene.

“shhh,” you whispered, eyes glued to the screen.

caelus blinked beneath your hand, his words muffled as he pouted, then he stilled.

because instead of the movie, he found himself staring at you.

at the way your eyes focused so intently, your brows slightly furrowed, your lips parted just a little in anticipation. even with the flickering light casting shadows across your face—you looked… captivating.

caelus felt his cheeks heat up as he quickly looked back at the screen, only to let out a loud yelp when another jumpscare suddenly flashed.

you snorted, hand covering your mouth as you tried to hold back your laughter. “what got you so distracted?” you teased with a giggle.

“that barely even counts as a jumpscare,” you added, crossing your arms as you leaned back.

he shot you a glare before suddenly pulling you closer, arms wrapping around you as he buried his face against your stomach, making you yelp.

“what’re you doinngg?” you whined, fingers instinctively running through his hair.

“the movie’s almost over,” caelus murmured, his hands slowly slipping beneath your shirt.

your cheeks warmed, eyes widening slightly. “seriously?” you sighed.

he only hummed in response, tugging lightly at your pants as he looked up at you, silently asking permission.

you let out a small groan before giving in, nodding.

with that, he pulled your pants along with your underwear down. a yelp escaped your lips at the sudden action, mouth agape dumbfoundedly.

your fingers tangled in his hair, tugging just enough to make him groan against your skin. “are you that greedy?"you asked, voice rough.

he nipped at your thigh in response, “but…we haven’t done it since amphoreus,” he said with a whine, muffled into flesh as his palm slid up to your cock. his other hand kept your legs spread wide—no escape now. “...missed this."

your breath hitched as caelus’ tongue swiped over your leaking tip—slow, teasing. your fingers shifted against the curve of his ass before squeezing hard.

“w-well, that makes… sense," you muttered, eyes darkening with need.

caelus moaned around you, his hips jerking at the grip on him. the wet heat of his mouth took you deeper in one filthy slide—with clear little patience.

caelus’ made a noise that vibrated against your cock, sending a jolt of pleasure up your spine. your fingers slipped under his waistband, pressing teasingly against his tight rim before pushing one finger inside.

caelus jerked back with a gasp, but kept his hold on your cock, tongue dragging slow and wet down the throbbing veins as he fought to stay composed.

your fingers curled deeper in time with each bob of his head, stretching him as another slipped in—exactly how he liked it.

your finger pressed in deeper and he gasped—back arching—when you curled your digits just right.

“more,” he gasped as he pulled back, tongue dragging down the throbbing veins of your cock as if savoring every pulse while his cock leaked against the fabric of his underwear, subtly rocking into your touch.

you hummed, your other other hand guiding your cock back between his lips. “be a good boy and keep sucking,” you groaned.

your fingers continued to move—scissoring that tight heat open on three fingers now. his hips stuttered between taking it and chasing more, walls throbbing eagerly with need.

caelus’ tongue flattened over your slit, swirling in filthy circles like he was trying to memorize the taste.

“c-caelus..—!” your hips jerked up involuntarily, threatening to shove back into that wet heat while your fingers scissored him open wider

caelus mewled as your fingers twisted, feeling him clench down on you. he took your cock back in deeper, throat fluttering around your length, throbbing as you neared your climax.

tears pricked at the corners of caelus’ eyes as he took you impossibly deeper, nearing his climax as well while your cockhead nudged the back of his throat with each punishing thrust. your hips stuttered as pleasure coiled tight in your gut.

“fffuck—g-gonna cum!” you moaned out.

your fingers pistoned into him faster now—no more teasing, just brutal strokes that had his body jerking against you.

you came with a groan, your release spilling hot and thick down his throat. your fingers slid out of him with a wet squelch, leaving caelus trembling—his own cum soaking through the fabric of his underwear in messy streaks.

caelus pulled back just enough to swallow, throat working as he gulped down every last drop. his lips were still swollen when he crashed into you again, kissing you filthy while the taste of you lingered between shared breaths.

caelus pulled back, breath hitching as you guided him onto your lap. his fingers slid underneath your shirt, pinching at your nipples as he leaned in to your neck, teasing a bite.

you softly grunted against his ear, hips rolling forward just enough for your cock to nudge his entrance. “can i put it in?”

caelus let out a whimper. “y-yes,”

and with that, he bore down on you. the stretch burned sweetly when the first inch sank home—both of you shuddering at the feel.

caelus entire body locked up as you slowly bottomed out—your name tearing from his throat in a ragged sob. his back arched, hands scrambling to grip your shoulder as anchor.

“o-ohhh…!”

you let him adjust for a while, his teeth sinking into your neck, marking and kissing the bruises forming on your skin.

after a minute, he wrapped his arms around your neck—filled with bruises and bites—and lifted his hips.

you didn’t give him another second before you were hauling his hips down onto you, a cry escaping his lips as the slapping of skin echoed in the room.

your grip moved down, fingers bruising into the swell of his ass as you shoved your cock deep into his walls.

“so tight, cae…” you moaned into his ear.

he choked on a laugh-turned-whimper, nails digging into the fabric of your shirt. “ohh… feels soooo, good…!”

your fingers dug in harder as you slammed up into him, his entire body jerking with each thrust as his head fell against your shoulder.

“baby… missed this,” you moaned against his ear. “squeezin’ me like it wants me to stay inside forever,”

caelus writhed in your lap, moans escaping his lips as his cock leaked untouched between his thighs, every snap of your hips punching loud noises from him.

“hnghhh! r-right there—please…! oh—OH!”

caelus’ entire body arched when your cock brushed against the spot, his cry shattering into a high, desperate whine as his hips jerked back greedily to chase the friction.

“ahh..! hah! [name]!”

you mewled at the sound of your name from his lips, your cock dragging through him with filthy precision.

every thrust sent his neglected cock bobbing obscenely between you, precum smearing across both stomach.

you bit down on his shoulder, only to feel him clench around you tighter—your cock throbbing with absolute need, your climax nearing.

“immaaa cumm…” you whined, your fingers spreading his ass wider, watching how his hole took every inch of your cock greedily.

“c-cum… cumm inside…” he gasped, back arching beautifully as you slammed impossibly deeper.

your hips stuttered wildly, cock throbbing as you pounded into him one last time, the head of your dick grinding against that spot until caelus’ back bowed like a snapped bowstring.

“ffucckk— ahh..— AHH! hnNNgh!”

hot cum flooded his guts in thick pulses, your fingers spreading his cheeks just to watch it spill around your still-hard cock.

caelus moaned through the overstimulation, his thighs trembling as he came untouched between you again.

you moaned softly at the sight, your arms wrapping around his waist tightly. “s-sorry…was i too hard?” you asked, voice soft.

caelus let out a soft, contented hum as you wiped the tears from his cheeks with your thumb, his hands sliding down to push your shirt up.

he kissed you again, slow and gentle this time, before trailing lower. his lips closed around one nipple—sucking just hard enough to make your jerk beneath him.

“c-caelus—?”

his tongue flicked over the peaked skin, his other hand pinching the other as you whined.

your breath hitched as caelus switch to the other nipple—sucking a bruise into the tender skin while his fingers toyed with the neglected one.

the sharp pinch had you fisting his hair, face flushed while he chuckled against your chest.

his teeth grazed down just below your pec, a teasing lick before dragging open-mouthed kisses lower. then, his hand slid down to your thighs, spreading them wide as his breath ghosted over your rim.

he grinned as his fingers trailed lower, suddenly scooping up the rest of cum from his used hole.

“i want to taste you,” caelus murmured and your eyes widened at his words.

“w-wait—“

his stained fingers smeared the thick streaks against your entrance, a cheeky smile on his face as he looked up at you with wide, expectant eyes.

“you don’t want it?”

your heart skipped a beat.

well, it’s not that you don’t want it. him eating you out is just… a first.

you groaned as you looked away, nodding weakly. he let out a satisfied hum before pressing his thumb inside, your cum making an obscene, wet noise.

your groan came out startled as you turned your face away, nodding weakly.

caelus’ hum vibrated against your skin, satisfied, before his thumb breached you with slick ease.

“a..ahhnn…”

the wet squelch of cum made everything filthy-sweet, turning you on even more.

it didn’t stop there, of course , as he suddenly nuzzled between your cheeks—tongue licking a hot stripe to your rim.

without warning, his tongue speared into your hole—feasting like a man starved. every swirl of his tongue had you chocking on moans, your thighs trembling helplessly between the intrusion and overwhelming pleasure.

“c-cae..! ha—hahh..!”

he groaned against you, the vibrations making everything worse… or well, better. in your case.

“tastes so good,” he slurred between laps. his hot, wet tongue sucking greedily as his grip tightened.

caelus’ tongue dived deeper with each filthy slurp—your hole clenching around the wet intrusion.

“h-hot..! it’s good…” you babbled, hips jerking helplessly against his mouth as you fell on your back.

he sank two fingers in alongside his tongue, the stretch burning sweetly. he fucked them in and out with obscene squelches, your cock throbbing as you were nearing your climax already—still sensitive from earlier’s event.

“i-i’m close…! hahh! please— cae…hhnAh!”

he looked up at your messy face—tears pricking the corner of your eyes, drool spilling down your chin—and his cock twitched.

his other hand moved to your cock, wrapping his fingers around it as he pumped.

you sobbed at the dual sensation, his fingers curling just right. your back arched violently, a ragged scream tearing from your throat.

“caaelus! hhAhhh! mnnFh!”

hit streaks pained your stomach as you came undone, but he didn’t let up for a second—his tongue kelt lapping at your overstimulated rim, sucking on you hungrily—and you came again instantly.

broken sobs escaped you as you weakly pushed his head away, his tongue licking one last time before finally getting up.

“you tasteeee so good,” caelus said as he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against your jaw, giggling. but you were too overstimulated to respond, so you just wrapped your arms around his chest.

“no more…” you mewled.

“hehe, let’s take a break.” he whispered as he gently caressed your hair. and you only hummed in response as drowsiness seeped into you almost instantly.

you’d been holding every emotion in a jar for so long, going through life on autopilot, but now you’ve just given up on anything at all.

your boyfriends—aventurine and ratio—noticed, of course.

they’ve always been observant when it comes to you and your needs, so the moment they came home to you, they were immediately on your side.

they found you lying on your bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, a pillow clutched in your arms. aventurine sat beside you, gently placing a hand on your shoulder. “hey babe,” he called.

“need a hug?” he murmured, a soft smile forming on his lips as he cupped your chin and turned your face toward him.

the sight of him brought you instant comfort. you shifted, letting go of the pillow as you wrapped your arms around his waist.

“did all that research fry your brain?” ratio sighed, dropping himself beside aventurine with his arms crossed.

ratio had already shed his outer layer, left in a sleeveless black top that showed off his toned biceps. you felt your cheeks warm slightly—but honestly, you were too drained to even tease him about it.

“have you eaten?” aventurine asked, giving your shoulder a gentle pat, like he was trying to ease the exhaustion weighing you down.

you shook your head in response, and ratio clicked his tongue.

“you’re seriously going to end up collapsing if you keep that up,” he muttered, already pulling out his phone to order something.

“i want a bean cake,” aventurine chimed in, flashing a grin as he looked over at ratio.

“of course. you’re the one paying anyway,” ratio replied flatly.

aventurine blinked—then immediately checked his pocket.

his phone was gone.

…wait.

that was his phone in ratio’s hand.

“when did you even take that?” aventurine huffed, tightening his hold on you as he pouted.

you let out a soft laugh.

somehow, even in moments like this, their bickering managed to lift your mood just a little.

“[n], what do you feel like eating?” aventurine asked, gently tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

“i don’t know…” you murmured.

you didn’t really feel like eating—but you knew they wouldn’t let that slide.

they’d probably end up feeding you themselves if they had to.

“alright, ratio will handle it,” aventurine said, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead before shifting his whole body beside you, pulling you closer and wrapping his arms around you snugly.

he knew what you needed at times like this.

you leaned into him, nuzzling against his chest as your arms circled his waist, eyes slowly closing.

you heard ratio adjust the air conditioner, the faint click filling the room before he moved behind you, resting against the headboard. his hand came up, gently ruffling your hair.

“i’ll wake you when the food arrives,” he said, his voice softer than usual.

you hummed softly as their touch slowly lulled you to sleep—ratio's fingers running through your hair, aventurine's body against yours.

after a while, you were woken up by a gentle shake. you grumbled softly as you opened your eyes, only to be met with a handsome blond.

“hey there, sleepyhead,” aventurine teased, helping you sit up. you yawned, still a bit drowsy, and glanced toward the door where ratio had just entered, carrying food in his hands.

“how are you feeling?” he asked, setting the food down on the small table in your room.

“i’m feeling a bit refreshed,” you mumbled as you got out of bed with aventurine, walking over to ratio before sitting down on the carpet.

“you guys sure you don’t want to eat at the dining table?” you asked, watching as ratio unpacked the food.

“here is fine,” aventurine said, placing a hand on your lower back, a small smile on his lips. they knew you were used to eating here instead of at the table—and maybe they’d gotten used to it too, considering that whenever they visited, you preferred watching movies with them while eating.

even ratio’s reasoning couldn’t hold up against your begging.

“eat your fill,” ratio said, setting the food in front of you. it was fried rice paired with deep-fried rock crab. you hummed, pleased with the meal he had chosen.

you really loved how well they knew your preferences.

“did you… order the fries for me?” you asked, noticing the extra fries and winged burger beside ratio’s alfalfa salad.

ratio glanced up at you before giving a quiet nod. “if the food doesn’t appeal to you, you won’t eat.”

“pretty sure that’s something we’ve already memorized about you,” aventurine chuckled, taking a bite of his bean cake and savoring it.

you let out a soft giggle at their remark before finally picking up your food and eating. the two continued chatting while you stayed mostly quiet, only chiming in now and then. you preferred listening during moments like this.

their voices, their presence—just them—brought you comfort. even the smallest touches was enough to make you feel seen and cared for.

once you finished eating, ratio insisted on handling the dishes, leaving you alone with the gambler, who began feeding you the rest of his bean cake.

though with how much aventurine was doting on you, you weren’t sure you’d actually get any peace.

“does it taste good?” aventurine asked, offering you the last bite. you hummed as you ate it, cheeks slightly flushed. his free arm was wrapped snugly around your waist as you sat on his lap, your back resting against his chest.

“it’s sweet… i’ve never had this before,” you murmured, licking the crumbs from your lips. aventurine set the fork down and wrapped his other arm around you as well.

“how are you feeling now, hm?” he asked softly, resting his chin on your shoulder.

honestly, you’d started feeling better the moment they arrived. with all the hugs and the food they’d been spoiling you with, the exhaustion and stress had begun to ease.

“i feel less tired now,” you replied, reaching up to ruffle his hair. he simply hummed in response, eyes slipping shut.

your breath hitched as you took in the delicate details—the flutter of his lashes, the curve of his mouth, that smooth skin just begging to be touched. you were so lost in admiration that it didn’t occur to you he’d already noticed your lingering gaze until his lips crashed into yours.

a startled whimper got trapped between your lips, but he only tightened his grip on you. the sharp nip at your lower lip was a silent plea for entry and when you parted obediently, his tongue slid in.

your breath stuttered as the kiss deepened. his palm slid down to grip your ass, hauling you up effortlessly as your legs locked around his hips. he carried you toward the bed, plopping you down onto the mattress with a thud, causing a gasp to escape your lips.

he pulled back enough to flash you his signature grin, your face flushed as you looked back up at him.

until a sudden voice startled you both.

“what are you two doing?”

ratio's voice cut through the atmosphere like icy water, his arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe.

“way to ruin the mood, ratio,” aventurine grin fell as he turned his head, a frown forming his lips.

“is it my fault your greed can't be satiated?” ratio tsked as he closed the door before approaching you.

“don't leave me out of it,” ratio whispered as he shoved aventurine aside without hesitation before his mouth crashed into yours, claiming in its own right.

“even you can't resist temptation,’ the gambler grumbled before unbuckling his belt, yanking down his pants and throwing it aside.

ratio began to strip off the rest of your clothes, your hand shifting down onto his waistband, tugging on it. when he finally broke the kiss, you were panting, chest heavy as he began to kiss your neck, coaxing more sounds to spill from your lips.

“[n], baby boy, suck me off, hm?” aventurine called as he moved beside your head, dick already hard in his hand and dripping with pre.

you hummed as your fingers wrapped around his cock, pumping it up and down before gliding your tongue over his tip. he groaned, fingers tangling themselves through your hair as your lips finally wrapped around his cock—hot and wet—letting him feel every inch of your mouth as you lowered your head to take him deeper.

ratio began to remove his pants, unable to contain the pure need growing in him. throwing aside the last piece of clothing he had, he returned to kissing your bare skin, lips trailing down your chest.

his teeth grazed your nipple just as his fingers pinched the other, sharp and unrelenting. your whimper shook through aventurine, whose cock throbbed against your tongue. a ragged moan tore from his throat as he tightened his hold in your hair, hard enough to burn—hard enough to make your own cock twitch.

"hng.. doing so good... ahh.. letting me use your mouth—“

aventurine's hips jerked forward on instinct, fighting the urge to rut into that wet heat with every ounce of self-control left.

meanwhile, ratio mapped bruises across your chest with deliberate licks and nips, making sure you knew that you weren't aventurine's alone—but also his.

aventurine watched through heavy-lidded eyes as you bobbed obediently around him, moaning at your every suck and lick, tongue swirling around the tip of his cock.

ratio then pulled the drawer open with a sharp thud, fishing out the lube he knew you stashed there. the cap popped, and cold slickness dripped onto his fingers as he spread your legs in one gentle motion—your moan vibrated around aventurine's cock when two fingers speared inside without warning.

“hnngh—r-ratio!” you jerked back, but aventurine's palm pinned your head closer against his thigh.

“easy, pretty boy," aventurine groaned as he tapped his leaking tip against your spit-slick lips, deciding to stroke himself right on you.

your eyes flew wide, cheeks burning hotter as you looked up at him—his lip caught between his teeth while he fisted himself faster, hips stuttering at the sight of your dazed expression.

“s-so damn cute…” aventurine choked out, "hnggh—lookin’ at me like that." his grip on your hair tightened to keep you locked in place as his cock throbbed against your lips.

ratio’s fingers curled deeper with each whimper you made, the sheets ripping under your white-knuckled grip. you opened your lips, your tongue swirling around aventurine’s tip just to feel him twitch violently toward release.

though the second your tongue teased his tip, aventurine snapped—a loud moan tore from his throat as hot cum striped across your face in messy spurts. before you could even gasp at the sudden heat, ratio's cock rammed into you to the hilt.

“argh..—sorry,” ratio gritted out, “hnngh… so goddamn tight." his fingers dug bruises into your hips as he held still, letting you squirm through the burn.

aventurine huffed and kissed you sloppily, “breathe," he whispered, thumbing a stripe of cum off your lip only to smear it over a nipple with amusement.

you mewled, hips bucking as you panted, your hole clenching around ratio's cock. “taking me so well…such a good boy for me, aren't you?” ratio praised as he leaned in and pressed his lips against yours.

you whimpered into the kiss, wrapping an arm around his neck. meanwhile, aventurine caressed your hair softly, his cock still throbbing hard at the sight of you and ratio.

ratio pulled back and gave an experimental thrust—pulling almost all the way out before slamming back in with a deep, wet sound that made your back arch.

aventurine’s thumb brushed your lower lip as he slowly moved to hover over your chest, his cock resting heavy against your cheek. “does your mouth hurt?" he asked, voice rough, but the concern laced beneath it. before you could even stutter a reply, ratio pistoned deeper.

hands clamping on your thighs to spread them, he pounded into you with no mercy now. your nails scraped aventurine’s hips as a moan punched out of you.

“oh god, you’re so beautiful under me, always doing so well..”aventurine groaned, fisting his other hand in your hair to shove his cock back in. every thrust of ratio sent aventurine’s tip slamming against the roof of your throat.

“a perfect boy with a perfect mouth,” he groaned as his head rolled back.

ratio’s hips snapped forward again, your thighs forced wider as he pounded into you with rough, relentless thrusts.

you could only moan in response against the cock in your throat as a wet slap of skin on skin filled the room while they used you from both ends—aventurine’s tip hitting the back of your throat with each deep plunge while ratio bottomed out inside you over and over.

tears pricked the corner of your eyes—they were rougher than usual, but gentler in their touch—the way their fingers caressed your body and everything. and gosh, you loved it.

aventurine hissed through his teeth as he watched your dazed expression, drool spilling past your lips and down to your cheek.

“your throat.. hngh!— ohh.. feels sooo good..!” aventurine groaned, picking up the speed as his cock began to twitch—veins pulsing, hot and needy—against the walls of your mouth.

meanwhile, ratio set a rhythm, fast and steady, with you jolting with every thrust. your own cock throbbed untouched on your abdomen, the intensity of the heat coursing through you as you began to closely reach your climax.

ratio angled his cock, brushing that spot that made your thighs twitch. you moaned again, causing aventurine to groan aloud.

the heat rose faster in your gut. every thrust, sound, and praises had you falling apart from both ends. same goes for aventurine, whose cock pulsed on your tongue and hips stuttered.

“cumming… ffuck!” aventurine mewled as his grip on your hair tightened. “baby boy— hnGGHH!”

aventurine pulled his cock free with a groan, his cum splattering hot and thick across your tongue—dripping down your chin in messy streaks.

aventurine panted as he moved away, and ratio didn’t slow for a second. if anything, he fucked you harder, his hands grabbing both of yours and intertwining them together as his hips snapped harshly against yours.

“oh look at you,” ratio groaned as he tasted aventurine on your lips when he kissed you filthy. “crying over my cock, you love it that much?” he moaned.

“yes! mff! ratio—soo.. good!— hng!” your whimpers came out ragged between thrusts that left no room for air as your cock leaked untouched, tears spilling over. the stretch burned so good it made stars burst behind dazed eyes.

ratio’s hips pounded faster, brutal and erratic as he chased his own release—every snap of his pelvis dragging a cry from your throat.

his voice dropped as he asked, “you close, my love?”

a subtle nod was all the answer he got before ratio pulled out with a snarl—hot streaks painting your stomach in thick ropes that mixed with the mess you made yourself.

“fuck," he panted, watching cum drip down your trembling abs.

aventurine chuckled from beside you, swiping a thumb through the mess on your stomach. “you look so good like this,” he whispered as he kissed your cheek.

you let out a soft whine as your legs pressed together, your body slack, tired, and trembling. ratio leaned closer, brushing a gentle kiss against your lips. “how do you feel? satisfied?” he murmured.

you gave a weak nod, arms lazily circling around him. “mmh… i think i’ll feel better after i sleep…” you whispered.

he let out a quiet chuckle as he lifted you into his arms. “i certainly hope so.”

“the water’s ready,” aventurine called, already heading inside the bathroom and testing the warmth of the bath.

he knew you both were close to finishing, so knowing you’d need it, everything was prepared ahead of time for you to rest after.

you hummed softly against ratio’s chest while he carried you in, carefully lowering you into the water. your mind was still hazy, but you didn’t worry—you trusted them to take care of you.

aventurine slipped into the bath with you, hands gentle as they moved along your skin, carefully washing you. “does your throat hurt?” he asked softly.

you nodded, a quiet hum leaving your lips as ratio poured shampoo into your hair, fingers threading through your strands as he slowly worked it in.

“sorry, love,” he murmured with a light chuckle, pressing a soft kiss to your throat before trailing up to your chin, then brushing your lips.

you let out a small hum, eyes fluttering shut in contentment as they took care of you. “i’ve already excused you from work for two days,” ratio said calmly.

your eyes opened as you looked up at him. “i still have to go…”

“you’re going on a date with us,” aventurine cut in with a pout, gently squishing your cheeks to turn your face toward him.

“you’ve been pushing yourself too much,” he sighed. “there’s no point if you’re already exhausted. so for the next few days, you’re staying with us.”

“someone will cover for you in the meantime,” ratio added, tilting your head up to press a soft kiss to your nose.

“and don’t worry about your research. i’ll speak to your supervisor and have your deadline extended,” he continued, fingers returning to your hair as he rinsed it.

you simply nodded, a faint smile tugging at your lips.

“fine… looks like there’s no escaping you two,” you let out a quiet chuckle as you leaned into their touch.

“but… why is there a duck?” you suddenly asked, eyes drifting toward the rubber duck bobbing on the water.

ratio let out a quiet sigh, cheeks tinting pink. “the gambler thought it’d be amusing,” he muttered.

“what? i’m pretty sure i once customized an entire tub couch with ducks for you,” aventurine shrugged, picking the duck up and setting it right on your head.

“eh? really? then how come i’ve never seen it in ratio’s living room?” you asked, tilting your head up at him.

“how cruel, doctor… so you did throw it away?” aventurine sighed, a pout forming on his lips.

ratio’s face flushed deeper. “it’s in my room,” he admitted.

you and aventurine burst into soft laughter.

before long, they finished washing you—and themselves. ratio carefully dressed you while aventurine dried your hair, warm air brushing against your scalp as your eyes slowly grew heavy.

“carry me…” you mumbled drowsily, and aventurine let out a quiet hum.

“let me carry him, doctor,” he said with a grin, setting the dryer aside before lifting you up into his arms, holding you in a bridal carry.

“be careful,” ratio reminded as he tidied up the bathroom.

aventurine gently laid you down onto the mattress, and you let out a soft hum, sinking into the comfort.

“sleep with me…” you whispered, your voice barely there as sleep tugged at you.

“we will,” aventurine replied softly. “just let us dry our hair first, alright?”

to you, as a wanted man, life was all about survival—running away from the IPC, keeping your head low, moving before any of the hunters could catch you.

occasionally, you’d change your appearance, hoping those hunting you wouldn’t be able to trace your steps.

thankfully though, you managed to slip past their watchful eyes—for now, at least—and move freely for a while.

which led you to planarcadia—the blessed world of aha. you’ve been wandering here for a while, roaming around the lively streets from day ‘til night.

money wasn’t a problem—you had more than enough from the work you’d gotten yourself into back then, so you’d buy things here and there.

delicacies, little trinkets… whatever caught your eye, if only to make the constant running feel a little less empty.

a sigh slipped past your lips as you fidgeted with the raccoon keychain you’d bought from a small figurine shop, sitting on one of the benches across the street.

the astral express sure is famous around here, huh?

you glanced around.

once again, it was already evening, and the streets of ahatopia still remained lively, filled with the hum of chatter and passing footsteps. small stalls lined the road, their displays cluttered with handcrafted goods, shimmering fabrics, and odd little trinkets. the scent of street food lingered in the air—sweet, savory, unfamiliar—blending into something oddly comforting.

lanterns hung overhead, casting a warm glow over the crowd. people moved in clusters, laughing, bargaining, living their lives as if nothing in the world could touch them.

as you observed the crowd, one particular man stood out. he had long black hair that faded into a white ombre, a white fedora resting atop his head, and a small monkey perched by his side.

he seemed to be investigating something.

you weren’t too familiar with what went on in planarcadia—especially not in the dovebrook district—but there was something about him that pulled at your memory.

he felt… familiar.

you weren’t the type to pry or involve yourself in things that didn’t concern you.

but just getting a little closer to take a better look wouldn’t hurt, right?

you stood up, slipping the keychain into your pocket as you quietly used your ability to change your appearance—blending into something more ordinary before following him.

you tried to follow him discreetly, weaving through side paths and taking small shortcuts to keep him in sight without drawing attention.

and as it turned out, your instincts were right.

you knew the man—la mancha—lead hunter of the galaxy rangers.

you lingered just close enough to catch fragments of his conversation with another man, your attention sharpening as certain words slipped through—

the IPC.

truly, curiosity kills the cat.

getting tangled up with an organization that would do anything to claim your head—

if you didn’t know any better, you would have been walking straight into a trap. one that awaited your bite.

still, for la mancha to work with the IPC… no, you doubt it.

from the conversation alone, it doesn’t look like he’s directly involved. in addition to that, it didn’t make sense for him to be working with them.

after all, he knew better than to play into the hands of a corrupted corporation like the IPC.

with that in mind, you chose to walk away.

there was no point in staying.

although… you did wish you could’ve gotten a better look at his face.

you’ve always liked that attractive face of his.

you sighed, a small pout forming on your lips as you fidgeted with the keychain again, leaning back against the bench.

just what were you thinking…

back then, when the two of you first met, he had saved you from the hands of destruction. you were just a teenager at the time—a working student in your own world—until the day everything fell apart and chaos tore through your home.

from that moment on, he took care of you until your early 20s. since then, you swore you’d become someone like him—funny how life never really let that happen.

still, your admiration never faded, even after all these centuries.

“i… think i deserve some entertainment.”

…that’s what you told yourself that day, but even after days of wandering around, you still found yourself perched on the same bench.

“wasn’t planarcadia supposed to be entertaining…” you murmured, your energy slowly draining. “why is it so exhausting…”

“is it because i’ve been here too long that i’m starting to get bored of it as well?” you sighed, glancing at the comic book you had finished earlier—fluffy across the blue, was it?

it was fun to read, though.

“what else is there to do…” you mumbled, slouching further into the bench as if the air itself was pulling the energy out of you.

“wasn’t it called the ashen detective agency? i heard there’s a handsome detective there… with a monkey as a receptionist.”

your ears perked up instantly, eyes lighting up as a thought sparked in your mind.

“i’m pretty sure he takes all kinds of commissions…”

la mancha—!

…does he even remember you?

the thought hit just as quickly as the excitement came, draining it all away. your expression fell, and you flopped back against the bench, dropping the comic over your face.

“hello there,” a deep voice suddenly called, startling you. you lifted the comic book off your face and glanced at the person—la mancha?

“you… ah, that’s a copy of the fluffy across the blue right?” the man said, his eyes slightly sparkling at the sight of the comic book. “young man, would you mind giving it to me?”

you stared at him, dumbfounded, as you slowly sat up.

“u-uhm. of course, i’ll pay you! the retail price is uhm, 300, right? how about… ten times higher? 3,000 credits?” his voice sounded like he was about to cry—as if the mention of money was draining him to the bone.

yet, for some reason… the mere sight of him made the boredom twisting in your chest fade away.

a small laugh slipped past your lips as you handed him the comic book.

“ah, thank you—”

“will you be my boyfriend?”

“…huh?”

…what did you just say?

well, sure you missed your savior, but you must have been so relieved to have those words slip past your lips.

“i meant it as a commission.”

what were you even trying to say?

sure, the passerby did mention that la mancha takes on whatever kind of commissions, but surely this kind is…

“well, that’s… a bit sudden. what do you need a boyfriend for?” he asked, rubbing the back of his head, his eyes wide in confusion.

right. what were you even gonna even reason?

“oh. that’s— uhm.” you stammered, your cheeks flushing in embarrassment as you thought of what to say.

“i have… a stalker?”

“you just said that on a whim, didn’t you?” he said as he sighed, taking out his wallet. he was about to pay you for the comic book, but that meant he’d be leaving, won’t he?

“300,000 thousand credits.”

he paused, glancing up at you, completely dumbfounded.

“…no.”

“3 million credits.”

“hey, this isn’t about the money—”

“is it because i’m a man?” you tilted your head. “would you feel safer if i changed my appearance into a woman?”

“that’s not it either—“

“10 million.”

the man just stared at you, utterly speechless. what was even your goal in asking such a ridiculous request?

still, the offer was… a ridiculous amount he struggles to refuse and the job sounded suspiciously simple.

“can you really pay that much?” he asked, groaning as he tucked his wallet back into his pocket.

well, you do have a 10 billion bounty on your head…

if the money won’t suffice, you can just commission him to turn you in and escape after.

but using a different appearance… would that fool him though?

you scratch the back of your head at the thought.

“i can give you the money tomorrow,” you said, a small smile pulling at your lips as you stretched your legs and stood up.

“so that’s a yes?”

the man could only stare at you weakly, like his ability to reason had completely short-circuited.

“…sure.”

“that’s great!” you beamed, stepping closer with a small bounce. “you can call me [name].”

“…mine is ashveil,” he replied, adjusting his fedora, his grip on the comic book tightening slightly.

you felt familiar, but he brushed the thought aside.

after all, he had met far too many people over the centuries to remember every face.

“uhm, well— since i’m taking your commission as your boyfriend… even though i don’t really know what for… do i have to do… all of it? everything a boyfriend does?” ashveil asked, a hint of awkwardness slipping into his voice. it wasn’t exactly embarrassment—just that doing something like that with a stranger felt… off.

his gaze lingered on you for a moment.

and you looked young.

a faint crease formed between his brows.

“…you’re an adult, right?”

“huh, yes? why wouldn’t i be?” you questioned, unaware of his inner turmoil. “also, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

“it’s not like you have to prove yourself to anyone…” you mumbled as you looked up at him. “since i’m handling the money today, how about we start tomorrow?”

“you sure are one strange man…”

well, it’s not like ashveil can back out now that he already accepted the commission. he might as well find out what your goal is.

there’s no harm in spending a few days entertaining you.

after you both agreed to meet at the same place, you went your separate ways.

returning to the small base you had managed to secure somewhere in planarcadia, you began counting the money in your possession.

thankfully, it was enough—more than enough, even. enough for the payment, and still thousands left to spare for treating the man.

since you had foolishly gotten yourself into this, you might as well make up for wasting his time.

you sat atop a stack of empty boxes, legs crossed as the faint clink of credits filled the quiet space, your fingers absentmindedly sorting through the pile.

“it didn’t seem like he recognized me,” you whispered to yourself, recalling the conversation you shared.

not a trace of recognition crossed his face.

a quiet disappointment settled in your chest, your stomach sinking at the thought. did you hope he would remember you? yes. did you expect it? no.

“…why am i so hung up over him anyway?” you sighed, snapping the cash box shut.

a pause.

“…ah. that’s right.”

your gaze lowered slightly, fingers resting on the lid.

“he once told me to live my life well.”

and as if that wasn't enough, he did take care of you for a while before departing. funnily enough, those were his last words.

it hurt, to be honest.

to be left alone before you could even properly realize your feelings.

…oh well.

there was no point in recalling… those bygone memories.

“right… we never talked about the specifics of the commission,” you mumbled, realization dawning on you. you hadn’t even mentioned how long it would last.

“a week should be fine, right?” you said, arms crossing as you leaned back against the wall. “i did pay him a generous amount…”

a small pause.

well then. a week it is.

a soft smile tugged at your lips at the thought—having the lead hunter of the galaxy rangers as your boyfriend, even if only for a while.

your mind wandered, already imagining the things you could do together.

maybe tomorrow won't be so bad after all.

the following day, you made your way back to the place where the two of you agreed to meet.

it wasn’t exactly the best meeting spot, sure—but it was the closest to your base, and you really didn’t feel like walking any farther, especially knowing you’d both end up wandering the streets anyway.

though, you did have a few restaurants in mind this time.

since arriving in planarcadia, you’d mostly been eating from nearby stalls rather than actual restaurants.

it wasn’t that you disliked eating alone.

it was just… you didn’t want to look like someone who was alone.

because, to anyone passing by, you probably already did. sitting on that same bench, day after day—

well.

at least it didn’t seem as lonely as sitting alone at a dining table.

as soon as you arrived, ashveil was already there—seated on the bench, one leg crossed over the other.

though, he wasn’t alone. a woman sat beside him.

you hesitated. maybe they were discussing something important. so instead of approaching, you stayed off to the side—not too far, but not close enough to interrupt.

you held the cash box with both hands in front of you, quietly waiting for their conversation to end.

unbeknownst to you, ashveil had already noticed your presence.

he watched you from the corner of his eye, curious about what you’d do—though he hadn’t expected you to simply stand there, patiently waiting.

meanwhile, the woman beside him was speaking about a commission.

the same kind as yours.

she wanted him to act as her boyfriend for a day. something about a stalker who had tried to harm her.

ashveil considered it. you hadn’t paid him yet, after all.

but then—

his gaze flickered back to you. seeing you standing there, holding that small box with both hands, waiting without a word, something in his chest shifted.

…well.

he’d just have to find another way to help her.

“how about i track down the stalker for you instead?” ashveil offered.

the woman blinked, clearly caught off guard—though she still leaned in slightly, making no effort to hide the way she presented herself.

he cleared his throat, deliberately looking away.

“i can’t take that commission. i already have someone, you see. so i’m offering an alternative.”

“ah… is that so?” she murmured, disappointment evident in her voice as her gaze dropped. then, an idea sparked within her.

“then is it alright if i come along with you?” she asked instead.

“i'll have to ask,” ashveil said as he stood up, walking toward you. you immediately noticed his presence, a small smile forming your lips.

“ashveil,” you called.

as his name slipped your lips, he paused. he looked down at you, relishing in the sight of your cute smile.

…cute?

he cleared his throat. “hey, so… someone has a commission for me, and i was wondering if it's alright to bring her along?”

you tilted your head and glanced at the woman beside him, a cheeky smile on her face.

…a little too close, isn't she?

but since it's a commission…

“sure,” you nodded. you can't forbid him from taking other commissions just because he's yours for a week.

what you didn't expect was for you to become the third wheel instead.

as the day went on, most of the conversation flowed between the two of them, while you trailed quietly behind like a ghost.

ashveil did try to pull you in a few times, but each attempt was quickly shut down, the woman cutting over you before you could even speak.

it irritated him. clearly.

but she had already paid him generously, and backing out midway wasn’t exactly an option he liked considering.

“mr ashveil, shall we eat?” the woman asked sweetly, hands tucked behind her back as she leaned closer to him.

you stood a step behind, absentmindedly sucking on an ice popsicle, watching them.

“ha… sure,” ashveil nodded, though his gaze flickered toward you. “[name], where do you wanna eat?”

you blinked, caught off guard.

wasn’t she the one who asked?

you just stared at him for a second, unsure.

“i heard your stomach earlier,” ashveil added, crossing his arms. “don’t pretend.”

you gave an awkward smile, pulling the popsicle from your lips. “hm… how about—”

“mr ashveil, i want to eat there!”

you were cut off instantly.

the woman grabbed ashveil's hand without hesitation, dragging him along before either of you could react.

both you and ashveil were left momentarily stunned.

and just like that, he was pulled away while you stayed where you were.

a quiet sigh slipped past your lips as you glanced around, eyes landing on a nearby bench.

you sat there alone, the ice popsicle slowly melting in your hand.

you pulled your legs up to your chest, arms wrapping around them as you rested your head against your knees.

sticky sweetness dripped down your fingers, but you didn’t bother to move. your eyes fluttered shut.

…you were hungry, too.

“so this is self-pity…” you grumbled, a small pout forming on your lips.

you stayed like that for a while, your free hand absentmindedly tapping against your leg.

you didn’t even notice the approaching footsteps, not until they stopped right in front of you and the popsicle was suddenly taken from your hand.

your eyes widened as you straightened immediately.

“…ashveil?”

“were you planning to sit here and wallow?” he asked, a quiet chuckle slipping from his lips as he tossed the melted popsicle into the nearby trashcan.

he knelt in front of you, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket before gently taking your hand, wiping away the sticky sweetness from your fingers.

“i cancelled the commission.”

you blinked, caught off guard.

“huh? why?”

“turns out she doesn’t actually have a stalker,” ashveil said, adjusting his fedora as it tilted slightly. “just a story to get me to agree.”

his gaze softened, just a little.

“…sorry i didn’t notice sooner.”

but you barely registered what he was saying.

all you could focus on was him—

kneeling in front of you, careful, gentle… it reminded you of back then.

a soft smile tugged at your lips as you let out a small chuckle. “it’s okay, ashveil. i commissioned you on a whim anyway, so you don’t have to prioritize me.”

“you paid me a hefty sum, you know?” ashveil chuckled, shaking his head. “i can’t just let it all go to waste.”

he glanced at you, then sighed lightly.

“you’re hungry, right? come on, let’s get something to eat.”

he stood and held his hand out toward you. you took it without hesitation, nodding as you stood up.

“what do you like to eat?” you asked curiously. for someone who looked so put-together, he had to have some kind of diet, right?

“erm… bananas?”

“…eh?”

“well… i don’t really have a preference when it comes to food. being broke does that to you, you know?” ashveil chuckled awkwardly, tugging his fedora down slightly, a hint of embarrassment in his expression.

“so you just eat bananas?” you asked, scratching your cheek, one brow raised.

ashveil cleared his throat and looked away. “what do you want to eat?”

you fell silent, looking up at him.

if the two of you were going to eat together, you should at least consider what he was used to. suddenly going for something heavy might not sit well with him.

your fingers rested against your chin as you thought.

what kind of foods did he eat when he spent his days with you again..?

“don’t think too hard about it,” ashveil sighed, reaching out to ruffle your hair, pulling you out of your thoughts.

well fine, you’ll let it go for now.

“the restaurants in yum yum alley are worth the price, how about we go there?” ashveil suggested, not wanting to keep you waiting any longer. he knew you’d been hungry for a while—it was better to get you something to eat soon.

not that he didn’t care about himself…

well, maybe he did have a habit of putting his own needs aside every now and then.

you nodded at his recommendation and followed after him. as soon as you both reached the alley, ashveil picked out the restaurant for you.

you both stepped inside and found an empty table to sit at. you glanced around curiously, the cash box you’ve yet to give ashveil resting on your lap while ashveil called over a waiter for the menu.

the restaurant was lively, filled with chatter and clinking utensils. bright decorations covered the walls—emojis and playful images scattered everywhere, giving the place a colorful, almost chaotic charm. even the imagenaes who worked there was an additional points for its beauty.

“you seem pretty fascinated,” ashveil remarked, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“…it’s actually my first time eating in a restaurant,” you replied, your gaze turning toward him. “i usually eat out on the streets.”

“heh? really? you look like you can afford food here, though,” he commented, glancing over the menu before handing it to you.

“i don’t like eating alone,” you murmured as you took it, eyes scanning the list of dishes. they were a bit pricey… did ashveil even choose something?

“what did you pick?” you asked, looking up at him.

“whatever’s the cheapest,” ashveil replied casually.

you blinked, then let out a small sigh.

you might as well choose for him.

“it’s my treat, so no need to hold back,” you said, already deciding on a few dishes. still, you kept his habits in mind—opting for something lighter, something his stomach could handle without trouble.

“you sure are attentive when it comes to my needs,” ashveil commented, leaning forward with his arms resting on the table. “but anyways… i do have a question.”

“what’s your goal here in planarcadia?”

his tone stayed light, but his expression didn’t. there was something searching in his gaze—like he was trying to see through you, to find something you weren’t saying.

“a goal…” you murmured. “i don’t really have one.”

yet, your answer clearly caught him off guard.

“i came to planarcadia because it’s supposed to be a world full of entertainment. though, beyond that… there’s nothing i actually want to do here,” you explained, setting the menu down.

“that’s it?” ashveil asked, as if he needed to hear it again to believe it. it didn’t quite make sense to him—someone like you, someone who could afford all this, was living so… aimlessly?

“then why did you commission me to act as your boyfriend?” he pressed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“why not?” you shrugged, casually calling over the waiter. “if i don’t have anything i want in particular, but i have the means to do whatever i feel like… i might as well, right?”

ashveil fell silent.

in that moment, he realized just how different the two of you were.

he can do things, yes—but being able to didn’t mean he could. there are things he wants that he knows he can never have, so instead of wanting, he limits himself.

but you, on the other hand, could want anything and still have the means to make it yours.

however, from your perspective, it was entirely different.

while it was true that you could have anything—claim anything as yours—you never really wanted anything.

it wasn’t that you were incapable of wanting.

you just believed that to want something that deeply… was the same as loving it.

and you were afraid of losing something you loved so much, that you chose not to love anything at all.

even so, life has its own way of unfolding. to you and to ashveil, despite living in the same universe.

before you both realized it, the food had already arrived, and the earlier tense conversation slowly melted into something more relaxed and lighter.

it turned into a long, easy exchange.

well… more like ashveil talking.

he found himself sharing his worries, his thoughts, the little things he usually kept to himself—while you listened, offering small insights and suggestions here and there. ashveil wasn’t particularly good at small talk, so having something to actually talk about made it easier for him to open up.

you, on the other hand, didn’t say much about yourself. not because you didn’t want to, but because there wasn’t much to say.

aside from your usual wandering and aimless adventures… which you assumed would be boring to hear about.

time slipped by without either of you noticing.

by the time you did, the restaurant was already preparing to close, and the two of you had no choice but to leave.

“ah, the money,” you said, suddenly remembering the cash box you had brought along. you handed it to him with a small smile.

ashveil took it—only to immediately freeze at the weight.

“y-you carried this the whole time?!” he blurted out.

“yeah?” you nodded, confused by his reaction.

“but… it’s so heavy…” he muttered, staring at you with a mix of disbelief and curiosity.

you laughed, surprised by his reaction. “you’re exaggerating, ashveil,” you said.

he could only smile, a quiet chuckle slipping from his lips.

“it’s getting late, should i walk you back to your agency?” you asked, a small smile still on your face.

“i think i should be the one offering that,” ashveil replied, shaking his head.

“i actually still have somewhere to be,” you said with a shrug.

that caught his attention.

“this late?”

you nodded, gently patting his shoulder. “just a small errand i promised someone.”

“are you sure you don’t need your boyfriend’s protection?” ashveil teased, tilting his head with a faint grin.

you let out a soft laugh at that. bold. so you decided to be bolder.

“no, but how about holding my hand instead?” you asked, looking up at him as you raised your hand.

his eyes widened slightly, and for a brief moment, you swore you saw a faint flush on his cheeks.

“how bold,” ashveil muttered.

still, he took your hand and your smile softened.

you didn’t think he would actually agree.

but he did.

and for some reason—it made your heart feel warm. it’s like crushing over him again after all these centuries—although maybe this little crush might be blooming into something more instead.

even back then, you’d occasionally think of how he’s been doing. you couldn’t believe that you’re this close to him now…

soon enough, you both found yourselves standing just a few steps away from ashveil’s agency.

“here should be fine,” he said, slowly letting go of your hand.

your fingers twitched slightly, as if wanting to reach for his again—but you held yourself back. anything more would be… too much.

“okay,” you nodded, offering him a small smile. “see you tomorrow, ashveil.”

“yeah… see you tomorrow.”

with that, you turned and walked away, giving him a small wave as you did.

he watched you go, standing there for a moment longer than he probably should have.

his heart was pounding—so loud, so fast, it felt like it might leap straight out of his chest.

…and for a brief second, he almost called out to you.

but he didn’t.

instead, he made his way into the newspaper headquarters. furbo’s greeted him, and he returned a small smile before going straight to his office.

he placed the cash box on the table and dropped onto his chair. leaning back, a sigh slipped past his lips.

a lot had happened today but… he enjoyed it.

through everything, he realized he was having fun because the man didn’t feel like a stranger at all.

strangely.

“well, we managed to land ourselves a rich client,” ashveil muttered. “this amount of money is enough for basic necessities,”

suddenly, the door swung open and mr N stepped inside. “mr ashveil,” the monkey called, and he looked up at him.

“ohh? is that…?” the monkey’s eyes gleamed when he noticed the box on the table.

“indeed, mr N. we secured ourselves a commission worthwhile…” ashveil said, a faint smile on his lips as he straightened his posture.

“really? how much is the commission worth?” the monkey asked.

“10 million credits.”

the monkey jolted, a yelp slipping from his lips as he heard the amount. “WHAT?!”

“that’s right.” ashveil nodded as he crossed his arms. “but the client said it wasn’t dirty money!”

ashveil remembered you mentioning that you’d been working for your money since you were a teen, so he was fairly certain all of it came from pure hard work!

“but i’m tired, mr N. i wanna go back to my dear refrigerator…” ashveil said as he got up, dragging himself toward his refrigerator.

“i’ll explain all the details tomorrow, yeah?” ashveil added, giving the monkey a thumbs up, who still had his jaw hanging open.

as soon as ashveil settled in his refrigerator, he closed his eyes and relaxed his muscles.

truth be told, the entire day, there was this nagging feeling that he’d met you before. it just wouldn’t go away… so tomorrow, he’ll find out.

the next day arrived, and ashveil once again found himself waiting for you at the agreed meeting spot.

a bit earlier than the set time, though.

let’s just say he had plenty of free time.

after some time, you finally showed up. “ashveil?”

“oh, you’re here!” ashveil said, his tone lighter than usual, seemingly excited.

“oh my, you must have missed me to come this early?” you teased, making his cheeks tint slightly. actually, both of you were earlier than the set time. in fact, you had decided to arrive ahead of time in hopes that ashveil wouldn’t have to wait for you again.

unfortunately though, it looked like ashveil had beaten you to it once again.

“always so early, huh?” you chuckled as you sat beside him.

“i just happened to have some spare time,” ashveil replied, clearing his throat.

truthfully, mr N would normally wake him up, but this time, he woke up on his own—earlier than usual, too.

surely mr N wouldn’t get upset that he left without saying anything again—oh, shoot.

he did say he’d explain things to mr N, didn’t he…?

“let’s stay like this for a while then, ashveil,” you murmured, resting your head on his shoulder. you closed your eyes, enjoying the fresh air with him beside you.

“you seem tired. did you not get enough sleep?” ashveil asked as he raised a hand to ruffle your hair.

“…i did sleep,” you whispered.

“so you didn’t,” ashveil sighed, pulling you closer into his arms. the sudden movement caught you off guard, but your body slowly relaxed in his embrace.

you gave a soft smile, keeping your eyes closed as you leaned against his chest.

you really wished moments like this could last forever…

and before you realized it, you had drifted off to sleep.

ashveil was surprised at how easily you fell asleep in his arms. he wondered—did you feel a sense of security with him, or were you always just like this?

oh well, since it was still early, he’d just wait for you to wake up.

an hour passed, and you began to look uncomfortable. you had shifted from his chest to lying across his lap, curling into the bench like a little puppy.

he’d be lying if he said you didn’t look adorable.

ashveil smiled softly. “geez, you have zero sense of danger,” he murmured, placing a hand gently on your head.

but his eyes widened when he felt how hot you were—you were burning up.

“hey, wake up,” ashveil called, gently shaking you. “you’re burning up.”

he kept calling, but you didn’t respond—only when he lifted you in his arms did you finally stir.

“mm… ashveil..?”

ashveil hummed. “yes, [name]?”

“oh, you’re finally here… i’m glad.”

ashveil looked down at your flushed face—brows furrowed, eyes closed—and his heart skipped a beat.

ah, you really did look adorable.

“i’ll take you to a clinic,” ashveil said, starting to walk. but your next words made him pause.

“no… please.” you pleaded, opening your eyes. “a hotel nearby is fine… i have medicine in my bag…”

“you know i don’t like… clinics,” you murmured, before fainting again.

ashveil didn’t fully understand your request, but he knew better than to go against a client’s wishes. so, he turned and headed in the opposite direction, toward the nearby hotels.

you woke up a few hours later and found ashveil sitting beside you on the hotel bed. you shifted slightly, and ashveil immediately turned toward you.

“you’re awake. how are you feeling?” ashveil asked, placing a hand on your forehead. “your fever has gone down a bit, but it’s best if you rest.”

you hummed and sat up, leaning back against the headboard. “i’m sorry, ashveil,”

your words caught him off guard. “what for?”

“you had to deal with this… i promise i rarely get sick…” you mumbled, lowering your gaze.

“you were probably just tired. if i remember correctly, you still went out last night. that was likely what caused your fever,” ashveil replied, raising a hand to ruffle your hair, his fingers lingering for a moment.

you hummed, leaning into his palm. you grabbed his wrist and gently dragged his hand down to your face, nuzzling against it.

ashveil’s cheeks flushed faintly, his heart beating faster than he cared to admit.

he’s never felt like this before—especially not with someone he had only known for two days.

“mhmm…” you hummed, looking up at him through heavy-lidded eyes. maybe it was the fever, but there was something different in the way you looked at him now. softer, perhaps?

“so you’re clingy when you’re sick, huh?” ashveil chuckled under his breath, though his voice had gentled. he pulled his hand back before guiding you down against the bed.

“do you not like it?” you asked quietly.

“…no. it’s not that,” he replied, exhaling softly. “i’m just not used to it.”

his hand lifted, gently covering your eyes.

“go back to sleep,” he murmured. “we have time.”

whether it was the reassurance in his words or the low, steady sound of his voice you’d come to like—your consciousness slowly slipped away, and you fell asleep once more.

now that you had fallen asleep, ashveil finally had the space to think—to piece together everything that had happened over the past two days.

first and foremost—you were strange.

from the very beginning, you had acted like you knew him. not just in passing, not vaguely—but in a way that felt… certain and familiar.

even during your first meeting.

over time, he became sure of it.

that you knew him.

earlier when you had called for him, he heard the word “finally” slip past your lips, like you had been waiting for him.

you mentioned about him knowing something about you.

those actions and words of yours… merely proved his intuition.

and maybe that was why you felt so familiar to him in return.

then there was the commission.

paying him such a large amount just to act as your boyfriend—it didn’t make sense on the surface.

you had looked desperate, though, and that alone was enough for him to agree. he assumed you had your reasons—ones he didn’t feel the need to pry into.

but when he did ask…your answer sounded honest.

it made him wonder—briefly—if you were deceiving him. if you knew who he truly was… knew him as la mancha… and were simply waiting for the right moment to strike.

yet, the more he thought about it, the less it made sense.

because everything you did—every word, every expression—felt real and genuine.

that was what unsettled him the most, because despite all his instincts, all his caution—he found himself wanting to believe you.

“who really are you?” ashveil murmured, his voice barely above a whisper as he placed a hand beside your head, leaning in to study your sleeping face.

you had been close these past days—but this was the first time he truly looked at you.

soft skin… long lashes resting against your cheeks… a faint mole at your temple… and another just beneath your lips.

his hand moved almost unconsciously, fingers brushing against your face—careful, as if you might break beneath his touch.

he traced the curve of your features—your eyes, your nose… your lips.

he stilled.

for a moment, he simply hovered there, breath uneven, thoughts tangled.

then—before he could stop himself—he leaned in, and pressed a soft, fleeting kiss against your lips.

upon realizing what he just did, he immediately pulled back. he stood up as he covered his mouth, face flushing.

“geez… what am i doing…” ashveil muttered under his breath.

“so i’m still capable of feeling like this… at my age?”

a quiet, almost disbelieving scoff left him as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, tension settling in his shoulders.

this wasn’t like him.

he let out a slow, heavy sigh, as if trying to push the feeling down—bury it somewhere it wouldn’t reach him again.

maybe a drink would clear his head.

his gaze drifted back to you one last time.

you looked peaceful.

for a moment, he lingered—just a second too long—before turning away.

without another word, he walked to the door and stepped out of the hotel room, leaving you behind in the quiet.

unaware of the misfortune that would soon befall you.

time passed, and ashveil found himself walking back toward the hotel after a few drinks at a tavern.

but the moment he arrived, something felt… off.

officers from the department of aberration defense had surrounded the area, their presence heavy.

his chest tightened.

his gaze quickly swept the scene—until it landed on a familiar figure.

kuchiba.

he approached her without hesitation, though his stomach churned with unease.

“well, if it isn’t you again, ms. kuchiba,” he greeted.

“mr. ashveil,” she nodded in acknowledgment.

“what happened here?” he asked, eyes flickering around the scene.

“a group of imagenae abducted someone,” kuchiba explained with a quiet sigh, arms crossing as she glanced toward the shaken witnesses nearby. “they said… someone was controlling these group of imagenae. the case is unusual, but they seemed to have a target.”

ashveil’s expression darkened.

“everyone staying in the hotel has been evacuated,” she added, before her gaze shifted back to him—catching the way his eyes scanned the crowd.

“looking for someone?”

there was a brief pause.

“…the person who was taken,” ashveil said slowly, turning to face her. the tension in his voice was unmistakable. “was it from room 402?”

kuchiba’s eyes widened—just slightly.

and that was enough.

his heart dropped.

“that’s right,” she confirmed. “the abducted person was identified as [name].”

“do you know him?” kuchiba asked.

“yes, i… brought him here at his request. he’s ill,” ashveil explained, fingers fidgeting with the brim of his fedora as his thoughts raced.

he needed to think.

no—

he needed to act.

of course he would find you. this was an abduction case, and more than that—

you were his client.

“…would you be willing to work with us to locate him and the imagenae?” kuchiba asked, concern flickering across her face as she studied him.

ashveil blinked, pulled from his thoughts.

“huh— oh. yeah. yeah, of course,” he answered quickly. “he’s my client, after all.”

he exhaled, steadying himself.

“i’ll trace things back first and gather information. i’ll update you soon.”

without waiting for a response, he turned and began walking away, already pulling out his phone.

his fingers moved quickly across the screen, reaching out to people he trusted and people who owed him favors.

time was critical—you were sick and weakened, completely vulnerable when they struck. although he didn’t know why they wanted to abduct you, resorting to that kind of violence could only mean something terrible.

the problem was tracking you. he didn’t know where you lived or who you were connected to. tracking you… where should he even start..?

“ah, right. the crime scene. i should’ve gone there instead of walking away,” ashveil murmured as he turned on his heel and started heading back.

“kuchiba, can i take a look at the crime scene?” he asked.

“of course, i’ll come with you,” kuchiba said, gesturing for one of the imagenae to hand over a few items. “also, these are some things we believe [name] left behind.”

“left?” ashveil’s eyes widened. he was certain you were asleep—ah, maybe you had woken up?

“he was awake when the abduction happened?” he asked, taking the items from the imagenae.

“actually, that’s one thing i wanted to talk to you about, but you seemed distracted,” kuchiba said as she began walking. “good thing you came back, mr. ashveil.”

“according to the witness, [name] ordered something to eat and asked it to be delivered to his room. when the staff came and opened the door, he was awake and gravely injured before the criminals jumped down the window along with the victim,” kuchiba explained.

“could it be [name] tried to fight the perpetrator?” ashveil murmured, but kuchiba shook her head.

“there wasn’t a sign of battle in the room—if anything, everything looked fine except for the broken window.”

so you didn’t fight back—could it have been because you were ill? probably.

ashveil sighed as he stared at the items in his hands—a pen, a notebook, and a few trinkets you most likely picked up from the nearby stalls.

“[name]…” ashveil murmured, and kuchiba glanced at him, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“it seems this one is dear to you, mr. ashveil,” she commented. ashveil shook his head, a faint flush dusting his cheeks.

“i told you, he’s my client,” ashveil stated. but both of them knew you weren’t just a client to him.

as soon as they reached the room, they stepped inside. kuchiba had mentioned that only the broken window stood out, but he hadn’t expected everything else to be this clean—except for the blood on the carpet left by your injury.

even the bed was neatly arranged, meaning you had likely tidied up before the perpetrators arrived. ashveil scanned the room—from the bed, to the drawers, then to the window.

there was nothing suspicious. “it looks like we won’t be getting any information here,”

“it’s oddly clean. too clean, actually,” ashveil added, glancing back at kuchiba, who nodded in agreement.

“i’ve already ordered officers to search the street visible from the window they jumped from, but they found nothing. it’s likely the criminal used a warping ability, so we can’t track their movements,” kuchiba explained.

ashveil clicked his tongue softly, gaze narrowing as he turned back toward the shattered window. a warping ability… that alone narrowed things down—but not nearly enough.

too many variables, yet not enough time.

his grip slightly tightened at the items in his hand as he exhaled through his nose, stepping closer to the window. the night air brushed against his face as he leaned forward slightly.

“they came here knowing exactly what they wanted,” ashveil stated before turning back toward her. “considering how clean everything is, this must have been planned.”

“you think the victim cooperated?” kuchiba asked thoughtfully.

there was a pause.

ashveil didn’t answer immediately but his gaze shifted toward the bed.

“he was sick,” ashveil murmured. “even if he couldn’t fight, he could have resisted. there would’ve been something,”

“yet there’s nothing,” kuchiba finished.

silence settled between them once more as ashveil adjusted the rim of his fedora, his gaze falling back to the items in his hand.

“he left these behind…” ashveil whispered. did you leave these on purpose? they weren’t in the room when he left.

“when i left the room, he didn’t have these items anywhere around. they were in the bag he usually carried,” ashveil explained, looking up at kuchiba.

“there was no bag,” kuchiba replied.

so you really did leave them on purpose.

“however, when we checked, there was nothing unusual about them,” kuchiba added.

“nothing a person carries is ever irrelevant,” ashveil answered. “and i’m sure he left these on purpose.”

those were his final words before he began to sift through the items you left, sitting on the edge of the bed. kuchiba stood beside him, watching as he carefully inspected everything.

after a while, he couldn’t find anything. the trinkets were just trinkets, the notebook was filled with your past daily adventures, and the pen was simply for writing. that was it.

ashveil groaned, setting the notebook down as he flopped onto the bed. kuchiba, seated beside him, let out a sigh as well.

“seriously, why would he even leave these if they’re all useless?” ashveil scoffed, the pen slipping off and falling to the ground as he shifted.

“maybe we’re just overlooking something,” kuchiba replied, leaning down to pick up the pen. that’s when she noticed something.

“is this… mr. ashveil, isn’t this paper?” kuchiba said, holding up the pen.

ashveil straightened immediately, the fatigue in his posture vanishing in an instant.

“paper?” he repeated, taking it from her without hesitation.

up close, it was subtle—almost too subtle.

a thin strip of white, tucked neatly along the ink chamber, blending in so seamlessly it was easy to miss unless you were looking for something wrong.

“…that’s not decorative,” ashveil muttered.

with practiced hands, he twisted the pen apart. the plastic casing came loose with a soft click, and he carefully pulled the strip free.

he unfurled the paper between his fingers.

kuchiba leaned closer. “what does it say?”

“read only the first letter on the following dates: 04, 15, 27, 09, 21,” ashveil said. “longitude, latitude.”

kuchiba glanced at the paper as well, her eyes narrowing. “longitude, latitude… could these be coordinates? but it’s lacking.”

“the last ones might be zeros,” ashveil replied as he began flipping through the notebook again. following the instructions, only then did the word finally emerge: WOLFS.

he stared at it for a moment, wondering what it could mean, before realizing it might be connected to the trinkets. he looked over them and noticed a wolf keychain. examining it more closely, he began to fidget with it. as he did, he seemed to press something, and with a soft click, it popped open like a key.

“hah, he’s one hell of a smart client,” ashveil said with a grin.

“kuchiba, i think these are enough for us to handle the problem,” ashveil said as he turned to her.

“could you help locate the coordinates? i’ll check in with my informants first,” ashveil added, slipping the key into his coat pocket.

kuchiba nodded with a smile. “alright. i’ll be waiting for you,”

with that, ashveil began to walk away. it seemed he still had a lot to learn from you. he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed by how well you could hide.

although, that only made you more suspicious. he’d have to find the answers himself—or get them from you once he finds you.

when he finally gathered the intel, there wasn’t much to go on. many people had seen you in the streets, wandering about and buying whatever caught your interest. you rarely socialized, but there was one friend you would occasionally talk to.

however, the intel revealed that this friend was last seen following you earlier this morning, before you and ashveil met. the timing was quite right. if your lack of resistance was because you knew this person, it would make sense.

so now, the man you called a friend became a lead suspect. after sorting through the intel, ashveil returned to kuchiba, took the coordinates, and updated her on the suspect along with everything else he had managed to uncover.

the moment he had the coordinates, he headed straight to the location. it was a quiet backwater alley in dovebrook district—a strange place to be.

at first glance, he assumed he had the wrong spot. thankfully, he decided to look around and soon found an empty house with your name carved on the doorknob.

you sure have a strange way of marking, though.

he unlocked the door with the key and stepped inside. the place looked more like a storage room than a proper base, but considering that you probably rarely came here, it made sense that it was so rundown.

still, the papers scattered on top of the boxes were enough to tell him that this was indeed yours.

hopefully, at least.

he approached the boxes with the scattered papers and began rifling through them. yet the moment his eyes landed on the words written, he froze.

“…wanted man with a 10 billion bounty on his head?” ashveil murmured, eyes narrowing. he had expected anything, but not this.

a wanted man.

then the money—

his gaze shifted to a small note written by you tucked onto another sheet. “dear la mancha, the money came from working part-time on different planets, starting 7 amber eras ago <3.”

“not dirty money!!”

ashveil’s breath caught. “you… knew… hah, so you had everything planned, it seems.”

despite the gnawing suspicion in his gut telling him he was stepping into dangerous territory, he chose to follow his heart—which screamed to save this client no matter what.

to seek the truth.

to hear it from your own mouth.

as he continued to sift through the documents, pictures of you in the past stirred memories of your face in his mind.

no wonder you seemed so familiar—you were the one he had saved centuries ago…

that’s right.

[name] [lastname].

he took care of you for a while.

didn’t he tell you to live a good life?

why were you causing trouble for him now?

you even had the guts to commission him to act as your boyfriend.

he couldn’t help but let out a bitter grin at the thought.

you changed a lot.

and he doesn’t know whether it was for the good or not.

glancing over the remaining words, his eyes widened at the word “experiment” scrawled across a page. checking the rest of the papers, realization dawned on him and his stomach dropped. these weren’t just papers—they were documented experiment logs and records.

his heart sank, brows furrowing, as he continued to read. experimented on after being saved by him—you had endured countless mental, physical, and psychological trials, forcibly subjected to body modifications to be turned into some kind of weapon. he couldn’t imagine the pain you had gone through, and his chest ached.

it ached to avenge you. to save you.

he wondered if that was why you seemed to lack a clear purpose, a driving goal.

he couldn’t bring himself to read the rest—but he reasoned it was enough for him to understand. soon, he reached the last page where he found a picture of a woman, identified as your scientist.

he didn’t know why you had shown him all of this, but he could only deduce that this person was either someone who would help—or not.

he had everything he needed—now all that was left was to track you down using the information he’d gathered. he took out his phone and began typing to kuchiba, summarizing what he had found.

however when he finished, the door creaked open, and to avoid further complications, he quickly moved to hide behind the boxes to figure out who’d come here—in your base—which he supposed is a secret.

footsteps drew closer, followed by the sound of something—or someone—being dragged.

“it’s here?” a voice spoke.

“shuhu’s flesh is here?” she asked. ashveil’s eyes widened as he carefully peeked out, only to see the woman and… you.

you were clearly weakened and injured.

“brother, let go of that thing and look for shuhu’s flesh,” she ordered, and you were immediately thrown to the ground, a cry slipping from your lips.

the very people he had been searching for were here—but what shocked him more was hearing that you had been hiding a part of shuhu’s remains.

he was certain he had devoured that emanator with his shadow before, hadn’t he?

how could you… have a part of that thing?

ashveil’s brows furrowed, but the moment the man stepped closer to the boxes, he acted. with a swift motion, he kicked one of them straight toward him, the impact knocking the man off balance and sending him crashing to the ground.

the woman and the imagenaes following her immediately became alert, their attention snapping toward him—while you remained slumped on the ground, unfocused and probably barely responsive.

“[name], you have a lot of explaining to do,” ashveil said, his voice firm as he stepped forward. “so i’ll end this quickly,” he added, raising the hand where his shadow hid.

“i don’t know who you are but… imagenaes, get this man!” the woman ordered sharply.

the imagenaes lunged at him all at once, their movements swift and merciless—but before they could even reach him, the shadow from ashveil’s arm surged outward. like a living entity, they swallowed the attackers whole, engulfing them into darkness until nothing remained.

the horrifying sight forced the woman to stumble back, her legs giving out as she fell onto the ground. “w-what—hngh!”

her words were abruptly cut off as a blade pierced through her from behind.

she choked, blood spilling from her lips as her body trembled, before going limp and collapsing forward, unconscious.

and there you were—behind her, a knife clenched in your hand, with barely enough strength.

“[name]!” ashveil immediately rushed to you, catching your body and pulling you into his arms.

“i’m… sorry,” you murmured, glancing up at him with a hazy gaze and a faint, weak smile.

“no, no.” ashveil shook his head. “we’ll talk once you wake up, alright?”

you hummed, your eyes slowly closing. you felt yourself being lifted, distant footsteps echoing behind you. everything was starting to blur, and you weren’t even sure what was happening anymore—but you trusted ashveil.

you knew you could. he had saved you before. he would do it again.

as you drifted into unconsciousness, the last thing you heard were hushed murmurs and quiet instructions from ashveil—something about organizing the papers and making sure no one read through them.

you woke up a few weeks later. ashveil had stayed by your side most of the time, only stepping away to handle the important documents concerning you—only then did he learn that the woman and the man who abducted you were your distant aunt and uncle, living on another planet.

he remembered how people had taken you away after the downfall of your homeworld, which was why he had to leave back then. at the time, he saw potential in you—but he knew you still had a family you couldn’t abandon.

recalling it now, he was the one who made the decision for you to come back to your family, didn’t he?

you didn’t want to, but he also had to leave. so you had no choice but to go to them.

if he had known things would turn out like this, he would have taken you with him and taught you the ways of the galaxy rangers.

since planarcadia was under the management of the IPC, he had to explain quite a few things to pearl—who had discovered that he’d been hiding you away: a wanted criminal known for destructive powers, and the one responsible for the destruction of a once-prosperous planet under IPC control—your former world.

he wanted to know the truth, so he struck a deal with her first—just so you could remain by his side a little longer. what he didn’t expect, however, was for you to run away the moment you woke up.

“what?” ashveil blinked, staring at the empty bed, a few snacks still in his arms.

the doctor in the clinic sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “yes… we tried to stop him, but he’s already regained his strength.”

ashveil’s eye twitched. he was about to turn away when he noticed a small note resting beside the pillow. he picked it up and read: we don’t have to continue the commission since i initially planned it to be only a week. i’ll also pay you for the rescue operation.

the words made him sigh, his fingers tightening as he crumpled the paper in his hand.

it’s not about the money!

““i’ll find him,” ashveil said.

“please do, his injuries may have healed well because of the abundance in his body, but he still needs to rest—” the doctor began, but ashveil was already walking out of the clinic in search of you.

he had already let you go once. if he did so again, he knew he might regret it even more this time.

if only he hadn’t left back then, perhaps the two of you would have spent all these centuries together.

but there was no point in regretting it now.

he can only make up for it.

especially the lingering feelings he never got to express when he was with you back then.

thankfully, you hadn’t vanished without a trace. he was able to gather enough information to follow where you had gone. tracking your path, he found you heading toward an empty alley of dovebrook district.

he hurried after you. his footsteps were loud and fast—so much so that by the time you turned around, he was already standing right in front of you.

“e-eh? ashveil?—” you started. “why are you—hmph!”

ashveil pulled you by the waist and pressed his lips against yours, one hand gripping the back of your neck.

your eyes widened, your hands clutching the collar of his coat before you pushed him away. “…i told you the commission was done!”

“this isn’t about the commission,” ashveil said, his voice firm as he looked down at you.

“then the money? i was just about to get it,” you muttered, stepping back, cheeks flushed as you avoided his gaze.

“this isn’t the way to your base and it’s not about the money either,” ashveil murmured before grabbing your wrist and pulling you into a hug.

“you scared me,” he whispered.

your entire face flushed, your heart racing so fast you were sure he could hear it. biting your bottom lip, you slowly wrapped your arms around him.

“i’m sorry.”

his hand remained on your waist before he slowly pulled back. he placed a hand on your cheek and leaned in, pressing his lips against yours once more—gentler this time. you didn’t hesitate to return the kiss.

even if you didn’t know what he had gone through to act like this, you couldn’t bring yourself to pull away—you wanted to savor the moment.

his hands shifted slightly, moving under your top to feel the skin beneath. your eyes widened for a brief second, a soft gasp escaping you, but before you could react, he deepened the kiss.

you let out a muffled sound as his lips moved against yours, your grip tightening on his coat as the moment lingered, the tension between you both growing heavier.

you gasped when he finally pulled away, your face deeply flushed, lips slightly swollen as you looked up at him. only then did you notice the intensity in his gaze.

“mr ashveil—,” you called, about to pull back, when he suddenly grabbed your thighs and lifted you up, making you yelp.

“ashveil,” he corrected.

“o-okay,” you nodded softly, leaning in as your hands moved to cup his cheeks, before pressing your lips against his once again.

you never thought you’d be able to act like this with him. to spend every moment with him like this—you didn’t know you yearned for him that much until today.

he deepened the kiss again, his hips pressing against yours as he wrapped your legs around his waist.

he pulled back, panting. “i never thought i was still capable of feeling this way,”

your eyes widened a bit before chuckling. “is it because you’re an old man now?” you teased.

ashveil huffed out a soft laugh, a grin tugging at his lips as he pinned you against the wall, keeping you pressed against his body. he lifted one hand to remove his fedora, only to place it gently on top of your head instead.

“should i show you how i was in my younger days?” ashveil teased, his voice low as he leaned in, nuzzling into the crook of your neck, brushing against your skin.

your heart raced, warmth spreading through you at the thought. “so i take it you like doing things in semi-public settings, then?”

ashveil’s eyes widened as his face flushed, a groan escaping his lips. “i don’t think i can wait,” he grumbled.

your eyes narrowed in confusion for a moment before you caught on to what he meant. you laughed softly, patting his hair. “put me down,” you said.

he looked at you, slightly puzzled. “let me carry you.”

you rolled your eyes, squirming in his arms until he finally relented and set you down. you grabbed his hand, tugging him deeper into the alley.

you two arrived at a house that looked abandoned from the outside, but as you two stepped inside, ashveil was taken aback—it wasn’t truly empty. the walls were painted a warm khaki and white, with a few decorations and trinkets neatly arranged on the shelves. the space was small, with the bed, couch, and kitchen separated only by a thin cardboard partition. still, the place felt cozy, clearly your personal living space.

“this is where you actually live?” ashveil commented as he looked around. “thought that cramped base was where you stayed.”

“what do you take me for? a roach?” you sighed, pulling him toward the bed. you pushed him down and straddled him, your legs on each side of his thighs.

ashveil chuckled at your words, his arms wrapping around your waist. “well, you are strange,” he whispered.

you hummed, pinching his nose gently before letting your fingers trail down his chest. he watched as you fidgeted with his coat, tugging at it until it slipped off his shoulders.

“you know, for someone who mostly eats bananas, you’re certainly well-built,” you teased playfully.

“is this what being a lead hunter for the galaxy rangers does?” you added, your forefinger tracing the line between his pecs. the compression shirt underneath only accentuated the sight of his defined abs and chest.

“if you had become a galaxy ranger, you might have seen more, and we might have gotten along real well.” ashveil commented as he grinned, looking up at you with a heated gaze. your breath hitched at the thought.

“i don’t know about that,” you muttered, your hand sliding down toward his pants.

ashveil let out a soft huff, his hands moving from your waist to cup your lower cheeks, gripping them firmly. you mewled, your face flushing as you shot him a sharp glare.

he chuckled at the sight. “well, seeing as you’re already this hard, i’m sure you’re already imagining a lot,” he murmured as he lowered his gaze, drifting down to the visible bulge on your pants.

“shut it,” you scoffed and slapped his lips with your hand. his eyes widened before they narrowed into thin slits with a hint of mischief.

he stuck his tongue out, licking your palm, and you flinched, instantly pulling your hand away from his lips. “stop teasing me,” you hissed.

he hummed, tugging gently at the hem of your top. understanding his intention, you raised your arms, and he quickly lifted it off you.

“if i hadn’t chased after you, we might never have seen each other again, and that would have been my biggest regret.”

“what is?” you asked, puzzled.

“not making love to you,” ashveil replied, before pulling you toward him and pressing you onto your back against the bed. his bulge pressed against your ass, with your legs straddling either side of him.

your entire face flushed again. you wanted to cover them with your arms, but ashveil was already pinning your arms onto the bed before you could.

“stop making ne feel embarrassed,” you said as you looked away.

“i’m just openly expressing my thoughts,” ashveil reasoned.

“we’ve missed a lot of opportunities together, after all,” he murmured, leaning in to nibble along your exposed shoulder and neck, leaving dark love bites in his wake.

you could only let out soft whines and whimpers, squirming beneath him, your lower half grinding against his. the movement only fueled his desire further, stoking his passion like wildfire.

“[name],” ashveil hummed as he pulled back, one hand slipping away from yours as he began to unbutton his pants. “you’re such a turn on,” he whispered, more to himself than to you as he freed himself from his underwear.

your gaze drifted downward, and your face flushed even deeper. only then did it truly sink in—you were actually about to make love with him.

it made your stomach flutter, your heart pounding so fast it felt like it might leap out of your chest.

your free hand slipped behind his neck, pulling him in closer. you kissed him again, your other hand shifting to intertwine your fingers with his.

everything felt so intimate—the way his hand held yours, his lips against yours, his body pressed close to yours.

his other hand tugged at your pants, slipping it down and tossing it aside. he deepened the kiss, his touch growing more insistent as he freed your cock, wrapping his large hands around yours and his.

you moaned into the kiss, nails digging into his knuckles as he began to rub you both. you pulled back, panting. “ashveil—hngh!” you let out, body reacting sharply when his thumb pressed against your tip.

“ahh… hah!” you moaned, your free hand moving to his chest, fingers digging against the clothed skin.

“good,” ashveil praised, voice deep, as he stroked you both. precum beads at your tip, his thumb swiping over the head to spread the slick. a loud whine escaped your lips, squirming under his touch.

“please, no more—“ you pleaded, yet his hand only seemed to rub faster. groans escaped him, his chest heaving as he stared at your bare body—marked and sweating.

his cock twitched against yours, veins pulsing, as he tightened his hold, your hips bucking at the sensation. at this point, you couldn’t help the moan that slipped past your lips.

with one final tease, thumb swiping over your tip, you finally came with a sharp cry. hot spurts of cum spill out of your cock against his hand, your hips stuttering.

yet, he didn’t stop. instead, his hand moved faster, overstimulating you. you squirmed under him, but he wouldn’t budge. the sight of you like this—squirming and moaning—made him swell harder, precum spilling out of his tip.

he grunted and leaned in, biting your shoulder once again, as he finally came. thick cum spilled out of his throbbing cock, staining his fingers.

you gasped when he finally pulled back, yet his cock twitched even harder at the sight of your disheveled look, his other hand leaving your intertwined ones.

he grinned and spun you around in a second, laying you on your stomach as he pulled your hips back. his other hand pressed one cheek apart, exposing your twitching hole.

you let out a soft whine when he spat on it. using the cum as lube, he moved his fingers to gently prod at your tight hole. “virgin?” he asked.

you whimpered as you gripped the sheets and nodded. as expected—you were. but, he didn’t know whether or not he should give you the night of your life or the best vanilla.

although, given how sexy you look right now, it’d probably be hard to contain himself. especially not when he’s about to make up for the lost opportunity he could have had with you these past centuries.

“then i’ll take good care of you,” ashveil said before finally pressing a finger inside. you softly moaned as he began to ease in slowly, moving his finger in and out gently.

“feelin’ alright?” ashveil asked, his other hand holding your waist as you nodded obediently.

“good,” he nodded and began to move a little faster. he went on like that for a minute before finally pressing another finger.

“i’ll add another finger,” ashveil said and pushed in another, making you groan slightly at the unfamiliar feeling. it was starting to feel good, sure, but there was still this uncomfortable feeling whenever he’d push inside.

he began to pump his fingers in and out steadily in your hole, loosening you for his cock that has been twitching since earlier. you could literally feel it on your thigh—hot and throbbing and thick.

you gasped when his fingers brushed against that sensitive spot inside you, a loud whine slipping from your lips as your grip tightened on the sheets. “ashveil—ngah!”

“oh? did i find the right spot?” he grinned, leaning closer as his chest pressed against your back, his fingers continuing to work that same place, drawing out the overwhelming sensation.

drool spilled from your lips, staining the pillow as you buried your face into it. your eyes rolled back, another loud cry slipping from your mouth as he added another finger, thrusting into you more roughly—soon working you open with three.

“you’re loosening up well,” ashveil muttered, nibbling along your back and shoulder, pressing soft kisses as if to soothe the overwhelming sensations coursing through you.

as if that would actually help.

everything only made you more sensitive.

your cock throbbed, precum spilling as your climax drew closer as he continued to ram all three fingers inside. veins pulsed, the head twitching as your body tensed, your mouth falling open as a loud moan tore from your throat—your release spilling onto the sheets.

ashveil pulled his fingers out. he grabbed his twitching, hard cock, pumping it a few times before sliding it between your cheeks. he dragged his cock against your hole, teasing it—the tip nudging against your twitching, dripping hole.

“you’re so hot,” ashveil whispered, fingers grazing down to grab a handful of your ass and pulled them apart, exposing your hole.

“g-give me a break… hnghhh…” you whimpered, hips buckling slightly. ashveil only chuckled before pushing the tip in, making you moan.

he was thick—fuck—big even it almost punched all your air out of you. he continued to push inside, dragging his cock slowly, as mewls and moans spilled out your lips at the stretch.

you didn’t feel as much pain as you had expected. perhaps it was because you were already feeling overstimulated, but you really can’t wait for him to fuck the living air out of you.

ashveil, unable to take the warm, throbbing muscles around him, slammed every inch in a single thrust. a cry escaped your lips, back arching as he gripped your hips tightly, pulling you back in an attempt to fill you even deeper.

your eyes rolled back, hole clenching tightly around him as your body jerked forward at his thrust. he pushed deeper, a groan escaping his lips, his thick cock stretching you obscenely.

his pace sped up, ramming his cock in and out of you in a rough manner you didn’t expect from him. your stomach twisted, but it only made the sensation worse as his cock continued to brush that bundle of nerves that had your entire body trembling.

“ngh—ah! ashveil—“

“shh,” ashveil hushed, one hand sliding to your stomach. he could almost feel himself at every thrust. the thought made his cock swell even harder, so he pulled out, earning a whimper from you.

he turned you around, manhandling you to his lap. you gasped, hand stilling over his shoulders. he pushed his cock back in, hand gripping your hips, before slamming you in one go.

your eyes rolled back, back arching, as you unconsciously flexed the bulge in your stomach. he moaned, cock twitching inside, as he forced you to take it deeper.

“full… feel so full… asveil…” you sobbed, your cock leaking precum it almost looked like you came. ashveil merely dismissed your complaints as he continued to ram in your obscenely stretched and dripping hole, his thick, veiny cock abusing your prostate.

you looked down at him, tears spilling from your eyes, drool dripping down your chin, and arms wrapping around his neck. he didn’t stop—how could he when you feel this fucking good?

his hand moved to the back of your head, pulling you in as he kissed you deeply, tongue slipping in your mouth. his other hand grabbed a handful of your ass, squeezing it, as he thrust upwards. you whimpered into the kiss, grinding back against his thrusts, as you felt the coiling heat in your stomach, your eyes blurry from the tears.

yet, ashveil didn’t stop kissing you. he’d pull back for a moment to get some air before claiming your lips once more, and every time he’d do so, his thrust would speed up and harden. it didn’t help that his other hand moved to tease the bulge protruding from your stomach.

your cock twitched, veins pulsing, as you weakly tried to push ashveil off, but to no avail, as his grip on your nape only tightened. your moaned into the kiss, fingers digging onto his chest, as hot, thick cum spurt out of your cock, dripping onto his clothed chest and your abdomen.

ashveil didn’t stop however, pursuing his own needs. he pulled back and wrapped his arms around your waist, groaning at every deep thrusts, uncaring of the fact that you’re already overstimulated.

“ple—hng! ‘s too much!— ahhh!” you nuzzle your head against the crook of his neck, drool wiping onto his skin as you cried out.

he gripped your ass cheeks, pulling them apart as he watched your squelching hole swallow his cock. “ha… you’re so greedy, [name],” he grunted.

his hips stuttered, cock throbbing, as he finally came deep inside you, warm walls clenching as if trying to suck in more of his thick seeds. you mewled, nails digging into his back. his cum was so thick, filling every inch of your inner walls.

you thought he was done when he pulled out, your body drained and tired, until he pushed you on your back and spread your legs.

“ah—? hngAhh!?” you gasped, back slightly arching when he slammed back into your creamy cum-filled hole. you tried to push him away, but his grip on you was too strong, his thick cock ramming into your prostate.

“sorry, ah—just making up for the lost times… hngh..!”

you didn't know how long he ended up fucking you, and the sound of squelching and his dick thrusting into you, your moans and his grunts, filled the entire space.

you'd lost track of time at how hard he'd slam his cock in you with fervor and need, marking every exposed skin he sees, all while holding you gently. if it weren't for the fact that he'd give you a minute break every time you came, kissing your tear-stained face, you wouldn't have noticed the way his hand held you—gentle and careful—which contrasted the way he was fucking you.

still, it didn't end with that. he'd go on fucking you on different positions—mating press, cowgirl—fuck, he even has your legs raised all the way up on his shoulders, your hands trying to push off, because he was just too deep inside.

“n-no more—” you pleaded, sobbing as your cock weakly spurted the probably remaining cum in you. your legs were held up, ashveil pushing deep into you, hitting all your sensitive spots, not once stopping to let you breathe.

the tip of his cock made a bulge every time he pushed up, your eyes crossing, teeth biting your bottom lip at the overwhelming sensation. your entire body trembled, hole tight against the cock inside, but gaping whenever he'd pull out. the way his cock filled you made everything so fucking worth it.

a thick ring of cum had formed around his dick and cum dribbled down the globe of your ass. he'd filled you the entire time he was fucking you, filling you to the brim and making sure nothing in you remained untouched by his seed.

“we…weird … wait.. ” you mewled, eyes widening at the heat curling in your stomach, your cock twitching terribly.

“ashveil! ahh!—hngh.. mfh! n-need to—” you whimpered, fingers reaching to grab anything beneath you—the pillow, the sheets, whatever—just to keep you rooted in reality.

ashveil leaned in and slammed his lips against yours, sucking on your tongue. he didn't care if it was messy—all he cared about was how good you felt, tightening around him like you wanted to keep him inside forever, legs trembling, body sweaty and wet with all your cum.

“mmppphh!” you moaned into the kiss, your cock squirting watery cum, the force hitting ashveil's chin.

ashveil gasped as he pulled back, his thrust halting at the sight of you–eyes shut tight, mouth agape into a silent scream, chest heaving—as you released a torrent of watery cum.

his thick cock twitched inside you, veins pulsing as it impossibly hardened. he groaned as he thrust one last time, spurting another thick seed inside, and it seemed to go on longer than usual, filling you to the brim—until you were losing consciousness.

ashveil panted as he leaned in and wrapped his arms around your sticky body, nuzzling his head against the crook of your neck while you fell unconscious.

“haha… i'm insatiable.” ashveil muttered before finally pulling out. he had gotten semi-soft, but the sight of his cum gushing out of your gaping hole was enough to make him twitch back into hardness.

he sighed, cheeks flushing even deeper at the sight. he wrapped his fingers around his hard dick, pumping it hard while staring at your obscene hole and trembling and unconscious body. it didn't take long for him to cum, spilling all his seeds on your stomach.

“sorry,” ashveil whispered as he leaned in and softly kissed your lips. he laid back on the bed, wrapping his arms around you, nuzzling his head against the crook of your neck.

he’ll just nap for a bit before cleaning you both.

a/n: i actually accidentally posted this and set it to private cuz the only thing in it was the first paragraph.

finally. fucking finally.

you finally stripped off his last line of defenses. if you hadn’t kept him down, shoe pressing on his wounds, he would’ve stood up and fought back, wounds be damned.

that was the kind of man phainon was.

the kind of hero who’d get up as if he wasn’t bleeding to death, the kind who’d push through his limits. and you absolutely hated it.

you didn’t want to see him standing, blade in hand, clashing with yours as you fought for the coreflame he held.

well, not that you really care about the coreflame. you just wanted—no—needed him. you needed his beauty under you, crying and squirming and moaning, and at last, your fantasy was finally close to being fed.

your shoe pressed harder, his muscles straining under it as he groaned in pain, face flushed with fatigue and desperation.

it hurt so bad—having his wounds pressed firmly. if only he could gather more of his strength, then he might be able to push you off.

but strength was barely the problem here. you were just so hot, stepping on him like this, that he couldn’t muster up the strength to push you away.

“you face is flushed, deliverer,” you uttered in mockery, tilting your head as you lifted your shoe from his wounded chest.

he was about to deny the accusation and take the chance to stand up, but he was left stunned when you smacked him across the face with your shoe.

a sharp hiss escaped his lips as blood dribbled from his nose. it wasn’t particularly impactful—at least, not much. it was the kind of smack that sent blood rushing somewhere else entirely.

and freak, you looked so hot doing it.

“[name]— argh!” phainon gasped when you suddenly pressed your shoe on his crotch, his cock twitching against his pants.

“so that’s how you feel about me, huh?” you grinned, licking your lips as your imagination finally took its wild turn.

the sight, however, did not escape phainon. you were equally turned on.

“ha… hahh,” he panted, biting his bottom lip as you rubbed him with your shoe. he squirmed underneath you, fingers digging onto the rough surface of the ground, his other hand flying to cover his face.

it felt so good.

if he was previously semi-hard earlier, he was definitely hard now.

and the sight of your cock straining against your pants were enough proof of your arousal as well.

“i’m… not alone on this,” he groaned, removing his hand as he tilted his head, keeping eye contact with you.

“you really love turning me on, deliverer.” you muttered, fingers finding its way to your pants, unbuckling you belt and pulling your cock out.

“say, how about do me a favor and suck me off?” the moment you said that, phainon was already forcing himself on his knees.

you couldn’t help but laugh in mockery.

he was so eager. if only you had known he was like this, you would’ve fucked him sooner.

phainon brought your cock to his mouth, wrapping his lips around the tip, sucking gently at first. you groaned, hands finding themselves on his silver hair.

he took you deeper, bobbing his head steadily, hollowing his cheeks to create a tight suction you didn’t know he could do.

holy fuck.

you gasped. cock throbbing in his mouth. “fuck,” you cursed, your grip on his hair tightening.

you know what? fuck it.

you forced his head steady and slammed your cock deep down his throat. he choked, but you ignored it as you began to thrust into his mouth roughly.

tears welled up in the corner of his eyes as he looked up at you, fingers gripping your hips as his cock throbbed against the uncomfortable constraints of his pants.

you licked your lips, eyeing him nastily, your cock twitching and throbbing under the heat of his gaze. you were nearing your climax already and gods, even when you were deep in his throat, he didn’t stop lapping up his mess.

you continued to fuck his throat, groaning when phainon suddenly moaned, the vibrations making your eyes roll backwards as you came. hard.

he choked, again, as you came undone in his throat. he swallowed it all—or at least, tried to. you slipped out of his mouth and some of your cum spilled halfway, coughing as he gulped down the rest.

“you take me so well, pup,” you praised as you were already pulling him up, his body aching. you slammed your lips against his, uncaring of the fact that your cock was just in his mouth a moment ago.

he kissed back, wanting nothing more than to feel you. he could only ever fantasize about you and that clearly wasn’t enough—he needed to touch you too. he needed to feel your hands on his body, wreck him and destroy him, and gods even that wouldn’t be enough to satiate his boiling hunger for you.

you felt the same. despite being raised to only worship strength and power, you craved and desired him more than those meaningless concepts.

you worshipped the ground he walked on, his body and skin, and that worthless heroic facade he always put on. you couldn’t care less if he looked a little dumb like that, but he looked cute like a lil’ pup.

and gods, he was your puppy, wasn’t he?

those words echoed in the air as the pages of the book fluttered, a small smile on your lips as you turned your gaze back to phainon.

the phrase was familiar, but it was probably because he had secretly read the book before. he didn’t want you to know that, though. he was sure you’d get upset because you’ve always wanted to be the one to tell him the story.

even though the story he read and the story you told were quite different in some chapters.

“we should invite mydei next time.” you uttered as you put down your book and pushed your knees against your chest.

“he used to have more free time…” you sighed, a pout forming your lips while hugging your knees.

“he’s been busy with the dark tide, it’s like he never gets his deserved rest! i seriously can’t wait to tell you both, at the same time, about the other ending i had prepared!”

and as you chatter about, phainon sat beside you, listening attentively like he always would. he loved hearing your voice, loved hearing the stories created by your own hand. it was mesmerizing—everything about your creation was utterly beautiful and mesmerizing.

he adored them.

and so did you.

sharing those stories like there’s no tomorrow, telling them everything about its history and how it came to be. your struggles while writing it, your creativity, your sacrifices, your passion.

because truly, after this cycle ends, the only tomorrow left will be the true page of the story.

amphoreus’ story.

trapped in a loop of time, you were locked inside an empty space with nothing to your name. after striking a deal with a certain someone and using your blood as the source of life and creation, you became the one imprisoned.

with the help of a lost child, you managed to reclaim a fragment of your power—only to use it to place yourself inside the very world your blood had made.

you should have escaped.

you really should have.

“…phainon.” you called and he looked at you with such a gentle gaze. a gaze you couldn’t escape from. a gaze you’ve always loved.

“what is it, partner?” he asked, a smile spreading across his lips. the sight made your heart ache, throbbing painfully in your chest as you realized what your decision has led you to.

“…ah, no. nothing.” you murmured. you didn’t have the courage to let him know. not him, not anyone. maybe it was better to—

“what is it?” phainon asked again, lifting your chin and turning your head so you’d face him, leaving you stunned.

you blinked, then let out a small chuckle.

“could you keep this book for me? take good care of it.” you said, smiling at him as you placed the book in his hands. he glanced down at it, then back at you, before reluctantly accepting it.

you noticed the hesitation, but you didn’t question it.

you thought nothing of it.

you stood up and stretched your arms above your head, a yawn slipping past your lips. it was getting late, and mydei would be back soon. phainon rose as well, his eyes drifting to the small strip of your lower back exposed beneath your shirt.

“i’m really tired…” you murmured.

then suddenly, a hand brushed against the bare skin of your lower back, making you flinch.

“partner, why are you so cold?” phainon asked, looking at you with an observant yet strangely gentle gaze.

it made you shiver.

“…i’ve always been cold, haven’t i?” you laughed softly, stepping away from his touch. “and why are you suddenly touching me, hm?”

at that, phainon’s face turned red. he jerked back immediately, averting his eyes like a deer caught in headlights.

you grinned at the sight, your heart fluttering. he just had to look so cute, huh? it wasn’t fair.

“don’t you have a meeting with aglaea tomorrow?” you asked.

phainon looked back at you and nodded. “ever since the flame reaver started appearing, havoc has been everywhere. okhema might be his next target… so i was thinking of facing him head-on.”

his words made your stomach drop. your brows furrowed, but you bit back everything you wanted to say. instead, you lowered your gaze.

phainon saw right through your silence. he stepped closer and lifted your head with both hands, gently holding it in place.

“it’s okay. mydei will be with me.” he reassured.

“let me come.” you stated, your tone firm as you looked up at him.

this time, he was the one left stunned.

“you can’t, [n]. you know your safety is also our priority,” he said, pulling you into his arms and holding you close. he knew that staying with them constantly meant you had to live with the thought of whether they were still alive or not. even worse when you —as a poet and writer—could understand and interpret the prophecy.

you, the mortal student of tribios who heard the chrysos heirs’ prophecy.

you, the mortal who carried golden blood, yet bore no prophecy nor power in your name.

you, the creator of the true prophecy—and of this world.

you, the ever so present yet unknown to them all.

“phainon…” you murmured, holding onto him tightly.

“it seems like you were enjoying your time without me around.”

a deep voice echoed from behind. you let go of phainon and turned, a small smile already forming on your face.

as if your conversation with phainon never happened.

“what did you two do?” he hummed, stepping closer before pulling you into his arms, your body pressed against his bare chest. you immediately melted into the warmth of mydei’s toned chest.

“i just told him the story… i’ll tell it to you too when you’re free,” you murmured, looking up at mydei, who gazed down at you with a softness in his eyes.

it was unlike them to be this gentle, but you knew the feelings they held for you. a fleeting kind of love, one that could only exist for this single cycle.

if only… you could stay with them a little longer.

“i’m sleepy…” you mumbled, your eyes already heavy. you had been out for quite a while. your body could never endure for long, not after using the small amount of power you had left just to bring yourself into this world.

“let’s get you home,” mydei said, lifting you into his arms and carrying you bridal style. usually you would have protested, but you barely had the energy to even lift yourself.

so the three of you—no, the two of them—made their way back to the city, with you fast asleep in mydei’s arms.

“i thought you weren’t going to tell him?” mydei spoke quietly, cradling you closer as they walked through the silent streets of okhema.

“…it feels… strange,” phainon said, his voice unusually soft.

mydei paused and turned to him. “huh?”

“it feels like he knows more than he lets on,” phainon murmured, glancing at your sleeping form in mydei’s arms.

“are you doubting him?” mydei sighed, looking down at you before pressing a gentle kiss to the top of your head.

“i’m sure you feel the same way, mydei,” phainon replied, lightly brushing a hand through your hair.

“…this isn’t the time to doubt him. he’ll tell us when he’s ready,” mydei said, shaking his head as if to push away the unease in his chest.

“what if he doesn’t?”

“get your head out of the gutter, deliverer,” mydei muttered with a tired sigh.

“ha… alright.”

“let’s bring him home,” mydei said, starting to walk again, leading the way from the quiet streets toward the path to your home, phainon trailing behind.

yet phainon couldn’t stop thinking. he kept turning everything over in his mind, analyzing every little detail, because something felt wrong.

and his instincts were rarely wrong.

when he saw the look in your eyes earlier—the fear, the quiet resignation—it only deepened his suspicion.

he just… didn’t know what it was yet.

but you were hiding something.

the next day, you woke with a crushing heaviness in your body. you pushed yourself up from the bed and forced your legs to carry you into the bathroom.

when you looked into the mirror, your eyes widened.

your skin was cracked, thin fractures running across it as golden ichor slowly seeped from the splits. was this the price of forcing that fragment of power beyond its limit, just so you could remain here a little longer?

you wondered if that being had already noticed—if it had realized you had slipped into its domain, abandoning your duty as the reservoir of this world.

blood began to trickle from your nose. you wiped it away with the back of your hand.

it was already action hour. you had to find the flame reaver before parting hour arrived.

you dressed quickly, covering yourself completely and pulling on a cloak to keep yourself from being recognized. they still didn’t know about the golden blood flowing through your veins—and they must never find out. if they did, the truth would surface, and the true creator might destroy your body before you could return.

after all, once a body is left without the soul that anchors it, it doesn’t take much for it to fade into ash.

never to exist again.

you strode through the streets of okhema, listening closely to every passing conversation that might give you a clue about the current situation. you had no idea where the flame reaver might be, but you prayed the chrysos heirs hadn’t faced him yet.

that hope shattered the moment you overheard someone mention that the flame reaver had been seen at the southwest of okhema. it would only be a matter of time before he pushed into the holy city and hunted down the remaining coreflames.

despite the pain coursing through your body, you broke into a run, weaving through the streets toward the southwest district. every step drained more of your strength, your breath growing uneven, but you had to—

thud!

“oh no… i’m so— huh?”

the familiar voice of death made your heart jolt as you stumbled back, your hood slipping from your head.

before castorice could even process what she was seeing, you rushed past her and toward the battlefield.

you couldn’t care less if one of the chrysos heirs saw you.

you needed to see them.

“w-wait! [n], the path there is way too dangerous—!” she gasped, quickly chasing after you while incinerating the dark tide that surrounded the area.

you should have died. by touch alone.

and you knew you shouldn’t go.

but you had to.

you needed protect the people you had come to love in this cycle.

you wanted to… free them.

and if that meant destroying yourself—your body, the core that held you together, even your soul—then so be it.

“you mustn’t go there!” castorice cried out. you were moving far too quickly for her to catch up—

but then she froze.

and the coolness she felt from that brief contact—

golden blood. survival.. death... you’ve been dead for a while.

“…no,” she whispered.

“cas, are you okay?”

the small voice pulled her from her thoughts. she turned to tribbie, her expression stunned and uneasy.

“[n]… has golden blood. he’s… ah, lady tribbie, he ran toward where lord phainon and lord mydei are!” she said quickly, already breaking into a run after you. though you had gained distance, the way you staggered forward made it only a matter of time before she caught up.

she did not know what to make of it except for one thing—

she needed to stop you.

“[n]? is that why trinnon and trianne couldn’t find him..?” tribbie mumbled, hurrying after her.

soon enough, the battlefield came into view.

there—phainon and mydei were locked in combat with the flame reaver.

so close.

mydei was cutting down the dark tide that surged toward them, clearing the path around the monstrous figure. but in doing so, his back was left completely exposed—

right within reach of the flame reaver’s blade.

it was only a matter of time before mydei’s prophecy came true.

you didn’t think.

you simply moved.

forcing your failing body forward, you ran straight toward him—throwing yourself between mydei and the descending blade.

“[n]!!!”

tribbie and castorice’s voices rang out.

the shout made both men turn sharply—

phainon moved quickly, begging to whoever that he reaches you before the enemy could.

but he knew that it was too late.

you were already standing there, blade driven straight through your stomach.

you wished to protect them.

even if it meant being destroyed by the hands of destruction itself.

never to return again.

and they called out your name.

but you could only utter one word.

“khas…lana…”

“now that your soul has experienced the romantic story of amphoreus, your body and soul refuse to succumb to the destruction.”

“you… are still alive, [n].”

“and yet, i am forever stuck in this dreamless space.”

“…i believe your story hasn’t ended.”

“i hope so too.”

—

“your blood continues to run through the depth of amphoreus. what stories do you have for me, [n]?”

“i don’t have… a lot of memories.”

“but you will continue to live.”

“isn’t it way… too cruel to live… without memories?”

“…the cycle continues on.”

“i could not save them. what is the point of existing?”

“but you have existed… in their memories.”

“thousands or millions of cycles… then do you think that person will… remember me?”

“i believe he will.”

—

“your blood… it’s dimming. is it supposed to look like that?”

“…i can no longer stabilize… amphoreus.”

“the moment the last of my blood vanishes, i will too.”

“do you still remember them?”

“i can still recall a few… names. aglaea… tribios… mydeimos… ah, and… khaslana.”

“i hope you continue to remember them.”

—

“…[n]?”

“do you still remember them?”

“…who… ?”

—

the world of amphoreus existed only because a reservoir of divine ichor sustained it.

that reservoir was you.

and it would remain you—

for a million more cycles to come.

—

“me? you can call me [n]. i’m professor anaxa’s student,” you said, a small smile forming on your lips as you introduced yourself to the rest of the chrysos heirs.

you weren’t one of them, no. but you carried golden blood. though you never received a prophecy, people still believed you were someone special—someone who might one day help bring the world anew.

you were closest to lady aglaea, often helping her sew and easing her worries by assisting with her daily routines.

your professor would scold you for spending so much time at her side, but you didn’t mind. you liked her a lot. she felt like another guardian watching over you.

still, there were two chrysos heirs you found yourself drawn to the most.

phainon—the professor’s other student and your classmate.

and mydei… well, mydei. the crown prince of crastum kremnos.

you liked them a lot too.

somehow, over time, the three of you started spending more and more time together whenever your schedules allowed it. you would tease them endlessly, they would argue back, and sometimes you’d purposely rile them up just to see their reactions.

you didn’t know when your feelings grew into something deeper.

you didn’t even know which of them held your heart more.

but… maybe you could give it to both of them, if they were willing to share it.

not that you expected anything. after all, you couldn’t just walk up to them and say you wanted to be with them both—they might not even like each other the way you loved them.

still, one day, you gathered the courage to confess.

“i like you… two… a lot.”

the words left your mouth so awkwardly that you nearly wished the ground would swallow you whole.

yet in the end, things turned out alright.

they felt the same way.

and though they hadn’t exactly wanted to share at first, for your sake, they were willing to try.

life with them was good.

they took care of you, protected you, shared their time and warmth with you. and you did the same in return. whenever they came home exhausted from their duties, you would help them rest, cook meals for them, and quietly tend to their needs.

until the day the destruction began to worsen.

“can’t you stay?”

you always wanted to ask them that. to beg them to remain by your side.

but you never did.

their duty came first. not you.

you would never hold them back from saving the world… if it meant saving you too.

but who would save them?

“i promise i will… protect you… all.”

in the end, as the one who loved them, it only felt right that you would.

and sometimes you wondered—

in the next cycle, would they cradle your body stained in golden blood once again?

—

“pleased to meet you. you may call me [n]. i usually open the shop during ascent hour, though.”

his voice was sweet and gentle, ringing through phainon’s ears like a dream. he smiled without meaning to, unable to stop the flutter in his chest. it was the first time he had ever heard a voice so soft.

the man who introduced himself as [n] was a commoner in okhema. he was often seen around the marmoreal market. unlike the other vendors, he didn’t sell typical goods—his little shop was known instead for perfumes and fabrics.

lady aglaea had once invited him along to look at fabrics. considering that phainon’s favorite colors were… essentially every color, he had initially wanted an outfit that used all of them at once.

aglaea immediately told him not to. he’d look terrible.

the other man had agreed.

still, the man ended up giving aglaea the best fabrics he had—for free—as thanks to aglaea’s garmentmaker who had once helped his assistant clear the dark tide from his courier’s path.

after that, phainon started visiting him.

at first, he would find excuses. errands. deliveries. small reasons to pass by the shop. but when those ran out, he simply… visited.

openly.

as if he had all the time in the world.

one day, he brought someone along with him—mydeimos. phainon had joked that mydei always smelled like blood, so he thought it would be nice for him to come when refilling his sunflower perfume, the one he had recommended.

then, the three of them got along surprisingly well.

phainon and mydei had tested [n]’s newest perfume experiments—blends he crafted himself. he had planned to release a new set the following week, but his courier had been attacked by the dark tide, leaving the man injured.

without ingredients being delivered, the release had to be postponed.

so, being the ever-kind deliverer that he was, phainon volunteered to act as the shop’s temporary courier.

mydeimos would sometimes tag along. and soon enough, visiting the shop together almost became a routine.

weeks passed, and the three of them grew closer.

phainon’s feelings for the shopkeeper deepened quietly over time. eventually, he gathered the courage to ask him out.

[n] didn’t seem to mind. he agreed.

the very next day, mydeimos also asked him out—though more casually. just a “hangout.”

though deep down, mydeimos probably thought of it as a date.

it went on like that for a while.

until one day, the two chrysos heirs realized something—they both liked the same person.

“would you like to go on a date with us?”

so imagine just how stunned the poor shopkeeper was when the two of them asked him out together.

only then did he realize those “hangouts” had actually been dates.

neither of them were sure how [n] truly felt about them.

but one thing they both knew—being with him felt strangely familiar. as though they had known him far longer than they actually had.

“you’re beautiful. it almost feels like looking at some otherworldly god.”

“flattery will get you nowhere, phainon.”

everything was so sweet.

so unbearably sweet—

that when the end came, the bitter truth of [n]’s perfume where it was used as an attempt to destabilize the world with a corrupted version of his ichor as its core ingredient, surfaced.

and phainon’s last words were nothing more than flattery, instead of the feelings he had never managed to confess.

“why does it feel like i have lost you before?”

—

“of course. as a teacher, i, [n], shall teach you what you all wish to learn,” the professor said, addressing the students before him.

like professor anaxa, he carried that same air of mystery—proper and composed. it didn’t quite feel fitting for mydeimos to stand in a place like the grave of epiphany. still, phainon had brought him here… though against his will.

mydeimos kept his gaze on the professor, who was speaking with the students before offering them his farewell.

in that fleeting moment, their eyes met. the professor smiled at him—soft, knowing—and for reasons he couldn’t explain, mydeimos’ heart skipped.

the professor asked if he was from crastum kremnos; he’d only ever seen garments like those from there.

mydeimos confirmed it. he introduced himself as a chrysos heir and admitted that phainon had brought him here against his will.

they spoke for some time, until phainon finally returned—clearly surprised to find the prideful king of crastum kremnos conversing so casually with one of the most respected figures in the grave of epiphany.

and though he would never say it aloud, mydei had to admit that seeing someone as gentle as the professor made the world they were striving to protect seem… not so terrible.

since then, they would cross paths now and again in the eternal holy city of okhema. sometimes at the marmoreal market. sometimes within the bathhouse.

it became difficult not to fall into conversation whenever they met. mydei found himself curious about the professor—and the professor, it seemed, shared that curiosity. as their meetings grew more frequent, the professor’s former student—phainon—naturally became part of the picture.

it wasn’t long before the three of them settled into an easy rhythm. [n] came to learn more about the chrysos heir’s burdens, and was surprised to discover how isolated he had been—knowing of them only through accounts within the grave of epiphany.

he had always been devoted solely to his studies. nothing beyond them ever held his attention. so yes—he did wander out that day, quietly hoping fate might allow him to encounter mydeimos again.

out of curiosity.

and to see his dear student, whom he had grown fond of with time.

he watched them grow—through war, through politics. he watched their banter, their rare, fleeting joys. he guided them, cared for them, and for the first time, allowed to have someone close.

and somewhere in those moments, mydeimos began to see the professor differently.

he noticed how the professor softened at phainon’s confusion. how he smiled when his hands would press gently against mydeimos’ body in quiet care.

when mydeimos and phainon exchanged playful arguments, he would catch the professor’s lingering gaze. that faint, almost yearning smile.

he never understood why the professor smiled like that.

not until the day his study burned.

and golden blood stained the walls—forming a formula written in ichor that only the professor could decipher.

“what could it have meant, [n]?”

why is it that you must sacrifice yourself for nothing?

for as long as you remembered, you only lived once.

you only…

“…[name].”

mydeimos?

“wake up… please.”

phainon?

“you must wake up, child of equilibrium.”

your eyes opened, and before you was a scene you never expected.

your limp body was drenched in golden blood, laid upon a magical circle etched beneath you. mydeimos held you close, teeth gritted as his arms trembled around your fragile form. meanwhile, phainon mourned.

tears streamed down his cheeks, emotions he had long restrained, finally breaking free.

if the memories you had seen earlier were fragments from other cycles, then that meant you had lived beyond the one you remembered.

you… lived.

a tear slipped down your cheek. what is truly your future? did you have one? you did not know.

then, a small voice echoed softly through the air.

you turned your head and saw a familiar presence.

“it’s you… child of remembrance,” you whispered, a faint smile touching your lips. it was that floating, pink memosprite.

“you saved me. thank you,” you murmured, before your gaze drifted back to your grieving companions—your friends, your lovers.

though… you didn’t quite recognize the gray-haired one. nor the black-haired one.

“…mem!” the little voice called out.

everyone’s attention shifted toward them.

and as if summoned by fate itself, bubbles of letters—formed from ichor, shimmering in the air—rose above you.

he shall steady the world with his golden ichor, and in securing its balance, vanish from the ages to come.

it was your prophecy.

and the moment it appeared, you felt it.

your form—your true form—stitching itself back together. light bled into shape. breath returned to lungs that no longer existed a second ago.

and in mydeimos’ arms, the body he had been holding slowly crumbled—turning to ashes that slipped through his trembling fingers.

a collective gasp filled the air, then their eyes found you.

phainon was the first to move.

“[n]!”

he rushed forward without hesitation, wrapping his arms around you as if afraid you would disappear again. he held you tightly—too tightly—like he could anchor you to this world by force alone.

mydeimos stood frozen, golden ichor still staining his hands, staring at you as though he didn’t dare blink.

then you felt it. the weight.

your limbs were unbearably heavy, your vision blurring at the edges. warmth drained from your body as quickly as it had returned.

you tried to speak. you couldn’t, and your knees buckled.

the world tilted.

and just as phainon tightened his hold in panic, your body gave in—

everything fading to black once more.

“are you phainon?” you had asked, sitting beside the snow-haired man on the bench.

the man nodded, glancing at you in surprise. you were a stranger—yet you didn’t feel like one.

“my name is [n]. the blade you were carrying earlier sliced the plants i was holding.”

he yelped and immediately stood, bowing in apology. you only laughed and waved it off, telling him it was fine.

you two ended up talking for a while.

—

“you remind me of a sunflower,” you said, handing him a small pot. phainon hesitantly accepted it.

“am i supposed to take care of this?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

“…are you supposed to kill a living thing?” you replied bluntly.

“w-well. okay.” he sighed, flustered. it was sweet—awkwardly so—and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“don’t worry. it doesn’t need much.” you said, ruffling his hair before pinching his cheek. he let out a small whine in protest.

as long as he had something that reminded him of you, everything would be alright.

—

“so this is the build of the crown prince of kremnos?” you muttered, openly eyeing mydei with curiosity.

mydei stared back at you, deadpan, though something flickered beneath his expression.

phainon laughed from the side, arms crossed.

“i wish you’d look at me like that too,” he teased.

“well… if you’d be brave enough to strip in front of me, maybe,” you shrugged.

phainon sputtered, completely caught off guard.

—

“i love your cooking, mydei!” you beamed, stuffing your mouth with food.

“…are you trying to choke?” he sighed, removing his apron as he watched you and phainon devour the meal.

“it js tashtes good…” phainon mumbled through a full mouth, and you nodded enthusiastically.

“don’t talk while eating!” mydei scolded, pinching phainon’s nose before turning away with a small huff—though a faint smile betrayed him.

the sight of the two of you warmed his heart more than he’d ever admit.

—

“[n], you promised you wouldn’t do anything… reckless,” mydei sighed, brows furrowed as he watched you carve a magical circle into the damp earth with a stick.

“this kind of circle requires golden blood,” phainon murmured, tracing part of the magical circle. “it serves to fulfill your wish in exchange for something.”

“and how do you know that?” you asked lightly.

“i'm pretty sure you mentioned it before.”

“exchange?” mydei asked, arms crossed.

you didn’t hesitate.

“call it sacrifice.”

—

“what?” mydeimos breathed out, his voice tight.

“[n]… is missing,” phainon said, chest rising and falling rapidly as if he’d run miles.

“what do you mean—”

“he’s not responding to my chats. lady castorice couldn’t sense him in the netherworld either. so he hasn’t… crossed over.”

phainon stepped closer, gripping mydei’s arm as his body trembled. he leaned his forehead against his shoulder.

“but i’m sure… he did something with that circle. i couldn’t find it.”

the air between them felt heavier than any battlefield.

the memories felt unfamiliar, yet you knew they were yours.

tears streamed down your cheeks as you slowly opened your eyes, the weight of every memory crashing into you during your sleep.

in a world that was never meant to exist, you had been the one meant to anchor it into being. yet as someone who possessed so little power to begin with, the only way you could sustain it was by offering everything you had.

your body.

your soul.

you had given them up so this world could continue to exist—beyond destruction, beyond remembrance.

and now, as the price for that existence, you were the one offered in return.

“[name]?”

a familiar voice broke through the silence as the door to your room creaked open. phainon stepped inside, a bowl of soup in his hand as he approached the bed and gently helped you sit up.

“you’re awake. mydei went out to continue his duties,” he said softly.

his hand reached up, brushing the tears from your cheek. his gaze was filled with a quiet longing, but you didn’t respond.

your thoughts were too distant, too heavy, and you barely even looked at him.

he called your name again.

“[name], please… look at me?”

his voice wavered as he gently turned your head toward him.

your eyes met his—dull and lifeless—-and said nothing.

phainon’s heart ached, but he told himself you only needed time.

everything must have been overwhelming. confusing. whatever happened to you, you were probably still trying to understand it all.

so he stayed patient.

after feeding you, cleaning you up, and helping you change into fresh clothes, he quietly left you alone.

“please come back to us…”

was phainon’s last words before he closed the door.

then, days passed.

phainon and mydei would come by whenever they could. sometimes they stayed the night if their duties allowed it.

“the trailblazers have been a huge help ever since they descended from beyond the sky,” phainon said quietly as he wiped your unmoving body with a clean cloth, his other hand supporting you gently.

“i think… they might be the ones who will save this world,” he murmured, hope lingering in his voice as a faint smile touched his lips.

phainon was never the kind to cry easily, but thinking about a life without you always made his eyes sting.

suddenly, the door clicked open.

mydei stepped inside, carrying a small basket of fruits he knew you loved.

“has he woken?” he asked.

“no… but his body twitched earlier,” phainon replied softly. “i have a feeling… he’ll wake up soon.”

it was a fragile reassurance, because you had always twitched like that whenever they held you.

still, the routine continued.

they talked to you, sat beside you, held your hands. and waited. but you barely moved—and you never spoke.

to them, it felt like they were watching you slip away all over again—

like standing beside the body of someone they loved,

and realizing they might never truly come back.

by the time you regained full consciousness, your lovers were resting beside you. you turned your head, finding the snow-haired man right in front of you.

you shifted closer, noticing his red, swollen eyes.

while your body had finally awakened, your soul had wandered through an endless cycle of memories. remembering everything at once was both a cruel reality and a strange blessing.

you had already accepted your fate as this world’s reservoir—the one meant to keep its balance.

but beyond that… what were you?

you wanted it to be something more.

and you wanted that “more” to be with them.

your hand hovered over phainon’s cheek before you gently placed it there, leaning forward to press a soft kiss against his lips.

it was meant to be simple.

but the moment phainon—whom you thought was asleep—kissed you back more deeply, it turned into something else entirely.

a warm arm wrapped around your waist from behind, and mydei buried his face against the back of your neck.

“you just woke up and that’s the first thing you do?” he murmured.

“maybe you should apologize first…” phainon mumbled when the kiss broke, looking down at you while pulling you closer.

“i’m sorry,” you whispered.

you shifted your position, pulling them both against your chest instead, wrapping your arms around them.

“[n], instead of disappearing like that, you should tell us the truth,” mydei murmured, glancing up at you.

phainon nodded, a small pout forming as he leaned closer. “do you know how troublesome it was to look for you?”

you wanted to argue.

to tell them they shouldn’t have bothered.

that there had been no point.

but you knew how stubborn they could be.

and deep down, you knew you would have done the same—if only your fate hadn’t restrained you.

“i will,” you answered softly. “but first… tell me what happened while i was gone.”

“those people… they’re travelers from beyond the sky, aren’t they?”

“eh? how do you know that?”

…because you once were, too.

a being who existed from beyond the sky—who traded away his own fate for a world that never truly existed, and one that would, someday, disappear again.

he, who never truly existed within the simulation.

he, who kept the world ablaze with his sacrifice.

so that it could continue to exist and await its true savior.

even if his own will quietly faded into nothingness.

even if, one day, phainon and mydei forgot him too.

but they didn’t need to know that.

you could only hope that she… would finally bring an end to your misery, and that she won’t be too late.

after all, a finite stream of divine ichor was never meant to flow forever.

"this is..." phainon blinked, surprised at the breakfast lying untouched on the table.

mydei came behind him with a confused hum, his eyes equally widening before a chuckle escaped his lips. "he is indeed interesting."

"i heard that people often just leave after a night... seems he's different!" phainon smiled, pulling back a chair and sitting on it, plate in hand.

"where's your phone? i'll message him a thank you,"

"oh, i think i left it on the couch."

mydei hummed in acknowledgment, walking to the couch. he spotted his phone and took it, opening the app and the conversation.

"hmm? where'd the chat go?" mydei asked, tilting his head back to phainon, who was watching him.

"what do you mean?"

"...the convo. can't find it. did he block us?" mydei muttered, walking back to phainon and handing him the phone.

phainon took the phone, brow raised as he scrolled through the app. there was nothing. he searched for his user—nothing. not even the nearby or the recently viewed.

“…huh.”

“he really did block us.” phainon laughed under his breath, though there was a slight pinch in his brow.

"why though? thought he liked us... well, at least that's how it looked like." he sighed, grabbing the fork and stabbing the egg with it.

mydei snorted. “you’re sulking.”

“i am not.”

“you are.”

phainon pouted. "fine. i do quite like him. he's pretty cute, you know? don't you like him too, mydei?"

mydei hummed at that, sitting on the chair in front of phainon. “yeah.”

“a shame. i quite hoped this wouldn’t have been a… one time thing.”

however, some things are just meant to be as it is. to them, it was just to kill time. yet, to you, it was a moment once in a lifetime. nevertheless, you continued to hook up with people every once in a while, but it began to feel weirdly dull ever since they came.

you never tried threesome again after them, too.

and neither did they.

still, whenever free time would come, they’d look for you in grindr, or try to search your name in social medias. you never popped out, so they wondered if you had a social or not.

for an entire week, they looked for you. you were just somewhat so… interesting to them that they couldn’t bring themselves to let you go.

it’s not like a second time would hurt.

so imagine how they felt when they heard you were in a bar a friend of theirs frequented.

they didn’t spare a minute heading over to where you were. yet, when they saw you, it was definitely not what they were expecting to see.

“…is it really him?” phainon murmured, brows furrowed as he practically stare daggers at you and the man you were drinking with.

cipher shrugged as she poured a drink on mydei’s cup. “you guys seemed so hooked.” she uttered.

“didn’t think you both were so horny you’d chase for the same hook-up…” she snickered, her mocking gaze flickering over the pouting phainon beside mydei.

“it’s just not the same if not him!” phainon exclaimed.

“what? have you tried others?”

“no.” mydei replied.

cipher stared at the two, dumbfounded.

“could it be… that you two like [n]?” castorice, who has been silent beside cipher for a while, finally spoke. the three turned their heads at her, confusion and curiosity piqued.

“…waitwaitwait— you know him?!” phainon said, leaning over the table in surprise. castorice awkwardly smiled.

“ah… right. cassie… you did say you were with someone—so that’s him? [n].” cipher hummed, a grin forming her lips as she turned her gaze back between the other two, her expression laced with unmistakable mockery.

“how come you never said a thing?!” phainon sighed, a pout tugging his lips as he folded his arms across the table. cipher laughed, her voice both teasing and playful as usual.

“i only noticed when you kept staring at him.” castorice said as she scratched her cheek, a small apologetic smile on her lips. “you were too busy chattering on about what happened.”

“ha, i bet he left you two because you guys teased him too much~” cipher said as she propped an elbow on the table and rested her cheek on her palm. “or maybe he wasn’t satisfied, hmm?~”

“absolutely no way! we’d never leave him unsatisfied!” phainon gasped, sounding personally attacked— as if greatly offended by the mere thought of it.

“i have to admit, it was quite exhausting.” a voice beside them interrupted, causing phainon to flinch.

“are they your friends?” you asked castorice, your gaze flicking briefly to her before drifting back to the two familiar faces at your side. you didn’t think you’d see them again, here of all places… though, you’ve never seen them here before. was it their first time here?

i doubt it.

it didn’t look like it. if anything else, they were probably a usual here.

“yeah. i’ve known them since college…” she replied as she looked up at you.

“…we went to the same university?” you asked, unable to hold back the surprise and curiosity in your tone. however, instead of receiving an answer, you were met with a question.

“why did you leave?” mydei asked, holding your hand as he lifted his head up, his brows furrowing in both confusion and… determination? determined to what? bring you back? surely you never had a thing to begin with.

“i don’t think i’m obliged to answer that?” you smiled, trying to ignore the heat pooling in your stomach from the unwavering gaze of both men.

“can we please talk?” phainon asked, a hint of pleading in his tone. even if you didn’t notice the way his tone sounded, the way he looked would not surely go unnoticed.

you bit your bottom lip, glancing at castorice, who gave you a reassuring smile and nod. you didn’t know why you needed that reassurance, but it did made your fraying nerves calm a bit.

you reluctantly nodded, pulling your hand back from mydei’s hold. “let’s talk outside.” you said, turning away from them already.

you began to walk away. although the two stood up at the same time, phainon rushed behind you quicker than mydei did. well, someone had to apologize for the sudden change in plans (even though the plan was bring back you operation).

you walked a bit far from the bar, nearby the parking lot. you sat on the bench, glancing up at the moon, which illuminated your face. for a moment you closed your eyes, mentally scolding yourself for getting into such an embarrassing situation.

it’s not just embarrassing—it’s like a story straight out of a romance novel!

a cringy one at that.

well, you’ve never really been that much of a fan of romance… all you needed was some relief, and a bit of exploration.

just that.

yet, here you were.

caught in some tricky situation.

“what’s the matter?”

“could you give us a chance?”

the words that slipped past yours and phainon’s lips overlapped. your eyes widened, a confused expression emerging on your face.

“heh?” you let out, scratching the back of your head and avoided eye contact, as if the thought of being wanted made you uncomfortable.

not that it did… or maybe it did. it’s just…

“a chance?” you asked.

“he means we’re interested in doing more.” mydei explained, his hands tucked into his coat’s pockets. “you left rather abruptly. while we initially did it out of boredom… you proved to be interesting.”

“would you be willing to give us another chance?” he asked, his tone soft yet steady.

“i know you have a reason why, and we will understand that. but, this is both our choice, so you don’t have to worry about us.” phainon exclaimed, stepping closer as if testing the waters, and when you don’t flinch back, he held your hands.

it felt like he knew what your thought process was: but you’re both dating.

“you know, i’m not exactly the kind of person who meddles in peoples relationships,” you stated, a sigh escaping your lips as you considered their words.

previously, you left because you were sure they wouldn’t keep it as anything casual. they were boyfriends, and you didn’t want to be a cause. a cause for bad endings. yet, their words alone reminded you of the sweet and gentle touches they gave you, and their voice, which was low and soft against your ear.

you could still picture everything—remember everything as clear as crystal.

phainon lifted your chin and you stared up at his eyes, ever so beautiful, just like how you remembered them on the first night. mydei, who was standing not far from them, sat on the bench beside you.

“you’re not meddling if we’re encouraging,” he said, replacing phainon’s hand on your chin with his, forcing you to meet him in the eye.

“allow us to do better.” he whispered and pressed his lips against yours. you were all confused and hesitant, but also willing.

you kissed back, placing a hand on the back of his neck as you pulled him closer. he hummed softly into your lips, and when he was about to deepen it, phainon pulled him back.

“don’t leave me out.” he said with a pout, and your heart fluttered at the sight.

he leaned down and kissed you as well, which you also willingly reciprocated. it didn’t feel bad to be wanted—if this meant being wanted at all.

it was good, even if they came from not-so-strangers people. terribly good, if anything. even the thought of them… could probably comfort you.

phainon pulled back and smiled softly. “[n], would you like to go on a date?”

“i’m sorry?”

“don’t rush him, you big puppy,” mydei sighed, facepalming as his brows furrowed and he shot him a sideways glance, which phainon only replied with a cheeky giggle.

sharp comments. pett refusals. a roll of the eyes here, a taunting “make me” there.

and mydei had let it slide. once. twice. a dozen times.

Because he knew you. knew you were wound so tight you could snap like a violin string.

but even he had a limit.

so when you muttered, “gods, you’re always in my face. you get off on babysitting me or what,” after he asked if you’d eaten today—

he chuckled. but there was no humor in it.

he closed the door behind him.

locked it.

and stared at you with a calm look that meant you’d just crossed the wrong line.

“you’ve been biting at me all week,” he said, voice low as he walked toward you.

you swallowed hard, but your pride wouldn’t let you back down. “so what? you’ll try to put me in my place?”

“i’m already stressed enough, don’t add up to it.” you scoffed and returned to writing reports.

but then, mydei grabbed your wrist, already behind you, pulled you up and pushed you to the bed. “let me fuck that out of your system then, brat.”

with a quick motion, he tugged your pants down and slammed his lips against yours, tongue delving in your mouth when you gasped. you whimpered, but made no further resistance as he deepened the kiss.

then he pulled away, replacing his mouth with two of his fingers. you whimpered, sucking on it while his other hand pulled down your underwear. "you're liking this."

you glared at him at his comment, only for him to shove his fingers deeper into your mouth.

“don’t look at me like that,” he murmured, dangerously close. “you’re the one who begged for this with that mouth of yours.”

his fingers curved slightly against your tongue—not to be kind, but to make you drool. the way he smirked when a string of spit slid down your chin made your stomach twist.

“cute,” he said, pulling them out. “can’t bite back when your mouth’s too full, huh?”

you tried to speak—maybe another remark, maybe a weak protest—but the words died as soon as his slick fingers dragged down, pushing between your thighs and circling your entrance.

your breath hitched.

“tch. tense,” he muttered. “guess we’ll have to work that out first.”

two fingers pushed in—not gentle—making you cry out and grab at the sheets. he didn’t give you time to adjust, curling them right against your sweet spot, over and over, until your hips jerked and your legs trembled.

“mydei—!”

you whimpered and bucked against his hand, frustration bleeding into arousal.

he was deliberate, cruel in how slow he fucked you open. every twist of his fingers dragged pleasure out of you, and when you started to roll your hips, needy and restless, he pulled his hand away entirely.

“nnh—what—”

he pushed your legs apart, eyes scanning your flushed, dripping state with a satisfied look.

“don’t worry,” he said, undoing his belt. “you’ll get more than you can handle.”

you should’ve expected he’d go in raw with no warning, just pushed in with one slow, punishing thrust that made your spine arch off the mattress.

you screamed into the sheets.

he grabbed your face, palm covering your mouth, and leaned down close—so close his breath tickled your ear.

“no one needs to hear you scream like that,” he muttered, voice low, biting, smug. “keep quiet.”

but how could you? when he was already grinding into you, thick and deep, hips rolling slowly, grinding your insides into mush. your legs twitched under him. your fingers fisted in the sheets. your body couldn’t decide whether to writhe toward him or away from him—but either way, mydei had you pinned.

his hand stayed over your mouth, swallowing every cry, every whimper, every ruined gasp as he fucked you into the mattress.

“you know,” he said casually, as if he wasn’t knocking the sense out of you with every thrust, “i held back. thought you just needed space.”

he gave a sharp, brutal thrust that made your eyes roll.

“turns out you needed this instead.”

your toes curled. your thighs clenched.

you tried to moan—warn him—but your voice cracked behind his hand. mydei chuckled darkly.

“what? already close?” he pulled almost all the way out, dragging the motion so slowly it hurt, before slamming back in—hard enough to knock the breath out of you again. “mm. you really are a brat.”

you were nearly sobbing. tears escaped your eyes, drool escaping your lips, wetting the palm of his hand. you couldn't utter a word, enoying the pleasurable feeling of his cock grazing against your walls.

your hips twitched, cock throbbed, as your climax neared. your walls clenched, and he noticed.

so he slowed.

torturously so.

just shallow, grinding rolls of his hips that barely let him drag out before pushing back in, brushing your sweet spot with cruel precision.

you whined into his hand, tears spilling freely now, soaking the corners of your lashes.

“look at you,” he murmured, kissing just below your ear. “so needy."

his hand moved from your mouth at last—slick with spit, dragging down to wrap around your cock, but he didn't move it. instead, he placed his thumb over your slit, making you cry out.

"just fuck me! i need to c—hng!?"

a harsh slap landed on your ass, your eyes widening as you gasped.

“you really don’t know when to shut that mouth,” mydei said, his voice smooth, a grin on his lips like he wanted you to talk back just so he could punish you more. his hand stayed on your hip, heavy and firm, while his thumb pressed harder against the tip of your cock.

“please—” you choked out, hips stuttering. “i—i’ll be good, just let me—!”

“good?” he echoed, amused, leaning down to kiss your cheek—soft, almost loving. but it only made his next thrust worse.

"does being good now make up the several days of being a brat?"

you sobbed.

"don't cum until i say so," he whispered to your lips. "then i'll deem you good." he said, one last time, before removing his thumb on your cock and pressing his lips against yours.

you moaned into the kiss, the sound broken, needy. his tongue slid into your mouth again, swallowing every whimper, every muffled sob as he rutted into you harder now, chasing both your highs, but dragging it out like he had all the time in the world.

your cock throbbed helplessly between you, leaking against your stomach, aching for friction while he just kept fucking you.

"you're shaking," he muttered against your lips, barely pulling back to look at your face. "holding back like i told you... such a good boy now, huh?"

you nodded frantically, tears still slipping free, your body screaming for release.

“mydei—please—!”

he groaned, loud, ragged, thrusts growing sloppier now. “now,” he growled, voice cracked and hot in your ear. “cum for me, right now.”

and aeons, you did.

your body arched, white-hot pleasure ripping through you as you spilled between you both, legs trembling uncontrollably.

your release triggered his own. his hips stuttering, cock pulsing deep inside as he came with a rough, bitten-off curse, his forehead pressing against yours.

for a few moments, neither of you moved. aftershocks coursing through you two.

and then, slowly, he pulled out, watching you twitch, your body oversensitive and wrecked.

his thumb brushed along your thigh, and he leaned in close again.

and lately, you’ve found yourself flirting with two people.

you flirt with aventurine.

you joke with him in passing, wink when he teases you, lean just a little too close when he’s showing you a new tactic or a rigged die. he calls you “sweetheart,” and you never correct him. sometimes you call him “lucky boy,” just to see how he reacts.

and yes, you flirt with ratio too.

you compliment his precision, leave him little notes with intentionally wrong data just so he’ll correct them and storm over to you. you sit next to him during meetings and whisper sarcastic comments in his ear that make him fight a smile.

neither of them tells you to stop.

when you’re with ratio, quiet, golden-hour walks between buildings, hands brushing and eyes catching—you don’t really talk about aventurine.

and when you’re sitting close to aventurine, drinks in hand and his smirk teasing yours, ratio’s name never comes up either.

you smirk at aventurine during card games, drawling “careful, you’re going to make me fall in love with you if you keep winning like that.”

and you laugh when ratio challenges your logic, brushing your hand against his sleeve like it’s nothing.

they both react in different ways.

ratio scoffs and looks away, but his ears pink.

aventurine raises a brow and leans closer. “would that be so bad?”

it wasn’t just bad. it was terrible.

because you like them both.

you love them.

ans deep down, you wonder…

would they ever even consider something more? with you? with each other?

would they hate you if they knew how much you wanted both?

you didn’t know.

you didn’t want to know.

and it just happens, that out of habit, fear, or whatever else you’re feeling, you sabotage yourself whenever you’re with one of them.

that the other didn’t exist.

you’ve always been good with sabotaging yourself. gaslighting yourself.

but you didn’t expect it to become a problem.

at first, it was manageable. small moments. you’d grab coffee with ratio in the mornings, argue over mission briefs, then walk back side-by-side in silence that didn’t feel awkward.

then at night, you’d meet Aventurine for drinks, trading flirtatious banter over the edge of whiskey glasses, heat and tension thick between every joke.

it was manageable… until it wasn’t.

because one night, you’re at a ongoing site, an arm resting around aventurine’s shoulder, his cologne a little dizzying.

he’s telling you about the way someone tried to cheat poker once and how he caught them, and you’re laughing, genuinely enjoying his voice, his presence.

you don’t notice ratio on the other side of the site, watching.

you don’t notice the way he turns away before the punchline lands.

later that week, it flips.

you’re helping ratio organize a minor vault archive. you make some quip about how “someone this precise has to be hell in bed—,” and he actually chokes on his words.

you grin, pleased with yourself, and keep talking.

you don’t notice that Aventurine had shown up at the door ten minutes ago, carrying lunch, because he knew you skipped breakfast, and left without saying anything.

you see the lunch box hours later. untouched. on your desk.

you feel your heart twist.

because you knew aventurine would have personally looked for you instead of just leaving it there.

you try to balance it. you really do.

but whenever you’re with one of them, you slip. your attention tunnels. you forget the rest of the world.

you don’t even realize one of them has entered the room when you’re so focused with the other, letting them watch the scene unfold before their eyes, as if they were just cheated on.

and after?

you notice.

the hurt in their eyes.

the silence. the distance.

and guilt crawls over your skin like frost.

you hated yourself.

because you continued to ignore them when you’ve already spared a glance.

as if they weren’t there at all.

it confused them.

it confused you.

why did you ignore them? because you didn’t want them to see you with the other? because you wanted to avoid confrontation? or is it because you didn’t know how to confront your feelings for them?

you didn’t know. but you were sure you could keep it like that.

until you weren’t anymore, and that was when it happened. whatever string that kept you three attached broke.

all three of you had just finished a mission, where you had invited the two of them to come for the mission’s efficiency.

you were checking the on your phone, checking to see if there were any commissions you could take since you wanted to spend with them more—because you weren’t sure if they’d would agree on a date with you together.

then, ratio spoke.

“what are we to you?”

you freeze.

you looked up at him and you noticed it—the hurt, the vulnerability in his eyes.

“…sorry?”

aventurine’s silent, but you glance at him, and the look on his face was the same. even his brows were furrowed—confused, stressed out, upset.

“i… care about you both?”

you didn’t even sound sure.

“that’s not an answer,” ratio said.

“we’re not stupid. you flirt with both of us, play around with our feelings—are we just a toy to you?” aventurine asked, and your stomach drops.

“you look at us like you’re in love, and then do… that.”

you are.

“i didn’t think it’d end to this.” you muttered, backing away slightly.

“you hurt us, [n].” ratio said, his hands behind his back like he’s keeping himself from reaching out.

you know.

“you look at him like he’s the sun and me like i’m your shadow—and then the next day, it flips. we’re not competing, [n]. but you make it feel like we are.”

and that stings.

it wasn’t your intention.

you’re not even sure anymore what you’re doing.

“is it that hard to choose?” aventurine asked, grabbing your wrist. you don’t even realize that you’re already stepping back, as if trying to run away.

“it can’t be that hard,” he said. his voice was cold, irritated, but he looked at you confused. “me or ratio?”

the words echo.

choose?

how will you choose between the man who makes you feel seen in silence and the man who makes you feel alive in chaos?

how do you pick when your heart doesn’t divide neatly in two?

you can’t.

you summon a tired smile. “don’t you guys think you’re just… overthinking things?”

they paused.

you remove aventurine’s hand from your wrist.

“i flirt with everyone. that’s just who i am.” you laughed. “i do flirt with you two, yes, but that’s all there is. why look for meaning to my actions?”

it was bitter.

to you, and to them.

“are you seeing someone?” aventurine asked. his voice was calm, but it was slightly raised in volume like he’s trying not to raise his voice and lash out.

“mhm. i’m dating topaz. did you not know, aventurine?” you said and tilted your head with a feign smile.

as if that would fool them.

but at least it would fool you.

“i didn’t mean to get your hopes up. sorry.” you said and turned away, walking to the exit with a wave of your hand.

“there’s no more commission, so we can rest! thanks, you two.” your voice nearly broke.

neither of them stopped you.

you walk the halls alone, your steps echoing louder than your breath. you press your hand to your chest to stop the ache.

you don’t go to topaz. of course you don’t.

you weren’t seeing anyone.

you had just slid open one of the glass cases, one he’d warned you about more than once, when you a hand grabbed your wrist, making you flinch.

“i thought i told you not to touch the sealed texts.”

“why not? does it hold your secret?” you teased and attempted to pull your hand back, only for it to remain there due to anaxa’s strong hold.

you turned your head around and looked up at him, a pout on your face. “hey, let go—“

you met him in the eye, staring down at you that made you felt like he was going to eat you. he hovered above you. even though there wasn’t much difference in your height.

still, made you feel nervous.

“okay… okay. fine. i won’t touch it again.” you huffed and turned away, using your other hand to pry his hand away from your wrist. “j-just let go.”

“that’s what you also said last time,” he replied, finally letting go of your hand.

you rubbed your wrist with a dramatic sigh, shooting him a sideways glance. “you really like grabbing me, huh?

anaxagoras didn’t answer. his gaze lingered on you—unreadable. then, with a soft exhale through his nose, he reached past you and slid the glass case shut with a quiet click.

“perhaps,” he said simply. "you must be quite special."

the words made your heart skip. you blinked, unsure if he was teasing or if that was just how he talked. he’d always been like this—cryptic, cool, and sometimes, impossible to read. and it only made you act out more.

you crossed your arms and leaned against the shelf. “special, huh? so does that mean i get to read the forbidden stuff if i ask nicely?”

his eyes dropped for a second. not in a crude way, but enough to make you feel suddenly bare—like he could see right through your little performance. he stepped a little closer.

“if you were capable of asking nicely,” he murmured, “you’d already have permission.”

you felt your ears go hot.

"i am nice,” you said, trying to sound indignant—but your voice came out smaller than intended. “you’re the scary one.”

“scary?” he echoed, tilting his head. “i think i’m being very patient.”

you knew he was right. anaxa has been nothing but patient to you, while you, on the other hand, did test his patience at times.

you were good most of the times, though.

before you could shoot a snarky remark, anaxa turned his heel and began walking toward the back of the library.

you blinked. “wait—what, no scolding today?”

he didn’t turn around. “follow me.”

“…why?”

“so i can distract you. since that seems to be the only way to keep you from breaking into sealed archives.”

you pouted, but followed him anyway.

you trailed behind him, watching the way his coat swayed slightly with each step, the soft hum of his boots against the wooden floor.

then, he stopped when you guys have reached the back of the library. he began to arrange the books quietly and your eyes drifted lower—to that. the strange swirling void embedded in his chest. the one you’d always noticed, but never quite asked about. or touched. or—

your fingers twitched.

“…hey, prof.”

“hm?”

you tilted your head, just a little grin curling at the edge of your lips. “what would happen if i… y’know.” you reached out and wiggled your fingers vaguely in his direction. “poked that weird space hole on your chest?”

he stopped.

you blinked when he turned slightly, casting you a side glance. he looked calm, but you swore his brow twitched.

“is it dangerous? will i get sucked in? implode? will you self-destruct like a machine in a novel?”

he didn’t answer at first. just turned fully toward you.

you reached out without thinking, finger hovering. “i mean, if i just—”

anaxa caught your wrist.

his grip wasn’t tight. just firm enough to stop you. but the way he looked down at you, eyes glowing slightly, made your heart skip a beat.

you really hate how attractive he looks up close.

“you shouldn’t just touch things…” he said, voice low.

“what does it feel like?”

“i don’t know.”

“…you don’t know?”

you blinked.

“why don’t we find out then?”

he hesitated. he seemed curious, too. you giggled, blinking up at him with a cheeky grin. you notice how his cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink before finally sighing and letting go of your hand.

you hovered your fingers over it again.

then, the moment your finger touched the edge of it—warmth. it wasn’t like skin. not quite. It felt… softer, more fluid. like dipping into water, but warmer, stickier, with a gentle pull that sent shivers up your spine.

“it’s… so warm.” you mumbled, stepping closer and pressing deeper, making his breath hitch.

it clenched around you. the warmth turned slicker, a subtle throb radiating through it.

“oh my dear,” you breathed, cheeks burning.

anaxa exhaled sharply through his nose, almost as if trying not to react. “that's enough.”

"what if i don't want to?~" you grin, continuing your ministrations inside the void. you don't even realize the face he's making—cheeks flushed, jaw clenched, eyes dark.

it felt too good on your fingers.

and the idiot you are, also wondered if it would feel good on your—

you pulled your fingers out and looked away, your entire face burning as your dirty thoughts sunk into you.

there's no way you—

did you really just thought of...

suddenly, anaxa grabbed your jaw and slammed his lips against yours, catching you off guard. you gasped, giving anaxa the opportunity to slide his tongue in your mouth, making you whimper.

he grabbed both of your wrists and pinned you against the nearby shelves, knocking off a few books as you tried to keep up with him.

seriously, he didn't even looked like he can manhandle you in ways and yet—

here you are, pinned against the shelves by anaxa.

he pulled away for a moment, his face still a few inches closer to yours. only then were you able to finally properly see his expression. "...has your curiosity been satisfied?"

you meekly nodded before grinning sheepishly. "so you know how to kiss, professor."

"i know how to make you feel good too."

your eyes widened at his words. you tried to say something, but words failed you as the only thing that left your mouth were stutters.

"d-didn't... know you were such a p-pervert, professor." you mumbled.

"how ironic," he grinned, leaning closer to your ear. "i was sure you were thinking of doing something else on it."

at first you were confused. then it hit you.

"you—!"

he pulled you in another kiss.

his lips moved slowly at first—almost gentle—before he deepened the kiss, tongue sweeping into your mouth like he owned it. and this time, he kissed like he meant it. like he had been waiting for a reason to stop holding back.

when he finally pulled away, a string of spit connected you both, your eyes glossy, chest rising and falling rapidly.

"you love cutting me off, don't you?"

anaxa didn't answer as his hand trailed down to your waist, then lower, fingers dancing along your inner thigh.

"you always act so shy," he murmured, letting one hand slide beneath the fabric of your clothes. "but the moment i touched you… you didn’t pull away."

your breath hitched when his palm cupped between your legs, rubbing slowly—purposefully—over the growing heat there.

"you're liking this, aren't you?"

"i-i—shut up," you whined, trying to turn your head, only for him to hold your chin firmly and tilt your gaze back to him.

“such a brat. and now?” he squeezed, making you gasp. “now you're mine to deal with.”

he lowered his fingers and unzipped your pants before dipping them beneath your waistband and pulling it down along with your underwear, letting it fall down your ankles with a soft rustle.

“here?” you whispered, voice trembling.

“why not?” he replied, smirking. “it’s my library.”

then he dropped to his knees.

he looked up at you from between your legs, his expression unreadable—but those glowing eyes shimmered with hunger. you swallowed hard, hands instinctively reaching behind to grip the shelf for support.

“i’ll be thorough,” he said, almost too calmly, like he was stating a fact. “you don’t deserve it, but you’ve clearly been asking for it.”

you barely had time to process before you felt his mouth—hot and wet—press against the base of your cock, tongue dragging upward in one slow stroke that made your knees tremble.

“p-professor—!” you gasped, head falling back.

he didn’t respond—his mouth was too full now. but he hummed lowly, the vibration sending jolts of pleasure down your spine. his hands gripped your thighs, pinning you against the shelf with surprising strength, leaving you completely at his mercy.

each movement of his mouth was methodical and cruel in how slowly he built you up—just enough suction, just enough tongue, just enough control to make you squirm.

“p-please,” you whimpered, not even sure what you were begging for anymore.

he pulled back slightly, lips slick, panting softly against your twitching cock. “so sensitive,” he murmured.

you tried to say something. maybe to curse him, maybe to plead—but he cut you off by swallowing you whole again in one fluid motion. you cried out, legs nearly giving in as he began to move faster now, lips and tongue working in perfect rhythm.

books hit the floor again when you jerked back too hard, trying to brace yourself.

your breath was coming out in sharp, uneven pants now—skin flushed, eyes glassy, legs barely able to keep you upright. anaxa finally pulled away, his lips wet, a satisfied look on his face.

without another word, he wrapped a hand around your base, stroking slowly—intimately—just enough to make your knees tremble again.

“wait—what are you…?” you trailed off, throat suddenly dry.

anaxa’s gaze was steady, but there was a flush on his face. “you wanted to touch it earlier,” he said quietly. “let’s see how curious you really are.”

you swallowed hard. “i didn’t mean—like that—”

but your cock twitched at the thought, betraying you.

he noticed. of course he did.

“prof—” you whimpered.

he guided you closer until your tip brushed against the glowing void, pulling you deeper and your eyes rolled back as the sensation hit.

“oh—f-fuck—” you cried out, hips bucking forward on instinct.

the void swallowed your cock with ease—tight, pulsing. it clung to you, enveloped you in sticky, rhythmic pressure, coaxing moans from your lips.

“anaxa—please—” you begged, voice cracked and breathless. you’d sunk all the way in now, hips pressed flush against his chest, cock buried inside that maddeningly warm, slick void—and he wouldn’t let you move.

his hands were locked on your waist, holding you firmly in place. it pulsed around you again, warm, somewhat tight too, like it was trying to milk you dry without you even thrusting.

it was too much. too good.

you squirmed in his hold, trying to rock your hips just a little—only for him to tighten his grip, strong hands digging into your lower back.

“i said don’t move,” anaxa warned, his voice dark. “you wanted this, didn’t you?”

you choked on a moan. “b-but i can’t—i need to—anaxa, please—”

your cock twitched inside the void, the heat and slickness massaging it with every subtle pulse. you were panting now, hands clutching desperately at his shoulders.

“you’re so impatient,” he murmured, almost fondly. “i haven’t even prepped you yet.”

you blinked, dazed. “wha—?”

then his hand slid down, slipping between your cheeks, a finger pressing against your rim.

you gasped. “wait wait wait—!”

his finger pushed in slowly, and you cried out, your cock pulsing violently inside his chest. he continued to move his finger, massaging the walls before he inserted another one, curling it deep, hitting just the right spot.

the mix of tight heat around your cock and his fingers stroking your prostate overwhelmed you. you thighs trembled, and you collapsed against him fully, a sob breaking from your throat.

“can’t… take it—” you whimpered.

“yes, you can.” he kissed your thigh, breath hot against your skin. two fingers, now three, buried deep inside you, curling and stroking in ways that made your back arch.

you gasped, a cry torn from your throat as your body trembled, the heat in your stomach rapidly increasing, the knot forming—

“agh! anaxa—!” you whimpered. “i think i’m gonna—”

but just as your climax neared—he stopped.

he slipped your cock out of his chest. his fingers slipped out. all stimulation vanished in an instant, leaving you twitching and breathless, painfully hard and dripping.

“n-no—! why—?” you choked, hips jerking helplessly in his grip, desperate for any kind of friction. “i was so close—!”

anaxa looked up at you, eyes half-lidded and dark. “you don’t get to come from that alone.”

he shifted, rising to his feet. in one smooth motion, he lifted you by the waist and pressed your back to the bookshelf again. your legs instinctively wrapped around him, still reeling from the sudden emptiness.

“i told you,” he said, lining himself up, the thick head of his cock nudging your entrance. “you’re mine to deal with now.”

then he pushed in.

you screamed—a high, broken moan muffled by his mouth as he kissed you hard, thrusting in deep, burying himself fully in one go. the stretch burned, your hands scrambled for purchase on his shoulders as your walls clenched around him, already too sensitive, already desperate.

he gave you a minute to get used to it, savoring your taste. he groaned into your mouth, grip tightening around your hips. “so tight,” he muttered.

then, he began to slam his hips up, triggering your release and making your eyes roll back as you came with a loud moan, your cock spurting cum on your stomach. still, anaxa didn’t bother to stop.

he continued to thrust his hips u, fucking into you despite you just hitting your climax and he didn’t even slow down.

you twitched in his grip, overstimulated already, but he kept fucking into you with a maddening rhythm, the sounds between you turning wetter and messier.

“anaxa—!” you sobbed, trying to pull away, your legs trembling around his waist. “c-can’t, s’too much—!”

“yes, you can,” he rasped, hands bruising your hips as he pinned you tighter. “you’re going to take it. be good and take what I give you.”

you whimpered, dizzy, overwhelmed—your body torn between pleasure and pain, nerves on fire as he angled his hips to strike that same sweet spot inside you over and over again. every thrust sent you spiraling, overstimulated to the point all you can just do is take it and moan, not an ounce of thought but pleasure in your head.

you let out a broken moan, hands gripping at his coat helplessly as your cock twitched again.

“wait— just came—!”

“come again for me,” he hissed, pulling out nearly all the way before slamming back in.

and you cry—moaning, sobbing, legs trembling so hard you couldn’t keep them wrapped around him anymore. he lifted you like nothing, carrying you toward the nearest table and laying you down, never slipping out once.

“spread them,” he ordered, voice hoarse.

your thighs obeyed before your mind could catch up. he grabbed them, holding you wide open as he began fucking into you again, deeper this time—harder. you could feel it everywhere, could feel another orgasm building.

“yes,” he growled, thrusting harder. “come again. make a mess. show me how perfect this hole is for me.”

and fuck, if you could handle anaxagoras manhandling you. him talking dirty to you with that low voice of his was a breaking point.

you screamed, body seizing up as you came a second time, eyes rolling back, back arching, lips parted in silent moans as white stained your stomach and chest again. your body was sticky at this point, but he hasn't even cum yet.

your second orgasm had left your legs twitching, mouth open in a quiet moan you didn’t even realize was still spilling out. your eyes were glassy, tears clinging to your lashes, and yet he kept going. he didn't even pause. not even when your body sagged into the table like your bones had melted.

his thrusts had slowed—but only so he could savor it. savor the way your body clenched around him involuntarily. how your body trembled. how you looked so fucked out beneath him.

“you’re shaking,” he said softly, almost amused, leaning down to kiss your damp cheek. “but you’re still hard.”

you gasped—because it was true. your cock twitched against your stomach, already leaking again, the ache unbearable but so good it made your head spin. you wanted to say something—tell him to stop, or to keep going, you weren’t even sure—but all you could do was moan when he lifted your hips and drove back into you again with a slick, obscene squelch.

the table creaked. you cried out.

he angled his hips again, slow and deep, hitting your sweet spot so perfectly that your back arched off the table, your nails scratching the wood.

your mind felt hazy, muscles trembling from overstimulation, body twitching under every drag of his cock inside you. you didn’t even register how many times you moaned his name anymore—it was just breath and heat and your legs going numb.

then he pulled out.

you whined at the loss—but before you could beg, his hand slid between your thighs, two fingers pushing inside your overstimulated hole, feeling your walls.

“a-anaxa, please,” you whimpered. “just—just do it—!”

he groaned and pulled out. he pulled your hips closer, guiding himself back into you, deeper than before—so deep it made your eyes cross. your body was stretched wide, raw and perfect around him.

the pace picked up again, merciless. he used the angle to push even deeper, and you sobbed from the pleasure. your hands reached up blindly, grasping at his jacket like you’d float away if you didn’t anchor yourself to him.

"you're perfect like this," he panted, licking a tear off your cheek. “absolutely ruined.”

you barely heard him—your third orgasm already building far too fast, your vision already spotting with black, your mouth open in moans and cries as your cock throbbed with every thrust.

then he slammed in one final time—and you broke.

you came again, violently, thighs locking around him in a desperate spasm as you screamed his name, tears streaming from your eyes. you could barely breathe. you couldn’t even move.

anaxa came too—deep inside you, with a low moan that rumbled in his chest as he pressed flush against you, hips trembling, filling you with heat you could feel.

he stayed there.

panting. holding you. letting the aftershocks run through both your bodies in silence, broken only by the dripping sounds of your mixed release and the soft creaks of the library around you.

you were still clinging to his jacket. you didn’t even realize it.

“…done now?” you whispered, voice hoarse, as your hand moved near the void on his chest once again.

he chuckled softly against your ear.

"touch it again, and see what happens."

you pulled away. "i don't know... what you're talking about."

“and don’t call me anaxa.”

phainon blinked. then blinked again.

"...mydei."

he turned the screen. mydei walked over, swirling his wine, raising a brow. "mm?”

"someone's got jokes."

mydei leaned in to read. "oh? that's new."

phainon hummed, already typing back.

phainon: depends. how well do you multitask? you: i’m a modern man. i can text, overthink, and be down bad all at once. you: also i’m ambidextrous. if that sweetens the deal. you: speaking of. hi

phainon choked on a quiet laugh. “or not?”

mydei plopped down beside him, resting his glass on the side table as he watched the conversation go on phainon’s phone.

phainon: so [n], ur real name? you: yeah, [n]. but u can also call me tonight:) phainon: i definitely will

phainon let out another laugh at that. "isn't he interesting, mydei? what do you think?"

“yeah, i like him,” he grinned. “invite him over.”

phainon hummed thoughtfully, sending the address.

phainon: see you tonight then, cutie :) you: ight i'll uber but if i die im gonna hunt ur nut forever.

a laugh escaped the couple's lips, a tear escaping phainon's eye from laughing too much. once the two has calmed down, you sent a new message.

you: don’t disappoint me phainon: just come and see you: only if you open the door shirtless ;) phainon: come quick then

mydei leaned back again as phainon tossed the phone aside and stood, stretching his arms over his head. "i'll get the bed ready."

~

you stood in front of their penthouse door thirty minutes later, heart pounding, unnecessarily nervous.

or necessarily.

either way, you’re really nervous.

you’ve been wanting to try threesome for a while, so you’re not… sure. how this should go.

idiot. [n]. idiot. you should have told them it’s your first time—

“you’ve been standing there for quite a while.”

you flinched at the deep voice that greeted you from behind, and turned, only to find yourself eye to eye with an ash-blonde man.

“i had to grab a few essentials,” he said smoothly, raising a plastic bag in his hand.

your eyes flickered to the bag. the shape of a bottle. a familiar box.

oh.

your mouth opened. closed. words failed you.

then the door opened.

not by mydei.

but from inside.

you turned behind, a white-haired man, only in towel, his hair wet and upper body exposed, appeared in front of you with a smile. “hey, cutie.”

holy fuck. he really opened the door shirtless.

his body’s even better personally!

“what are you staring for? come in.” phainon chuckled, grabbing your wrist with warm, calloused fingers as he tugged you inside. mydei followed behind, quietly locking the door with a soft click.

“relax,” phainon murmured, voice smooth like molten gold as he tugged you a little deeper into their space, bringing you to the bedroom.

“you’re the one who texted us first, remember?” mydei added from behind, his tone cool, amused. “don’t freeze up now.”

“if anything, the only reason i’d be freezing up is because holy shit. you guys are way better personally than the pictures.”

well, technically, you were talking about their body. even the tight shirt the ash-blonde wore made you see how packed he was.

phainon laughed, low and rich, the sound slinking down your spine. who’d have thought you’d pick up— or get picked up— by two attractive, hot men?

“you’re cute when you talk like that.” phainon said, sitting down on the mattress and pulling you between his knees. behind you, mydei exhaled, both hands on your hips.

phainon’s hands found your thighs, warm and steady, thumbs brushing back and forth like he had all the time in the world. still, it was… comforting. it soothed your nerves.

“is this your first time?” he asked.

“sex? no. threesome? yes.” you replied, bringing a hand to his cheek.

he hummed again, the sound soft and velvety against your palm as he leaned into your touch. “then we’ll be good to you.”

“you better be,” you chuckled. “i’ve got high standards.”

that earned a breathy chuckle from behind you. mydei had sunk closer without you noticing, his breath warm on your neck. your reached a hand back, fingers threading into his hair.

he stilled.

“you guys are surprisingly sweet,” you murmured, tugging gently on it and he exhaled a quiet, pleased noise against your skin. “you guys always like this with others?”

“you’re the first.” mydei murmured.

you blinked, a flicker of surprise crossing your face—but phainon caught it with a laugh.

“what? did you think we do this all the time?” he teased, fingers tugging lightly at the hem of your shirt.

“i mean, you both look like you could get anyone.”

mydei chuckled at that, pressing his lips against your neck before pulling your shirt up, slow enough that his knuckles grazed your skin as he undressed you, teasing a shiver out of you. once it cleared your head, he tossed it aside.

then phainon’s fingers slid to your waistband, tugging slightly—just enough to make your breath hitch.

“let’s get these off,” he said, already working your pants down.

with a soft rustle of fabric, mydei let go of your waist just long enough to pull his shirt over his head and drop it beside yours. his hands returned quickly, sliding slowly up your chest as if he couldn’t bear to stop touching you.

you swallowed, caught between them, the heat of their bare skin against yours.

phainon’s fingers hooked into your waistband again. he tugged your underwear down slow—like he was unwrapping something expensive—and hummed when your cock sprang free.

“mm,” he mused, eyes flicking up with a wicked glint. “not bad, sweetheart.”

before you could even quip back, mydei’s hands slid to your hips and pushed—gently—until you were stumbling forward into phainon’s lap.

“wha—?”

his hands gripped your thighs, steadying you, holding you open on top of phainon’s spread lap.

phainon leaned back on one hand, the other resting against your bare thigh. his cock pressed hot and hard against your ass through his towel, and his smirk was almost lazy. “you did say you could multitask.”

mydei slid one hand down your back, slow, until it cupped your ass and squeezed, making you yelp. he bent to kiss along your shoulder blade, dragging his mouth down your spine. “don’t disappoint us, hm?”

“you guys keep talking,” you huffed and began to grind against the phainon’s cock, catching his breath. he gripped your thighs and kept you still. “more doing.”

you tugged the towel, letting it slip and exposing his cock. your fingers wrapped around him with a slow squeeze, dragging a moan from his throat as he tilted his head back, eyes lidded.

“now, now,” mydei murmured behind you, voice low against your ear, “don’t ignore me.”

the sound of a zipper followed and then the rustle of fabric as he freed himself. he took your other hand, guided it to his own cock, and curled your fingers around the shaft.

“use your hands,” he said, his grip lingering for a moment before letting go.

you let out a soft laugh, not bothering to hide the amusement in your voice. “bossy.”

but you obeyed, both hands now occupied—one stroking phainon’s cock in long, teasing pulls, the other wrapped around mydei’s, pumping him. the two of them let out almost simultaneous moans, low and breathy in your ears, and you couldn’t help but smirk.

you continued to pump them, your eyes watching phainon’s expression. his eyes were closed, mouth agape as moan spilled out from his lips. you were about to comment on it when phainon’s hand pulled your cheek open, a finger pressing against your rim, already lubed.

when did he?—

“agh!” you groaned, your hand faltering for a moment when he inserted his finger.

“don’t stop,” mydei ordered, wrapping his large hand around yours and you immediately began moving again.

your breath hitched, hips twitching slightly as phainon’s finger slid deeper, curling just right. the slick glide made it easier, lube already warm from his palm.

“oh? did you prepare yourself beforehand?”

your only response was a nod and a shaky exhale, your hands obedient even as your body trembled. phainon added a second finger, scissoring you open slowly. your rhythm stuttered again—only for mydei to tighten his grip around your wrist with a quiet click of his tongue.

phainon’s fingers curled again, brushing your sweet spot, and your body jolted in response. you almost choked on your own moan, knees weak, but mydei’s grip on your waist kept you upright. “don’t get distracted.” he growled.

“sensitive,” phainon said with a chuckle, withdrawing his fingers with a slow, wet drag. “cute.”

you hummed and you feel mydei prop a knee on the edge of the bed, backing a bit and removing your hand from his cock. you almost panicked, thinking that you’d been too distracted, when phainon suddenly turned you over, shoving you on all fours, mydei’s cock right in front of your face.

“you— hng!”

phainon poured lube over the head of his cock, letting it drip before positioning it on your entrance, both hands on your hips. “did that surprise you?” he asked, a grin etched on his face.

mydei grabbed your jaw, pumping his cock with his other hand. “open your lips.” he said.

you obeyed without thinking, parting your lips as mydei guided the head of his cock against them. his grip stayed firm on your jaw, not rough—just enough to remind you who was in charge right now.

“good boy,” he praised, low and husky, slipping just the tip past your lips. “keep them open.”

behind you, phainon’s cock pressed deeper into your entrance, slow but steady, stretching you deliciously. your arms trembled beneath you as the burn turned to pleasure, moans vibrating around mydei’s cock as he pushed in a little further.

“god, the noises you're making,” Phainon groaned from behind, fingers digging into your hips. “we haven’t even gotten started.”

you tried to respond, but your mouth was already full of mydei. he chuckled, brushing hair from your eyes with a tenderness that contrasted the weight of his cock on your tongue.

“you’re doing so well,” he murmured. “taking both of us already.”

phainon gave an experimental thrust, pulling almost all the way out before pushing back in with a deep, wet sound that made your back arch.

“damn—he squeezes so tight,” he groaned, rolling his hips again, deeper this time.

tears pricked the corners of your eyes—not from pain, but the intensity of it all. the stretch, the praise, the heat building in every part of your body.

mydei held your face, his thumb rubbing soft circles against your cheek as you bobbed your head on him. he hissed through his teeth when your tongue swirled around the head of his cock, your eyes glassy and heavy-lidded.

“that’s it, sweetheart,” phainon praised from behind, pace picking up, each thrust hitting just the right spot. “so pretty like this.”

phainon set a rhythm, firm and steady. you jolted with every push, your knees weak, your own cock bobbing untouched beneath you, the knot forming in your stomach as you neared your climax. he angled up, brushing that spot that made your thighs twitch, and when you moaned again, mydei groaned aloud.

“you like that?” phainon chuckled, fucking into you deeper now, his pace quickening.

your arms trembled, the heat rising fast in your gut. every thrust, every sound, every brush of praise had you falling apart from both ends. mydei’s cock pulsed on your tongue, leaking across your lips as his hips stuttered.

“i’m close,” mydei said, voice rough. “fuck, i’m—open wide.”

you barely had time to react before he came, warm and thick against your tongue. you swallowed around him as best you could, gagging slightly when he twitched again before pulling out with a breathy groan.

behind you, phainon gripped tighter. “oh, that’s hot,” he muttered, gaze locked on the way you swallowed mydei down like a good boy. his hips snapped faster, deeper, his pace desperate now. “hold still—i’m gonna—”

he came hard, buried to the hilt inside you, his warmth spilling deep. you followed too with a loud moan, your cock spurting cum on the sheets. his fingers dug into your hips as he rode his climax out with a shuddering groan, and for a moment, the room was filled with heavy breathing and sweat-slick skin.

you collapsed onto the mattress the second he pulled out, your arms jelly, your thighs trembling.

you barely had time to catch your breath before phainon leaned over and kissed the back of your shoulder. “you alright?” he murmured.

you nodded, dazed, still twitching from the aftershocks. but before you could answer properly, mydei spoke:

“phainon got his fill,” he said, voice low as he reached to run a thumb across your cheek—just where his cum had dried a little. “it’s my turn now.”

you whimpered, throat sore, but your hips twitched at the tone of his voice. need pooling again, already. phainon chuckled behind you and gently rolled you onto your back.

“don’t worry,” he murmured near your ear, settling beside you, brushing your hair back as mydei climbed between your legs. “he’ll take care of you.”

and god, he did.

mydei was slower than expected—but not gentle. he pinned your hips on the bed, leaned down, and sank into you in one smooth, pushing phainon's cum back, dragging motion that made your breath catch.

he hissed through his teeth, eyes fluttering shut for a second. “still tight,” he growled.

you gasped, back arching, and phainon leaned down to press soft kisses along your throat, his hand moving to your cock, pumping you as mydei began to move. deep, grinding strokes. like he wanted to feel everything—every twitch, every throb, every flutter inside you.

he angled his hips and hit that spot again, hard. you cried out, toes curling.

“that’s it,” phainon praised, his hand speeding up, making you arch your back while mydei wrecked you from the inside out.

you weren’t sure how long it lasted—only that mydei didn’t let up. his grip bruising. his pace relentless. you were already spent, over-sensitive, trembling with every thrust and stroke.

your body gave in again, twitching violently around him as you came on phainon's hand, and mydei groaned like he felt it in his spine.

he buried himself deep and came with a shuddering growl, warmth spilling into you as he collapsed over your body, breath hot against your neck. you could feel both of them inside you now—thick, warm, full.

he didn’t pull out.

didn’t move for a while. just breathed against you, hand still holding your hip, the other hand stroking your thigh.

eventually, mydei spoke, “sleep like this.”

phainon tucked a blanket over the three of you. “yeah. you’ve earned it, sweetheart.”

you were already half asleep when they turned off the lights and settled properly with you.

and then—

morning sunlight.

a dull ache between your thighs, and two warm bodies wrapped around you as if you guys weren't strangers.

you lay still for a moment, watching the soft rise and fall of their chests. peaceful. too peaceful. something tugged at your chest, some vague thread of emotion you didn’t want to name.

quietly, you peeled yourself out of the tangle of limbs and looked at the clock— 5:12 am.

so you took your time. washed up. borrowed one of their oversized shirts—the ash-blonde ones, you thought. though the scent was a mix of both of them—and folded the clothes, yours and theirs.

but before that—

you cooked. not to be sweet—though maybe a part of you was. no, you just didn’t want to be remembered as the guest who left without a word and didn’t bother to clean up after himself.

you hummed while stirring the eggs. then, there was a moment when you thought—

“maybe i should ask them.”

the thought came uninvited, somewhere between plating the toast and pouring the coffee. “maybe they’d be open to a regular thing. friends with benefits? sex buddies? Something casual but consistent...”

it wasn’t even about the sex, really.

just the comfort of being in someone's arms. you liked how theirhands had been warm. their voices, even teasing, had made you laugh.

you stood there, spatula in hand, considering it.

yeah, maybe you should.

after cooking and getting everything ready, you left the kitchen and walked back to where their room was. you were about to open the door wide when you heard them talk.

“honestly, i didn’t think he’d be that good,” mydei murmured.

phainon chuckled. “well? did you enjoy it, love?”

mydei hummed. “worth the grindr scroll. still weirdly fun for something we did just to kill time.”

you didn’t freeze this time. you just… stood there.

maybe not.

how sweet, you thought, lips quirking bitterly. a shame though, since they'll only do this once.

they were boyfriends too.

you really liked them.

you walked back to the kitchen and for a moment, looked at the breakfast you prepared. you were glad you didn't prepare one for yourself.

now all you had to do was leave.

you didn’t leave a note. not out of pride. just because you weren’t sure what you’d write.

thanks for the fuck?

you chuckled at yourself at the thought before running a hand through your hair.

oh well.

you met him in a church with faded murals and gold leaf peeling off the edges. a relic held together by quiet faith and flickering candles.

you were just passing through—or so you told yourself. you were the kind of man who didn’t stay. you carried too much ruin in your veins and too little hope in your chest.

and yet, he smiled at you as if none of that mattered.

“first time here?” he asked, soft-voiced, as if anything louder might scare you off.

you looked at him—clean shirt, gentle posture, that golden cross around his neck like a vow carved into metal.

“something like that,” you replied, hands in your coat pockets, keeping yourself still.

he told you his name was sunday.

you didn’t ask.

he asked you what yours was.

you didn’t care, but you lied about yours.

with that, you left.

he didn’t tell you to come back or invite you to the masses, and you were glad he didn’t.

because you’d never come back.

or so you thought.

you came back, surprisingly.

not for the church, not for the sermons, but perhaps for the way he made silence feel like comfort.

you never sat in the pews. instead, you lingered near the back, arms folded, watching the light bend through stained glass while he knelt before the altar.

eventually, he started talking to you after services. small things—comments about the weather, a quote from a book he liked, a inspirational story from someone else’s life—never his own.

you gave him nothing in return, and he never asked.

still, he looked at you like you were more than your silence.

and that made it worse.

you told him once—just to test him—that you believed sin was necessary.

that it wasn’t evil—that it was something about survival and so on.

“everyone is a sinner,” you said with a half-smile, a flicker of uncertainty in your throat.

you’ve never been this uncertain about your choices of words.

“so why should it matter if people sinned against those who have sinned to them?”

at first, he didn’t react and just looked at you for a long moment.

and then he said, “sometimes forgiveness isn’t about deserving. it’s about releasing what’s killing you.”

you laughed—sharp, bitter.

“do you think i want to be forgiven?”

“i think you don’t know what you want.”

that stayed with you, long after the candles burned out.

and for the first time in ever, you left uncertain of your choices.

before you knew it, it became a habit. you didn’t speak of it.

you came on fridays, always late. he stayed behind after the others left. the two of you existed in that space full of beliefs and prayers, but you never kneeled.

you leaned against the back wall like a man ready to flee anytime.

and still, he stayed.

once, you found him in the church old garden. he was tending to an old rose bush that had long since stopped blooming.

you stood beside him, not speaking.

finally, you asked, “why bother? it’s dead.”

he looked at the bush. touched the thorns with bare fingers.

“it’s resting.”

you watched him for a long time.

and then, without thinking, you asked, “would you still believe in it if it had thorns big enough to draw blood?”

he looked at you and smiled.

“i already do.”

you didn’t know why, but when you left, your hands were shaking.

you didn’t mean to fall for him.

it happened slowly and unexpectedly.

in the way he remembered things you never said out loud. the way he never pushed you, but always stayed.

you hated how gentle he was.

you hated how you wanted more.

you told yourself he would never want someone like you—that he was made of light and mercy and whatever god lingering in hollow bones.

and you were made of ash.

but sometimes, when the two of you were alone, his gaze lingered too long. his words were too careful and his hands trembled just enough when they brushed yours. he never quite looked at you the same way he looked at the others.

sometimes you think he pities you and sometimes you think he sees right through you.

he made you feel things you never wanted to feel, and out of desperation, you made the mistake of telling him the truth.

maybe you wanted to be reassured.

or you just wanted him to hate you?

one night, late—your voice rough, the scent of rain still clinging to your coat. you told him the kind of man you used to be and all the horrible things you have done—what you did to survive, the people you hurt, the place you fled.

you didn’t cry. didn’t broke into whatever emotion was threatening to engulf you whole.

but your voice broke, quietly, around the edges, and when you were finished, you waited for him to walk away.

he didn’t.

he just looked at you.

“i understand,” he said softly.

you froze. and that’s when you realized that he’s still looking at you gently.

he reached for your hand.

you pulled away.

why?

“don’t,” you rasped. “don’t touch me like- i don’t know— like i’m not disgusting.”

why can’t he just hate you?

everyone did.

really. it would have been better if he just hated you.

“you’re not.”

you laughed—something hoarse, hollow. “you say that like it means something.”

“it does.”

“no, sunday,” you snapped, stepping back. “you shouldn’t care about me! you should hate me—you don’t get to see the worst of me and still look at me like i’m—”

“worthy?” he asked, stepping forward. “you are.”

your hands clenched.

“i’m not like you, sunday.”

“i know.”

“i’ve never asked for forgiveness and i never will— i don’t deserve this. i don’t deserve you.”

silence.

then: “you deserve peace.”

you almost laugh. “peace is for the dead.”

“then let me give you something else.”

you falter.

“…like what?”

his voice is soft—too soft. “a place to rest.”

your chest ached. there’s something rising in your throat—ugly, wet, shameful.

i love you.

but you knew you couldn’t.

“please, stay.” he pleaded.

and you didn’t.

you left that night and didn’t come back for weeks.

the ache didn’t leave you.

it stayed under your ribs like a knife.

because you knew.

and worse—you believed it.

that sunday… loved you too.

and you felt guilty for making someone like him feel that way.

when you returned, you came back late at night. you just wanted to see the church, or so you tell yourself, one last time.

because of the memories.

but you didn’t think he’d still be there, lighting candles, the room glowing in amber and shadows.

he turned when you entered, startled.

you saw his breath catch.

“i thought i lost you,” he said.

you stepped into the aisle.

“you… did.”

he walked toward you—slowly, as if afraid you’d vanish.

you let him get close this time.

“i shouldn’t have come,” you whispered.

“but you did.”

a silence settled between you. fragile.

you swallowed.

“i keep thinking,” you said, “if i’d been better… cleaner or more righteous. if i hadn’t done those… or if i had just been something other than me—”

“don’t,” he said, a plea.

but you pressed on, voice breaking, raw. “i… would give anything,” you said, looking down. “to be a woman you could love.”

and it wasn’t just about gender.

it was about expectation—about being pure, being holy, being soft and untouched and blessable.

you had never been that.

you never would be.

his face broke. no saintly calm now— as if he was grieving.

“you think i care about you less because you’re a man?”

you didn’t answer.

you didn’t want to hear the truth because if it was yes, it would kill you.

“you had no choices,” he said. “and you carried it. the hurt, the guilt! you never strayed, and i would carry those with you—”

“you can’t,” you snapped, stepping back. “you weren’t made to carry someone like me. you were made to save souls, and i don’t have one.”

a long pause.

then, barely above a whisper:

“i love you.”

your knees nearly gave out.

because it wasn’t lust. it wasn’t pity.

it was purely love, from his heart and the depths of him. you could tell from the way he looked at you.

and it was everything you could never ask for.

you stepped forward and kissed him.

it was desperate— starved. your mouth on his like a prayer begging not to be heard. then, you pushed him away.

you turned and ran away like a coward.

and you hated yourself for it.

“you’re quiet,” you murmured.

“i'm always quiet.”

“but this one’s different.”

he didn’t answer, only glanced over at you. his gaze was sharp, but there was something underneath it.

“is it the market?” you teased. “the kids singing down the street? or is it that you’ve been staring at my mouth since we passed that alleyway?”

his jaw tensed.

that was your answer.

“blade,” you said. “we’ve got a few more hours before the next contact point.”

he looked away, lips twitching in the closest thing to a smirk. “you’re asking for trouble.”

“i’m asking for you.”

he moved so fast you barely caught it.

one arm around your waist, the other gripping your jaw, pushing you gently into the shaded alleyway between two buildings. he slammed his lips against yours and you kissed back, the kiss full of hunger and passion.

teeth clashed. your back against the wall. his hands were firm, fingers gripping your hips like he’d been dying to touch you. you barely had time to breathe before he kissed you again, deeper, rougher like he meant to bruise your mouth into his.

“not here,” you gasped against him, hand curling into his coat. “risky.”

you took his hand, dragging him down the narrow alley, moving around the corner until you reached the unmarked steel door nestled beneath a half-broken light.

your hideout—somewhere you had used for the mission. nothing fancy. just a safe, quiet room with enough privacy you thought you might need in case your dearest blade decided he needed to be with you... or inside you.

you fumbled with the lock, heart racing, blade’s breath hot on your neck as he pressed close behind you. the moment it clicked open, you pulled him inside. he shoved the door shut behind him and pinned you to it with a thud.

his mouth was back on yours before you could say another word. you kissed like you were starved, all tongue and heat and slick. you were already hard. he was too. you could feel it when your hips rutted together, clothes still on and far too frustrating.

“clothes,” you muttered, fumbling with his coat, “off.”

clothes came off in pieces—your scarf dropped first, then his coat, your shirt pulled overhead and tossed to the side.

“bed,” he ordered.

you backed toward the bed, sinking onto it, legs spread just slightly—enough for him to slot between them as he knelt.

blade’s eyes raked over you, devouring. then he leaned in, mouth dragging down your throat, over your chest, sucking a bruise into your collarbone, and you let out a whine at that. he continued to leave marks at your body, occasionally earning him a noise.

“you make a lot of noise when you’re like this,” he muttered.

“worried someone will hear?” you grinned.

he shoved two fingers into your mouth without answering. you sucked eagerly, eyes half-lidded, and when he pulled them out, they trailed down between your legs.

you bit your lip when he touched your entrance, one finger pressing in.

“tight,” he said, more to himself than to you, his voice low and breathy.

"...i-it's been a while." you mumbled, panting.

a small grin ghosted over his lips as he added another finger, scissoring. your back arched as he brushed that spot deep inside and you choked on a groan.

“blade—fuck—just—please—”

his hand stilled.

"so needy," he purred.

you flushed, breath catching. “there’s...no lube…”

blade only raised an eyebrow, then leaned down—lower, and lower—until his face was between your thighs. you barely had time to process it before his tongue was on you.

you whined—hips bucking instinctively, only to be pinned down by his forearm.

he licked a long, deliberate stripe up your hole, slow and messy, the sudden wet warmth making your eyes roll back. he devoured you with no hesitation, broad tongue flattening against your rim, licking you open with hunger that had your thighs trembling around his head.

you moaned, loud and helpless, one hand gripping the sheets, the other tangling in his hair. “f-fuck, blade—”

he groaned against you, as if encouraging you to moan more. he liked hearing you fall apart under him. you could tell by the way he sucked around your hole, tongue pushing past the tight ring until you cried out, thighs twitching.

it was filthy. needy. so good you were already leaking from your cock, untouched.

then he pulled back.

“spread your legs wider,” he ordered, standing to his full height and wrapping his hand around his cock.

you obeyed immediately, face flushed.

he gave himself a few slow pumps, then leaned over you again and then—

spat.

it landed messily over the flushed head of his cock, and he smeared it along his length with practiced ease, dragging the tip down your entrance.

“this’ll be rough,” he warned, voice husky.

“i want it—”

that was all he needed.

he pushed in slowly, the stretch burning. you gasped as the head popped in, your hole twitching around him.

blade grunted, jaw tight, holding back until he bottomed out in one smooth, brutal thrust.

you cried out, your back arching off the mattress.

“fuck,” he hissed, bending down to mouth at your throat. “still so tight…”

he remained still for a few moments, letting you get used to it. once you felt ready, you squirmed, gesturing for him to move.

you whimpered when he pulled out halfway and slammed back in, beginning to set a punishing rhythm.

his hips smacked against yours with every thrust, the sound obscene in the small hideout room. you clung to him, legs wrapped around his waist, letting him use you however he wanted.

“blade—blade!—ah—fuck!—so good—”

every thrust hit that spot inside you that made your vision go white. you could feel his cock drag against your walls, hot and pulsing, splitting you open again and again.

he pressed his forehead against yours, panting into your open mouth. “you love being fucked like this, don’t you?”

you nodded frantically. “yes—fuck—yes, blade, please! ngh!—don’t stop—”

he didn’t. his thrusts only grew faster, more erratic as your walls fluttered around him. you could feel his cock twitch—he was close. so were you.

“cum for me,” he growled, biting your jaw. “cum while I’m inside you.”

you were so close.

blade’s thrusts had turned rough and desperate, his hands gripping your thighs so tight you were sure they’d bruise. you could feel it—the heat, the tight coil in your gut, the way his cock twitched inside you.

you locked your legs around his waist, arching up as the heat in your gut snapped—your vision went white, body trembling as you came with a cry. blade groaned low and deep, hips stuttering as he slammed in one final time and—

click!

the door clicked.

your eyes flew open.

blade was buried deep inside you, then pulled out, panting. cum spilld out and trailed down your ass. you were a sweaty, panting, wrecked mess beneath him, cum streaked across your stomach and twitching through the aftershocks.

your gaze fell to the door, which was still closed. you thought you heard something... or not? it must have been your ears playing tricks on you.

you cleaned the entire house, in hopes that it will distract you from thinking about mydei’s situation. thankfully, it did.

but now, there’s only one more thing to do. the laundry. you were separating white from colored when someone knocked on your door.

you raised your brows as you approached the door, unlocking it and opening it slightly just to check who the person behind the door was, a bit cautious since no one really came to your home.

and your eyes widened at the figure in front.

“…mydeimos?” you let out, a gasp escaping your lips as you opened the door wide, stunned as you stumbled back.

he smiled, stepping forward into the house and closing the door behind. “missed me?”

you did…

you missed him so much a tear escaped your eyes, surprising him. you lunged yourself at him, wrapping your arms around his chest. “mydei!”

you hugged him tight, in which he reciprocated as he wrapped his arms around your waist. “what are you being a crybaby for?”

“mydei….” you mumbled, pulling back and pressing your lips against his. he kissed you back, holding you just as tightly.

you brought your hands on each side of his cheeks, pulling him close as if you guys weren’t close enough. you deepened the kiss, your tongue slipping inside his mouth as you tasted inch by inch the insides of his mouth.

it has been so long since you last tasted him, too.

he pulled back, a string of saliva still connecting you two. “what’s the rush? i’m not leaving anymore.”

you kissed him again—desperately, like the world might end if your lips left his for even a second. the two of you stumbled back, lips never parting, hearts pounding in sync. somewhere between ragged breaths and whispered names, you made it to the bedroom—clothes tugged loose.

you plopped him down the mattress, hovering on top of him while your hands caressed his chest. skin warm beneath your hands, flushed from the heat building between you.

“welcome home.” you breathed, voice low and soft, a smile forming your lips.

“mm. it’s good to be home.” he whispered, fingers curling into your shirt as he pulled you into another kiss. this one was soft, passionate, and full of longing.

after a moment, you pulled back, leaving him panting. you began to undress, fingers tugging at your clothes slowly until you were left in just your underwear.

you leaned in again, your palm cradling his face, thumb brushing his warm cheek. “still okay?” you whispered.

mydei nodded. your other hand tugged at his pants, pulling it down as you moved along, your lips pressing soft kisses on his chest down to his stomach.

you removed his pants, and his breath hitched.

you took your time, savoring the way mydei’s body responded beneath your touch. his thighs twitched when your fingers brushed over them, and his breath came in small, soft huffs, chest rising and falling.

you hummed as you pressed another kiss just above the waistband of his underwear. “you really were pushing yourself out there.”

“i had to.” he said, his voice low and honest.

Your heart ached a little at that, but you smiled gently and tugged down the last of his clothing. he shivered slightly at the cool air, but even more so under your warm gaze—like you were seeing him for the first time again.

you leaned down to kiss the soft skin of his inner thigh, “i missed you.”

you grabbed the small bottle of lube you’d kept tucked in the drawer—untouched since the last time he was here. you slicked your fingers carefully and leaned in, brushing your lips against his as your hand slid down.

“i’ll go slow,” you whispered. "let me cherish your return."

"...embarrassing.." he muttered, but nodded either way, eyes half-lidded, legs instinctively spreading a little for you. you pressed a single lubed finger to his entrance, gently circling the rim before slowly sliding in.

he gasped softly, hands clutching at the bedsheets.

you kissed his cheek, then his temple. “i missed this. missed you.”

another finger joined the first, stretching him carefully. it has been a while since you guys have done it, so he's gotten tight. his breaths turned shakier, but he leaned into you.

“feels good,” he murmured, voice breathy. “missed you too…”

you leaned up to kiss him again, your fingers working him open. there was no rush—just you, him, and everything you hadn’t said while he was gone.

and when he was fully prepared, when his hips arched and he whimpered your name in a voice that sounded like prayer, you slicked yourself and aligned at his entrance.

“i love you,” you whispered, pressing your forehead to his.

you pushed in slowly, watching his expression for any sign of discomfort. mydei gasped, his legs instinctively wrapping around your waist as you filled him inch by inch.

“so good…” he breathed, his fingers curling against your back. “you always make it feel good.”

you leaned down, lips brushing against his cheek as you bottomed out. “i never want to hurt you. tell me if it’s too much.”

he shook his head, eyes soft, dazed. “i want all of you."

you began to move, hips rolling in a slow, steady rhythm, rocking into him with the kind of care that only came from loving someone deeply. his warmth surrounded you, and every moan that left his lips made your chest tighten with affection.

his hands roamed your back, gripping at your shoulder blades as if trying to ground himself. “you feel so warm…"

you kissed him again—slower this time. deep, unhurried, your tongue brushing against his like the softest caress.

each thrust was accompanied by whispered words—soft praises, confessions, breathless moans.

mydei arched beneath you, tears pricking his eyes—not from pain, but from the overwhelming tenderness in your touch, your words, the way you looked at him like he was your entire world.

and he was.

you brought a hand down, intertwining your fingers with his as your hips rolled deeper, more deliberate.

then he came first, his entire body shuddering beneath yours as he gasped your name into the curve of your neck.

you followed moments later, releasing with a groan against his skin, your entire body sinking into his as you trembled through it.

for a moment, neither of you moved. you stayed inside him, your bodies flush, hearts pounding in sync.

you kissed the corner of his mouth, your hand gently brushing strands of hair away from his eyes. “you’re home now... finally. let me take care of you now, my love."