#mc!delphi

I've been toying with this idea for...ages, of drawing Delphi as the Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi. (It's the origin of her name, after all.) And I finally came across Priestess of Delphi (1891) by John Collier, and a lovely podcast special by Unexplained Mysteries, and I decided I had to do it.

So here she is! This was done entirely on my phone in CSP!

Pose by the lovely, wonderful, @adorkastock!

Taglist: @sassykattery @biteable-pink-pixie @yourboyhack @attic-club-sandwich @sparkbeast20 @kyungjoon-do @consolationblog @flemmingbamse @denpa-dere

One

“Here ya go, ladies,” Ashura says. “A flagon of mead for Sifuu, a pint of ale for Delphi, and an ormuu milk lassi for Delaila. Enjoy.”

“Thanks, Ashura!” Delphi chirps, giving him a bright, glassy smile as he turns to go back to the counter. He gives her a gentle smile and pats her shoulder before he goes, his low chuckle almost drowned out by Delaila’s laughter.

She waits until Ashura reaches the check-in counter before leaning over the table and teasing, “Sifuu, when are ye goin’ to ask him out? Ye’ve been givin’ Ashura eyes for years now!”

Delphi nearly spits out her beer at Delaila’s words, but catches herself and coughs, “I’d like to know the answer, too, please!”

Sifuu’s normally lavender cheeks flush a dusty violet and her eyes go wide. It’s a reaction Delphi’s never seen before, though she does recall through her alcohol-induced haze the retired monster hunter mentioning more than once that she’d been thinking about asking the innkeeper out. She hadn’t realized how much feeling was actually behind her musings.

Before she has to reply, Sifuu’s gaze focuses behind Delphi and she breaks out in a wide smile.

“Well, would you look at what the palcat dragged in!” Her voice is booming as usual, and she nearly overturns her drink waving in the direction of the inn’s entrance. Delphi doesn’t have time to look back before Sifuu is calling, “Hey Hodari! Haven’t seen you out this late in years!”

Delphi feels her own face heating when she hears Sifuu call Hodari’s name. She downs the entirety of her pint, nearly choking when a hand lands softly on her shoulder.

“Hey, Sifuu,” Hodari chuckles, squeezing Delphi’s shoulder lightly. “I was actually out lookin’ for Delphi, here.”

Delaila and Sifuu exchange glances and Delphi’s face goes white hot.

“Went out to your plot, but you weren’t home,” he drawls, seemingly unaware of the gears turning in both of the older women’s minds. “Figured I’d check the local waterin’ hole. Got a minute?”

Delphi coughs, wishing for all the world that she had more beer in her glass. She finally turns to look at Hodari, clearing her throat before replying, “Yeah, I can, uh, step out for a minute.”

She pointedly doesn’t look back at Sifuu and Delaila as she follows him out into the cool night. She expects him to stop at the square, probably to ask for her advice or assistance with Najuma, but he surprises her. He leads her from the inn toward Jel’s shop, then around to the back of the building.

“Hodari, what—”

She's cut off by his gloved hands cupping her cheeks. Her heart races at the contact, the drunken haze clouding her mind dissipating immediately. Her awareness narrows down to the soft smile on his lips, the apologetic tilt to his brows, the gentle circles he trace with his thumbs, and the heat beginning to pool in her belly.

“Sorry to pull you away like this, darlin’,” he murmurs, brushing her bottom lip with one thumb. “I was hopin’ I’d find you at home.”

“It’s okay,” Delphi breathes, willing her traitorous eyes to remain open, despite the overwhelming urge to close them and melt into him. “Is something wrong?”

“Nah,” he chuckles, his blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “I’ve just been wantin’ to do this all day.”

He pulls her in closer as he dips his head down, his lips finding her in a tender kiss. It barely lasts a moment, but she feels it like a bolt of lightning. It could be the beer or the cool breeze that rustles her hair and clothes, but she can feel a tingling sensation spread to her fingers and toes. It lingers within her, even as he backs away and bids her good night.

Two

He’s exhausted, knees and back aching, by the time he surfaces from the mines. Cursing under his breath, he realizes he’s lost track of time again. Luna and Ignis are high in the sky, the stars twinkling to the tune of the crickets chirping, but Hodari barely notices any of it as he trudges home. Najuma needs dinner and he still needs to finish up some things in the workshop before he can even think about going to bed or taking a warm bath to soothe his aching joints.

He’s crossing the bridge to the house when he notices the smell of cooking meat and the almost musical sounds of laughter coming from the covered table in the yard. As he approaches, the tension melts from his shoulders and he finds himself smiling.

Najuma sits at the table, chatting animatedly about a new invention while a large pot bubbles on the stove. A familiar figure sits across from her, with pink curls and sparkling violet eyes, listening with rapt attention as Najuma regales her with tales of explosions and collapsed chaapa burrows.

“Well shoot, if I’d known I was comin’ home to dinner, I’d’ve been home sooner,” Hodari jokes, propping his pick against the table.

“Dad,” Najuma groans, rolling her eyes while he chuckles.

“I’m just playin’, Najuma,” he laughs. The warm smile on Delphi’s face as she rises to stir whatever she’s cooking sets his stomach fluttering.

He thought he’d never feel like this again after Leta died, the butterflies in his stomach, the warmth spreading from his chest whenever she gives him that smile.

“Since you asked,” Delphi teases, turning off the stove. “I made sernuk noodle stew. Najuma told me you were working late and I was out hunting, so...”

“It smells great,” Hodari says, realizing for the first time how hungry he actually is. He watches her ladle stew into bowls, filling them nearly to the brim before placing two down in front of him and Najuma.

“Shit,” she hisses, shaking her head. “I forgot utensils. I’ll be right back.”

He watches her jog to the house, curls bouncing and hips swaying.

“Ugh! Gross, Dad,” Najuma scoffs, scrunching her nose in disgust. “I’m right here!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hodari sighs, huffing out a laugh. He playfully ruffles her hair as he gets up from the table, narrowly dodging her flailing arms when her goggles fall over her face.

He makes his way inside, not quite sure what he’s planning to do, but following his feet as they lead him into the kitchen. Delphi is reaching for something in an upper cabinet, standing on her toes. Her top is riding up, giving him a perfect view of her lower back and midriff. The pinkish skin looks so soft and warm that he finds himself taking his gloves off as he walks over to her so that he can feel it.

He squeezes her waist gently as first, then fully wraps his arms around her and buries his face in her silky, lavender-scented curls. Feeling her warm and soft in his harms, he can’t help the contented hum that escapes his chest.

“How’d you do it, darlin’?” he murmurs in her ear, smiling at the shiver it sends down her spine and filing it away for later. “Najuma loves you, and I haven’t felt like this in years.”

“Like what?” she breathes, her voice almost trembling.

“Take your pick,” he chuckles. He turns her around, resting his hands somewhere between the small of her back and the swell of her ass. With her violet eyes with and sparkling up at him, he finds his words. “Warm? Happy? Completely gobsmacked that you’d pick me?”

Her smile is as bright as the sun as she drapes her arms over his shoulders, and he thinks that smile could bathe even the darkest parts of him in its light.

“Of course I picked you, silly,” Delphi replies. Hodari watches with awe as she tilts her head toward him and draws in close, her lashes fluttering as her gaze drops to his lips. “You’re you.”

His heart soars as she presses her lips to his. They’re just as soft as the rest of her, maybe even more so. And she’s so responsive, opening up for him when he runs his tongue along the seams of her lips, moaning and wrapping her legs around him when he grabs her by the hips and lifts her onto the counter. He’s halfway to lifting her shirt off when they hear a yell from outside.

“Are you two done yet?” Najuma calls. “The stew’s getting cold and I’m starving!”

They look at each other, Delphi’s eyes wide and her lips swollen even as she sucks her lower lip between her teeth. She grins, chuckling, “Guess we’d better get back out there and feed Najuma before she plants a smoke bomb under my bed.”

Hodari helps her down from the counter, handing her the glass she was reaching for a smiling.

“Go on, then,” he tells her. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

After all the blood in his body redistributes properly.

Three

The rain came out of nowhere, the sky clear one minute and dark gray the next. It’s so unexpected that even the sernuk she was hunting didn’t have time to retreat into the forest to take cover. Delphi quickly unstrings and stows her bow before running for the nearest cover she can find. It’s a long run, but she finally ducks into the mine, mud up to her knees and her clothes completely soaked. She leans over, hands on her thighs, in an attempt to catch her breath.

She finally manages, the burning in her chest subsiding and the stitch in her side easing. She finds a rock near the entrance to sit on and begins stripping off her soaked hunting gear. The heavy cotton and leather slap against the hard-packed dirt floor as she drops the gear into an unceremonious heap, already not looking forward to dragging it all back home after the rain clears.

She’s attempting to wring the rapidly cooling water from her hair when a familiar voice calls out to her, surprised delight creeping into the drawl she loves so much, “Well hey, darlin’!”

“Hey,” she laughs, looking up at Hodari with a tired smile. “I didn’t think you’d be here this late.”

He shrugs. “I’ve been fixin’ some of the supports. Almost had a cave-in last week ‘cause some idiot went too deep into one of the walls down below.”

“Oh, shit.”

“Yeah,” he sighs, scratching at the back of his neck. “I threw ‘em out. Told ‘em to come back when they learn how to swing a pick right.”

He sits down beside her, eyeing her piles of soaked gear. He nudges her playfully on the arm and teases, “You fall in a lake or somethin’?”

“Ha-ha,” she replies, unable to hide her grin as she rolls her eyes and nudges him back. “I don’t know if you noticed, doing your best impersonation of a mole down here, but it’s absolutely pouring out there above ground.”

“I’m just messin’ with ya, darlin’,” Hodari chuckles, patting her knee.

“Oh, you’re so warm,” Delphi sighs. She can feel herself beginning to shiver in the cool air of the mine.

He laughs heartily, but wraps an arm around her and pulls her into his side. Hodari gently rubs her bare arms in an attempt to warm her up, smiling as her shivers begin to subside.

“Feelin’ better?” he asks, and feels her nod into his shoulder. “Good. Anything else I can do, darlin’?”

His heart nearly stops when she looks up with wide eyes, cheeks pink, and breathes, “Kiss me.”

And who is he to say no?

Hodari’s smile turns soft as he lifts her chin carefully and lowers his lips to hers. She meets him almost shyly, her breath shuddering as she turns toward him. This lasts a few seconds, but finally he feels her shift. She takes in a deep breath, her lips remaining on his as she rises and climbs into his lap. His hands slide up her thighs, coming to rest on her ass as she groans into him. Her hands come to fist in his hair and he groans as well, encouraging her with a light squeeze. She responds enthusiastically, grinding down against him with a whimper.

This goes on for what feels like hours, her breath turning ragged while the movement of her hips only grows faster and harder. Her hands are snaking down his chest, coming dangerously close to where his shirt is tucked into his gray work pants when a deafening clap of thunder shakes the ground and they both jump.

Their eyes meet for a moment before they both break out into breathless laughter. Delphi pushes her hair behind her ears and sighs, gently extricating herself from Hodari’s hold.

“I should probably get home before the path floods,” she murmurs, bending down to pick up her sopping wet gear.

Hodari clears his throat, adjusting himself, and suggests, “You could come over for dinner? Let your clothes dry out, maybe wait out the storm?”

Delphi’s grin is bright as she nods and says, “Yeah, alright.”

Four

Hodari isn’t sure exactly what the purpose of this gathering at the mayor’s mansion is. The food is usually cold, he’s forced to make small talk with half the village, and there’s never a place he can go wo just sit with his own thoughts, so he usually hates them. But tonight as Badruu is talking his ear off about field crickets getting into his cabbage crop, he finds himself glad he came to this one.

Across the garden, Delphi is laughing at something Reth said, her eyes sparkling brighter than the forest green dress draped elegantly around her. It hugs her curves just right, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. She’s wiping a tear from her eye when she catches him staring at her. She smiles softly, giving him a little wave before she returns to her conversation with the chef.

He endures the rest of Badruu’s rambling before politely excusing himself. He turns to the pavilion where he’d seen Delphi, only to find her gone, Hassian and Tau now in her place. He looks around the garden in an attempt to locate her, but she’s disappeared completely. He meanders into the mansion, seeing Sifuu and Ashura chatting animatedly in the dining room, with Tish and Jel in the library, their heads bent together over a glossy magazine page.

Continuing further into the house, he sees several other villagers before he finally locates her in the front drawing room, chatting with Kenyatta and Najuma. He approaches quietly, placing a gentle hand on her elbow. The smile she gives him when she turns to see who’s trying to get her attention could light up the whole of the village.

“Hey!” she exclaims, turning to him fully. “Najuma was just telling us about a new invention! You should join us!”

“I was actually wonderin’ if I could borrow you for a minute,” he replies, nodding toward the door.

“Yeah, of course!” she responds brightly. She turns to the others and waves, saying, “I’ll see you guys later!”

Hodari gestures for her to lead the way, and before he turns to follow, he catches Najuma rolling her eyes.

They step out into the front courtyard, and Hodari watches her walk down the steps, unable to take his eyes off her hips as she does. She leads him out of the courtyard, just to the far side of the brick wall. Immediately, his hands are on her hips and he’s crowding her against the wall.

“I take it you like the dress?” she giggles, half-heartedly trying to push him away as he begins to press hot kisses into the soft skin just below her jaw.

“Darlin’, I think you’re gorgeous all the time,” he growls into her skin. “But tonight?” A rake of his teeth against her collarbone. “In that dress?” A squeeze to her hips. “You could outshine Embra herself.”

Her hands are in his hair, holding him close as his lips, teeth, and tongue caress and claim every inch of visible skin. He can feel her heart racing, hear her breath becoming more and more ragged. They’re changes he can feel mirrored in himself, nearly unable to think for the rushing of blood in his ears and the fire in his veins.

“Let me take you home,” he murmurs into the shell of her ear. “Maybe get you outta that dress?”

“Not tonight,” she breathes, and it almost comes out as a moan. She turns her head, pressing sweet kisses into his cheek and jaw. Chuckling at his disappointed groan, she adds, “The entire village is inside. Someone will notice if we both leave.”

Hodari drops his head onto her shoulder and sighs. He knows she’s right.

“I’ve already finished my virtues test,” she says, softly running her fingers through his hair. “And Sifuu’s agreed to be my Shepp. My Acceptance Ceremony will be soon, and then we can do this as much and as publicly as you want.”

She gently lifts his head and smiles at him before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

“I’m gonna head back in,” Delphi whispers. She pats his chest with another smile, then turns and heads back into the courtyard.

Five

“Shh!” Delphi giggles. “Someone will hear us!”

“Who’s gonna hear?” Hodari growls. “We’re in the middle of the woods!”

Their lunch lies abandoned at the corner of the blanket near their feet, a veritable feast for the insects that live in the underbrush. In the soft dappled lights from the canopy over head they lie, a tangled mess of limbs. Their tools and equipment are in a heap under a nearby tree, the light of the afternoon sun reflecting off the glimmering palium blades in rainbows that dance with the breeze rustling the leaves above.

It’s warm and cozy, and she breaks into another fit of giggles when he rubs his stubbly cheek against hers again.

“Auni camps out here all the time,” she gasps when his lips find her neck.

He huffs out at laugh, “Auni’s deliverin’ the mail. And he’s already been through the Bay.”

“And Hassian hunts out here!” she protests weakly, giggling and attempting to curl her legs up between them.

“Hassian went to the capital to sell pelts today. What is goin’ on, darlin’?” Hodari raises himself up onto his elbows, brows furrowed and lips turned down in a frown. “D’ya have somewhere else to be or somethin’?”

Delphi sighs, sitting up to face him. “It’s not that. It’s just...my Acceptance Ceremony is in three days. And you know I wanna do this right. I want to become a full member of Palian society so that there’s no doubt when we finally let everyone know.”

He takes her hand, staring down at it for a few moments before asking, “Doubt about what, darlin’?”

Delphi looks down at their hands, attempting to calm the swirling storm of her thoughts. The sour feeling in her stomach has been eating at her for days, ever since Eshe set the date for her ceremony. She wasn’t sure what it was at first. By all rights, she should be giddy with excitement. But there’s a lingering, insidious thought at the back of her mind. A tiny little shred of an intrusive idea that keeps telling her that maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t truly belong.

She takes a deep breath, exhaling fully before she begins, “I materialized out of thin air less than a year ago. I was told that I’m a member of a previously extinct race and that there’s no way of knowing exactly who I am or where I came from. My earliest memory is Jina’s shocked face while I sat on the ground at the base of the Phoenix Shrine.”

Hodari squeezes her hand lightly, nodding for her to continue. She smiles softly and nods back.

“I’ve worked until my fingers bled to build a life here. I’ve learned all the ins and outs of Majiri society and customs. I’ve made friends and a home, and I’ve found a wonderful, beautiful man with a lovely, brilliant daughter who I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

She raises their entwined hands to press a kiss to his knuckles.

“But at the end of the day, I’m still human. And you’re all Majiri. And as silly as it may sound, I’m still afraid that...someone, or everyone, is going to realize that I don’t belong here. And I just don’t want there to be any doubt that I truly want to be here and that I want to be a member of this community. For myself, just as much as for you and Najuma.”

Hodari looks at her with wide eyes and a slack jaw. He lets out a breath before pulling her into his arms. He holds her for a few moments before he seems to find his words.

“Darlin’, every time I go into the village, someone is singin’ your praises. They all love you.” He gives her a lopsided grin. “Almost as much as I do.”

She smiles softly, winding her arms around him.

“I love you,” she sighs, leaning in when he lifts her chin and lowers his lips to hers in a sweet, lingering kiss.

Plus One

“Oh, Delphi!” Tish gushes, her eyes alight. “It’s absolutely perfect! You look amazing!”

Delphi can feel heat rising in her cheeks as Tish showers her with compliments. She hadn’t even asked Jel to make the dress for her, it had been a surprise gift from him and Tish for her Acceptance Ceremony. But the soft, silky garment is the color of the sunset and drapes so beautifully that she couldn’t not accept it.

“It’s absolutely exquisite,” Jel agrees, turning her around to check the fit. “And I’m so glad we decided to go with the open back. Drawing that bow of yours has truly made you a sight to behold.”

“Thank you,” Delphi laughs. “Both of you. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for this.”

“You don’t have to repay us, silly!” Tish giggles. “It’s a gift! And besides, you’ve helped us both so much already, it’s the least we could do!”

“Consider it payment for everything you’ve done for us,” Jel adds.

“Now that we’ve covered all of that,” Tish says, clapping her hands. “Are you ready to go?”

She’d done well to tamp down the nerves until now. Tish’s and Jel’s attention had kept her distracted from the anxiety that’s been growing within her for days. Since her last conversation with Hodari, she’s been trying to remind herself that she’s made plenty of friends here and that the village is welcoming her with open arms, but reason means nothing in the face of irrational fear.

She takes a steadying breath and nods, letting Tish drag her out the front door with Jel following close behind.

It’s a short walk from Tish’s house to the mayor’s estate. The lights in the garden twinkle merrily as they enter, a cheer going up from the pavilion where Sifuu and Delaila are chatting. Delphi can’t help but laugh, waving at them. Everyone from the village is there, Kenyatta, Nai’o, and Najuma chatting in the corner, Tish and Jel leaving her with smiles and waves to go talk with Reth by the food table. She thinks she can hear Badruu laughing from somewhere inside the house, probably talking with Ashura if she had to guess. Jina, Hekla, and Einar are huddled in a corner, Jina taking notes as Einar and Hekla talk. Hassian and Tau are lurking in a corner, Tau’s tail wagging as he chases moths around the outskirts of the garden. She can hear Zeki attempting to sell Caleri something while Elouisa shakes her head. There’s only one familiar face she’s missing.

She pokes her head into the library, the dining room, and the front drawing room, but she doesn’t see him anywhere. She tries to tell herself that he’s just late or that he’s just in an area of the house she hasn’t checked, but when Eshe comes to find her in one of the wingback chairs in the drawing room she’s a shaking, nervous wreck.

“We're ready for you,” the magistrate tells her, frowning. “But you look like you’re about to faint.”

Delphi sighs, scratching at her arm nervously. “I’m sorry, Eshe. I’ve been freaking out about this all week. But I’m ready.”

“What were you looking for?” Eshe asks, raising a brow at her. “I saw you combing every room of the estate.”

She can feel her face warming at Eshe’s pointed glance and admits quietly, “Hodari said he was going to be here. I’ve seen everybody else, but I haven’t seen him…”

Eshe tuts, taking Delphi’s hand and helping her to stand. “The miner and his daughter arrived just before you did. They were setting up the fireworks for this evening.”

Delphi lets out a breath and nods, smoothing her dress. “Okay. I’m ready.”

Every eye is on her as Eshe leads her into the garden. Sifuu waits on the raised platform in the center of the garden, her smile wide and bright when she catches sight of Delphi approaching.  The rest of the village lines the walkway, their smiles just as bright as Sifuu's. Just before Eshe stops her, she finally catches sight of the face she’d been looking for. He’s half-hidden behind Hekla and Jina, but his smile when he catches her eye is warm and reassuring.

Eshe's speech is short and to the point, and when she asks if Delphi will accept Kilima Village as her home, there are tears in Delphi's eyes as she says yes. The assembled villagers' cheers are drowned out by the loud booming of Najuma’s fireworks overhead, their jubilant faces illuminated by the colorful explosions.

Najuma sits near the base of the platform, giving Delphi a thumbs-up and a grin. Delphi’s confusion is cleared up as a pair of hands grabs her by the waist and spins her around. Hodari grins at her, his cheeks rosy and his eyes sparking. He dips his head toward hers and says loudly enough for her to hear over the fireworks, “I’m gonna kiss you now. In front of the whole town.”

“Please do,” Delphi laughs. She throws her arms around his neck, giggling as he catches her by the waist and spins her around.

The kiss is a mess, teeth crashing together and lips bruising as they both laugh, but the way her heart soars and her stomach flips at finally being able to kiss him openly makes it worth it. There’s whooping and applause from all around them, Sifuu’s loudest of all.

Listen, I didn't want to fall in love with this man. I was happy with my shy hunter and my flirty chef. And I DEFINITELY didn't want to imagine being a step-mom. But then I got to know him and his daughter and fucking hell. I'm absolutely feral over him. And I'm absolitely smitten with her. I've got some other things in the works for Hodari AND Najuma, so probably look for those sometime...

Taglist: @biteable-pink-pixie @sassykattery @sparkbeast20 @kyungjoon-do @attic-club-sandwich @consolationblog @flemmingbamse @syren201 @denpa-dere

Now, with a Majolish bag dangling from her elbow and cider in hand, she heads upstairs to get ready for her dinner date. Lucifer is still in his office working, so she lays her new sweater dress out on the bed and heads for the shower. She takes her time getting ready, showering, drying and styling her hair, and even applying some makeup. Finally, she slips into her new dress with a smile.

The plush fabric hugs her curves just right and the open lantern sleeves give it a lovely cold-shoulder effect. It’s warm, but no uncomfortably so, and she finds herself admiring how the deep red compliments her rosy complexion. Even through the thick turtleneck, she can see the pact mark on her throat glowing softly and she blushes, covering her face with her hands.

It’s silly, she thinks, getting so worked up over something as trivial as a new dress. But as she looks again, admiring the snug fit of the dress over her hips and the way her pact marks barely peek out from the hem, she feels another surge of pride rise in her chest.

She isn’t surprised when she feels warm hands slip around her waist and cool breath fan over her neck. Lucifer murmurs in her ear, “You look absolutely stunning, my darling. Is that a new dress?”

“It is,” she responds, smiling at his reflection in the mirror. “Do you like it?”

“It’s perfect, love,” Lucifer replies, and even through the reflection, she can feel the heat of his crimson gaze.

There was a time, in years past, when that look would have sent her running, or made her curl in on herself in fear. But now she sees it for what it really is – undisguised, unabashed lust. She preens under his gaze, her own pride and lust rising to match his.

“I need to put my shoes on and I’ll be ready to go,” she says, slipping delicately from his grasp to sit on the edge of the bed where a pair of black ankle boots wait.

She barely has time to sit down before Lucifer is kneeling at the edge of the bed between her knees. He looks up at her through thick, dark lashes and asks, “Let me help you?”

Delphi nods, feeling heat rise in her cheeks. She leans back and places one foot on his knee, expecting him to unzip the corresponding boot and slip it onto her foot. Instead, he lifts her foot in both hands and raises it to his lips, laying a delicate kiss on top. Her breath hitches at the gesture, her heart racing. But as much as she expects him to stop there, he doesn’t, kissing first her ankle, then up the inside of her leg until he reaches the hem of her dress. He pushes it up slightly, inhaling her scent deeply from her core. One of his hands wraps around her waist as he rises to look at her with pupils blown so wide his eyes look almost black.

“Lucifer,” she sighs, her own voice so thick it’s nearly foreign to her. “We’ll miss our reservation.”

“I know the owner, he’ll let us in,” he breathes in reply, surging up to meet her lips with his own.

The kiss takes her breath away, and she finds herself moaning into it, letting her every objection fall away until all that remains is the enormity, the unfathomable depth of the love between them. She can feel it in every movement, every brush of his lips against hers, every slide of his tongue, and every press of his gloved fingers into her plush flesh.

“Marry me.”

It takes a few moments for the words to process, her mind still reeling from the kiss.

“W-what?” Delphi stammers, blinking.

“I was going to wait until we went to dinner,” Lucifer explains, lifting a hand to brush a loose curl from her face. He smiles. “But for some reason when I’m with you, whatever plans I’ve made don’t mater anymore. So I’m asking you now, Delphi Hawke, will you marry me?”

Delphi gapes, her pulse roaring in her ears. She manages to get her thoughts in enough of a semblance of order to ask, “But what about the laws? Demons can’t marry humans.”

“Diavolo is going to make the announcement tomorrow,” Lucifer explains with a gentle smile. “I asked him to delay it so that I could have tonight to ask.”

“We can get married?” Delphi breathes, tears stinging the corners of her eyes.

“As of tomorrow, yes.”

She sits for a moment in disbelief, staring down through her tears at the demon between her knees. They’ve waited and worked so long for this, now that it’s in front of her, it doesn’t seem real. Her head is spinning.

“Love?” Lucifer asks, trailing his thumb along her lower lip.

“Sorry!” she exclaims, everything suddenly snapping back into focus. She finds herself nodding, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Yes! Yes! A thousand times, yes!”

She throws herself into his arms, laughing and crying as he picks her up and spins her around.

“I never imagined that I would ever feel happiness like this when we left the Celestial Realm,” Lucifer murmurs against her skin when he finally sets her back down on the bed. “My love, you have made me the happiest demon alive.”

“What a coincidence!” Delphi giggles. “You’ve made me the happiest human alive.”

My first entry for @love-and-lore 's Sweater collab!

I uh. I cried writing this. Just so y'all know. It dredged up a lot of old feelings from when my relationship first started, so this piece is very important to me. Hope you enjoyed!

“You aren't a fairy at all, are you?” the pirate chuckles, watching the fairy's pink glow grow brighter every time she sinks back down onto the tip of his hook. He can see the bright red flush coloring her cheeks and the sheen of sweat that glistens over her entire, miniscule body. “You’re a little nymph.”

She smiles hazily over her shoulder at him, giggling breathlessly at both the suggestive comment and the silly little distinctions that humans insist exist among her kind. In truth, no such distinctions exist. There no difference between a finger-sized fairy like herself and a mermaid, other than their preferred habitat. But she’s a bit preoccupied to be explaining that.

With every roll of her hips, the cool metal slips deeper and deeper into her dripping cunt, spreading her slick arousal until she has to use her transparent wings to keep herself aloft, her hands sliding too much to grasp the metal. She keeps her focus on the crimson eyes gazing down at her with amusement and a tinge of lust.

Sparks begin to shoot up her spine as she holds eye contact, peripherally aware of the pirate reaching down to unbuckle his black leather belt. She shifts her focus away from his face to his groin, where his black-gloved hand is freeing his beautifully flushed cock from his trousers. She watches, mouth watering, a he begins to lazily stroke himself.

Soon she finds herself matching his pace, every desperate roll of her hips jostling his arm ever so slightly. She can feel his gaze on her still, but she watches enraptured as he strokes himself. The pretty pink of his tip is like nothing she's ever seen before, accented by pearly white beads that dribble down until his leather-clad palm smears them down his hard shaft.

He watches her just as intently, every little movement, every roll of her hips, every flutter of her wings and soft little sigh that he can’t even hear but he can see in the rise and fall of her tiny chest. Her every movement is so desperate, so driven by her need for release, that just watching her is almost too much. It makes the knot in his abdomen tighten painfully and he has to slow his traitorous hand before he makes a mess of himself before the little minx on his hook gets her chance to show him how beautiful she is when she comes undone.

And she looks so close. Her lips are parted and she’s panting heavily, her wings nearly invisible with how fast they’re beating to keep her aloft. She rolls her hips faster, harder, one miniscule little hand slipping between her legs to touch herself. It only takes a few moments after that.

He watches her head toss back, little pink curls bouncing as she cries out in a tiny voice that sounds like the tinkling of bells to his ears. She rolls her hips a few more times, then stills, slumping as she tries to catch her breath.

“That was beautiful, little one,” the pirate rasps.

The fairy looks up at him finally, and is stunned by his disheveled state. Sweat beads on his brow and his cheeks are flushed, his pupils are so large she almost can’t see the lovely, holly-berry red of his irises. His movements are jerky and he’s nearly panting with every breath.

The little fairy picks herself up and flutters shakily into his lap, putting her tiny hand on his. The pirate moves his hand and watches as she wraps herself around his length. She uses her wings to move herself up and down his shaft, her arms and legs hugging him tightly. She can hear the groan that escapes his lips as she uses her entire body to pleasure him. It’s deep and throaty and sends a thrill through her.

She wants to know what it's like to feel that groan against her throat, to sink down onto him and ride him for real. She knows she could. But it would take all of her magic and she might never get it back. But would it be worth it?

She opens her mouth as she nears the head of his cock, taking one of the pearls of salty liquid onto her tongue. It’s unlike anything she’s ever tasted. It’s thick and warm and slightly bitter and she wants more.

She turns her head to look up at him and gets a glimpse of his long, muscular neck before he tips his head forward again and meets her gaze. The little fairy decides then and there.

She flutters up onto the desk, sitting on the edge. She concentrates, feeling her magic and pulling it into herself. She can feel it settling in her core and she pushes it outward, into her limbs, her wings. She can feel them growing, elongating. She can feel herself growing.

When she opens her eyes, she’s at eye level with the pirate. And she laughs. It isn’t the tinkling of bells in his ear anymore, it’s a full laugh. He looks at her, mystified, as she climbs down from his desk and onto his lap. He watches as she lines herself up and sinks down onto him, her head falling back and her wings fluttering as she moans.

“Fucking hell,” he breathes as she fully envelops him. “You could do that this entire time?”

She laughs again as she rolls her hips, “It may have cost me my magic. Better make it worth my while.”

“Oh that, I can do,” the pirate growls, grabbing her hips and thrusting up into her hard.

She cries out with every snap of his hips, each press of his thick tip against that deepest point within her sends electricity through her veins. She arches involuntarily, the sensations so new and so good. She can feel herself getting closer to the edge as he grips the plush flesh of her ass and slams her down.

She feels him pulsate inside her as he fills her with warmth and she feels herself slipping over the edge, that warmth spreading throughout her body and sending her into a seemingly endless chasm of bliss.

Her cry of ecstasy as she comes apart is better than any music he’s ever heard. As she stills, he gingerly lifts her up and watches for a moment as their mixed fluids drip out of her, before settling her against his chest with a sigh.

“I’m Lucifer, by the way,” he chuckles as she curls into his chest

The not-so-little fairy looks up at him with a grin and a sparkle in her violet eyes. She replies, “Nice to meet you, Lucifer. I’m Delphi.”

Delphi yawns, watching the Fangol team filter out of the locker room. She’d been waiting outside for half an hour, on top of practice running long. If she checks her D.D.D., she knows she’ll see that she’s missed dinner, and probably her movie night with Mammon, too. But during the season, everyone knows that she’ll be watching Beel most nights anyway. They may have saved her a plate, but more than likely, she’d have to pick up something with Beel on their way home.

The first few of Beel’s teammates to leave the locker room had smiled at her, given her little waves. By now, they were used to her waiting for him after practice. Some of them had said a quick hello before heading off to their own dinners. As it got later, the warm smiles had taken on a cast of pity. They knew as well as she did that Beel would be the last one out of the locker room. He always is. And she just had to sit and wait.

Finally, one of the last few of the team leaves. He almost looks past her, but she catches his attention with another yawn.

“You can go in if you want, Delphi,” the tall demon tells her. “It’s just Seir and Beel left in there.”

“Thanks,” she smiles, adjusting her bag on her shoulder and heading for the door.

The usual wall of steam hits her when she enters, and she takes a moment to adjust to the thickness of the air. After a few seconds, Delphi makes her way to Beel’s locker to drop her bag and wait. The actual locker room is empty, meaning that Beel and Seir are both still in the showers, so she finds a seat on a bench and gets out her D.D.D. to check her messages.

Boo💋: Delphi, dear! I saved you a plate from dinner!

Me: You’re my hero, Asmo!

Boo💋: Aww, you’re so cute!

Boo💋: You can come to my room when you get home to thank me properly ♡

She’s typing out her reply when she hears footsteps approaching from the back of the room. Looking up, she expects to see Beel walking into the room. Instead, Seir is padding toward her, stark naked and attempting to towel dry his long hair. She feels her face go hot and tries to look back down at her messages, but piercing sea-glass eyes catch hers before she can.

“Delphi?”

“H-Hey, Seir!” Delphi greets him, voice high and breaking as she attempts to look anywhere but at him. She finally settles on her shoes, covering her mouth with her hand.

She hears him pad to his own locker, hears the towel drop onto the bench, hears Seir sit down himself. She risks taking a peek, blushing furiously when she sees him watching her. He’s leaned back on his elbows straddling the bench, head tilted slightly with water dripping from his red locks, observing her reddening cheeks with a smirk.

“Y’know, you never did answer my question yesterday,” the demon says, his eyes never leaving Delphi’s as he spreads his legs the tiniest bit wider.

“Q-Question?” Delphi stammers. She only vaguely remembers speaking with Seir the day before, and definitely doesn’t remember what about. And how could she with his dick hanging out like that?

With a cat-like grin, he rises from the bench and stalks over to her like a predator on the hunt. He stands over her, arms crossed over his muscular chest, looking down with one brow raised.

Seir leans down, his face nearly touching hers, and murmurs, “Would you consider a pact with me?”

Delphi’s heart hammers in her chest. His warm breath tickles the tiny hairs on her face and makes her skin feel hot all over. Her eyelids flutter closed and she takes in his heady scent, remembering only distantly that this is part of his power.

“Maybe,” she breathes, corners of her mouth turning up in a smile. “I think I’d like that.”

When she opens her eyes again, she’s met with the color of sea glass, glinting under the fluorescent lights. Seir grins, taking her face in his hands.

“I am Seir, traveler between worlds and finder of hidden things. I pledge myself to you, Delphi, that we may be bound by an unbreakable pact. This I swear to you on my name as well as the blood that runs through my veins.”

A familiar warmth floods Delphi’s senses as the power of the pact washes over her. It isn’t as intense as the Avatars’. Seir’s power isn’t nearly as great as theirs. But the sensation is the same.

She stills, feeling him tug her to him, his lips meeting hers in a tentative kiss. It’s softer than she expected from him. He’s spent weeks teasing her, pestering her for a pact, deliberately trying to make Lucifer or Beel or Asmo jealous. And now he’s hesitant?

She wraps her arms around his neck, letting him pick her up from her seat on the bench and wrapping her legs around his waist. The warmth she feels from his oath spreads as he sits down and pulls her into his lap. She rolls her hips, smirking when she feels him buck up into her.

Delphi pulls back, still smirking. “You’re not getting shy on me now, are you, Seir?”

She feels the growl rumble in his chest before she hears it, hears the buttons of her uniform shirt hit the floor before she realizes that he’s ripped it off of her. The burn of hellfire sears across her ribs as he presses his palms to her sides, pulling her in for another kiss. This one is heated and desperate, full of teeth and tongues and shared breaths that make her head go fuzzy.

“Delphi?”

She breaks the kiss, turning to look for the voice that had called out to her with a smile. She holds out a hand to Beel as he approaches. He takes it gently in his, leaning down just enough to kiss her palm.

“Come here, Beel,” she croons, tugging his arm until he sits behind her, large hands coming to rest on her hips.

“What’s going on?” the Avatar of Gluttony rumbles, nuzzling into her neck possessively.

Delphi giggles, shivering at his damp skin on hers. She pulls the tatters of her shirt aside, revealing the newest sigil burned in black on her skin. “Seir finally convinced me to make a pact with him.”

“Is that right?” Beel hums, nibbling at her shoulder. He gently pries her from Seir’s lap, pulling her onto his and wrapping his arms around her waist. “Does Seir think he can handle being your pact demon, little one?”

“Why don’t you ask him, Bub?” Delphi suggests, hooking her legs over Beel’s knees with a grin. She rests her head back against his chest, her gaze fixed on the blushing demon across from her.

Beel chuckles darkly, bringing one hand up to her throat and the other to the soft flesh of her inner thigh, his fingers trailing up beneath her skirt. He looks to his teammate with a wry smile. “What do you think, Seir? Think you can handle it?”

Seir swallows thickly, watching as Beel’s fingers rub lightly over the growing wet spot in her underwear, his grasp tightening ever so slightly on her delicate throat. He continues to watch as Delphi reaches up with one hand, threading her narrow fingers through ginger locks, her breath coming in shallower and her face flushing. She reaches out to him with the other, taking his wrist when he offers it and bringing his hand to her chest.

“You can handle it, can’t you Seir?” she breathes, her eyes fluttering closed as her newest pact mate dips nimble fingers under her bra to roll one hard nipple between them. She groans deeply as he does, grinding into Beel’s hand as hard as she can with him gripping her throat.

Seir watches, fascinated, as Beel pushes her soaked panties to the side and runs one thick finger through her glistening folds. He bites his lip as the digit plunges deep within her, disappearing down to the knuckle. She whimpers at the intrusion, canting her hips to every movement Beel makes and Seir finds himself unable to look away.

“Open your eyes, little one,” Beel murmurs into her ear, still grinning at his teammate. “Let him see your face.”

Delphi does as she’s told, meeting Seir’s lust-filled gaze with a smile. She continues to stare into his eyes as Beel’s grip on her throat tightens and he adds a second finger alongside his first, curling them both into her sensitive spots repeatedly. Her head spins and she feels her coil tightening almost unbearably, wanting but unable to whimper and moan into the sensations.

She finally feels the coil snap and hot ecstasy flood her senses as Beel continues to pump his fingers into her in time with the jerking of her hips. Tears fall from the corners of her violet eyes as she tries to cry out but can’t, her vision going dark at the edges instead. Slick coats Beel’s hand as Delphi comes down from her high, loosening his grip on her neck slowly until she’s breathing easily against his chest.

“Think you can keep going, sweetheart?” Beel asks, gently kneading her thigh with one massive hand.

She smiles up at him, nodding. “I’m fine, Beel. You know I can take more than that.”

The Avatar of Gluttony chuckles, “I had to check.”

“So, what do you think, Bub? Think Seir deserves a turn?” Delphi muses, leaning forward to stroke the demon’s cheek lightly. He trembles under her touch, fully shaking as she trails her hand down his neck and chest. She can see how ragged his breath is, can feel him rising up to meet her hand as her fingers brush his flushed skin.

“Delphi, I-“

She smiles, extricating herself from Beel’s grasp and gingerly climbing into Seir’s lap, her hands on his freckled shoulders. Beel takes her hips to steady her, lowering her gently onto Seir’s leaking tip with a deep growl. It’s the same growl he uses when his brothers get a little too close in his presence and Delphi can’t help the shiver it sends through her.

Beel lowers her down until she’s sitting with her hips flush against Seir’s, letting her rest there until she begins to squirm and whine. He lifts her again, shifting his grasp under her ass, until only Seir’s swollen tip remains in her, then drops her back down hard enough for her to cry out. Seir groans, leaning back on his elbows to allow Beel to move Delphi more freely. And Beel does.

Holding her legs apart, Beel slides her up and down his teammate’s cock, savoring both of their moans with a smug grin. He sets a languorous pace, not seeming to hear Delphi as she babbles and begs him to go faster. She may think she knows what she wants, but he knows her body better than that.

She cries out with every hard slam back down into Seir’s lap, her nails digging into his pale skin and leaving little red crescents behind. Seir responds in kind, his hands coming up to fist themselves in her pink curls. He pulls her down into a kiss, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth and biting just as Beel slams her down again.

The sob that escapes her throat as she tightens around him is mind-numbing, and he can’t stop himself from bucking up into her and filling her as she spasms around him. The tears running down her cheeks are salty and warm as they reach the corners of his lips, and he kisses them away without a second thought.

The hands holding her ass tighten, then Beel lifts her up and settles her back on his lap. She whimpers at the sudden feeling of emptiness, her hips jerking as she clenches around nothing. A white puddle grows on the silver bench below her, and Seir watches the viscous liquid drip from her with parted lips.

“Fuck,” he breathes, watching as Beel spreads her legs and more cloudy white oozes from her drenched folds.

She sees his eyes go dark, then he transforms in front of her. Beautiful red wings spread out behind him, and a bleached-white skull materializes over his lovely face. She can’t tell exactly what kind of skull it is, but it’s larger than a deer’s and his eyes glow within the orbits. She watches with her jaw on the floor as he slowly removes the skull and looks at her with those smoldering eyes. Behind her, she can feel the air shift as Beel transforms as well, a low buzzing filling the air as he adjusts his insectoid wings.

“Are you gonna clean up your mess?” Beel growls to Seir, the power behind his words sending a shiver up Delphi’s spine.

Without a word, Seir bends forward, jaw slack, and glides his tongue through the small puddle on the bench. Delphi watches his eyes roll back and his lids flutter as his lips close in a satisfied smile. He swallows, then his brilliant turquoise eyes are opening again to fix her with his glowing gaze.

She watches his mouth fall open again, his forked tongue slipping between her folds to lap up the milky liquid still oozing from her. Her hips buck involuntarily, but he holds her in place with a nearly bruising grip, his eyes never leaving hers. She whimpers at the contact, his hot breath and pierced tongue just too much on her already frazzled nerves.

Taglist: @sassykattery @biteable-pink-pixie @sparkbeast20 @kyungjoon-do @yourboysdemonsafterdark @attic-club-sandwich @consolationblog @rensphilia @syren201 @flemmingbamse @denpa-dere

A close-up:

I came across this post yesterday and uh. It consumed me. So this is Delphi's hairstyle for the big day! The feathers attached to the tiara are the last surprise for Lucifer. He's been there every step of the way with planning, but wearing his feathers wasn't something he'd been expecting. He almost cries.