Right now, you were standing outside of the door of a bathing, drunken Sukuna. You had been instructed by him personally to come bathe him. Needless to say, you were terrified. This would be your first encounter with bathing another person, that wasnât yourself.. a naked man, let alone one you found attractive and equally terrifying.Â
âS- Sukuna? Can I come in?â A few moments of silence goes on until you hear a deep slurring voice beckon you by name. You feel anxiety and curiosity swirl through your mind as you slowly open the door to a tipsy looking Sukuna, and also completely naked, nothing left to the imagination. You didnât take Sukuna to be one to enjoy bubbly baths, but it seems he did.Â
He gives you a look over and exasperatedly huffs at you. His cheeks are slightly flushed from the alcohol, and he beckons you closer with a wet finger, his right upper hand held a rather large glass of sake, and the other were leisurely resting on the sides of the tub.Â
âI told you to come here dressed a certain wayyy.â Sukuna slurs his sentences, and your eyebrows quirk together, you look at Sukuna strangely. You donât remember Uraume instructing you to dress or bring something with you other than yourself and a stool to scrub him, and youâre not sure youâve ever heard him slur his words like this before.
You approach the tub with wandering eyes, and you try not to let them drift around his body too much. Your imagination was going wild without you meaning it to. Sukuna grabs your wrist and your eyes widen. You let him bring you close to him in the tub, and you can feel your body warming up at the contact.
âYâwere supposed to.. to wear the special kimono I brought you..â Sukuna slurs and pouts at you, pointing at your usual modest kimono you wore with a frown. The kimono he had in mind was.. much less modest. It was off the shoulders, and was your favorite color. Perhaps it was better the situation didnât work out, considering you were supposed to be bathing him..not be his personal doll.
âHmph. I guess Uraume didnât tell you. What a nuisance.â Â You look increasingly concerned, and Sukuna takes a long sip of his sake. You knew that Sukuna had a bit of tolerance for alcohol, so he must have been on a very large number of drinks to be this inebriated.. you had never seen him this tipsy. It was an amusing yet concerning sight on him.Â
âOh.. Iâm sorry.â You awkwardly apologize, sitting down on the stool as you accept your fate. Sukuna watched you intently as you rolled your sleeves up; dragging a wet bar of soap down one of his left arms. You felt the muscles lightly with your hands, trying not to show how obviously terrified and turned on you were. Sukuna shivered slightly as your hands rubbed over his chest and you paused.Â
âHm.. did you not like that?â Your hand pulls away and Sukuna immediately grabs it back, gliding it down his body cockily. His eyes stare you down as you continue scrubbing, and you babble to yourself, flustered by Sukunaâs neediness.Â
âDo you have to stare?â You grumble slightly at him, and he leers at you, his eyes crinkle as he realizes heâs making you uncomfortable. He doesn't look away from you.Â
âYesss. Itâs part of the processss.â He slurs his words, and you decide to keep scrubbing him. You remember the last time you tried avoiding him, it ended with a very irate Sukuna, who decided to unleash his wrath on you. You couldnât sit comfortably on your ass for days, his handprint was acutely imprinted on your rear. A part of you had enjoyed the punishment, the more rational part of you hadn't.
âSure it is,â you laugh a little at him, and Sukunaâs face sulks as you laugh at him. He brings the cup of sake to your lips, and you pause your scrubbing. Just when you were getting close to his dangerous region, his stomach.Â
âDrink, it tastes good.â Sukuna offers you his cup, and you pause, putting your lips on the cups lip, and Sukuna tilts it so the drink goes down your throat. You pull away with a slight groan, it burned down your throat. Sukuna laughs heartily at you, taking it back and drinking where your lips had touched, you catch his tongue lapping at the lingering saliva.Â
âItâs just sake.. you must be a light-weight!â He laughs in your face, and you pout at him, bringing the soap over his shoulders harshly, Sukuna growls at you, taking yet another sip of his alcohol, you can smell it in his breath due to how close together you were. Your nose wrinkles at him.Â
âIt burns your throat, huh? InterestingâŠâ Sukuna rubs his chin thoughtfully, and his hand rolls around as he reclines back, enjoying your hands on his body, clearly. Now, you sat behind him outside of the tub, and you began to wet his hair carefully, trying to avoid getting anything in his eyes.
âPlease.. Sukuna, close your eyes.â You look down at him, and he can feel your clothed chest behind his head due to how you were now standing over him, his head pillowed by your breasts.
âNo.â He tries to sit his face in your bosom, and you back up so he cannot do so. You wouldn't let him do anything too brash while he was like this.Â
âIâm going to get water in your eyes.â You're tempted to laugh at him, here, you were in control. He couldn't embarrass or humiliate you like normal.Â
He groans like an annoyed child, and shuts them, but not without splashing a fist in the water. You yelp as some of it gets on your kimono, he could be so childish sometimes. You felt the warm water and the fragrance of bubbles fill your nose. Sukuna smelled like jasmine and sandalwood.Â
âSukuna!â You watch his flat expression turn into a happy sneer, and your hands reluctantly return to his head, now starting to scrub some rice water into his hair, his eyes closed shut finally, he hummed as your delicate fingers massaged his scalp. He could definitely get used to having you bathe with him, whether that was in the tub or out of it. Even though you were annoyed at him, you protected his eyes from getting stung by any possible contact with the mixture.Â
"I think you're drunk." You whisper in his ear as you let go of his head, and he groans in disappointment, his red eyes staring holes into your soul. Â
"'M not.. jus'.. mind your words around me. Wanted to talk to you." He hiccups, and you feel your face flush at his neediness. He speaks less formally when he was drunk. This was a side of Sukuna you weren't used to seeing. You open your mouth to answer, and suddenly you feel his hands grab your arms, you look alarmed, and all of a sudden before you can protest, he pulls you harshly into the tub with him, fully dressed in your quickly dampening kimono. You feel absolutely angry.
"Suk- Ryomen Sukuna!" You yell a combination of frustration and embarrassment as the water ripples and spills out of the tub around the both of you. He drunkenly laughs, and pulls you into his chest, you feel awkward as he sits his head on top of your own. Your wet kimono was a sensory nightmare, you needed it off.
"...If you wanted me to get in, you should've just said so." You cover your face in your hands, feeling incredulous at the situation. Sukuna hums thoughtfully, and began to undo the obi tied firmly on your back. It took him a while to, and then he slithered the fabric off of your body, salivating at the sight of your naked body. He flopped the wet fabric outside of the tub, uncaring where it landed. Your arms cross around your body, and you sigh knowing you couldn't try to hide even if you wanted to.Â
Sukuna appraises you with flushed cheeks, and his hands bring you back to him, sitting his head on top of your own. His drunkenness emboldens him, and he squeezes a breast leisurely, hiccuping above your head. You squeak and sit there with flushed cheeks unsure if Sukuna would be able to remember any of this the next morning. You decide to let him have his fun, quietly sitting in his arms, your eyes close as the two of you sit in silence in the tub for many minutes.
Your eyes had shut from the warm water and bubbles soothing your weary soul. Sukuna quietly nibbled on your shoulder, but he wasnât full on biting you like he normally did. His nibbles stung, like little pricks from a sharpened needle.Â
You didnât think he was entirely there tonight.. so you would just keep quiet, unless he was going in over his head, then youâd put a stop to his drunken neediness.
âIâm not gonna leave you be.. okay?â You look at your legs in the tub, your eyes glancing between the massive size of his thigh and your own.Â
Sukunaâs arms tighten around you at your comment, and his mouth sucks your cheek. You twitch and stiffen, awkward at his random oral fixation.
âSukuna!⊠Geez..â You huff as he licks the spot he suckled, his hands kneading your thighs like his own personal stress toy. You could tell he was getting a little too adventurous, so you paused him with a single movement.
Your head leaned back over his shoulder to look at him, and your eyes softened at him, speaking to him as patiently as possible, because the last thing you wanted was to get possibly drowned.
He pouts like a child, and reluctantly loosens his hands around your thighs, but not without squeezing your bottom for good measure. At this point you squirmed away from his front, now on the other side of the tub. He frowned as he stared at your back, you were intentionally facing away from him.Â
âWhatâs gotten into you?â You canât help but ask lightly laughing at him. Your shoulders shake with laughter, and you feel Sukuna move closer behind you, his head sits on your shoulder. Heâs sulking.. sulking. Unbelievable.
âHmph. Nothing, chubby. Iâm just.. admiring the view.â His eyes glance down past your stomach and between your thighs, and you feel tempted to smack him, but you pity his drunkenness.Â
âWatch your eyes, Sukuna. Donât want you to fall on yourself.â You decide you can tease him since heâs the drunk one and youâre not.Â
âWhat? Iâm not going to fall, woman.â He says, as he leans his heavy body weight on you. You groan loudly at him. And his face smooshes into the side of yours. Your face is so hot, but you know he wonât remember any of this, probably. You're ignoring the fact he's pressing all of himself behind you, his body firm against you. You hear him clear his throat, he's about to speak more nonsense. You hold your breath, unsure what was about to come out of his big mouth.Â
âHmm.. You.. knowâŠâ he abruptly stops talking, and decides to smell your wet head instead. You audibly sigh and lightly push his head away with your hand, confused by his behavior. He was not at all ever this.. friendly. Perhaps you had temporarily tamed him. The attention was kind of nice. His head finds its way back to where it rested, and you decide to give up.Â
âI would kill for you,â he cryptically speaks into your ear, his hot alcohol smelling breath makes you twitch. Your eyes widen at the words he says, and you go quiet for a moment, processing how to respond, if you even should respond. His voice vibrated deeply as he began to say more to you. Â
"...I would slaughter anyone who dares to disrespect you, whether that be verbal or physical.. it doesn't matter, they are dead by my hand, by my spear." His eyes close as he imagines killing anyone that crossed a boundary with you. He was plenty eager to spill blood for you. Over time at his estate, you had unwillingly grown de-sensitized to the death that often permeated Sukuna. Especially the blood.Â
"Only I can tease you. Only I can touch you." He hisses, growing jealous at an invisible enemy. As far as you were concerned, he was the only man you were occupied with in your short time on earth. You wonder where this is coming from. They do say that alcohol brings out the truth.Â
And then he goes back to tucking his head into your shoulder, humming a song you don't recognize. His hands are tight around you, like he's afraid you're going to get up and leave him.Â
You don't say much after that, a bit stunned by his declaration. You look down at your body in the bath tub, silently analyzing his grip on you. You were starting to understand why he was so obsessed with you.Â
The remainder of the bath goes smoothly, he doesn't splash you or try to grope you any further. Instead, you both get out together, and you dry a drunk Sukuna, the alcohol making him slightly less coordinated.Â
"You better not fall over. I'm barely your height." You grumble as you tighten your own towel, it sinched to your body nicely, and Sukuna could feel his mouth salivate. You watched him blatantly ogling you again, swallowing thick spit.Â
"'M not going to fall, if anything you arrrre." His hand smacks your ass through the towel and he laughs loudly. You yelp and rub your rear, frustrated with his immature behavior. He still chuckles as he brings you out of the bathing chambers, and into his room. His hand giant on your shoulder.Â
"Sleep with me, pet." You bristle as he calls you that, but you decide not to scold him any further. It was already late, and he needed to sleep off the sake.Â
"..Fine.." You move to your room which was connected to his, as if his favoritism couldn't be any more obvious. You dress in your warm nightgown, it's arm's sleeves long, and the skirt stopping at your ankles. Sukuna barely dresses for bed, opting for only pants, not interested in wearing undergarments underneath them. You return to his room with crossed arms, a bit flustered with the fact you would be dealing with him once again, in his bed.Â
"Hhehh.. what a pretty pet," he beckons you to bed with a hand, patting the spot next to him. He watches you crawl to the center with him, laying on your side next to him. He brings you into his arms and hums, smelling you now that you were clean and dry. Your hands tentatively reach out to hold his body, and you close your eyes growing sleepier the longer you were close to him. He had already fallen asleep, the moment his arms rested around your body. You could feel a hand on your ass, your side, your hip. You fell asleep.Â
-
"Master, how many drinks did you have last night?" Uraume walks with a hungover Sukuna, his body slouching more than usual. His hand covers his forehead and he sighs. All he could remember was being in the bathtub with you, and then going to sleep. He doesn't remember much of what was said, only remembering bits and pieces. How had he gotten you to sleep in his bed? How had he gotten you naked?Â
You watch behind a pillar, laughing to yourself at his unkept demeanor. You decided you'd let him come to you, not seek him out. You remembered everything.Â
The air in the temple was thick and still, heavy with the weight of centuries. The faint scent of incense, long since burnt out, lingered. Mixing with the subtle tang of cologne that seeped into every corner of Sukuna Ryomen's chamber. Outside, the world stirred to life, but here, time moved slower, cocooned in shadows and silence.
You woke to the soft press of warmth at your side, the solid weight of a presence that was both unsettling and oddly comforting. Blinking against the dim light, you realized Sukuna was still asleep, sprawled beside you like a king. His tattooed arm was wrapped possessively around your waist, pulling you close enough that moving felt like disturbing a force of nature.
You took a moment to relish this feeling of peace, looking over the man's exposed body, the silky duvet draped around his hips. Admiring his back muscles for a few seconds as he was sprawled out on the bed, your eyes roaming over the scars on his back, the tattoos... mainly his muscles..
The steady rise and fall of his breathing was hypnotic, but the pull of the waking world tugged at your senses. You sighed softly as you decided to get out of the warm bed. Carefully shifting, sliding your soft hands which were such a contrast to his rough and calloused skin, underneath his arm. Gently trying to lift his heavy arm off of your body so you could break free.
But the moment you shifted his arm, quietly easing away, a sudden pressure locked around your wrist, firm and unyielding.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The voice was low, laced with sleepy menace. Sukunaâs eyes snapped open, glowing faintly in the dim light. His gaze bored into you, sharp and unrelenting, stripping away every excuse before you could even speak.
You froze, heat flowing up to your cheeks as his fingers tightened around your wrist, pulling you back against his side. The heat of his body pressed into yours, solid and demanding as he wrapped his muscly arm around you again. Keeping you pressed against his side.
"You're not leaving, woman."
A soft sigh escaped your lips as you were once again being dragged back into his side, warmth covering your body again. He didnât even open his eyes, just pulled you in tighter like you were his own personal, life-size plushie. His grip wasnât rough, just annoyingly firm. He buried his face somewhere near your neck and let out a satisfied sigh, the kind that made it very clear that he had no intention of letting you go.
"Ryomen." you murmured firmly, determined to get out of bed already.
"Hmm..?"
"I have things to do."
"No you don't"
You huffed, kicking lightly at his shin underneath the blanket. âYouâre impossible.â
He only grunted, tightening his arm one final time as if that settled the matter.
If it were anyone else, he would've had their heads for even slightly talking back to him.
But It was you, someone he, well... tolerated. Is what he would call it, though Len knew it was more than just him merely tolerating her. Everyone did, it was clear as day. She got away with stuff no one else would ever get away with. But no one spoke up about it of course, no one dared to.
A minute passed like that, the both of you lying tangled in the sheets, his arm firm around you, your brain slowly untangling from sleepâs haze. The warmth was comforting, sure. You could admit that. But you were also becoming increasingly aware of a problem.
â'Ryo, I need to get up.â
âNo,â he repeated, burying his face deeper against your shoulder like an oversized, uncooperative cat. âYouâre not going anywhere.â
You rolled your eyes, even though he couldnât see it. âYou canât just say no.â
âI just did.â
âYouâre impossible.â
âIâm immovable,â he corrected smoothly, and to prove it, he flung one leg over yours, effectively trapping you under what felt like a very dramatic, very smug weighted blanket in the shape of a man.
You groaned, pressing your palms to his arm. âIâm serious. I need the bathroom.â
âYouâll live.â
You twisted enough to glare at him over your shoulder. His eyes were still half-lidded, expression drowsy. With that, she knew she wasn't going to get away from him anytime soon.
-
You tried to wait him out.
Lying still, breathing slow, pretending to relax. Surely if he thought youâd given up, heâd loosen his grip, and you could slip away unnoticed.
Minutes dragged by. His arm stayed exactly where it was. His breathing had slowed down again. At last, you made your move, inch by inch, careful, deliberate. One hand gently pried at his wrist while you shifted your hips toward the edge of the mattress. You could almost taste freedom. Just a little more and-
His grip clamped down like a vice, hauling you back flush against him in a single, effortless tug.
âDonât think I donât know your tricks, woman.â His voice was smug in your ear, sleep-rough and victorious.
You huffed, glaring at the ceiling. âYouâre ridiculous.â
âAnd yet you tried,â he said, satisfaction dripping from every word, even appearing on his stupid, smug expression.
You shoved half-heartedly at his arm. âYouâre heavy.â
âThatâs the point. Iâm your paperweight.â
âPaperweights arenât supposed to crush things.â
At your words he just let out a hum, totally ignoring them as he enveloped you in his arms again. Now laying fully on top of you, his body warmth seeping into yours as he trapped you beneath him.
-
Eventually, you tried brute force.
Rolling hard, using your whole weight to slip free. For a second, you succeeded, half your body dangling off the mattress, freedom within reach.
Then Ryomen surged after you, catching you around the waist and dragging you back with such enthusiasm the mattress bounced. He sprawled on top of you, pinning you down completely, chin propped on his hand like he was admiring a masterpiece.
âYouâre not going anywhere,â he said, as though the declaration carried the weight of divine law.
âGet off,â you wheezed, squirming under him.
âNever.â He leaned in, his grin sharp as he looked down at you. âThe second you touch that floor, youâre doomed.â
You froze, looking at him with a dumbfounded expression â...What?â
âThe curse,â he said, deadly serious, though his eyes glittered with mischief. âI cursed it. The moment your feet touch the ground, youâll die instantly.â
You blinked up at him, incredulous. âYouâ what?!â
He nodded solemnly. âThe bed is safe. The floor is death. Choose wisely.â
âYou cursed the floor.â You replied
âYes.â
âNo, you didnât.â
âDidnât I?â His grin widened, wicked and unrepentant. âDo you really want to risk it?â
You gaped at him, utterly done. âThatâs your tactic? Pretend you cursed the floor so I stay in bed?â
âPretend?â he echoed, hand splaying over your stomach, thumb brushing lazy circles as though to soothe you into compliance. âI donât pretend.â
âYou are unbelievable.â
âYouâre alive, arenât you? Because youâre still in the bed. Seems like the curse is working perfectly.â
Every attempt you made at logic, he batted away with increasing absurdity, his grin growing sharper each time. And each time, heâd drag you back down into the blankets, wrapping himself around you like a second skin, as if he could mold the very concept of âmorningâ into something that began and ended with him.
And the worst part, the part you hated to admit, was that it was working.
Because as annoying as he was, as dramatic and insufferable as his antics were, there was something undeniably comfortable about the way he refused to let go. The heat of him pressed against you, the brush of his hair on your cheek, the lazy rhythm of his breathing syncing with yours. It was infuriating. It was ridiculous.
being able to play songs in your head is cool and all but not really if you can't control what and when it plays so this is a visualization of me trying to concentrate while angel of music plays in my head
plants that look like they're dying immediately after you forget to water them one (1) time but also recover immediately after you do are my best friends actually. very clear signals, hold no grudges, that's a relationship that works for me
My vampires CAN walk into the sunlight but doing so would reveal what they would look like if they aged normally
Younger vampires donât have much to worry about but older vamps have reason to avoid sunlight as they age. They are still immortal, but their aged, sunlit selves are significantly weaker than their non-sunlit forms. Vamps over 100 years old run the risk of crumpling over, fully immobile, but still conscious
Stop me if you hate the concept: short, fat, hairy lady gets isakai'd into a high fantasy, and instead of "oh look at all these ethereal elves woe for I am but a flawed mortal" routine she lands in Dwarf territory and is immediately revered as the most enchanting and desirable maid in all the land. This immediately becomes a zesty romantic drama. Thoughts
Sukuna being the boyfriend of plus size!reader and being her personal guard dog; HAPPILY! Ever since the moment he met you, he knew you would be the softness he needed in his life. Heâd always heard people around him say that life comes with balance, and that all good has some bad, and bad has some good, yk, stuff like that. He thought that was bullshit, but then he saw you. You were so literally soft looking, that he knew you had to be made of pure sunlight. He also couldnât help but be insanely attracted to you in a way heâs never been attracted to anyone before. Your wide hips, soft curves, plush tummy, and thick thighs and arms all drove him crazy. He could imagine stuffing you full, then watching you birth the most healthy children (heâs got that old monarchy mindset lolz). He saw everything he wanted in life in youâbesides the merciless violence! à«źâ ˶ᔠᔠá”˶ âá
You canât tell me this man wouldnât enjoy a thick woman!! Heâs very much a thigh man, rather than an ass and tits man, although he does love those too!!đđ»
Tags: dragon!sylus x fem!reader, smut, cunnilingus, breeding, creampies, biting, slight injury, some bleeding, primal kink, courting rituals, mating rituals, sylus has two cocks :333
Summary: Sylus begins to act strange and you think he may have caught some sort of illness. He's strangely warm, irritable and eating more. However this "illness" turns out to be more intense than you could have ever imagined... (Ë” âąÌ Ꭰ- Ë” )
"You're wrong," he murmurs, voice husky and edged with something raw. "Youâre fertile. I can smell it on you."
You freeze.
His lips ghost just beneath your ear as he continues, tone smooth and reverent. "Your scent is different nowâsweet, ripe, like fruit at the peak of bloom. The warmth of your skin, the rhythm of your pulse...your body sings to mine in ways you cannot hear. But I do."
His hand tightens at your waist, possessive, anchoring you to him like you might drift away otherwise. The heat in his eyes is no longer just desireâit is intention, it is instinct honed over centuries, it is him answering a call your body didnât even know it had made.
"You're ready. Now," he growls, the final word laced with a quiet sort of reverence, as if he were speaking a truth ordained by something far older than either of you.
AN: Okay so, this fic was SO fun to write I may have gotten a little carried away hehe. This was a little bit out of my comfort zone but I am so happy with it!! Plus it was about time I did a oneshot for dragon!sylus. After what he went through he deserves as many babies as he wants ;(
Enjoy!!
Sylus had been unusually irritable lately, and it wasnât just in the way he grunted or snapped when spoken toâit was in everything. His eyes seemed sharper, flicking around like he was constantly on edge, and his tail, which normally lay relaxed behind him, had developed a twitchy, agitated flick. He wasnât acting like the level-headed fiend youâd come to know and love.
Even he seemed aware of the shift; there were moments he paused mid-sentence or mid-motion, as if catching himself acting out of character. When he returned to the cave after hunting, he couldnât seem to keep still. He paced the stone floor in restless circles, ran his claws along the wall, muttered to himself under his breath. His whole body seemed to vibrate with pent-up energy, with something unspoken roiling beneath the surface.
His appetite had doubled, maybe even tripled. He devoured whatever meat, vegetables, or fruit he managed to scavenge or hunt for the both of you, sometimes not even bothering to sit down before tearing into it. He would eat so quickly it was like he hadnât tasted food in days, and when he was done, he still looked unsatisfied. It was primal, instinctive, like something inside him was demanding more than he could give it.
And then there was the heat.
Heâd started to feel noticeably warm to the touch, which was strange for a reptile. The first time you noticed it was when he brushed past you, and you flinched, startled by the heat radiating off his skin. Since then, it had only intensified. Whenever he hugged you, lingered too close, or let his fingers graze your arm, you felt itâhis body running hot, almost feverish. It was unnerving. And his touches had changed too. They werenât violent, but they carried a kind of hunger, an urgency that hadnât been there before. He gripped a little tighter, held on a little longer. Like proximity alone wasnât enough to settle whatever storm was brewing inside him.
It worried you terribly. Was he getting sick? Could dragons even get sick? The question gnawed at your thoughts, carving out little pits of anxiety in your chest no matter how often you tried to push it away. The heat that seemed to bleed from his skin, the sharp glint in his eyes that hadnât been there before, the unpredictable mood swings and restlessness...it all felt off. Like something inside him had shifted, and you didnât know if it was something natural or something dangerous. You'd never seen him like this. He wasnât just irritable, he was volatile. Every movement held tension, like he was wound too tightly and one wrong word might snap him in two.
You knew better than to voice your concerns aloud. Suggesting he try any kind of human treatment would go over about as well as trying to leash a wildfire. Heâd scoff, roll his eyes, and brush you off with a dismissive sigh. Sylus was proud, fiercely so. Stubborn as a stone wall, and not exactly someone who tolerated being fussed over. An illness? He'd laugh at the implication.
Still, you couldnât just sit back and watch him burn from the inside out.
So the next time he finally dozed offâafter hours of pacing, mumbling under his breath, and tossing scraps into the fire like theyâd wronged him personallyâyou waited until his breathing evened out and his face slackened. He lay sprawled out on the nest of furs youâd both piled near the hearth, the orange firelight casting shadows across his angular features. One arm was thrown loosely over his chest, the other curled slightly beside him. His chest rose and fell in a rhythm that looked almost peaceful. Almost.
You moved with painstaking care, the cool, damp cloth in your hand trembling slightly from how tightly you gripped it. Your feet barely made a sound against the stone floor as you approached, every step deliberate. When you reached his side, you crouched slowly, heart hammering so loudly you were sure it might wake him before you even got the chance to touch him. You leaned in, gently pressing the rag to his brow, hoping the cold would cut through the heat pouring off of him like he was lit from within.
For a brief moment, you felt relief. He didnât stir. Maybe, just maybe, he would sleep through this.
But then something shifted.
Without warning, a firm pressure clamped around your wrist. You gasped, flinching, and the rag slipped from your fingers. Your gaze dropped, heart stalling in your chest, as you realized his tail had slithered around your arm in one smooth, silent motion. Like it had a mind of its own.
His eyes snapped open a second later, glowing faintly in the dim light, red pupils slitted and sharp. He looked at you without blinking, like heâd known what you were sneaking up on him the entire time.
"And what exactly do you think you're doing?" he murmured, voice husky with sleep and something elseâsomething darker. There was a flicker of amusement there, curling at the corners of his lips, but beneath it was something far more intense. Possessive. Primal. Like he wasnât just waking up, but awakening to something deeper.
You swallowed hard, mouth suddenly dry. Your heart thundered against your ribs like it wanted to escape.
You opened your mouth to answer, but the words caught in your throat, stuck somewhere between nervousness, concern and something you couldnât name.
"I'm helping you, silly. You're sick," you mumble, voice soft but threaded with a note of stubborn concern. Your lips purse, irritation flickering across your features as you glance down at the thick coil of his tail still looped possessively around your wrist. "Now let go of me," you add, trying to sound firm despite the tremor in your voice.
To your surprise, he does. The tension releases almost instantly, the pressure around your wrist vanishing as his tail retreats. You exhale a breath you hadnât realized you were holding, rubbing at your skin where the warmth lingered.
"I am not unwell," he says after a pause, voice rich and steady, threaded with an unmistakable certainty. "Only mortals burn with fever."
You frown, eyebrows drawing together in quiet frustration. "Yeah, but... you've been acting really strange lately," you reply, your voice lowering, touched now with genuine worry. "Youâre restless, snappy, and you never eat this much. I just...I want to make sure youâre okay. That youâre not hurting."
The confession slips out before you can think better of it. You stare at him for a moment longer, searching his unreadable expression for some crack, some tell that might confirm or deny what your instincts have been screaming.
And then you move, slow and tentative, inching closer to him as if drawn by an invisible force. When you rest your head lightly against his chest, you feel the heat radiating off him in waves, hotter now than it had been earlier. His body is solid beneath you, unmoving, as if heâs forgotten how to breathe. The sound of his heartbeat thuds against your ear, rapid and deep, like a distant drum.
You think, for a moment, that he might relax.
But he doesnât.
Instead, his entire frame stiffens. Thereâs a flash of tension through his shoulders, and then his tail moves againâbut not with the idle instinct of before. It wraps around your waist in a slow, deliberate spiral, the grip firm but not cruel. He lifts you effortlessly, his strength startling in its subtlety, and then plants you down several feet away from him.
You blink, stunned, arms still half outstretched in the air where you had been.
The new distance between you is not just physical. It feels like a chasm, sudden and inexplicable, heavy with all the things he wonât say. You sit in silence for a heartbeat too long, the echo of his rejection ringing in your chest like a hollow bell.
He avoids your gaze, eyes cast to the fire, jaw clenched tightly.
"Hey! You can't juâ" you begin, voice raised in disbelief, frustration bubbling overâbut the look he gives you stops you dead in your tracks. It's not angry or loud, but it carries a quiet authority that slices through the air like a blade. His eyes flash with a warning, cold and unreadable.
"Silence, love. Sleep on the other side of the cave tonight," he says, each word deliberate, clipped. There is no room for negotiation in his tone. Itâs final. Commanding. His eyes close again, as if your protest doesnât deserve his attention. Like the matter is already settled in his mind.
The dismissal stings more than you expect.
It hits like a slap, raw and disorienting. You reel back a step, mouth parting slightly as you try to process the flood of emotion that crashes down on you all at once. Hurt. Confusion. Anger. They churn in your chest, thick and suffocating. What the hell? All you had done was try to help. You had stayed up, watched over him, worried yourself sick, and this was how he repaid you? By pushing you away like a child being told to go to their room?
Ugh. Stubborn. Always so impossibly, frustratingly stubborn.
Your jaw tightens as the ache behind your eyes starts to burn. He didnât get to do this. Not after everything. If he thought you were just going to walk away, tuck yourself into the far corner of the cave like a scolded pet and let him suffer in silence, he clearly didnât know you as well as he should.
Because humans donât give up on the ones they love.
"Sylus!" you bark, louder this time, anger sharpening your voice. You stomp across the stone floor toward him, every step punctuated by the slap of your feet and the pounding of your heart. "You know Iâm not doing that! Iâm not going to just curl up in the corner like you didnât just say that to me!"
He says nothing, but you can see his jaw twitch. That slow, deliberate breath leaves his nostrils againâheavy, controlled. Tired. Still, he doesnât open his eyes. Doesnât look at you. Itâs like he's deliberately trying to sever whatever invisible thread connects the two of you.
You press your palms into your thighs, trying to ground yourself, fighting the overwhelming desire to scream. "What is wrong with you? Just talk to me! Look at me! Say anything!"
But all you receive is silence. Stubborn, infuriating silence.
Your fists tighten at your sides. The cold cavern air suddenly feels stifling.
Fine. You could be stubborn too.
Without thinking, you finish crossing the cave, heart pounding loud enough to drown out your better judgment. Every step echoes with stubborn purpose as you close the gap he created between you. You don't hesitate. You donât ask. You simply actâclimbing over him, swinging a leg across his large body, and settling yourself squarely atop his waist. The furs beneath you shift and rustle, but he doesnât stop you. His brow furrows slightly, the only sign he even notices, but otherwise, he remains infuriatingly still.
Still silent. Still distant.
You lean down slowly, hands braced on either side of his torso, and fix your gaze on his face, searching for some flicker of emotionâanything to tell you heâs still there beneath the silence. The heat rolling off of him is overwhelming up close, like standing too near a smoldering hearth. It curls around you, prickling your skin, quickening your breath. The air feels thick, heavy with unspoken things.
"Sylus..." you murmur, your voice low, raw with feeling.
No response.
"Sylus! I know you can hear me!" you bark, sharper now, frustration rising with each second he continues to ignore you. Your heart twists painfully.
Still nothing.
You sigh, the sound long and defeated, your chest aching with the weight of his silence. Carefully, gently, you lower your forehead to his, hoping maybe the closeness will shake something loose. His skin burns beneath yours, unnaturally warm.
"I just want to know whatâs wrong with you," you whisper, voice so quiet it nearly disappears in the cavern's stillness. "Guess your species are terrible communicators."
Still, he doesnât flinch. Doesnât open his eyes. But you feel itâsomething in him coiling tight, like a rope being pulled taut. He may be still, but heâs not unaffected. Something inside him is shifting, stirred by your proximity, your touch.
Acting on instinct and desperation, you close the small distance between your mouths and press a kiss to his lips. Itâs meant to be fleeting, a soft reassurance. But it lingers. Longer than it should. Your lips stay, pressed gently to his, drawn in by the heat, the subtle shape of his mouth, the restraint that pulses beneath his immobility. Your eyes slip closed as your hands moveâone cupping the side of his jaw, the other resting on his chest, feeling the erratic beat of his heart.
Then you feel it. A breath. Deeper. Shakier. His chest rises and falls faster.
And in a blink, the world flips.
One moment youâre above him, tethered by warmth and hopeâthe next, youâre on your back, the furs catching your fall as a gasp escapes you. "Ah!" The air leaves your lungs in a rush. Your eyes fly open to find him hovering above you, strong arms braced on either side of your head. His large body cages yours in completely, heat surrounding you like a second skin.
His eyes are open now. And they are glowing.
There is something feral in his expressionânot cruel, but ancient and wild and hungry. His gaze drags across your face with a depth that makes your breath hitch. Every inch of him is tense, restrained, as if holding back something that wants very badly to be unleashed.
He still hasnât spoken.
But he is no longer ignoring you.
"You're making it very difficult to control myself, love," he growls, his voice like gravel softened by heat, thick with restraint and something darker coiled beneath it. The words roll over your skin just moments before his lips do. His breath fans against your neckâa warning, a promiseâbefore he dips his head, and you feel the sharp, precise puncture of his teeth sinking into your skin.
This isnât a playful nip. This isnât a teasing show of dominance. His bite breaks the surface, deliberate and deep. You feel the sharp pain bloom instantly, a white-hot flash that steals the breath from your lungs. A gasp escapes youâstartled, rawâand your hands fly up to clutch at his shoulders. Your fingers dig into him as your back arches against the sensation. Warm blood trickles down your shoulder, and your skin tingles where it flows.
You werenât unfamiliar with Sylus's biting. He'd always had a possessive streak that came through when things turned intimate or emotional. But thisâthis felt different. It felt desperate. Like he was trying to root himself in you. Like something inside him was slipping, and you were the only thing keeping him from losing his grip.
His mouth lingers at your neck, his lips now parted just slightly. You feel the tremor in his breath before his tongue slips out and glides across the bite. Slow. Deliberate. He licks away the blood heâd drawn, and the pain dulls under the hot, wet press of his mouth. In its place comes a deep, spiraling heat that blooms low in your belly, tightening your grip on him.
"S-Sylus..." you breathe, barely able to form the words. Your voice trembles. "If you were just...er, in needâyou know I would've helped you ages ago."
Still, he doesnât answer.
You feel the way his body stiffens slightly against you. His hand slides up along your side, slow and controlled, as though heâs still deciding what to do with the storm inside him. Then, he leans in again and presses his lips gently to your neck, just beside the wound. This time, the touch is less claiming and more conflictedâlike he's trying to soothe something in himself rather than stake another claim.
He stays there for a long moment, breathing in the scent of your skin, your blood, your closeness. You feel the tremble in his chest where it presses against yours, the tension in his jaw, the way his fingers twitch as though resisting the urge to hold you tighter. The cavern feels impossibly still around you, as if the very walls are holding their breath.
At last, he lifts his head. His eyes meet yours, and for the first time tonight, he looks completely unguarded. They glow faintly, with a trace of something wild, but itâs the emotion in them that catches your breathâraw, aching, afraid.
"It's more than that," he says, his voice rough and frayed at the edges. Not defensive. Not ashamed. Just...honest. Like every word costs him more than he knows how to show.
You stare at him, heart hammering, throat tightening.
Oh no. It's bad news, isn't it?
The thought slams into you with the force of a crashing wave, stealing the air from your lungs. You blink rapidly, trying to keep your vision clear, but the sting in your eyes wins. Tears begin to well, hot and fast, blurring the edges of your world as your chest tightens with dread. Something in his voice, in the way he looked at youâit had to mean something terrible. Something irreversible.
"What is it? Please tell me you're okay!" you blurt out, your voice cracking and shaking as panic rises up your throat. Your hands cling tighter to him, desperate and trembling, fingers curling into the fabric of whatever covers his back. As if somehow, your grip could keep him from slipping away. As if love alone could hold back whatever awful truth he was about to reveal.
Sylus blinks, visibly startled by your sudden burst of emotion. The intensity in your voice clearly catches him off guard. His eyes, once glowing with wild tension, soften slightly. His expression shiftsâno longer hard and guarded, but touched with a flicker of something else. Something gentler.
Wordlessly, he draws you closer. His arms wrap around you more securely, with purpose now. Not to restrain, but to reassure. His hands press to your back, his warmth enveloping you like a cocoon. His voice, when he finally speaks, is low and deliberate. A slow drag of velvet.
"No need to fret," he murmurs. "All is well."
You pull back just enough to look up at him, eyes wide, your breath caught halfway in your lungs. Your heart pounds in your ears. Thereâs a moment of suspended silence where you brace yourself for the real answer.
"It's just mating season."
You freeze. Your body goes still, and your mind... blanks.
Of all the explanations you had been preparing forâa curse, an ancient affliction, some kind of irreversible breakdown of his controlâthat had not even crossed your mind.
Mating season?
You blink once. Twice. And then the realization crashes over you, dragging with it a rush of relief and a sudden, absurd clarity. The heat, the irritability, the pacing, the biting, the overwhelming hungerâboth physical and something deeper. It all made sense now. It fit together like puzzle pieces you hadnât realized you were holding.
You let out a breathless huff, lips parting as the tension begins to unravel inside you.
And then you laugh.
A full, startled, ridiculous laugh bubbles up from your chest and bursts free before you can stop it. It catches you completely off guard, but you canât hold it in. The absurdity of it allâthe sheer contrast between what you imagined and what it actually wasâbreaks something loose in you.
You double over slightly, pressing your forehead into his collarbone as your shoulders shake with the sound. Itâs laughter born of relief, disbelief, and the strange, heady rush of realizing everything isnât falling apart.
Sylus stares down at you in silence, his eyes narrowing slightly. Clearly, he doesnât find your reaction particularly amusing. If anything, his expression deepens into a look of resigned irritation, as if this wasnât quite the response he expected.
But still, he doesnât pull away. His arms stay around you, anchoring you to him, the heat of his body steady and real. His tail curls lightly around your leg, a quiet, instinctive motion. Protective. Possessive.
And despite the glare he levels at the top of your head, thereâs no real venom behind it. He lets you laugh, lets you melt the fear from your chest with every shaky breath, until your voice begins to soften again.
Eventually, you lift your head, wiping at your eyes with the back of your hand.
"Is something humorous?" he asks, his voice low, edged with a faint note of offense, though there is no true malice behind it. His eyes narrow slightly as they study your face, as though trying to decipher the cause of your sudden laughter. But even in his quiet suspicion, his arms never loosen their hold around you. If anything, he draws you closer.
You shake your head quickly, the laughter dying in your throat as a rush of guilt creeps in. "Honestly, you had me scared" you say, your voice softening, breaking slightly at the end. "I really thought you were going to die on me."
That doesn't seem to ease him. He exhales through his nose in a deep, low gruntânot dismissive, but something closer to acknowledgment. The sound vibrates against your body, a warm, strange comfort. Then, with a fluid, instinctive movement, he adjusts your positions. His strength is effortless as he shifts, guiding you until you're lying beside him on the furs, your body drawn into his larger frame like a puzzle piece clicking into place.
His arm curls around your waist, securing you against his chest. It isnât just for comfortâthere is something possessive in the gesture, protective, as if heâs anchoring you there by will alone. The heat of him envelops you entirely, bleeding into your limbs until the cold stone floor feels like a distant memory.
"Does this mean..." you begin, your voice barely more than a whisper. But the thought drifts before it finishes, scattered like leaves on the wind. You have so many questions tumbling through your mind: What does this mean for him? For you? Is this temporary? Instinct? A sign of something deeper? But they all blur at the edges, softening under the pull of exhaustion.
Your body is finally registering the toll of the night. You had stayed up far too late, keeping vigil while Sylus paced, brooded, fought himself in silence. You hadn't let yourself rest until he did. Now, the weight of sleeplessness pulls at your limbs like gravity, and your eyelids feel impossibly heavy.
Outside, the first blush of morning glows gently. Sunlight begins to pour through the narrow cracks in the rock that serves as the caveâs natural door. The pale beams stretch across the stone floor like golden fingers, warming the air with soft radiance. The quiet sounds of the wilderness beyond stir faintly, muted by distanceâbirds beginning their morning calls, wind rustling through high branches.
Sylus doesnât answer your unfinished thought. He merely presses closer, lowering his head to the crook of your neck. His breath fans across your skin in slow, even waves, and the low, rhythmic sound that rumbles from his chest is unmistakable. A purr. Deep and velvety. Content.
The sound settles into your bones, a vibration that eases the tightness from your shoulders and lulls the last frayed edges of fear from your heart. There is something incredibly grounding about itâlike being cradled by the earth itself. One of his hands rests on your waist, fingers spread, as if silently promising that you are safe, that he will not let go.
You close your eyes, breathing in the scent of smoke and warmth and him. Despite the adrenaline, despite the questions that remain unanswered, your body begins to let go. Your thoughts drift. His purring fills the quiet like a lullaby spun from heat and breath and unspoken devotion.
Sleep takes you gently.
And you surrender to it, wrapped in Sylusâs arms, as the light of a new day filters through stone and silence alike.
As the days passed, you began to notice other, more subtle changes in Sylus's behaviorâthe kind of shifts that spoke not just of mood, but of instinct, of ritual. Of purpose.
It started gradually. At first, it was the gifts. Sylus had always brought you little trinkets here and thereâa gleaming stone from a riverbed, a silver ring once forgotten in the ruins of some fallen estate, or a flower pressed flat and preserved between scraps of parchment. But now? Now he returned from his ventures with arms full of treasure.
You began to receive things that looked as though they had been pulled from the vaults of kings. Gemstones the size of your knuckles. Necklaces heavy with gold and set with fire-bright opals. Crowns, actual crowns, one with a missing jewel that he promised to "replace shortly." Delicate filigree bracelets and earrings of such craftsmanship that you wondered if they had come from the hands of mortals at all.
You accepted them, of course. How could you not? They dazzled the eye and stirred something deep within your chestâawe, gratitude, wonder. And then there was the way Sylus looked at you when you accepted each piece. The way he watched your reactions with quiet intensity, hunger and satisfaction warring in his gaze as your fingers traced the contours of every offered treasure.
"Is this suitable to your liking, beloved?" he would ask, voice a rich hum in your ear. There was always a thread of tension in his tone, a need that ran deeper than pride.
Youâd smile and nod, sometimes laughing softly at the extravagance, sometimes whispering thanks as you leaned into his warmth. That always seemed to satisfy him. His shoulders would relax, his tail would curl in closer around you, and a low purr would rumble from deep in his chest.
And the gifts didnât stop with jewels and gold.
His hunting habits changed too. Where once he had returned with modest catchesâa brace of rabbits, a string of fish, the occasional deerânow he came back with trophies that left you reeling. Massive elk, towering wild boars with tusks the length of your forearm. Game that would feed you both for weeks. And then, one evening, he returned dragging behind him the largest bear you had ever seen.
Its massive body sprawled across the cave entrance like something out of legend. Thick fur matted with snow and blood, claws that could gouge stone. You stood frozen in the firelight, staring at it, unsure whether to marvel or panic.
Sylus merely stood beside it, chin slightly raised, one clawed hand resting on its flank like a proud hunter presenting a trophy.
"For you," he said simply, as if it were nothing.
You had blinked at him, stunned. "Sylus, I...I donât even know how to cook that."
He grinned, utterly unbothered. "Then I will learn."
The gifts. The feasts. The constant nearness. The careful watching of your every reaction. You had thought it was simply Sylus being more open, more affectionate in the wake of your recent closeness.
You were trying not to overthink it. Truly, you were. Every part of you wanted to believe that all the changes were just instinct, affection taken to a slightly obsessive level. Youâd chalked up the treasure hoarding, the feasts, the increased proximity, the way he hovered just a little too closely sometimesâall of it to simple fondness. Maybe even a primal form of love. But nothing could have prepared you for what awaited you after returning from a brisk walk one particularly chilly afternoon.
The moment you stepped through the threshold of the cave, you froze in place, heart lurching with confusion.
Sylus had completely transformed everything.
Gone were the scattered, mismatched piles of pelts, the half-organized piles of gold, the signs of his usual indifference to comfort or aesthetic. In their place was something deliberate. Thoughtful. Nest-like. The entire back of the cave had been cleared and restructured, centered around an enormous bed of furs that had been meticulously arranged. It looked almost ceremonial in its care.
The old sleeping area had been expanded, padded with thick layers of fur and hideâincluding the bear pelt from the beast he had dragged home days ago. It now lined the center of the nest, skinned, cleaned and softened into a thick, luxurious base. Softer animal hides had been layered on top, and the perimeter was reinforced with woven branches, dried moss, and feathers, creating a barrier of warmth and comfort.
It wasnât just for practicality. It was beautiful.
There were little details everywhere. Smooth stones from your favorite riverbank placed in a pattern near the fire pit. Bits of dried herbsâthe ones you loved for tea or the scent they gave when burnedâtucked into the seams of the bedding. A string of beads you thought youâd lost was now nestled between two thick furs, as if it had been intentionally displayed.
You stood there for several seconds, mouth slightly open, completely unprepared.
"Sylus..." you breathed, your voice caught somewhere between awe and bewilderment. "Whatâs the meaning of all this?"
He looked up at you from where he knelt, smoothing out the bear fur with surprising tenderness. His expression was completely unreadable. Calm. Focused. As if this were the most natural thing in the world. "You were shivering at night," he said simply. "This will keep you warmer."
That might have been enough for anyone else. Practical. Logical. An easy excuse.
But his eyes told a different story.
He watched you too closely. Not just to gauge your reactionâbut to savor it. There was something ancient and yearning behind the glow in his eyes, something that vibrated in the silence between his words. He was waiting. Not for your thanks, but for your approval.
Noticing your lack of response, Sylus's expression begins to shift. The warmth in his eyes dims, replaced by something sterner, more guarded. His tail flicks once behind himâa sharp, agitated motion that echoes his growing unease. He straightens his spine, his jaw tightening ever so slightly.
"Do you not like it?" he asks, his voice quieter now but unmistakably tense. Thereâs something beneath his words that makes your chest tightenâdisappointment, certainly. But also something rawer. Doubt. Hurt. The faint tremor of vulnerability from someone unaccustomed to feeling exposed.
Your eyes widen, and guilt rises quickly in your throat. You hadn't meant to be silent for so long. You were simply overwhelmedâby the effort, by the meaning behind it all. But now, seeing the shift in his posture, the way his eyes avoid yours, you realize how that silence must have come off.
You quickly close the space between you, reaching out instinctively. Your hands lift to cradle his face, palms warm against his heated skin. You guide his gaze back to you, gently but insistently, your thumbs brushing over his cheekbones. His eyes flicker up to meet yours, searching your face as though still bracing for rejection.
"No," you say softly, firmly, your voice thick with emotion. "I love it. I really do. It's beautiful. I just...I donât understand why. You donât have to do all this. The gifts, the meat, the rearrangingâI was already happy. I was perfectly content with how things were before."
Sylus doesnât recoil. Instead, he leans into your touch just slightly, as though the reassurance eases something deep in his chest. The tightness in his shoulders begins to uncoil, and the tension etched into his brow softens. A quiet exhale escapes him, almost inaudible.
"You laughed," he murmurs after a moment, his voice roughened by something too ancient to be called simple sorrow. "When I spoke of mating season. I assumed then that you deemed me unworthy as a mateâill-fitted to claim or keep one such as you."
You blink, taken aback. The memory of that moment resurfacesâyour burst of laughter, the disbelief, the release of tension you hadnât realized he was carrying so heavily. It hadnât been mockery. But now, you see how it must have been received by someone like Sylusâa creature whose understanding of humor, especially human levity in the face of instinct, is limited by centuries of solemn tradition and a worldview where gestures hold more meaning than words.Â
"So...the jewels? The meat?" you ask gently, your voice cracking slightly as realization begins to sink in.
He lets out a low, almost frustrated huff, glancing to the side. His tail curls around one of your ankles without thought, anchoring you to him in a quiet, possessive motion. "To prove I can provide for you," he says simply. "And for our offspring that I hoped you'd bear."
The words hit you like a wave, your breath catching in your throat. Your heart swells and shatters at once, a knot forming deep in your chest. He really wanted a baby with you? To form new life? With you??
Because that was it, wasnât it? This powerful, ancient creatureâso feared, so composed, so unreadable to othersâwas doing everything in his power to show you his worth. Not by demanding your affection or asserting his claim, but by showing you how he could build a life around you. Make a place for you. Prepare for a future, one you hadnât even considered yet.
He had rearranged his entire world to make space for you in it. Courted you to prove himself just as many of his species had done with their mates.
You looked at him now with new eyes, your throat tightening as you caressed the edge of his jaw.
"Sylus...you donât have to prove anything to me. I never doubted your strength. I never doubted you for a single second. Sometimes humans laugh when we feel relieved. That's all."
You notice that he seemed to perk up ever so slightly, though his expression remained unreadable. His posture straightened by a fraction, the glow in his eyes shifting with something newânot quite relief, but intrigue. A subtle ripple of tension unwound in his shoulders, though he tried to mask it.
"Mortals laugh when they feel better?" he asked, voice low and gravelly, as if the question itself was unfamiliar. There was a curious tilt to his head, the tone almost scholarlyâas if he were cataloging your species' behaviors like one would study a rare flame.
You nodded, giving him a gentle smile. "Yes. Laughter is...a release. I wasnât mocking you, Sylus. I was relieved. It meant you werenât dying. And...I think you would make a wonderful mate. And father. To our baby."
His grip on you suddenly shifted, tightening with sudden purpose. Not in a threatening way, but in a way that grounded you firmly against himâpossessive, almost reverent. His pupils expanded rapidly, red irises eclipsed by black. A primal heat surged behind his gaze, burning steady and intent. You felt the growl in his chest before it even reached his lips, a low, rumbling vibration that poured through your body like a tremor.
"Then...you accept?" he asked slowly, the words thick with restrained emotion. "You will take my seed into you? You would bear my offspring?"
Your heart skipped a beatâno, several. Blood rushed to your cheeks, and you could feel your pulse hammering in your throat. He said it with such conviction, with none of the coy hesitations or evasive phrasing you were used to. Just truth. Raw and full of meaning. The ancient kind of promise that didnât ask, but waited.
You hesitated, swallowing hard. "I mean...I do have my doubts," you admitted, fingers curling against his chest. Your fingers graze the edge of his scales. Your voice trembled slightly under the weight of his gaze. "I donât think Iâm strong enough to carry children of yours. Dragons are...different. Your children, theyâd be massive, wouldnât they?"
You tried to laugh. It came out tight, nervous. A shaky sound that barely carried.
But Sylus didnât laugh. He didnât smile. Instead, something deeper flickered behind his eyesâa hunger, yes, but also certainty. Purpose. Legacy.
A low, pleased growl rolled from the depths of his chest, his breath warm against your skin. You gasped as you felt his tail move, the strong, silken muscle winding slowly up your leg. It caressed your skin with practiced control, the movement deliberate. Purposeful. The hem of your dress lifted inch by inch under the teasing weight of his tail.
"Nonsense," he growled, and this time his voice was like smoke and stone. "You are more than capable. I would never choose a mate who was not capable of the task. Your body, your spirit, your frameâthey are all sufficient. More than sufficient."
His claws ghosted over your hips, drawing you in closer, like a hunter gathering something sacred. You felt the heat of him, not just his body but his intent, his longing, the centuries of instinct that pulsed just beneath his skin.
"I'm not even sure if it will work..." you murmur, your voice laced with uncertainty. "Humans only ovulate for a short time. If that window's already passedâ"
Sylus moves before you can finish. His body leans into yours with quiet purpose, and in an instant, the air shifts between you. His breath ghosts over your neck, warm and steady, and you shiver as his nose traces the delicate line of your throat. The movement is slow, deliberateânot just intimate, but instinctual. He inhales deeply, the sound low and resonant like something ancient stirring in his chest. The rumble that follows isnât quite a growl, but it thrums through you like thunder beneath the earth.
"You're wrong," he murmurs, voice husky and edged with something raw. "Youâre fertile. I can smell it on you."
You freeze.
His lips ghost just beneath your ear as he continues, tone smooth and reverent. "Your scent is different nowâsweet, ripe, like fruit at the peak of bloom. The warmth of your skin, the rhythm of your pulse...your body sings to mine in ways you cannot hear. But I do."
His hand tightens at your waist, possessive, anchoring you to him like you might drift away otherwise. The heat in his eyes is no longer just desireâit is intention, it is instinct honed over centuries, it is him answering a call your body didnât even know it had made.
"You're ready. Now," he growls, the final word laced with a quiet sort of reverence, as if he were speaking a truth ordained by something far older than either of you.
Your breath catches, your face flushing as your heart pounds against your ribs. You can feel the heat rising in you, pooling low, your body reacting before your mind can catch up.
You search his face for doubt, but find none. Only certainty.
So, you were ovulating, and he could smell itâand worse, he wasnât just aroused by it; he was called by it.
You feel your nerves ease, if only a little. Sylus was dependableâfierce, steady, and impossibly sure in the way only something ancient could be. For all his intensity, he had never once let harm come to you, had never faltered in his protection. And now, with the weight of everything shifting between you, that truth brought the smallest measure of calm. If he said he would keep you safe, you believed him. If he said he would protect the life growing between you, you knew it to be a vow etched in something deeper than words.
The idea of having a baby had once seemed distant, more fantasy than reality. Something soft and quiet that belonged to another version of your life, another world entirely. But now? Now it felt inevitable. Natural. Fated. Like every step had led to this moment, and all that was left was to lean into it.
He wanted this with you. You could see it in everything he did: the nesting, the offerings, the way he curled around you at night like a guardian warding off the dark. His every action had been leading here, even if you hadnât recognized it at the time. And though nerves still fluttered in your chest like a thousand wings, the deeper truth remained. You wanted it too. You werenât entirely prepared, not yet, but you were ready to say yes.
You looked into his eyes, your heart thundering, and gave a small but certain nod. "Okay. I accept."
Those three words changed everything.
It was as if a switch had been flipped inside him, something primal and powerful released from its cage. You barely had time to react before he swept you off the ground with effortless strength. You gasped, your hands clutching at his shoulders as he cradled you against his chest, his expression focused, almost reverent. In mere seconds, he had crossed the room and laid you gently down on the massive bed of furs he had so meticulously preparedâhis gift to you, his offering.
The nest was impossibly warm, soft and inviting, wrapping around your back and shoulders like it had been waiting for this moment. You could feel the heat of his body above you, the power in his frame held taut just beneath the surface. He hovered for a breath, eyes raking over you, and then his tail movedâsnaking up one leg, coiling slowly with deliberate grace.
The fabric of your dress tightened as his tail looped beneath it, and you barely had time to gasp before you heard the slow, purposeful sound of it tearing. With practiced precision, his tail shredded the fabric, beginning to peel it away from your body with a hunger that had been restrained for too long. Each thread undone was like a silent declaration: mine, mine, mine.
You felt a rush of cool air against your skin, and your breasts were exposed to his gaze. You could sense his eyes on you, drinking in the sight of your bare skin and hardened nipples, you felt a shiver run down your spine. Your breasts bounced slightly as you shifted, and you could feel his gaze following the movement, his eyes hungrily taking in every detail.
You instinctively tried to shield yourself, your arms moving to cross your chest, but he was quicker. His tail wrapped around your wrists with gentle but unyielding strength, keeping you exposed beneath him. Vulnerable. Claimed.
He leaned in closer, breath hot against your skin, and you felt it hitch as he studied you like something sacred. There was a deep rumble in his chest, not quite a growl but something more ancientâa sound of possession and awe.
"This will not be gentle," he murmured, voice low and rough like gravel smoothed by fire. "But do not fret. I will take care not to hurt you, beloved."
His words settled over you like a brand, searing into your skin. There was something sacred in them, a promise forged not in softness, but in strengthâand devotion.
And the way he said it, with such conviction and tempered need, made your breath stutter and your fear crumble, replaced with something far more powerful:
Desire. Acceptance. Surrender.
His voice was a low rumble, "I want to see you. All of you." His eyes met yours, seeking consent, respectful despite the fierce hunger within. You nodded, your heart still pounding, but the fear was gone, replaced by a strong lust you didn't know you had.
He reached for the remnants of your dress, his touch gentle yet firm as he pushed the rest of the fabric off you. It slipped down your body, leaving you bare except for your undergarments. His breath hitched, his gaze roaming over you, worshipful and hungry.
"You're beautiful" he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "Like a dream I never dared to have." He leaned down, his lips met yours, a soft, tender kiss that belied the intensity of his gaze. It was a question, a request for permission to explore further. You responded, your body melting into his, your lips parting to deepen the kiss. He tasted of smoke and spice, a heady combination that made your head spin. His claws, those large, warm claws, traced the curve of your neck, your shoulders, your breasts, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.
You gasped, breaking the kiss, your body arching into his touch. He smiled, a slow, predatory smile that sent shivers down your spine. "I want to hear you," he whispered, his breath hot on your ear. "I want to hear every sound you make, every gasp, every moan." He captured your mouth again, his tongue delving in, exploring, tasting. His hands continued their journey, tracing the curve of your waist, your hips, the soft flesh of your thighs. He hooked his fingers into the waistband of your undergarments, pulling back to look at you.
He slid the underwear down your legs, his eyes never leaving yours. You felt a shiver of anticipation and vulnerability, but the heat in his gaze, the raw desire, kept you from feeling exposed again. He stood up, his tail unwrapping from your waist, and you missed the contact instantly. But he was back in a moment, his hands on your knees, gently pushing them apart.
He knelt down, his gaze still locked with yours, and you felt a jolt of surprise and excitement. His rough claws traced up your inner thighs, his touch feather-light, sending shivers through you. You could feel the heat of his breath on you, and you squirmed, your body aching with anticipation. He smiled, a slow, knowing smile, and leaned in.
His long tongue found your aching bud, hot and wet, and you gasped, your body arching off the pile of furs. He made a sound, a low growl of pleasure, and the vibration sent waves of sensation through you. He gripped your thighs, holding you in place as he explored you, his tongue and lips driving you to the edge. You could feel the pressure building, your body coiling tight, and you grasped the furs beneath you, your knuckles turning paler.
"Thank you for agreeing to give me the gift of new life" His gaze held you captive, even as his tongue continued its torturous, delightful dance. You felt a flush spread across your body, your cheeks burning with a mix of embarrassment and arousal.
But you didn't look away. You held his gaze, your breath coming in ragged gasps, your body writhing with each flick of his tongue. He groaned, the sound vibrating through you, pushing you closer to the edge. You could feel it, the pleasure building, coiling tight like a spring ready to snap. "Sylus," you gasped, his name a plea on your lips.
He growled in response, his fingers digging into your thighs as he redoubled his efforts. The room spun, the golden light blurring around you. Your body tensed, every muscle coiled tight, and then, with a cry, you shattered. Waves of pleasure crashed over you, drowning you in sensation. You felt Sylus's claws on you, steadying you, his tail wrapping around you, holding you close as you rode out the storm. When the world came back into focus, you found yourself cradled in Sylus arms, your body still trembling with aftershocks. He was looking down at you, his eyes soft with concern and something else...a deep, profound satisfaction.
As you finally noticed the absence of his usual belt, your eyes widened in shock. There, at you waist, were not one, but two substantially sized cocks, side by side, both throbbing with desire. You could've sworn he only had one before?? A wave of heat rushed to your face, and you felt a surge of panic. You tried to wriggle free, to create some distance, but Sylus's grip only tightened. He growled, a low, primal sound that sent shivers down your spine, as you managed to shift into a crawling position. But your brief moment of triumph was short-lived.
With a swift move, he grabbed you around the waist, pulling you back towards him. You could feel his hot breath on your neck as he forced you face down onto the soft furs, his body pressing heavily against yours. "You cannot run from this," he rasped, his voice thick with lust and determination. "Be still." The fear that had been lurking within you surged back, filling every fiber of your being. You knew, with a certainty that was both terrifying and exhilarating, that there would be no escape. Not this time. Not until he had marked you, claimed you, bred you. His need was too great, his desire to leave his seed within you too strong to change your mind now.
As Sylus began to push his first cock into you, you felt a searing pain and a sense of being stretched to the limit. You realized, with a jolt of fear, that he hadn't been lying when he said this wouldn't be gentle. His cock was like a battering ram, forcing its way into your tight pussy with a ferocity that left you breathless. He let out a fierce growl of pleasure, pushing himself as deep as he could possibly go inside your walls.
He pumped feverishly, his hips moving with the strength and power of a beast. You groaned, your voice hoarse and barely audible, as your pussy was forced to take the pounding he was giving you. The sensation was overwhelming, a mix of pain and pleasure that left you gasping for air and gripping the fur beneath you.
His cock was huge, and it felt like it was tearing you apart, stretching your walls to the limit. You felt like you were being ripped in two, your body struggling to accommodate the size and strength of his thrusts. But Sylus didn't seem to care, his face twisted in a snarl of pleasure as he pounded into you with reckless abandon.
You were at his mercy, unable to escape the torrent of sensations that he was unleashing on your body. Your mind was a jumble of pain and pleasure, your body torn between the pain of his thrusts and the thrill of being taken by a creature so powerful and dominant. You felt his second cock rubbing itself between the rounds of your ass.
As Sylus continued to pump into you, his face twisted in a snarl of pleasure, he leaned in close and whispered in your ear.
"You'll never want for anything, beloved," he growled, voice low and reverent, thick with the weight of promise. It wasnât just a statement. It was a vow. An oath carved from the bones of instinct, older than memory and heavier than gold. His breath was hot against your neck, his words brushing over your skin like fire.
"Not once," he continued, a possessive rumble threading through each syllable, "not once you're full with my children."
There was no shame in his tone, no hesitation. Just certainty. Purpose. He spoke like a dragon made flesh, a creature built for legacy, for claiming, for protecting what was his with unrelenting devotion. His hand traced your side as he spoke, the motion slow and reverent, as if feeling the space where new life would soon grow.
"Yes...yes give me as many children as you want Sylus, I want them all..." you begged, feeling yourself beginning to drool into the furs.
Your voice was barely above a whisper, but it seemed to have a profound effect on Sylus. His eyes flashed with a fierce light, and his face twisted in a snarl of pleasure.
Without warning, he pulled his cock out of you, the sudden withdrawal leaving you feeling empty and uneasy. But before you could even catch your breath, he flipped you around, his hands grasping your hips and pulling you back onto his cock. You felt him shove his cock balls deep inside you once again, the sudden invasion making you gasp with shock and pleasure.
You were stretched to the limit, your body struggling to accommodate the size and strength of his thrusts. But Sylus didn't seem to care, his face twisted in a mask of pleasure and desire. He pumped into you with a fierce intensity, his hips moving with a rapid, pounding rhythm that left you breathless and gasping. You felt his second cock sliding in harmonious rhythm across your stomach as he continued to pump the other inside you.
Sylus's movements grow frantic, each thrust more desperate than the last. The heat builds between you, an unstoppable force that drives you both to the edge. His breath hitches, and you can feel the tension coiling in his muscles, ready to snap.
With a final, forceful thrust, he slams deep inside you, a low groan ripping from his chest as he cums. The heat floods into you, a searing wave of release that leaves you both gasping. As he rides out the last pulses of his climax, he leans forward, sinking his teeth into your shoulder. The bite is sharp, claiming, sending a shock through your body that mingles with the aftershocks of his release.
You're both slicked in sweat, your chests rising and falling in a staggered rhythm as you cling to each other, trembling and utterly spent. The cave around you is dense with heat and the scent of exertion, the air thick enough to drink. Your skin is flushed, tingling, every nerve alight from the intensity of what has just passed between you. You feel the large amount of cum he shot inside you begin to spill out, making your thighs stick together. Itâs hard to tell where your body ends and his beginsâhis warmth wraps around you like a living cocoon, steady and ever-present.
Every breath you take is his, pulled in from the narrow space between your mouths, and every exhale becomes a shared offering. His body is heavy over yours, enveloping, protective. Youâre still reeling, caught somewhere between bliss and disbelief, when Sylus leans down and claims your lips in a kissâfierce, unrelenting, yet reverent. It isnât rushed. Itâs deep, meaningful, and possessive in a way that leaves your heart pounding anew.
"Can you help me up?" you whisper, voice trembling, your limbs aching with fatigue. You lift a shaky hand, fingers brushing the fresh mark on your shoulder. The skin there is tender and warm, a physical memory of him etched into your flesh.
Sylus pulls back just enough to look at you, a small smile touching his lips. Thereâs affection in his gaze, but itâs layered with something elseâsomething feral, possessive, unwavering. You blink at him, puzzled by the look he gives you, your breath catching as your body anticipates an answer.
"We arenât finished, beloved" he murmurs, his voice like a caress wrapped in iron. The timbre of it thrums through your bones. He motions to his other member, still throbbing with need on your stomach. "I still have seed stored. I told you this would not be brief. We wonât be done until I am certainâutterly certainâthat my seed has taken root."
The words wash over you like a second wave of heat. You feel it building againânot fear, not even hesitation. Just the slow, inevitable rush of anticipation. Your breath shudders as he presses closer once more, and the look in his eyes makes your heart stutter. He is so sure. So devoted. So...inescapably yours.
This isnât just instinct anymore. It isnât mere biology. Itâs a vow, an offering, a claiming that comes from something sacred and ancient within him.
And as his lips brush against your throat, his tail curling possessively around your thigh again, you know one thing for certain:
Sylus isnât finished.
And this becomes abundantly clear as he pushes his second cock inside you.
The next two days blur together in a haze of heat and aching limbs. Sylus is relentlessâa creature driven by instinct and obsession, bound not just by desire but by an instinctual need to claim and secure what he now considers his. The cavern is filled with the sounds of breathless gasps, low growls, and the slick sound of bodies tangled in devotion and purpose.
There is barely a moment to rest. He presses into you again and again, each time with a ferocity that leaves you trembling, breathless, dazed. He rarely lets you catch your breath before pulling you close once more, whispering possessive promises into your ear, vowing over and over that he will not stop until he knows that his seed has taken root.
Still, there are brief breaks. Moments when he leaves to hunt, returning with food to replenish your strength. He never brings back just a mealâhe returns with offerings: rare fruit, tender meats, things heâs sure will sustain and strengthen you. His eyes scan you for any signs of weakness, worry carved into the lines of his face even through the veil of lust that constantly clouds him.
One such time, you had tried to redress yourself, more out of instinct than shame. But when he returned and found you clothed again, his eyes darkened, the low sound of displeasure vibrating in his chest. He had stalked over to you, roughly tearing the garments off of your body, scattering them on the stone floor in pieces.
"Sylu-"
"No," he murmured, his voice low and rough, "You are to remain bare for me. Ready. Always."
And with those words, he had taken you again roughly, until the floor was soaked in his cum, as if to remind you that your body was his haven nowâa vessel for something sacred. And this continued hourly, even when you had just awoken from a nap. He simply would spread your legs and begin pumping himself inside you. You welcomed this of course, figuring he was just following what his instincts were telling him to do.
Eventually, his frenzy began to slow. The fire that had once consumed him now burned low and steady, replaced by a quieter, more reverent form of devotion. Weeks passed in a blur of rest, warmth, and gentle touches, and then came the shiftâhe began to note that you smelled different. His sharp senses detected it before you felt a thing. He would murmur it against your skin, nose pressed to your neck or your belly, voice thick with wonder.
"You carry new life," heâd whisper.
At first, you rolled your eyes and laughed it off, teasing him for being so certain. You didn't want to get your hopes up. But soon, you began to feel it tooâa flutter, faint and flickering like butterfly wings deep within. The first time it happened, you froze, a hand going instinctively to your belly. Sylus noticed immediately, his head snapping up, eyes wide.
"Did you feel it?"
You nodded slowly, hand still pressed to the gentle curve of your stomach. He was elated. Absolutely overcome with joy. He knelt before you and kissed your belly with a soft, contented purr rumbling from deep in his chest, his tail wrapping protectively around your ankles.
True to his word, he kept his promise. You never wanted for anything. He hunted only the best for you, brought the juiciest fruit, the most nourishing roots. He prepared meals with painstaking care, even if he didnât eat most of it himself. When your back ached or your feet swelled, he massaged you with surprising tenderness, his large hands easing every knot and tension from your tired limbs. At night, he curled around you like a shield, his wings a blanket of protection, whispering soft things in a language you didnât always understand.
Eventually, your clothes grew too tight to wear. Your belly swelled gloriously with life, and you gave up trying to force yourself into fabric that no longer fit. You wandered the cave freely, naked and glowing, your hands always resting protectively on your rounded stomach. Sylus didnât mind in the slightest. He thought you looked divine.
Even in the later stages of your pregnancy, when walking made you tired and your body ached from the weight of his child, he still looked at you with hunger in his eyes. He remained ever ready to take you, though now with more patience, more gentleness to not hurt you or the baby. His touches were slow, reverent, his need no less intense but guided now by something softerâan unshakable adoration.
To him, you were more than his mate.
You were the future of his lineage. A living miracle he worshiped with every breath.
He was awoken one morning by the soft, fragile sound of you whining beside himâa breathy, instinctive noise that sliced through the quiet like a blade, shattering the peace of dawn. Instantly, he was alert, his senses snapping into sharp focus. In one smooth, practiced motion, he propped himself up on one elbow and leaned over you, red eyes scanning your body with fierce, frantic protectiveness. His hands hovered inches from your skin, as though afraid to touch and yet desperate to find the source of your distress.
When he found no visible wounds, he moved lower, his tail curling around your leg and lifting it gently. What he saw next made him still completelyâand then smile, slow and reverent. A sheen of clear fluid glistened at your thighs. His chest swelled with emotion, and a warm, knowing glow filled his gaze.
It was time.
His breath caught in his throat, and the world seemed to narrow around this one miraculous truth. He leaned down, pressed his forehead to yours, and gently shook you awake, voice husky with emotion. "Wake, beloved," he murmured. "The hour is upon us."
What followed was the longest, most grueling day and a half of your life. The cave became a sanctuary of primal sound and sacred painâthe sharp edge of your cries echoing off the stone walls, the slow, rhythmic cadence of your breathing, and Sylusâs steady, grounding presence through it all. The space that had once been a den of passion now transformed into a place of birth and bond, of new beginnings.
He had prepared for this, of course. He always did. A nest of soft animal pelts had been lovingly arranged just days prior, thick and warm and perfectly layered to support your aching, straining body. You lay upon them, your skin damp with sweat, hair plastered to your temples, your belly tightening again and again with each new contraction. The pain was searing, unforgiving, your body fighting for every inch of progress.
And Sylus never left your side. Not for a moment.
He positioned himself behind you, his body acting as both cradle and shield. His larger frame curved protectively around yours, arms curled reverently over your middle, claws softened and carefully restrained so they wouldnât harm you. He rubbed slow, grounding circles into the swell of your belly, the weight of his presence a balm against the storm.
His lips brushed your shoulder often, murmuring affirmations and praise, voice a low, calming purr that vibrated through your bones. His tail coiled gently around your thigh, anchoring you when you trembled. Whenever you cried out or whimpered in agony, he was thereânot panicked, not shaken, but steady. Fierce.
"Breathe, my love," he whispered again and again, the words threaded with admiration. "Youâre strong. So strong. You were made for this."
There was never a flicker of doubt in his eyes. He watched you with awe, holding space for your pain and your power, never wavering. His devotion took on a quiet intensity, every touch purposeful, every breath synchronized with yours. When you broke down in tears, sobbing through another wave of pain, he kissed your temple, held your hand, and wrapped you tighter in his warmth.
He treated you like something sacredânot just the mother of his child, but the miracle who bore his legacy. There was reverence in the way he touched you, in how he shifted with you through every hour, how his purring grew louder as your contractions deepened. You were his whole world in those moments, and he made sure you felt it.
As the hours stretched into exhaustion and time lost all meaning, he remained your constant.
And when the sharp, piercing cry of a newborn echoed through the cave, Sylus felt the breath leave his lungs entirely. The sound struck him like thunder, powerful and sacred, and his eyes locked on the sight before him: you, cradling the small, wriggling form against your chest. You were slick with sweat, flushed from exertion, but your smileâsoft, exhausted, and full of wonder for your new babyâwas the most radiant thing he had ever seen.
He moved toward you reverently, as if approaching something divine. But as he leaned in closer, a deep instinct stirred within him, passed down through countless generations. His tongue flicked out ever so slightly, and his body tensed with the urge to clean the newborn himselfâthe way his kind had always done.
You caught the motion and gave him a knowing look, gently placing a hand on his cheek. "No licking," you whispered with a tired laugh. "Thatâs not how we do it."
It took some convincing, his instincts hard to quiet, but he eventually yielded, watching with wide-eyed fascination as you showed him the human way. Warm cloths, gentle strokes, soft murmurs of comfort.
He knelt beside you, silent and attentive, absorbing every detail.
And though he did not get to perform the ritual of his bloodline, he found something just as profound in learning yours.
Together, you welcomed new life in a way that blended two worlds into one.
sylus can sense you as soon as he steps into the base. he knows youâre not far, knows youâre just a few steps away. but he doesnât know why.
today is a wednesday. no breaks or holidays upcoming on your schedule (which he familiarized himself with). so⊠maybe an off-day? a sick leave? his stomach curls at the thought of you being ill. but simultaneously melts at the thought of you coming to him to recover.
he finds you curled up on his softest couch in the living area. caressed by an eerie warm light. wrapped in a blanket, eyes far away despite the book in your hand. he starts to worry when you barely notice him come closer. he waves a palm before you to draw your attention to him.
you blink, tired eyes finding the concerned gaze of your beloved. each line on his face asking, begging you to tell him whatâs wrong.
âhi.â you murmur as he tilts you forward. he slides his leg between you and the backrest, his other plants itself on the ground, his arms drape over your shoulders, he leans against the armrest and he pulls you with him back into his chest. urging you to sink into him, let him carry the weight that makes your shoulders slump and your eyes lose their light.
his lips trail over the crown of your head, the shell of your ear, the plump of your cheek and finally the gasp from your lips. his timbre low and thoughtful, âhow was your day?â
there is a clog in your throat that makes you swallow. a burning between and behind your eyes. a set in your jaw at his question that tells him more than words can convey.
âbad.â he concludes in a murmur, pulling back to cradle the softness of your face and turn it towards his. crystalline eyes confirm his suspicions.
âtell me?â he tries, thumb gliding back and forth over your warm skin. heated cheeks beneath his ministrations are doused with droplets of saltwater.
and so you cry, you hiccup and sob, you try your best to speak, to tell himâ but how do you put it in words? how fed up you are? how much you feel youâre stuck in a loop? how far behind you feel? how no matter how hard you run, which route you take, you feel like you will end up nowhere?
how do you tell him you want to win when you have no idea how to play? that you want to breathe but your lungs are filled with smoke? that you are tired. so, so incredibly tired that nothing means anything anymore?
itâs a mess out your lips. stuttered syllables and tumbling words. and yet he nods like you are speaking clearly. he squeezes your hands like he understands.
he presses his forehead to your cheek as if he bears the pain with you tooâ and he does, not entirely, but the ache in your chest resonates into his own like an awful symphony.
and he will take it time and time again if it made even the slightest difference to you. if it made you feel less alone.
and you will never be alone. not while he breathes.
he does not speak when you ramble. his eyes may wander to check on your body for any injury or pain, but his attention is solely on you. he is taking notes in his mind on what made you snap, who made you upset, at which point was it all too muchâ while nuzzling his face into your neck.
and when you falter, your voice ceases to a whisper and then nothing at the thought that he might not be listening. that he might not want to listen to you drone on and on about your miserable week; be a weeping victim of your own circumstances, he hums something patient into your shoulder. âkeep going.â
âiâm saying too much.â you sigh. your nails run over his scalp, your attention abruptly shifting to his needs and not your own. âhow was your day?â
âgood.â he simply says, reveling at the trickling needles down his spine at your touch. âkeep going.â
you do, you trail your nails over his head, down the nape of his neck, and under his chin. and when you donât say anything, he kisses your palm, whispering. âkeep talking, beloved.â
taken aback at his request, you frown. âitâs really just⊠you donât want to hear it.â
gentle. so achingly gentle, he breathes. âbut i do.â
âitâs not important.â
âno.â he rasps, coming up again to peer down at you. to make sure you know, you understandâ that everything you say is important to him. everything you are is important. your everythingâ your thoughts, your stories, your opinions, your experiencesâ is everything to him.
âno,â he says again, slow and raw and genuine. he brushes strands of hair away from your scarlet rimmed eyes and brushes his lips over each one. âitâs you.â
and you will always be important.
his arms are a solace to the world that feels endless. his presence is salvation to your rupturing soul. and he feels like an end worth running towards.
your awful day ends. tomorrow, the world will ask you to try again. and you will. but for now you are here, and so is he, and you rest knowing he always will be.