#deepspace hunter

The evening was not supposed to go this way. It was finally, finally, a night the two of you had time off. Frustration had been gnawing at you, the late nights you caught him teleporting onto his balcony, hurt, his dodginess about the derelict spaceship in the forest.

Relief relaxes your shoulders as you spot a familiar figure ahead of you clad in white, sword held in hand.

"Xavier! Thank goodness—"

A series of strange events occur immediately as you press your lips to his.

Xavier stiffens, stiffens, as if he doesn't spend every private moment all over you. Armored hands settle on your waist, sliding up your side, cradling your face, pulling you closer, the cool kiss of metal contrasts with the rising heat—

Armor? Since when did Xavier wear armor?

Relief turns into confusion as you pull back. Xavier is blushing, hard, eyes frantic, face so flushed you could almost believe he has a fever. His breathing is labored, chest rising and falling underneath his coat. There's no trace of red light underneath his shirt. An injury perhaps?

There's also the matter of his attire. A long fitted white coat, open at the chest revealing a black breastplate decorated with gold, iridescence shimmering at his throat and down his arms before being swallowed by black gauntlets. Unabashed joy adorns his face, full of equal parts wonder and something akin to grief as he caresses your face, putting his forehead to yours.

This "Xavier" finds his voice first, a shaky whisper. "You told me just before I left …." his lips find yours again, breathless frantic kisses, and he feels familiar, so familiar that you can't help but want to kiss him back. "I thought…I thought you had someone else."

Someone else? Who would you have but Xavier?

"She does."

A flash of light and a sword enters your vision.

This time, you're certain it's your Xavier, white Hunter uniform pristine while your knees are covered in grass. Keeping the sword at the other man's throat, he pulls you into him by your waist.

Side by side you can see some minor differences between the two of them. The other Xavier seems to be a tad younger, a little more stiff and formal in posture. He barely reacts to the sword at his throat. Instead, his eyes flit between the two of you trying to make sense of what is happening.

Xavier breaks the silence first, "How many flowers did you send to the Queen's coronation?"

The other man's eyes narrow, "How do you know about that? Only Jeremiah—"

He ignores the question, "Did we leave yet?"

We?

"We were just about to…" the other Xavier trails off, lost in thought, eyes widening.

You hear it just a fraction of a second before you see it.

A large black claymore arcs through the air with a deadly whistle, headed straight for you. Without thinking, you push Xavier aside just as the sword embeds itself in the tree behind you with a sickening crunch, a hairs breadth from the Hunter's head.

A warning.

“Step aside.”

The voice, familiar again yet laced with distinctive roughness.

An imposing figure steps from the shadows. Instinct tells you it's also Xavier but this Xavier is unlike anything from your imagination— clad head to toe in black finery, jeweled buttons catching the pale moonlight, golden steel flowers pinned above his heart. Long, slightly unkempt hair leaves a silvery trail down his back, and atop his head sits a black crown. A king?

The sharp piercing gaze that finds yours is the same, narrowing just slightly as he takes you in. His lips press themselves into a thin line, and you avert your gaze.

You should be weirded out, concerned even, by the two doppelgangers in front of you, but something tells you they're all the man you love (somehow). Judging by their reactions, you're important to these other two, although you're not sure how or why or when.

Xavier— well to be precise, your Xavier— swiftly steps in front of you, using his body as a physical barrier between him and the two other men. Silence stretches as they stare each other down, swords raised.

“Who are you to her?” is the unexpected question he lands on.

“Her knight,” the Xavier clad in white armor says, fist clenched.

“Her king,” the imposing Xavier in all black says definitively.

“And you?” knight Xavier asks pointedly.

The Hunter narrows his eyes.

“Her partner.”

A beat passes before the three of them speak up at the same time.

"Protofield—"

"Wanderers—"

"Anomaly—"

"We're from different times aren't we?" says the King. A simple summation for a situation that was anything but.

His gaze finds yours again, voice soft, "We meet again."

Your voice finds itself, "Again?"

A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips. "Yes, again. You're here." He speaks as though your reunion was inevitable, as though all this time he was merely patiently waiting for you.

"I'm going to need an explanation," the Knight interrupts. Of the three, he looks the most tense, fingers unconsciously toying with the two star-shaped charms on his sword. "It would seem that the two of you know me, but not the other way around."

The King's claymore vanishes into specs of light, a gesture to diffuse the tension perhaps. "The Queen's Grandis Knight yes? I suppose you're somewhere on your second mission."

"How do you both—" he starts, brows furrowing before realization dawns on his face.

"You're both from my future," he whispers, "But which?"

King Xavier looks at your Xavier, "I'm curious as well since she," a glance at you, "seems to be with you."

Xavier looks less than forthcoming as his fingers flex against your side, "Is it a good idea to share information? If this is a closed timelike curve—"

"It wouldn't change anything, not for him," the King interrupts, gesturing to the Knight, "You would stay your course no matter what."

"Of course," Knight Xavier doesn't even blink, "Since the meteor shower I swore…" And I have, is the unspoken declaration in the air.

Somewhere, sometime, you had crossed swords with him. Somewhere, sometime, you had shared earbuds on a school roof.

The King looks back at Xavier, "And you?"

He sighs as he flicks his lightblade away, "My answer is the same."

The King laughs softly, "We're stubborn like that. Wouldn't you agree?"

You start, so engrossed in the back and forth that it takes a moment before you realize he's referring to you. Despite the circumstances, a small smile tugs at the corner of your mouth.

"Stubborn where it matters, yes."

--

The three Xaviers get along well, better than you expected given Xavier's tendency to get hideously territorial. By their best estimates, the spatial anomaly you're trapped in should disappear in about a week, give or take. The four of you settle into a quasi-domestic routine quickly, setting up a temporary camp, filtering water, foraging for food; never mind that the food responsibility quickly became a you thing, seeing as all three Xaviers had a tendency to pick poisonous berries and the King and Knight didn't seem to eat, ever.

Despite Xavier's general acceptance of his other selves, there seems to be an unspoken arrangement that he always sits next to you, arm snaking around your waist in a not-so-subtle claim. The other two certainly notice, especially when you come back late for dinner, hair mussed and pink in the face, but say nothing.

—

"Are you sure you don't want anything?"

The Lightseeker is up to his elbows in laundry, carefully washing grass stains out of his jacket. As comfortable as they were, spatial anomalies did not tend to come with a change of clothes, and the Knight had quickly taken to the domestic tasks. Underneath the soft hoodies and blankets, Xavier had always been fastidious, desk neat, condo clean despite the odd hours he worked. You're learning now that this is where it comes from.

A spartan, militaristic upbringing, a demanding father, a cage of expectations.

No wonder he chafed under them.

Being with your Knight is like meeting Xavier again for the first time, when you first found him sleeping in the no-hunt zone, long before the relationship you have now. He reminds you of what Xavier was like before— quietly confident, adoring, a little stiff, endlessly captivating. He accepts your presence quickly, eagerly following you around camp, teasing you about your swordsmanship skills (or lack thereof) and regaling you with tales of Philos. Eager and happy in a way only Xavier could be.

But today, something about the way his hair glows in the morning sunlight takes your breath away, and you find yourself at a loss for words.

So you settle for small talk,"You're really good at laundry."

The Knight huffs a laugh, "Any knight worth their salt is, it's part of the requirements for being a squire."

You hum, having a hard time imagining Xavier running errands for his teacher. Now that you thought about it, you never considered that he would be under the tutelage of anyone— so confident was he in his abilities that you never stopped to think that someone must've taught him along the way.

He passes you the tub, "Help me dry these?"

The two of you fall into an easy silence as the Knight wrings excess water from the clothing before passing it to you to be hung on the clothesline, dotting the meadow with a banner of anachronistic garb.

It's hard not to look at him.

Not when the three of them are the only other living beings in the Protofield, not when you're suddenly thrust into close proximity with two identical copies of your boyfriend. You find yourself stealing glances at the Lightseeker in between hanging up shirts and pants, taking in the line of his nose, the curve of his jaw, the same maddening quirk of his lip as if he found something privately amusing, something just for him. Broad shoulders, thick arms, lean muscle evident now that he was no longer covered from the neck down in armor and leather. You will yourself not to gawk every time his biceps flex, stray droplets of water cascading down his forearms and past his fingertips back into the bucket.

A black high neck tank top seems to be a particular favorite of all the Xaviers, each of them wearing some version of it under their customary attire.

You're thankful and resentful for it at the same time.

His fingers brush up against yours again, seeking your touch as he passes you the final piece of laundry. It's only by virtue of knowing him (well, his future self) so well that you know those touches are carefully planned, just casual enough to seem accidental, true intentions hidden under a thick veneer of plausible deniability.

How very like Xavier indeed.

This time, you grant him the mercy of clarity, clasping his hands in yours, smiling brightly at him before kissing his cheek. Instantly, the Knight glows, ears blushing red as his wide blue eyes search yours in confusion before leaning forward, angling his face towards yours. He stops just short of kissing you, so close that you can feel traces of his breath caress your skin, instead putting his forehead to yours.

All the while, he keeps his hands in yours, hanging onto your touch.

--

Where Lightseeker is guarded under layers of courtly decorum, the King of Sindersfell is hidden under the sands of time. The long millennia the King has spent without you, with barely another living soul have eroded Xavier down to only what was vital for survival. Gone was the young idealistic knight, in its place was a king who wore aloofness like a crown, rarely spoke unless was necessary, and referred to himself as a tyrant.

You wonder if this is what Xavier, your Hunter, would be like if you never met in Linkon. He already had a reputation as a lone actor at the Hunter's Association. Was it loneliness that made the King this way? Would he, your strawberry-growing, cat-feeding, cardigan-wearing Xavier grow cold? Grow distant?

Initially, the King seems to prefer the company of the other two Xaviers, sparring with the Knight and Hunter. Those sessions always capture your attention— after all, it was Xavier in his element, free from the pretenses and expectations of others. It didn't escape you that although you were all trapped here outside of time, this was the one place that Xavier could truly be himself.

The King seems purposefully unwilling to be alone in your presence. Whether out of deference for your Xavier or because you've done something to offend him, you don't know. The rare times you two are alone, his behavior is…a little awkward to say the least. Once, he chastised you for carrying too much firewood, all the while grabbing the entire stack in his arms, leaving you to catch up to his long strides. Another time, he taught you how to weave a corsage with wildflowers, but before you can tie off the stems on his wrist, he abruptly stands, face indecipherable, and walks away.

This sunset, you chanced upon him on one of your walks, napping in a field of flowers. Unlike the other two, the King came and went as he pleased, always looking upon you and your Hunter with a slight furrow in his brow. When he did speak, he spoke of Philos with scorn and disdain— about how a planet and its people were unworthy of redemption. Yet he said nothing of trying to change anything, as if the destruction of Philos was inevitable, just a foregone conclusion he had accepted long ago.

"But you must have a plan,"Lightseeker says, "I—you— wouldn't let it end this way."

The King says nothing.

How did Xavier come to believe he was beyond saving?

Right now, he seemed utterly defenseless, sword propped up, crown beside him, long hair cradled by blue wildflowers. The setting sun bathes him in its glow, setting a vivid contrast between the dark of his attire and the pale strands of his hair and skin. How strange, seeing as Xavier always preferred white, yet the King was swathed in total darkness.

Fitting perhaps, for the king of the damned.

You trace the golden floral pin on his chest, the metal still cool to the touch despite the rays. Instinct (and experience with Xavier in particular) tells you that the King hasn't shared his whole story with you. He seems to want for very little, not food, not sleep, not your company. What mattered to this Xavier? What was he waiting for back on Philos?

Asleep, he is every bit the man you are in love with. Awake, he is nigh indecipherable, glimpses of phantom affection only present in his awkward, almost clumsy actions. In every universe, Xavier was a mystery to be unraveled. Your Xavier is no different. This Xavier is no different.

You want to get to know this Xavier too.

He doesn't stir when you sit beside him. Unsure of what to do with this sudden opportunity, you reach for his hair, smoothing the silver locks between your fingers, brushing out the stray grass that had made itself home. When he doesn't respond, you braid it, weaving in the surrounding wildflowers into a plait. It reminds you of the silly hairdos you try on Xavier when he's dead asleep on the couch, and you smile.

Unable to resist, you reach out and caress his cheek. Xavier frowns slightly, and you start, jerking your hand away as his eyes flutter open. Immediately, his gaze is on you, eyes wide, blue nearly swallowed up by black.

The moment hangs there for a few beats too long before he pulls you into his arms.

"You're here."

He grasps you tighter, crushing you against his chest.

"I missed you."

To your utter shock, he nuzzles the side of your neck, pressing a soft kiss there. The gesture, so unexpected, so intimate, makes you flinch despite yourself.

"You don't want me to kiss you?" he grumbles, voice hoarse with sleep, barely audible against your heartbeat thudding in your ears. "At least let me kiss you before I wake up," the soft plea makes your heart clench with realization.

He thinks he's dreaming.

He misses you.

Just the other day, the King had barely spoken to you with anything other than ambivalent disinterest. Now he was pleading you to kiss him, desperation making him close his arms around you like a vice. His pleas continue, the whispered confessions of a lonely man with nothing. What could you even say to a man who has been in mourning for all this time?

"I know you wouldn't want to see me like this, what I've become in your absence. But…"

With renewed determination, he grabs the back of your neck, firmly planting his lips on yours. Xavier lived long enough to watch the story of you warp from fact to myth to dust. Walked side by side as your name and sacrifice was erased from history, watched himself go from sentinel to sinner. Watched himself become a tyrant in your his people's eyes. You don't know what to say to a man who has been in mourning for all this time.

"But I do," you pull back, fumbling over your words, unsure of how you could even begin to ease his pain. "I do want to see you. Is that alright?"

The wildflowers tickle your neck as he pulls back to look at you, the blue eyes which journeyed across the cosmos hold no answers, just something that looks like the beginning of relief. You don't know, and he doesn't say, just traces the bow of your lip with his thumb in silence.

--

You don't turn when you hear the grass stir beside you, fingers trailing in the cool stream next to camp. It's Xavier, the one you met on your very first mission as a Hunter, the one whose thumbprint is on your door lock, the one you play board games with.

Your Xavier.

"When I said that I wanted to get to know you better, I didn't expect it to be like this."

He chuckles and offers you his hand, pulling you against him. "So what have you learned?"

So much. And so very little at the same time.

"You're like the stars," you say, leaning back against his chest, comfortable as his arms encircle your waist.

"They appear so close in the night sky but the moment you try to get closer," you turn to look at him, "You realize just how far away they are."

Xavier lowers his gaze, eyes dim.

You don't say this to hurt him, far from it. It's just a statement of fact. Experiencing the last few days with him have made you realize just how little you know about Xavier beyond the carefully crafted narrative he spoon feeds you. The Backtrackers, his run-ins with EVER, his actual involvement with the Hunter's Association, his past lives, even his age.

The Knight is keen to tell you everything you want to know, so long as it doesn't actually concern you or your present. The King has opted for a simpler route of not telling you anything at all beyond the little you can glean from your run-in at the meadow and his little gestures. Even the two other versions of him are just the same, guarded, relentlessly driven towards a singular purpose, a life with you.

He is nothing if not consistent.

What these last few days have taught you is that as frustratingly stubborn Xavier is, every single action, every thought has been about you, in service of you, of a future where he could keep his promise to meet again.

Xavier seems to be taking your silence for discontent, nervously fidgeting, arms holding you imperceptibly tighter, as if trying to hold onto dust.

"I—" he starts.

"You'll take me right?" you interrupt.

"What?"

"To Uluru? You'll take me there in this life?"

Xavier's breath hitches and his eyes go wide. When you both return to Linkon, there will be a lot to clear up, a lot that he has to answer for, but you hope that in this moment, he'll understand that despite how infuriating his secrecy is, you know it's coming from a good place. A frustrating place, one that he's cultivated without any discussion about your own needs and wants, one that needs to change if you two are to move forward.

He smiles, sincerely, eyes just a little watery before interlacing his fingers with yours, bringing your hand up to his lips.

"I promise."

Xavier nuzzles the side of your neck before turning your face towards him.

"For all of my planning," he says, voice unsteady, "I always thought finding you again would be the hardest part."

He smiles ruefully, "It turns out being with you, being a good partner, a good boyfriend, a good— that is much harder."

All the secrecy, the white lies, rooted in idealistic naivete he had done that before on Philos with your past. It seemed to work, until it didn't. All that was left was a Queen who thought her Knight had forsaken her and left her to rule alone. A one-sided betrayal. What you wanted Xavier to understand was that keeping you in the dark only ever resulted in pain and loneliness- your relationship needed to be a joint effort. 

This time, you swore to yourself quietly, it would be different. Because you don't just want his presence, as grateful as you are for it. You want to be the one that knows him best, knows the inner workings of his mind, his doubts, his fears, his dreams, his heart just as well as he knows yours. You want to trust that not only will the two of you visit Uluru, that no matter where the cosmos takes you, he'll be yours. That he knows you love him just as much.

"I knew something was special the moment I saw you," you say, cupping his face with your hands.

Xavier looks at you quizzically, but you shoulder on, trying to model honesty despite your nerves. Saying it out loud made you feel raw— exposing your fear that you were the one who was more invested, that you wanted him more, that someday Xavier would disappear from your life just as quickly as he entered it.

"I knew I wanted this for forever," is what you settle on lamely, hardly an adequate summation, but it'll have to do, "I love you so much I can hardly stand it."

Sheepish, you release your hands only for him to pull you back towards him. His lips move slowly against yours, also hesitant, also vulnerable, also seeking your assurance. He deepens it for just a moment before pulling back ever so slightly, forehead against yours.

"I love you too," he kisses you this time, gently, "I'll prove it to you, always."

The story of your relationship had a long prologue. Finally, the next chapter can be written. This time not just by his hand, but yours as well.

--

A barrier seems to have been broken once you were able to speak to the three individually. Maybe you got past their defenses. Maybe they're particularly weak to you. Perhaps a little of both. But the King spends a little more time around you, hanging just off to the side as he watches you spar with your Knight.

The movements come to you more easily than anticipated, thanks to the long training sessions at the Association with the Hunter sword. Still, you are no match for the Lightseeker, as he easily parries and evades your every move with a hand behind his back. In the distance, you see your Xavier has arrived, and he and the King are talking.

The split second you look away proves to be your undoing as the Knight grabs your wrist right as you thrust your sword forward, pulling you off-balance. With a yelp, you stumble into his chest.

"Distracted?" he looks down at you with a smile, like he's just won a prize, and you're suddenly very aware of the heat of his palms at your waist.

Over his shoulder, you can see Xavier and the King watching the two of you with keen interest. You're a little too far away to be sure, but the look on Xavier's face seems more contemplative than anything.

Before you can turn that over in your mind, Lightseeker releases you.

"You should try him next," he says, jerking his head in the King's general direction. Your eyes widen, remembering the heavy black and gold blade arcing towards you, the sickening crunch when it embedded itself in a tree. You must look incredulous, because your Knight laughs, charming and effortless, hands moving up and down your sides.

It was meant to be a reassuring gesture, you think, nothing else.

"I'll let you in on a little secret," he leans in conspiratorially, voice low against the shell of your ear. Suddenly your mouth is a desert, as it always is when Xavier is around, and something starts to stir unbidden deep within you, "My claymore can't harm the living."

You let out the breath you didn't realize you were holding, slowly, carefully, hoping that he'd mistake your trepidation for nervousness and not growing desire.

"And this is supposed to help me how…?"

"Good luck." the Knight whispers before stepping back. The sharp amusement in his eyes lets you know he got exactly what he wanted.

--

"I'm told you're exceptional with a claymore."

There was no preamble, no "let's have a friendly match", no assurance that you wouldn't get humiliated in seconds. Not that Xavier would ever do that, but your nervousness is justified, you think. You can't beat his younger self or his current self, how would you fare against an even more experienced Xavier?

Your eyes flick over to where your Hunter is at the edge of the clearing. Observing, again. He mouths "good luck" at you before leaning back against the tree, practiced eyes taking in every detail in front of him. Good luck? You would need a lot of that.

"I wasn't aware you all were talking about me behind my back."

The King of Darknight treats you to a rare smile, "Why would I want talk about anything else?"

The way he says it, its as if you're the only thing worth his time, his attention. It makes you want to preen, just a little.

"Having a diverse repertoire of weapons is wise," the King continues, arms loose at his sides, grass crunching afoot as the two of you start to trace a circle around the clearing, sizing each other up. You readjust your grip on your claymore, the familiar weight a comforting reassurance. He hasn't even summoned his blade.

"It makes it easier to be flexible if the situation calls for it."

You hum thoughtfully, "That's strange, seeing as I rarely see you use anything but a sword."

"When I like something, I don't let go, " he says simply, coming to a stop.

Your palms start to sweat. It's unclear if the King is actually trying to have a conversation, trick you, or if he's giving you the opportunity to set the rules of engagement. Either way, you decide to make the first move. The King's claymore is larger than your own, and definitely bulkier to wield. Xavier would have to be extremely deliberate about how he uses it. From what you could tell, the King was more used to fighting revenants, not humans. You could take advantage of that, dash in, and engage him in close combat. At a distance, you don't think you'd last more than a few seconds.

There's a look of polite surprise on his face as you run at him with full speed— closing the distance, leaping straight in the air, arcing your claymore towards his head. It's an uncomplicated maneuver and you fully expect him to just side step you.

He has the audacity to stand there, unmoving as the arc of your sword draws closer and closer. At the final moment— just as you actually start to worry— warm light becomes solid around his hand into a heavy blade, intercepting you.

The loud clang of metal on metal at such velocity makes your teeth vibrate, and you take a step back, momentarily dizzy. You look up just in time to see Xavier's claymore block out the sun, and now its your turn to be on the defensive. The sound of your match fills the clearing as you trade blows, blades sparking upon contact. It's nothing like how you've seen Xavier in combat, elegant and precise. No, the King wields his sword like a cudgel, trading grace for raw power, scarring the forest floor with each upward stroke.

And doing it all with one hand.

That cocky bastard, you sulk inwardly, it was made worse by how attractive he looked while doing it. Hair swaying with each movement, starry eyes practically tunnel-visioned onto you, lips faintly turned upward. The longer this continued, the greater likelihood that victory would elude your grasp. Xavier would certainly win a battle of attrition, and every second that ticked by was another opportunity for him to throw you off.

You had to find a way to put him on the back foot.

Opportunity strikes, a small opening on his left flank. Without thinking you grit your teeth and run at him, shoulder aimed squarely at his midsection. This time, you see genuine surprise overtake him with a small "oof" as he doubles back a half-step in shock. Good, he's off-balance. Bad, not off-balance enough.

Adrenaline takes over as you grab your hidden boot knife, silver arcing straight for his wrist, hoping to get him to drop his sword. Blue eyes calmly track your knife as he steps to and fro to evade, unable to make full use of his claymore in such tight quarters. The light catches in his hair, and a very devious thought comes to mind.

After all, no one said anything about playing dirty.

Maybe if you grovel enough he'll forgive you. You whisper a slight apology before reaching out, wrapping your fingers around a stray lock of his hair and yanking.

Wide-eyed with shock, Xavier drops his blade just as you swipe his legs from under him, landing him on his back with a gasp of surprise. You roll on top of him, knife tapping his crown.

"I win," you crow triumphant, as you try to catch your breath.

He gazes up at you from underneath thick eyelashes, unfazed, amused even.

"Insolent."

Before you can retort, a solid arm suddenly grabs you by the middle, and you let out a surprised yelp as the sky suddenly spins, reversing your positions.The smirk on his face makes your stomach flutter as you test his iron grip— he's rendered you immobile under him.

Warmth starts to bloom on your cheeks at this familiar position. Those were long nights.

"Perhaps a punishment is in order," he murmurs as he leans closer, breath intermingling with yours. His eyes linger on the corners of your mouth, taking in the heat of your cheeks, the way you start to tilt your head towards him. Yet, just like before, he always seems to be waiting for something.

He's off of you before the warmth of his chest has time to settle on yours, leaving you bewildered on the grass, heart in your throat, confusion gnawing at your brain.

--

It gets worse.

Or better?

You're not sure what changed, but the other two begin to flirt with you relentlessly. Lightseeker has taken it upon himself to hold your hand at every possible opportunity, interlacing his fingers with yours as you both walk back from gathering water. He offers you piggyback rides so often that you wonder if your feet will ever touch the ground again.

Meanwhile, the King slips flowers in your hair when you aren't looking, tucking them behind your ear, fingers slowly tracing the back of your ear, down your neck, leaving sparks in its wake. He carves little figurines from scraps of wood, all your favorite animals. Some of which you have to describe to him. Who knew Philos didn't have octopi?

Flirting isn't the right word. It's the Philosian equivalent of a courtship ritual.

And they're doing it right under Xavier's nose.

If it had been just you and Xavier stuck here, you'd be going at it like rabbits. The lack of privacy made anything beyond hugs or the occasional kiss with your Hunter was impossible. Impossible for you, that is. Xavier himself didn't seem to have issue with it given the multiple times he tried to corner you against a tree, knee between your legs while the others were within earshot.

It's unfair really. You were hardwired by now to react to his glances, his touch, his desires— but you can barely survive the direct attention and affection of one Xavier on a good day, let alone three.

The arousal that had been simmering since the beginning was quickly becoming unmanageable. It's as if you were starving at a feast, surrounded by all your favorites, eager to partake. All you'd have to do is ask…

Grey and white boots suddenly fill your vision.

Your Hunter looms over you, wide-eyed. He's got that air on him like he wants something, and he's trying to ascertain if you want it too.

You squint at him. "Don't push your luck."

"I haven't even said anything yet," he blinks, innocent.

You get the feeling he's trying to fast forward this conversation somehow, as if he wants to speed you along to a certain outcome.

Xavier lays down beside you, right as the last traces of light disappear from the horizon. Not for the first time, the spectre of the unsaid hangs between you two.

"Is there something on your mind?" he asks casually, thumb tracing the inside of your wrist.

He's choosing his words carefully, and you're unsure if he's about to reveal something earth shattering or tell you the stew he made was poisoned. Knowing Xavier, it could go either way.

"There is actually," you do your best to match his tone, but you're sure he can feel your pulse start to race.

"I—" you steel yourself, but there really is no elegant way to phrase what you want to say.

He looks at you, expectant.

"Do you think we can y'know…with the others?"

"Know…what?" he tilts his head. 

"Y'know…can I…? Maybe we can both…?"

This was going swimmingly.

Xavier eyes your discomfort with great amusement. Again, you're fairly sure he knows what you're about to say, but true to infuriating form, he wants you to voice it aloud with minimal prompting of his own. Some part of him must get off on that. The crisp night air in your lungs does nothing to steady you.

"I was wondering if we could invite the other two…yous to our bed." you trail off lamely, mortified beyond measure.

"Why partner," you peek at him, and he's pouting, blue eyes quivering just so. "Do I not satisfy you enough?"

His reply is a little too quick. Then you see the corner of his lips twitch and Xavier starts to laugh.

"If this is a sign you've gone off the deep end and are going to go on a rampage, please take me out gently," you say with a scowl, turning away from him. "I'd hate to be there for the inevitable space-time paradox that happens if you kill off your past and future selves."

Xavier takes this opportunity to pull you back against his chest, his arms a comforting presence despite your embarrassment. He's still chuckling despite the stern poke of your finger in his side.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry—" his laughter dies, but you still feel his chest vibrating. That bastard.

More crucially, Xavier didn't outright say no. But you need him to say it, out loud, just to be sure.

He continues, "I'm surprised you waited this long to bring it up."

You turn back to look at him, "I didn't know if you'd be okay with it."

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asks, as if your partner wanting to sleep with your past and future selves was just a regular occurrence in Xavier-land. It never fails to surprise you what Xavier chooses to take seriously and what he doesn't. 

You look at him incredulously, "Xavier…you turned off the streetlights because someone from the Association was saying goodbye to me for too long."

He shrugs, "It was too long. Twenty one minutes in fact."

"So what was that with Charlie then?"

"You're really going to bring up another guy right now?" he sulked, holding you tighter. "This time I'll really push my luck."

"With three of you, I'm the one who needs luck," you trail off, ears burning.

"Do you want to know something?" Xavier asks, calmly, low voice settling deep within you. The kisses he leaves on your neck are feather light, innocent even as he tilts your head back to meet his lips. His hands are anything but, grasping at your shirt, fingers skating under the curve of your chest, hips pushing into you as he deepens the kiss, eager fingers brushing over your panties.

Suddenly, he pulls back, releasing your middle only to push you face down into the ground, climbing on top of you on all fours, one arm easily pulling your hips back up against his. The circles he's rubbing get tighter, and you try to close your legs, to no avail. "We've been talking about it for a while."

Delight and mortification bubble in your gut, sending your imagination into overdrive at his admission. The three of them, talking about you, about how they might all take you…did Xavier share stories of what you had done? Did he tell them about that rainy night when it was your first time?

Your thoughts evaporate as Xavier's fingers make a more compelling argument to your attention as he winds you up even further, coaxing you quickly towards familiar heights. "Not just the first night, but every single night—" "And you're okay with that?" you shudder, embarrassment leading you to seek shelter in the crook of his neck, every fiber of your being trying to stave off the inevitable.

"It is me after all," he continues, other hand playing with your nipple. "And this way—" he whispers, breath hot on your ear as your eyes start to roll back, "I'll be your only in so many more ways."

--

This newfound knowledge puts a new spin on your interactions with your King and Knight.

Curious eyes follow as you and Xavier reemerge from the trees, taking in evidence of your tryst. You meet none of them, Xavier's words refusing to quiet down in your brain. They talk about you every night, and then look at you dead in the eye the next morning and you're none the wiser. Until now.

Some part of you is a little annoyed.

The less rational part is flattered, deeply. It's a roundabout confirmation that Xavier only wants you. That fact was true back then, true now, and will be true again. A constant in every life with him.

But from what you can ascertain, this was the first time in Xavier's life that you were actually lovers. Not just fellow knights-in-training, not just classmates, not just coworkers. Xavier crossed time and space in search of you, for you, even when he thought you only wanted his friendship, nothing more.

That revelation puts your Knight in a different light.

You sit across from him in silence, hugging your knees to your chest. Why did your past self never admit your feelings to him? The love you held for Xavier filled your chest so much that you want nothing more than to talk about it to the first person that asked. Surely your past self felt the same way. Surely he felt the same way he did now.

"Something on your mind?" Lightseeker peeks at you, brilliant blue glittering in the morning sunlight.

"Can you tell me about myself?"

That question draws out the crinkles in Xavier's eyes as he smiles. He idly touches the two star charms on his sword before continuing. Your Knight tells you all about how your greatest desire was to be a Grandis Knight, sworn protector of the King. But Xavier never wanted the crown, and who was he to take your dream from you?

"Xavier, you're a dummy," you lay next to him, propping yourself up on one elbow, "Did you ever stop to think that maybe, being Grandis Knight was an excuse to stay by your side? That I wanted to stay by your side regardless of you being king or not?"

He frowns as he weighs your words. "I…I wanted that to be true, but I didn't dare to—"

His words die as you seal your lips on his.

"You should be more daring Xavier." you whisper as you pull back.

His eyes are still closed, lips parted before he speaks, "Please….please I need to hear it. If I hear it I can keep going."

You brush the hair from his eyes, overjoyed at having the key to his relief.

"My beloved Knight, my Xavier," you sigh against the cup of his ear as you pull him close. Face to face, you can see every emotion flashing through his eyes. Love, adoration, longing, trepidation, loneliness, and hope.

"I love you. I've always loved you."

He shakes his head as if in disbelief.

"I should've been clearer from the outset," a self-deprecating laugh, "I've only ever wanted you. I've been in love with you from the start."

You look at him, endlessly adoring. "When we meet again, will you promise to let me know sooner?"

"I promise," he presses a soft peck to the corner of your lips before pressing his forehead against yours, bringing your palm to his cheek. For a moment, he just breathes in and out, eyes closed.

Not content with just this, you pull him closer. A silent question.

There's no hesitation on his part this time. He makes quick work of your clothes, somehow managing to keep his lips on yours the whole time with deep, demanding kisses, and soon he's kneeling in front of you, in too much of a hurry to fully undress himself.

It's everything like the first night you had with Xavier, the same reverent touch gliding over you accompanied with a hypnotic, heavy gaze. There's no trace of his earlier impatience as he explores your body for his first time, taking particular care at the line of your collarbone, the swell of your chest, the softness of your stomach, like he was trying to memorize all your different textures.

He shivers when his fingers brush along the line of your pubes, using both his hands to carefully part your folds, exposing you to the air. From your vantage point you can see his mouth start to water, but before you can say anything, he sets his tongue on you and thought becomes difficult.

--

You find your King in his favorite place by the river among the flowers. He's endlessly fond of the blue forget-me-nots, and you make a mental note to grow some for Xavier when you both return to Linkon. Taking a seat next to him, you steel yourself for what you're about to say.

"I'm sorry. For not remembering."

Xavier isn't a man often surprised.

"What?"

You trace the outline of his face reflected in the clear stream."I wasn't there when you came back. Maybe I could've done something— anything. I'm sorry you had to take on the crown."

Backlit by the setting sun, he's never looked this vulnerable, and like this, he almost looks younger. Like he's being seen after so long. He'd seen his own kingdom rise, rise, rise, and fall to dust.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, you…you were a good queen," he says simply, looking away "I know you did all you could."

"Yes but—" you shake your head, unwilling to let him brush away centuries of pain with so few words, "— it's okay you know, to be upset, to blame me—"

Blue eyes narrow, "Why would I want to do that?". There's a faint sound of grass snapping in his fingers, the beginnings of irritation.

"Because I left you with nothing," you whisper, "just a title and responsibilities you never wanted." The full picture of his strife was still unknown to you, but this much was clear. Xavier had left Philos with nothing but a dream and returned with nothing to show for it.

Just a crown and a misplaced obligation to a dead queen.

It wasn't the first time he gave up so much for nothing either, you realize, as you remember the sickly look on Xavier's face from his EVOL collar. He'd been searching all this time for one, just one opportunity to be yours. His greatest failures and his greatest victory, all for you.

This was the story of the downfall of Philos, the story of his life, of his binary star caught in your endless orbit.

"Left me with nothing?" he looks equal parts stunned and furious, jaw set in a grimace, eyes boring straight into yours, daring you to voice your thoughts aloud, "Are you saying I shouldn't have come back to you? That I shouldn't keep waiting—?"

"No, no—" this was not where this conversation was supposed to go.

"Then what is it," he snaps. "Speak plainly."

"You shouldn't…you should live for yourself too Xavier. Not just for me, or your people, for yourself."

He laughs ruefully, shaking his head, "Have you ever considered that living for myself means doing this?"

Xavier continues, a man possessed by centuries of thoughts unsaid, "Traceback II…the mission…those were all things that I wanted. I looked for a way to save you, I left Philos because I wanted to do this. I can't ….I won't hear you say this isn't worth it."

"How do you not have regrets?" you stare at him incredulously. Centuries, if not millennia, of being alone, of carrying the promises of the dead, trapped in a place that he loathed ever since Starfall Forest. In the small amount of time you'd been alive, merely a fraction of his, you already harbored regrets. How could he not? Especially at the sheer scale of his life?

For the first time this evening, he takes your hands in his. The leather is warm from the heat of his hand as his thumb sweeps circles. He takes a deep breath and slowly exhales, letting his shoulders drop.

"Regrets are just lessons for our future selves. My biggest regret…" he trails off, frowning as he looks at you with such palpable longing you ache.

"I've only ever kissed you in my dreams."

For sleep, perchance to dream. In dreams he could have you in his arms again, in dreams he could revisit happier times before either of you ascended the throne. Maybe that was why Xavier never let a moment go by without linking your arm in his, or entwining his fingers with yours, or putting a hand on your back. Touch was the only thing unavailable to him in those long dark nights in space.

Longing makes his eyes soft, you discover. It makes Xavier look a little weary, a little tired, the faraway look in them— maybe that is why he's always looking towards the stars. You shouldn't have doubted him. Despite the weariness, despite everything, Xavier was the embodiment of knighthood, loyal to the last promise. Always able to put one foot in front of the other so long as he believed in his oath. 

"But you're not dreaming right now," your mouth is suddenly dry, words falling from your lips in a hoarse whisper. In a few short days, you'll part ways with your King. You want so badly to at least do this for him and for yourself. Nothing kept you together except his will and your own. No prophecies, no preordained ending, no fated connection. Just the hard efforts of two souls who chanced upon each other once upon a time. The story of a girl trying to get to know her classmate better, a boy who felt the skies part and light touch him in her presence.

It was so simple. yet so profound. You promised each other. For Xavier, that promise was his guiding star, all he needed to move heaven and earth. He always kept his word.

Without thinking you close the distance, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. He barely reacts, sitting there in stunned silence, your hands still in his, eyes locked onto yours. What is it like when you're finally faced with all you've ever wanted?

"What's wrong?" the silence stretches for a beat too long as he sits there just breathing, "Was I not supposed to kiss you there?" You fidget, tracing his fingers in yours right as his lips find yours again. Insistent, hurried, desperate as he rises to his knees, pulling you closer by the nape.

"You want me to do what I want?" he breathes in your ear, gravelly voice echoing as he crowds your being, all-consuming, "I want this," a nip at your neck, a kiss on your shoulder.

"I want this now."

---

Not twenty-hours after your initial conversation with Xavier, you find yourself naked in front of the three of them.

"You're nervous."

"Oh pardon me, Your Highness, for not being used to bedding three men at the same time. Or would you prefer I be used to it?"

The pinched expression on the King of Darknight's face does little to offset the field day your nervous system is having. Embarrassment at the situation threatens to overtake the arousal inside you, and you squirm in Xavier's arms. At this point in your relationship, you had been naked in front of Xavier often enough to not feel embarassed, but this was quite different.

Your Lightseeker had shrugged off his coat, laying it alongside the King's cloak, creating a makeshift bedspread. All three of them were down to that awfully tight undershirt. You find yourself thankful they weren't pantsless just yet. But the clearly obvious bulges reminded you that they too are just as affected by the promise this night held as you are.

Xavier hugs you from behind, holding you tightly against his chest, pressing soft kisses to your hair and temples as he tries to soothe your nerves.

"Look at me," he whispers, the ask rolls off his tongue like silk and your eyes snap up, grateful for the instruction. The moonlight gives him an otherworldly glow, reflecting off the thin ring of blue in his eyes. For a long moment, Xavier does nothing, just studies you, blinking in a slow, almost hypnotizing fashion. You feel like you're being x-rayed and you hope he likes what he finds. Secure in his arms and attention, tension starts to bleed out of you and soon your breathing mirrors his. His fingers skate just under your shirt before moving to your inner thigh, smiling as your hips eagerly buck forward, seeking more.

"Do you trust me?"

A wordless nod. Another kiss as reward. Your stomach churns. 

"I think this will feel very good for you, and I want to make you feel very good. Can I do this for you?"

You nod, frantically. Your skin feels like its coming alive.

"Just close your eyes for now," Xavier's soft voice fills your ear, "You don't need to open them right away."

You don't need to confront reality just yet, is what he means.

The loss of sight is a welcome balm for your nerves. Slowly, carefully, they divest you of your clothes. Callused fingers begin to map every curve of your body, softly massaging your muscles, working you into a dreamy, tingly haze of sensation as you begin to relax. Someone is kissing your neck, and you whimper when not one, but two wet tongues swipe over your nipples before starting to suck.

"We'll get you used to our touch first."

His voice is coming from another direction now, and you briefly wonder if you can figure out exactly who the speaker is before all thought evaporates as curious fingers graze your core. The owner pulls your thigh up so that your leg is draped over his shoulder, exposing you to the night air. You feel a strange sense of deja vu as he kisses your knee, whisper light, leaving a trail of sparks down your inner thigh, right atop your pubes, down the other leg. You feel his nose brush against you— the deep inhale he takes makes your blood pulse.

The first swipe of his tongue up your slit has you gasping aloud— you feel him groan at what he finds.

"You're wet." the voice says raggedly. The longing in his voice squeezes at your heart and you dig your hand into his hair.

A different hand reaches down, spreading your folds, dipping a finger into your heat. You hear the sound of him popping the same finger into his mouth with an appreciative murmur.

"I knew you just needed to be eased into it."

Two fingers hold you open, exposing your clit to the Xavier below. He takes this opportunity haul your other leg over his shoulder, throwing you off-balance — now you're sitting atop his shoulder, held upright by firm hands around your middle. This allows him to use his hands however he likes, and he pulls your thighs apart, plush lips enveloping your clit, eagerly sucking.

Your thighs tremble with effort, trying to keep you upright. Xavier doesn't seem to like this and suddenly, his palms cup your chest, squeezing and rolling your eager nipples. This forces you to arch back towards his chest with a gasp, goosebumps apparent as you shiver in the moonlight. Suspended off the ground, you have no choice but to roll your hips forward, deeper onto his wet tongue. Xavier moans, shaking his head, smearing your wetness all over his lips and chin with a loud wet noise.

The orgasm comes slowly, building with each swipe of Xavier's tongue, every pinch of your nipples, every whisper of praise in your ear. It breaks over your without warning, right as he's complimenting you on how much you're soaking his chin, leaving you to cry out as you shudder in Xavier's arms, grabbing onto his hair as your thighs quiver around his ears. 

Gentle hands move you around once more, guiding you onto your hands and knees atop the plush heavy fabric of the King's cloak. You lean forward on your forearms, gasping, eyes still closed, mind still reeling from your orgasm. The sound of zippers being pulled and the rustling of fabric around you sends a jolt of thrill down your spine as you realize they're fully undressing.

The King of Darknight kneels before you, taking your hand in his, pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles. "You look beautiful, my Lady" he murmurs, his eyes never leaving yours. Something about the way it rolls off his tongue, like he's been practicing all his life makes you squirm with delight.

"Your Highness—" you bat your lashes at him, breath not fully recovered, dizzy with excitement.

He shakes his head, long silver strands falling over his shoulders highlighting the expanse of muscle all over his scarred body.

"Just Xavier," he whispers, before he brings his lips to yours. He licks at the seam of your lips with his tongue, taking advantage of your surprised "oh" to slip inside your mouth. You pull him closer towards you, deepening the kiss just as you feel a warm hand slide down your back, circling at your waist. The curious hands move up your stomach, under the curve of your chest, over your nipples, kneading softly. The additional sensations make you moan, trying to twist to look back so you can see whose hands they belong to, but the King holds your face against his firmly, swallowing each of your moans with appreciative sounds of his own.

Someone settles behind you, caressing your thighs, spreading your folds with a sticky sound, digging in just enough that you know its your Hunter. His hands explore you with a confidence the two others don't have just yet—- he knows all your favorite spots, exactly what kind of pressure to apply where and when. You brace, expecting him to enter you, but all he does is circle your clit with his fingers and pet your pussy, making a soft humming sound.

The King pulls back, almost reluctantly, before rising onto his feet, lazily stroking himself in front of you. He meets your gaze, eyes blown black as he rubs the tip of his length on your lip. With a sly grin, keeping your eyes on his, you kiss it, tongue flicking out just so, tasting the pre-cum already starting to bead at the tip.

The pronounced shudder that rolls through him makes you salivate. Xavier was always more keen on giving you oral than the other way around, but tonight you would have ample opportunity to make him cum on your tongue for once. Your King shivers, breathing out through his teeth with a barely controlled hiss, hand flexing at his side before he guides the head of his cock inside your mouth, letting you lap at the tip with your tongue, feeling the weight of it, warm and heavy and thick. He pushes in slowly, exploring the warmth of your mouth with slow, fluid motions. All the while your Hunter continues to stroke your wet lips, pulling them apart, finger circling your pussy, wet sounds getting louder as you give into desire. You already know he's staring, watching your greedy hole flutter and clench around nothing.

For a while, you close your eyes, losing yourself in the motion, enjoying the bitter musk of your King in your mouth and fingers on your clit. With each pass, you push your head down lower and lower until finally, your nose is pressed up against him, lips stretched out as you take him in as deeply as you can. He lets out a choked moan when you swipe your tongue against the underside of his cock and again when you gently suck on his balls, savoring his every reaction. 

"Starlight—" he slurs, throwing his head back as he entwines his hand in your hair. With a soft pat, you encourage him to tighten his grip just a little, and he obliges with a satisfied murmur. Your hand skates over his thighs, gripping the solid muscle for better stability as he starts to thrust harder into your mouth, abandoning the gentle front he had started out with in favor of more, deeper sensation.

Just as he starts to fuck your mouth in earnest, your Xavier takes this opportunity to quickly insert two fingers into your pussy. You're so wet that you coat his fingers instantly, whining as you push your hips back, silently demanding more.

Suddenly, you feel warmth on your back as your Xavier bends over you, kissing your shoulders, his other hand reaching under to pinch your nipples while his fingers continue their messy ministrations between your legs.

"What do you need?" he murmurs, voice clipped and needy as he kisses down your spine. He's so hard against your thigh that you're certain you're dripping onto him. It only serves to exacerbate the emptiness inside you, the space where he should be in, clouding your thoughts until all that's left is a primal need for more.

You pull your lips of your King with an audible pop, pulse racing. You're so dizzy with desire that for a few long moments you can do nothing but moan, lips wrapped around his cock while your Hunter's fingers pick up their pace, relentlessly stroking your walls, teasing you by thrusting his cock in between your thighs, awaiting your command. You whine, pressing your ass against his crotch, but he doesn't budge, just continues to rub your clit and tease you.

"I need your cock," you blurt out, breathless, "I need you Xavier, please."

Your King looks down at you, ears a faint red, pupils blown out as he lets the weight of your words settle.

"It's all yours," he groans, sliding his cock all over your face, painting it with spit. It's such a possessive move, like he's aiming to mark you, to brand you, that it makes your stomach flip. He guides his cock back in front of your mouth and you part your lips once more, eager to taste him again.

It's then that you feel it. Your Hunter's hand on top of your hair.

"How do you want me?" his voice is low and seductive, laced with dirty promises against the cup of your ear, "Do you want us to fuck you while you lay back? Do you want to take us? We'll give you everything, anything, as long and as hard as you need." His words burn in your ears. 

Xavier could get you to exchange heaven for hell with just his voice. Everything he says, even in the thick of sin, is so loving, romantic even. Or at least it would be romantic if he didn't start using his full weight to push your head onto the King's cock, making your eyes water with a surprised "mmph" as the King sucks in a surprised breath at the depth.

"Answer him," the King says, encouraging as he watches his cock disappear down your throat. He's close, you can tell.

The realization of what you're doing makes your stomach twist. Your boyfriend, your lover, is holding your head down, playing with and petting your pussy, forcing you to take another's cock deep in your throat while a third person watches. It's the hottest air you've ever breathed in between the three of them. 

"I need it hard," you whine, wrenching your head back with a gasp, all pretenses of shame leaving your vocabulary as the weight of all the teasing, the flirting from the last week roars to life in your gut.

You feel Xavier grin against your back.

"Good girl," he coos, "It's yours."

He pulls back, lining your hips with his before sliding into your pussy with a practiced motion, filling you in the way only he can. The moan that falls from his lips makes your heart sing and your walls flutter around him.

With his fingers still tangled in your hair, he starts to fuck you in earnest.

You melt into the sensation of fullness, rocking between both their bodies on your hands and knees in the night air. Every time Xavier's hips meet your ass with a loud smack it pushes you further down the cock in your mouth, an endless feedback loop that threatens to short circuit your brain.

"Keep your eyes on me," the King orders, voice low and silky. "That's it—"

Demanding, just like your Xavier.

His breath hitches, other hand squeezing the base of his cock to stave off the impending orgasm. He forgoes his grip on your hair to hold your head with one hand, relieving some of the strain from your neck. Then, he drives his cock into your mouth, angling your head to avoid brushing on your soft palate. His fingers massage your throat, willing you to relax, when all of a sudden he pinches your nose shut.

Your eyes widen in shock as you inhale shakily. Saliva pools in your mouth, forcing you to swallow around the hot length. At that very instant, he angles the tip of his cock down your gullet, plugging your throat.

Far deeper than your Hunter had ever gone.

He holds it there as you tear up, chest heaving as you fight the urge to fight him. His thumb sweeps the tears from your eyes. Behind you, Xavier picks up the pace, planting one foot down on the ground, driving deeper into you. The new angle makes your eyelids flutter. There's nowhere to go, nothing to do but take it all.

After a few more moments, the King pulls out out your mouth, cock bobbing against his abdomen while you gulp in air. Your eyes flutter open, and you're met with Lightseeker's cock this time. He looks at you with such eager naked adoration that you both blush.

"Don't be shy." he says, fondly, ears red, fingers stroking your hair. Keeping eye contact, you hollow your cheeks out with a particularly noisy suck, satisfaction zipping through your body at the way his knees buckle. Unmistakable arousal pools between your legs and you squeeze your eyes shut with embarrassment, unused to so much direct attention, tucking your head against your Hunter's shoulder. He kisses your forehead tenderly before redirecting your gaze to the man in front of you.

"You—hah—" your Knight sucks in a breath through his teeth. The way his throat bobs in the dim light betrays his nonchalance— he's just as affected as you are.

Emboldened, you keep your eyes glued to his as your fingers circle the base of his cock, twisting your hand as you start to bob up and down his length in earnest. You lose yourself in the task, relishing the way your Knight's fingers tighten in your hair, enjoying the pleasurable ache at your scalp and the weight of him in your mouth.

"So good…" his eyelids flutter as you swirl your tongue over the head, "Just like I knew you would be."

You smile, sticking your tongue out, inviting him in. He surges forward, emboldened, plunging deep into your gullet. Fighting every other instinct you go slack and swallow around him, just like how you learned earlier. The feeling of your Knight's thighs shaking next to your ears is worth the lack of oxygen as he doubles over you, unabashedly moaning every time your throat convulses.

"Fuck—ahh—I'm not gonna last—"

His orgasm overtakes him with a surprised yelp as he holds your head in place, desperately fucking your skull, chasing his completion. Each deep thrust down your throat has you clenching around the cock in your pussy, and the way Xavier is dragging his hands over your bouncing tits is winding you up more quickly than you could've imagined.

"You gonna cum for us?" Xavier, now you're not sure which one, growls in your ear. Dazedly, as Lightseeker shoots his cum down your throat with a shout, you realize you're so close that you're aching. You moan around Lightseeker's cock and the taste of the bitter cum makes your eyes roll as you gulp it down. He watches you, cheeks aflame, eyes dark like a man possessed as you swallow the last of his load, absolutely enthralled.

"Gonna cum after sucking all that cock?" Lightseeker teases, grinning as you try to twist away from him, cheeks hot with embarrassment. Your complaint quickly turns into a breathy sigh as your Hunter grinds deep into your body, panting harshly, monstrous strength rendering you immobile as he pulls your hips as close as he possibly can. Now you're short of breath for an entirely different reason— Xavier may as well be in your chest with just how deep he feels. You gasp, mouth gaping, so sensitive you can feel him throb inside you.

Xavier leans forward, pinning you down to the floor as Lightseeker steps back. His body weight alone is enough to immobilize you, and he resumes a brutal pace, chasing your shared end.

"Open your mouth—" you feel his fingers pull at the corner of your mouth, prying your lips apart "— there you go."

Each thrust rips a choked mew from your throat, and the coil inside you threatens to snap. There's no use running. All you can do is accept that it's here. 

You start to sob, " X-Xavier—"

"Cum— c'mon starlight— cum for me— please" he pleads, raining kisses all across your cheeks as you gaze ahead, eyes unfocused, sliding back. His fingers finding their way once more around your throat. He doesn't even have to squeeze. Just the presence of his fingers around your neck is enough to send you over as you start to cum, eyes rolling back.

"Xav—Xavi—ohhh—I—"

Xavier is relentless, maintaining his pace even as your pussy tightens around him. By now, all you can hear are the wet sounds of his balls slapping against your cunt as he forces you to ride out your orgasm trembling on his cock. Just at the right moment, on a sharp intake of breath, you feel him squeeze your neck, just so. Your vision goes white, bursting at the edges as you shake in his arms. The wet squelches get louder as you gush around him. You don't know how long you cum for, unthinking as you twitch in Xavier's grasp, white-hot euphoria working its way through you in waves. 

Xavier kisses you, all over. "So pretty, just look at you." He says it with such sincerity that you have to believe him. 

The rumble in his throat reverberates throughout your chest as Xavier groans against your throat, licking and biting at your neck. Your pussy is milking him for all he has, and he lets it overtake him, hips stuttering as he drives into you as deeply as he can. Xavier moans, breath hot against your ear as he cums. He shudders with each spurt, cock flexing deep inside you, hips twitching, pinning you down with all of his weight. The two of you catch your breath, and Xavier brushes the damp hair from your temples before pulling out with a soft hiss.

"We're just getting started starlight," he breathes against your cheek. 

You roll onto your back, chest heaving as you collect yourself, skin still buzzing with sensation, clenching around the sudden emptiness. You make a lazy show out of licking your lips, deliberately provocative, and note with glee as three pairs of hungry eyes track your every move.

The night was about to get a little darker.

Their heavy gaze makes your skin crawl and your nipples harden. Eyes hooded with desire, your Hunter sits beside you again, pulling your upper half onto his lap before drawing your knees towards your shoulders, spreading you open. Even from where you're laying, you can see the three of them zero in on the cum leaking out of you, naked lust in their gazes.

Xavier holds your legs open, unmoving as your King steps between your legs. He's still hard, cock shiny with precum and your spit. He kneels, sliding the length up and down your slit, sighing at the contact. You press your hips towards him, inviting. 

"Still wet I see," he smirks, "Good."

With an unyielding push, he fills you up again to the brim, knocking another breath out of your lungs. Xavier drops your ankles on the King's shoulders before gliding his hands down your legs and across your body, leaving fire in his wake. He takes your hands in his, pressing a soft, wet kiss to the backs of your hands, gazing down at you, flustered with arousal as his other self puts you into a press with a groan. The King practically folds you in half, firm hands at the backs of your thighs, opening you up as much as your body would allow so he can get ever deeper into your tight hole.

You gaze up, vision cloudy, at two versions of your Xavier. The one holding your hand is the one you wake up next to each morning and the last person you see at night. The other you could swear you knew him as well, Xavier's been so thoroughly imprinted onto your soul that you just know. You know is that this version, the King of Sindersfell, the Sentinel of the Stars, he loves you too.

'Every version of me belongs to you,' Xavier had once said.

You unclasp your hand from your Hunter's and cup the King's cheek, pulling him in for a kiss. He moans, open-mouthed against you as he melts into your touch. His kiss is hot, breathy, and desperate, rough and adoring at the same time, so addicting that you never want to break it. He cums beautifully, eyes never leaving your face as he spills into you.

Without pulling out, he unfolds your aching legs from his shoulders, moving you to your side while he lays down next to you, snuggling into your shoulder, breathing deep. Still holding your other hand, your Hunter brushes the damp hair from your forehead, handing you a wooden cup of water. He holds your head up while you drink— you didn't realize how parched you had become.

"Thank you," you mumble, pulling him down for a kiss. What just transpired felt like something out of your wettest fantasies, but the very real ache in your jaw and the throbbing between your pussy remind you otherwise. That and the very real, very solid King and Knight laying behind you

The three of them give you their undivided attention once more, although this time all they do is sweep their hands up and down your body, warming you back up, softly massaging the inside of your thighs, places where you'd be sore later. You drift off to Xavier's touch, allowing the three of them to soothe your overworked nerves with gentle kisses until your eyes are once again glassy with want.

"You looked so beautiful," the King murmurs as he strokes your cheek with his thumb, "I could watch you take me forever." The possessive, unrestrained satisfaction in his voice makes your heart skips. He smirks as you chase his thumb with your lips, trying to draw him into your mouth.

"We're not done yet," Lightseeker pulls you onto his lap, legs on either side of him. The way you're straddling him makes your crotch stick out as you wrap your arms around his neck. He has a familiar glint in his eye, the kind that Xavier gets when he's particularly pent-up after a long trip away from you.

If anyone was pent-up, it would be your Knight.

"My starlight" he murmurs, lips low at your throat. You ache all over, but the hard curve of his cock against you has you stirring again. You let him kiss your neck, your shoulders, your chest, all over, fingers tangling themselves in his hair. Your head falls back when his eager lips meet your nipples, lavishing them with his attention, quickly zeroing in on how your toes curl as he continues to nip and suck on them.

He starts to rut against you, unconsciously seeking your warmth again.

"Xavier," you whisper. Your Knight pulls back from your nipple with a pop, ears red, eyes glassy with want. He nuzzles the space between your boobs, looking up at you with an easy smile, as if he was also drunk off the atmosphere.

You reach under him, lining his cock with the entrance of your hole. Before he can react, you drop your thighs, impaling yourself directly onto his cock.

"Oh fuck--!!" he gasps, hands flying to your hips, back arching with surprise. From this angle, he feels bigger than before, and your chest heaves as you push down on his cock, past the tight ring of muscle until you're fully seated on top of him, knees giving out as you catch your breath. 

Lightseeker is caught between wanting to watch your tits bounce in his face and watching his cock disappear into you every time you bear down. He rests his hand on your hip, encouraging as you bounce up and down his cock, each hand full from the other two men. With each bounce you feel your brain get hazier, more so when the head of his cock presses deep into your gut, right against a particular bundle of nerves. 

At this point in the night, you've abandoned all pretense of control, of decency. Xavier's stripped it all away with his mouth and fingers and cock, all you are is a mass of need. You need him, you need him to soothe this ache.

"T-this is all your fault," you whimper. Every time you slide back onto his cock it hits your sweet spot with a loud squelch, and you're finding that you're so sensitive from prior orgasms that you can feel the next one building in you already.

Your Knight, your Xavier, cocks an eyebrow, "My fault?"

He curses as you lean forward, grinding his cock deep in you as you pant, riding him with all the weight you can muster. 

"C-can't believe—" you huff, trying to maintain your rhythm on top of him "—- I want you so bad I can't take it," you wail. You're not sure who you're addressing anymore as your eyes start to unfocus.

"Starlight," your Hunter growls from behind, bringing you back to reality by sucking a huge bruise into your neck, "I'm going to open you up now."

Open you up?

He coats his fingers in your wetness, feeling around where your pussy stretched around the Knight's cock. Before long you feel a slick finger on your other hole and it breaks through the haze of need. 

Oh.

"I'm going to finger you until you can take my cock."

A noticeable shiver ripples down your spine, and your Knight pauses. He runs a soothing hand up and down your back, pressing soothing kisses on the curve of your breast, hugging you tighter to his chest.

"And then…" Xavier trails off, "they're going to fuck your mouth and pussy while I cum in your ass."

"You know I'd never hurt you," he whispers. You nod, not trusting yourself to speak, and draw a deep breath before wiggling onto your Xavier's hand. He takes it as an invitation to test your newfound courage, the tip of his finger pressing in just slightly.

"Breathe," Lightseeker mouthes as your King presses a kiss onto your cheek.

The clearing is suddenly devoid of every sound but your heartbeat between your ears as his fingers slowly work your ass open. Your mind floats to the pleasurable warmth of Knight Xavier's cock in your pussy, grinding down ever so slightly. Before long, the feeling of his fingers stuffed in your hole begin to meld with the ache in your pussy

That's when you feel it, the blunt tip of his cock seeking purchase as he grips your ass cheeks, holding you in place. Suddenly, skilled fingers find your clit in the space between your bodies, caressing the sensitive nub. The sudden sensation makes you push your hips back, right back onto your Knight's cock, and right onto the Hunter's as well.

With a slow, inexorable slide you feel him enter.

Your teeth chatter as you let out a tortured moan, you can feel every bit of the thick head of his cock sliding into your ass, just past the thick ring of muscle. You're rewarded for the intrusion with appreciative murmurs and soothing touches all over your body.

His breathing stutters right as the head of his cock fully disappears into your hole.

"I knew you could take it," he says warmly, proudly even. You pull your lips from your King and turn your face towards your Hunter. He pushes forward, one final deep stroke into your ass, capturing your lips with his right as he bottoms out.

Your cries echo through the night as you will your body to yield, to adjust, nostrils flaring as you try to even out your breathing. It's unlike anything you've ever felt before, being so full of him that you're certain you'll tear.

The fingers at your clit distract you well and soon enough you're pushing your hips forward, cautiously looking for more. Lightseeker takes this as a sign to move, thrusting up experimentally, picking up speed when he hears you moan with satisfaction and not pain. He holds you tightly with arms around your middle, sucking on your nipple while thumbing over the other. 

For the third time tonight, your King kneels in front of you, eyes full of dark adoration. He looks almost crazed as he takes in the sight of your form, split open, his beloved, all filled up, bouncing on two cocks.

All filled up except for your mouth. Almost like you're reading his mind, your lips part as the Hunter and Knight punch the breath out of you with another punishing snap of their hips.

The sight of his cock, heavy and alluring, makes you swallow. He watches your throat move, and licks his lip.

"Open," is the stern voice, the one that makes you pliant, makes you want to eagerly say yes to whatever he wanted. Xavier could ask anything of you and you would be thankful for the mere privilege of hearing him speak. You're so fucked out at this point that you just accept him in your mouth again.

"Mmm..there we go."

The taste of your King floods your senses and your mouth waters as you receive him.

"I've got you," he says lovingly as he holds your head down, voice shaking as you gag.

You know he means it from the bottom of his heart.

A dreamy haze settles in your mind. You can't think, and breathing feels almost impossible. There's too much to focus on, and you've never been at multitasking. It's all too much, you're too full, you're too warm, you're not warm enough, you can't get enough. You could never get enough of him rearranging your insides like this. He's ruined you. Not just in this lifetime, but the next and the next. You will never be the same.

"You like it so intense," the King's voice is rough in front of you.

"Did I—" a sideways glance at your beloved Hunter, "—make you this way?" he coos, voice unrecognizable.

Among the twist of bodies and breaths, the push and pull of sensations from all sides, you come to a sudden realization.

He's always been like this.

He's loved you for a very, very, very long time. Courted and married you over and over in his lonely thoughts. Made love to you in his dreams for longer than you can fathom.

You're each others first and only.

The way you pulse and twitch sets off a chain reaction: you tighten around the cocks in your holes, in turn making them fuck you even harder, threatening to knock the breath out of your lungs. Every time you moan Xavier sinks in just a little deeper everywhere.

"I can't believe you're letting me do this to you," is the next broken whisper, disbelief bleeding into wonder.

How dare he talk to you with such tenderness while breaking you apart? You don't know if you'll survive this, survive him. There's no room in you left for anything. He's taken it all. There was never going to be anyone else but him. You could never accept anything less than his laugh in your ear and his cock splitting you open.

You love him.

You love him.

You love him.

"Aww. I know that look."

His thumb grazes the corner of your stretched out lip before resting on your rapidly jumping pulse. You try to twist away, but he holds you tight in his grip, fingers tightening just enough to send a message. The squeeze is almost enough to make you cum.

"How are you this tight?" is a murmur from behind, rich in appreciation. He bounces you off his cock, hips firm in his grasp. Every time his nails dig in your eyes roll back in your head. It all feels so good, the fullness in your ass from Xavier married with the way Lightseeker pounds your pussy as you suck off your King. You cling to him and hold on, closing your eyes in ecstasy.

It devolves soon after that, each Xavier chasing your shared end. All around you are wet slapping sounds, the sound of skin on skin from Xavier in all your holes. The hand around your throat is barely enough to hold you up and keep your mouth on his cock. Feeling generous, he holds you by the hair instead to make it easier.

The seconds dilate as you hang there, hands around Lightseeker's neck, otherwise weightless in a viscous hold, allowing him to dictate every sensation zipping through your body, coiling deep inside— right about where you feel the echo of two cocks slamming into your gut. It's all you can do to take it, breathless with each upstroke and still short on oxygen on the out.

Tension curls your spine as you clench in on yourself, looking for the last burst to take you out. Suddenly, you can breathe, and Xavier tilts your head back towards him, eyes wild. It's like he can't decide where to look, your ass split open by his cock? The stretch of your pussy as well? The strain of your arm from where you're being held up?

He cradles your face in his hand, pressing open mouthed kisses on your lips and cheeks as you gulp in air, the taste of your King still so strong on your tongue.

"Starlight."

Now you taste yourself, a present from his tongue sweeping in your mouth, desperately seeking more. It takes every remaining lucidity in your body to focus on him and not allow yourself to get swept away.

"Tell me you love me."

He always let you off with the easiest of requests.

"I love you Xavier," you croak, back arching as your nipples are pinched and pulled, chasing the edge of pain by his fingers.

His lashes flutter.

"Louder."

You obey as best you can as the myriad of sensations start to close in. You feel yourself fluttering around him, accompanied by a sudden gush of fluid on his cock as you whimper out a final plea.

He cups your cheeks again, gentle as he unmakes you.

"Every version of me belongs to you, and only you. Give me everything, starlight."

You are powerless to do anything but obey, and he swallows your scream as you bear down on him one last time, letting the sensations finally boil over in a toe-curling buzz. All you see in between the flutter of your eyelashes is what's left of the blue in Xavier's eyes.

A dreamy haze settles in your mind. You can't think, and breathing feels almost impossible. There's too much to focus on, and you've never been a good multitasker. It's all too much, you're too full, you're too warm, you're not warm enough, you can't get enough. You could never get enough of him rearranging your insides like this. He's ruined you. Not just in this lifetime, but the next and the next. You will never be the same.

"I-I—-!!"

It's the last thing on your mind as you succumb, his name on your lips, the faint memory of cherries on your tongue. Distantly, as you convulse, you register the feeling of liquid streaming out of you, and a warmth in your belly as cum floods both of your holes as your body takes him for all he has.

Because you're not content unless you have all of him too.

Xavier falls apart behind you, splitting your ass open with his cock as he cums deep inside you with a grunt. The King's cock is hot on your tongue as you ride out your orgasm with your mouth around it again, whimpering with each swallow, clenching desperately around your Knight and Hunter's cocks. 

What follows after is a blur of sweaty bodies and wetter sounds. They take you in every conceivable position possible, showing no signs of exhaustion, not once, even after your fifth or sixth orgasm, when you break down shuddering in the King's arms.

"You can fit both of us in you right starlight?" your Knight looks at you from under his eyelashes, as he ruts into you, hard again against your ass, "I wanna see how you look like."

Something about the fact that your polite, mild-mannered Knight being the one to suggest filthier and filthier things thrills you, and despite your exhaustion, your fatigue, you want to give it to him.

Slowly, carefully, his finger traces the stretch of your pussy, looking for give. One additional finger next to the girth of Xavier's cock already feels like too much, and you whimper at the feeling of fullness. You're straddling the King this time, arms around his neck as he distracts you from the intrusion by gently rocking his cock in and out of you, keeping you in a haze with slow and deep movements.

You're held in place between the King and Lightseeker, carefully split in two as your Lightseeker wedges his cock into your hole beside the King's. They're whispering affection and praises in your ears, stuffing your brains with cotton and words.

"Taking us so well—"

You're not sure if anyone has ever died during sex like this, but you feel like you might. What bliss.

"Made for me—"'

By now you're non-verbal— it's all you can do to hold on as they alternate, sliding in and out of your hole, keeping you oh so full.

"So lucky—"

Just when you finally adjust to their pace, suddenly they still. Your Hunter comes back into your peripheral vision, cock erect in his hand. He gives you a slow, languid kiss, wiping the sweat from your brow. He looks at you expectantly, eyebrow raised, eyes glowing, hair mussed from the endless sex but showing no signs of exhaustion.

You catch on quickly, shifting in the King's arms. Tired, but not unwilling. Never with him.

"I don't know if—"

He interrupts you with an easy smile.

"You will," he promises.

Xavier always makes good on his promises. In his own way.

After all, now that he has you, he'll never let you go.

notes: wheeze. I started this in…July? Maybe August? It started out as "haha wouldn't it be nice to get one Xavier in each orifice" (I have biblical levels of greed). Then it became all this after I digested his new myth some more. Shoutout to Joy and the folks at the Planetarium for their patience every time I complained about the musical holes I had to play with this fic. Consider this my love letter to you Xavier! Happy Birthday! I hope I did him justice, I just love him so much.

reblogs and comments always appreciated! thank you for reading this monster of a fic! for more check out my -> masterlist <-

The Basics

- Just match the companion’s talent! Listed below.

- Avoid flat stats unless they are boosted with a scaling % bonus

- For bonus % aim for 10%+. Typically you would want to be as close to 14% as possible.

- Any memories under level 50 benefit from flat stats though (pointless tbh)

- Trash any cores with ATK/DEF/HP bonuses as the main stat UNLESS YOU ARE USING CALEB then keep 1 Red Def bonus square for this solar. Keep any triangle protocores that have Damage 2 Weakness, Crit Damage, or Crit Rate.

- The highlighted area is your main stats! Everything below are sub stats.

- Make sure the bottom sub stat matches the companion because that’s the one that will be boosted the most in the long run

Example for an ATK scale companion

- Boost protocores to levels 3-6-9 to see what all 5 stats are before trashing it so you get some recourses back. Trash it before hitting level 12 since it’s too expensive and not worth it

- You gain a double bonus at levels 3-6-9-12-15 so rank protocores up by 3

- Any solar pair that has R1+ needs either 2x Expidited Energy or E.E and 1 Oath Strength. I will always vote for more E.E!

- Any pair with R0 should have 1 oath strength or E.E and 1 oath recovery boost!! Boost your oath recovery to +9 to ensure you will be able to use your oath twice during a battle (ignore mine being at +8).

- Only keep protocores that have the main stats shown above for the squares!

Examples of protocores from perfect, to decent, to horrible if using an Attack Companion! Def is not needed for this companion but it wont hurt. The last protocore has too many mixed flat stats that don’t align with the companion’s talents and/or are flat!

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

What does each protocore stat do?

I feel like some of the stats are pretty self explanatory so I won’t be going into those too much. Attack raised attack, defense raises defense, and HP raises HP. Simple.

I will be using the 𖤓 to represent solar memories, the first two pairs you equip, and the ☾ to represent lunar, the bundle of four!

Oath Strength (𖤓 and ☾)

Oath Strength boost how much damage your oath does. Those cool battle moves with the cut scenes, you know? Those! The moves you can only use once or twice during a battle. I would deem this stat to be not as important as the other ones listed below, but I will use it from time to time depending on the situation. I would rather have Expedited Energy for one of my solars over this stat.

Expedited Energy (𖤓 only)

Expedited Energy! You know those little yellow stars at the bottom of your health bars? The things that need to fill up so you can use your resonance moves? Well this protocore speeds up that process so they fill up faster! That’s all. Very very helpful though!

Oath Recovery Boost (𖤓 only)

I would only recommend using oath recovery if you are using a 5 star memory that isn’t Rank 1 or higher. Both solar memories need to have 1 rank to them to count as a full rank up by the way! Basically if you have a torn outfit with your companion then they are Rank 1 or above!

This stat just boost up how fast your oath charges! With that being said, it caps at 20%! Anything over that is overkill and is pointless to have. Even with the cap though, you can only use your oath 2 times during battle so I would cap this protocore at level 9 because this also guarantees you can use your oath twice if you timed it perfectly.

Crit Damage + Crit Rate (𖤓 sub stat & ☾ main stat)

These two stats go hand in hand! Without high crit rate your crit damage is useless! Crit damage increases the damage done when you land a critical hit and to land more critical hits you NEED crit rate. You would usually want to aim for the 40%’s and higher! With high enough crit damage and crit rate you can easily brute force your way through battles even without matching stellactrum. You can also raise your crit rate by ranking up lunar memories.

DMG To Weakness (𖤓 sub stat & ☾ main stat)

Whenever you break a shield on a Wanderer you start to do DMG to Weakness. Typically bosses will have shields and a few wanderers during mobs. This just means you’ll do more damage to them when their shields are down.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

Substas you want for Companions

Attack Based: Lightseeker, Abysswalker, Boxing Sylus, Master of Fate, or any non myth companion ex: Dawnbreaker, pilot Caleb, artist Rafayel, deepspace Hunter Xavier, etc.

Attack Flat + Attack Bonus with any of these to follow: Crit Rate, Crit DMG, D2W

Defense Based: Lumiere, Foreseer, and Farspace Colonel* = priority

*Defense Flat + *Defense Bonus with any of these to follow: Crit Rate, Crit DMG, *D2W

HP Based: Sea God and Dragon Sylus

Twisted steel reached out like fingers from the earth, and the air reeked of ozone, blood, and old war.

Every step you took crunched shattered glass and bone beneath your boots. Your breaths came in short, panicked bursts, and your heart thundered so loudly you were certain the Wanderers could hear it.

You didn’t mean to come this far. You didn’t want to be here alone. But the others needed the power cell, and you thought, you hoped you were fast enough to slip in and out unnoticed.

You were wrong.

The first scream came behind you. Then the skittering. Then the shadows started moving.

They chased you through rusted corridors and half-collapsed bridges, your legs pumping, your lungs on fire. You didn’t look back, you knew what you’d see.

And then, the fall.

Your foot caught a loose pipe, and suddenly you were airborne. You landed hard. Metal split your skin open in a jagged gash down your thigh. The pain was blinding. You bit your fist to keep from screaming as blood soaked through your pants.

“No, no, no…” you whimpered, trying to crawl toward cover. But your leg dragged uselessly behind you.

The howls grew closer.

You pressed your back to a cold wall, shaking, vision swimming with pain and fear. You weren’t ready to die. Not like this. Not alone.

“Please,” you choked out, tears slipping down your cheeks. “Someone… anyone…”

And then...

Boom!

A deafening blast echoed through the corridor. One Wanderer’s head snapped backward in a spray of black mist. Another dropped before it could screech.

“Y/N!”

You knew that voice.

“Sylus…” you whispered, barely able to lift your head.

He was like a storm. Unrelenting. Focused. Deadly. His rifle fired again and again as he advanced, boots crunching over broken debris and bodies. When the last creature fell, silence took over, except for your rasping breath and his hurried steps.

He was at your side in seconds.

“God-” He dropped to his knees, yanking off his gloves and tearing at your makeshift bandage. “What the hell were you thinking?!”

“I… I didn’t want you to worry…”

“You think not telling me would make me worry less?” His voice cracked. You looked up at him, and for the first time, you saw it.

Fear.

Raw, undiluted fear in his eyes.

“You’re bleeding too fast,” his voice was shaky as he muttered, more to himself. “Stay with me, kitten. Please.”

“I’m sorry,” you whimpered. “I didn’t want to be a burden.”

His jaw clenched. “You’re not a burden. You never were,” he growled.

He lifted you into his arms. You sobbed softly against his chest. Whether from the pain or the comfort, you weren’t sure. But you felt his hand trembling against your back.

“I thought I was going to lose you,” he whispered into your hair. “And I don’t think I’d survive that.”

You buried your face in his shoulder. “I was so scared…”

“I know. I’m here now.”

He carried you out of the zone, mile after painful mile, never once setting you down, never once letting go.

You woke up later in a dim, quiet shelter. Warm blankets tucked around you, your leg stitched and clean. Rain tapped gently on the metal roof overhead.

Sylus sat beside your cot, exhausted, his head resting on the edge of the mattress. One of his hands was still holding yours, like he’d never let go.

When your fingers twitched, his head shot up.

“You’re awake,” he breathed, voice shaking.

You nodded weakly. “I’m okay…?”

“You will be. You’re safe now.” He reached out and brushed your hair from your forehead, his thumb lingering.

“Are you… mad at me?”

“Only if you ever try to do something that reckless again without me.” He gave you a weak smile. “Because the truth is, I need you just as much as you clearly need to be protected.”

You blinked away more tears, and he leaned down slowly, pressing his forehead to yours.

“I’ve lost too much already,” he whispered. “I won’t lose you too.”

You wrapped your fingers around his and pulled him just a little closer.

“You won’t,” you whispered back. “You came for me. You always do.”

And in that quiet moment, with the storm fading outside and the warmth of his breath on your cheek, you realized: you weren’t alone anymore.

And never would be again.

═══════❯❯❯❯❯════════════❯❯❯❯❯══════

ＨＵＮＴＥＲ： Ｏｍｅｎ， Ｒｈｉｙａｎ

ＳＴＡＲＴ ＤＡＴＥ： ２５／０７／２５

ＵＰＤＡＴＥ： １０／０６／２６

ＥＶＯＬ： [！ｅｒｒｏｒ：ｎｏｔｆｏｕｎｄ！]

ＭＡＩＮ： Ｒａｆａｙｅｌ Ｑｉ

ＳＵＢ： Ｃａｌｅｂ Ｓｕｍｍｅｒｓ

═══════❯❯❯❯❯════════════❯❯❯❯❯══════

BLOG: This is a Love and Deepspace roleplay account for my MC, Rhiyan Omen.

AUs : model!Rafayel, photographer!Rafayel, model!MC, actor!Caleb, half-american!Caleb, roommate!Xavier.

SHIPs: MCxRafayel, MCxCaleb, possible MCxXavier

LI accounts run by me:

flashflounder – Rafayel Qi

captainapplecore – Caleb Summers

the-kid-napping - Xavier Shen

dr-not-my-dad – Zayne Li

Sylus does not have Tumblr. He's too old.