𝐃𝐎𝐆 𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐒

𝘥𝘰𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰.

[dogbltes]

DOGBITES . . . a study in knowing when to lie down and obey and when to bare your teeth , biting the hand that beat you, and rewarding bad behaviour. leashed by sol. 27. she/her. prev. lovcrsrock. google doc. opens. wishlist.

YOU THINK YOU'RE A GENTLE DOG WITH THOSE TEETH ?

[invcntions]

he's been walking a fine line between wanting to know more about anders and learning it's probably better not to. nate's never been one to get ruffled by stories of some unjust leader, his life's already been full of them and never have they been as fearsome as the tales suggest. though there is something about anders that seems different — perhaps because, despite himself, nate can't help thinking about the blond at the male's side. it's a new sort of concern, one that's not for himself but for someone so cleary in the wrong place. who's kind, sweet. who keeps coming up in passing comments he does his best not to visibly glance at. he still doesn't expect to see him, has learnt better than to hold his breath for company when he walks into the kitchen, doesn't think to glance to the table until a familiar voice breaks the quiet. “ hi. ” the greeting exhales softly, lips pulling ever so slightly up at the edges. “ i'm on shift every night — fair working hours aren't one of the rules your boyfriend decides to follow. ” it's supposed to be a joke, though the words fall instantly flat as he has chance to properly look over niki, unusually pale and tired, with a heaviness nate can recognise far too easily “ what's wrong? ” it's what he should have lead with, long strides carrying him quickly across the kitchen to the other male's side. “ did he do something to you? ”

[dogbltes]

" no-- he didn't do anything. " his voice sounds hollow. it's true, technically-- anders wouldn't lay a finger on him. niki knows that. in between the casual cruelty, the mood swings and the scattering of the terrified, dead-eyed staff, anders peppers him with affection. niki's lips are raw from his hard, all-consuming kisses. his hips are bruised from how hard anders will dig his fingers into the bone to hold him close. anders loves him. he loves him so much. " i'm not hurt. "

nate is close, suddenly, and niki doesn't know how to hold himself in his presence. part of him wants to flinch away, terrified of what might happen if anders saw him within arm's length of anyone else. but the largest part of him wants to slump over, lean in, be comforted by someone he's not terrified of. " he shot someone today. " this is not a rare occurence. niki has watched anders dispose of people over and over in the time he's been here. " he-- it was a gardener, i think. something like that. one of the rose bushes he had planted for me died, so, you know . . . "

[pininganticipation]

paloma always remembered drinks. she might not remember someone’s name or the woes they spilled to her under the influence of alcohol, but she always remembered a drink – especially for someone so pretty. she leaned against the bar, grinning at her. “oh course i remembered, sweetheart.” god. niko was starting to influence how she spoke now. how silly. “how is it? i make it okay?”

[dogbltes]

sweetheart. alice might burst out of sheer excitement at the sound of the pet name, smile spreading so wide over her face it makes her cheeks hurt. " it's perfect. " she hasn't taken a single sip of her strawberry daquiri, but that's beside the point. " i actually came back just for you-- cause you make it better than anyone else in this city. "

[hcllowbodies]

noah hates how much all of these secrets press at the back of his teeth. but sasha keeps talking, keeps pushing. he knows, somewhere in the back of his mind, that this is going to change everything. but he can't seem to get out of it either. SHIT. “it takes ten minutes of kneeling on rice to bleed.” a beat, “a few hours for it to scar.” another heaving breath, noah's starting to sound like a rescue dog sighing on the couch. he's so fucking tired of doing this, and it only just started. "can we stop talking about this now ??"

[dogbltes]

he misheard. he must have. no matter how long he's been in this country, english isn't his first language. " rice ? " he repeats, brows knitted together in confusion. " you mean like-- sushi ? " sasha feels silly, stupid even, that he's not understanding, but what noah is telling him is beyond comprehension. " i don't understand. i-- why would you kneel on rice ? "

[sunbecms]

already, a smile's tugging at the corner of his lips again at declan's words. 'a little sore', and the back of ariel's neck prickles with warmth knowing he's the one who caused it. can't justify a single reason in his head anymore why he waited so long to make it happen, either. everything before tonight seems so pointless now, all the stupid attempts to keep things platonic, put off crossing this boundary between them. "it was 'good' ?" ariel teases, a tinge of loving mock to his tone. he lifts a hand to declan's jaw, fingertips tracing along it, gaze fixed like he's studying him for the first time again before offering a gentle praise. "you were really good."

he nods, still smirking. hopes declan isn't too freaked out but decides to give him a bit of space. "sure thing — i'll grab water." ariel leaves him to find his own way to the couch as he heads to the kitchen area, separated from the living room by nothing more than a half-wall. his head's swimming as he pulls a couple glasses and fills them from the tap. can't help but replay their time in the car together on a loop till he's reached the back of the couch. glasses still in hand, he drapes an arm around declan's shoulders from behind and leans into his neck. "so no round two tonight then, huh ?"

[dogbltes]

the light brush of ariel's fingers against his jaw is enough to send his face flushing all over again. the accompanying words deepen his colours to something bordering scarlett. really good. ariel thinks he was really good. a grin pulls at his mouth as he nods in agreement, fumbling to find the right words. " yeah, yeah, that's what i meant-- really fucking good. " god, he's such a fucking loser. his cheeks don't cool as he makes his way over to the touch, gentle praise replaying in his mind until ariel is suddenly behind him, mouth pressed into his neck, and declan can't manage anything more than a shuddering breath.

" i didn't say that. " a second round might just fucking kill him, but feeling ariel pressed so close, there's no way he's gonna refuse. declan reaches up, fingers sliding into ariel's hair to scratch lightly at his scalp. keeping him there. his head turns, chin dipping to find ariel's mouth in a kiss. " you didn't even show me all of your moves yet. "

[likecavities]

tyler's grip is tight on her hips, their thigh pressing harder to meet the motion. her breath hitches, and it radiates straight through him. "yeah ?? think you might have missed more than that." he replies, wicked smirk cracking across his face. every sound that pulls from her feels like it burrows under his skin. if they're being honest, tyler absolutely missed robin. she mentions that the clock is ticking, and he swallows a laugh. his teeth graze over her throat again, and in an instant he's replacing his thigh with his hand, pressed up against the soft cotton of her underwear. probably not fair to tease, after all the time they've spent apart. their calloused fingers pressed up against her, and they catch her mouth in another kiss. his touch is feather light and teasing. "tell me you need me," he murmurs into her mouth, "and you'll get whatever you want."

[dogbltes]

the press of rough fingers up against her is enough to draw the softest oh from robin's lips. her arms are tight around ty's neck, back arching into the touch before she can stop and think about how that will look-- desperate, eager. " i always get what i want. " her voice is breathless as she counters, hips squirming further into their touch. tyler's got her, but robin wouldn't be robin if she let that be so easily. " you tell me you need me, and i might let you keep touching me like that. " as if the fabric of her underwear is damp against tyler's fingers.

[likecavities]

cam is so not great at this. but sasha said he should do it – and cam's not gonna be in town forever. he's here a lot, but that doesn't mean anything. santa cruz is always going to be home base. right ?? don't overthink this, you're not marrying someone, just because you went on a first date, cameron. "word." a beat, "well can i get you anything ??" he was raised right, he's not exactly letting niki walk away empty handed. "kinda seems like – shitty – for me to take you out for a drink, and not buy you something."

[dogbltes]

the steely hold on his features softens, slightly, at cameron's words. he's nervous in a way that's kind of cute, bending over backward to buy him something. niki can't remember the last time he even heard someone say those words. " i'll have a pepsi, if you insist. " his mouth pulls up into a smile, or at least the suggestion of one. " i don't bite, you know. you don't have to be nervous. " as it his own hands aren't slick under the table.

[silkchvffon]

IT HAS NEVER MATTERED until now. she has been playing pretend for her entire life, but none of it has made her feel anything — she can slip in and out of any mindset without it costing her a goddamn cent. this, however. this she feels. she catches the cigarette between her lips, batting her lashes in gratitude as she takes a long drag, her one free hand coming up to remove smoke from her mouth. all the while her gaze is glued to him, the shift in the air surrounding them palpable. arden's never been a victim — she is always exactly where she wants to be. « i like playing, » she muses coyly, a soft giggle spilling from her. « i could be anything you want. anything you need. just some dumb object to use ? a partner in crime ? i can do it all. » and she needs this just as much.

[dogbltes]

" you like playing. " he echoes the words, almost incredulously, head shaking even as a grin tugs at his mouth. their gazes are locked-- samuel can't help but observe her, trying to catch sight of anything that might mean she's still scared. there's nothing. " you keep talkin' like that, i might have to uncuff you from that fuckin' radiator. " he reaches out to pluck the cigarette from her fingers, lips wrapping around the filter. trying to catch a taste of her. " you wanna be my partner in crime ? "

samuel doesn't believe her. now that she's shown just how much she likes to play, nothing that comes out of her mouth is credible anymore. but he likes this game they're playing. he likes her.

he extends the cigarette to place it back between her parted lips. fuck, he wants to keep her. " or do you wanna be something else ? "

[hcllowbodies]

sasha might say he won't pity him, but noah doesn't buy it. he knows better. he knows the stories. he knows what happened. he was THERE. so no amount of gentle brushing over his cheekbone, or well placed smiles is going to change what he already knows. and he knows that sasha, for all of his adorable bite and his harsh opinions, isn't going to tolerate it well. and THEN noah will have to grapple with the facts of his own history. the knowledge that this is the tip of the iceberg. "it's worse then you think it is." he mumbles, "i don't wanna do this tonight." how many times can he repeat that fact ?? a heaving sigh pulls through him. "can't it be a tomorrow problem ??" he should've remembered to put those STUPID band aids on today.

[dogbltes]

" you're going to say the same thing tomorrow. " it's not a guess-- sasha knows there will never be a convenient, comfortable moment where noah will willingly share whatever it is he's guarding so closely. and he's getting kind of fond of this guy, so that just isn't going to fly. " i promise you, it's not worse than i think it is. i'm thinking of every terrible thing it could have possibly been right now. " he pushes up, no longer allowing noah the luxury of avoiding eye contact. " i'm not going to shut up-- you know i never do. you're wasting my time and yours by being difficult. "

[dogbltes]

rebranded to celebrate my comeback !! i barely have any ongoing threads so like this for a short open. if u want a specific muse just scream at me u can find my babies here.

[hcllowbodies]

noah's arms wrap around sasha on instinct. he likes having the other man tucked into his neck, breathing him in, even if vulnerability feels like a knife at the edge of his throat. "can't we just skip that part, and go straight to the coffee." he knows somewhere in the back of his head that sasha's right – that they will eventually have to talk about this. but dear god, he doesn't fucking want to. because noah knows what happens next. he's going to start putting on bandaids again just to cover the scars. he hates being seen as some kind of victim. "sure." he replies, but he doesn't really believe that. "but not tonight. okay ??"

[dogbltes]

" noah. " the name is an exhale, as gentle a sound as his harshly accented tongue can produce. sasha's hand comes up to cup noah's cheek, thumb brushing gently over the sharp jut of his cheekbone. " it's not going to get easier-- if it's really as bad as you say it is. " which he's still doubting, though he won't say it out loud. how bad can the story behind some divots in his knees really be ? " if you don't tell me now this is going to be a thing. i don't want it to be a thing. " things between them have been easy, fun-- he doesn't want something like this to make it heavy. " i'm not gonna pity you, okay ? i'm not. "

[hcllowbodies]

"noah, i'm so sorry that happened to you." he huffs, and then rolls his eyes. he doesn't WANT this. "it might be your first time hearin' about it, but i've had this conversation before, sash." and he always walks away feeling worse than he started. sasha kisses him, and he melts. of course he does. no melodrama, no sad eyed pity. i'll laugh. would that feel any better ?? his chest aches. "i don't wanna do this." a beat, "i don't wanna talk."

[dogbltes]

he lowers himself down easily, settling his full weight on noahs chest, face tucked into the familiar crook of the other male's neck. there's silence as he thinks over noah's words. " fine. i won't react. we can lay just like this and you can tell the ceiling, and after you finish i'm gonna get up and make coffee. " his mouth presses a feather-light kiss to noah's neck. his fingers curl into his shirt. " you'll have to tell me eventually, you know. " because if there's one unspoken truth between the two of them, it's that this won't be a fling.

[dogbltes]

closed for @pininganticipation !

"oh ! you remember my drink order ? " alice's fingers wring hard in her lap, skin pinching and twisting as if she can knead her excitement into something tangible. paloma remembers her. this has to mean something. " that's-- that's actually so sweet. i didn't know i'd made such an impression ! "

[dogbltes]

closed for my fav @likecavities !

"if you ignore my fucking texts one more fucking time, i'm going to key your car. " red acrylics dig hard into the sticky top of the bar. if tyler thinks he could ghost a girl like robin, he's in for a rude fucking awakening. " i know you read them, ty, don't even fucking start on that. "

[dogbltes]

rebranded to celebrate my comeback !! i barely have any ongoing threads so like this for a short open. if u want a specific muse just scream at me u can find my babies here.

[invcntions]

he should have expected a bad response, certainly knew better than to expect a good one, still the venom in abel's tone takes him aback. for a moment it had felt like they were making progress - perhaps never enough to get back to how things had been, but enough to be civil, to be a team in this unknown territory. they' not. paxton's reminded of that with painful force as the words land against his chest far harder than any shove could of done. to abel he's the bad guy, and the worst part is that he can't blame the other male for it. it's effective, he'll give abel that much. his own features harden, jaw locking in place if only to stop himself from biting back at the words with something he knows he'll regret seconds after. i wouldn't want you like this anyway. teeth press against the inside of his cheek hard enough to fill his mouth with a faint metallic tang. the empty room suddenly the last place he wants to be as he glances to the open door. there's not another one, even if there was he's sure it's the idea of their feelings for each other that endeared them to niki enough to be worth saving. still, it crosses his mind to ask for an alternative. he shakes the idea off after a few minutes of pacing, returns to busying himself in setting up a bed on the far side of the room, getting ready for what will no doubt be a long evening ahead of them. he's not sure how long's passed before the door pulls open again, doesn't glance back in the direction of the familiar voice when he's busy flicking through an old book left out on the dresser. it's not until a silence has fallen that brown eyes lift to catch a glance of the other male in the reflection of the mirror. “ take your shirt off. ” he states cooly, gaze refusing to meet abel's as fingers move to start undoing his own. they're not quite the same size, though given both shirts are anders' it doesn't seem to matter who wears which. it matters that one of them is ruined, that their host doesn't seem like a reasonable guy and abel already looks like he'll break under a moment of accusation for it. “ take this one, give me that. ” he doesn't leave room to protest, not when he's already slipping free of the sleeves to hand his own shirt over. " when we're both out of here alive, we can be done. ” brown eyes still don't meet the other male's gaze, finality to the words a painful contrast the hope he's spent the last few years clinging to. “ just pull yourself together until then, or you'll get us both killed. ”

[dogbltes]

this should not be a surprise. it isn't, really. of course paxton won't welcome him with open arms, pull him into his lap & kiss his cheek & wipe off the wine he's dribbled down his chin. pax is mad, cold, and it leaves abel standing frozen in the middle of the room, gaze fixed on the other male even as pax refuses to even meet his eye.

" oh--kay. " his tongue fumbles uselessly in his mouth. he's not used to this. part of him believed that no matter how hard he might push, pax would always come back to grovel for his forgiveness, his affection. but he's stopped trying, clearly, resigned to abel's clearly proclaimed contempt.

he doesn't like it.

his heart is in his throat, now, the threat of actually losing pax so clearly in front of him it sends panic screeching through his veins. he extends his hand to put the almost-empty bottle on the nightstand, but hits only the edge before his useless fingers let go and send the glass bottle tumbling to the floor, where it smashes. another mess pax will have to clean up, because abel is in no state to pick shards of glass up off the carpet.

" i'm sorry. " he's not talking about the bottle. paxton still isn't looking at him. he might throw up.

his fingers lift to fumble with the buttons of his shirt, numb pads trying and failing to force them through the impossibly small button holes. it feels like his hands are no longer attached to his body, though whether that's because of the alcohol, or the panic, or both, abel can't tell.

" can you help me ? " it's fucking humiliating, how needy and small he sounds. " i'm sorry, pax, i'm so sorry, i just-- i can't get it. " he's not talking about the buttons. does paxton understand that ? does he even care ?

"i'll pull myself together, okay ? i'll take a cold shower, or-- or something. "

[hcllowbodies]

"no you won't." god, he doesn't want to do this. he doesn't mind sasha's general curiosity. of course he doesn't. except when he does – which like – he's trying not to mind it right now. "i know the payoff, i'm telling you it's not worth it." blue eyes catch on his face. "listen – this is how this goes. i'll tell you, you'll get the whole sad eyed pity thing going on, you won't know what to say, so then you'll apologize, and i'll just feel fucking weird." a beat, "spare me the melodrama, sasha. i don't wanna do it tonight."

[dogbltes]

" i never apologize for anything. " he means it. sasha is not the type to back down and roll over-- especially when he hasn't done anything wrong. he's just asking a question. " tell you what. " he dips down to press his mouth to noah's, a brief pause before he continues. " you tell me, and i promise when you finish talking, i'll laugh. no matter what it is. no melodrama. no-- what did you call it ? - sad eyed pity. "