‘Afterglow’

Vulpes Animus ~ In which a humble gardener stumbles into a foxhole…

Warnings: soft lemon 🍋

~ 900 words

Catch up on the Gardener Saga

“It’s a good thing we’re sitting at a booth,” Kipling said as she got up from her side and wrapped around to where Asra was.

“What are you doing?” He hissed as she slid into the spot beside him and got as close as she could.

She nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck and said, “Come on, Asra. This is the Rowdy Raven. There’s always at least one couple getting handsy with each other in the corner. No one’s going to say anything to us or think otherwise. Besides, they can’t see what’s happening under the table.”

Words. 800  Pairing. Asra/Pascal  A tiny sample of a post-canon morning in Vesuvia, written to get the first person Pascal voice down and characterize Berlioz a bit more. Rated M for language and implied sexual content. 

I wrote this based on the idea of SaifahZon’s love scene involving crying. So I wrote the softest, gentlest, sweetest love scene I could come up with.

It’s 4248 words.

Zon sighed as he relaxed into the pillows on Saifah’s bed. Tomorrow was the weekend, and he planned on spending the entirety of it with Saifah.

Their relationship was still relatively new - only a few weeks as official boyfriends. Their relationship was steadily growing deeper and more comfortable, and Zon constantly felt like he was dreaming. Saifah was a dream come true to him. There’s never been anyone he felt so safe with - or so loved by. And Zon returned that love in full. Every day, Zon only fell deeper for him. Today, they had barely been able to see each other while at school, but they were able to come home together. And both were looking forward to spending the weekend together. Saifah was finishing getting ready for bed and soon came over after turning off all the lights except for his bedside lamp. He plopped himself down on his side of the bed, pulled his book off his nightstand, and opened it up. Zon rolled onto his side and scooched himself closer to Saifah’s side so he could rest his head by Saifah’s bicep. Zon looked up at Saifah. “Read to me?” Saifah smiled and started reading from his book out loud. Zon felt so relaxed listening to his Sai’s deep steady voice. He curled into Saifah further and wrapped an arm around Sai’s waist, and his breath began to even out. After a while, Saifah put his book down and resituated himself to lie down next to Zon. Zon, in his sleepy half-awake state, merely refitted himself to Saifah’s new position and rested his head on Saifah’s chest. Saifah kissed Zon’s forehead and Zon returned the affection by nuzzling into Saifah’s neck and planting a soft sleepy kiss there. And then another one. And another one. And suddenly, neither of them felt very sleepy anymore. Zon’s kisses trailed up Saifah’s neck and across his jaw and over to his lips where they stayed for quite some time. The kisses were gentle and soft but steadily grew in desire. The need to have more of each other with each heavy breath taken. Saifah wrapped himself around Zon and rolled them so he could be above Zon for easier range of motion. Zon trailed his hands and arms over Saifah’s back and slowly slipped them under Saifah’s soft t-shirt. Everything was slow. And heady. Zon felt like he was floating in heavy water. They were experimenting, exploring, and going further than they had before. Everything was gentle, relaxed, testing, feeling. And they soon found that they both wanted more. Saifah wrenched his mouth away from Zon’s and tried to catch his breath so he could speak. Zon searched his eyes for a clue but patiently waited. Zon also appreciated the chance to breathe properly, but he hoped that what they were doing wasn’t over yet. “My Zon?” he panted. “Hmmm?” Zon pulled Saifah’s neck down so their noses could touch and caress each other’s. Saifah closed his eyes and worked to keep his mind. “Can I…?” Saifah couldn’t quite find the right words, and even if he did, he didn’t know if he was brave enough to speak them out loud. “Mmm…” Apparently they don’t need full sentences to communicate, and Saifah was never more grateful nor relieved. He buried himself into Zon’s neck and continued to softly press his lips to Zon’s freshly washed, smooth skin. Saifah couldn’t hold back the words that flowed from his mouth so easily. “I love you. I love you, My Zon.” His voice nearly cracked. He couldn’t believe he was finally holding his Zon like this, holding him so tightly, wrapped around him as much as he physically could. And Zon was holding him just as securely but with roaming hands. At Saifah’s words, his eyes became glassy. One of his hands found Saifah’s hair and gently pulled Saifah up so they could look at each other. “I love you too.” And they reconnected their lips in a passionate but slow kiss. Their lips gently slid against each other, broke apart, reattached, massaged, and rotated. They shared their breaths and the heat of each other’s bodies. Being able to feel the other person from head to toe made their minds cloudy, and every touch and movement felt both other worldly and the most real thing they had ever experienced. The overwhelming sensations, the intimacy, the dizzying slowness, the intense feeling of love – everything made Zon want to cry, and he did. The tears that had gathered at Saifah’s gentle words finally spilled over, and Zon couldn’t help but gasp his quiet sobs into Saifah’s mouth. Saifah pulled away from the tender kiss, cradled Zon’s head in his hands, and brushed away falling tears with his thumbs. He checked if Zon was okay, and all Zon could do was nod. After a minute and the tears never slowing, Zon whispered, “I love you.” Saifah searched his eyes for any sign of hesitation or fear, but Zon must’ve figured out what he was thinking. “Please,” his words were more a breath than a voice. “Don’t stop.” He wiped his nose with the back of his hand and stared up at Saifah with a pleading gaze, begging. Saifah’s heart, in every way but literal, melted. He wrapped him up in a tight hug, and they simply cuddled and listened to each other breathe – Zon’s still shaking. That is, until Zon started their movements once again himself. He began softly kissing Sai’s neck, buried his fingers in Sai’s hair, hooked a leg over Sai’s hip, and ground upwards. “Are you really sure, My Zon?” He had to ask, had to make sure. “We don’t have to do anything tonight if it’s too much.” Zon quickly shook his head. “No. I want this. I want you. Sai.” He finished with a sniff, still struggling to entirely calm down. “I love you, My Zon.” Zon smiled, so happy though tears were still falling, and nodded. “Me too.” Then he pulled Saifah down again for more soft kisses, however, significantly wetter than before. Saifah’s shirt finally came off after all of Zon’s determined efforts. And Zon’s t-shirt soon followed and was tossed to the floor. When Saifah again came back to Zon, they were now bare chest to bare chest, and Saifah was nestled directly between Zon’s legs. Saifah lifted Zon enough to wrap his arms around Zon’s back and regain the closeness they had. Saifah nuzzled Zon’s neck with his nose and let out a heavy sigh. Zon’s crying, the love they shared, the sensations, seeing how everything is affecting Zon, Saifah felt close to tears as well. He’s been doing so well so far holding back the tears. But now, as they’re continuing closer to the act of ultimate intimacy, he was struggling to keep the tears at bay. A few slipped out, and he quickly blinked to stop more from falling. His love for Zon felt like something inside him was growing too big to fit in his body and he might burst from it. It was overwhelming and heady and addicting. He couldn’t wait to be as close to Zon as he possibly could be, both physically and emotionally. Zon used the leg he had wrapped around Sai to pull him down into a slow, calculated grind, and Saifah snapped. A gross sob broke from his lips, and Zon held him close. Saifah rutted gently into Zon’s smaller body, the frottage only giving him the slightest bit of relief.

Had Saifah’s face not been buried in the curve of Zon’s neck and shoulder, he would have seen Zon also failing to hold back tears. Zon never stopped kissing what his lips could reach of Saifah’s face. Zon craned his neck to kiss Saifah’s ear, the tender spot below the ear, and worked his way down Saifah’s cheek and neck, everywhere he could reach and back again. Their pajama pants were the next thing to come off and soon their boxers with them. Both Zon and Saifah sighed and groaned at the sensation of feeling each other’s burning skin against their own. Every touch and caress was now against fully bared bodies. Hands glided across torsos, backs, stomaches, gently brushed across nipples, and memorized every curve and dip. The vulnerability was tangible, but so was the trust. Zon arched under Saifah and pleaded for more. More of what, he didn’t know; he just knew he wanted more. More of everything. More of Saifah. Saifah slid his hand down Zon’s chest and oh so slowly stroked Zon’s hardness. His touch was so gentle, it was painful. “Eh, ah! Saiii~! I-” He gasped at a sudden change in grip from Saifah. “I- sh! Sai~ more…” He whined, obviously past the ability of full thought. Saifah continued stroking. After only a couple minutes, Saifah paused his touching to reach over and grab a bottle out of his nightstand drawer, and while his hands were free, took the opportunity to wipe away his own tears. Zon groaned at the loss of touch but didn’t need to look or even think that hard to figure out what it was Saifah was reaching for. He breathed and mentally prepared himself for the touch he knew was coming. When Saifah’s fingers slid down Zon’s inner thigh, he gasped and felt a jolt of excitement run straight from those light finger touches to Zon’s heart and caused it to throb. Saifah’s fingers trailed down to their destination, and his slippery index finger circled Zon’s most private area, almost as if giving Zon a moment of warning of what he was about to do. Saifah looked up to Zon’s face and was slightly surprised to see Zon staring back at him, dried tear tracks marking his cheeks. Saifah maintained eye contact as he gently slipped his finger into Zon’s body. Zon jolted slightly and clamped his hands on Saifah’s biceps, but didn’t break eye contact. “Everything okay?” Zon nodded, but as Saifah began to push further in, Zon began wriggling in an effort to get used to the sensation of intrusion. “It… It just… feels strange.” He sighed and took a breath and let it out heavily, and suddenly Saifah felt Zon loosen and relax around his finger. Saifah nodded and started moving his finger and slowly thrusting in and out, never breaking eye contact with his dear Zon. This was something he wanted to make sure he did as carefully as possible. He was willing to put in as much time as needed or more to make sure Zon felt amazing through this. Saifah started thrusting a little deeper and a little deeper, and Zon began to pant more heavily and whine softly. Saifah bent down low to kiss Zon’s lips. After a loving, lingering kiss, Saifah sighed into Zon’s ear, “My Zon…,” And Zon moaned loudly and grabbed Sai tightly in a hug as he clenched around Saifah’s finger and bucked his hips. Saifah smiled to himself and rested his forehead on Zon’s shoulder. He’ll remember that trick for later. Saifah shifted his weight so he could utilize his other hand to stroke Zon once again. After a few slow, firm strokes, he decided it’s time to add a second finger to Zon’s opening. Zon arched and let out a moan that nearly sounded like a whine, and Saifah felt satisfied with himself. He smirked and continued to slowly – torturously slow – open Zon up, and as he did, he peppered small sweet kisses all across Zon’s beautiful chest with the occasional suck of one his nipples. Zon dug his fingers into Saifah’s back, specifically in the dips around his shoulder blades. He rubbed into the dips almost as if massaging them. But in reality, it was the release of the boiling energy bottling up inside him that found itself coursing down Zon’s straining, tensed arms holding onto Saifah and out through his fingertips. Zon was feeling too much and not enough and couldn’t decide if he wanted to writhe and grind and thrust and wiggle or to squirm away from the overwhelming stimulating touches. All his body could figure out to do was arch, clench and unclench around Saifah’s fingers, throw his head back, and moan Saifah’s name – which was the only word his mind could form. He was struggling to adjust to the overwhelming sensations of being penetrated, stroked, kissed, and held in Saifah’s arms all at once. He felt wrapped in an intoxicating veil of Saifah’s presence. Saifah’s natural body scent, the smell of the shampoo, and their sweat filled the air and assaulted Zon’s senses. The tears that subsided earlier due to the distraction and pleasure caused by Saifah now returned from the overwhelming feelings he was experiencing. He had forgotten he was crying not too long ago until his tears made themselves known again. He just barely felt and acknowledged them streaming down from his eyes to his temples and hair. Maybe his breathing changed, maybe he accidentally let out a sob instead of a moan, but Saifah looked up at him, and Sai gave him the most adoring smile Zon has ever witnessed. Zon gasped out a sob. He felt so precious, so sacred and treasured in that moment. Sai paused his ministrations at Zon’s back end and pulled his hand away from Zon’s front to wipe away the tears on Zon’s cheeks with the back of his fingers. “My Zon. Do you want me to continue? It’s okay if we stop here. I can help you finish, and we can be done if it’s too much.” Zon sniffed but didn’t answer. “Can you hold me?” Saifah smiled and bent over to wrap his one free arm around Zon. Zon wrapped his arms around Sai as tight as could muster, which wasn’t very tight. Sai kissed Zon tenderly on his lips. A soft, salty press of their lips. Sai caressed Zon’s waist and massaged his thumb into Zon’s tummy. “Zon, do you want to stop here?”

Zon shrugged.

“My Zon, that’s not an answer.”

Zon sniffed and adorably wiped his nose with the back of his hand. Sai smiled at his lover. “It’s just… a lot.”

“Is it too much?” They searched each other’s eyes. Saifah’s gaze was steady and patient as he waited for an answer, and Zon’s wet eyes flickered between Sai’s as he weighed what he wanted to do.

Zon sniffled. “I love you.” And Zon held Sai’s cheek and tenderly swiped his thumb across it. The corners of Sai’s lips turned up in a gentle smile.

Sai was about to take that as his answer and shift to remove his fingers when Zon stopped him short. “Let’s keep going,” he whispered, and his hand shifted from Sai’s cheek to his neck but continued to run his thumb soothingly. He needed Saifah to know he wasn’t afraid to do this with him.

Sai’s eyes snapped back to Zon’s. Zon’s eyes were still wet with unshed tears though he was smiling gently up at him. Sai searched his eyes as if that would make sense of what he heard. “Are you sure? We don’t have to.” Zon was quiet but his eyes were steady. “There’s no hurry, Zon. We have the rest of our lives together.”

Zon crooked a smile. “I know. I’m sure.”

He tightened his legs’ grip around Sai’s hips, and a tear slipped out as he closed his eyes and nearly moaned at how the tightened grip shifted his torso’s position around Sai’s fingers, which have not moved in too long. He was ready for that to change, but Sai needed more convincing.

He shifted his arms to wrap around Sai’s neck. “Sai, I want this.” He brought Sai’s head down to nuzzle his nose with his own. “Please.” He began to rock on the bed and down onto Sai’s fingers still nestled in him. Zon never broke eye contact and kept his gaze steady. Sai looked like his resolve was about to break, and Zon leaned up to kiss him. “Please, Sai. It’s okay. I’m okay. The pause was good; we can keep going now.”

Sai nodded and looked down at where Zon and Sai were connecting. Sai nodded more as he processed Zon’s words and actions. He kept nodding. His smile twitched down briefly, and then twitched again, and Zon wondered if he wouldn’t be the only one crying through this.

Zon smiled affectionately and pulled Saifah’s face down to him to kiss him lovingly. Saifah molded himself to Zon and melted into the kiss. The kiss was soft and wet and salty and full of so much love and care. Zon opened his mouth and gently prodded Saifah’s mouth with his tongue. Saifah eagerly responded in kind, and Zon let out a long quiet moan.

Saifah’s fingers resumed their thrusting, and Zon couldn’t help breaking away from Saifah’s kisses to tilt his head back and release a louder moan. Saifah happily took the opportunity to move on to kissing Zon’s neck, probably sucking a few marks as he went, though Zon could barely feel it. His brain was currently occupied by the sensations Saifah was creating in his lower half. He found a special spot and was repeatedly poking, stroking, and massaging it as he continued his fingering of Zon. Zon tried not to move too much but desperately wanted to buck and rock into it.

Saifah still only had two fingers inside him. He wanted to take his time and wait a while before adding the third. Zon still seemed a little overstimulated.

After several more minutes of scissoring Zon open and many more minutes of Zon adjusting, arching, and moaning, Sai thought it might be time to start adding the third finger. He grabbed the lube again to make the third finger easier on Zon, and began pressing the third finger into Zon. Zon jerked at first but then began the process of adjusting, squirming, arching, and moaning once again. Zon was still obviously recovering from crying before, so a few more tears managed to slip out. But he didn’t seem as overwhelmed now, and it didn’t take as long this time for Zon to get comfortable and relax. Saifah continued to kiss his chest, neck, and cheeks as time went on, making sure Zon was feeling cared for and relaxed.

“Sai, you can… you can… stop fingering me now. I’m ready.” Zon huffed out on heavy breaths. Saifah kissed him on the lips one last time and sat up on his knees. He rolled on a condom and doused himself with a healthy amount of lubricant.

He positioned Zon carefully, placed a pillow below Zon’s hips, and arranged themselves. He lined himself up and looked into Zon’s eyes, which were only a little glassy now. Zon was sprawled across the bed in front of Saifah, and Saifah thought he had never seen a more beautiful sight. He was practically presenting himself as a box of chocolates, ready to be devoured. Zon’s lips were kiss swollen. There were a few love marks trailing down Zon’s shoulder and pec. His arms were up by his head, and the look Zon was giving him will forever be imprinted in his brain. His gaze was steady and dark and anticipating. But it was also full of trust and patience and love.

This moment. This moment right now was them connecting in the most intimate and vulnerable of ways and coming together as one. This was the moment that would completely bring them together. They weren’t just two separate individuals after this but, as cheesy as it sounds, they were one and the same.

Saifah bent over Zon again, making sure to keep their lower halves positioned, and as softly as he could possibly be, he pressed a kiss to Zon’s waiting lips. He hovered above Zon and stared into his eyes as he slowly began to push into Zon. Zon immediately braced himself and took deep breaths. But his eyes never moved from Saifah’s.

Once Saifah had pushed all the way in, he shifted positions to rest his weight on his forearms framing Zon’s head. Zon stroked Sai’s back as Saifah began shallow thrusts, still holding eye contact. Zon swallowed. It felt so incredibly intimate. A trust, a bond, something important and priceless was forming between them in this moment.

Zon wrapped both his legs securely around Saifah’s hips and hooked his ankles together. The angle of penetration changed just ever so slightly, but it hit inside him just right. Saifah’s thrusts remained slow and torturous, but he increased the strength of them and began pulling out further before pushing back in. The effect was mind numbing, and Zon could barely form a coherent thought.

As Saifah heavily rocked into Zon, he groaned and lowered his head to Zon’s shoulder, and Zon moaned Sai’s name and arched his back once again and writhed underneath him. They could easily hear each other’s heavy breathing and deep moans, and it only amplified the pleasure coursing through them. Zon’s fingers dug into Sai’s hair and tugged without intention. Sai groaned into Zon’s ear and nipped at his ear lobe. Zon gasped a breath, and Sai decided now was a good time to try his learned trick.

“My Zon~” he breathed.

Zon’s entire body clenched, and his mouth dropped open in a silent scream. But he didn’t come.

Instead, he held Saifah tightly and rocked into Saifah’s thrusts while still clenching down on Baby Sai very tightly. Sai nearly came instead. That backfired.

Zon wrenched Saifah away from his ear and held his head above his own again so he could look into Saifah’s eyes once again. Zon continued to rock hard into Saifah’s movements while simultaneously using his legs to pull Saifah into him, increasing the speed and strength of the thrusts. Saifah could only go along with it. He had no strength to do otherwise. Zon’s intense gaze had completely destroyed his ability to think.

“Say it again.”

“My Zon~” he moaned.

“Ahh~ ah! Sai~” Despite briefly closing his eyes while moaning, Zon still held his head in place and continued his steady eye contact. His steadfast gaze was intense and focused.

Saifah could barely get the words out. “M-my Zon~ Ah, ahhh, ah!” He gasped and moaned and couldn’t stop himself from scrunching his eyes closed tightly as he continued to thrust deeply into Zon’s small body. Zon was entirely in control now, and he just hoped he could live to see the other side of their love making. He thrusted in harder and faster, losing his rhythm.

Zon arched into him, and Sai held him close. Zon yelled and shook as he came, and Saifah barely held on long enough to thrust into Zon through his climax. He let go not too much later, not being able to withstand Zon’s shaking and clenching around him.

Saifah collapsed onto Zon – his breaths coming out in huffs, and Zon dropped his legs from around Saifah but still held him carefully in his arms. They both held each other as they relaxed from their exertion. Zon’s arms barely had the strength to wrap around Sai, and they soon collapsed to his side. He didn’t mind the weight of Saifah on top of him. It made breathing more difficult, but the weight was comfortable and pushed him into the mattress. Baby Sai was still buried inside him, and he wished he could keep him there for a while – though he knew he wouldn’t be able to stand it soon enough. Saifah seemed to desire the same thing, but Zon could already feel Saifah shifting, getting ready to move.

Before he could make the move, Zon grabbed ahold of Sai’s bicep with one hand, and with the other, he once again held Sai’s cheek. They stared into each other’s eyes again. Something felt different. Maybe they were a little shy right now, maybe a little more than euphoric, maybe a little sleepy, but they smiled at each other and leaned in to gently rub noses. They breathed together.

“I love you, Sai.”

“I love you, My Zon.”

They nuzzled their noses for a bit, broken up by a few soft pecks on the lips. Then Saifah reached up, kissed Zon’s forehead, and gently rolled off of Zon. He walked over to the bathroom and grabbed a towel to clean Zon up. He hoped Zon wasn’t too bad off. Maybe they can spend the weekend at home just snuggling and reading books together if he is. Saifah finally has a good excuse to pamper his Zon. He smiled to himself as he walked back over to where Zon was sprawled across his bed, utterly exhausted.

“Hmm?” Zon questioned. “What is it?”

“Mm? Nothing. I’m just looking forward to spending time with you this weekend. Can we just spend tomorrow in bed together? I’ll even make you breakfast in bed.” He grinned.

Zon smiled sleepily and hummed a contented sound and let Saifah wash him with the towel.

Not long after, they both curled up together and began to fall asleep. It wasn’t until Zon was already asleep and Sai was halfway there that he realized Zon came totally untouched.

Phew! Took me longer then I thought it would be damn I did it! this Katey is all for you ;)

Your wish is my command, my dear~

Vulpes Animus ~ In which a humble gardener takes a luxurious bath...

~ 1.2k words

cw: soft lemon 🍋

Catch up on the Gardener Saga

Kipling had never had a bath like this before.

She was up to her neck in water so hot that it soothed. And thanks to all the oils she poured in, it left her skin and hair slick and heavily scented. As she submerged her entire body in the deep drum, she wished Asra was there to massage the soap into her hair. Her dark textured curls, laden with moisture, pooled and stretched all around her. They unraveled from tight coils to long spirals. Only water could create this effect. As soon as everything dried, her hair would return to its free, unbothered state. 

As Kipling came to the surface and stopped just so her nose was above the water, she wondered if Asra’s bath was going as well as hers.

Vulpes Animus ~ In which a humble gardener visits the Rowdy Raven…

Warnings: soft lemon 🍋

~ 595 words

Catch up on the Gardener Saga

As expected, Kipling finished up with her clients much earlier than usual. Afterwards, she met up with Asra at the Rowdy Raven. Since it was the middle of the day, there was only one other patron occupying the tavern.

Kipling and Asra ordered a dish to share. It was something deep-fried and overflowing with cheesy, loaded potatoes. Though they ate off of the same plate, they ordered individual mugs of beer. Kipling went with a bright yet bitter pale ale. Asra took a sip of his yeasty, malty wheat ale. 

“I don’t know how you can drink that,” Kipling teased him. “It’s way too sour for me.”

Asra gave one of his foxlike grins. “that’s the best part.”