Graves. they/she. non-binary femme. queer. latine. twenty-six. witch. filthy southern leftist. lover of the macabre. multifandom. write smut and fluff alike. MDNI: mature content, enter at your own risk. enjoy your stay.
who I write for + masterlists, about me, roleplay with my ST OC, or roleplay with my post Vecna Eddie!
AO3 - contains these works and more (working on updating fully)
Summary: You -- the lone wanderer -- are persuaded by a Rivet City vendor to buy some Ant Queen Pheromones to try out with Charon... what's the worst that could happen?
Warnings: SMUT (MINORS DNI), Queen Ant pheromones (aphrodisiac), sex pollen trope, very enthusiastic consent, oral (m receiving), unprotected sex (don't try at home), irradiated creampie (implied use of radaway/radx), established relationship, rough sex, lmk if anything else!
WC: 3.1k words
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You werenโt sure why youโd let Cindy Cantelli talk you into buying it. You were just trying to get regular medical supplies, declining her offer ofย high-quality chemsย as usual. But then her eyes slyly drifted to Charon, your constant shadow, and she leaned in conspiratorially.
โIโve got something pretty rare that you might be interested in trying,โ she whispered, raising an eyebrow slightly. โYou might even thank me later.โ
You raised your eyebrows as well, bemused. โWhat is it?โ
โAnt queen pheromones,โ she said. โStrongest aphrodisiac there is. Nearly impossible to find, but I got lucky enough to get my hands on some.โ
Your face felt like it was on fire as you gaped at her, but damn it if you werenโt hooked on the idea already. It took all your willpower not to look back at Charon and basically confirm her suspicions. The sort of, ah,ย relationshipย you had with him was usually frowned upon, so it was better to keep it lowkey. Not that you gave a shit what others thought, but your business was your own, and you wanted to avoid any more disrespect directed at him.
โTrust me, if you findย some lucky guyย to try this with, youโll be on him like a crazed Yao Guai.โ She winked.
You considered her words and narrowed your eyes at her suspiciously, unsure why she was being so insistent. โWhy offer it to me?โ
She raised her hands in a placating gesture. โHey, a girlโs gotta have her fun from time to time. You sure look like you need it.โ
After that, youโd grumbled something about blatant invasion of privacy, but you didnโt really have an argument to contradict her. And so, a whopping ninety-five caps later, you secured a small vial of the amber-and-green nectar.
Charon was none the wiser, but he had been curious as to why you were so quiet when youโd gone to get dinner at Garyโs Galley, avoiding his eye. Even a casual hand on your leg under the table had felt like too much, a strange anticipation setting you on edge.
Still, you continued not to say anything and decided to experiment with it first. You had to make sure you hadnโt been scammed, and if you had, youโd rather take that loss without being silently judged for your rash โ and not to mentionย hornyย โ decisions.
Later, back in your room at the Weatherly hotel, youโd locked yourself in the bathroom and stared at the vial on the counter for an ungodly amount of time.ย Fuck itย . What exactly did you have to lose? Your dignity? That was long gone already. Might as well try to have some fun, as Cindy had soย delicatelyย suggested.
The ant nectar almost tasted like honey sliding down your throat, but it was also strangely earthy, like dewy grass. You stuck your tongue out with mild displeasure and shuddered, hating the slightly slimy consistency. Then, you stared at your reflection almost accusingly, expecting to feel the effects right away.ย
But no, it was much more gradual than that.ย
You took off your vault suit for the night, remaining in a tank top and underwear, which was usually what you slept in. You came out of the bathroom already feeling half defeated, sheepishly smiling at him as you crossed over to sit on the mattress. Charon was already familiar with the sight of you like that, so he didnโt look up twice from his task of cleaning his shotgun.ย
You quietly watched him work for some time โ the flex and roll of his arm muscles with every swipe of the rag, his slight frown of concentration, and the casual way he sat with his legs spread. Almost like an invitation to sit on his lapโฆย
You hummed softly in thought. It wasnโt hard for you to be affected by him on a regular basis, but you couldnโt yet discern if the pheromones were doing anything extra. You stretched out on your side on the mattress, propping your head on one hand and drawing idle circles on your hip with the other.ย
Heat began to slowly creep upwards from the tips of your toes. Your vision sharpened to the point where you could discern even the smallest details of things around you. Your skin prickled with hyperawareness, your body feeling more and more sensitive as the minutes ticked by. Soon enough, you were absently rubbing your thighs together like a languorous cricket, your eyes straying lower and lower on Charonโs body.
The slight movements and your soft, ill-concealed sighs caught his attention, and he looked over at you with one brow muscle raised.ย
โWhatโs wrong?โ he asked.
โNothing,โ you said all too quickly, bottom lip caught between your teeth.
He narrowed his eyes, noticing your flushed features, shallow breaths, and hardened nipples poking through your thin tank top. He shifted in his seat, hips lazily bucking upwards, your eyes immediately following the movement. Your breathing hitched.ย
โAre you sure about that?โย
โAre you teasing me right now?โ You countered, flustered, and crossed your arms over your chest.ย
You sucked in a breath at the small contact with your breasts, which were so sensitive it was almost painful. One corner of his lips tugged up in a small, intrigued smirk, and you swallowed hard. Your mouth seemed full of saliva all of a sudden, a thin string of it connecting your lips even as they parted. A heavy, incandescent ache had settled between your thighs, throbbing with every beat of your heart.
Well, fuck. So it is working, after all.
โCharon,โ you breathed, already so much like a plea, though it was laced with slight panic.ย
โIf you want me, all you have to do is ask,โ he said evenly, catching a strong whiff of your arousal. โNo need to beat around the bush.โ
Oh, he wanted to play it that way, did he?ย Well, you would make it crystal clear for him, then.
You stood up and approached him, slotting yourself between his strong thighs. Your pupils were blown wide with desire, like two chasms swallowing your irises. You placed your hands on his shoulders, humming pleasurably at the unnatural warmth he radiated.
โIย needย you,โ you said, voice thick.
Despite the interested twitch of his cock in his pants, he was slightly worried at your sudden wantonness. Not that you hadnโt very happily jumped his bones before, but he sensed there was somethingย moreย he couldnโt quite put his finger on. After all, you were literally looking at him as though you mightย dieย if he didnโt plow you like a fertile field right then and there.
โYouโre shaking,โ he noted, large hands resting on your hips in an attempt to stabilize you.
โYouโve never complained about that before,โ you joked half-heartedly, licking your lips.ย
โBecause Iโve never seen you likeย thisย before,โ he countered, one hand roaming up to experimentally pinch one of your nipples over the dirty cotton, making you cry out. He hummed in thought, assessing your body almost like he did a target.
โย Pleaseย , donโt be mean today,โ you whined, feeling like your blood was boiling, thighs rubbing together in a futile attempt to ease some of the ache. โDonโt tease me.โ
His milky blue eyes flicked up to meet yours, dark humor swimming within them. โย Youย have never complained about that before.โย
Your grip on his shoulders tightened. โย Charon.ย โ
He huffed with amusement, but relented. โHow exactly do you need me?โ
โBreak me, bend me, rip me apart with your teeth,ย I donโt fucking careย ,โ you urged, surprising him once again. โHowever you want to do it, justย takeย me.โ
There was a low growl in his throat as his own fire was stoked by your blunt words. But before he gave into the sirenโs call of your soft flesh, he needed to know just what the hell had gotten into you first. The hand that was still on your chest crept up to your throat, not squeezing but merely holding you in place as he gave you a stern look.
โWhat did you do?โ He asked.
You huffed indignantly and looked away. โWhy are you assuming I did anything?โ
He narrowed his eyes, his fingers tightening on your windpipe slightly in warning. You grasped his wrist as your mind went a little hazy, your eyes heavy-lidded.ย
โMmm, yeah, do that harder,โ you purred, thoughts drifting down a darker, headier path.
โย Stop it.โย He bared his teeth in a snarl. โJust tell me the truth, or I wonโt lay another finger on you.โ
You let out an irritated growl, baring yours in return. You were suddenly all too aware of your teeth and your nails and a yawning hunger to tear and be torn. Perhaps Cindyโs description of a crazed Yao Guai wasnโt too far off. At least, you certainly wanted him to maul you like one.ย
But he wouldnโt until you admitted the embarrassing part first, though somehow, even the mild humiliation of putting yourself in that situation was arousing. Perhaps you wouldnโt even mind if he degraded you a little bit for it, if the shudder that threatened to run down your spine at the thought was any indication.
โย Fine,โย you snapped. โI may or may not have beenย relentlesslyย persuaded into buying some ant queen pheromonesโฆ and I may have alsoย highlyunderestimated how strong they actually areโฆโ
โHuh,โ he said simply, eyes roving over you once more. โAnd now you want me to fix it for you.โ
โOh, donโt worry, Iโm planning on putting in the work, too,โ you said, tone inevitably dipping into sly territory once more. โAs fun as you using me like a ragdoll to your heartโs content soundsโฆโ
โI could,โ he mused, almost sounding bored as he moved to grasp the hem of your shirt with both hands. โYou already gave me permission to.โ
With that, he tugged sharply and ripped your tank top in half, making you gasp. He tossed what remained of it to the side unceremoniously, hungrily eyeing your breasts. There would be more time later to chastise him for ruining the few items of clothing you had, but in the meantime, an excited thrill ran through you, tinged with a hint of fear at having given him free rein.ย
You knew he wouldnโt actually hurt youโฆ at least not in ways you didnโt want to be hurt. But still, your mind ran wild with possibilities, each more vulgar than the next.
You thought heโd put his hands on you again, but he made no move to do so. Instead, he pushed his chair back and widened the space between his legs, gaze flicking down to the floor in silent command.ย Make it worth my time,ย his eyes said.
Oh. Oh, yes.ย He wasnโt wrong when he said you liked him getting mean.ย
You sank to your knees immediately, salivating like a dog begging for a treat. Already, there was a prominent bulge straining against his leather pants, but his face betrayed nothing of his arousal. He kept his hands at his sides and adjusted his hips forward, but he didnโt attempt to help you more than that. You did say youโd be putting in the work, after all.
Moaning deliriously, you bent your head to rub your cheek against it, tongue catching some of the leather as well. You heard his low, throaty rumbling and felt yourself clenching around nothing. Ever since he got slightly more comfortable about vocalizing his pleasure, you couldnโt get enough of it.ย
With shaking hands, you undid his belt and fumbled with both his fly and button. He lifted his hips slightly so you could tug down his pants enough to free his hardening cock, the leaking head of it hitting his lower abdomen. For a moment, you could hear an angelic choir hitting a high note in your mind, and all you could do was stare.
But then his hand fisted in your hair with a certain insistence, and you bent your head again almost reverently. You dragged your tongue slowly from his sac up to the head of his cock, savoring his rough, textured skin.
A few messy kisses on his shaft had him grunting, but his hips flexed as you swirled your tongue over the sensitive tip. Then you took him into your mouth, swallowing him down, down, down until tears gathered at your lashes from trying not to choke. His fist tightened on your hair, tugging close to your scalp and making you moan weakly around him. You had never taken him so far down your throat before, nor had you made such a mess.
You felt some arousal leaking out the side of your already-soaked panties, running down your inner thigh and dripping onto the floor. You came up for air, obscene ropes of saliva and precum connecting your lips to his cock. Seeing how he was beginning to ruin you so beautifully, his snarl was positively feral. He let you tongue him a little more, but then he pulled you back by the hair when he felt his abdominal muscles start to tense.
โGet up,โ he rasped, letting go of you so he could also stand.ย
Your legs were wobbly as you somehow managed to stand, but you almost lost your footing as he spun you around, bending you over the table heโd been cleaning his gun at. You tried to reach back to touch him, wriggling against him as he leaned his weight on you to keep you in place. He pinned your hands behind your back with one of his and roughly pulled down your panties with the other, making you giggle almost hysterically.
โย Pleaseย ,โ you mewled again, shifting your hips in an attempt to grind your ass against him.ย
โBe quiet,โ he grunted, kicking your legs apart and slotting his cock against your puffy, dripping pussy, coating himself with your arousal.ย
The impatient, almost animalistic sounds you made would have probably worried him in any other situation, but presently he was enjoying drawing out the torture a little bit. His hips pulled back so he could probe at your slit with rough fingers. He did so without much dexterity or rhythm, but the sudden contact with your stiffened bundle of nerves had your muscles seizing up.
And then, as the tip of his thumb dipped slightly into your cunt, merely teasing you, you nosedived over the edge so quickly you nearly got vertigo. The fiery tingles in your belly made your toes curl and your eyes screwed shut. He drew out your first release by messily circling your clit with his middle finger, feeling your wrists slightly straining against his grip.
But even as you rode it out, it was not enough. You were left a whimpering, pathetic mess, mindlessly begging him to fill you up. It was like music to his ears and finally โ mercifully โ he sank fully inside you in a single thrust. He let go of your hands to spread your ass so he could better see his cock slowly going in and out of you. Your hands scrabbled for purchase at the edge of the table, the delicious stretch of him inside you making your eyes roll to the back of your skull.
He leaned forward, his weight flattening you on the table, each deep, hard thrust punching a strangled sound from your lungs. And to top it all off? His hand came to rest on your head, effectively immobilizing you and leaving you completely at his mercy. Wellโฆ your brain was due for a good reset, anyway.
โIs this what you wanted?โ He growled, pleasantly surprising you by being much more vocal than he usually was during the act.
โFuuuckโฆย y-yes,โ you sobbed, cheek dragging against the metal of the table as you nodded. โย Harder.ย Fuck me harder.โ
His hips snapped into yours loudly, the wet squelch of his cock spearing your cunt both erotic and absolutely filthy. As he felt you start to spasm around his cock, pleasure clouded his senses and he held onto his self-control by a thread. Something about having you like this, once again corrupting your perfect smooth body with his much larger, ruined one, made something primal and fierce rise within him.ย
He bent his head until his lips touched your shoulder, planting a kiss so light you thought you imagined it, perhaps as an apology. Then you felt the graze of his teeth for a millisecond before they sank into your shoulder just hard enough for the sharp sting to make you wail.
The second orgasm hit you like the swing of a super mutantโs makeshift sword, bright white stars pirouetting across your vision. Your soul felt like it was flung out of your desperate body, the rush of endorphins like the Potomac closing over your head, pulling you under. You clenched around him hard, milking him for all he was worth, and he was pulled right along with you.
Spurts of warmth filled you as his cock twitched, every wave of ecstasy punctuated by a grunt. His thrusts were shallow and sloppy as he rode it out to the end, tongue tracing the teeth marks heโd left behind on your shoulder. Youโd gone slack beneath him, soft little sounds of contentment escaping your lips, smiling dopily with your eyes closed.ย
โAre youโฆ okay?โ He panted, torso pulling back so he wouldnโt be squishing you anymore.
โI feel like my bones are made of jelly,โ you giggled breathlessly. โJustโฆ give me a few minutes to recover. Iโm notโฆ Iโm not done with you yet.โ
He couldnโt help but snort, absolutely appalled. โI do not think that is going to happen.โ
You managed to open your eyes a sliver to peer up at him slyly. โTry me.โ
โ-----------------
Early the next morning, while Charon was still knocked out and snoring, you somehow managed to waddle back down to the Rivet City Marketplace. You wore a pair of sunglasses youโd found discarded by the stairs and a scarf youโd borrowed from Vera wrapped over your head. Not that it was a very good disguise, but you felt that if people couldnโt see your eyes directly, then they wouldnโt know of all your sins.ย
Like spending the night rutting away like animals with spring fever, for starters.ย
Cindy, of course, was not fooled in the slightest. She smirked as she saw you approach her stand, crossing her arms over her chest and lifting an eyebrow.ย
โSoโฆ I take it things went well?โ she said a little too smugly for your taste.
You cleared your throat, trying to play it cool. โI just came to say thank you.โ
You gave her an extra ten caps, just as a tip. Her smirk widened as she pocketed them, all too happy to have anotherย satisfiedย customer.
โPleasure doing business with you,โ she said.ย
The two of you nodded at each other and nothing else was said, but there would always be a mutual knowledge that aย veryย good night was had within Rivet Cityโs walls.
Warnings: 18+, oral sex, Charon's big ole hog and gruff behavior, manhandling, facial, mention of alcohol and vomit.
Notes: One of the most highly requested characters on the blog. He's always such a treat to write for. There's so much you can communicate with him without using any words. Hope you guys like it!
Charon was the epitome of a "man of few words". On a good day, you might hear him speak a handful of sentences, a paragraph or two when he felt especially chatty. However, most days, you only heard a few words or grunts. Sometimes, he was just completely silent.
Though you'd initially taken it as a sign that he didn't like you, didn't enjoy your company or your "holding" of his contract, you'd learned otherwise as the two of you had grown more familiar with one another. Each day on the road or holed up in a hotel room was another chance to try to break the thick, cold ice. Painstakingly slowly, you'd grown close; first interpersonally, then physically.
The burly, redheaded ghoul was perfectly good company, but he wasn't especially entertaining. You really wished there was more to do for fun in this place than drink, gamble, and gossip.
The dusty, grimy saloon you'd been hanging around for a day or so was bustling, another new person coming in the door or stumbling out of it what felt like every minute. Though the place had been slow when you'd first sat down a few hours before, it had grown rather packed, leaving you staring into your drink to avoid making accidental eye contact with stranger after stranger. Beside you, your bodyguard and boyfriend studied each face that passed through the entryway. You let your hand rest on his knee, and he glanced at you out of the corner of his eye for a hard beat.
Thanks to the closeness you'd fostered, you'd grown more proficient at reading his body language over time; his face, the direction he turned his head, where he pinned his gaze and for how long, all small tells to what was going on in his mind. Though he was quiet overall, his physicality communicated much more than most might assume.
That's why you knew, when he let his gaze drag very deliberately up your body and across your chest before dragging it up to make direct eye contact with you, that it was time to retire to your room for the night. Maybe there was more fun to be had than drinking.
"Ready to go?" you asked, leaning close both to tease and to be heard over the buzzing murmur of a dozen other parties in the room, your shoulder just barely brushing his side.
Charon nodded wordlessly as his only form of reply, but you could see a familiar heat in his gaze that gave you goosebumps as you made your way up the rickety wooden stairs at the back of the place. It was as if you could feel him tracing every inch of you in his mind, silently looming just a hair's breadth behind you as you went along, the stairs creaking under his weight.
The rooms upstairs weren't the most private you'd ever seen, thin walls and a walkway outside the door that overlooked the gambling floor below. The sound of drunks and down-and-out gamblers floated up easily, echoing off the high ceiling.
You'd barely managed to shut the door behind you before Charon grabbed you up and pressed you into it, the old flooring beneath you groaning in protest at both of you sharing a spot. It was a little unsettling at times, just how easily he was able to ruck you upwards like a sack of tatoes, the display of strength nothing to him. His mouth was on yours quickly, tongue swiping at your lips as the air was squeezed out of your lungs between him and the wood. Big, rough hands juggled your weight, kneading clumsily into the meat of your ass as they did. You could already feel his swelling erection against your stomach.
"Jeez." you giggled out breathlessly as he wrapped your legs more securely around his waist, mouth sealing around whatever flesh it could reach. "If you were so ready to go, you could have let me know earlier."
"Mm." he grunted, seemingly in the negative, preoccupied with working his free hand beneath your thin shirt.
You already felt partially naked without even light armor, but the day had been far too hot and humid to wear the extra layers of leather just to sit around in your room or at the bar. Though your companion had expressed repeated concern about you not protecting yourself more, he didn't seem to mind so much now. Both of you let out matching hums as he began to pluck at one of your nipples.
For a long minute or two, he kept you pinned against the wall, the low hum of the noise at the bar downstairs muffling your audible whining and scuffling against the door. Letting your hips wriggle and arc against his as much as your limited movement would allow, you whimpered again when he began to mirror you, grinding his crotch against you. Your arms wound around his thick neck, nails scratching lightly at what little of the muscled expanse of his back you could reach.
"Bed." you mumbled between kisses.
Obediently, Charon pulled you snug against his chest and marched both of you over to the musty, wrought-iron framed bed in the corner. Settling himself on the edge, your rear rested on his thighs, your legs straddling them. He was quick to grab your shirt by the hem, yanking it over your head and discarding it somewhere. Though he moved to quickly caress your chest, you made to pull his shirt off as well. If you didn't intentionally move to undress him, he'd stay almost entirely clothed for the whole event.
You took a moment to trace your palms across the wide expanse of his chest, admiring the view, but he was quick to decide your attention was better placed elsewhere. Gripping your hips again, he lifted you to your feet, leaving you standing between his bulky knees. At your full height, he still had an inch or two on you as he sat on the edge of the bed. His position made his face much more accessible than it typically was, however, and you leaned in to give him a few sweet pecks on the lips. The big ghoul seemed very appreciative of the affection, hands petting carefully, though heavily, along your back and ass. As you let the tip of your tongue play along his thin, hard-set mouth, he made easy work of your belt and fly, thick fingers quick if not deft, dropping your pants to the floor.
Shivering, you pulled back for a moment, smoothing a touch along the exposed muscle of his cheek before sinking down to your knees. Trailing plush, hot kisses down his scarred breastbone, you reached down and began to playfully toy with his outer belt buckle. Quickly, his ammo belt fell with a loud clatter to the wooden floor between your legs. His eyes jumped to the door for a beat.
Above you, Charon relaxed as much as he was able, leaning his weight back onto his palms to give you a little more access. Making eye contact with him, you rubbed your cheek against his denim-clad inner thigh, batting your lashes as he smoothed your hair carefully, a small adulation.
Though the stalwart ghoul was tough and often immovable as stone, he was particularly vulnerable during sex. You knew that him granting you as much control as he was was a massive deal, and you tried your best to keep that in mind as you gently freed him. Keeping one hand wrapped around him, you grabbed his waistband and urged him to shed his pants. Again, he obeyed, eyes never leaving your face.
Carefully, you gave his length a few strokes, studying how the turgid flesh responded to your touch. It didn't take long for you to lower your head and seal your mouth around him, and he let out a soft groan, wriggling in place. Your whole body was flush and hot, the feeling of power his little sounds inspired addictive and electrifying. It was too easy to lose yourself in trying to make him feel good.
The snarl he suddenly let out as you rolled your tongue over the fat head made you flinch in surprise, but the jerk in your muscles seemed minor enough to escape his attention. Typically, any indication of fear or discomfort from you, no matter how unintentional, would bring things to a halt. Charon's usual hypervigilance extended wholly and completely into your bedroom.
Thankfully, he seemed too distracted to notice for once.
An unflattering screech flew from your lips as those big hands seized you by the waist and lifted your whole body into the air yet again, wrangling you up onto the bed with him with a modicum less care than before. When you'd re-settled, your chest was pressed snugly into his lower abdomen, offering you a view of his legs. You could feel your hips resting near his shoulders, the fanning of his hot breath against your most sensitive area making you shiver. After only a moment of pause, his thick fingers wound their way into your hair, encouraging your wet mouth back down onto his cock as his tongue began to trace the outline of you.
You followed his guidance, rubbing the tip against your lips as you let out a sharp whine. But it was hard to focus on your task when your body was wracked with shivers from the way he teased at your puffy flesh. Despite the tension of resistance you could feel in his hips, balancing yourself against them, he bucked upwards into your mouth with increasing fervor, unable to stop himself. Your own hips gave in to the same temptation, arcing and grinding against his lips, his chin, the bony ridge where his nose would have been.
The pair of you fell into a sloppy rhythm for a while, all mouths and grasping hands, though you fell behind for a moment or two when your first orgasm overtook you. Charon let out a lowing groan at the way your body twitched and shuddered on top of his, fucking up into your mouth with increased speed. You kept waiting for him to grab you up again, to reposition you over his cock so you could slide down onto itโhe was so prone to repositioning you at his will that you'd come to anticipate itโbut he never did, seemingly engrossed between your legs.
By the time you'd managed to eke out another, slightly weaker orgasm, he was firmly palming the back of your head, pressing your mouth further down onto him as he continued to use you. It was easy to see the signs that he was close to his own ending, steadily throbbing and leaking metallic-tasting precum against your increasingly fatigued tongue. You pulled your head up, leaving only the tip of him between your lips, ready for him to inevitably pull your head back. He refused to allow you to swallow, or even come close.
Correct in your assessment, you felt a few more waves of soft pleasure overtake you as he lost himself in your hand, spattering hot cum all over your fingers, chest, and his own legs. A snarl similar to the one before came from behind you, but you'd been anticipating it, your only response a nearly-harmonizing groan.
You turned yourself and collapsed, panting and shockingly spent, against the big ghoul's chest, his skin hot to the touch with exertion and energy, though not sweaty like your own. With your ear pressed to the rough, patchy flesh of his torso, you listened to the slowly decreasing thundering of his heart for a few long, quiet moments.
"Sorry I scared you." he mumbled suddenly.
Your eyebrows flew up into your hairline in surprise.
"I wouldn't say 'scared'. I'd call it more 'surprised'." you responded diplomatically.
"Hmm." came his doubtful, but succinct reply.
"Oh, come on. You can't judge me for jumping at sudden sounds. That's just human instinct."
"Not judging. Just saying sorry." he stated, very matter-of-fact as he passed a hand over your wild hair.
You smirked as you rolled over onto the bed proper, staring up at the various water stains on the ceiling. He lingered for a few minutes, pressing into your side, cuddling with you in his own way. Eventually, though, he pulled himself back up to his feet, wandering naked over to the big bag he kept slung across his shoulders when you traveled. Though you were rather preoccupied closely studying his nudity, a grimace crept across your face as he rummaged around for a moment and pulled out an IV bag of Rad-away.
"Ugh, no." you said, turning your head away from the sickly yellow contents of the bag in his outstretched hand.
"Yes." he insisted. "You'll throw up in your sleep if you don't."
"One time that happened. Let it go!"
To be fair to him, it likely only hadn't happened again because he'd become so strict about pushing you to use protective measures after it happened the first time. You could remember the guilt etched into his typically stony face clear as day, and for a moment you felt a touch of it, yourself.
He didn't say anything to your ribbing, settling himself on the edge of the bed once more. The bag didn't move from where he held it.
"Oh, come on." you whined. "I'll do it in the morning."
"It's after midnight. It is morning." he responded, and though his tone didn't change, you could see the slight, mischievous glint of a joke in his eyes. It wasn't a joke in form, not really, but it was a joke as much as he was able to tell one, it seemed.
With a sigh and a slight grin, you accepted your fate and pulled yourself back up into a half-sitting position.
"Fine. You've gotta stay in bed and cuddle with me, though."
"Hmm." he responded, seemingly back to truncated answers once more.
As much as you despised it, you slid the needle into place yourself and allowed him to hang the bag off the top of the rickety bed frame. His hands weren't necessarily made for delicate tasks, and you still bore the scar from the one time you'd tried to foist that particular task off onto him. Working yourself into a comfortable position against his chest, you braced yourself for the chills and nausea that often accompanied the infusion.
Charon didn't say anything more for the rest of the night. He must've felt there was nothing more to say. Instead, he listened to you humming to yourself, a distraction from the way your stomach rolled and chills took you, while softly petting at your back. Eventually, he listened to your breathing fall a little deeper, knowing you wouldn't sleep well as long as the needle was in your arm.
Left alone with his thoughts for a while, he turned his attention back to the door, to studying the noise still seeping up from downstairs. There were so many unknown people sharing the roof you rested under. He felt his muscles start to tighten with tension again.
Once more, he resumed his vigilant guarding of you.
please read this even if you're not indian. especially if you're not indian.
you've seen the jokes. india is "dirty", indians are "everywhere", why don't they fix their own country. ok. let me tell you why, and what's happening right now while nobody's watching.
first, the history you skipped: britain ruled india for two centuries and drained it. economist utsa patnaik's research estimates around $45 trillion in today's money was taken. the india that got independence in 1947 was one of the poorest countries on earth. every "why is india like this" question starts there. you don't get to profit off a robbery and then mock the crime scene.
now, what's happening RIGHT NOW:
in may the question paper for NEET leaked. that's the national medical entrance exam. over 2.2 million students took it. cancelled. years of studying, families' savings poured into coaching, gone overnight because someone sold the paper. students died by suicide after. these were kids who wanted to be doctors.
and out of that came a protest movement. a gen z group called the cockroach janta party, started by a 30 year old named abhijeet dipke, got 22 million instagram followers within DAYS. they've been doing a sit-in at jantar mantar in delhi demanding education minister dharmendra pradhan resign.
and then there's sonam wangchuk. if you've watched 3 idiots, he's the real engineer the character was based on. built solar schools in ladakh. invented ice stupas so himalayan villages have water. spent his whole life on education. he's 59 and he's been on hunger strike for 17+ days now. reporters went to see him this week and he was too weak to talk. and the troll armies are calling him "anti national" and "foreign funded". a man starving himself for other people's children. that's the thing here, anyone who asks a question is suddenly a traitor.
it's not one incident, it's everywhere you look:
โข infrastructure worth thousands of crores failing within months of the ribbon cutting. tunnels collapsing in regions where heavy rain is a guarantee, not a surprise.
โข youth unemployment near 10% for ages 15 to 29, 13.6% in cities. in a country of 1.42 billion where more than half the population is young.
โข only about the top 3% of indians earn above 10 lakh a year. meanwhile billionaire wealth keeps ballooning and the headlines celebrate it.
โข manipur burned for over two years. an ethnic conflict, tens of thousands displaced, and the prime minister barely said the word manipur while it happened.
โข journalists raided. critics' houses bulldozed. activists sitting in jail for years without trial under laws like UAPA. our press freedom ranking has cratered.
โข even the petrol is a fight now, ethanol blending pushed through while drivers complain about their engines and get no straight answers.
and through all of it, the PM, who came to power on religious polarisation (americans, sound familiar?), travels abroad for photo ops and has not held one single open press conference in over a decade. not one.
what i'm asking:
if you're not indian: share this. our media mostly won't cover any of it because the big outlets are owned by the same billionaires the government serves. the only reason wangchuk's fast is getting any coverage is people refusing to look away.
if you ARE indian: speak up even if you're comfortable. especially if you're comfortable. join the protests. add to this, correct me, translate it. staying quiet is a choice when nothing in this post touches your life.
india is not "dirty". india was robbed, and it's being robbed again, from the inside this time. but it's also the country where a 59 year old will starve for strangers' kids and 22 million young people will rally behind a party literally named after cockroaches, because cockroaches survive everything.
I cant even go and see some street food trucks without their damn menus having AI images on it. you have a camera. take photos of your goddamn food. I would rather see a photo of the most weirdly lit burger than the fake monstrosity you're showing me.
katniss: everyoneโs so focused on protecting peeta because they too know how pure hearted he is and believe that heโa boy theyโve never even met beforeโdeserves to survive over them and their friends of literal decades
finnick, to literally everyone else: okay if peeta dies sheโs gonna kill all of us and then herself, so hands in, protect bread boy on three-
i donโt want to be rich i donโt want to be famous i donโt want a million tiktok followers or what the fuck ever i just want a one bedroom apartment in a walkable community with neighbors i could borrow sugar from or bring cookies to when i bake extra and a job that i enjoy and that helps someone and pays me enough to afford my silly little one bedroom and groceries and something fun too at the end of the day and enough free time to sing and dance and read and write and spend time with the people i love and maybe have a dog and some plants to water and a shelf of books to read and a thrift store where i can buy weird clothes and faded denim jackets like i am not asking for anything big or grand or exciting i just want peace i want contentment i want just a little love how the fuck is this too much to ask for
