{SERIES SUMMARY } — After the loss of your beloved cat, Apollo, you adopt a strange six-eyed “cat” from a shady animal shelter to fill the silence….unaware that it’s actually Uratos Gooj, an seven-foot alien prince hiding from an arranged royal marriage. As he observes your human life from the safety of your home, his curiosity slowly turns into all-consuming obsession… and he begins to believe you belong to him. {ALIEN!Gojo short series }
{TAGS !!}— MDNI, 18+ in the last 2 chapters(I think), alien biology, obsessive behavior, size difference (he's literally 7ft when not a cat), female reader, eventual smut, mating cycles, cunningulus(he’s a eater frl), possessiveness, stalking but make it extraterrestrial, slow burn, emotional confusion, reader unknowingly living with an alien royal, transformation scenes, minor intergalactic politics later on, Mei mei(yuck), fluff, piv, nsfw, Hurt/comfort, slight dominance/submission, Happy ending (yayayayayay!)
{SERIES SUMMARY } — After the loss of your beloved cat, Apollo, you adopt a strange six-eyed “cat” from a shady animal shelter to fill the silence….unaware that it’s actually Uratos Gooj, an seven-foot alien prince hiding from an arranged royal marriage. As he observes your human life from the safety of your home, his curiosity slowly turns into all-consuming obsession… and he begins to believe you belong to him. {ALIEN!Gojo short series }
{TAGS !!}— MDNI, 18+ in the last 2 chapters(I think), alien biology, obsessive behavior, size difference (he's literally 7ft when not a cat), female reader, eventual smut, mating cycles, cunningulus(he’s a eater frl), possessiveness, stalking but make it extraterrestrial, slow burn, emotional confusion, reader unknowingly living with an alien royal, transformation scenes, minor intergalactic politics later on, Mei mei(yuck), fluff, piv, nsfw, Hurt/comfort, slight dominance/submission, Happy ending (yayayayayay!)
★ Message from the Stars • 4|| "Starlight revealed”
{SERIES SUMMARY } - After the loss of your beloved cat, Apollo, you adopt a strange six-eyed "cat" from a shady animal shelter to fill the silence....unaware that it's actually Uratos Gooj, an seven-foot alien prince hiding from an arranged royal marriage. As he observes your human life from the safety of your home, his curiosity slowly turns into all-consuming obsession... and he begins to believe you belong to him.
{PAIRING)- ALIEN:Gojo x Human Female Reader
{TAGS !!)- MDNI, 18+ in the last 2 chapters(l think), alien biology, obsessive behavior, size difference (he's literally 7ft when not a cat), female reader, eventual smut, mating cycles, cunningulushe's a eater fri), possessiveness, stalking but make it extraterrestrial, slow burn, emotional confusion, reader unknowingly living with an alien royal, transformation scenes, minor intergalactic politics later on, Mei mei(yuck), fluff, piv, nsfw, Hurt/comfort, slight dominance/ submission, Happy ending (yayayayayay!) w.c: 6.0k
masterlist Il chpt 3 Il chpt 5Il visual art
Inspired by @spideyyeet
Getting accustomed to living with you was easier than Uratos had previously thought.
And , No, It wasn’t due to the fact that he was hopelessly obsessed with you or because he wanted you to coddle and show him overwhelming love, affection and devotion. No! From the moment he entered your home, you handled him kindly and in a way that required nothing from him in return, your attention constant, your touch gentle, your voice soft every time you spoke to him like he understood every word…which he very much so did and he liked when you called him a “good boy”. He had no idea what the hell it meant but the way you said it made him so happy.
And You…You spoiled him without hesitation.
He was given space without him needing to he ask for it, a luscious bed in your room right beside your bed filled with cushions(that he also didn’t really sleep in because you let him sleep in your bed most of the time) , and attention before he ever sought it out. You let him sit wherever he pleased, go wherever he wanted in your apartment, and held him without question when he climbed into your arms, your soft, fingers brushing through his ‘fur’ like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And He didn’t resist any of it. No, he indulged in it. He loved it. He loved it so much he almost wished he could get drunk off of it.
You were so easy to like…
So Warm and consistent in a way nothing else had ever been before in his life. Not unless he’d made it so.
But , even with how quickly and intensely he …adored(obsessed over) her… There were some things that he couldn’t let slide..
The first thing Uratos quickly understood on the very first day with you was that he did NOT like the food you gave him….The food you had first attempted to give him was some sort of dry, uniform pebbles she poured into his bowl each morning… Something lifeless and bland in both scent and texture, something that existed only to sustain rather than to be enjoyed like the food Toji and his wife had given him.., and, after giving it more consideration than it truly deserved, he simply turned away from it as if it had failed him personally. You noticed immediately (like ten minutes after. Uratos swooned)and when you crouched beside him with a small crease between your brows and nudged the bowl closer as if proximity would somehow make it more appealing, he didn’t even look at it this time, choosing instead to lift his blue starry gaze to yours with quiet, unspoken expectation before deliberately turning his back, mewing and leaving the message clear without needing to further elaborate.
“So you’re not gonna eat the food then..?”
“Mew.”
“…..What a picky kitty.”
“Meewwwwww.”
So You, being the considerate kind angel he viewed you as, spent the rest of the day going out to buy different varieties of cat food and brought them all home for Uratos to try.You were so devoted to him! You sweet, sweet human..he wanted to eat you~..Uratos, in turn, humored you and sniffed every single bowl of food you put before him…. And, at some point, he decided he was not built for repetition without result, and he stopped sniffing the different foods. Defeated, you decided to take a break and make dinner…to relieve yourself from how bad you felt for not being able to feed him something he liked.
Uratos, who had been napping on your living room couch, awoke to the smell of something good being prepared.
Not the dull, repetitive scent of the dry food she usually left in his bowl, but something yummier… things he’d learned from The Fushiguro’s… the smell of garlic, the melting of butter, and something simmering in a pan that made the air feel warm instead of flat.
He slowly lifted his head from the couch , all six blue eyes tracking the shift in the room as he stretched, jumped down from the couch, and then moved toward the kitchen with quiet certainty.
And there you were…In a cute little frock with something covering your pretty hair, your glasses perched on your nose..
And , Oh, you were cooking. How intriguing. He wondered what exactly you were making at moment. Whatever it was, it smelled heavenly. And he was curious as to what it was so he jumped on top of the counter with a little meow.
The pan hissed softly on softly on the stove noodles bubbling in a separate pot, sauce bubbling as you stirred it with a metal spatula. Cheese melted into it in uneven patches, steam curling upward in slow waves that made the whole thing look alluring. Stars above, it really did smell so good. His bowl sat nearby, untouched.
He didn’t even look at it.
You , who had headphones in and had been disassociating, noticed him eventually and glanced over at him with a sweet smile. “Uratos? What’s wrong…?”
Uratos didn’t react to her sweet voice though…He just stared at the pan. At the bubbling noodles and delicious smelling sauce. Then at you. Then back again.
You blinked and , then, you seemed to understand what he was trying to convey and then exhaled.
“You already have food…Uratos…..And I don’t think I should give you …spaghetti? Is that even safe for cats to eat??”
(Do NOT give your cat spaghetti sauce Twin-..This is FICTION!!!!!)
He stepped closer while you rambled instead, sitting beside the stove on the counter like it was the most natural place to be, watching without blinking.
Just…waiting. And you tried to ignore him and his big pretty eyes. You REALLY did.
But then, you finally conceded, sighed and got a plastic spoon to dip in the sauce before holding it out to him, your expression saying you already knew you’d lost.
Uratos took it immediately, his (turquoise?!) tongue flitting out to lap at the sauce on the spoon greedily.
The taste was …glorious. He shivered with delight, a little purr leaving him.
His gaze lifted back to you once he finished, meowing with gratitude.
You stared, gawking at your cat.
“…You’re joking…….”
Uratos meowed again, looking at you expectantly…. Waiting for …more??
You laughed under your breath, shaking your head as you spoke to yourself. “Oh my stars…I can’t believe I’m about to do this…..”
Then, you gave him another bite. Then another…. and then his bowl of bland pebbles was quickly tossed and refilled with pasta sauce. Sometimes, she laughed at that memory, even going so far as to call him ‘Mr.Picky’ because he had a taste for human food and from that point forward, the bowl you filled each day were things you made specifically for him.
Stars, he needed you so bad! How sweet you were to him, how kind, how pretty you were for a human!! His “heart” beat for you and only you! If only he could be himself and show you what and who he was!! Would you like him?? Still adore him?? Show him your sweet love and affection????
And the thing about Uratos was when you didn’t notice him immediately, he corrected that by meowing loudly, nudging your leg, thigh or hand (depending on what you were doing) just enough to interrupt your focus, not aggressively but not gently either, a quiet insistence that demanded your total attention and acknowledgment, and if you still didn’t respond quickly enough, he escalated without hesitation, climbing into your lap and yowling for your affections.
And it always worked. Another thing Uratos learned that he disliked was when you had to study for your college.
Not because he disliked watching you work…quite the opposite. He adored watching you. He could watch you all day, every day. He loved the way your brows furrowed when you concentrated, how you chewed absentmindedly on the end of your pen whenever you got stuck on something difficult, how your lips moved slightly while rereading notes under your breath.
What he disliked was the fact that your attention stopped belonging entirely to him during it. At first, he tried simply laying beside your ..metal thing that you kept pressing things on(a laptop) with his head resting on your arm, pretending that was enough. It lasted maybe twenty minutes before he started nudging your arm every time you stopped petting him for too long.
Other times, he’d sprawl directly across your textbooks like a dying Victorian woman, making you sigh and lift his heavy body just to keep reading. If you ignored him for too long, he would hook one claw gently into your sleeve and slowly drag your hand back toward him without an ounce of shame. “You are so dramatic,” you’d guffaw and laugh incredulously.
Uratos blinked lazily up at you from where he’d deliberately placed himself across your notes. Then, maintaining eye contact the entire time, he placed one paw directly over the sentence you were reading and meowed.
You gasped. “Uratos!”
He purred as if to say ‘That’s my name~ Don’t wear it out.’
And somehow, despite yourself, you ended up spending more time kissing the top of his head than actually studying.
Which, in Uratos’s opinion, was exactly how things should be.
The television was another discovery he’d made while living with you, and what had begun as curiosity shifted into a lazy habit. It all started when Uratos kept trying to follow you to the bathroom whenever you had to use it and you tried to get him to understand that he couldn’t come with you.
You noted that He disliked when you left whether it was a short or long period of time. Your late pet,rest in peace, used to laze about, not caring what she did. Always sleeping and demanding food…But Uratos had proved to you very quickly that he wasn’t an ordinary cat.
(And his obsession and need for you was so strong! He hated when you were gone even for a second or few minutes :(….) So, she plopped him down on her bed and turned on her TV, introducing him to the vastness of the internet. She left him there watching some guy who seemed to be playing something called “Resident evil Requiem”(?) and he kept saying “Samurai slice that like button?”(whatever the hell that meant..) Nevertheless, the introduction to TV was very helpful for you who had to leave to go to school on weekdays and then work afterwards… because the moment she left each day, he claimed the center of your bed without hesitation, specifically on top of your pillows , using his paws…to somehow turn on the TV with the remote and put something on.He did not watch just for entertainment alone…No, Uratos was fascinated by the fact that despite this planets technology being centuries behind compared to his empire…they had something as simple as this thing called a TV that could relay information effortlessly and quicker than the holograms on his planet. It was intriguing really…and fun. A fun, lazy pastime he overindulged in with delight.
By the time you returned each day, he was always there on your pillow, splayed out exactly as he’d been when you left , yet the moment he heard the front door open, his attention shifted instantly and he left his place, prowling happily to greet you… And upon seeing the subtle drop of your shoulders, the quiet exhale you made from a long day of troubles, the slight change in your posture depending on how the day had treated you. In turn, he’d follow after you as you settled down and meow softly, nuzzling your leg and trying to cheer you up. When you commented on his behavior , calling him ridiculous in that quiet, fond way you had developed, he preened with joy. And when the you sat down, he adjusted, closing the space between you two and claiming his spot on your lap. He loved your lap, he loved when you pet him, he loved…..
Anyway, he loved the free range you allowed him to have. How he could
sleep right next to you at night positioning himself close enough to feel the steady rhythm of your breathing(so cute) , occasionally resting against you just enough to confirm your presence without waking you up.
When you moved in her sleep, your arm sometimes shifted around him unconsciously, pulling him closer and when it happened, he’d go still for a second before shivering with delight, all six of his eyes boring into your sleeping form.
‘Love you,Love you,Love you, Love you,Love you,Love you Love you,Love you,Love you, Love you,Love you,Love you Love you,Love you,Love you, Love you,Love you,Love you’
His days consisted of you…His entire world had narrowed down to you. All he wanted was you…to be with him every day.The routine you too had was sacred to him..so much so that time passed by rapidly..days turning into weeks..weeks turning into months.. almost an entire 365.25 rotations..(1 year)And he HATED when others were around you…. A good example of this was that one night ..that night that still boiled Uratos’ blood to this day…
The apartment had stopped being just “loud” about forty minutes ago. It had become something closer to controlled chaos, the air filled with smell of cooked ground beef, cheese and salsa, every light in your apartment on. You were hosting a game night with your friends from school and such! Utahime, your senior from your college, was arguing with Shiu, who insisted the rules “were vibes based anyway,” while Shoko quietly, who was smoking a cigarette on the balcony, yelled through the glass door that was not how ANY game EVER worked.
Toji, who’d originally at the table playing monopoly, had lost almost immediately and was now half-watching from the couch while watching Jeopardy reruns on the television and little Megumi was sitting beside him playing on his…whatever that little box that lit up was(a phone..). There was a little brown haired girl sitting beside Megumi too,Nobara Uratos think he’d her be called, fussing at him about whatever he was doing.
Himari, somehow, was still calmly serving snacks, laughing and spectating as well.
Uratos was lying next to Toji on the couch, lazing about. And you…God, you were all prettied up for tonight, wearing a He hadn’t bothered to get up because there was too much going on..and as long as You were happy and okay he didn’t feel the need to bother you so much. You seemed busy as is.
It was a good night.. and then, the doorbell rang. Uratos had watched as you’d stopped cooking and wiped your hands off in your apron moving to the front door to open it, not bothering to check who was behind.
Watched curiously as you exchanged words with someone his eyes couldn’t quite see…
And then… He stepped in.
Pink hair, markings on his body, eyes as red as the moon of Cepheus.
His presence was overwhelming, so much so that it made Uratos’ entire being tense with uncertainty. What the hell was this human? WAS he even human? Uratos’ six eyes scanned the man’s being as moved deeper into the house and found that he didn’t seem to exude any type of power or ability…how peculiar…he was human and yet….Uratos felt slightly intimidated (though he’d never admit that). It almost reminded him of..that thing of the void that had caused him to crash onto this planet-
But no,no…it couldn’t be.
Another followed behind him more quietly with two high ponytails, dark eyes scanning the room like he was trying to figure out how he’d made it here and why. And then, one more burst in right after him, much younger and looking exactly like the first with pink hair and bright brown eyes instead. He darted past the older two and ran straight to Megumi and Nobara on the couch.
“Megumiiiiiii!!! Nobaraaaa!!!” And jumped on them both, making Toji grunt in amusement as they all fell to the carpeted floor.
Choso shuffled to the kitchen immediately, going to the fridge to take out a drink.
“Oi, Brat!! Watch what the hell you’re doing!!” The pink haired man said, his voice deep and gruff. Uratos’ eyes narrowed. He didn’t like this guy. You, on the other hand, had closed and locked the door, shaking your head and shoving the man playfully.
“Cmon Ryomen, he’s fine….Leave em be.”
And …Ryomen(?) snorted at your protest, rolling his eyes before looking around you at the others sitting at the table.
“…This is what you’ve losers have been doing while waiting for us?” he snickered and a chorus of voices rose to point out that he showed up to hang out with the so called ‘Losers.’
Toji didn’t even look up, just yelling over his shoulder while he kept watching the TV. “Yeah….shut up, Sukuna.”
Uratos had been near him that entire time.
But now he was fully alert ..and it wasn’t just because Ryomen Sukuna..whatever the fuck his name was…was just intimidating….
Because the man was looking at you. And not in a brief or uncaring manner.
His gaze lingered as you moved back towards your spot in the kitchen at the stove, his red eyes watching you as he sat down at the table with the others.
Sukuna tilted his head slightly. “So…finally out of your little depressive phase , eh?”
You blinked, cheeks flushing lightly. “I-I…”
He smirked faintly, tilting his head at your reaction. “ Don’t bother explaining…it’s ..just nice seeing you.”
Toji ,who’d moved from his spot on the couch and to the table, grunted and sat down beside Sukuna. “Eugh, stop flirting. Start the damn game over.”
Sukuna glanced at him. “I know DAMN well you’re not talking when you and Himsri practically eye fuck eachother everytime we’re all together..Ain’t that the reason ya’ll got another bun in the oven…?”
This made everyone else snicker and Himari flushed profusely at the mention of herself being pregnant cus her husband couldn’t keep his hands off of her.
Toji muttered, “You’re just mad your ass can’t keep a woman...”
Choso, meanwhile, had already drifted slightly closer to your side of the room without realizing it, eyes softer, calmer.
“You’re…doing better, Y/N?” he asked you quietly, standing over your shoulder and watching you cook.
You nodded. “Yeah, actually…Much better.. Were you worried about me, Cho?”
He nodded and you had to resist the urge of patting his head and cooing at him like he was Uratos. He was so cute. Choso seemed to accept that like it was important information. “That’s good..I’m glad…He won’t admit it but, Sukuna was worried too.”
You hummed at the knowledge and then asked him to help you set the food on your abnormally large table for everyone to start eating. Once it was set, You grabbed drinks and cups for everyone and set them down in front of whoever was currently sitting at the table. Shiu, who’d gone to smoke out on the balcony with Shoko and had just returned, leaned back in his chair, grinning as he looked at you. “So..Our plans finally made it out of the damned groupchat.”
Toji snorted. “You’re literally the only one who decides to never show up-.”
You , however, had moved away from the others to tend to Uratos on the arm of the couch, who was preening under your attention. God, you were such a perfect human.. his perfect human. He mewed in delight as you scratched under his chin, cooing at him and such.
Sukuna ignored the other as they started bickering and instead, he called out to you, red eyes glowing with ..something Uratos couldn’t quite name. “So, what do I have to do to get your attention away from the cat?”
Both you and Uratos froze, although for ultimately different reasons. You flushed and Uratos…well, he moved instantly.
Off of the couch and in between you and the space leading to the kitchen table, the hairs on his body raised and all six of his eyes glowering.
Shiu blinked at the scene, eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. “Okay, yeah, you were right, Fushiguro. That cats odd as fuck.”
Utahime laughed, nudging Shoko who’d also come back inside at some point. “This is the funniest shit I’ve seen all week...”
Shoko snorted. “Sassy ass cat must sense how shitty Sukuna was as a boyfriend lollll.”
“Tch, who the fuck’s cat is this..,” Sukuna said, not quite liking the way Uratos was looking at him. Fuckass cat. “ Don’t tell me he’s yours, Y/N..”
Toji laughed , “No shit, dumbass. She’s been sending pictures of him in the groupchat for months now.”
Himari agreed with her husband, nodding and leaning into his shoulder. “He’s very attached to her…he’s honestly been like that since they first met..Isn’t he the cutest?”
Sukuna’s eyes lingered on Uratos as you went to pick him up and bring him to the table. The pink haired man scoffed. “Fuck no.”
Choso tilted his head slightly. “It doesn’t like , Ryo-.”
“I can fucking see that!”
Meanwhile, the children ,who’d all been playing with their respective devices, had crowded around You, intrigued by Uratos. “Woahhhh!! What kind of cat is this?!” Yuji said, petting Uratos on the head and smiling when he earned a purr.
Megumi shrugged.“ Dunno, dad found him …he’s a weird cat.”
“Well , I think he’s super duper pretty.. what a pretty kitty-“ Nobara said, scratching under Uratos’ chin and making him purr louder.
Shiu leaned back again, undeterred and uninterested. “Alright, can we start the game now? I’m ready to see Fushiguro lose again.” Toji shot him a withered look and Himari giggled.
“I’ll bet 50 creons that I’ll make it to top 3 ,” Toji said flatly, scowling at his friend. Shiu smiled and leaned forward.
“You always did like to gamble, fucking meathead.”
As the game started, Sukuna’s attention stayed on you, unfazed by the tension.
“You’re quieter than I remember,” he said softly. No one else noticed but Uratos who had escaped from the children and was slowly prowling nearby, listening.
You raised a brow at Sukuna’s statement.“And what does that mean..What do you remember?”
He shrugged slightly. “Just saying you were much louder in freshmen year...”
Utahime , who was nosy, interjected: “Is that supposed to be a compliment..Cus that’s not a compliment.”
Sukuna didn’t even look at her, his eyes set on you and only you. “It wasn’t meant to be.”
That tone.
That damned way he looked at you.
Uratos might have been a little emotionally detached and sometimes unable to properly decipher feelings (something Gurus teased him about often). Uratos moved again. Closer. Now fully beside you, nuzzling your leg. You picked him up and placed him on his favorite spot, your lap. He mewed triumphantly and , if he was in his regular form, he’d have been sporting a big smirk.
For now, he was satisfied. For now, he could behave while you talked to this man who clearly wanted and desired you…but you didn’t seem to have the same feelings. At least not anymore. Uratos mulled over how drastically his life had changed ever since he’d come to this place..since he’d met Toji and his wife and child..since he met YOU.
How he’d chose you over everything else without realizing he had made a choice at all. Over the television. Over exploring more of outside world. Over returning to his home world even.
Everything became secondary. You were his priority. If you moved, he followed…If you rested, he stayed. If you slept, he remained close enough to feel your presence without questioning why. At some point, He’d tried to understand it once. Why he was so infatuated with you. Why his heart seemed to beat for you so profusely more and more everyday.
Did you feel it to? Did you care? How would you react if you saw who he really was?
There was no gain, no advantage, no purpose. And yet, he couldn’t give you up.
Later that night, after everyone had gone home and you were getting ready for bed, you found yourself talking to Uratos again. Lying on your back beneath the warm glow of your bedside lamp, you stared quietly at the ceiling while Uratos rested against your stomach, listening to you as you spoke about Sukuna. About how the two of you had been together since secondary school, and how, somewhere along the way, growing up had pulled you in different directions. You told him how dreams had always burned brightly inside Sukuna like a fire, how he had chosen to chase his dreams even if it meant leaving parts of his old life behind…including you.
“But honestly…” you murmured softly, fingers absentmindedly combing through the thick galaxy-like fur along his back, “I don’t hate him or anything. I encouraged him to do it in fact. It’s just…awkward now, I guess.”
Uratos’s ears flicked slightly, his six eyes blinking slowly at your admission.
“I mean, we don’t really talk unless it’s in the group chat,” you continued with a little laugh. “And things definitely didn’t end perfectly between us…”
Your smile turned gentle then.
“But it was all still important to me. I learned a lot from loving him.”
Uratos watched you carefully..and he could see that you meant what you said.
Then you looked at him, your expression warming up again.
“And I know…” you said softly, “I’d like to love someone again someday.”
His shivered at those words, wondering if you could feel how fast his ‘heart’ was beating due to how flustered he was?
You continued.
“Honestly, you helped me more than anyone knows, Uratos. After my old cat died, after everything with Sukuna…I was in such abad place .”
Your fingers scratched beneath his chin lovingly.
“But you made things feel warm again.”
Uratos let out a low sound at that, puffing his chest slightly in smug satisfaction. As if to say ‘Ha, I’m the honored one of course’.
You burst out laughing immediately, shaking your head
“Oh my god, you’re so full of yourself! What am I gonna do with you?”
He meowed proudly anyway and that made you pull him closer. You hugged him against your chest, pressing kisses all over his face and soft fur, Uratos accepting the affection with visible satisfaction.
Then, after a moment, he looked up at you expectantly, politely even. Like he was asking permission.
‘May I kiss you back?’
Your laugh softened. And he could see how clearly fond you were of him..
“So gentlemanly,” you teased. “You know you can kiss me whenever you want, Uratos. My pretty kitty.”
That was all the invitation he needed and he immediately began licking at your cheeks with his strange warm tongue, earning another fit of sleepy laughter from you as you squirmed against your pillows.
Eventually, though, exhaustion began catching up to you, your movements slowing and your eyelids drooping.
Uratos watched quietly as sleep started pulling you under, and he gently nuzzled himself closer into your warmth as you reached over to turn off your light. You hummed softly, stroking the top of his head, slower now as you both settled down for the night.
Then, half asleep, barely conscious of what you were saying anymore, you mumbled softly into the darkness.
“Oh, Uratos…”
Your fingers slowed against his fur.
“If only there was someone like you…”
A quiet laugh escaped you…
“…Just, y’know…in human form.”
Then you fell asleep.
But that? That line stuck with him for the rest of the night, his blue eyes watching over you as he thought about what you’d said until morning.
The first sign something was wrong with Uratos came quietly. Too quietly.
Because Uratos was NEVER quiet in the way ordinary cats were. Even at his most laziest, there was always awareness in him… his watchful blue eyes tracking your movements through the apartment, a little meow of need when we’re gone for too long, some dramatic refusal to eat anything that wasn’t fresh and warm from your own plate.
But now..he barely moved at all. He stayed in his spot on your bed all day.. only following you if you moved too far away into some other part of the apartment.
At first, you thought he was just tired.The semester had been exhausting, and admittedly, you’d spent more time buried in assignments than paying attention to how strangely clingy he’d become over the past week or so. He followed you constantly now. Not in his usual proud, deliberate way either. It was almost desperate.
When you stood up, he stood up, if you left the room, he followed and if shut the bathroom door, he sat outside of it and yowled until you opened it again.
It would’ve been funny if it hadn’t started scaring you. Especially because he felt burning hot all the time.
“Stars above….Uratos???”
You frowned one evening while holding him against your chest, immediately pulling him away slightly when the heat from his body seeped through your shirt. He was hotter than a suncake! He let out a weak sound in response, those pretty eyes of his fluttering as he pushed himself back into your arms anyway. But you, you were unnerved.
“No, no, baby, you’re way too warm…”
Your hand moved over his fur anxiously. Even his breathing seemed different…slower, heavier, uneven in places like he was struggling to fully settle. Restless and uncomfortable. Uratos stared at you.
And that look…stars, that look unsettled you. Because it didn’t feel quite animal.
It felt exhausted.Hungry. Needy in some strange all consuming way you couldn’t quite understand.
The next few days only got worse.
Uratos stopped eating properly unless you were sitting right beside him while he did. Even then, he barely touched his food before abandoning it to curl himself around you again. And now he slept constantly.
Or at least he tried to. But every time he drifted off, he woke moments later looking restless and irritated, claws flexing against blankets while low sounds rumbled in his throat.
And the heat, it became unbearable. Unmanageable. You woke up one night sweating because he’d practically attached himself to your stomach like a living furnace.
“Okay, that’s it.”You sat up immediately, panic finally overtaking denial as Uratos barely reacted beyond weakly blinking up at you.
“We’re going to the vet.”
But even the visit to the vet visit helped absolutely nothing.
“He looks healthy.”
You gawked at the doctor like he’d lost his mind. You pointed at Uratos, who was currently lying on his tummy breathing shakily.
“He’s barely eating!”
“He may just be stressed.”
“He clearly in distress?!!”
The older veterinarian looked a little confused while Uratos glared weakly at him as you picked him up with shaking hands.
“He’s…a very unusual breed…”the vet admitted carefully, clearly trying not to sound TOO concerned. “It’s possible his body temperature naturally runs higher than average-“
“Higher than average?” you repeated incredulously, body trembling with emotion. “He could cook an egg right now. He’s clearly NOT okay!!”
Uratos blinked slowly at you from beneath half-lidded eyes, mewing weakly.
Then deliberately pressed his burning face against your chest again.
And, ultimately, they could find nothing wrong with Your poor cat. His vitals were normal. No infection, no visible illness, no injury.
Nothing.
But the days kept passing.
And Uratos kept getting worse.
Sometimes you’d catch him staring at you in ways that made your chest tighten anxiously…not aggressive, not frightening, but intense enough that it almost felt painful to look back at his eyes. Other times, he seemed barely conscious at all, sprawled across your bed while strange flickers of blue light occasionally shimmered beneath his fur before vanishing again. Once, you swore his body looked…wrong for a second.
Too large.
Like something inside of him had shifted before snapping back into place.
You’d nearly cried right there.
By the end of the week, exhaustion had completely overtaken you too. You’d skipped all of your classes, called out of work for the week and resigned yourself to your room.
You sat beside your bed one night with swollen eyes and shaky hands while Uratos slept in the center of your blankets, curled tightly into himself. He looked so miserable.
So much tinier and weaker.
And no matter what you did, you couldn’t fix it. You had tried everything in your power to help him. And , still, it wasn’t enough.
“I don’t know what to do anymore,” you whispered brokenly, wiping at your face as tears fell down your cheeks. Uratos twitched faintly in his sleep at the sound of your voice.
“You can’t die too… please..”
Your throat tightened painfully.
Please not again. Not another one… Not after everything. You weren’t ready.
The thought alone made more tears slide down your cheeks as you rested your head against the mattress beside him and let out a broken sob.
Please..don’t go.
Don’t leave me.
Eventually, exhaustion dragged you under too and you fell asleep with tears on your wet lashes.
.
.
.
You didn’t know how much time passed before something woke you.
Heat and not gentle warmth.
Overwhelming, unbearable heat.
Like you were standing directly in front of the sun.
Your room felt suffocatingly hot, thick with pressure that made your breathing catch as you stirred awake with a quiet sound of discomfort. Stars, had your AC gone out or something? You had to make sure Uratos was okay too since he’d already been overheating as well.
“…Uratos…?”
Still half asleep, you reached toward the bed beside you, patting the spot he’d been in.
And froze.
Because what met your fingers wasn’t fur… It was…skin. Or something close to it.
Your eyes snapped open fully, a noise of confusion leaving you.
At first, your exhausted brain couldn’t understand what it was seeing.
Someone…something…was lying in your bed where Uratos was. Tall. Big, even while half curled against your covers. Super duper Naked.Smooth , beautiful blue skin shimmered faintly beneath the dim light leaking through your curtains, reminding you faintly of polished stone beneath clear blue water.
Four arms, what looked to be six eyes behind white lashes.
Long white hair spilled across your pillow like liquid shadow threaded with starlight, blue antennae’s protruding from his scalp.
His entire being pulsated like a star…
And despite how inhuman he was…
he was beautiful.
Beautiful in the same way deep oceans or collapsing stars were beautiful.
She could feel it..that this was something ancient. Otherworldly. Wrong. Yet impossible not to stare at.
Your breath caught violently in your throat.
And then… he began to stir, white lashes fluttering slowly.
His eyes opened and sat up slowly, and you were met with the most beautiful blue eyes you’d ever seen.He looked at you. Noticed your shocked expression and cocked his head to the side, disoriented and confused.
Then suddenly ..hyperaware.
Shit, his form-.
You screamed.
Loud enough to shake the apartment walls.
The being startled violently at the sound, expression twisting immediately as if the movement itself hurt him. He looked flushed.
You realized it was him radiating that unbearable heat.
Your heart nearly stopped when his gaze locked onto you fully.
Not because he looked dangerous.
But because you…you recognized those eyes.
Your voice was faint and unsure as you spoke into the dark.
“…Uratos?”
AN: Omg I absolutely hated this chapter..I hope yall like it..Apologies for taking an EXTRA THREE DAYS…I might redo this chapter or add more onto it cus I didn’t proofread this …..but I really wanted to post this since I forgot to post a snippet. Thank you being patient! 🖤
{SERIES SUMMARY } - After the loss of your beloved cat, Apollo, you adopt a strange six-eyed "cat" from a shady animal shelter to fill the silence....unaware that it's actually Uratos Gooj, an seven-foot alien prince hiding from an arranged royal marriage. As he observes your human life from the safety of your home, his curiosity slowly turns into all-consuming obsession... and he begins to believe you belong to him.
{PAIRING}- ALIEN:Gojo x Human Female Reader
{TAGS !!)- MDNI, 18+ in the last 2 chapters(l think), alien biology, obsessive behavior, size difference (he's literally 7ft when not a cat), female reader, eventual smut, mating cycles, cunningulushe's a eater fri), possessiveness, stalking but make it extraterrestrial, slow burn, emotional confusion, reader unknowingly living with an alien royal, transformation scenes, minor intergalactic politics later on, Mei mei(yuck), fluff, piv, nsfw, Hurt/comfort, slight dominance/ submission, Happy ending (yayayayayay!) w.c: 7.4K (DAMN)
Masterlist || chpt 2 || chpt 4 || visual art
Dedicated to @madamechrissy
Inspired by @spideyyeet
Light filtered through the destroyed hull of the Zenoral Morteph, slipping between torn metal and exposed structure to shine across the interior in soft , shifting rays. Dust drifted lazily through it, catching in the glow like little stardust particles as the wreckage remained settled in a quiet that felt almost deliberate after the violence of the crash hours before.
Uratos lay where he had fallen after passing out, unmoving for only a brief moment before his consciousness began to return in full. His eyes fluttered slowly, without urgency, all six of them focusing at once as the world unfolded around him in complete clarity. There was no disorientation or delay…. only immediate clarity. His beloved ship was destroyed beyond repair but he was unharmed.
That last detail was an easy fact simply because his body, no matter how severe or what damage was inflicted upon it, would repair itself . And even with that in mind the force of the crash had never truly reached him while he was knocked out. Thanks to the invisible force-like shield that he could will to surround his body(like he’d done before passing out), he suffered no harm and what remained now was only the aftermath…damage to everything except him.
Uratos pushed himself upright with a soft groan, fragments of debris sliding from his “barrier” as he sat and then stood, his movement clear and unhurried. He noted the jagged and permanent healed line across his torso where he’d been slashed by that things technique and stitched himself back together. Noted the tatters of his close, exposing his abs and a hint of his v-line, his cape shredded and torn.
The ship responded with a strained groan, its structure shifting as though it no longer understood how to hold itself together. His gaze flickered across the inside of the ship once more, noting the damage, and , just as quickly, discarding it as unimportant. There was nothing he could do about it but move on.
Uratos moved forward, and as he did, a section of the hull above him shifted, metal scraping as gravity began to finish what it had started. For a brief moment, it seemed as though it would fall directly onto him….but it didn’t. The falling metals bent around his space instead, sliding off his force shield and landing with a heavy and resounding clank against the floor.
Uratos didn’t even bat an eye. His attention had already moved beyond the wreckage and seconds later he was out in the open, looking around at the greenery of this world. The air here felt very different, moving in uneven currents that carried various sensations all at once like subtle temperature shifts, faint organic aromas, quick movement that seemed to be continuously happening everywhere, all at once.
Before him stretched a forest, dense and alive in a way that didn’t fall into something simple. On his planet, their biomes and ecosystems were organized, controlled and maintained by his shitty government…. But here…His eyes moved across the forest with intrigue and excitement. This was new. This planet was unlike any of the one’s he’d been to so far…. Everything was vibrant, filled with energy and light…proof that there was life here that couldn’t be contained or controlled.
Proof that the forest didn’t cooperate or conform.
So, instead of slowing down to force it into order, he did the opposite.
He moved. Fast. What started off as a curious inquisition bloomed into rapid motion without restraint, his body accelerating smoothly through the undergrowth of trees and underbrush, weaving between trunks with effortless precision as he took everything in at once. Branches brushed against his force shield and snapped back in place, leaves scattering as he passed, the entire environment reacting a fraction too slow to keep up.
The faster he went, the less it made sense and he happily let it overwhelm him. Wind rushed causing his hair to be swept back, eyes trying and failing to note every single movement that overlapped faster than he could isolate them. Damp earth, growing things, decaying matter, the faint trace of fresh water somewhere nearby …it all blended into something dense and alive.
A sound slipped from him, low and brief. A sound of awe and wonder like when he first realized how beautiful the universe was.
His pace increased, an almost crazed smile on his face now as he caught sight of something small moving ahead. A flicker of motion along the bark branch of a tree. Uratos shifted direction instantly, cutting toward it without slowing. The little creature froze. Its body was slight, covered in soft brown fur, its movement quick and twitchy rather than controlled. Its limbs clung to the bark with sharp, precise little paws, a long tail balancing its weight as it stilled under the pressure of being seen by…him.
For a fraction of a second they watched each other, time slowing down as they locked eyes.
Then it bolted up, scurrying in a blur of motion.
Uratos followed, his four hands grabbing the tree before he pushed upward, easily scaling the trunk entirely in a smooth, weightless motion. The creature changed direction mid-scurry, its path erratic, driven by pure instinct.
Uratos adjusted instantly as well, reaching out to grab the little creature….but then he watched, with surprise, as it suddenly jumped into the air and began to take flight, little flaps connected to its tiny arms that allowed it to evade him.
Then it vanished into the undergrowth.
A softer sound left him this time, unmistakably closer to amusement, as he dropped back down to the earth with an imperceptible thud.
“…amazing.”
And then he was off once more.
Movement rippled outward ahead of him as he continued forward, more smaller bodies darting through the undergrowth, wings bursting into motion from low branches as feathered creatures scattered into the air with cries as he neared. Their shapes differed wildly…some small and angular, others heavier and broader, their wings cutting through the air with a bold rhythm.
One of the feathered creatures didn’t move fast enough as, the small organism hesitating at his quick approach. Another thing stricken with fear.
Uratos’s hand shot out and his fingers closed gently around the small, feathered body, halting its late attempt to retreat with its brethren. It trembled violently, its tiny heart rapid pounding and vibrating through his grasp, wings pressing against his hold in quick, frantic bursts.
He didn’t tighten his hold, his eyes simply observing the small thing like a child does a new toy. He noted its light bones, its high metabolic output… fast-response instincts. A body built entirely around escape and flight. Truly spectacular. Simply marvelous.
The creature stilled, all but giving up and expecting to be eaten whole by this thing it’d never seen before.
Uratos tilted his head slightly, studying it for a moment longer before loosening his grip. Gurus would like this creature. It was quite pretty with its multicolored feathered body and graceful wings.
He released it and the creature vanished into the canopy in a blur of motion and a shrill cry.
Another quiet sound left him.
“…Fast.”
He continued one again.
The terrain shifted now, the forest giving away and revealing a small clearing where the soil dipped inward into rock and introducing the narrow flow of moving water.
A river.
Uratos slowed, eyes blinking softly.
He hadn’t seen a river since he was 2!
,345 rotations old.
Several larger creatures occupied the space, their bodies built for stability rather than speed. Long limbs. Thick muscle. Coarse coverings of brown and grey that blended imperfectly with the environment around them. Long and hard looking antennae?(antlers)…Their movements were slower, deliberate as they lowered their heads toward the water, drinking in steady, rhythmic motions. Graceful and gentle.
They hadn’t noticed him yet as he watched for a moment and then…. He stepped closer.
That was enough.
Every head snapped upward at once, all little beady eyes locking on his hulking form.
Stillness.
Then…. quick movement. They scattered in different directions, their body’s gracefully leaping through the forest a they retreated into the darkness within. Uratos didn’t follow. Instead, He crouched near the edge of the water, his gaze shifting to the shimmering surface as it moved in a continuous, smooth flow. Light danced across it, reflecting in distorted patterns that made it sparkle like handcrafted silk worm robes.
He reached out, the current shifting around his fingers as he scooped up some water and then leaned down to bring it to his lips. He sniffed it subtly before lapping up the cool liquid, his body shivering as it flooded his senses and cooled him nicely. He remained crouched as he kept drinking the cool water and ,behind him, something deeper in the forest approached, its footsteps carrying weight but no hostility.
Uratos’s head turned just as a larger form emerged between the trees..massive compared to the other creatures he’d seen , its body thick with muscle, covered in dense, dark fur that absorbed more light than it reflected. Its movement was slower, but carried weight, each step pressing into the ground with deliberate force.
It stopped when it caught sight of him..he tilted his head at it in response. For a moment, the forest seemed to narrow around them.
The creature inhaled deeply, scenting the air, its posture shifting as it tried to understand what stood before it. Uratos watched it back, his six eyes making sure it stayed passive and didn’t respond with violence.
The creature seemed to come to a decision, making a low uncertain noise as if to say ‘what are you?’
The creature shifted its weight and then..slowly it approached the river a little ways away from him. Uratos watched as it stared at the shimmering water and then , with an astonishing speed, snatched up a sleek and wriggling aquatic creature with its maw. Uratos watched with bright eyes at the row of sharp teeth crunching down on the wriggling organism , watched as it twitched and then went limp in its grasp.
It turned, grunting low at Uratos and then disappeared back into the edge of the forest.
Something quiet settled in his expression s he spoke softly to himself.
“…How fascinating…that all of these creatures chose differently.” How thrilling. That nothing on this planet followed a specific pattern like every other planet he’d been on.
He stood, stepping back from the river before turning away and moving back through the forest, his movement not quite as fast as before, but still confident.
He continued exploring. Scaring off more of the forest critters, leaping beside the creatures with hooves and odd antennae’s. The forest seemed to extend on forever and , honestly, he was happy with it. The sun in the sky began to set and, at some point beyond the forest, something changed.
Uratos , who’d been running after a hopping white creature with red eyes and a fluffy tail, slowed slightly, his focus shifting outward again, beyond the movement of the trees.
Sound followed. Many at a time. Voices, Machinery, contained chaos. Bright, vivid colors of things he could see with his eyes.
His eyes sharpened with interest, lashes fluttering with newfound interest. It was a city! So it wasn’t just an unclaimed planet.
“…Oh.”
As he moved, the forest thinned gradually, its density loosening until it simply gave away to what lay beyond it. The ground beneath his feet shifted from soft, grass and dirt to concreted roads worn by repeated movement, and the sounds continued to change with it…less scattered, more consistent and loud in a way only beings with the capacity to talk could replicate.
When he stepped fully beyond the treeline,he could see structures that rose in uneven clusters, built upward and outward. Surfaces reflected light sharply in some places and expelled it in others, materials overlapping in ways that functioned but never quite came completely together. It was advanced, like his planet, but it lacked refinement, unlike his planet.
Despite how disorganized and slightly overwhelming….It worked…… and it seemed that was enough.
Below, on the ground with him, movement filled the space between. Humans. Or what he’d been taught to identify as humans, moved in small groups, alone or in big clusters. Men, women..young and old. And there were more species too. Alien groups he was too lazy to single out and identify but lots of them nonetheless.
A tall, translucent species, a heavier, plated being, their body layered in natural armor that clicked softly with each grounded step and an aerial species of something smaller that drifted briefly before settling, winged but not feathered, its thin membranes catching the light before folding tight against its frame.
A diverse planet with many different shapes, forms and things. How amazing.
Uratos stepped forward again, into the light and space and , of course, attention bent toward him in waves that spread faster than the crowd could pretend not to notice.
All around him , humans and alien species alike began to slow down as they acknowledged him. They were used to difference, that much was clear.
But he was different. Uratos’s very existence was an anomaly…it didn’t matter what environment he was in. But here… he didn’t just stand out…he interrupted everything.
His height alone made him impossible to ignore, his athletic form towering above most of the surrounding bodies, but it wasn’t just that. His Four arms, light blue skin that caught the light in unnatural tones would catch anyone’s attention .And those eyes…too many, too bright, too aware …obscene and odd. The other species had a minimum of two eyes and a maximum of three.. and then there was his body itself. He was barely covered…he didn’t exactly have a change of clothes anymore after his ship crashed here…. most of him was exposed, his abs and a peek of his v-line on display. And the composition of his remaining outfit
was made up of material that didn’t belong to anything here anyway.
And across his abdomen was the clean cut.
Precise, healed and unmistakably violent.
Faces of passerby’s filled with concern and confusion. Whispers began to fill the space as he moved through the crowd.
“Is he….hurt????
“What is that—?”
“Oh my god..I think I’ve SEEN him before-???”
Uratos ignored it all though, his sights set ahead as he moved deeper into the city.
He soon found himself in the center of a marketplace with stalls that pressed into one another in uneven rows, voices overlapping in continuous negotiation as goods and foods shifted from hand to hand in a steady, chaotic rhythm.
Light bent differently here. The air was warm and filled with pleasant aromas.
Uratos still stood out here but less only because vendors were busy selling their goods and services. His gaze moved across the stalls, not lingering on the sellers, but on the items themselves. Objects of varying quality and origin were laid in an unorganized manner…
But what drew his attention was a stall where a sweet aroma wafted from it.
It cut through the warm air easily, delicious, and unfamiliar in a way that suggested attention. Uratos moved closer, mouth watering and eyes peering curiously down at what was being made. The human behind the stall stiffened almost instantly, his posture shifting as his shadow fell over the display. His eyes flickered up, then immediately away, then back again… uncertain whether ignoring him or acknowledging him would be worse.
Uratos didn’t speak, simply snorting and reaching out selecting one of the foods without hesitation. It was wrapped loosely, heat still contained within it, the surface slightly textured beneath his fingers. The lady stammered, watching with wide eyes as he took a bite (without paying first-).
Meanwhile, Uratos was experiencing euphoria and pleasure at the same time, his cheeks flushing a pretty deep blue that heightened his pretty face. His expression didn’t change much, but something behind his eyes shift. The flavor wasn’t exactly exceptional. It was a little salty, hot, with something faintly sweet beneath it, a symphony of flavors that went together deliciously.
He loved it.
“…You ..made this…?”
The human woman blinked and nodded profusely. He was so pretty and she was very, very flustered suddenly.
“…O-Oh uhm Yes! I uhm-.”
“What’s it called??”
“I uhm.. G-Gokutan-“
Uratos reached for another and then stopped, realizing he was being rude and hadn’t paid. Uratos looked at the women as if to say ‘Why didn’t you demand payment??’ before he looked down at his hand and tugged off one of the many the golden royal signet rings that represented his status and empire from his finger.
He held it out to her and tilted his head.
She gawked at him.
“…Will this suffice? I don’t exactly have any rupees on me at the current moment….”
Her mouth opened. Then closed.
Then Opened again before she swallowed and nodded.
Because that ring was worth more than her stall ,and probably everything in the market place, she allowed him to take as many of her sweet treats as possible before he left.
Behind him, the human woman was still staring at the ring like it might disappear if she blinked, wondering how in the world she’d gotten so lucky.
Uratos continued through the marketplace, munching on his treats happily, his attention already shifting again. Another stall caught his interest, this one lined with fabric, layered materials hanging in uneven drapes that shifted slightly as air moved through them.
Clothing. Yes, he needed something to hide his build, that’s right. He approached and
the vendor, an older, sharper-eyed aerial alien smiled once it saw him and called out to him.
“Looking for something to wear, hm??? You won’t find anything better than here at Lucki’s wear and wilds!!”
Uratos nodded, swallowing before speaking up.
“Need your nicest cloak with a hood.”
The vendor nodded slowly, scurrying to the back of his open stall and reaching for a piece of fabric, dark like the night sky a, loose, and designed to conceal. Perfection.
Uratos took it without hesitation, draping it over himself in a single quick motion. A ring slid easily from another one of his fingers and he handed it to the vendor .
“…Are you aware of how much-?”
“Just take it. Do you think I’m a fool?”
Uratos said coldly and the man yelped, nodding and pocketing the ring.
He left and continued forward.
As he moved towards the end of the marketplace…many began to stare devices lifted, recording…projecting.. but something about him caused some of them to malfunction or capture only blurred/ glitched images of him.
Uratos’s gaze shifted up towards the vibrant neon light of a holographic display cycling through information too quickly for most to process.
For him, it was immediate and apparent.
A figure with a head full of white hair, eyes as blue as the sea, wearing a crown and his royal suit. A wanted sign and bounty of 968 billion rupees and half a kingdom with of land-.
A wanted sign featuring him.
Uratos stilled for half a second and then continued walking, dipping his head.
“…Ahhh..Shit.”
He’d gotten too comfortable. In his excitement at discovering such an odd planet he’d forgotten that he needed to be on guard, that he needed to conceal his identity. The shift in the crowd became more defined now, less hesitant.… Intentional. Having a cloak and hood wouldn’t be enough to hide from so many watchful eyes.
Uratos changed direction, dipping into a darker, low-lit alleyway filled with dumpsters and trash.
There he rested against the brick wall of a restaurant, watching as many passed but didn’t bat an eye at the tall hooded figure standing against the wall.
What could he do..? He was at a loss. His communicator on his arm was useless since its main transmitter was destroyed(his ship), he had no way of leaving….and if he remained here he would surely be noticed and his empire would eventually be notified.
Damn, damn, damn it all.
He was deep in thought when he heard a low sound that , to anyone else, would’ve been imperceptible… but he wasn’t just anyone.
Uratos’s gaze lowered as a small, sleek creature slipped dropped down from the pipeline on the side of the building across from him and onto the lid of a dumpster, jumping down and moving along the edge of the alley, weaving effortlessly between discarded trash and such. Its body moved in a way that didn’t demand attention, movement that was fluid without needing space to function.
And he watched as it darted into the area…noticed how no one looked at it or reacted.
Uratos watched it for a moment, something quite settling into his expression again as the difference became clear.
“…Ignored. Silent…common…”
The thought was fleeting..and the decision came easily.
Slowly, His form began to shift, collapsing inward as mass redistributed and his build began to reform. His height diminished. Long limbs and appendages morphed into short stubby paws . A small fuzzy tail sprouted from the base of his spine….His being formed into something smaller, fuzzier, and…cute?
When he finished…he resembled the form of the tiny creature that he’d seen before.
A cat. Or mostly a cat.
His fur was many colors, resembling a star speckled galaxy and his antennae still protruded from his head. And his eyes. They were, of course , still there. All six of them.
Uratos glanced down at himself briefly and nodded, satisfied.
“…Perfect...”
(Insert banner)
Life as the tiny creature he’d soon learn was identified as a cat, was the easiest thing Uratos had ever done. He’d wiped out galaxies, commanded entire armies with ease, governed an entire city…and now here he was, prowling a city that never slept as a small, furry thing.
And it was so, so easy. He quickly learned how to maneuver in this form, learning the many secret passage ways and crevices to get around the city,
Other creatures noticed him. The same ones he was copying. At first, they kept their distance, unsure what the hell was trying to integrate itself with them. Cats watched him from rooftops and alleyways, their bodies tense, eyes narrowed as he passed through their spaces without hesitation. Meowing in confusion, tracking him with quiet suspicion, their movements cautious, deliberate.
At some point, Uratos stopped at some point and allowed them to slowly approach him, meowing and sniffing him. From then on, they left him alone…He passed through their territories without much resistance, without acknowledgment, as though he had always been part of the environment. A few watched. Most didn’t bother him.
It was nice.
Dogs were different. They singled him out immediately, understanding that he was something odd. When he was near them their posture tensed, low growls erupted from them, and their hackles were raised.
Uratos paid them no mind , simply because they kept their distance, their instinct being enough for them to not test their luck.
And humans with their alien counterparts…they were much easier to handle.
They responded to him and his behavior relatively nicely. Uratos learned quickly from other cats what to do to get their attention and such.
A slight tilt of the head would grab their attention. A controlled, slow blink would have them reaching down to pet him. And the precise modulation of sound, a simple small, contained noise would have them cooing in adoration. If it had been in any other situation, Uratos would have considered this demeaning and degrading..but he kind of liked the positive attention he received. How close he was able to be to these various species without them staring. Similar to how he felt at the planet of smoke and glass….but even sweeter.
And the result of this epiphany was always just as rewarding.
Food.
He moved through marketplaces and streets with ease, slipping between stalls, brushing against legs, appearing just long enough to be noticed before settling somewhere visible. And he waited.
It never took long. They always came to him, smiling at the multicolored, odds but cute looking cat that had one day appeared and seemed to now be a local resident.
“Aw—where did you come from, little guy?”
“Hey, here kitty kitty pspspspspspsp…”
“Those eyes—what the hell…”
“Mommy, I want that cat! Please? Pleaseeee!?”
Uratos would sit, looking at them all and then —
Mewwwwwww!
A soft, well placed, measured mew would ensure his breakfast, lunch and dinner. And even something to drink!
It was glorious to be a cat in this city that never slept. Because he rarely slept, and when he did he found that the locals had created a cute little home for him near the sweets stall he lingered by.
He accepted everything offered to him without hesitation, sampling everything with the same quiet attention he had given it before. Sweet, savory, processed, natural…each one different, each one constructed with something that made him new in appreciation and happiness.
No one understood him but it was fine. He found being this little creature was easier than being the crown prince of an empire. Forced to do things he didn’t want to….and although he missed Gurus more and more with every passing week..he was happy with this little freedom.
Some of the humans tried to keep him,
He didn’t allow it, evading hands with the intention to hold rather than pet.
He moved with city and it rewarded him in kind. And for a while, that was enough.
Until he noticed a new pattern. It wasn’t obvious at first. Just something that began repeating about a week or so before.
A presence that appeared too often in the same places.A male human with black hair, sharp green eyes and a little scar on his lip. He was big for a normal human, his stature quite big and slightly off-putting. Deliberate and quiet in his movement, his attention sharper than the others, not distracted, not easily redirected. He didn’t react to Uratos the way the others did. No immediate reach. No instinct to feed or call out.He simply watched from a distance.For many days.
Uratos noticed on the first day, confirmed it on the second and by the second he concluded that the human was definitely tracking him.
But his intent, no matter how intimidating he seemed, was not hostile….so Uratos did nothing to stop him.
He continued moving as he had been, allowing the man to continue following him every day, observing the way the man adjusted his position, the way he anticipated movement instead of reacting to it.
And , by the beginning of the third week, Uratos stopped avoiding him.
In fact, he’s waited for the man to appear around the area he usually watched Uratos from, his eyes filled with curiosity.
The man approached him slowly, controlled, something in his hands designed to contain rather than harm. Uratos watched him come, meowing softly, his six eyes fixed on the human with quiet interest. Watching as the net came down. Letting the man lift him up into his arms, petting Uratos with big, heavy hands.
The man exhaled sharply, tension leaving his body all at once.
“Got you,” he muttered, voice low and astonished. “Weirdest damn cat I’ve ever seen… but ..super cute too… My wife n kid will love you.”
Uratos allowed it, meowing and purring(or making a noise of contentment) as the men petted his head.
He soon found himself being transported in what he assumed was a means of transportation, darkness surrounding him. The constant darkness soon lulled him to sleep and when he woke up he found himself out of the net and being carried into a pretty, small building with a sign that hung above the entrance.
Fushiguro’s Petland.
The man pushed open the front door of the shop, a soft chime announcing his arrival and warmth immediately wrapping around them both. Cozy and gentle. Smaller empty enclosures lined the space by the window, but they weren’t stacked or crowded. They were nicely spaced, customized for comfort ability and nicely kept. It was clear that this shop was newer and had recently been furnished.
The man set him down carefully, grunting when Uratos sat by his side and meowed. What a strange meow…..
“Megumi,” he called, glancing toward the stairs beyond the front counter. “Don’t come running out here yet..I needa-.”
Too late.
A thump and a few clomping sounds later, a smaller human about 500 rotations appeared almost immediately, dark-haired, quiet and pantin, stopping just short when he saw Uratos.
They stared at each other. Uratos tilted his head slightly. A little human. He looked exactly like his father.
The child didn’t respond, just kept staring with his slightly flushed cheeks. He tugged in his shirt and then said-
“…He’s weird looking.”
Toji snorted.
“Yeah. That’s putting it lightly..but he’s cute ain’t he?”
Megumi nodded and another presence came down the stairs…softer, lighter and less hurried. A woman stepped into view, her expression shifting from curiosity to immediate, quiet interest as her gaze landed on Uratos. She was pretty with short black hair, blue eyes and rosy cheeks. And, oh, a quite round belly. Must have been the wife the man had been talking about.
“…Oh. How darling!”
She crossed the room and Uratos found himself being picked up by the woman, letting out a noise of surprise as she appraised him.
“Aren’t you just the prettiest little kitty? And, oh, six eyes? And antennae’s!? Where did you find him, Toji?” she asked, looking at the man, Toji who answered simply but kindly.
“Running around the street market like he owned the place. Matter of fact he’s been there for a coupla weeks now and since I didn’t see anyone claiming him I thought…why not? I knew you’d like to add him to the family.”
“That tracks,” she murmured, scratching under his chin softly. This made him twitch and , oh lord, was he..purring?! He’d been hanging around cats way too much-.
“…He’s really so beautiful,” she said quietly.
Then, she added- “…We’re keeping him.”
Toji looked at her and raised a brow, scarred lip twitching with amusement.
“…We’re not keeping him. Yknow how much money we already gotta spend to get ‘em vaccinated and such??? Not to mention, we don’t know what the hell he eats.”
She groaned as Toji kept on listing how much of a headache adding a cat, when they already had a son mind you, would be.
“…FIIIINEEEE……But WE ARE keeping him until someone claims him. Who knows.. maybe he’ll be around long enough to meet Tsumiki!”
Toji exhaled, and nodded.
“…I mean,yeah, that was the point of bringing him here. Poor little guy looked lonely…and I wanted you and Gumi to ‘im too. I dunno about him meeting Tsumiki though…you got another four months-“
And, after that, rest of the night went by fast. Uratos watched the little family make him a cozy little space by the display window of their shop, letting them put him in here and then
gave him space. It wasn’t so bad, to be honest. Another new experience he’d allow to happen until he simply got bored.
The days that followed were…different.
He learned all of their routines, noting how the woman, Toji’s wife , would stay in the shop while the man and the little boy, Toji and Megumi, would leave for the day and return late in the evening. Megumi kept his distance at first, watching from the edges of the room, his attention steady and quiet. He didn’t reach out immediately, didn’t try to touch or call for him when his parents let him out to roam the shop after he mewed for hours from boredom. It didn’t take long before the distance closed and Megumi was soon petting and playing with Uratos everyday. The woman was much easier.
She treated him as though he had always belonged there, her movements gentle but assured as she moved through the space, occasionally stopping to brush her fingers through his fur or leave some new treat for him to try. And , sometimes, she let Uratos take naps with her in her bed after she’d been on her feet all day and cooked dinner. (she quickly found out that he hated cat food and preferred to eat what she ate/cooked.)
Uratos accepted all of it, greedily.
And Toji …well, he remained the same.
Always watching but never intruding.
He didn’t treat Uratos like something fragile or like something entirely safe. His attention was sharper than the others, his awareness lingering in ways that suggested he understood more than he said. Like he caught on to the fact that Uratos was more than what he appeared to be.
“…You’re not just a cat,” he muttered once when Uratos was lying beside him in their couch upstairs in their apartment. (At some point they learned that Uratos could open his little enclosure and they could NOT keep him contained. But, since he didn’t poop or pee anywhere, leave a mess or break anything..they let him have free rein.)
Uratos glanced at him, his six eyes staring up into his green ones and effectively stealing Toji’s breath away. He mewed as if to say ‘no shit sherlock’ and shook his head though it could’ve just been the cat being a cat.
Toji huffed a quiet laugh, turning his attention back to the tv screen.
“Yeah. Figured.”
And time passed. Once again days turned into weeks and weeks …suprisingly into a month and then two. Uratos ultimately learned the rhythm of the place easily… witnessed the grand opening of the shop,got used to the flow of customers, the way attention shifted depending on time and movement. He observed, adjusted and lived accordingly.
And life was..well it was good.
And he was happy.
Then, one day, the door opened.
And everything changed.
Uratos felt it before he looked. How his “heart” beat erratically, his body filling with energy barely contained. He had been lapping up milk in his when his ears twitched. His head lifted at the sound of the bell hanging over the shop door chiming.
You.
You, You, You.
You with soft, pink skin like the setting suns of vyporia…wearing a soft, fitted white sweater, tucked into a simple pleated skirt that fell to your ankles and covered the little black wedges you had on. On your arm , you carried a small leather satchel that hung off the shoulder, stuffed with notebooks and everyday items, thin framed glasses on the bridge of your nose and tiny gems in your slightly pointed ears. Your hair was slightly curly, pulled back in a messy high ponytail that would’ve made anybody else look sloppy and distasteful. But not you. No, gods not you.
Your cheeks were flushed and you were panting slightly as you announced yourself and waited by the door. Even your voice sounded as sweet as you looked. Toji , who’d been scrolling through his holographic device, looked up from behind the counter, his posture loosening almost immediately. He smiled widely and waved you over.
“Well, look who finally decided to show up. Himari! Look who’s here!”
From the back, his wife appeared a second later, her expression lighting up with joy as she squealed.
“Oh my pookie butt!,” she said warmly, moving quickly to you and hugging you tightly . “It’s been what—weeks, years?!?”
“Midterms,” you sighed, shifting your bag to hug her back tightly. “They’ve been kicking my belrubia(ass).”
Toji snorted, watching his wife fawn and fuss over you like she did with Megumi.
“Yeah, you look like it… m’telling you, that college is gonna suck the soul outta ya before you graduate.”
You rolled your very pretty eyes, but there was no disdain when you spoke again.
“I feel like it…but it’s all for the sake of getting my damned bachelors degree. And how’s the baby, Mari?? I’m ready to be an auntie to another!”
Himari laughed happily.
“She’s quite healthy…this is a much easier pregnancy than Gumi’s.”
“Where is Gumi??”
“Oh he’s staying with the itadori’s…..-“
You all fell into it naturally after that…small talk, updates on Himari’s pregnancy, the kind of conversation that didn’t need to be carried because it already knew where it was going. From the shadows along the upper shelving, Uratos watched. He had moved there the moment you entered, instinct guiding him upward instead of forward this time. Not hiding…just…observing from a place where he could see without being seen. Where he could watch you without being interrupted or disturbed. Because ever since you had entered, his “heart” had been acting strangely. And the sensation he was feeling was beginning to slowly overwhelm him. With what, he didn’t quite know.
The tone of the room softened around you, conversation flowing easily, the space coming alive with you. Uratos tracked every motion.Every shift in your expression. Everything. He would’ve felt like such a fucking creep in any other situation…but he couldn’t help it. This feeling was damn near driving him mad.
“…—And you’ve been holding up good?” Toji asked after a moment, his tone losing some of its edge. You hesitated and that made Uratos lean in, ears straining to hear everything.
“…Yeah. I’m fine,” you said automatically, then ….you exhaled, the answer slipping a little. “It’s just…remember Lady glitterpus….?”
Himar’s expression softened immediately, seeing that you were now a little sad.
“…What happened?”
“She—” you stopped, lip wobbling in a way that made Uratos’s “heart” ache. “She. Um…she passed. A couple weeks ago…. While she was sleeping.”
Silence settled in…not heavy, not overwhelming, just…there.
“…Ten years,” you added, almost like you needed to explain why it mattered so much. “I got her when I first moved out.”
Toji leaned back slightly, arms crossing loosely. He clearly wasn’t the best to come to with anything sad…so all he did was cringe and grunt low.
“…That’s rough.”( Himari smacked his arm.)
Himari reached out, squeezing your arm gently as you sniffled softly. Clearly you had loved your pet dearly.
“I’m so sorry…. I know how much Lady meant to you….”
You nodded, offering a small, tired smile, grateful for the comfort after mourning alone for so long.
“Yeah. It’s just been…quiet….. yknow after my parents passed snd …I’ve just been alone…and I’m sorry for not reaching out and worrying you. ‘S why I stopped by before I went home… missed you all.”
From above, Uratos stilled. Something in her voice resonated with something in him.
Not understand, not fully anyway…
But recognition of absence. Of loneliness that yearned to be filled.
He had felt it before all of this….In his own way…but still. Toji exhaled through his nose, glancing briefly toward the back before speaking again.
“…We …..actually just got one in,” he said, tone casual but deliberate. “ A cat…a few days ago.”
You looked up slightly and Himari shot him a withering look that screamed ‘of all the times?!’
But you didn’t seem to react badly.
“Oh?”
His wife smiled faintly, thanking the stars above that you didn’t get offended.
“…Yes! …He’s…different.”
“That’s one way to put it,” Toji muttered with amusement.
“And We weren’t planning on keeping him,” she continued, ignoring him easily. “But he kind of…stayed.”
“Toji caught him running around the city like he owned it,” she added, a hint of amusement in her voice.
“That’s because he did,” Toji said flatly. “I’m pretty damn sure he LET me catch him outta pity or boredom cus the little shits been lounging around here ever since… and he won’t let anybody take him when they offer to buy ‘im!”
A small pause.
Then, Himari gasped softly, tugging on Toji’s shirt.
“…Maybe,” she said slowly, glancing between you and him, “you could take him?!”
Silence.
Reader blinked and Toji blanched. Uratos’ six eyes widened as he leaned down even more from above them.
“…What?” You both said at the same time.
“So we don’t have to keep pretending we’re not getting attached,” Himari added. “And we’d still get to see him!! And so you have something to brighten your day!! Oh it’s perfect!!”
His wife nudged him lightly and now it was Toji’s turn to shoot her a look.
“That’s not how you phrase that.”
But she ignored him and looked back at you again, softer this time.
“…Only if you want to. No pressure..just a suggestion?”
You hesitated, fingers tightening slightly around the strap of your bag.
“I don’t know if I’m…ready for that yet.?”
‘Fair.’ Uratos thought but damn it…he kind of ..DID…want to go with her.
And that small thought was what had him moving, shifting along the shelving, quietly dropping onto the counter behind their turned backs with a soundless thud.
Then-
‘Mewwwww!’
Three pairs of eyes turned and there he was.
“There he is. I swear that cats secretly a human.” Toji mused lowly and Himari giggled. (Uratos would’ve snorted at that if he wasn’t so interested in you.)
Your eyes, upon seeing him, widened and your mouth dropped slightly in a way that made Uratos preen. His fur caught the light first, dark but with many colors and white dots that look like stars speckled against a galaxy , shifting subtly as if something beneath it refused to stay still. And then his eyes… he had six?! What the hell?! And they were such a deep and rich blue that made you feel like you were being sucked into a black hole! And all of them were fixed on you. You blinked, releasing a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding in and gulped in awe.
“…Oh.”
That was it.Just….wow.Uratos moved slowly towards the edge of the counter, his eyes remaining on you. And you, in turn, approached him slowly. When he got close to you and you leaned down until you were in front of his face he made the sound.
Soft.A small, deliberate mewl. A sound if fascination …and need.Something in your expression shifted immediately.
“…You’re—”
You exhaled again, something lighter breaking through the sadness that had been seemingly plaguing you.
“…okay, you’re really weird. But also…kind of cute…??? Like what??”
Uratos sat, letting her appraise and overlook him.
You hesitated only for a second before slowly reaching out with a slightly shaky hand.
Your fingers brushed against his fur and he didn’t pull away. He didn’t even move as you scratched his neck. Only watched you and purred.
“…okay he’s kind of ..super …cute,” you admitted quietly.
Toji snorted again.
“‘Kind of’ is generous. He’s disgustingly adorable. And a pain in the ass. Acting all high n mighty-
Himari interrupted and added. “And we took him to the vet already, got him vaccinated and such… he’s clean and everything.”
You let out a soft breath, your hand lingering against him just a little longer than necessary.
“…What’s his name?”
A pause.
Toji glanced over at Himari and they both shrugged.
“actually…we never gave him one. Yknow, never name an animal you aren’t keeping or whatnot…we just called him kitty, KitKat,…little shit-“
While Toji kept talking , Uratos continued to stare into your intrigued eyes and his antennae twitched. Ever since he’d gotten to this planet and been in this form..he hadn’t felt the need to use any of his many abilities…. But now that you were inquiring about his name…he couldn’t help BUT to gently and telepathically spell out his name for you in your mind. You blinked and, unconsciously, you said his name.
“…U…Uratos….?”
Toji and Himari both looked at you in surprise and Himari smiled.
“Oh that’s such a cute name? How did you come up with that so fast? See, you’re both perfect for each other!”
You nodded and said his name again.
Uratos was over the moon, his “heart” rejoicing immensely.
Yes, say his name.
Uratos, Uratos, Uratos.
Your hand moved again, gentler this time and his purring grew louder in turn.
“…Okay,” you said softly, almost like you were convincing herself. Or you had convinced yourself. “Yeah.”
A small pause.
Then….
“I’ll take him.”
Himari and Toji blinked and the pregnant woman clapped joyously, Toji grunting as she tugged on his arm but smiled nonetheless.
Amidst the noise, Uratos closed his eyes briefly, leaning into your touch. Not from exhaustion or sleepiness. From acceptance…and this time he wasn’t just allowing it. He was accepting it whole heartedly.
(HOLY SHITE THIS TOOK FOREVER. 7k WORDS?? I ALMOST CRIED. IM FINNA START UPLOADINGNON SATURDAYS LMAO. THANK YOU FOR READING!!)
{SERIES SUMMARY } - After the loss of your beloved cat, Apollo, you adopt a strange six-eyed "cat" from a shady animal shelter to fill the silence....unaware that it's actually Uratos Gooj, an seven-foot alien prince hiding from an arranged royal marriage. As he observes your human life from the safety of your home, his curiosity slowly turns into all-consuming obsession... and he begins to believe you belong to him
{PAIRING)- ALIEN:Gojo x Human Female Reader
{TAGS !!)- MDNI, 18+ in the last 2 chapters(l think), alien biology, obsessive behavior, size difference (he's literally 7ft when not a cat), female reader, eventual smut, mating cycles, cunningulus he's a eater fri), possessiveness, stalking but make it extraterrestrial, slow burn, emotional confusion, reader unknowingly living with an alien royal, transformation scenes, minor intergalactic politics later on, Mei mei(yuck), fluff, piv, nsfw, Hurt/comfort, slight dominance/ submission, Happy ending (yayayayayay!) w.c: 4.2k
masterlist || chpt 1 || chpt 3 || visual art
Dedicated to @madamechrissy
Inspired by @spideyyeet
Uratos Gooj had crossed more of the universe than he’d ever thought he’d see.
Worlds that burned in colors his empire never recorded in their thousands, if not millions , of scrolls, planets that breathed as living breathing creatures that floated in space, living structures shifting beneath unfamiliar suns. Civilizations that thrived without the need for conquest, without war, without anything he had been taught was absolutely necessary for “survival.” For power.
He had walked among them all unnoticed and unneeded by their residents,their inhabitants…
And now …he truly felt free…
He had learned things the high council had never bothered to teach him. That food was not just something to eat to sustain…but to savor and even enjoy. That laughter could exist without having to be suppressed. That children could be just that…children. That time… could be spent without care, not commanded. That he could’ve lived a life he wanted all along.Gurus had been right. He usually was(Annoyingly so.)There was more to life than being a weapon. It had taken him weeks to understand that as he traversed the universe, explored galaxies and such…Had taken him Longer to accept it. And for all the worlds he had seen… for all the places that had blurred together into distant, hazy memories there was one planet that wouldn’t leave his mind anytime soon.
A small dwarf planet….not too advanced, not too big…not even that beautiful.Just…the one where he had stayed. Where he felt at …complete... A quiet planet made of glass and smoke ,wrapped in warm and crystalline light. Where the air carried a stillness that didn’t feel empty…just…there.
The isolated Brenyaiar Golten, the planet of glass and light. It stretched wide instead of tall, its planes made from smooth, translucent materials that caught and bent the glow of drifting lanterns overhead. Similar to the Gooj empire..but infinitely smaller. Like a rural village. Vapor curled through the streets in soft ribbon-like coils, warm and fragrant, clinging faintly to the skin and fabric of all that walked its streets.The entire place felt like it was breathing, unrushed, unbothered…free. Its residents, the goltenians, were a quiet folk who spent their days trading with merchants from other worlds and harvesting the strange crops that grew from their soil.
This planet is where he had met someone who did not look at him like a god, or a weapon, or a threat.
“…Tch..what am I doing…,” he muttered to himself. He hadn’t meant to stay so long….really, there was nothing particularly interesting or special about this planet….and yet he found himself wandering the same streets.
It irritated him immensely, how something in him was unsatisfied with the thought of leaving the planet. He’d been traveling through the village without purpose like he’d done on previous planets. His four arms and strong physique hidden beneath a long, dark cloak. Glow dimmed and maintained, his top and bottom eyes remain closed behind his royal head gear.
His powerful presence was restrained…but not completely gone. Few looked his way in curiosity …most didn’t bat an eye. Good. Moving through the busy streets of this planet made of smoke and glass, Uratos hadn’t intended to stop.
He had no destination.
No purpose beyond movement. Only the need to satisfy his desire to stay…And yet, something drew him.
It wasn’t the noise. The sound of laughter and celebration…There was plenty of that.
It was the warmth.
It wrapped around him and practically entranced him...made something within him yearn for something he hadn’t gotten the chance to experience in his younger years…so much so that he found himself wandering farther than he’d gone before…until he found a low, wide structure sat tucked between tall glass spires, its entrance spilling golden light into the mellow haze of the street. Laughter poured from within, unrestrained, unchecked, layered with joyous voices and the soft clink of glass and cutlery.
Uratos stepped inside.
The tavern closed around him instantly. Dim lighting. Rich, vibrant color. Air thick with heat, vapor, and the quiet hum of life being lived without restraint. Without oppression. Tables scattered without order.
Beings of all kinds from many parts of the galaxy filled them,leaning, laughing, arguing, touching.
No hierarchy. No fear. No one bowed.
How ….unusual. As he moved a little further into the establishment, he noticed that no one seemed to bat an eye in his direction. Fools. If he wanted to he could wipe them all out with a flutter of his lashes….not like he was GOING to but still..
His gaze settled on the bar at the center of the establishment… and stilled.
Behind it, shelves of glass vials filled with drinks and whatnot hovered in loose, unorganized rows, drifting slightly as if suspended in thought rather than structure. Liquids shimmered within them, promising an interesting experience if used.
And in front of it was her. She was leaned against the edge of the bar, posture relaxed, one hip angled slightly as if she’d been there for hours and didn’t mind staying longer. Like she had all the time in the galaxy. Her honeyed hair was swept back in an updo, skin shimmered faintly, light pink scales catching the lantern glow in delicate, shifting patterns. Her outfit was fitted and simple, designed with a kind of effortless elegance. A sleeveless, high-collared top wrapped loosely around her torso, the fabric dark and iridescent..black at first glance, but upon closer inspection was a rich red and deep mahogany when the light moved across it. It cinched neatly at her waist before flowing into layered, panels that draped over fitted pants.
He approached the bar. He couldn’t tell you why.
And the woman, who’d been yelling something at the one behind her, locked eyes with Uratos as he approached, raising a brow and blinking her three eyes.
“Well, hello hello! Welcome to the grand Xeyotl, stranger. My names Kyui Kusmoto What can I do for you??”
He hesitated before sitting down, eyes fluttering as he spoke up in a low voice, careful to not draw
attention.
“…I’d like to …see the menu-“
She handed him a beaten up scroll and watched as he browsed his options. She chuckled to herself and then leaned on the bar, lowering her voice as she spoke to him again.
“Say……You’re not from…here.”
A pause.
“Like..,this sector..at all…right? Tengen, this part of the universe even?”
Her tensed ever so slightly and had she not noticed the slight twitch in his white brow..he probably would’ve been able to play off her assumption…and then she continued into her next question.
“…You’re the runaway crown prince, yeah? His imperial highness, Uratos Gooj—“ Anddd..there it was. Uratos’s gaze sharpened and his nails dug into the scrolls edge. How had she know. He thought he’d hid it well. The background noise seemed to fade out of existence as he spoke up coldly.
“… How did—?”
She winked at him before leaning back and turning around to grab a bottle, open it and pour him a drink. Softly guffawed at him.
“C’mon…not many travelers have hair as silver as the moon with blue eyes that seem to reflect the very soul….plus I’m always hearing things. Comes with being a tavern owner…Travelers and drunk idiots with loose mouths. I’m basically the gossip queen of this place.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, fingers twitching. Despite his calm exterior, internally, he was calculating how to get rid of everyone with as minimal effort as possible.
“…And them?” He jerked his head to the bystanders all around them. Had they too caught on..?
She snorted and set his drink down, rolling her eyes. “They don’t keep up. Old village. You could technically count me as their personal news source… and they’re drunk as Tengen too.”
A pause.
“…Are you going to turn me in?”
The question was calm. But he was brewing like a storm underneath the facade. She didn’t even blink as she turned away from him to continue what she’d been doing before he’d approached the bar.
“Nah…you seem like a good egg. Plus, you look much happier than you did on the pictures on the scrolls.”
He tensed and started. “Scrolls-?”
“Burned or thrown away. Like I said…nobody particularly cares around here. We’re on the egde of the solar system and no one would ever expect somebody as important as the crown prince of the Gooj empire to EVER show up here.”
Uratos stared at her.
Then, he slowly relaxed…not fully, but enough.
“…That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
No fear nor reverence.Just the plain simple truth.
He swallowed and dipped his head. To her, he looked like a bashful and very, very relieved. Then he murmured something that made her brow furrow slightly.
“What was that?”
“…….I’d like some…Food.”
She raised a brow and blinked. Then a bright smile appeared on her face, her brown eyes twinkling with delight.
“Of course, Your imperia- I mean..of course esteemed customer! What would you like from our menu! Do you have any allergies or preferences??”
Uratos’ cheeks flushed a pretty light blue, eyes fluttering at being allowed to choose something so small as what he’d get to eat….something that was always decided for him back home.
”I….would like to have whatever is the best thing on the menu…..with some Ingori Kase (Nigori sake)….”
She nodded eagerly and then looked over her shoulder before shouting-
“UY!”
From behind the bar, a figure appeared..a cool presence, easy posture. Four obsidian eyes, pale milky skin and black hair.. the most noticeable thing about was the line that crossed over the bridge of his nose…something Uratos had never seen before.
“Yes, Light of my life??” The new man said, smiling at his (Uratos now assumed) belvaria.(wife)
“Got someone here..he wants the house specialty.” She winked at the man and he locked eyes with Gojo. His eyes widened slightly and then he nodded. Apparently the man also immediately knew who Uratos was but, like Yuki had said, he didn’t care.
The man glanced at Uratos once more and then nodded at Kyiu before disappearing again.
Uratos watched him go and guffawed incredulously.
“…He didn’t ask…he really didn’t care.”
“Ochso?? Well he doesn’t get into others business at all…He only cares if a customers rude to me,” she said simply.
“Relax….seriously…you’re fine here. We’re not turning you in for your outrageous bounty or anything. Relax.”
And for the first time…Uratos really let his guard down…he let himself be comfortable…let himself just be.
He allowed himself the luxury of conversing with another being without having to worry about oversharing or whether they had ulterior motives.
Others joined him at the bar and he listened to them as they retold tales of their travels, of past adventures and battles… listened to Kyui boast of how she won Ochso by fighting for his hand in marriage… he even talked a little about his own endeavors with Gurus and such…The food came.Warm. Simple. Delicious in a way that quieted the nagging in the pit of his belly .He ate. Kyui poured him some of the drink that made his senses tingle and body float.
And he laughed, and laughed, and laughed.
This is what he’d been missing…
This quiet Life.
This sense of connection.
This …tiny happiness.
No one watching him.
No one needing him.
No one controlling him.
And when he was satisfied ..and that ache he’d previously felt before he encountered Kyui and her people was gone..he stood on steady feet, a warm and happy smile on his face and his bell full and satiated. He reached into the pocket of his cloak and dropped a enormous bag of imperial coin on the bar. The other customers blanched and looked at him with wide eyes, now drunkenly wondering who the hell he was.
“…I’ll be leaving now , Kyui… tell your belvario that his food was delicious…and he’s welcome in my kitchen any time… She smiled at him and the other customers let out groans of disapproval, asking him stay a little longer. He laughed and shook his head softly, eyes crinkling with joy before waving at them.
“ It was nice to be blessed by your radiance, esteemed customer.” Kyui jokingly said. A brief pause as she cleaned up his spot and watched him begin to move towards the door before calling out to him.
“…Come back sometime…. And bring that guy with you! What was his name uh…oh yeah, Gurus!” The surprise that crossed Uratos’ face was almost comical, slightly because he was tipsy, but mostly because he hadn’t expected her to actually listen. It made the brightest, prettiest smile of all cross his face as he nodded and waved.
And then..he was gone.
Back on the streets, he floated past a group of smaller beings crowded around a street performer, something with too many limbs and bright, shifting skin that twisted itself into impossible shapes. They laughed when it exaggerated its movements, when it stumbled intentionally, when it turned failure into something entertaining. He laughed with them and continued on his way, back to his ship.
Further down, two figures argued over something trivial. Their voices sharp at first, gestures exaggerated, tension rising, before one of them broke. Smiled. Then laughed and kissed
The other followed.Whatever it had been,
it didn’t matter anymore. In the Gooj empire,
disagreements didn’t end like that.They ended either in submission or silence.
How delightful to see that everything didn’t revolve around him or his empire. A pair sat close together on the edge of a low platform, shoulders touching, speaking in quiet tones. One gestured softly as they spoke, the other listening,not because they had to…but because they wanted to.
At this , Uratos stopped. Watchdd snd stared with open fascination.Felt something …strange.
The thought came quietly.
I wonder what it would be like..to love someone who’s different than you..but nevertheless you’re everything.
To love and be loved.
Not in the way he loved Gurus or his late parents…but someone whose heart burned with the same heat as his. His twin flame.
He’d been taught that many things were pointless on this life if they couldn’t be controlled and disciplined. Love was one of them
Unpredictable, chaotic, and …pointless.
But , as of late, Uratos was learning that many things he’d been forced to learn as a young Gooj was all a lie. So maybe……
Uratos exhaled slowly and spoke softly to himself as he turned away.
“…I’ve been missing this.”
Not conquest.Not power…
This.
Life.
Life that didn’t revolve around him didn’t fear him, didn’t NEED him.
He stood there a moment longer before he continued on his path to his ship, his eyes to the stars and his heart bursting with passion.
The Zenoral Morteph drifted in open space, simply floating without purpose.
Below it, the planet of smoke and glass turned slowly, its pale atmosphere catching distant starlight, scattering it across frozen terrain in soft, shifting hues. Blues melted into silver, silver into something almost luminous, like the world itself was breathing quietly beneath him.
Uratos stood at the observation deck. Still.
But with opened eyes. With awe. He gently pressed a hand against the glass.
“…It’s…vast.”
The words left him filled with awe and reverence.
For the first time he was floored by how amazing the universe was. His gaze lifted ..past the planet, into the endless spread of stars. The siblings to the “heart” within his body.
His hand rose to his chest,resting over it.
His core. A faint glow pulsed beneath his skin, beneath his attire…slow, steady, alive.
“…You’re louder now.” He whispered to it softly.
That presence, ancient, distant, constant thing,
had always been there. Always Buried beneath orders, war and noise. Always being ignored by him….Now, it called to him.
“…Not even a little.” Uratos said, mirroring Gurus’ tone of disbelief.
“If I was her I would’ve sounded every alarm on the damned planet!? Do you know how much they’re offering for your capture and safe return?! Even one sliver of information about you right now would be worth the entirety of a small kingdom-!!”
A quiet exhale left Uratos and he interrupted.
“…THE POINT, You backstabbing benran(traitor), is that …she treated me like I was…normal.”
Silence.
Then-“…That sounds absolutely horrifying. Poor you, you must’ve been horrified to not be the center of attention for once.”
Uratos huffed softly and played along.
“…It was. Absolutely horrible. So horrible I let my guard down and admitted that I missed you of all things.”
A beat. And then Gurus’ expression softened.
“I…have missed your company as well. But it’s okay because I know you’re experiencing things for the both of us.”
Uratos nodded.
“…Out of every place I’ve been so far…I stayed on this planet longer than I meant to… and I’m glad I did.”
“…You’ve always done that …especially when something matters,” Gurus said before pausing .
“…Are you happy?”
Uratos didn’t hesitate like he would’ve done in the past.
“…Yes. Immensely so. And I have you to thank for it.”
Soft. Certain. Genuine.
Uratos watched Gurus blush with pride and embarrassment and then quietly exhale through the communicator.
“…Good. I’m so glad.…don’t come back.”
Uratos’s frowned slightly and shook his head.
“I have to come back for you, Gurus… I can’t just disappear.”
Gurus opened his mouth but Uratos , suddenly, couldn’t decipher what he was saying. The white haired princes frown deepened and he tried to fix the connection between him and his best friend. He wasn’t ready to leave him…he hadn’t even gotten a chance to make sure Gurus was completely fine-
“Uratos-skkrrrr”
The audio glitched and contorted, Gurus’ appearance distorting.
And the last the Uratos heard was a single yet powerful word from Gurus.
“…Live.”
The line went dead. Silence returned, deeper and fuller now. Uratos let out a little noise of frustration , wondering why the hell his high tech ships connection was suddenly fucking up-
And then ..he saw it before he heard the sound of the sensors screaming.
Ships appearing from tears in space..Ships that surrounded the Zenoral Morteph …layered, overlapping, tightening into formation with mechanical precision.
Dozens. Then Hundreds.
His gaze moved once across them, quick and calculative.. and that was enough. He opened the ship and flew out , his eyes landing on the fleet of ships.
Weak points lit up in his vision. Power cores. Structural weaknesses. There wasn’t a thought as he moved with muscle memory. His hand lifted and space folded into itself, the area turning a bright and blinding blue. Then , with his other hands , a red light appeared, hungry and eager.
The first set of ships collapsed inward without resistance, crushed into nothing before the others could react.
Then another set wa blasted and repelled away, crashing into each other and exploding. Then a cluster.
His perception widened, a slightly feral smile splitting across his face as he recognized more.
Not just ships. Systems. Patterns. Intent.
He saw their coordinations before they happened.
Saw their firing lines before they aligned. Saw the outcome before the action.And he erased it all completely. Mercilessly.Energy fire converged…
and missed. Because he had already moved.
Already corrected. Already decided. His ship cut forward through them all, simply an extension of his will, carving through formation after formation with surgical precision.
Half the fleet disappeared in mere nanoseconds .The rest soon followed.
Until, nothing remained.
Uranus lowered his four hands, expression blank.
Silence returned….
Then, it broke.
Not with sound but with an overwhelming pressure.
His eyes shifted once more. Focused. And for the first time in his life, they couldn’t decipher something immediately. Space distorted at the center of space, a dark all-consuming presence making itself known.
Not a structure, Not a formation.
An absence. It didn’t behave.
Didn’t follow any pattern he’d seen before. Didn’t resolve into something his perception could immediately dissect and break down. It festered. And the imposing figure inside ….had two arms like him….either reddish skin….two faces and four red sharp eyes that seemed to promise destruction.
And That was new. Intriguing but..dangerous.
His eyes adjusted again…Expanded. Pushed deeper.
And still nothing would give.
A figure emerged aboard a ship made of dark matter and the void itself.
Uratos saw it …..and didn’t.Its form existed.
But its logic didn’t settle. It was something simply defied everything he was.His gaze sharpened and he forced understanding.
And then
Movement.
He realized too late.
The shift happened too fast even for a god-like being like him.
Impact.
A line cut clean across the Zenoral Morteph, destroying his left engine completely and making the ship lurch.Uratos turned.His eyes tracked the motion,replayed it, slowed it, analyzed it across layers of perception.
What in Tengens name?
If his power erased…
this power…refined.
He raised his hand again.
Enough was enough. He didn’t care about what or who this was anymore. He didn’t have time to play with a new toy…he had a universe to explore.
Space collapsed into his palm…denser, sharper, more focused than before. Wider, Deeper. A large ball of pure energy equivalent to that of a white hole began to form in his palms, his expression contorting into determination.
He released it.
“VOID VIOLET.”
Erasure tore forward, space shuddering and giving way as his violet purple surged towards the vessel. And for a moment, he saw it connect. Saw the structure unravel and give away as most things did towards his ultimate attack.
Then it stopped.
It simply stopped.
His attack passed…and the vessel remained. Uratos’s pupils constricted. His eyes recalculated.
Faster. More aggressively.
But the answer came before his solution.
He had overwhelmed everything before. Because nothing required more than that.
This did.
And …Too late.
The figure moved again.
No wasted motion…..No excess force.
Just precision and a simple goal.
Another cut.
Deeper.
This time, Uratos saw it clearly, blue eyes widening.
The cut sliced through his abdomen, separating his top half from his bottom half, blood spurting from his mouth and torso before floating in space.
Absolute Perfection.
Uratos moved then. Used his Lower hands to grab his torso and slam it back to his top part, his body working overtime to regenerate, his “heart” kicking into overdrive to keep him “alive” long enough to heal himself. His eyes tracked everything at once, the fracture lines, the energy collapse, the failing systems, the pull of gravity below…
And beneath it all… the realization.
Power was not the limit.
He was.
He flew back down into his ship, gripping the ships gears with his too hands while coughing up blood. The alarms kept blaring as he stared at the vessel a ways across from him, seeing the imposing figure still staring at him, red eyes boring into his soul. He shuddered and grit his teeth, body swaying. He tapped buttons on his control panel just as the ship gave way and slammed on a button.
It Pulled downward, veering towards the planet a few light years away….the nearest place that he could crash into rather than exploding on his ship in space.
Some part of his ship exploded and he lurched with the ship as it groaned and shuddered.
Fire consumed the edges of his vision…
but his eyes remained fixed.
At the planet that rose to meet him..
Uratos didn’t resist. Didn’t panic despite the enormous amount of blood he’d lost..
He just watched.
And understood why he hadn’t won.
Then impact became inevitable. And the prince who had just begun to live
.
.
.
fell….
(Thank you for reading!! And sorry for the super duper late upload. Pretty sure I got shadow banned when I tried to upload it last week or smth..and I’ve been consumed by tomadachi life😭✌🏽.)
{SERIES SUMMARY } — After the loss of your beloved cat, Apollo, you adopt a strange six-eyed “cat” from a shady animal shelter to fill the silence….unaware that it’s actually Uratos Gooj, an seven-foot alien prince hiding from an arranged royal marriage. As he observes your human life from the safety of your home, his curiosity slowly turns into all-consuming obsession… and he begins to believe you belong to him.
{PAIRING}- ALIEN!Gojo x Human Female Reader
{TAGS !!}— MDNI, 18+ in the last 2 chapters(I think), alien biology, obsessive behavior, size difference (he's literally 7ft when not a cat), female reader, eventual smut, mating cycles, cunningulus(he’s a eater frl), possessiveness, stalking but make it extraterrestrial, slow burn, emotional confusion, reader unknowingly living with an alien royal, transformation scenes, minor intergalactic politics later on, Mei mei(yuck), fluff, piv, nsfw, Hurt/comfort, slight dominance/submission, Happy ending (yayayayayay!) w.c: 6.6k
Masterlist || visual art
Long before the crown prince ever learned to command armies… before he shattered enemy fleets across distant solar systems… before the galaxy began whispering his name with equal parts awe and fear…
there was a prophecy.
Among the ancient archives of the Gooj Empire, written in scripts so old that even the empire’s historians debated their true meaning, there existed a legend…and it spoke of a star.
Not merely a celestial body of fire and gravity, but a living cosmic force, an ancient consciousness that had burned and thrived at the heart of the universe long before the first civilizations of their solar system learned to harness interstellar travel.
According to the prophecy, that star would one day die.
But it would not truly vanish.
It would be transformed.
Collapsed.
And then….Reborn.
And when that ancient star was reborn, its power would not return to the heavens for it would descend into the reality of the living.
It would walk among the organic lifeforms.. spreading it’s magnificence and divinity...
In the form of a powerful god-like being…in the form of a Ruler.
Or so the legends claimed.
For centuries, the story had been treated as nothing more than poetic mythology.
Until the day Uratos Gooj was born and the day Uratos Gooj was born..the very universe quaked in reverence, in acknowledgment that its long lost “son” had decided to grace the heavens planes once more. He descended down onto the planet of the gooj empire as a blinding orb of light, right into the arms of the late empress who had asked the heavens to grant her a child.
From the day Uratos was born, he was treated as a divine being, worshipped by many, feared by all, and unable to be properly understood by anyone.
The council of the Gooj empire made it their top priority to see that the child was trained and honed like the blade of a gelenblep, or a warrior. To become their ultimate weapon, their protector and for 9,560 Earth rotations…that’s all that Uratos was…a weapon. Until he one day decided that he was done just existing and not LIVING..and he broke free.
The Capital Planet of the Gooj Empire floated in space like a jewel carved from the purest of light.
Unlike the barren rock planets that dotted the surrounding star systems, the capital planet had been shaped by thousands of years of careful design, towering crystalline cities stretched far across its vast continents, their structures beautifully built…..vast spiraling towers of translucent mineral, “diamond” and metals that didn’t exist anywhere else in the universe shimmered in every color imaginable depending on the angle of their sun and nearby starlight.
Orbiting the planet were three artificial moons, each one a gleaming ring of little cities and starports where travelers from countless systems came and went in endless streams of ships.
From a distance, the entire world looked less like a planet and more like a floating crown suspended in the cosmos.
And at the center of that crown stood the Imperial Palace.
A structure so vast that it covered nearly an entire mountain range.( about 8,849.82 meters!)
The palace itself was grown from harvested and rare cosmic crystal, its walls glowing faintly with stored starlight gathered over thousands of centuries. Thousands of bridges and floating platforms connected its towering sections, while massive terraces overlooked the sprawling capital city below.
It was here that the council of the Gooj Empire had governed their people for millennia, the absolute and single-handedly most powerful force in the universe. (Until Uratos Gooj was born of course…)
And today…the people of the Gooj empire waited.
Across the capital city, enormous holographic displays lit the sky. “His Lordship returns! Rejoice!” The holograms proudly announced to the crowds gathered in the streets below.
Children sat on their parents’ shoulders, their little eyes sparkling with awe and excitement. Merchants abandoned their stalls filled with merchandise and trinkets from other worlds. Everyone was looking upward with star filled ,dewy gazes. Because a fleet was returning. A fleet led by their prince.
High above the planet’s atmosphere, the blackness of space suddenly fractured, sprinkles like rainbow-like glass across the shield that covered the planet. A glowing tear appeared in reality itself as a massive hyperspace gateway opened and ,one by one, enormous warships emerged from the distortion.
Dozens of them.
Then hundreds.
An entire armada that casted large shadows over the entirety of the empire. Their hulls gleamed silver and translucent white beneath the distant sunlight, each vessel bearing the unmistakable insignia of the Gooj Empire. But at the center of the fleet…there was one ship larger(and prettier) than the rest.
The Imperial Vanguard.
The Zenoral Morteph…
The personal flagship of the crown prince himself. And, inside its command deck, overlooking the empire, stood Uratos Gooj. Even among his own species, the prince was imposing. He stood at roughly seven feet tall with beautiful pure white hair and two blue antennae’s protruding from his head. His skin shimmered faintly with an otherworldly sheen that shifted between shades of deep sapphire and light turquoise depending on the light . His physique powerful yet elegant in the way of being that was built both strength and agility. Four powerful arms extended from his body, two clasped behind his back and two on the control handles steering the ship.
But it was his face that made people stare in starstruck reverence. Behind his royal headgear were three pairs of eyes, six in total, arranged in symmetrical rows across his face like luminous rare gemstones. Each one glowed faintly with an ethereal celestial blue that rivaled nebulas and galaxies alike. The eyes that the prince had seemed to hold the secrets of the universe itself…and perhaps they did ..considering he could see almost everything in existence.
At the moment, however, only two of those extraordinary eyes were open,the other four remained closed beneath a delicate piece of royal headgear designed to protect them. Uratos stared out the observation window at the planet slowly growing larger before the fleet as they descended with a rather blank expression.
He’d made it home….
He’d conquered another empire…
Erased another planet off the intergalactic map for his people…
Again.
And yet he felt nothing.
Behind him, officers moved quickly across the command deck, finalizing landing protocols, making demands into wrist communicators and getting ready to land. Two of the officers approached Uratos from behind and bowed deeply, dipping down onto the ground on one knee and tilting their heads towards the floor.
“Your Imperial Highness,” one of them, with a head full of yellow hair, said respectfully and Uratos turned slightly, his gaze pinning the officer in place even through his headgear. He nearly scoffed at the sight of the light blue-haired officer next to the yellow haired one shuddering, her antennae twitching in nervousness. “The pirate fleet has fully retreated beyond the sector. We are safe to land..”
Uratos sighed as if it was common sense.
“Of course they did.” His voice was calm, almost bored. “They never put up a good fight…how dull….”
The pink haired officer hesitated before speaking up again, voice filled with a hint of awe.
“…You destroyed half their ships.”
Uratos raised a brow.
“Yes….”
“…and took some in as prisoners….”
“Yes.”
Uratos tilted his head slightly, lips twitching and a scowl appearing on his face.
“And?”
The officer blinked, realizing he was asking stupid questions. She blushed in embarrassment and bowed her head, stammering a response.
“…A-Apologies, Your imperial Highness.”
The prince rolled his six eyes and then returned his gaze to the planet below, ignoring the officer swooning behind him dramatically.
Another victory.
Another war ended.
Another problem solved.
It was almost routine at this point.
So dull and repetitive. So fucking boring.
Which was perhaps why the people of the empire had begun to view him as something more than a prince.
Because he was unstoppable…untouchable…..a child from the stars..like the prophecy said…
As the fleet descended into the atmosphere, Uratos could hear as cheers erupted across the capital.
Massive holographic projectors activated across the city, broadcasting a live image of the prince standing in his ship, waving through the wide glass with a charming smile. When the people saw him they let out cheers, roars of awe and reverence before falling silent.
Thousands of citizens dropped to their knees. Not out of obligation but out of reverence.Some whispered prayers. Others simply bowed their heads. Because to them Uratos Gooj was not merely their prince. He was their reborn star. Their way, their truth, their light.
The living embodiment of the ancient prophecy.
The one destined to rule the empire and guide it into a new era of cosmic dominance.
And standing aboard his ship, watching the planet approach…Uratos watched with disinterest, feeling how close he was to abandoning it all.
The fleet landed steadily within the Imperial Sky Harbor, a massive floating structure large enough to dock hundreds of warships simultaneously.
As the prince stepped from his ship, a wave of cheers echoed across the harbor once again.
Rows of soldiers saluted, officials bowed, and even hardened military commanders lowered their heads in respect. Uratos walked past them calmly, smiling and waving. Stopping a few times to shake hands, kissed newborns…flirt quickly with a few of the onlookers… Victories like this happened often enough that he barely noticed and cared for the celebration anymore.
What once filled him with happiness and pride simply made him feel tired and lonely instead.
What he did notice this time, however…was the figure waiting at the end of the landing platform.
Tall, light lavender skin, dark expensive silk worm woven robes, four sharp violet eyes encased behind long dark lashes…
Long black hair half tied loosely behind his head, half up in a bun , half flowing down his back. And a foxy, charming smile on his pretty face.Calm eyes watching the crowd.
Gurus Tego.
Uratos’s closest and only friend since childhood. His one and only trusted advisor,and ,sometimes more often than not, his right hand in many battles….And the only person in the empire who greeted him without bowing(partially because he was almost exactly on Uratos’ level …and mostly because Uratos forbade it.)
Gurus simply raised a hand, zero formality in his tone as he called out to the crown prince.
“Good morrow, Your Imperial Majesty….You look tired.”
Uratos sighed, annoyed at the title.
“Don’t be a globenborp(dickhead)….I fought an empire of telenwraiths(squid warriors) and wrilengifs(pirates) for three days straight.”
“That does sound exhausting.”
“Tch…You abandoned me…?! You faked being sick so you didn’t have to come….!”
“Well, I was sick..for one rotation….so technically I wasn’t pretending …At least I ended up relaxing, hm~?” Uratos rubbed his temple as he got close enough to drop the fake smile he’d been holding for the people. His antennas and shoulders drooped as exhaustion filled his being and voice.
“Please tell me I can sleep, I’m so tired…,.”
Gurus smiled faintly, apologetically and Uratos groaned, jaw tensing in irritation. He knew before Gurus spoke what it was.
“…The council summoned you.”
Uratos scowled.
“…Now???”
“Right now.”
Uratos groaned and ground his teeth before stalking towards the doors leading into the palace, two guards opening the door for him and Gurus.
They tensed as the prince and his advisor walked pass, feeling the murderous other worldly energy radiating off of the white haired prince.
The main hallway of the imperial palace stretched endlessly, walls that shifted color with every subtle change in ambient light surrounding the pair. Each step echoed against the polished floor, a sound amplified and distorted, reminding them both that even the simplest movement in the Imperial Palace carried weight.
Gurus fell into stride beside the prince, matching his long, confident steps. His lavender-toned skin gleamed faintly in the shifting starlight, eyes closed in thought. His robes whispered against the floor, the intricate silk patterns reflecting constellations from the ceiling above. They walked side by side, the silence between them comfortable but taut, like the calm before a storm.
“Did you see the new garden they finished on the western terrace?” Gurus asked casually, as if commenting on the weather. Trying to lighten the mood. Uratos glanced sideways at him, one white eyebrow raising. “Mm. Probably grown enough to be dull by now.”
Gurus smirked faintly. “You do know, for someone who has conquered fleets and empires, you’re remarkably uninterested in beauty.”
“Right. But it does make the halls more tolerable..does make this place seem less suffocating,” Gurus replied. His tone light, but careful. “You know, for those who have to walk them every day.”
The implication that one of them was stuck on planet while the other was “free” to roam the cosmos was not lost on Uratos.
Uratos’s upper eyes flickered faintly, as if registering amusement …or tolerating it.
“Hmph. Tolerable enough.”
They continued down the corridor, passing arched bridges connecting massive crystalline terraces, cascading waterfalls of luminescent liquid flowing from balcony to balcony. Hanging light orbs drifted lazily above, illuminating the statues of long-dead past emperors and generals whose gazes seemed to follow them with quiet ominous judgment.
“You think they’ll drone on as usual?” Gurus asked under his breath, voice low, almost a hush. “Ceremonial nonsense. Protocol. Endless praise.”
“Of course,” Uratos said softly, tone flat but edged with steel. “They will talk. I will listen. And I will endure it. Per usual.”
Gurus allowed himself a small, almost imperceptible nod. The walk was long, winding deeper into the heart of the palace. Occasionally, they would see servants scurry past, heads bowed, avoiding direct eye contact with the prince and his advisor, aware even at a distance of the barely contained calamity that walked among them.
After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at the grand doors of the Royal Council Chamber. Massive, taller than any ordinary doorway, etched with sigils that glowed faintly under their touch, a subtle hum resonating from the ancient magic infused within.
Gurus paused at the threshold, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his silk robe. “You know I must wait here,” he said quietly, bowing his head slightly which made Uratos bristle slightly. His six eyes scanned the intricate frosted doors, the floating platforms visible beyond, the endless tiers of crystal chairs holding the insufferable council beyond. His hands twitched restless, just enough to let the power thrum beneath his skin, restrained but alive. Itching to be used.
Gurus’s voice softened and he cracked a small smile or encouragement. ”Try not to get bored. Or angry. Or both.”
A faint exhale. Not a reply, just …..acknowledgment. Then Uratos stepped forward, every movement deliberate, measured, and deadly in its calm. The massive doors opened before him without him touch them…as if anticipating his will, and he entered the chamber alone, leaving Gurus standing silently in the hallway outside.
The doors sealed behind him with a final, resonant chime. The echo lingered, bouncing off walls grown from the same living crystal as the palace itself, sending shards of light scattering across the chamber in fractal patterns.
The Royal Council Chamber was vast beyond mortal comprehension. Circular tiers rose endlessly, carved from polished starlight-infused stone, each step a monument to centuries of brilliance and absolute control. The chamber itself seemed alive, its surfaces subtly shifting and pulsating , light pulsing like veins beneath skin, responsive to those who entered.
Above, the domed ceiling stretched like the vast infinity of space, but more deliberate.
Uratos stopped at the threshold of the central tier, face one of calm serenity. Every council member’s gaze locked on him immediately. Their positions were perfectly choreographed, tiers spiraling upwards like a thrones built for judgment rather than rule. The elder, seated on the central of the others, exhaled through his nose, the faintest quiver betraying his attempt at calm.
“Prince Uratos Gooj,” his voice boomed from above, echoing unnaturally, amplified as if by the chamber itself. “We are pleased to welcome you back from your campaign.”
Uratos’s eyes glimmered faintly under the protective headpiece. He did not bow. He did not kneel. He did not show the slightest sign of reverence or submission.
“…Council,” he regarded flatly, his voice quiet but measured, carrying a weight that made several of the junior members flinch.A ripple of disapproval passed across the tiers, subtle, almost imperceptible….but it was there. They expected compliance. Expected Humility. Submission. They would not receive it.
Not from him.
“You have returned victorious, securing yet another sector for the empire,” another voice droned, smoother but equally obnoxious. “Your prowess in battle, your leadership, has again preserved the stability of our people.”
“Yes,” Uratos replied , once again, flatly.
Silence filled the tense air and the council shifted. Subtle irritation at his audacity rippled through them. They hated that. He knew it.
“Peace has been maintained across multiple systems,” the elder continued, tone deliberate, pacing his words. “And the threats posed by external factions, particularly the wrilengifs(space pirates), have been neutralized under your command.”
“Yes.”
Another pause. Waiting. Expecting Uratos to fill it with words of gratitude. He , once again, did not.
“…Your loyalty and service to the empire have been commendable,” the elder in the center finally said, voice firm. “And now…”
Uratos’s upper eyes twitched beneath his headpiece, just enough for the council to notice. “…Now,” he echoed, voice cold and soft , “what do you want from me?”
The elder’s hands moved slightly, as if to contain the chamber’s energy through gesture. “The time has come for you to…fulfill your…next Imperial duty.” Uratos’s head tilted slightly. His six eyes ,all of them now faintly open and glowing blue, tracked each member of the council in turn. Beneath the calm exterior, a low, coiled energy began to thrum dangerously low, a subtle warning that the weapon they had molded was alive, and entirely uncontainable if unleashed.
“…I am listening,” he said, calm. But every syllable carried a warning underneath : I am the weapon you made. And if I choose, there is nothing in this room that could survive or escape my wrath.
For a moment, the only sound was the faint hum of starlight-infused crystal and the distant shimmer of light reflecting across the massive space.
“You are to be wed,” another council voice droned, “to Princess Aremi of the Eim Eim Empire. This union is to solidify an interstellar alliance, ensuring peace across our borders and expanding our influence.” Uratos did not move. Did not breathe audibly. Did not betray emotion. But his lips tightened imperceptibly, sharp teeth clicking with disgust. He had heard of her before, of course, thanks to the gossip that trickled through intergalactic aristocracy like radioactive dust. The council continued, oblivious to the storm gathering in him. They droned on about the importance of duty, of diplomacy, of the honor bestowed upon him and his family. Their words were endless, ceremonial bullshit, the kind of meaningless praise that only served to further demonstrate their desperation for control.
But beneath the surface, beneath the careful, ritualized tones, they had not accounted for what Gurus had whispered to him a few moons back during one of their times together during an escapade: the little rumor, the scandal of the Eim Eim royal house. That their “princess” did not abide by normal moral constraints… that she had joined with her little brother many rotations younger than her. Uratos’s jaw tightened. His upper eyes twitched sharply. For a fraction of a heartbeat, the controlled calm of the prince cracked.
The council, oblivious to his rising disdain, continued their monotonous drivel.
“Through this union, our empire shall secure an era of unparalleled peace and prosperity.”
Uratos’s voice, when it finally broke the chamber’s silence, was quiet, soft, but every council member felt the weight behind it. “…And if I refuse?”
A collective, faint gasp echoed across the tiers and sharp looks of disapproval burned into him as if the very notion was damnable. The elder’s fingers twitched. The chamber trembled, subtly, as if sensing the underlying danger. As if to say how dare the vellro (dog) they raise decide to bite back at the hand that feeds him.
“You will attend,” the elder said firmly. “You will WED. You will consent to the arrangements.”
Another long pause…his hand twitched violently and for a second..Uratos considered the possibility of killing the council right then and there. Weighed out all the pros and cons and saw that, truly, there was no one on or off planet that could stop him from wiping everything out of existence……but then, he thought of Gurus…of his mothers dying wish to protect the empire she and his father had ruled together, the sight of little children looking at him with reverence, his purpose, his …duty….and his urge to destroy dissipated entirely.
“…..Yes,” Uratos said, tone softening, almost imperceptibly. “…I will comply.”
But his six eyes betrayed none of the submission. He was a weapon. Molded by their hands, trained for destruction. But alive. Uncontainable. And he had ,once again, chosen restraint.
The chamber fell into uneasy silence once more. The council had won the outward compliance and he could feel how ecstatic they were to have his compliance… but the storm simmering beneath his skin,the barely restrained power, the divine threat of his wrath…remained volatile.
Uratos didn’t wait to be dismissed but the council then. He turned around, ignoring whatever old bastard was calling his name, and walked out of the council room with his head held high.
He was submerged in the glowing pool of his royal bathtub, the liquid light curling around his frame, clinging to his skin like it recognized him…like it belonged to him.
Or maybe like he belonged to it.
Immediately after the meeting with the council he’d dismissed gurus and headed straight to his chambers, to his bath to soak in his emotions. He’d long dismissed his attendants in favor of bathing himself.
And yet he hadn’t moved in ten minutes until now.His shoulders slowly sank lower. His antennae drooped.And for the first time in a very, very long time…he let the stillness stay.
“What now.” The words came out quietly and unexpectedly . Not directed at anyone.Not even really a question. Just…something that slipped out.
His eyes drifted upward, all six of them opening slowly, staring at the vaulted ceiling of the bathing chamber where faint constellations had been embedded into the crystal above.
They shimmered.Moved.
Endless, beautiful, and completely meaningless.
“I fight,” he whispered.The water rippled.
“I win.”Another ripple.
“I return.”His jaw tightened slightly.
“They praise me.”A pause.
“…Repeat.”
The words felt…wrong.
Like he was truly hearing and understanding them for the first time.Like he’d never actually thought about it before.His fingers flexed faintly beneath the surface.
“…And now I’m to marry.”
“…..and for what?”
Silence answered him.
Of course it did.
The universe had always been very good at staying quiet when its beloved “son” needed answers.
His chest rose slowly.
Then again.
Then…something…began to change.
A tightness. It was there.
Right beneath his ribs.
Uratos frowned slightly, one of his upper hands moving to his chest.
A hand splaying over his heart.
“…What…”
His breathing hitched.
The water around him began to react, light flickering, distorting, rippling faster now, responding to the sudden spike of something….
His “heart.”
Or the orb of pure light that acted as his life source embedded within his chest.
It was pulsing….
But it was too fast. Too loud. Too wrong.
Each pulse sending a strange, hollow pressure through his body that made his heart ache. His vision flickered. The ceiling above blurred.
“…No,” he said under his breath, more confused than afraid.This wasn’t battle and there was no enemy.
No threat.
So why? Why did he feel like he’d just fought for hours? Like he couldn’t breathe? Like he would collapse??
The chamber seemed to close in on him. Everything felt too empty. Felt like too much.
His thoughts spiraled.
What is this? What is wrong with me? Why can’t I—?
It wasn’t enough.
The water around him flickered violently now, light stuttering, reacting to his unstable state. The entire pool pulsed erratically, responding to the chaos he couldn’t control.
“I—”
His voice broke for the first time in his life, face falling.
Uratos’s eyes widened slightly, all six of them unfocused now, trying to ground onto something,anything,but finding nothing to hold onto. But there was no escape from the next question that left his lips.
“…What is my purpose.”
Barely audible.Raw. Full of desperation and helplessness.
“If I am not fighting…” His breath rasped out again.
“If I am not winning…”His grip tightened against his own chest, nails pressing lightly into his skin.
“…then what am I..?”
…..
“…Is there nothing else for me…in this universe?”
It was all too much.
Uratos surged up from the water, light and water cascading violently down the muscled planes of his body as he stood, breath uneven, shoulders tense, the entire chamber flickering in response to his instability.
He stepped out.His hands trembled….just slightly as he stood there for a moment.Breathing. Looking down at his shaken reflection in the water.
Trying to ground himself and push his emotions back in the place he’d always confined them to.
After a few long, silent seconds….he finally moved. Dried off, got dressed, fixed himself.
Mask back on. Everything perfectly fine…..
Or at least…it looked like it.
Gurus didn’t rush.
He never did.
When he entered, he too had changed from formal robes into something looser, softer, draped casually over his muscled and lean frame. His hair hung gloriously down his back, sleeves pushed back casually.
Like he belonged here(which he kind of sort of did-.)
“…You called—?”
He stopped.
Uratos stood near the glass doors leading to his balcony, back turned, the glow of the city painting his silhouette in soft blues and golds. His posture was…off. Too stiff. Too tense.
Gurus’s expression shifted into one of slight concern.
“…You look like hell.”
No response then rephrased his wording.
“…Worse than usual, I mean.”
Still nothing.
Gurus let the silence sit for a moment, then walked further in, slower now, eyes narrowing just slightly.
“…Alright….Uratos, What happened?”
Uratos exhaled slightly.
“…They want me married.”
Gurus blinked and then scoffed lightly, like it was expected.
“Of course they do. They’ve been hinting at that idea for—”
“To the crown princess of the eim eim empire.”
That made Gurus choke, the rest of his sentence dying on his tongue.
A dynastic marriage……
And with THAT princess… he shuddered at the thought.
“…Oh.”
Silence.
Gurus rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a low hiss.
“Yes, well that’s…that’s not ideal….”
Uratos let out a humorless huff, finally turning halfway toward him.
“Ideal?”
His voice was tight now and Gurus could feel the simmering fire of rage flickering underneath his best friend’s skin.
“They want to bind me to her, Gurus. To them .”
The crack in his voice gave away to the raw emotion he truly felt almost all the time..
Gurus didn’t joke or laugh, dark eyes watching his friend.
“…I figured.”
Uratos ran a hand through his hair, pacing now…slow at first, then sharper, more restless.
“They sat there,” he continued, voice picking up pace, frustration laced in every word, “listing treaties, alliances, ‘peace,’ as if I’m some…some piece to be moved across their board. All for the sake of the empire!”
His steps echoed against the floor, hands waving in wild gestures.
“They didn’t ask!”
A pause.
“They didn’t even pretend to ask.”
Gurus watched him carefully.
“They commanded me.”
Uratos Turned fully now to face Gurus, expression one of anger.
All six eyes open, intense and bright.
“…They told me what I would do with the rest of MY life. A Life that will outlive theirs by millions of years.”
Gurus crossed his arms slowly, his own eyes narrowing slightly.
“…And you didn’t vaporize them? Impressive restraint indeed.”
Uratos let out a short, breathless laugh.
“I thought about it…Momentarily...”
“Mm. Progress. Usually, you linger on those thoughts longer and bitch to me about them passionately.”
Uratos shot him a sharp look, but it didn’t stick.
Because the frustration was still there but it wasn’t towards him.
“They want me to stand there,” he continued, voice lower now, but heavier, “smile, perform, bind myself to someone I don’t know….for an empire that only sees me as a weapon..for ….for nothing.”
Gurus tilted his head.
“…You are their weapon, this is true-.”
“I know what I am.”
Uratos snapped, almost scowling now.
The air shifted slightly.
Then, he exhaled.
Long.
Forcing down the storm of emotions within.
“…That’s the problem.”
Silence filled the tense air and Uratos turned away once again, shoulders tightening.
“…I don’t know anything else.”
There it was again….softer now.
That same quiet, dangerous honesty from before when he was alone in his bath.
“I fight. I win. I return. And now I must marry.” He laughed softly, bitterly. “What comes after that, Gurus? More of the same? Another war? Another command? Having heirs with a filthy pyriam (nasty woman) like that who sleeps with her own tzeytal(little brother)??”
His hand clenched at his side.
“…Is that all I am…..? Is this my only purpose?”
Gurus’s gaze softened,just slightly and he moved to his friend…putting one of his hands on his shoulder.
“…No.”
Uratos shook his head at the response.
“Then what..what am I?”
Gurus stayed silent before he stepped closer, slower, deliberate and squeezed Uratos’ shoulder.
“You’re asking the wrong question.”
Uratos snorted and spoke again.
“Then enlighten me.”
“What do YOU want.” Gurus said, eyes searching his friends facial expression.
That made him pause and His brows furrowed slightly.
“…That’s …irrelevant-.”
“It’s quite literally the only relevant thing right now.”
“I don’t have the luxury of—”
“Yes, you do.”
Uratos turned again, eyes narrowing slightly as he appraised his friend. Gurus held his gaze, unbothered and kept speaking.
“You just don’t take it.”
Another beat.
“You could’ve said no,” Gurus continued on, voice softening further. “You could’ve walked out. You could’ve torn that chamber apart if you really wanted to.”
Uratos’s jaw tightened but Gurus continued on.
“ You must understand that …they would tie you to anything if it meant controlling you absolutely.”
Silence.
And then Uratos spoke up again…
“…I told them I would attend.”
Gurus guffawed softly, rolling his five eyes.
“Of course you did. How noble.”
Uratos didn’t react to the tone, didn’t acknowledge it.
“…Not because I agree.”
“I know.”
“…Not because I want this.”
“I know.”
A beat.
“…Because I can’t just …..abandon everything. Abandon the only thing I’ve ever…known.”
Gurus studied him for a long moment.
“…You’re going to suffocate here.” He said suddenly.
Uratos didn’t respond. Because he already knew that. It’s why he felt like he was fading away, just drifting like an asteroid in space… Gurus ran a hand through his hair, pacing once, then stopping in front of him again.
“…You’ve never actually lived, you know that?”
Uratos’s eyes flickered, blinking at him as he kept speaking.
“You’ve existed. Functioned. Performed. But lived?” He shook his head. “No.”
Gurus smiled faintly, flicking his forehead softly. An action that would cost anyone else their and their families lives.
“It means doing something that isn’t for them.”
A pause.
“…it means you need to do something..for you.”
Uratos’s gaze sharpened slightly…
“…Such as…?”
Gurus shrugged.
“Leaving. Like how we used to do when we were younger? When we’d steal one of the vanguards ships and go off planet for one rotation. Only this time…You’ll be the only one to disappear,” Gurus continued, tone calm, like he was suggesting something so simple. “No council. No war. No arranged marriage.”
A slight tilt of his head.
“Just you.”
Uratos stared at him.
“…They would attempt to come for me.”
“Eventually. Not immediately though. You know how to hide your tracks.”
“…They would try to bring me back.”
Gurus smirked, looking at him with an “are you kidding” look.
“ You know they can’t stop you.”
Uratos knew that.
That was never the issue.
“…I would be abandoning my responsibilities.”
“You’d be choosing yourself.”
“That sounds selfish.”
“You’re acting like the council doesn’t run the planet behind the scenes anyways. You’re their bellindum(spokesperson) until you become emperor anyways.. I think it’s time for you to make them realize that you’re not just Uratos Gooj the strongest..but the strongest because you’re Satoru Gooj..The honored one.”
Uratos huffed faintly at that, understanding what he meant immediately. Leave it to Gurus to somehow uplift his spirits.
“…You’re insufferable.”
“And yet, I’m right. As usual.” Gurus sang haughtily, tossing his dark strands over his shoulder.
Uratos turned back toward the window, looking back out at the city stretching endlessly before him.
The life he’d always known.
The role he’d always played.
His fingers flexed slightly.
“…If I leave,” he said slowly, “I don’t come back the same.”
Gurus leaned casually against the wall.
“…It’s just for a while,” Gurus added, softer now. “Go somewhere far enough that none of this matters. Figure out what you are when you’re not…this. Or don’t come back at all.”
Uratos shot him a stricken look, as if the notion of not coming back was a cruel one. (He loved Gurus too much not to come back)
But the thought….it had roots now.
“…How would I go about this?”he said at last, eyes finding his friends and filled with a sliver of hope.
Gurus smiled brightly and clapped his hands.
“Fear not… I’ll help you execute your escapade, your imperial majesty. It’s the least I could do.”
The imperial capitol shimmered beneath layers of ceremonial projection, vast ribbons of color weaving through the atmosphere like bedazzled auroras. The three artificial moons had dimmed their usual traffic patterns, their ringed cities aligning in perfect symmetry above the Imperial Palace..as if even the stars themselves had been ordered into formation for the occasion.
Because today…
their prince would finally be bound.
.
.
.
They came from everywhere.
From distant sectors and neighboring systems, from trade routes and military outposts, from halfway across the universe, from colonies that had not seen the Capital in generations.
Civilians flooded the lower terraces and outer districts, packed shoulder to shoulder along the ascending platforms that spiraled toward the palace. Merchants abandoned stalls entirely this time, screens left flickering unattended as their owners craned their necks toward the sky.
All whispered excitedly about the prince, about the star-born ruler, the one who could tear fleets apart with a mere thought. Some spoke of him with awe.Some with reverence.Some with fear.
(Most with all three.)
“He’s really going through with it…” “A union between Gooj and Eim Eim…” “That kind of alliance….it’ll stabilize half the galaxy.” “They say she’s beautiful.” “They say he’s untouchable.”
“They say he’s not entirely…real.”
That last one was whispered.
Because even here and now… people were afraid to speak of him too casually.
Above them all, the military held formation. The Imperial Armada hovered in perfect stillness around the planet’s upper atmosphere, ranks upon ranks of warships gleaming beneath distant starlight. At the outermost perimeter, where space itself thinned into something stranger… the Great Hyperspace Rift pulsed with unfathomable power.A massive, stabilized tear in reality.
The gateway.The passage through which empires, like the eim eim fleet, moved to be welcomed into their space. And today, it was sealed under the watch of the empire’s strongest fleets. Nothing in. Nothing out. Not without permission. Not on this day.
And Deep within the Imperial Palace,the council waited.
Absolutely pleased.
Not outwardly, of course. They were far too composed for that.But it lingered in small ways. The stillness of their posture.The lack of tension in their voices. The absence of contingency.For the first time in a long time, there were no obstacles. No uncertainty.The weapon they had forged…was finally behaving accordingly.
The ceremony chamber, The Aestral Veyth, stretched endlessly, a cathedral made up of more rare crystals that arched upward into impossible heights. The walls shimmered faintly, reflecting distant galaxies across their surfaces as if the entire universe had encased just to witness the grandest event of all time.
Rows upon rows of dignitaries, royals, commanders, and council affiliates filled the chamber.All whispering, watching, waiting.And in the center, she stood.
Princess Aremi of Eim Eim.(ew)A beautiful woman with light blue ,almost white hair, and dark eyes like the abyss itself. Draped in layered silks that flowed like liquid starlight, her form was adorned in delicate gems that glimmered with each subtle movement. In her hands, she held a bouquet of bioluminescent fliorca(flowers from the moon europia)softly glowing, petals pulsing faintly like heartbeats.
Perfect.
Composed.
Smiling.
Waiting as the minutes passed.
Then some more. The chamber began to still as time stretched on.No one spoke.No one dared.
All waited with baited breaths and pounding hearts.Because any moment now,he would enter. Would bless them with his radiant benevolence.
Then, The doors opened. A collective shift rippled through the room that was subtle, immediate, and electric.Heads turned.Spines straightened.
The council’s attention sharpened. Smiles on all faces.
Finally.
.
.
.
But it wasn’t him.
A single figure walked forward.
Unhurried.Unbothered. Draped in deep, dark silk that drank the light around it instead of reflecting it.so starkly different from the ceremonial brightness of the chamber that it felt almost…intentional.Like the void itself trapped in a living being. Haughty, charming..disrespectful.
Gurus Tego.
He walked to the center of the chamber, hands loosely tucked into his sleeves, expression calm..almost bored before stopping in front of the bride and council. His signature foxy smile on his lips as he bowed (mockingly).
“…What is the meaning of this,” one of the council members said sharply.
Gurus glanced up at them.
Cue a dramatic pause.
And then a his foxy smile widened into an amused smirk.
“ His Imperial Highness will not be attending the wedding between the Gooj and eim eim empire this rotation.”
Dead silence.
And then ..
Pure Chaos.
Officials exploded into chatter, whispers carrying through the crowds with scandal and shock-.
“…Explain yourself at once!!!” an elder demanded, shouting.
Gurus tilted his head slightly, as if considering how much effort he wanted to put into this.
Then decided he , again, didn’t care.
“…There’s not much to explain.” He shrugged, gaze drifted lazily across the chamber.
Across the shocked princess. Across the enraged council.Across the scandalized audience.
“He’s simply…. gone.”
The words landed silkily,playfully.
“That is not possible.”
“It is.”
“…Where is he,” another voice demanded.
Gurus shrugged again lightly. “Off planet.”
“The rift is sealed—”
“Not for him. Come now, the universe bends to his will….You know that better than I do.”
A beat.
Then, with the faintest hint of amusement he added:
“By now, He’s most likely half way across the universe..Hm, you may never know.”
Voices from both empires began rising just enough to betray the loss of control. The princess stood frozen, still smiling. But her grip on the bouquet tightened. Her eyes blinking as the court whispered many a things.
And Above it all, the council finally understood.
Too late now.
And somewhere far beyond any of their reach…
Uratos Gooj did not look back as he traversed the stars alone for the first time in his life.
{SERIES SUMMARY } — After the loss of your beloved cat, Apollo, you adopt a strange six-eyed “cat” from a shady animal shelter to fill the silence….unaware that it’s actually Uratos Gooj, an seven-foot alien prince hiding from an arranged royal marriage. As he observes your human life from the safety of your home, his curiosity slowly turns into all-consuming obsession… and he begins to believe you belong to him. {ALIEN!Gojo short series }
{TAGS !!}— MDNI, 18+ in the last 2 chapters(I think), alien biology, obsessive behavior, size difference (he's literally 7ft when not a cat), female reader, eventual smut, mating cycles, cunningulus(he’s a eater frl), possessiveness, stalking but make it extraterrestrial, slow burn, emotional confusion, reader unknowingly living with an alien royal, transformation scenes, minor intergalactic politics later on, Mei mei(yuck), fluff, piv, nsfw, Hurt/comfort, slight dominance/submission, Happy ending (yayayayayay!)
{SERIES SUMMARY } — After the loss of your beloved cat, Apollo, you adopt a strange six-eyed “cat” from a shady animal shelter to fill the silence….unaware that it’s actually Uratos Gooj, an seven-foot alien prince hiding from an arranged royal marriage. As he observes your human life from the safety of your home, his curiosity slowly turns into all-consuming obsession… and he begins to believe you belong to him.
{PAIRING}- ALIEN!Gojo x Human Female Reader
{TAGS !!}— MDNI, 18+ in the last 2 chapters(I think), alien biology, obsessive behavior, size difference (he's literally 7ft when not a cat), female reader, eventual smut, mating cycles, cunningulus(he’s a eater frl), possessiveness, stalking but make it extraterrestrial, slow burn, emotional confusion, reader unknowingly living with an alien royal, transformation scenes, minor intergalactic politics later on, Mei mei(yuck), fluff, piv, nsfw, Hurt/comfort, slight dominance/submission, Happy ending (yayayayayay!) w.c: 6.6k
Masterlist || visual art || next chapter
Long before the crown prince ever learned to command armies… before he shattered enemy fleets across distant solar systems… before the galaxy began whispering his name with equal parts awe and fear…
there was a prophecy.
Among the ancient archives of the Gooj Empire, written in scripts so old that even the empire’s historians debated their true meaning, there existed a legend…and it spoke of a star.
Not merely a celestial body of fire and gravity, but a living cosmic force, an ancient consciousness that had burned and thrived at the heart of the universe long before the first civilizations of their solar system learned to harness interstellar travel.
According to the prophecy, that star would one day die.
But it would not truly vanish.
It would be transformed.
Collapsed.
And then….Reborn.
And when that ancient star was reborn, its power would not return to the heavens for it would descend into the reality of the living.
It would walk among the organic lifeforms.. spreading it’s magnificence and divinity...
In the form of a powerful god-like being…in the form of a Ruler.
Or so the legends claimed.
For centuries, the story had been treated as nothing more than poetic mythology.
Until the day Uratos Gooj was born and the day Uratos Gooj was born..the very universe quaked in reverence, in acknowledgment that its long lost “son” had decided to grace the heavens planes once more. He descended down onto the planet of the gooj empire as a blinding orb of light, right into the arms of the late empress who had asked the heavens to grant her a child.
From the day Uratos was born, he was treated as a divine being, worshipped by many, feared by all, and unable to be properly understood by anyone.
The council of the Gooj empire made it their top priority to see that the child was trained and honed like the blade of a gelenblep, or a warrior. To become their ultimate weapon, their protector and for 9,560 Earth rotations…that’s all that Uratos was…a weapon. Until he one day decided that he was done just existing and not LIVING..and he broke free.
The Capital Planet of the Gooj Empire floated in space like a jewel carved from the purest of light.
Unlike the barren rock planets that dotted the surrounding star systems, the capital planet had been shaped by thousands of years of careful design, towering crystalline cities stretched far across its vast continents, their structures beautifully built…..vast spiraling towers of translucent mineral, “diamond” and metals that didn’t exist anywhere else in the universe shimmered in every color imaginable depending on the angle of their sun and nearby starlight.
Orbiting the planet were three artificial moons, each one a gleaming ring of little cities and starports where travelers from countless systems came and went in endless streams of ships.
From a distance, the entire world looked less like a planet and more like a floating crown suspended in the cosmos.
And at the center of that crown stood the Imperial Palace.
A structure so vast that it covered nearly an entire mountain range.( about 8,849.82 meters!)
The palace itself was grown from harvested and rare cosmic crystal, its walls glowing faintly with stored starlight gathered over thousands of centuries. Thousands of bridges and floating platforms connected its towering sections, while massive terraces overlooked the sprawling capital city below.
It was here that the council of the Gooj Empire had governed their people for millennia, the absolute and single-handedly most powerful force in the universe. (Until Uratos Gooj was born of course…)
And today…the people of the Gooj empire waited.
Across the capital city, enormous holographic displays lit the sky. “His Lordship returns! Rejoice!” The holograms proudly announced to the crowds gathered in the streets below.
Children sat on their parents’ shoulders, their little eyes sparkling with awe and excitement. Merchants abandoned their stalls filled with merchandise and trinkets from other worlds. Everyone was looking upward with star filled ,dewy gazes. Because a fleet was returning. A fleet led by their prince.
High above the planet’s atmosphere, the blackness of space suddenly fractured, sprinkles like rainbow-like glass across the shield that covered the planet. A glowing tear appeared in reality itself as a massive hyperspace gateway opened and ,one by one, enormous warships emerged from the distortion.
Dozens of them.
Then hundreds.
An entire armada that casted large shadows over the entirety of the empire. Their hulls gleamed silver and translucent white beneath the distant sunlight, each vessel bearing the unmistakable insignia of the Gooj Empire. But at the center of the fleet…there was one ship larger(and prettier) than the rest.
The Imperial Vanguard.
The Zenoral Morteph…
The personal flagship of the crown prince himself. And, inside its command deck, overlooking the empire, stood Uratos Gooj. Even among his own species, the prince was imposing. He stood at roughly seven feet tall with beautiful pure white hair and two blue antennae’s protruding from his head. His skin shimmered faintly with an otherworldly sheen that shifted between shades of deep sapphire and light turquoise depending on the light . His physique powerful yet elegant in the way of being that was built both strength and agility. Four powerful arms extended from his body, two clasped behind his back and two on the control handles steering the ship.
But it was his face that made people stare in starstruck reverence. Behind his royal headgear were three pairs of eyes, six in total, arranged in symmetrical rows across his face like luminous rare gemstones. Each one glowed faintly with an ethereal celestial blue that rivaled nebulas and galaxies alike. The eyes that the prince had seemed to hold the secrets of the universe itself…and perhaps they did ..considering he could see almost everything in existence.
At the moment, however, only two of those extraordinary eyes were open,the other four remained closed beneath a delicate piece of royal headgear designed to protect them. Uratos stared out the observation window at the planet slowly growing larger before the fleet as they descended with a rather blank expression.
He’d made it home….
He’d conquered another empire…
Erased another planet off the intergalactic map for his people…
Again.
And yet he felt nothing.
Behind him, officers moved quickly across the command deck, finalizing landing protocols, making demands into wrist communicators and getting ready to land. Two of the officers approached Uratos from behind and bowed deeply, dipping down onto the ground on one knee and tilting their heads towards the floor.
“Your Imperial Highness,” one of them, with a head full of yellow hair, said respectfully and Uratos turned slightly, his gaze pinning the officer in place even through his headgear. He nearly scoffed at the sight of the light blue-haired officer next to the yellow haired one shuddering, her antennae twitching in nervousness. “The pirate fleet has fully retreated beyond the sector. We are safe to land..”
Uratos sighed as if it was common sense.
“Of course they did.” His voice was calm, almost bored. “They never put up a good fight…how dull….”
The pink haired officer hesitated before speaking up again, voice filled with a hint of awe.
“…You destroyed half their ships.”
Uratos raised a brow.
“Yes….”
“…and took some in as prisoners….”
“Yes.”
Uratos tilted his head slightly, lips twitching and a scowl appearing on his face.
“And?”
The officer blinked, realizing he was asking stupid questions. She blushed in embarrassment and bowed her head, stammering a response.
“…A-Apologies, Your imperial Highness.”
The prince rolled his six eyes and then returned his gaze to the planet below, ignoring the officer swooning behind him dramatically.
Another victory.
Another war ended.
Another problem solved.
It was almost routine at this point.
So dull and repetitive. So fucking boring.
Which was perhaps why the people of the empire had begun to view him as something more than a prince.
Because he was unstoppable…untouchable…..a child from the stars..like the prophecy said…
As the fleet descended into the atmosphere, Uratos could hear as cheers erupted across the capital.
Massive holographic projectors activated across the city, broadcasting a live image of the prince standing in his ship, waving through the wide glass with a charming smile. When the people saw him they let out cheers, roars of awe and reverence before falling silent.
Thousands of citizens dropped to their knees. Not out of obligation but out of reverence.Some whispered prayers. Others simply bowed their heads. Because to them Uratos Gooj was not merely their prince. He was their reborn star. Their way, their truth, their light.
The living embodiment of the ancient prophecy.
The one destined to rule the empire and guide it into a new era of cosmic dominance.
And standing aboard his ship, watching the planet approach…Uratos watched with disinterest, feeling how close he was to abandoning it all.
The fleet landed steadily within the Imperial Sky Harbor, a massive floating structure large enough to dock hundreds of warships simultaneously.
As the prince stepped from his ship, a wave of cheers echoed across the harbor once again.
Rows of soldiers saluted, officials bowed, and even hardened military commanders lowered their heads in respect. Uratos walked past them calmly, smiling and waving. Stopping a few times to shake hands, kissed newborns…flirt quickly with a few of the onlookers… Victories like this happened often enough that he barely noticed and cared for the celebration anymore.
What once filled him with happiness and pride simply made him feel tired and lonely instead.
What he did notice this time, however…was the figure waiting at the end of the landing platform.
Tall, light lavender skin, dark expensive silk worm woven robes, four sharp violet eyes encased behind long dark lashes…
Long black hair half tied loosely behind his head, half up in a bun , half flowing down his back. And a foxy, charming smile on his pretty face.Calm eyes watching the crowd.
Gurus Tego.
Uratos’s closest and only friend since childhood. His one and only trusted advisor,and ,sometimes more often than not, his right hand in many battles….And the only person in the empire who greeted him without bowing(partially because he was almost exactly on Uratos’ level …and mostly because Uratos forbade it.)
Gurus simply raised a hand, zero formality in his tone as he called out to the crown prince.
“Good morrow, Your Imperial Majesty….You look tired.”
Uratos sighed, annoyed at the title.
“Don’t be a globenborp(dickhead)….I fought an empire of telenwraiths(squid warriors) and wrilengifs(pirates) for three days straight.”
“That does sound exhausting.”
“Tch…You abandoned me…?! You faked being sick so you didn’t have to come….!”
“Well, I was sick..for one rotation….so technically I wasn’t pretending …At least I ended up relaxing, hm~?” Uratos rubbed his temple as he got close enough to drop the fake smile he’d been holding for the people. His antennas and shoulders drooped as exhaustion filled his being and voice.
“Please tell me I can sleep, I’m so tired…,.”
Gurus smiled faintly, apologetically and Uratos groaned, jaw tensing in irritation. He knew before Gurus spoke what it was.
“…The council summoned you.”
Uratos scowled.
“…Now???”
“Right now.”
Uratos groaned and ground his teeth before stalking towards the doors leading into the palace, two guards opening the door for him and Gurus.
They tensed as the prince and his advisor walked pass, feeling the murderous other worldly energy radiating off of the white haired prince.
The main hallway of the imperial palace stretched endlessly, walls that shifted color with every subtle change in ambient light surrounding the pair. Each step echoed against the polished floor, a sound amplified and distorted, reminding them both that even the simplest movement in the Imperial Palace carried weight.
Gurus fell into stride beside the prince, matching his long, confident steps. His lavender-toned skin gleamed faintly in the shifting starlight, eyes closed in thought. His robes whispered against the floor, the intricate silk patterns reflecting constellations from the ceiling above. They walked side by side, the silence between them comfortable but taut, like the calm before a storm.
“Did you see the new garden they finished on the western terrace?” Gurus asked casually, as if commenting on the weather. Trying to lighten the mood. Uratos glanced sideways at him, one white eyebrow raising. “Mm. Probably grown enough to be dull by now.”
Gurus smirked faintly. “You do know, for someone who has conquered fleets and empires, you’re remarkably uninterested in beauty.”
“Right. But it does make the halls more tolerable..does make this place seem less suffocating,” Gurus replied. His tone light, but careful. “You know, for those who have to walk them every day.”
The implication that one of them was stuck on planet while the other was “free” to roam the cosmos was not lost on Uratos.
Uratos’s upper eyes flickered faintly, as if registering amusement …or tolerating it.
“Hmph. Tolerable enough.”
They continued down the corridor, passing arched bridges connecting massive crystalline terraces, cascading waterfalls of luminescent liquid flowing from balcony to balcony. Hanging light orbs drifted lazily above, illuminating the statues of long-dead past emperors and generals whose gazes seemed to follow them with quiet ominous judgment.
“You think they’ll drone on as usual?” Gurus asked under his breath, voice low, almost a hush. “Ceremonial nonsense. Protocol. Endless praise.”
“Of course,” Uratos said softly, tone flat but edged with steel. “They will talk. I will listen. And I will endure it. Per usual.”
Gurus allowed himself a small, almost imperceptible nod. The walk was long, winding deeper into the heart of the palace. Occasionally, they would see servants scurry past, heads bowed, avoiding direct eye contact with the prince and his advisor, aware even at a distance of the barely contained calamity that walked among them.
After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at the grand doors of the Royal Council Chamber. Massive, taller than any ordinary doorway, etched with sigils that glowed faintly under their touch, a subtle hum resonating from the ancient magic infused within.
Gurus paused at the threshold, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his silk robe. “You know I must wait here,” he said quietly, bowing his head slightly which made Uratos bristle slightly. His six eyes scanned the intricate frosted doors, the floating platforms visible beyond, the endless tiers of crystal chairs holding the insufferable council beyond. His hands twitched restless, just enough to let the power thrum beneath his skin, restrained but alive. Itching to be used.
Gurus’s voice softened and he cracked a small smile or encouragement. ”Try not to get bored. Or angry. Or both.”
A faint exhale. Not a reply, just …..acknowledgment. Then Uratos stepped forward, every movement deliberate, measured, and deadly in its calm. The massive doors opened before him without him touch them…as if anticipating his will, and he entered the chamber alone, leaving Gurus standing silently in the hallway outside.
The doors sealed behind him with a final, resonant chime. The echo lingered, bouncing off walls grown from the same living crystal as the palace itself, sending shards of light scattering across the chamber in fractal patterns.
The Royal Council Chamber was vast beyond mortal comprehension. Circular tiers rose endlessly, carved from polished starlight-infused stone, each step a monument to centuries of brilliance and absolute control. The chamber itself seemed alive, its surfaces subtly shifting and pulsating , light pulsing like veins beneath skin, responsive to those who entered.
Above, the domed ceiling stretched like the vast infinity of space, but more deliberate.
Uratos stopped at the threshold of the central tier, face one of calm serenity. Every council member’s gaze locked on him immediately. Their positions were perfectly choreographed, tiers spiraling upwards like a thrones built for judgment rather than rule. The elder, seated on the central of the others, exhaled through his nose, the faintest quiver betraying his attempt at calm.
“Prince Uratos Gooj,” his voice boomed from above, echoing unnaturally, amplified as if by the chamber itself. “We are pleased to welcome you back from your campaign.”
Uratos’s eyes glimmered faintly under the protective headpiece. He did not bow. He did not kneel. He did not show the slightest sign of reverence or submission.
“…Council,” he regarded flatly, his voice quiet but measured, carrying a weight that made several of the junior members flinch.A ripple of disapproval passed across the tiers, subtle, almost imperceptible….but it was there. They expected compliance. Expected Humility. Submission. They would not receive it.
Not from him.
“You have returned victorious, securing yet another sector for the empire,” another voice droned, smoother but equally obnoxious. “Your prowess in battle, your leadership, has again preserved the stability of our people.”
“Yes,” Uratos replied , once again, flatly.
Silence filled the tense air and the council shifted. Subtle irritation at his audacity rippled through them. They hated that. He knew it.
“Peace has been maintained across multiple systems,” the elder continued, tone deliberate, pacing his words. “And the threats posed by external factions, particularly the wrilengifs(space pirates), have been neutralized under your command.”
“Yes.”
Another pause. Waiting. Expecting Uratos to fill it with words of gratitude. He , once again, did not.
“…Your loyalty and service to the empire have been commendable,” the elder in the center finally said, voice firm. “And now…”
Uratos’s upper eyes twitched beneath his headpiece, just enough for the council to notice. “…Now,” he echoed, voice cold and soft , “what do you want from me?”
The elder’s hands moved slightly, as if to contain the chamber’s energy through gesture. “The time has come for you to…fulfill your…next Imperial duty.” Uratos’s head tilted slightly. His six eyes ,all of them now faintly open and glowing blue, tracked each member of the council in turn. Beneath the calm exterior, a low, coiled energy began to thrum dangerously low, a subtle warning that the weapon they had molded was alive, and entirely uncontainable if unleashed.
“…I am listening,” he said, calm. But every syllable carried a warning underneath : I am the weapon you made. And if I choose, there is nothing in this room that could survive or escape my wrath.
For a moment, the only sound was the faint hum of starlight-infused crystal and the distant shimmer of light reflecting across the massive space.
“You are to be wed,” another council voice droned, “to Princess Aremi of the Eim Eim Empire. This union is to solidify an interstellar alliance, ensuring peace across our borders and expanding our influence.” Uratos did not move. Did not breathe audibly. Did not betray emotion. But his lips tightened imperceptibly, sharp teeth clicking with disgust. He had heard of her before, of course, thanks to the gossip that trickled through intergalactic aristocracy like radioactive dust. The council continued, oblivious to the storm gathering in him. They droned on about the importance of duty, of diplomacy, of the honor bestowed upon him and his family. Their words were endless, ceremonial bullshit, the kind of meaningless praise that only served to further demonstrate their desperation for control.
But beneath the surface, beneath the careful, ritualized tones, they had not accounted for what Gurus had whispered to him a few moons back during one of their times together during an escapade: the little rumor, the scandal of the Eim Eim royal house. That their “princess” did not abide by normal moral constraints… that she had joined with her little brother many rotations younger than her. Uratos’s jaw tightened. His upper eyes twitched sharply. For a fraction of a heartbeat, the controlled calm of the prince cracked.
The council, oblivious to his rising disdain, continued their monotonous drivel.
“Through this union, our empire shall secure an era of unparalleled peace and prosperity.”
Uratos’s voice, when it finally broke the chamber’s silence, was quiet, soft, but every council member felt the weight behind it. “…And if I refuse?”
A collective, faint gasp echoed across the tiers and sharp looks of disapproval burned into him as if the very notion was damnable. The elder’s fingers twitched. The chamber trembled, subtly, as if sensing the underlying danger. As if to say how dare the vellro (dog) they raise decide to bite back at the hand that feeds him.
“You will attend,” the elder said firmly. “You will WED. You will consent to the arrangements.”
Another long pause…his hand twitched violently and for a second..Uratos considered the possibility of killing the council right then and there. Weighed out all the pros and cons and saw that, truly, there was no one on or off planet that could stop him from wiping everything out of existence……but then, he thought of Gurus…of his mothers dying wish to protect the empire she and his father had ruled together, the sight of little children looking at him with reverence, his purpose, his …duty….and his urge to destroy dissipated entirely.
“…..Yes,” Uratos said, tone softening, almost imperceptibly. “…I will comply.”
But his six eyes betrayed none of the submission. He was a weapon. Molded by their hands, trained for destruction. But alive. Uncontainable. And he had ,once again, chosen restraint.
The chamber fell into uneasy silence once more. The council had won the outward compliance and he could feel how ecstatic they were to have his compliance… but the storm simmering beneath his skin,the barely restrained power, the divine threat of his wrath…remained volatile.
Uratos didn’t wait to be dismissed but the council then. He turned around, ignoring whatever old bastard was calling his name, and walked out of the council room with his head held high.
He was submerged in the glowing pool of his royal bathtub, the liquid light curling around his frame, clinging to his skin like it recognized him…like it belonged to him.
Or maybe like he belonged to it.
Immediately after the meeting with the council he’d dismissed gurus and headed straight to his chambers, to his bath to soak in his emotions. He’d long dismissed his attendants in favor of bathing himself.
And yet he hadn’t moved in ten minutes until now.His shoulders slowly sank lower. His antennae drooped.And for the first time in a very, very long time…he let the stillness stay.
“What now.” The words came out quietly and unexpectedly . Not directed at anyone.Not even really a question. Just…something that slipped out.
His eyes drifted upward, all six of them opening slowly, staring at the vaulted ceiling of the bathing chamber where faint constellations had been embedded into the crystal above.
They shimmered.Moved.
Endless, beautiful, and completely meaningless.
“I fight,” he whispered.The water rippled.
“I win.”Another ripple.
“I return.”His jaw tightened slightly.
“They praise me.”A pause.
“…Repeat.”
The words felt…wrong.
Like he was truly hearing and understanding them for the first time.Like he’d never actually thought about it before.His fingers flexed faintly beneath the surface.
“…And now I’m to marry.”
“…..and for what?”
Silence answered him.
Of course it did.
The universe had always been very good at staying quiet when its beloved “son” needed answers.
His chest rose slowly.
Then again.
Then…something…began to change.
A tightness. It was there.
Right beneath his ribs.
Uratos frowned slightly, one of his upper hands moving to his chest.
A hand splaying over his heart.
“…What…”
His breathing hitched.
The water around him began to react, light flickering, distorting, rippling faster now, responding to the sudden spike of something….
His “heart.”
Or the orb of pure light that acted as his life source embedded within his chest.
It was pulsing….
But it was too fast. Too loud. Too wrong.
Each pulse sending a strange, hollow pressure through his body that made his heart ache. His vision flickered. The ceiling above blurred.
“…No,” he said under his breath, more confused than afraid.This wasn’t battle and there was no enemy.
No threat.
So why? Why did he feel like he’d just fought for hours? Like he couldn’t breathe? Like he would collapse??
The chamber seemed to close in on him. Everything felt too empty. Felt like too much.
His thoughts spiraled.
What is this? What is wrong with me? Why can’t I—?
It wasn’t enough.
The water around him flickered violently now, light stuttering, reacting to his unstable state. The entire pool pulsed erratically, responding to the chaos he couldn’t control.
“I—”
His voice broke for the first time in his life, face falling.
Uratos’s eyes widened slightly, all six of them unfocused now, trying to ground onto something,anything,but finding nothing to hold onto. But there was no escape from the next question that left his lips.
“…What is my purpose.”
Barely audible.Raw. Full of desperation and helplessness.
“If I am not fighting…” His breath rasped out again.
“If I am not winning…”His grip tightened against his own chest, nails pressing lightly into his skin.
“…then what am I..?”
…..
“…Is there nothing else for me…in this universe?”
It was all too much.
Uratos surged up from the water, light and water cascading violently down the muscled planes of his body as he stood, breath uneven, shoulders tense, the entire chamber flickering in response to his instability.
He stepped out.His hands trembled….just slightly as he stood there for a moment.Breathing. Looking down at his shaken reflection in the water.
Trying to ground himself and push his emotions back in the place he’d always confined them to.
After a few long, silent seconds….he finally moved. Dried off, got dressed, fixed himself.
Mask back on. Everything perfectly fine…..
Or at least…it looked like it.
Gurus didn’t rush.
He never did.
When he entered, he too had changed from formal robes into something looser, softer, draped casually over his muscled and lean frame. His hair hung gloriously down his back, sleeves pushed back casually.
Like he belonged here(which he kind of sort of did-.)
“…You called—?”
He stopped.
Uratos stood near the glass doors leading to his balcony, back turned, the glow of the city painting his silhouette in soft blues and golds. His posture was…off. Too stiff. Too tense.
Gurus’s expression shifted into one of slight concern.
“…You look like hell.”
No response then rephrased his wording.
“…Worse than usual, I mean.”
Still nothing.
Gurus let the silence sit for a moment, then walked further in, slower now, eyes narrowing just slightly.
“…Alright….Uratos, What happened?”
Uratos exhaled slightly.
“…They want me married.”
Gurus blinked and then scoffed lightly, like it was expected.
“Of course they do. They’ve been hinting at that idea for—”
“To the crown princess of the eim eim empire.”
That made Gurus choke, the rest of his sentence dying on his tongue.
A dynastic marriage……
And with THAT princess… he shuddered at the thought.
“…Oh.”
Silence.
Gurus rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a low hiss.
“Yes, well that’s…that’s not ideal….”
Uratos let out a humorless huff, finally turning halfway toward him.
“Ideal?”
His voice was tight now and Gurus could feel the simmering fire of rage flickering underneath his best friend’s skin.
“They want to bind me to her, Gurus. To them .”
The crack in his voice gave away to the raw emotion he truly felt almost all the time..
Gurus didn’t joke or laugh, dark eyes watching his friend.
“…I figured.”
Uratos ran a hand through his hair, pacing now…slow at first, then sharper, more restless.
“They sat there,” he continued, voice picking up pace, frustration laced in every word, “listing treaties, alliances, ‘peace,’ as if I’m some…some piece to be moved across their board. All for the sake of the empire!”
His steps echoed against the floor, hands waving in wild gestures.
“They didn’t ask!”
A pause.
“They didn’t even pretend to ask.”
Gurus watched him carefully.
“They commanded me.”
Uratos Turned fully now to face Gurus, expression one of anger.
All six eyes open, intense and bright.
“…They told me what I would do with the rest of MY life. A Life that will outlive theirs by millions of years.”
Gurus crossed his arms slowly, his own eyes narrowing slightly.
“…And you didn’t vaporize them? Impressive restraint indeed.”
Uratos let out a short, breathless laugh.
“I thought about it…Momentarily...”
“Mm. Progress. Usually, you linger on those thoughts longer and bitch to me about them passionately.”
Uratos shot him a sharp look, but it didn’t stick.
Because the frustration was still there but it wasn’t towards him.
“They want me to stand there,” he continued, voice lower now, but heavier, “smile, perform, bind myself to someone I don’t know….for an empire that only sees me as a weapon..for ….for nothing.”
Gurus tilted his head.
“…You are their weapon, this is true-.”
“I know what I am.”
Uratos snapped, almost scowling now.
The air shifted slightly.
Then, he exhaled.
Long.
Forcing down the storm of emotions within.
“…That’s the problem.”
Silence filled the tense air and Uratos turned away once again, shoulders tightening.
“…I don’t know anything else.”
There it was again….softer now.
That same quiet, dangerous honesty from before when he was alone in his bath.
“I fight. I win. I return. And now I must marry.” He laughed softly, bitterly. “What comes after that, Gurus? More of the same? Another war? Another command? Having heirs with a filthy pyriam (nasty woman) like that who sleeps with her own tzeytal(little brother)??”
His hand clenched at his side.
“…Is that all I am…..? Is this my only purpose?”
Gurus’s gaze softened,just slightly and he moved to his friend…putting one of his hands on his shoulder.
“…No.”
Uratos shook his head at the response.
“Then what..what am I?”
Gurus stayed silent before he stepped closer, slower, deliberate and squeezed Uratos’ shoulder.
“You’re asking the wrong question.”
Uratos snorted and spoke again.
“Then enlighten me.”
“What do YOU want.” Gurus said, eyes searching his friends facial expression.
That made him pause and His brows furrowed slightly.
“…That’s …irrelevant-.”
“It’s quite literally the only relevant thing right now.”
“I don’t have the luxury of—”
“Yes, you do.”
Uratos turned again, eyes narrowing slightly as he appraised his friend. Gurus held his gaze, unbothered and kept speaking.
“You just don’t take it.”
Another beat.
“You could’ve said no,” Gurus continued on, voice softening further. “You could’ve walked out. You could’ve torn that chamber apart if you really wanted to.”
Uratos’s jaw tightened but Gurus continued on.
“ You must understand that …they would tie you to anything if it meant controlling you absolutely.”
Silence.
And then Uratos spoke up again…
“…I told them I would attend.”
Gurus guffawed softly, rolling his five eyes.
“Of course you did. How noble.”
Uratos didn’t react to the tone, didn’t acknowledge it.
“…Not because I agree.”
“I know.”
“…Not because I want this.”
“I know.”
A beat.
“…Because I can’t just …..abandon everything. Abandon the only thing I’ve ever…known.”
Gurus studied him for a long moment.
“…You’re going to suffocate here.” He said suddenly.
Uratos didn’t respond. Because he already knew that. It’s why he felt like he was fading away, just drifting like an asteroid in space… Gurus ran a hand through his hair, pacing once, then stopping in front of him again.
“…You’ve never actually lived, you know that?”
Uratos’s eyes flickered, blinking at him as he kept speaking.
“You’ve existed. Functioned. Performed. But lived?” He shook his head. “No.”
Gurus smiled faintly, flicking his forehead softly. An action that would cost anyone else their and their families lives.
“It means doing something that isn’t for them.”
A pause.
“…it means you need to do something..for you.”
Uratos’s gaze sharpened slightly…
“…Such as…?”
Gurus shrugged.
“Leaving. Like how we used to do when we were younger? When we’d steal one of the vanguards ships and go off planet for one rotation. Only this time…You’ll be the only one to disappear,” Gurus continued, tone calm, like he was suggesting something so simple. “No council. No war. No arranged marriage.”
A slight tilt of his head.
“Just you.”
Uratos stared at him.
“…They would attempt to come for me.”
“Eventually. Not immediately though. You know how to hide your tracks.”
“…They would try to bring me back.”
Gurus smirked, looking at him with an “are you kidding” look.
“ You know they can’t stop you.”
Uratos knew that.
That was never the issue.
“…I would be abandoning my responsibilities.”
“You’d be choosing yourself.”
“That sounds selfish.”
“You’re acting like the council doesn’t run the planet behind the scenes anyways. You’re their bellindum(spokesperson) until you become emperor anyways.. I think it’s time for you to make them realize that you’re not just Uratos Gooj the strongest..but the strongest because you’re Satoru Gooj..The honored one.”
Uratos huffed faintly at that, understanding what he meant immediately. Leave it to Gurus to somehow uplift his spirits.
“…You’re insufferable.”
“And yet, I’m right. As usual.” Gurus sang haughtily, tossing his dark strands over his shoulder.
Uratos turned back toward the window, looking back out at the city stretching endlessly before him.
The life he’d always known.
The role he’d always played.
His fingers flexed slightly.
“…If I leave,” he said slowly, “I don’t come back the same.”
Gurus leaned casually against the wall.
“…It’s just for a while,” Gurus added, softer now. “Go somewhere far enough that none of this matters. Figure out what you are when you’re not…this. Or don’t come back at all.”
Uratos shot him a stricken look, as if the notion of not coming back was a cruel one. (He loved Gurus too much not to come back)
But the thought….it had roots now.
“…How would I go about this?”he said at last, eyes finding his friends and filled with a sliver of hope.
Gurus smiled brightly and clapped his hands.
“Fear not… I’ll help you execute your escapade, your imperial majesty. It’s the least I could do.”
The imperial capitol shimmered beneath layers of ceremonial projection, vast ribbons of color weaving through the atmosphere like bedazzled auroras. The three artificial moons had dimmed their usual traffic patterns, their ringed cities aligning in perfect symmetry above the Imperial Palace..as if even the stars themselves had been ordered into formation for the occasion.
Because today…
their prince would finally be bound.
.
.
.
They came from everywhere.
From distant sectors and neighboring systems, from trade routes and military outposts, from halfway across the universe, from colonies that had not seen the Capital in generations.
Civilians flooded the lower terraces and outer districts, packed shoulder to shoulder along the ascending platforms that spiraled toward the palace. Merchants abandoned stalls entirely this time, screens left flickering unattended as their owners craned their necks toward the sky.
All whispered excitedly about the prince, about the star-born ruler, the one who could tear fleets apart with a mere thought. Some spoke of him with awe.Some with reverence.Some with fear.
(Most with all three.)
“He’s really going through with it…” “A union between Gooj and Eim Eim…” “That kind of alliance….it’ll stabilize half the galaxy.” “They say she’s beautiful.” “They say he’s untouchable.”
“They say he’s not entirely…real.”
That last one was whispered.
Because even here and now… people were afraid to speak of him too casually.
Above them all, the military held formation. The Imperial Armada hovered in perfect stillness around the planet’s upper atmosphere, ranks upon ranks of warships gleaming beneath distant starlight. At the outermost perimeter, where space itself thinned into something stranger… the Great Hyperspace Rift pulsed with unfathomable power.A massive, stabilized tear in reality.
The gateway.The passage through which empires, like the eim eim fleet, moved to be welcomed into their space. And today, it was sealed under the watch of the empire’s strongest fleets. Nothing in. Nothing out. Not without permission. Not on this day.
And Deep within the Imperial Palace,the council waited.
Absolutely pleased.
Not outwardly, of course. They were far too composed for that.But it lingered in small ways. The stillness of their posture.The lack of tension in their voices. The absence of contingency.For the first time in a long time, there were no obstacles. No uncertainty.The weapon they had forged…was finally behaving accordingly.
The ceremony chamber, The Aestral Veyth, stretched endlessly, a cathedral made up of more rare crystals that arched upward into impossible heights. The walls shimmered faintly, reflecting distant galaxies across their surfaces as if the entire universe had encased just to witness the grandest event of all time.
Rows upon rows of dignitaries, royals, commanders, and council affiliates filled the chamber.All whispering, watching, waiting.And in the center, she stood.
Princess Aremi of Eim Eim.(ew)A beautiful woman with light blue ,almost white hair, and dark eyes like the abyss itself. Draped in layered silks that flowed like liquid starlight, her form was adorned in delicate gems that glimmered with each subtle movement. In her hands, she held a bouquet of bioluminescent fliorca(flowers from the moon europia)softly glowing, petals pulsing faintly like heartbeats.
Perfect.
Composed.
Smiling.
Waiting as the minutes passed.
Then some more. The chamber began to still as time stretched on.No one spoke.No one dared.
All waited with baited breaths and pounding hearts.Because any moment now,he would enter. Would bless them with his radiant benevolence.
Then, The doors opened. A collective shift rippled through the room that was subtle, immediate, and electric.Heads turned.Spines straightened.
The council’s attention sharpened. Smiles on all faces.
Finally.
.
.
.
But it wasn’t him.
A single figure walked forward.
Unhurried.Unbothered. Draped in deep, dark silk that drank the light around it instead of reflecting it.so starkly different from the ceremonial brightness of the chamber that it felt almost…intentional.Like the void itself trapped in a living being. Haughty, charming..disrespectful.
Gurus Tego.
He walked to the center of the chamber, hands loosely tucked into his sleeves, expression calm..almost bored before stopping in front of the bride and council. His signature foxy smile on his lips as he bowed (mockingly).
“…What is the meaning of this,” one of the council members said sharply.
Gurus glanced up at them.
Cue a dramatic pause.
And then a his foxy smile widened into an amused smirk.
“ His Imperial Highness will not be attending the wedding between the Gooj and eim eim empire this rotation.”
Dead silence.
And then ..
Pure Chaos.
Officials exploded into chatter, whispers carrying through the crowds with scandal and shock-.
“…Explain yourself at once!!!” an elder demanded, shouting.
Gurus tilted his head slightly, as if considering how much effort he wanted to put into this.
Then decided he , again, didn’t care.
“…There’s not much to explain.” He shrugged, gaze drifted lazily across the chamber.
Across the shocked princess. Across the enraged council.Across the scandalized audience.
“He’s simply…. gone.”
The words landed silkily,playfully.
“That is not possible.”
“It is.”
“…Where is he,” another voice demanded.
Gurus shrugged again lightly. “Off planet.”
“The rift is sealed—”
“Not for him. Come now, the universe bends to his will….You know that better than I do.”
A beat.
Then, with the faintest hint of amusement he added:
“By now, He’s most likely half way across the universe..Hm, you may never know.”
Voices from both empires began rising just enough to betray the loss of control. The princess stood frozen, still smiling. But her grip on the bouquet tightened. Her eyes blinking as the court whispered many a things.
And Above it all, the council finally understood.
Too late now.
And somewhere far beyond any of their reach…
Uratos Gooj did not look back as he traversed the stars alone for the first time in his life.
-If any of these themes upset you, skip this one, babes. Don’t say I didn’t warn you-
Part TWO of: HOME INVASION
Word Count: 2.6k+ words
Enjoy!! <333
You attempted to curl into yourself, to protect your belly as your eyes widened with absolute fear and despair.
Never did you think you would fear the face of the man you’d fallen in love with…yet here you were.
Sinister Mark arched as he flew through the air, and the air folded with him..his glovedhands outstretched and reaching, a malicious grin split across his face as his yellow cape swallowed the room whole.
You open your lips to let out another bloodcurdling scream of terror—
Then the wall disappeared.
Not shattered. Not broken.
Gone.
A black and blue blur hit him head-on with catastrophic force straight through concrete, wood, and steel like none of it mattered, the impact detonating through the house and throwing you sideways as the floor buckled beneath your feet.
A voice boomed with clarity through the air and towards you as you trembled.
“GET. AWAY. FROM. HER.”
You knew that voice.
Your—
“Mark….”
The house howled, glass splintering as you catch yourself on the counter..as the floor trembled beneath you. Your ears rang. Dust and debris filled your lungs as you gasped.
Then the sound hits you.
Flesh on flesh. Bone on bone. Impact after impact, each one heavy enough to rattle your teeth.
The sound of two godlike beings bashing each other brutally with no signs of stopping.
Your Mark…Your Invincible drove Sinister straight through what used to be your living room, through beams and wiring and dust, until the outside world crashed in around them chaotically. Trees splintered. The ground caved in. Your breath hitched heavily, body shaking with fear and adrenaline—
Pink light snapped into existence around you before anything else could touch and you look behind you to see fiery red hair, and a face you knew well covered in a few scratches and cuts.
Samantha Wilkins.
Atom Eve.
She’s there with you, kneeling and assessing the situation, one hand braced against your lower back to steady you, the other glowing as she steadied the collapsing space.
“I’ve got you,” she says, sharp and grounding. “Stay with me.”
Your breath comes in broken pieces, body shaking. “E-Eve you’re hurt..and the…the baby—”
“I know,” she says. “I’m okay. Right now, you’re okay. And so is the baby…”
Outside, the battle continued.
Sinister Mark didn’t go down easy.
No, of course he wouldn’t.
The first impact had sent him skidding through the yard, carving a trench through dirt and concrete as he hit the base of nearby tree hard…But, in a black and yellow blur, he flew through the air, the heel of his boots slamming into Mark’s chest hard enough to throw him back into the next door neighbors house.
Sinister laughs mockingly as he landed in the wrecked backyard, that shit-eating grin still plastered on his face . Not manic. Not sloppy.
Calculated. Blood poured from his nose and he flicked his tongue out to lick up the liquid before speaking and standing.
“Finally,” he says with a bored droll, rolling his shoulders and clicking his tongue. “You show your pathetic self….im glad the others didn’t finish you off…I’ll do it myself.”
Mark answers by charging him with a snarl.
“Shut the hell up!”
They collide again, sending shockwaves rippling outward, windows shattering down the block. Blow after blow…but it’s obvious Mark can’t keep up even to you. And especially to Sinister. The variant caught Mark’s wrist mid-swing and twisted it with a sickening crunch, using the momentum to hurl him straight through what’s left of the fence, his body hitting the ground hard.
You let out a strangled sound of distress.
Eve’s barrier constricts closer and instinctively around you.
Outside, Sinister stalked forward, black lenses trained on the other. “Man, this version of me is so much slower…so much weaker,” he sneered. “I guess daddy issues and Attachment’ll do that to a guy.”
Mark rockets back at him, driving his shoulder into Sinister’s ribs and surprising the variant before he lifted him up into the air. They slammed into the side of the house again the structure groaning as they tore through it and revealed the front yard and road. Then they were in the air, going at it like wild animals.
Sinister landed hits ….good ones. A knee to Mark’s gut. An hard elbow jab across his jaw that snaps his head sideways and has Mark seeing stars. He fought dirty, ruthless, smiling cruelly the entire time as blood coated his gloved hands and face.
“Come on!! Is that all you can do, boy wonder???”
Marks face was bruised, one eye swollen shut, his suit torn and revealing dark bruises all across his skin. He stood panting and wiping sweat from his brow as Sinister’s smile disappeared and he sneered viciously.
“You don’t get it…do you?” Sinister snarled as he grabbed Mark by his suit, catching him off guard, and drove them down into the street brutally, the road collapsing as he slammed his back into it.
You let out a cry of fear for Mark and Eve held you tighter, trying to come up with a way to escape if …if Mark…
“That control? That’s why you lose…That’s why when I’m done with you I’ll proudly take what’s mine and you’ll be left with nothing. She’ll be MINE again. Because you’re weak. You’re pathetic. Because you’re inferior to me!! “
Mark spits blood, eyes burning with pure, unbridled rage.
At the thought of someone hurting you, his love, his treasure. His entire world.
There were no words that could be conveyed in that moment to properly express how he felt.
He surged forward again, body moving faster than before. Sinister jumped off of him and allowed him to attack again, thinking he’d just win again.
They began to move again, fast, brutal, equal. You could barely track them, just flashes of black and blue colliding with Sinister’s warped yellow and black.
Until equality turned into superiority. Until Mark overpowered Sinister completely, shocking the demented variant as he was forced down into the ground, every strike measured and brutal….no wasted motion, no hesitation. As he was beginning to tire and shake from the pain this dimensions Mark was inflicting on him.
What you were witnessing now wasn’t just unbridled rage. It was pure intent.
Sinister croaked out a wet laugh through a split lip, even as Mark picked him up and slammed his fist into his face hard enough to break in a regular humans skull. Sinister collapsed onto the ground and looked up at the other.
Something sparkled in his eyes as he smiled up at Mark with bloodied teeth. It was like looking in a mirror.
It was recognition and possibly a newfound revelation.
“I see it now…” Sinister coughed and let out another raspy laugh.
“You’re not so far along like the rest of us…it won’t take much for you to snap and become just…like….ME. Maybe we were monsters all along..You won’t be able to pretend forever….ha ha ..ha ha HA HA-“
Mark answered by mounting the other and punching him directly in the nose, bone splintering against his knuckles.
And another.
And another. And another. And another.
Each one landed with sickening finality, smashing into Sinister’s face, down, breaking his nose, his bones, him. Your Mark didn’t speak. He didn’t falter. He didn’t slow.
Seeing this….you realize now, that it was all too much….
And that’s when You feel something warm rush between your shaking legs and your hands flew to your stomach.
Your heart pounds hard and your breath stutters.
“Oh….oh no,” you whisper, terror blooming sharp and bright. You look down, hands shaking.
Your water had broken.
Eve is there,solid, glowing, grounding, hands hovering just long enough to confirm what you already know and she holds you against her.
“Okay,” she says softly but firmly, swallowing slowly . “Okay. Look at me. You’re alright. I’ve got you. You’ll be okay.”
Outside, Mark continued his one-sided massacre.
His rhythm had picked up speed, his face a mask of cold malice.
Each blow dulled Sinister’s confidence.
Each hit steals more of his voice
He gurgled, his blood spraying the ground, the concrete, Mark himself.
You watched through the broken wall, tears falling down your face as you tried to stabilize your breaths..….not from shock now, but from the way Mark fights like there is no universe where he walks away without you.
From how much he looks like his father.
Sinister attempted to weakly stop Mark’s onslaught, his hands raising to shield his face, to push the other off….but to no avail.
His fist continued to come down….
Again.
Again.
Again.
His eyes blazing, his muscles coiled and tensed….
Until the other’s body stopped resisting.
Until his eyes roll back.
Until Mark’s fist hovers, shaking, and then stops.
Overkill…..
Absolute Silence.
Sinister Mark was still beneath him…..somehow not dead….only unconscious, face bruised beyond comprehension , chest barely moving.
Mark didn’t move for a long while.
Eve and You held each other, waiting with bated breath.
Then he stood.
He turned.
The moment his eyes find you…kneeling in Eve’s arms, shaking, clutching your belly……everything drains out of him at once.
He’s inside in a heartbeat, already down on his knees in front of you just as Eve’s Barrier disappears, hands hovering like he’s afraid to touch you wrong, trying to avoid using his bloodied hands.
“I’m here,” he says, voice cracking with raw emotion.
“I’m here, baby….I…I’ve got you.”
You sob as he slowly wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into his chest, your hands grippin his suit like it’s the only thing holding you together.
“I saw you,” you choke out, body shaking from your water breaking, from feeling everything so intensely. “I saw…you…you didn’t stop, Muh..Mark—.”
“Of course I didn’t..,” he whispered fiercely, forehead pressed to yours, brown eyes boring into yours. “I would never let anything happen to you or the baby…I love you, baby…”
Behind the two of you, Eve stood watch, pink light still shimmering faintly around the room…her on the open sky, the broken walls, the unconscious variant outside.
Because threats never come alone.
And as Mark picked up your aching body, his voice soothing you as he tries to figure out how to help you since you’re water broke.. to get you to a hospital….
And You allowed yourself a moment of reprieve and closed your eyes.
For now….
You’re held.
You’re protected.
You’re safe.
And your Mark was never letting you go.
I hope yall liked it..I completely rushed ts and I was half asleep☠️😭…
For these little darlings who motivated me to finish!!:
Pairing: Lensless!Mark x Reader (mentions of Husband!Mark)
Inspired by @maybellewriting
Warnings:
(MDNI!!!! 18+!!!!)
home invasion, pregnancy (reader is heavily pregnant), panic attack/anxiety , kidnapping during labor, psychotic obsession, delusional behavior, violent implications/murder mentions, This mf talks to himself like a lunatic, trauma dumping mid-invasion, He also wants to be the baby daddy now, zero comfort, pure madness, Implied sexual themes, he's lowkey a freak,
(THIS CHAPTER IS SO LONG HELP)
———————————————————
The TV glowed like a ghost in the dim Living room. You sat frozen on the couch, curled into yourself, hands trembling on top of your apron, over the tight swell of your belly. Sweat clung to your temples as you leaned forward in suspense and fear. Your lips moved soundlessly—whispered prayers slipping between cracked breaths.
“Please, God… please bring him home safe…”
You had been in the middle of prepping for dinner when Amber had texted you to check the News and you’d turned on the TV. Now you sat on the couch, fully engrossed.. watching the world you lived in dissolve into chaos by caped villains who looked like ..Mark. There were so many of them you’d lost count ..but one thing you knew for sure was that they were destroying everything you lived and Mark—YOUR Mark Grayson( or as others knew him..Invincible)— was out there risking his life for the world. The news anchor was a blur, words dissolving under the thrum of your own pulse. But the footage—that you couldn’t ignore.
Mark. On-screen. In full gear. Fighting like a man possessed. A blur of violence and light.
You watched as he took a hit that sent him flying—slammed through a wall and didn’t get back up right away.
Your breath hitched and a little panicked croak left your lips.
“No, no, no—” you gasped, clutching your belly, rocking slightly as if motion could ward off reality. Watching as Mark didn’t get back up..“Please—Mark, get back up honey..Please—”
You were a breath away from a full-blown panic attack. Vision tunneling. Fingers going numb.
Your body was clammy, cold shaky. Your breaths quickened, nails digging into your palms as the world began caving in—
Then, the front door slammed open.
BANG.
You flinched so hard it felt like your heart detonated.
You turned your head—vision swimming—just in time to see him.
Mark.
Still suited up. Boots heavy, shoulders wide, goggles on—no, wait. Not goggles. No lenses. Just…
You didn’t notice.
Didn’t care.
Didn’t have time to care.
You sobbed, got up and turned off the TV quickly and ,before you could move to your spot , he was there.
“Oh my God, Mark—” you choked with relief and affection.
His strong arms wrapped around you from behind, crushing your back against his chest as his lips pressed into the side of your neck—too eager. Too hungry.
But you didn’t notice yet…not as you felt the heat coming from his body, his muscles against your spine, his scent in your nostrils.
“Miss me, baby?” he purred, voice pitched just a little too high, like someone mocking human emotion.
Your body sagged in relief and you let him kiss your neck, rubbing your sides possessively—but then you stiffened.
Like your body knew that something…
Something… wasn’t right.
He was holding you wrong. Touching you wrong.
He didn’t move like Mark.
He felt like someone playing your husband in a poorly rehearsed stage act.
Then the scent REALLY hit you.
Iron. Sweet and sour, like blood dried on fabric.
That wasn’t how Mark smelled after missions. Especially not after finding out you were pregnant. He had made it a habit to go straight to the shower before even going near you out of concern for you.
“…Mark?” you breathed gently, hesitant. Your hands shook as they crept to his suit—but nothing. It felt exactly the same as usual.
You looked up at him long and hard, trying to figure what the hell your instinct was trying to tell you that this was not who it seem
He stilled.
Then giggled.
Giggled.
Not chuckled. Not laughed.
Giggled, shrill and unhinged, like a clown watching someone choke on confetti before it spiraled into a maniacal laugh.
“Oh, I love that,” he said, pulling back enough to look you in the eyes. “Say it again. Slower.”
You stared.
No lenses.
No blue—
Just black.
Black eyes like pits of tar, swirling and endless, pupils wide and gleaming with madness. And that crazed smile matched it completely.
Not your Mark.
You staggered back, eyes widening with shock. Almost fell. One hand clutching your belly, the other scrambling behind you for something—anything—to throw.
What had they called them on TV?
Invincible clones??
He burst into laughter, tipping his head back like it was the funniest damn thing in the multiverse. Wiping an imaginary eye from his eyes.
“Fuck, did I really think I could pull that off?” he wheezed. “Five whole minutes! Five!” He bent over, gasping between hysterics. “God, I forgot how smart you are. In every fucking universe.. damn it…That fucking ruins everything.”
You backed toward the hallway. Each step slow. Careful. Trying to keep your breathing steady, for the baby’s sake—trying not to scream or cry or collapse— because why was this person here? Why??
He saw your hand slide protectively over your stomach.
Tilted his head with intrigue because what the fuck were you doing just then—
And then he froze.
Eyes locked on your belly like it had just flashed a divine revelation.
“…No,” he breathed, voice dropping to a whisper.
Then louder:
“NO. FUCKING. WAY.”
He charged, no, SURGED forward.
You barely had time to blink before he was on his knees in front of you, hands grabbing at your apron like a kid tearing open a birthday present.
“You’re pregnant?” he gasped, wild joy dripping from every word. “With his kid?”
His mouth hovered inches from the bump of your belly behind the apron.
“Oh my GOD, I could kiss your cute tummy RIGHT now.”
And he did.
His lips pressed to your belly, rough and frantic, muttering blasphemies and blessings in the same breath.
Not gentle. Not sweet.
Obsessed. Possessive. Terrifying.
You really, REALLY wanted to slap the fuck out of him—but you didn’t know what he was capable of and stood frozen with fear.
“She got knocked up,” he whispered like a lover. Not to her. To himself. “She actually got fucking knocked up. What does that make me, huh? Father Mark? Daddy Deluxe? Wait, wait—”
He jerked upright, eyes glittering with manic light as he giggled.
“Don’t,” he hissed, voice dropping to a menacing his face close enough to fog your vision. “You know what the difference is between me and your Mark?”
His hand skimmed up your side, rubbing you. Over your belly again.
“I don’t pretend. I don’t fake nice. I don’t play house unless there’s blood on the walls and screams in the hallway.”
You whimpered.
He tilted his head, almost mockingly tender. Face tilting with sadistic satisfaction at your obvious discomfort and fear on your face, even your body betraying how you felt.
“I want this. I want you. And I don’t care if you scream, cry, or beg—I always get what I want.”
He paced the living room, tugging at his suit collar like it was choking him, speaking to himself like there was an audience of ghosts.
"In my universe, she tried to kill me." His voice dropped. Dark. Distant and low…almost fond.
"Would’ve succeeded too—if I didn’t pop her skull like a grape. I was honestly mad I did it too.. .Wanted to hear what noises she would’ve made if I’d tortured her instead..."
He giggles again. The sound was wet. Cracked.
“I did love her… I did. But she just HAD TO BETRAY ME.” He spun toward you like a thunderbolt, eyes wild, hands twitching with clear violence. Expression one of rage, insanity, and glee. “They all did. And I killed them. All of them.”
His grin stretched, wide and jagged. Eyes glinting with malice.
“They were like animals. So I slew them like animals. THEY DESERVED IT!”
His fingers twitched at his sides... then he moved towards you... one of them reached out—slow, reverent, trembling. Like he was about to touch you the same way.
And before you could stop yourself…you slapped him.
Hard.
Hard enough that you knew his ears were ringing and his face burned.
His head didn’t flinch, not even a muscle …but the sound cracked across the room like a gunshot, filling the tense silence.
You let out a horrified squeak .
What had you done?!
He stopped. Slowly touched his flushed cheek.
Then—his lips parted, splitting into a grin. His eyes sparkled with a wild , glassy glint.
“Oh…”
“Oh.”
His voice was breathless.
“Ohhh…” he moaned softly, fingers dragging over the reddened skin. Body tensing with…pleasure??
“THERE she is~.”
A shiver ran through him as he spoke to himself. His pupils dilated with mirth as he leaned towards you.
“God, you hit just like her. Better, even. Stronger. That’s my girl—” he whispered it like it meant something. Like it was a title only he could give.
You stumbled away, bile rising in your throat. Horrified. Disgusted. This wasn’t just a maniac—he was a monster that actually LIKED being hurt.
“I’m not your anything…!—“
His tongue flicked out like a snake’s, tasting the air.
“Not yet,” he grinned, stepping forward, the air growing thick with tension. “But you will be. You’ve got the fire. The mouth. The instincts. Pregnant and still swinging? Damn, baby—who raised you~?”
He began moving towards you again, slowly as he spoke in a provocative manner.
“I’d let you hit me again if it meant I got to touch you right after. Bite me. Kick me. Choke me. It’s all the same to me. Don’t hold back, Sweetheart.” He moaned salaciously, louder, and you could feel the heat waves rolling off of his form as he got way too close for comfort.
“You’re disgusting..!” You spat, shaking more and more. Eyes filling with tears.
“I’m honest,” he replied, eyes flashing. “And look at you. Soft swollen belly, swollen tits, all that sweet little maternal rage—don’t pretend you don’t like the attention. I’d worship the stretch marks if you let me. Mmmm, God I’d have to be pried off of ya~”
Your whole body recoiled as he leaned in and whispered in your ear, his hands gripping your hips possessively.
“I’d keep you fed. Fucked. Safe. Rub your feet after you scream at me. Let you cry in my lap and still call you ‘mama’ while I split you open.”
You shook your head and let out a little cry.
“I don’t want you. I’ll never be with you! M-Mark is the only one for me-“
He cocked his head and sighed, dramatically dragging a hand over his face. At your noncompliance. Your fearfulness. Did he really need to spell it out for you??
“Are you still worried about YOUR Mark?” he cooed, smirking mockingly and your heart froze at his next words. “Listen, Baby, He’s dead. He just doesn’t know it yet. And when you’re broken and scared and full of grief, guess who’s still standing, ready to pick up the pieces? Who’s right here, no matter what…Because at the end of the day…”
He points at your stomach again, eyes sparkling like stars.
“Baby needs a daddy. And I’m right here.”
Then—
He stopped blabbering.
Just like that.
Stepped back in fact.
Smiling knowingly.
“How about this….?I’ll give you let’s say…a day..,” he said softly, gently. “Maybe two. Get your crying out. Paint the nursery. Pick a name for the kid….”
His eyes narrowed.
“Then I’m coming back. And when I do?”
He licked his lips.
“We’re playing for keeps.”
And just like that—he was gone.
But not with a blink or a teleport.
He floated out.
Casually.
Slowly…
Left the door wide open like a promise of his return.
You ran.
Ran as much as your body would let you in your current, pudgy state.
Straight back to you and Marks shared bedroom.
You collapsed to your knees and slammed the door closed, locking it with shaking hands, sobbing so hard it felt like your ribs might break.
Your fingers fumbled for your phone, the device slipping out of the apron you’d been wearing.
You called Mark.
It rang.
And rang.
Voicemail.
You screamed, mind not caring that he was fighting for his life.
You NEEDED him.
Your body shook.
And then—pop.
A wet sensation between your legs. Soaking your favorite skirt and creating a damp puddle on the carpeted floor..
Your eyes widened, face paling.
“No, no, no—please—oh god not Now-“
Your water had broken.
Seems as though the situation at hand had really gotten to you.
How sad…
You tried to stand—legs buckling and knees slamming down to the floor .
You crawled toward the bedroom, hands leaving streaks of fluid on the floor. You let out a wet mewl of fear and helplessness before slumping against the foot of the bed.
Another call to Mark.
Nothing.
The contractions started.
Fast.
Violent.
You let out a pained scream and doubled over, sweat dripping from your brow and your body trembling violently.
You tried him again and again and got nothing.
Nothing.
Then the door to your bedroom exploded.
Not opened.
Ripped off its goddamn hinges, wood pieces flying everywhere.
You screamed, tears pouring down your cheeks. Body trembling as she took him in once more.
He stood in the doorway, arms out, hovering—his boots not touching the floor.
All blood, teeth, flesh and a smile that belonged in Hell.
“There you are, mama,” he sang, his eyes wild with mania and his body buzzing with violent unconfined energy.
You couldn’t run.
Could barely breathe as he floated closer, slowly, like a lion descending on its prey.
“I thought about it and decided.,.why wait till tomorrow when I could literally just take you right now…So I said fuck it and came backkkk~~~!!! ...And looks like my gut feeling was right because my poor baby is going through it Awwwwww~”
He floated to you, hands gentle and horrific as he scooped you up like a bridal carry—like he’d earned this. Blood soaked your clothes, his black eyes boring into your scared, panicked face.
You screamed.
He just smiled and kissed you gently on the lips, his eyes boring into your own.
Caressed your cheek as you tried to weakly flail and get away, nails clawing viciously at his face—
“Don't worry, Princess...Your knight is here to SAVE you~ .”
And then, without a flash, without smoke or showmanship or any possible warning—
He flew.
Out the bedroom, through broken front door, into the sky, carrying you in his arms like a stolen relic.
Humming as he swept you away, over a dying and burning city.
Your screams echoed throughout the sky, ash and smoke swallowing the two of you whole….
Your nightmare has only begun.
Author's note: As you can see, your honor, I have a thing for sadists... Which variant should be next???
Pairing: Lensless!Mark x Reader (mentions of Husband!Mark)
Inspired by @maybellewriting
Warnings:
(MDNI!!!! 18+!!!!)
home invasion, pregnancy (reader is heavily pregnant), panic attack/anxiety , kidnapping during labor, psychotic obsession, delusional behavior, violent implications/murder mentions, This mf talks to himself like a lunatic, trauma dumping mid-invasion, He also wants to be the baby daddy now, zero comfort, pure madness, Implied sexual themes, he's lowkey a freak,
(THIS CHAPTER IS SO LONG HELP)
———————————————————
The TV glowed like a ghost in the dim Living room. You sat frozen on the couch, curled into yourself, hands trembling on top of your apron, over the tight swell of your belly. Sweat clung to your temples as you leaned forward in suspense and fear. Your lips moved soundlessly—whispered prayers slipping between cracked breaths.
“Please, God… please bring him home safe…”
You had been in the middle of prepping for dinner when Amber had texted you to check the News and you’d turned on the TV. Now you sat on the couch, fully engrossed.. watching the world you lived in dissolve into chaos by caped villains who looked like ..Mark. There were so many of them you’d lost count ..but one thing you knew for sure was that they were destroying everything you lived and Mark—YOUR Mark Grayson( or as others knew him..Invincible)— was out there risking his life for the world. The news anchor was a blur, words dissolving under the thrum of your own pulse. But the footage—that you couldn’t ignore.
Mark. On-screen. In full gear. Fighting like a man possessed. A blur of violence and light.
You watched as he took a hit that sent him flying—slammed through a wall and didn’t get back up right away.
Your breath hitched and a little panicked croak left your lips.
“No, no, no—” you gasped, clutching your belly, rocking slightly as if motion could ward off reality. Watching as Mark didn’t get back up..“Please—Mark, get back up honey..Please—”
You were a breath away from a full-blown panic attack. Vision tunneling. Fingers going numb.
Your body was clammy, cold shaky. Your breaths quickened, nails digging into your palms as the world began caving in—
Then, the front door slammed open.
BANG.
You flinched so hard it felt like your heart detonated.
You turned your head—vision swimming—just in time to see him.
Mark.
Still suited up. Boots heavy, shoulders wide, goggles on—no, wait. Not goggles. No lenses. Just…
You didn’t notice.
Didn’t care.
Didn’t have time to care.
You sobbed, got up and turned off the TV quickly and ,before you could move to your spot , he was there.
“Oh my God, Mark—” you choked with relief and affection.
His strong arms wrapped around you from behind, crushing your back against his chest as his lips pressed into the side of your neck—too eager. Too hungry.
But you didn’t notice yet…not as you felt the heat coming from his body, his muscles against your spine, his scent in your nostrils.
“Miss me, baby?” he purred, voice pitched just a little too high, like someone mocking human emotion.
Your body sagged in relief and you let him kiss your neck, rubbing your sides possessively—but then you stiffened.
Like your body knew that something…
Something… wasn’t right.
He was holding you wrong. Touching you wrong.
He didn’t move like Mark.
He felt like someone playing your husband in a poorly rehearsed stage act.
Then the scent REALLY hit you.
Iron. Sweet and sour, like blood dried on fabric.
That wasn’t how Mark smelled after missions. Especially not after finding out you were pregnant. He had made it a habit to go straight to the shower before even going near you out of concern for you.
“…Mark?” you breathed gently, hesitant. Your hands shook as they crept to his suit—but nothing. It felt exactly the same as usual.
You looked up at him long and hard, trying to figure what the hell your instinct was trying to tell you that this was not who it seem
He stilled.
Then giggled.
Giggled.
Not chuckled. Not laughed.
Giggled, shrill and unhinged, like a clown watching someone choke on confetti before it spiraled into a maniacal laugh.
“Oh, I love that,” he said, pulling back enough to look you in the eyes. “Say it again. Slower.”
You stared.
No lenses.
No blue—
Just black.
Black eyes like pits of tar, swirling and endless, pupils wide and gleaming with madness. And that crazed smile matched it completely.
Not your Mark.
You staggered back, eyes widening with shock. Almost fell. One hand clutching your belly, the other scrambling behind you for something—anything—to throw.
What had they called them on TV?
Invincible clones??
He burst into laughter, tipping his head back like it was the funniest damn thing in the multiverse. Wiping an imaginary eye from his eyes.
“Fuck, did I really think I could pull that off?” he wheezed. “Five whole minutes! Five!” He bent over, gasping between hysterics. “God, I forgot how smart you are. In every fucking universe.. damn it…That fucking ruins everything.”
You backed toward the hallway. Each step slow. Careful. Trying to keep your breathing steady, for the baby’s sake—trying not to scream or cry or collapse— because why was this person here? Why??
He saw your hand slide protectively over your stomach.
Tilted his head with intrigue because what the fuck were you doing just then—
And then he froze.
Eyes locked on your belly like it had just flashed a divine revelation.
“…No,” he breathed, voice dropping to a whisper.
Then louder:
“NO. FUCKING. WAY.”
He charged, no, SURGED forward.
You barely had time to blink before he was on his knees in front of you, hands grabbing at your apron like a kid tearing open a birthday present.
“You’re pregnant?” he gasped, wild joy dripping from every word. “With his kid?”
His mouth hovered inches from the bump of your belly behind the apron.
“Oh my GOD, I could kiss your cute tummy RIGHT now.”
And he did.
His lips pressed to your belly, rough and frantic, muttering blasphemies and blessings in the same breath.
Not gentle. Not sweet.
Obsessed. Possessive. Terrifying.
You really, REALLY wanted to slap the fuck out of him—but you didn’t know what he was capable of and stood frozen with fear.
“She got knocked up,” he whispered like a lover. Not to her. To himself. “She actually got fucking knocked up. What does that make me, huh? Father Mark? Daddy Deluxe? Wait, wait—”
He jerked upright, eyes glittering with manic light as he giggled.
“Don’t,” he hissed, voice dropping to a menacing his face close enough to fog your vision. “You know what the difference is between me and your Mark?”
His hand skimmed up your side, rubbing you. Over your belly again.
“I don’t pretend. I don’t fake nice. I don’t play house unless there’s blood on the walls and screams in the hallway.”
You whimpered.
He tilted his head, almost mockingly tender. Face tilting with sadistic satisfaction at your obvious discomfort and fear on your face, even your body betraying how you felt.
“I want this. I want you. And I don’t care if you scream, cry, or beg—I always get what I want.”
He paced the living room, tugging at his suit collar like it was choking him, speaking to himself like there was an audience of ghosts.
"In my universe, she tried to kill me." His voice dropped. Dark. Distant and low…almost fond.
"Would’ve succeeded too—if I didn’t pop her skull like a grape. I was honestly mad I did it too.. .Wanted to hear what noises she would’ve made if I’d tortured her instead..."
He giggles again. The sound was wet. Cracked.
“I did love her… I did. But she just HAD TO BETRAY ME.” He spun toward you like a thunderbolt, eyes wild, hands twitching with clear violence. Expression one of rage, insanity, and glee. “They all did. And I killed them. All of them.”
His grin stretched, wide and jagged. Eyes glinting with malice.
“They were like animals. So I slew them like animals. THEY DESERVED IT!”
His fingers twitched at his sides... then he moved towards you... one of them reached out—slow, reverent, trembling. Like he was about to touch you the same way.
And before you could stop yourself…you slapped him.
Hard.
Hard enough that you knew his ears were ringing and his face burned.
His head didn’t flinch, not even a muscle …but the sound cracked across the room like a gunshot, filling the tense silence.
You let out a horrified squeak .
What had you done?!
He stopped. Slowly touched his flushed cheek.
Then—his lips parted, splitting into a grin. His eyes sparkled with a wild , glassy glint.
“Oh…”
“Oh.”
His voice was breathless.
“Ohhh…” he moaned softly, fingers dragging over the reddened skin. Body tensing with…pleasure??
“THERE she is~.”
A shiver ran through him as he spoke to himself. His pupils dilated with mirth as he leaned towards you.
“God, you hit just like her. Better, even. Stronger. That’s my girl—” he whispered it like it meant something. Like it was a title only he could give.
You stumbled away, bile rising in your throat. Horrified. Disgusted. This wasn’t just a maniac—he was a monster that actually LIKED being hurt.
“I’m not your anything…!—“
His tongue flicked out like a snake’s, tasting the air.
“Not yet,” he grinned, stepping forward, the air growing thick with tension. “But you will be. You’ve got the fire. The mouth. The instincts. Pregnant and still swinging? Damn, baby—who raised you~?”
He began moving towards you again, slowly as he spoke in a provocative manner.
“I’d let you hit me again if it meant I got to touch you right after. Bite me. Kick me. Choke me. It’s all the same to me. Don’t hold back, Sweetheart.” He moaned salaciously, louder, and you could feel the heat waves rolling off of his form as he got way too close for comfort.
“You’re disgusting..!” You spat, shaking more and more. Eyes filling with tears.
“I’m honest,” he replied, eyes flashing. “And look at you. Soft swollen belly, swollen tits, all that sweet little maternal rage—don’t pretend you don’t like the attention. I’d worship the stretch marks if you let me. Mmmm, God I’d have to be pried off of ya~”
Your whole body recoiled as he leaned in and whispered in your ear, his hands gripping your hips possessively.
“I’d keep you fed. Fucked. Safe. Rub your feet after you scream at me. Let you cry in my lap and still call you ‘mama’ while I split you open.”
You shook your head and let out a little cry.
“I don’t want you. I’ll never be with you! M-Mark is the only one for me-“
He cocked his head and sighed, dramatically dragging a hand over his face. At your noncompliance. Your fearfulness. Did he really need to spell it out for you??
“Are you still worried about YOUR Mark?” he cooed, smirking mockingly and your heart froze at his next words. “Listen, Baby, He’s dead. He just doesn’t know it yet. And when you’re broken and scared and full of grief, guess who’s still standing, ready to pick up the pieces? Who’s right here, no matter what…Because at the end of the day…”
He points at your stomach again, eyes sparkling like stars.
“Baby needs a daddy. And I’m right here.”
Then—
He stopped blabbering.
Just like that.
Stepped back in fact.
Smiling knowingly.
“How about this….?I’ll give you let’s say…a day..,” he said softly, gently. “Maybe two. Get your crying out. Paint the nursery. Pick a name for the kid….”
His eyes narrowed.
“Then I’m coming back. And when I do?”
He licked his lips.
“We’re playing for keeps.”
And just like that—he was gone.
But not with a blink or a teleport.
He floated out.
Casually.
Slowly…
Left the door wide open like a promise of his return.
You ran.
Ran as much as your body would let you in your current, pudgy state.
Straight back to you and Marks shared bedroom.
You collapsed to your knees and slammed the door closed, locking it with shaking hands, sobbing so hard it felt like your ribs might break.
Your fingers fumbled for your phone, the device slipping out of the apron you’d been wearing.
You called Mark.
It rang.
And rang.
Voicemail.
You screamed, mind not caring that he was fighting for his life.
You NEEDED him.
Your body shook.
And then—pop.
A wet sensation between your legs. Soaking your favorite skirt and creating a damp puddle on the carpeted floor..
Your eyes widened, face paling.
“No, no, no—please—oh god not Now-“
Your water had broken.
Seems as though the situation at hand had really gotten to you.
How sad…
You tried to stand—legs buckling and knees slamming down to the floor .
You crawled toward the bedroom, hands leaving streaks of fluid on the floor. You let out a wet mewl of fear and helplessness before slumping against the foot of the bed.
Another call to Mark.
Nothing.
The contractions started.
Fast.
Violent.
You let out a pained scream and doubled over, sweat dripping from your brow and your body trembling violently.
You tried him again and again and got nothing.
Nothing.
Then the door to your bedroom exploded.
Not opened.
Ripped off its goddamn hinges, wood pieces flying everywhere.
You screamed, tears pouring down your cheeks. Body trembling as she took him in once more.
He stood in the doorway, arms out, hovering—his boots not touching the floor.
All blood, teeth, flesh and a smile that belonged in Hell.
“There you are, mama,” he sang, his eyes wild with mania and his body buzzing with violent unconfined energy.
You couldn’t run.
Could barely breathe as he floated closer, slowly, like a lion descending on its prey.
“I thought about it and decided.,.why wait till tomorrow when I could literally just take you right now…So I said fuck it and came backkkk~~~!!! ...And looks like my gut feeling was right because my poor baby is going through it Awwwwww~”
He floated to you, hands gentle and horrific as he scooped you up like a bridal carry—like he’d earned this. Blood soaked your clothes, his black eyes boring into your scared, panicked face.
You screamed.
He just smiled and kissed you gently on the lips, his eyes boring into your own.
Caressed your cheek as you tried to weakly flail and get away, nails clawing viciously at his face—
“Don't worry, Princess...Your knight is here to SAVE you~ .”
And then, without a flash, without smoke or showmanship or any possible warning—
He flew.
Out the bedroom, through broken front door, into the sky, carrying you in his arms like a stolen relic.
Humming as he swept you away, over a dying and burning city.
Your screams echoed throughout the sky, ash and smoke swallowing the two of you whole….
Your nightmare has only begun.
Author's note: As you can see, your honor, I have a thing for sadists... Which variant should be next???
Warnings : Grief and loss (pregnancy-related),Multiverse trauma, Strong emotional tension, Mild horror themes (break-in, identity confusion),Physical grabbing (non-sexual, non-violent)Crying, kneeling, emotional collapse, Themes of worship/devotion around pregnancy/
Sinister Mark/Lensless Mark
The news blared on low, the light from the screen bright and bold .
You weren’t even really watching—just listening, praying, holding your belly like it might keep you grounded. Invincible was on the screen. Also known as Mark Grayson…YOUR Mark Grayson.
Your Mark Grayson was on the screen. Bruised. Bleeding. Still fighting in the city with the other heroes.
Still Alive.
Your fingers curled into the blanket over your lap. “Just come home,” you whispered, rubbing your swollen tummy absentmindedly. “Please come home. I need you. WE need you.”
You were seven months pregnant, your days of being a hero put on temporary hold. It had three days since you’d seen Mark. Three agonizing days of praying and worrying for him, Eve, Rex ..everyone. Three days of feeling guilty for not helping save lives.
And as you prayed for a miracle… the air slowly shifted. Cold. Heavy. Familiar in a way that made your stomach twist.
Whoosh.
…Whoosh?
You blinked and a small smile broke across your face as you came to an instantaneous conclusion.
He’s home!
Mark was home!
A shadow moved across the window and the house shook on its foundation. The lights flickered slightly as you moved to get up with a soft grunt, about to waddle slowly towards the front door to meet your husband. But.. before you were even half way off the couch… it exploded of its hinges, wood splintering everywhere.
You let out a little cry of surprise and shock, your movement stuttering to a halt. Your hands flew to your tummy, eyebrows crinkling as splinters rained onto the floor.
He stood in the smoke, panting. Wide-eyed. Dirty. A little bloodied. And completely still. His body was hidden in the shadow…yet You could tell that something was wrong...just not WHAT.
“M-Mark? But why-? How-?”
And you didn’t understand. How could he be here? You turned around to look at the news on the living room TV again—Mark was still fighting. Still on screen. Still fighting for his life. For the world. For you.
You let out a little sound as you heard the man step into the house ..and finally saw him in the light.
It WAS Mark.
Only it …wasn’t. He was more ragged. Like he'd been dragged through hell. The same face ..only harsher and crueler , same body only slightly bigger and tensed with contained energy—everything was off. The eyes. Dark and all consuming. The way he looked at you like you were the last thing he expected and the only thing keeping him standing.
Your eyes looked at him up and down...your brain not wrapping around the fact that this was NOT your Mark.
You barely had time to react before he moved.
Fast.
Predatory.
He was across the room in seconds, grabbing you by the wrist, dragging you up from the couch with force that made your knees buckle. His arms wrapped around you so tightly, like he could crush the truth out of you. Like he was afraid you’d disappear if he let go.
Your breath hitched and you let out a frightened mewl.Your large stomach pressed into his rigid body as you pushed against his chest with shaky palms—.
And he froze, his expression shifting into one of shock.
Not like a man realizing.Like a man shattering.
You didn’t speak.
Was too scared to. Neither did he.
The silence was thick.He held you, stiff and trembling. You were locked against him, trapped in heat and heartbeat and something that felt like panic drowning in longing.
Then—His arms slowly loosened.
You dropped back down to the couch, scooting back against the seat and covering yourself.He didn’t chase you. Just looked down—Eyes fixed on your belly.A slow, agonized breath left him.
And then he dropped to his knees.
No words. No sound. Just him… there. Crashing down to the floor in front of you. Shoulders shaking. Head bowed in reverence.
Like he was praying. Worshipping at your altar.
You trembled and pulled the edge of your sweater down as you looked at him. He didn’t move.
Not until his hands—calloused and cracked—lifted toward you.
“Please,” he whispered. “Please let me…”
He didn’t even finish the sentence before gently, reverently, placing his palms on either side of your belly.
You flinched, too afraid to stop him because if he was anything like your Mark...You could be killed in an instant—But he didn’t press, he didn’t do anything in fact.
“M-Mark…” You said softly, fearfully.
If he heard you he made no move to acknowledge the fact…only sank forward, eyes squeezed shut, resting his forehead against the soft curve of your abdomen like it was sacred.
“You…You’re real…,” he said hoarsely. “God, you’re HERE.”
You opened your mouth to ask what he meant, still dazed and confused —but the pain in his face stopped you. The raw, unchecked emotion made your heart clench.
His fingers trembled where they touched you, holding your stomach like he thought it might slip away.
“You don’t know me,” ‘Mark’ said, finally looking up at you with those sad, sad eyes. “ But I knew you. And you knew me…You were mine…and I loved you. And you died in my arms.”
The world stopped spinning and your heart hammered heavily in your chest.
His lip trembled as he spoke softer now. He looked twenty years older than her Mark.
“You were pregnant then too,” he said. “Not this far along, but I could tell. We’d briefly talked about names...about naming the baby Debbie after mom...and Markus if it was a boy…I kept trying to get you out of the city. Away from Dad...from the dangers of it all...But you wouldn’t leave them behind. You said—” His voice cracked. “You insisted that we couldn’t abandon people who needed help. That it wasn’t right. That if we died, at least the baby would know what we stood for.”
He didn’t move. Still kneeling. Still bleeding, still breathing too fast. Still watching you like you were a memory slipping through his fingers.
“I held you in my arms after I found your broken body in the rubble,” he whispered, voice splintered. “You had used your abilities to save civilians from a crumbling building…but you couldn’t save yourself. Had ran out of energy….I arrived only in time to hear your dying breath. There was so much blood. You wouldn’t stop apologizing. You just kept saying, ‘I’m sorry. I wanted you to meet her. I wanted you to be a dad.' "He choked, both hands gripping your thighs. Rubbing them like he was worried you’d be in pain.
“I told you I was proud of you. That you were brave. That you saved them. That you had given it your all and done the very best you could…But you just cried and told me you were scared.”
A beat.
Two.
You reached out. Slowly. Fingers brushing through his hair—matted and rough and too familiar. You hadn’t realized that you were crying, tears falling down round flushed cheeks, your body shaking with emotion. His whole body shuddered.
“I held you,” he whispered. “I held you until your body went cold and the light faded from your beautiful eyes..and I said your name..Begged for you to wake up. But you were already gone.”
For a while, there was nothing but the sound of his breathing. Deep. Labored. Strangled with grief.
“ Angstrom came then,” he said. “And I soon found myself and other versions of me being hurled through dimensions. Ripped worlds and universes apart ..all of us trying to find you again. I thought—maybe—if I just kept going, I’d find a version of you who lived. Who still had the baby. Who didn’t die because I wasn’t fast ..wasn’t STRONG enough.”
His fingers gripped tighter around your stomach. Then instantly loosened, like he was afraid to hurt you. He looked up again—face wrecked and raw.
“I don’t want to take him from you,” he said. “But… I needed to know you existed. That somewhere, you were safe. That you didn’t die in pain...And now that I’ve found you...I don’t want to lose you again.”
You didn’t speak. You couldn’t as you sobbed softly.
You just...were.
And you wrapped your arms around him. Pressed ‘Marks’ head back to your belly. Let him shake..
He kissed your stomach through fabric. Again. Again. Gentle. Reverent. His lips moved with the kind of worship that didn’t ask for permission because grief had stolen consent a long time ago.
You stayed there for a long time.
No time. No world. Just breath and tears and two people who'd broken in different timelines but still ended up here—together.
