Hihi! I decided to make a tumblr to post writings! But I’m Starlightgazed on Ao3 if you’ve read some of my works before hello!!
About me:
I’m Star!! I’m 24 years old and I’ve been playing otome games since I was 13. I’m terrible at fic updating since my day job involves a lot of writing, so I get burnt out easily. I one day hope to write my own book tho!! I appreciate any and everyone who reads and enjoys my work so thanks for stopping by!
Previous Work:
Love and Deepspace:
Intertwined (Soon to be multi chapter)
Humility in the Humidity
Genshin Impact:
Attached at the Hip
Roses in the Thorn Bush (multi chapter)
FF7 (Clerith Fics):
Never Off Duty
FFVII: Rebuilt (multi chapter)
Requests/Chatting
Tbh I haven’t been on tumblr since I was like 13, so I’m not sure what the community is like anymore, but I’m interested in writing so I potentially am down to write some prompts! Obviously since I tend to write a lot of NSFW, MDNI! If people are interested in requests/prompts I’ll be open to making a rules list.
But I’m here to have fun and hangout w my fellow fandom peeps so don’t be shy and say hi!! 🖤
Hiiiii, I LOVE your Caleb & ZayneMC fic, when can we expect to see them again??
Take care of yourself queen!!
Hi friend ! I’ve started on the newest chapter but haven’t had time to finish it 😵💫😵💫 I hope to write all three chapters and finish it all at once so please be patient, and I appreciate you reaching out!! ❤️
omg hi thank you for checking in on me !! 😂 I am ok ! I just had to move recently so I have been stressed and haven’t had time to sit down and do fun writing 🥲🥲 I really want to work on fics but still in the process of unpacking my new place so once I’m a bit more settled I would like to get back into the swing. Thank you for reaching out ❤️❤️
Hi, Star!! If you don't mind me asking, when can we expect the next 3 chapters of your "Are You Still My Safe Space?" fic? I REALLY love it so far! ^^
Thank you I’m glad you enjoyed it!! I’m going to write the final three chapters and publish them all together, I’ve been busy with the holidays so I don’t have an exact date at the moment but I’m aiming for new years/early January if time allows!! In the meantime I’ll be posting and working on quick one shots to read that I hope everyone will enjoy while I try to wrap this story up. Sorry I don’t have a better answer but I really appreciate you for reaching out and enjoying my work ❤️
A/N: This has been rotting on my google docs, figured I would at least share it here :)
Through the heavy veil of fog, is a world he’s most familiar with. Fables would say a world of dragons was lost to tales of time, but for a dragon like himself, he knew the stories to be true.
When a castle Sylus had been eyeing had finally gone up for sale, in an instant, he bought it to trek up the nearby mountains and see if his theory was true. The cloak of condensation soaked into his skin as he heard whispers in a language he once spoke call to him.
‘Brother of the sky, you have returned…. What is it you seek?’
Hearing the sharp hiss of his mother tongue lit a fierce sense of nostalgia in his heart, “My beloved… My other half, show me where her body lies…”
‘From the sky to the soil, she is with you still, but her bones from times of old; we shall show to only you, gentle brother.’
He stopped in his tracks as the fog cleared into a sea of colorful flowers. A sea of blue, white, and purple blended in his teary eyes as he stared at the large husk of bones in front of them.
Her voice rang in his ears, “I curse you…I curse you to stay by my side…”
Sylus approached the large bones and placed a hand on one of the large forms. Silent tears streamed down his cheeks. “You shouldn’t have been alone.”
He knelt down as a breeze blew and ruffled his hair, the warmth of the breeze caressing his aching heart. A dragon hides itself from others when it is about to die, it does not fully pass on till it’s body is covered in flowers.
Collecting himself, he stood and walked into the center of the ribs of the body of his beloved. He lay down in the center, where her heart once beat fierce and true. His shaky voice hummed out a tune familiar, sung much better in her symphonic voice.
“You sing a lot,” he stared at the white haired sorceress as she lazily washed her clothes in the nearby spring.
“I can’t help it, sometimes my own voice is the only thing I could hear for days on end…It gives me peace.” She speaks firmly and sharply as if to strike his pride with every word of her truth.
“I like it…It’s… Pretty,” he smiles at her as she turns to glare at him.
“You must truly be tone deaf to think me a pretty singer.” There was a slight flush to her pouty cheeks, and he just chuckled.
“I may not be a true judge of musical capabilities, but I can feel the sound of your voice…I like the way it feels. It’s soothing.”
Sylus taps on a flower near his face within the husk of the dragon bones. His gaze turns to the maw of the dragon's face, his voice chokes as he speaks, “I wish you could see the flowers…how they bloom just for you.”
“I’ll take you here…Even if you don’t remember. I hope it eases the soul you can’t seem to remember.”
He stands with more purpose and pride as he climbs on to the very top of the head. As he reaches the top his fingers gently caress the pale white bones, he bends down to press a kiss to what would be her forehead.
When the sorceress cursed his soul, he was forced to watch her from what can only be described as the in-between. Not heaven or hell, but a purgatory where he could only see her wander and wander the mountain sides as her body grew into the fiercest dragon he’s ever seen.
His human, his love, she cursed him not knowing she would also be damned to be the last of their kind. Hiding in this valley of flowers to lie down and sleep forever as she was wrapped in what he can only describe as their idea of heaven.
Through a mysterious miracle is she born again, but she doesn’t remember. He nods his head in resolve as he decides to take her here, even if she never remembers, he wants to show her the flowers. And if only for a moment, he thinks that the version of her that once existed, can be at peace.
Summary: Caleb being alive was an emotional roller coaster. Will our relationship ever go back to normal? My feelings have shifted and waivered since Zayne has come back into my life. Maybe this mission in Sky Haven will allow me to see if the Caleb I once knew is still my safe space....
_____
A character study fic of reader/MC navigating her feelings of loss and anger at Caleb returning into her life.
Read on Ao3
Previous Chapter
Read From the Beginning
CHAPTER THREE
Grabbing a piece of clear tape and hoping for the best for this crazy plan, I think by the skin of my teeth I got a decent shape of Caleb’s finger print from the tv remote. Standing in front of the biometric scan in front of his door has me formulating every lie, excuse, and unfathomable explanation I can give him if this doesn’t work.
With a shaky breath I tap on the screen and manage to get it to ask for a finger print, my heart pounds as it scans the tape. By some miracle I hear a positive jingle and the screen asks for a four digit code. This is the real test for me, if the code isn’t what I think it is, I’ll give up.
I enter digits that make up the month and day of my birthday.
And just like that, I’m in.
I rush in and quickly am overwhelmed with a sense of dread as I immediately notice a desk that has surveillance cameras. Upon further inspection, the locations he is surveying are the street security camera outside my apartment complex, the camera outside the hunter’s association building, and my nearby trainstation. God, what is his fucking problem?
Having no time to ponder that, I rush to his desk to look at all the paper work on top of it. I don’t want to touch anything and alert him that someone was snooping, so I just quickly scan across all the out-in-the-open files. Most of it seems like general reports on missions, nothing screams Ever. Until I read something out of the blue: Subject S — Return to Gaia. My eyebrows furrow at this and I can’t help but reach out and grab this file to read more.
The subject failed to resonate with 02, reset.
The subject’s mental state could be linked to protofields - test
Added protocore level 897 to the subject.
The subject is experiencing heart failure - research.
All of this documentation makes no sense to me, as I’m caught up on finding an answer to who this research belongs to, my worst nightmare comes true.
“And what do you think you’re doing pipsqueak?” A chill permeates the air as Caleb slams the door shut behind him with a glare.
“Your door opened and I got curious…I should be the one asking you what the hell you think you're doing,” I choose anger instead of fear, seeing him glare below me like I’m some kind of untrained animal that pisses me off more than the embarrassment I have of being caught.
“I find that very hard to believe,” he grabs my wrist tightly and pulls me closer, “I’ll give you one more try to answer that again, correctly this time.”
I shiver at the lack of emotion behind his voice and my fear takes over as I let out a shaky breath, “I wanted to see if you were working for Ever. I wanted to know if I could trust you.”
“And what is your answer? Do you think you can trust me?”
My throat closes and swells with the words my heart doesn’t want to admit to. I swallow the truth behind my lips and pray that my eyes can answer for me as it feels like his eyes are peering into the depths of my soul.
“I didn’t want to have to do this pipsqueak, but since you’ve crossed a line, there’s no going back,” with a tsk he lifts me up fireman style and eerily takes me out of the room and into the room i’ve been staying in.
I thrash my body around, “What do you think you’re doing?! And what the hell kind of experiments have you been up to? What happened to no secrets?” Anger and hurt paint my tone to reach his blank stare. The lack of emotion on his familiar features bothered me more than him lifting me.
As he sets me down in the room, I don’t even notice he pick-pocketed my phone and stared at me dead panned in the face as he shattered it into pieces. “Since you want to poke your pretty nose where it doesn’t belong, you’ve lost your freedom. I may be yours, but I will not tolerate insubordination.”
With no other words, he turned and locks me in the room. I panic and immediately bang on the door, “Caleb! You’re being crazy! Let me out now or I’ll find my own way out and kick your sorry ass!”
Looking around at the room I've been staying in, there are no windows to try and bust through, so I start using my body weight to try and break the door down. Despite my hunter training, this gets me nowhere and exhausts me fast. I lay down on the bed with a frustrated groan and try not to let my emotions overwhelm me as tears of anger and frustration threaten to spill.
This isn’t my Caleb. I buried the Caleb I loved with Gran, this was a hard pill I am swallowing as I reflect on the coldness within those purple eyes I once adored. Memories flow into my head and my heart aches as I finally allow myself to once again mourn the love I have to bare.
“Who made you cry? I’ll beat them up!” Caleb, no more than 12-years old, saw my crestfallen and tear stained face in the hallway as I was reeling from a bad day at school.
“It’s ok Caleb, it’s my fault for thinking people wanted to be my friend…” My small hands could barely keep up with the fast-pace in which the tears streamed out of my eyes.
He looked pained as he just reached out and held me close to his chest. The steady rhythm of his beating heart soothed the ache in my own. “Even if the whole world is against you, I’ll always be your friend, your brother, whatever you want me to be pipsqueak.”
A greedy selfish desire of possession clawed inside me as I looked up at him with pleading eyes, “For now, can you be like the prince in the fairytales?”
“Of course, m’lady,” he faked a funny accent and lifted me up with his struggling lack of muscles. Caleb sat me on the kitchen table and got out paper to start making airplanes with.
“Pipsqueak, I’m gonna write your wishes on these planes and fly them so high, the universe and galaxy will have to listen to you.” he makes one in my favorite color and shows me the neatly bent wing with scratchy handwriting that read, ‘Keep Caleb by her side forever…’
I laughed at how absurdly bold his wishes were. In the evening setting sun, I think is when I figured out that the love in his purple eyes would be imprinted in my fragile heart till the day we would die together.
~~~~~
A few years later, when I was older and struggling with change as a teenager, I snuck into Caleb’s room during a thunderstorm. Gram didn’t think it appropriate when we got older for us to be cuddling, but my fear of thunderstorms outweighed my fear of judgement.
I clutched Caleb like a frightened stray cat, shaking and shivering in his warm embrace. He had grown older and despite both of us changing, at our very core we were still those children making paper airplanes.
It wasn’t until his now slightly deeper voice asked me a question, did our pure love shift.
“Hey… Have you had your first kiss yet?”
“Caleb!” I whisper yelled at him, “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Well…I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone else would hold you this close…” he said with a frown.
“No…I haven’t,” I sigh and hide my face into his chest.
“Good,” he places his warm hand on my cheek to lift my head and he leaned in and his lips met mine. The pitter patter of rain became a backdrop noise for the feeling of his softness and delicate movements.
After Caleb pulled away he just smiled and curled into me more as he closed his eyes to go to bed.
My heart would not stop hammering as I spent the rest of the night staring at the glow-in-the-dark stickers on his ceiling and thinking about what this meant between me and him.
As I was reminiscing on our past, I wiped my current tears, and sat up and started messing with the locked door again. My heart was broken once more, but I needed to kill the nostalgia for a dead fantasy in order to get out and focus on my mission.
I was ready to do whatever I had to do to go back home to Linkon, and if I am able to do so, I’ll leave behind paper airplanes and stolen kisses that no longer serve me.
Summary: Caleb being alive was an emotional roller coaster. Will our relationship ever go back to normal? My feelings have shifted and waivered since Zayne has come back into my life. Maybe this mission in Sky Haven will allow me to see if the Caleb I once knew is still my safe space....
_____
A character study fic of reader/MC navigating her feelings of loss and anger at Caleb returning into her life.
Read on Ao3
Previous Chapter
CHAPTER TWO
When I woke up and saw the somber look on Caleb’s face as he flipped pancakes, I couldn’t help the guilty feeling welling inside me. I closed my eyes and sighed, trying to release these negative and encompassing emotions that were within my conflicted heart.
As I composed myself, I tried to pretend as if nothing ever happened, if only to try my best to move on and mend this dysfunctional relationship with the boy who had always been there. “Can you make a funny face on mine?”
The girlish lilt to my voice made him slowly bring his purple eyes to mine with a gleam of hopefulness and nostalgia. A smile broke out on his face, “With a side of whip cream I suppose?”
“Mhm! Of course,” I sat at the dinner table with expectancy as he just shook his head over the stove.
“Sure thing Pipsqueak, I would be crazy not to make your pancakes into a funny face.”
He set the table with more of a pep-in his step, for a moment in time, I could live with the lie I was currently performing. Forgiveness is a bridge that is not easy to construct, but with this, I can try and build a foundation.
Breakfast was the first time in the past few weeks that have actually felt normal. Until Caleb decided to graciously bring up a topic I wasn’t sure how to approach…
“Sooo, how’s our buddy Zayne been?”
I nearly spat out my orange juice all over Caleb at even a mention of Zayne. I had a suspicion that Caleb might have been eavesdropping on me, but I had no real way of knowing. “Oh you know, he’s as busy as ever…”
Caleb just let out an empty laugh as he wiped off the liquid that landed on his arms, “Is that so?” His brown hair shifted as he tilted his head in curiosity.
“Yup, being a director at Akso keeps him constantly on the clock,” I said, trying my best to give short and curt answers to try and drop the conversation.
“Oh really? Is he taking house calls now?”
“What are you talking about?” My mood instantly sours at his accusational tone.
With a disapproving glare, he just scoffs and goes, “it’s nothing pipsqueak.”
“Do you have a problem with Zayne? Last time I checked he also gave you flowers on your aviation academy graduation.”
“Yeah, Jasmines,” there was a sarcastic drone in his tone, “Which I’m allergic to.”
A part of me wanted to chuckle at that, but I just shrugged and said, “At least in his own way he was trying to be supportive.”
“Pipsqueak, I’m gonna tell you a secret, a secret kept only by men…We don’t like to be upstaged, and I think me and Zayne just are like oil and water and are continuously trying to be better than one another,” he shrugs a bit, “Must be testosterone or something.”
“But at the end of the day, we all still were once kids who got along…I think you would owe it to him, much like your pilot brothers, to let him know you were okay.”
There was a heavy silence for a moment, it was as if Caleb was testing the weight of my words in his mind before he spoke, “Did he come to my ‘funeral?’”
“Yes.” My voice came out a bit more gravely than intended as I was brought back to those memories.
Hot tears were washed away by the rain drizzling down. A warm pair of arms wrapped around my shoulders.
“You can cry…And if you run out of tears, I think the clouds have got your back.” Zayne’s voice was as soft as a feather when he spoke. As if any higher octane in tone would startle me.
His kindness made me more sad, I felt so undeserving of it. It seemed like every time I would stumble, Zayne’s steady hands would hold me together. “I feel so empty, like I have nothing more to give…I wish I could call him to say I was sorry.”
I felt a dance of his fingertips as he brushed my hair out of my face, and stared at the rich green of his bright eyes that seemed to be kind and gentle against the painting of the gloomy skyline above us.
“I’m sure he forgives you, you could never do wrong in his eyes. Remember when we were young and you broke his model airplane? I nearly was ready to take the blame for seeing you drowning in tears of regret, till he came over and accepted your blubbering apology.”
I nodded my head at the memory and then leaned my face onto Zayne’s shoulder, fully in emotional defeat. “Yeah I suppose Caleb was soft like that, I just wish we had a proper conclusion.”
Zayne looked out onto the distance and adjusted his glasses briefly before speaking, “It’s the curse of living. Never having the proper answers, conclusions, or moments to make us fully satisfied when we reach the end of the line. I see it constantly, death, injury, regret, grief. And unfortunately, the only truthful words I can offer you, is that you aren’t alone.”
He looks down at me and for a moment I just stared at him and as much as I am absorbing the truth of his words, I feel a flutter in my chest. A flutter of hope staring at me in the form of a gentle and defeated expression. It was as if I had just signed a silent agreement with the man in front of me, that whatever worries came my way, would suddenly become his too.
Ever since then I haven’t been able to shake the yearning I have for the stillness of his winter.
Now I am thrown back into the shocking warmth of summer as purple eyes bare into me as if I spoke out of tune. I let out a sigh and tried to shake the empathetic gloss in Caleb’s eyes.
“Forget it, that’s in the past,” I swift my gaze down to my now empty breakfast plate, “Whatever is between you and Zayne is none of my business I guess.”
Caleb looks awkward for a moment and then stands up to kneel down in front of me, “I’m sorry, I just can’t help but feel a little bit envious of him, that he was there for you when I should’ve been.” As Caleb grabs my plate to go wash I silently accept his honesty, but my heart doesn’t move the way it used to in his presence. And I’m not sure if it will ever again.
“Well Pipsqueak? Is there something you want to do today? Should we go to an amusement park? Orrr, I can take you on a thrill ride in one of the aircrafts on the base.”
“Skipping out on your colonel duties?” I question his sudden lack of a busy schedule.
“Nah, I have some higher ups taking care of loose ends for me, so I have some freedom the last few days you're here. My time is all yours,” he throws his arms open to me.
“Hmmm, how about you teach me how to fly one of those fancy birds?”
“Oh? Think you’re so grown up now because you got a motorcycle license huh? Alright pipsqueak, I can try to teach you, just know it’s reeaaally complicated.” His voice challenged me, reminding me of when we were young and he would always tease me for my boldness.
But frustration quickly spread throughout my chest as I sat in the cockpit of one of the latest AE52 Darts and had Caleb ramble off complex instructions as if manning this aircraft was as simple as screwing in a lightbulb.
“No, no, you need to connect the fueler before you can even think of programming your flight settings,” he corrected me as I was fiddling with the digital pad. “Here, let me help.”
He was crouched behind me in the cockpit and his larger frame loomed over me as he slightly stood up to flip some switches. Caleb’s face was next to mine and he was laser focused on his task of starting up this aircraft.
“You’re still terrible at explaining things,” I chuckle as he just starts taking over the task at hand instead of letting me learn.
“Well, unless you’re thinking of switching careers, I doubt this information will stick with you, so it’s best if I do the technical stuff for you first.”
“Hmm? Don’t think I have what it takes? Or are you scared that I could be coming for your colonel title?”
His laugh was instant and familiar, it was one I often heard on late school nights, “Oh you’re so cute pipsqueak, but let’s let the professionals do their job, yeah?”
I let out a huff and cross my arms as Caleb smugly goes about his business. While I am conceding for now, I am watching closely and taking mental notes. While this isn’t an official mission from the association, knowing any and all info on this type of aircraft could be useful in case I need to make a heist at the Farspace Fleet.
Eventually, we actually did get the plane off the ground, Caleb got too nervous with my confused shaky hands at the controls and forced me in the co-pilot seat. “Hmmm I will say, having you in the co-pilot seat is nice, maybe you should join the fleet and become my partner in crime.”
There was an air of playfulness in his tone, but knowing Caleb there was some truth to his jokes. I nearly shivered at the thought, recalling my interrogation with the ‘colonel’ and shaking my head at the idea of ever being in this kind of environment. Plus, I still have my suspicions of the Fleet’s involvement with Ever.
“Ha-Ha, I think I’m too cheery for the fleet’s uptight and brooding environment.”
“Oh? So what, you think I’m uptight and boring now?” he pauses for a moment as his face shifts a bit more stern, “Or maybe you’re into that sort of thing now?”
That comment makes me snap, “What do you mean by that?”
Caleb just scoffs and shakes his head, quickly returning back to his usual bright demeanor, “Nothing pips, unless…I’m right?”
“I didn’t think you still cared about my interest in ‘those sorts of things.’” I felt like I was doing mental gymnastics right now to understand his motives. My relationship with Caleb always teetered on a fine line of friendship and a burning obsession. As children, I was convinced we were made from the same cloth, meant to be. We shared a playful first kiss as tweens, and I had a Caleb shaped home in my heart.
But that was before he decided to fake his death and leave me alone in the dark without so much as a glimpse into his real feelings. I regard the Caleb before me like a possessed version of the boy I thought was my soulmate, so I can’t help but feel angry at his insinuation that my romantic tastes have changed in a direction he couldn’t follow.
It may be true, but it didn’t seem like that was any of his business at this current moment in time.
“I will always care about you, in every aspect,” the deep and matter of fact tone left no room for any argument. But I couldn’t stop comparing his sudden authoritative-ness to his colonel status.
It was silent and awkward for a few moments too long, before Caleb shook out of whatever trance he had going on, and he pointed out something about our altitude. I responded like how I think I should, but a part of me wanted to eject myself out of this uncomfortable tension.
This tug of war of, It’s Caleb ! He would never hurt you !, and the logical hunter in me cannot find an impasse of how to feel. The more things would be normal, the more frustrated I would become. The weirder things were, the more I got scared. My gut knows Ever has to have something to do with this, but that still doesn’t resolve the interpersonal conflict I’m having.
After our flight session, Caleb and I return to his home and he gets called for an impromptu meeting. I try to scheme my way around his house for any evidence. He has his bedroom locked with a biometric scan, which screams blaring red flags to me.
Feeling defeated, I get a text on my phone to distract me.
Zaynie
Saw these fellas on my hike today, reminded me of a certain hunter I know.
[Image]
Attached was a picture of two cats sunbathing on a sidewalk. I recognized the pathway to one of the parks in Linkon and smile a bit as I recall Zayne telling me about his former marathon training days in the park.
I text back, “Are you training for another marathon again? Lol you should’ve taken those kittys home!”
I get a reply a few moments later:
Zaynie
No marathon for me, just needed a change in routine today. And I don’t think I would be able to provide as much happiness for the kitties as they were experiencing in the evening sun.
I chuckle and type back, “I still think you need a companion at your home besides your roomba.”
This small exchange has given me some mental relief as I glance around again at Caleb’s apartment. A small idea forms in my head, as I think of Zayne’s condo. I give him a quick call.
“Don’t worry, my pet roomba is well fed,” a dry sarcastic voice greets me after four rings.
“With the dust in your place? I’m sure it’s overweight by now,” I chuckle, “Sorry to bug you out of the blue, you’re not busy at the moment are you?”
“I have a few minutes of down time, is something the matter?” Zayne always thinks the worst of an impromptu call, definitely need to try and change that habit.
“You have a biometric scanner for your condo right? Or something similar?”
“No my home’s door lock isn’t that secure, but Akso has a couple of those for a some of the restricted areas, so I have some knowledge of them…Why do you ask?” He had an almost scolding tone as he inquired about my inquiry.
“Well…I’m currently trying to find some top-secret information, and it's locked behind one of the biometric scans…I suppose since you’re a law abiding doctor you wouldn’t have an idea of how to break into one would you?”
I hear a soft and gentle laugh on the other end of the phone, “I may be a law abiding citizen, however, I do know that if one were to obtain a replica of a confirmed user's thumbprint, they may be able to gain access to at least try and enter a passcode. It’s a fail-safe backup the hospital uses in case of emergencies, we all had to make a backup four digit passcode.”
“That is fascinating information that I promise to only use for good Dr. Zayne,” I let out a sigh of relief at this potentially helpful information.
“Well don’t involve your primary care physician if the law does come into play,” he jokes in his typical dead-pan fashion and then clears his throat, “Switching back to regular Zayne, will you still be coming home in two days? Or is your mission running longer.”
“Nope, it’s still on track, I will tell you right away if it changes…I’m looking forward to coming home.” My voice sounded clingy to my own ears. But it is true, I do miss my apartment, my friends, and I miss having the ability to see Zayne of course. We don’t see each other everyday, but we have been seeing each other more and more to the point where our relationship has become strong. It is hard to melt Zayne’s exterior persona, but he has been letting so many walls down around me, I just can’t figure out where we stand in a romantic setting.
A part of me is scared to open that can of worms, another part of me just wants to know if I’m the only one of us with an ache in my chest far beyond my protocore syndrome. And if he doesn’t feel the same, maybe he can still cure me somehow.
“I’m looking forward to your return as well…I happen to have some time off when you come back, I need to treat you to this new bakery that opened up. I think sharing some deserts would be a way to soothe your recovering homesickness.”
“Well, if my doctor prescribes it, how am I to say no?”
“Yes, it is wise to listen to your doctor, but, I want this to be just between ‘Zaynie’ and you. If that is alright…”
Ah. There it is again. Zayne has been very insistent to separate his professional self and personal self with me. I understand the need to be more explicit about it since he is technically my doctor, but I hope he is doing it to showcase he wants a different dynamic between us.
“It’s more than alright, I miss being around Zaynie a lot, I think he would be able to pick out the best sweets to cheer me up.”
I hear some voices in the background on the other end, Zayne and I had to end our conversation short since a surgeon wanted his opinion on something. He does send me a quick apologetic text, which I reassure him about. But, now with the new information about the biometric scanner, I devise a sketchy half-assed plan.
Do I know when Caleb will be back? No. Do I even know if this will work? Also no.
But I need to know if Ever is involved here so I know whether or not Caleb can be trusted. I want to trust him. However, the voices in my head are screaming at the fact that he’s been lying to me consistently.
I slap my cheeks to hype myself up, and quickly get up to get the answers I’m scared of seeing.
Summary: Caleb being alive was an emotional roller coaster. Will our relationship ever go back to normal? My feelings have shifted and waivered since Zayne has come back into my life. Maybe this mission in Sky Haven will allow me to see if the Caleb I once knew is still my safe space....
_____
A character study fic of reader/MC navigating her feelings of loss and anger at Caleb returning into her life.
A/N:
Hellooo, this is something I have been doing my best to cook-up for a while now. Caleb is not a personal favorite character of mine, but I wanted to write this to explore ideas of an MC who isn't so forgiving. I definitely do have a bias towards Zayne so be warned if you came here to read Caleb x MC fluff, it's definitely more angsty.
That being said, I hope you enjoy nonetheless. :)
Read on Ao3
CHAPTER ONE
Being with Caleb in Skyhaven has felt like a blur. The whirlwind of emotions passing through me with every glance in his presence was enough to make my head hazy and my heart heavy.
The purple gemstone-like eyes that were once my salvation now haunted my waking thoughts. Caleb had moved me into his home while I investigated the Farspace Fleet. While I was still grappling with the fact that my closest childhood friend was not dead, Caleb had acted so casually about his false demise.
Meanwhile, I had been up for nights screaming silent tears into my pillow every night I thought he was dead. Now, as he stood in the kitchen cooking dinner, I felt as if I wasn’t really here. It was like my body was on autopilot and I just allowed my grandest illusions to take over my psyche.
“You still prefer your meat medium rare?” He called to me without a glance.
“Yup, you remembered correctly,” I tried my best to sound chipper to hide my discomfort, but there was a tinge of emotional distance in my voice.
At my tone, he had spun around from the stove to meet my stare. I had wondered how I appeared in his eyes as he met my gaze with a frown. A gloss of something unreadable flashed in his piercing stare. He scanned my face as if it could give him all the answers. I almost wish it could.
I wish I could just scream my lungs out at him.
Why aren’t you dead?
Why don’t you care that I mourned for you?
How am I supposed to move on from the you I used to know?
These frustrations rang like a fire alarm in my aching heart, yet all I could muster was a fake smile to appease him. I didn’t want to upset him, I didn’t want him to leave again to try and make me feel better. In all honesty, I didn’t know what I wanted. I just didn’t want to be alone again.
“You look like you have somethin’ on your mind…You wanna talk about it?” He tilted his head in concern.
“I don’t know if I do,” I shake my head and sigh.
In an instant, he turns the stove off and walks over to where I’m sitting on the couch, his towering figure looming over me. His expression is still hard for me to read, but he looks a cross between hurt and upset. I can’t tell which is worse.
“I would never lie to you,” these words leave his lips like a soft caress.
I want so desperately to believe him, but my mind and body shiver at recalling his actions during the Kevi incident. My face turns into a grimace as I inhale sharply and choose my words carefully.
“You knew, didn’t you? That night you gave me the sleeping pills?” My eyes bore daggers into him.
His gaze darkened as a shadow of something sinister flashed over his face, “I did what I had to keep you safe. I won’t apologize for it.”
His voice was stern and to the point, much like when he barks out orders like the Colonel he is. To me, this was a stranger. The Caleb I grew up with was my home, he was like the morning sun to my gentle moon. But this man? The Fleet’s Colonel? He was complete darkness. A black hole that encompassed every bit of sunshine Caleb had ever given me. It made my eyes glisten as he spoke to me in a command.
“You didn’t keep me safe, you kept me trapped,” I spat with anger.
“Doesn’t matter how you see it as long as you’re here with me,” his voice shook as his hand reached out and grasped my face.
I tried to shake off his cold touch as my face crumbled into tears, “That’s not right Caleb…None of this is right…”
He kneels before me and pulls my sobbing form against his warm embrace. “What can I do?” he whispers like a desperate prayer, “I’m still me…Even if things are different, I’m still the Caleb you love.”
I pull away with glistening cheeks, my face flushed as anger courses through me, “And I had to watch you die.”
He freezes as I no longer stay silent and let my feelings pour out in my cracking voice, “Do you not know how fucked up that is? To watch my childhood friend die and not be able to do a damn thing about it. I mourned you. I lost sleep over you, I became such a husk of a human because of the grief I carried in my heart. And yet, here you are. Trying to laugh and pretend like none of it ever happened,” I let out a shaky breath after my rant.
Caleb was at a loss for words as he grabbed my hands and slowly rubbed the backs of them in a somewhat comforting manner. It was silent between us as I just stared at my hands in his and tried to contain my heated emotions.
“There’s nothing I can do for you that will ever make up for what I made you go through,” he spoke softly, almost in a whisper as his glossy eyes met mine, “But, you have to let me try and make it up to you. I want to be here for you since I couldn’t before. Pipsqueak…. I will never let you go through that again. Ever.”
I could feel the sincerity in his voice, but his words felt more like empty promises. My heart would still be locked off to him, but I didn’t want him to leave me again. As I sat there lamenting, a calm yet gentle voice passed through my mind in a memory.
He had come by my apartment after a 12-hour shift at Akso. He brought me his favorite macarons to try and cheer me up. As soon as I opened the door to let Zayne into my house, he inhaled sharply at the sight of me.
His warm hand cupped my face, and I just burst into tears at his touch. Zayne brought me to his chest and gave me a gentle shush, “I’m here now. You don’t need to be alone.”
Like the Doctor he is, he nursed me out of the darkness of despair. Zayne started to check up on me almost every hour of the day. I teased him about being like a clingy girlfriend, he faked offense, and gave in to my whims; Relieved that I was able to joke again.
When I thought Caleb was dead, it was the cool touch that taught me how to smile again.
Something must have flickered across my face because Caleb tilted his head, “Do you forgive me?”
I snapped back into reality as I stared back at the purple eyes that bore into me. A frown then fell to my lips as I was put on the spot, “I don’t know yet, Caleb…I think I just need some time.”
His large shoulders fell with a sigh, and he just nodded, “I understand. Take all the time you need.”
Dinner was insanely awkward after that. I kept glancing at Caleb, who just looked like a wounded puppy, but I didn’t have the courage or mental energy to keep a conversation going. He recognized the defeat on my face and just began telling me about the mundane things about his day at the fleet. I feigned as much interest as I could muster, and I suppose it was just enough to appease Caleb.
I immediately excused myself after dinner and shut the door to my room. I exhaled a held breath as the bliss of silence and stillness washed over me. Lying in the plush bed that wasn’t my own helped me crash back into the reality of my situation. I pulled out my phone and stared at the contact image of ‘Zaynie’ and felt a pang of want tug at my delicate heartstrings. I bravely tapped the call button and held my breath in a silent prayer as the first dial rang out loud.
After three rings, that soft masculine voice spoke with bewilderment, “Is a certain patient of mine having a restless night?”
“Afraid so, she’s got a serious case of homesickness, she says her doctor is the only one with the cure,” I tease right back at him.
“Oh? That’s a serious prognosis. What is this cure she’s referring to?” His voice instantly became lighter at our silly banter.
“Her charts say she needs the cool touch of his hand and a gentle word of encouragement,” I bit my lip at our exchange, the ache in my chest amplified into a strong want. I want to see him. I want to laugh with him. I want him next to me. I want Zayne.
He was silent for a moment on the other end, before he took a breath, and his tone was heavy with concern, “Are you alright? Working during your supposed vacation isn’t healthy. Are you overwhelmed?”
Zayne’s words felt like a gentle caress of a winter breeze, which made my words catch in my throat because every syllable and vowel that would leave my mouth would be nothing but a lie. The raging turmoil inside me wouldn’t allow me to lie to him, not now, probably not ever again.
I can recall the light leaving his beautiful hazel eyes when I lied to him about my mental health, and the next day, arriving in his emergency room from a mental collapse. He never even scolded me; he just took me home and held me, brushed my hair, and just whispered words I never thought I needed to hear.
“I miss you,” I told the truth with my voice, nearly fighting tears.
He sharply inhales and speaks, “I miss you too…I’m worried about you. Can you tell me what’s going on?”
“I can’t…I want to, but I just can’t talk about it, I’m sorry,” I felt my tough exterior cracking a bit as a silent tear fell down my cheek.
“You’re not in any life-threatening danger, are you?” There was a stern edge to his voice that was laced with authority.
“No, it’s not something like that, I promise,” I try to soothe his worry, “I just am going through a lot emotionally, and all I could think of was the sound of your voice.”
“Don’t push yourself, I’ll always tell you that, but if my words can cure your pain, I’ll tell you anything you want to hear.”
“Can you just…Tell me things will be alright? Even if things are different, I won’t fall apart.”
“I’ve seen you bleeding from wounds that would be the demise of the average person, I truthfully believe there is nothing that could ever truly break you… Even if you fall apart, you’ll stand back up again. And if you struggle, I’ll be there to give you a hand. Okay?”
“Yes, Doctor Zayne.” I smile a bit.
“Just Zayne.”
“Yes, Zayne…Thank you,” I whisper my appreciation before we both go silent. Neither one of us was brave enough to say the inevitable goodnight.
“When can I see you?” A rare crack in Zayne’s voice echoed into my chest. Even at our most vulnerable, I rarely ever saw or heard Zayne shaken up. It made me want to run out of this apartment and take the next flight to Linkon.
“I have three more days here in Skyhaven…Would you be free to pick me up from the airport when I land? You can see me right away.I know it’s kind of last minute so I understand if you’re busy”
“For you I’m never busy,” there was an air of a chuckle to his voice, “I’ll clear my schedule, just let me know when you’re supposed to land.”
I closed my eyes and hummed in response, his calm demeanor soothed some of the turmoil in my chest.
“Are you still feeling restless?” He whispered.
“I feel a bit better, but…” I suddenly felt shy, “I just don’t want to say goodnight to you yet.”
“Are you using me as a sleep-aid? I’m afraid I might have to charge for these services,” he teased.
“Well you do have a soothing voice Doc-tor,” I felt lighter as I chuckled, “However could I afford your services?”
“Hmph, I can make some special exceptions for my favorite patient…Is there anything you want to hear me talk about?”
“You can talk to me about medical procedures for all I care, I’m just going to focus on your voice,” I snuggled into bed and closed my eyes as his soft monotone voice talked me through the techniques used in a heart bypass. It was the best sleep I had gotten in weeks.
I dreamt of a Jasmine tree, and soft hazel eyes who seemed to gaze only at me.
A/N: Happy birthday to my beloved dragon ❤️ I haven’t had the mental capacity to write properly lately, but I cried while writing this since I do love him so much. More than words I am so grateful for this character and I hope to softly sing him more happy birthdays. Please enjoy this small snippet of his birthday date and I hope to return to writing for fun again soon!
The wildlife concervation was the best place to celebrate Sylus’ birthday. As we spent the day staring at the pairs of animals who were clearly mated for life, Sylus couldn’t help but compare every creature big and small to our characteristics and dynamic.
Now as we spent time holding hands peacefully under a maple tree did I look up at Sylus’ relaxed and vulneranable gaze did I speak, “Did you enjoy your birthday? I wanted to do something you would enjoy. I know you live a pretty fancy life style, but I can tell you feel at ease in nature like this.”
He chuckled in amusement as if I had stated the obvious and peered down at me with his glowing carmine eyes, “Sweetie, you should know this is my first time actually celebrating my birthday, and I couldn’t have imagined anything better than this… Here in the green grass with you, I can’t say there’s anywhere else I would rather be.”
I sighed in relief and sat up to peer down at him, “Good, I’m glad I could impress the glamorous leader of Onychinus,” I chide with him and try to tease his vulernable stomach again, but he grabs my wrist and pulls my body on top of his.
“You know there are a few other things you can do to impress me kitten,” he says with mirth in his voice.
As we both lean in for a kiss, we’re interrupted by the sounds of the soft strings of a guitar in the distance. “Oh someone must be playing,” I pull away and listen to the gentle melody in the air.
Sylus then moves me to stand up, I follow suit and he holds out his palm to me. “May I have this dance?”
I chuckle, “Oh? How romantic,” I tease as I take his hand to be pulled close to him once again and gently moved by his large figure to the soft rhythm of the music behind us.
“You know in some birds, dancing is a form of seduction,” he leans in and informs me in my ear.
“Hmm, is this crow preforming a mating ritual now?”
“Depends….Is it working on the pretty dove before me?” he smirks as he twirls then dips me.
I run my hand from his shoulder to the plush of his cheek, “Yes, and this dove mates for life, is that okay?”
His hand on my lower waist tightens as he grabs my extended hand and pulls me into an even deeper dip, “No…I want more,” he growls a bit, his voice more desperate than harsh.
“More? What more could I offer?”
“Your soul and mine…I want to last longer than this life, I want the next one, and the one after as well,” he dips his head into the crook of my neck as he pleads.
I smile and let out a sigh, “Greedy bird…Okay, you can have me, forever and beyond.”
He lets out a shaky breath of relief as his lips seek mine in a passion kiss. It feels like he’s pouring all of his want into me and I can taste the need on his tongue as one of his hands slip into the nape of my neck. I just hum in content against his desperate mouth.
“No one’s taking me away,” I pull away for a breath and laugh at his childish behavior.
“No. But I just need to feel you, that this is real…Don’t ever want to forget it,” he sighs as he rests his forehead against mine. His red eyes sparkled with a sheen of unshed tears and I just soften my gaze.
“Your soul and mine, are bound forevermore, so even if we both forget, we’ll remember each other. I know that my heart will beat the same as yours even if we’re just two ducks in a pond.” I touch his fast beating chest for emphasis.
He let out a hearty laugh and smiled brightly, “Even if we’re two ducks huh?”
“Even as a duck I can imagine you’ll still be as cheeky as you are now,” I stick out my tongue at him to tease his challenging exterior. He response with a chaste kiss and a fit of deep laughter.
“I think you’d still be a curious kitten even as a duck,” he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and hugs me close, “And I’d love it no matter what.”
I hug him back and feel his comforting warmth wash over me, “Happy Birthday…I’m grateful you were born again in this life.”
He pulls back abit and looks at me, his gaze so intense it’s almost like he’s looking through me. Looking at the soul that’s in the same shade as his. A small tear threatens to spill from his eyes and I simply reach up and wipe it away before it can fall.
“Yeah,” his voice shakes, “I’m glad we were born again in this life…I love you,” he lifts his palm to hold my face gently in his hands.
“I love you more, my big bird.”
“Ha, I doubt that kitten,” he smirks and we both sway to the music in the background. The tall green grass brushing our ankles as a small breeze blows and it’s as if he and I are the only ones to exists.
I cannot wait to celebrate a thousand more birthdays with my beloved. In this life and the next, I know we’ll never part again.
Summary: Staying with Sylus while on your period wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be when he breaks into your snack supply.
A/N: Hiiii, I know I haven’t posted in a while…My job requires a lot of writing so I tend to get burnt out/ writers block really easily. Hopefully quick oneshots like this help me out of it. Enjoy friends!
My period was grueling this time around. Even before I started actually bleeding, it felt like someone had sucked any and all life and energy out of my body. Now on day two, I was wearing maxi everything to hold my heavy flow and my body just felt like a giant walking bruise.
Thank god the association gives us hunters personal time off during our monthly’s. Before I even alerted Captain Jenna for my time off request, Sylus had notified me via text that he was ready for me to spend my red days with him.
<3 LoverBoy
Sweetie, what movies should I get for our time together?
Before you ask, I know you’re close to your period. You can’t hide from me 😎
I called him later that day to accuse him of obtaining this knowledge when he kindly reminded me of how I had added him to my period tracker. I was a bit annoyed at first, but now, after being in Sylus’ care, I really felt loved and cared for.
That is, until his inevitable betrayal.
He had me stay with him in his home in the N109 zone and all my cravings and aches were eased with nothing more but a lift of his finger. Today in particular, I was catching up on a book I had been reading in his study when Sylus came in, dressed to the nines, he must’ve come back from what I’m assuming is one of his fancy auctions.
“There’s my beloved, how are you feeling? Any cravings I need to quell?” His voice was in that soft yet gentled tone I know that was only reserved for me.
“You know, actually, now that you mention it,” I sit and ponder when I remember a pint of my favorite ice cream in the freezer downstairs, “I think I want something sweet right about now…”
His chuckle was light and airy, “Oh? How about some fresh pastries? Or perhaps you’re in the mood for some fresh fruits?” His ruby eyes then glisten with a hint of mischief as he smirks and places his hand on his chin, “Or maybe you’re after the desert in the freezer with the note labeled, ‘SYLUS DO NOT EAT.’”
I squint my eyes to glare at him, “You better choose your next words carefully…”
“Mmmm, we’ll you see kitten, I would offer to grab it for you, but I’m afraid the contents of your little treat are already in my stomach.”
Betrayal stabs me through my chest as I leap of the couch to lightly bang on his chest, “You bastard! How dare you! I hate you!”
His mocking laugh resounds in my ears as my emotions of anger overwhelm me, I was genuinely looking forward to my sweet treat and I specifically told him to stay away from my snacks. I felt a sting of tears in the corner of my eyes as I looked up at him with a genuine expression of hurt.
Sylus sighs seeing my expression and wipes the corner of my eyes, “Oh my sweet kitten,” he tries to kiss my lips and I dramatically turn my face away from him, “Now, now… I got you something better than some cheap ice cream.”
“It was my ice cream! I left a note so you wouldn’t eat it! And you still did!” I was not letting him go that easily.
“I ate it so you wouldn’t snack on it while I was away,” he suddenly used his evol to produce a fancy black gift bag into my hands.
I stepped back with an apprehensive look as I opened the bag to reveal the most beautiful boxed chocolate cake. I gasped as I opened it, “Sy! Is this from that high-end bakery?”
“Mhmm…It’s a chiffon chocolate cake. I believe a certain someone sent me a link to a video about how elusive this cake was supposed to be.” He spoke in an arrogant, ‘I told you so,’ tone as he puffed out his chest with pride.
“Isn’t this cake like stupid expensive? How did you get your hands on it?” I was still stunned with amazement as I walked over to the coffee table to sit down the pricey cake.
“Oh? you’re doubting my capabilities? Please, there is nothing on this planet or the cosmo’s beyond that I couldn’t get my hands on for you.”
I flush at his sincerity and walk up and wrap my arms around him in a tight hug.
“What do you say Sweetie?” he scolds me a bit with a teasing tone.
“Thank you… and sorry for hitting you… This is way better than ice cream,” I nestle my face in his chest to avoid his gloating attitude.
He pats my head and kisses the top of it as he whispers, “You’re welcome… Now, would you like to share a slice with me, or shall I get you another Post-it to tell me to keep my claws off?”
“I think I can spare just one slice for you,” I pull away and smirk at him.
Summary: The annual Akso Hospital holiday party has more to celebrate, with their head doctor newly engaged. The alcohol and festivities seem to take ahold of the couple as they celebrate.
A/N: Happy holidays! You can also find this fic on Ao3 where I will also be posting my writings for the other holiday stories for the other li! I plan on doing something similar to this where I have a scenario based on a classic Christmas song. Please enjoy!
Akso hospital throws a Christmas party every year. They weren’t over the top extravagant, but for the staff, they were always really rewarding and such a nice reprieve.
For the past two years I’ve been Zayne’s plus one as his girlfriend. Recently however, this will be my first year attending as his fiancé. His coworkers were thrilled when he proposed early December and said that they would put in extra effort to make this Christmas party a special celebration for us.
Currently I was finishing up my hair and makeup in our shared bathroom when Zayne walked in to check up on me.
“We still have an hour to leave before the party,” he placed a kiss on my shoulder.
“I know. I know. I’m just really excited for this year’s party. Plus I heard Grayson ordered us a ride to the party?”
Zayne just chuckles and shakes his head, “Apparently the whole staff thought tonight should be the night that we let loose and celebrate.”
“They’re not wrong. You’ve been quite busy since our engagement to really celebrate. But your patients are safe….So your favorite patient is giving you permission to let loose tonight.” I turn and kiss his cheek since I haven’t put my lipstick on yet.
“Alright. But I won’t get too irresponsible, I still have to look after you,” his eyes trail down my form as he surveys the skin tight red dress he bought me for this occasion.
“I think I can handle myself,” I quirk my brow with a slight pout, “Besides it’s rare for Dr. Zayne to be allowed a moment of celebration. I think your team will be happy to know all their party planning efforts didn’t go to waste.”
“We’ll look after each other,” he runs the backside of his finger down the exposed skin on my arm, causing me to shiver.
“Always,” I snatch his hand from my shoulder and placed it on my blushing cheeks.
Getting ready was an easy process, till I was nearly finished and could hardly keep Zayne off of me. His lips sent chills up my spine as his lips ghosted so softly over the nape of my neck with such a passion.
“Zayne, I’m not letting you ditch this party,” I huff as his lips meet my jawline.
“But how could I refuse a taste of such a delicious sight before me?” He whines a bit as his teeth get ahold of the top of my ear.
“Paws off mister,” I playfully shove his chest, “We’re leaving for this party in a few minutes and I intend on leaving our apartment fully clothed thank you.”
He laughs at my words and concedes as he pulls away and puts his hands up in the air as a sign of innocence. “If my wife demands it, who am I not to listen?”
“ Fiance ,” I correct him.
“That’s just another word for my wife to me,” his hazel eyes sparkle with hints of mischief in them as he smirks to retort to me.
Before he could start another onslaught of kisses, our ride to the party shows up and we grab our coats and head over.
As we arrive to the rented out conference space in a fancy five star hotel, Zayne is immediately met with excited greetings from his peers and colleagues. I think this was my favorite part about attending the holiday parties, sure I visited Zayne a lot at work sometimes, but seeing how many people respect and look up to him makes my heart warm. He works so hard, and to me, every moment and minute of his efforts have all been worth it for moments like these.
“Oh! This misses is here too, very nice to meet you ma’am I’ve been doing a rotation with your husband and he’s taught me so much,” an excited young man says as he shakes my hand with such enthusiasm I can’t help but chuckle.
“I’m glad, my fiance has been such an inspiration to you, I hope you also continue to take care of him in the workplace,” I move my hand over to block the side of my mouth that Zayne could see, “He really forgets to take care of himself sometimes, don’t let his coolness fool you.”
“I can hear you dear,” he pinches my side in retaliation.
We make our way through the decorated venue with ease after some greetings when Greyson excitedly approaches us with a bottle of champagne, “Zayne! Misses!” With his glasses askew he presents us with a bottle, “Congratulations on your engagement!”
“Thank you Greyson,” I laugh and take the bottle from him, “Shall we pour some glasses for the rest of the guests to do a toast?”
Zayne is being quiet, I peer over at him, and his ears have a red tint to them as he looks off pretending to be uninterested.
So bashful, I think to myself.
As champagne flows, a very cheerful Yvonne joins us as she seems to be on her third glass of eggnog and clinging on to my waist in a joyful hug, “It’s about time! We’ve been waiting forever for you to finally marry this woman doctor! You better not take this long to have babies either!”
Greyson panics immediately and takes Yvonne off me with a nervous chuckle and a very embarrassed Dr. Zayne. Zayne downs his champagne flute in record time to ease his nerves and I can’t help but laugh at this whole scenario.
“Thank you Yvonne, we’re very excited for the future,” I turn to my shy fiance, “Right dear?”
“Yes. I know this was a long time coming, but I wanted to ensure the timing was right for both of us,” he pauses his speech with a sweet smile, “I am very happy to have my team’s support to my future wife. Thank you guys.”
After he says this, a group of doctors squee with excited and we all clink our glasses and toast to the future Dr. Zayne and I have ahead of us.
The flute of champagne was the first drink for both me and Zayne, but the team ensured it was not the last. I immediately had an espresso martini shoved in my hand and Zayne had some cranberry cocktail that tasted delicious. He forced me to swap with him since he hated me drinking too much coffee due to my ‘heart condition.’ I did call him a party pooper, but sipped my cranberry concoction with delight.
Time seemed to drift away from me as the warm buzz of alcohol took over my system. While Zayne never once let go of my hand or waist, I knew he was drunk based off his grip on my person. He held his composure well, but I spotted the subtle signs of intoxication.
I think I should write Greyson a personal thank-you note, as he had poured the shot that had sent my poor doctor over the edge. As soon as the tequila shot hit light-weight doctor Zayne’s system, that man had his head in the crook of my neck.
I rubbed my hand up and down his back, “You alright baby?”
“Mmmm,” he purred right in my ear, “You feel so warm…”
“So do you,” I brush my hand through his dark hair.
“Maybe I’m stealing your warmth.”
“Oh? So you’re a thief now huh? What a divergence in career paths Doctor.”
He chuckles and the vibrations from his voice rumble on my body, “Guilty as charged when it comes to you.”
Suddenly our flirty drunk moment is interupted by the nice apprentance that greeted us when we walked in, “Misses, Dr. Zayne! You guys should really do karaoke, Yvonne said you’re naturals at it!”
A flushed Zayne detached himself from my neck and stood tall in front of his underling and nodded his head, “Yeah, we are. Let’s show them darling,” he grabs my hand and pulls me on stage.
Drunk Zayne was very confident. In truth, I’ve never heard my fiance sing, he’s hummed ‘Mary had a little lamb’ once or twice in private moments, but we’ve never done karaoke together.
Suddenly the jazz swing tune of ‘Baby it’s cold outside’ starts as we’re both handed microphones. I haven’t even begun to sing, but all the Akso hospital staff is clapping and cheering as us newly engaged lovers take the stage to sing this christmas classic.
I start the song off with a gentle, “I really can’t stayy.”
And my jaw goes slack as Zayne’s deep velvety voice sings, “But baby it’s cold outside.”
He sounded like a natural jazz singer and it caused me to laugh a bit as I sang out my next line of, “I gotta go wayy.”
Zayne really got into his role as he grabbed my hands and rubbed the back of them while singing, “I’lll hold your hands they’re just like icee.”
As I sing I pretend to try and be leaving and he keeps pulling me into him to match the lyrics of the song. I honestly cannot tell if I sound amazing or terrible as my heart starts to race when he sang “Your eyes are like starlight now…” with his hazel drunken eyes boring into me as he holds my waist.
Our voices merge together as we sing the chorus, “Baby it’s colddd outsiidde.”
“You’re very pushy you know?” I say playfully reading off the dialogue within the song.
“I like to think of it as opertinustic,” Zayne delivers sarcastically with a flirtatious laugh.
The crowd in front of us feels like they’ve disappeared as me and Zayne continue to sing through this playful and flirtatious Christmas song. He begins to twirl me around as I sing out, “But maybe just a cigarette more.”
We finish the song with laughter as Zayne dips me low and lifts me up with a huge smile, he kisses me chastly, but we’re interrupted by the Akso hospital staff whistling and cheering.
“Thats our boss!”
“Go Dr. Zayne!”
“Wow I didn’t know he could sing like that.”
I then flush red and exit the stage with Zayne in hand and we’re met with the staff congratulating us once again. Someone hands Zayne another drink, but I snatch it away, “I’m cutting you off Dr. Jazz singer.”
“Are you impressed?”
“Beyond! I wish I knew sooner how well you sing, we could’ve been dominating the karaoke bars.”
“Let’s go on our next off day then,” he kiss my cheek.
“I’ll hold you to that, husband .”
His eyes widen and he takes a step back, “Finally, you’re using the word I’ve been dying to hear since we’ve been engaged.”
I wrap my arms around his neck, “I’ll be sure to use it more often, husband .”
Zayne places both hands around my lower body and says, “Maybe we should head out of here early, wife.”
I laugh and swat at his chest with a tease, “But, baby it’s cold outside.”
Needless to say, this was one of the most memorable Akso Hospital Christmas parties for us as a couple. And apparently for them as a staff as videos of me and Zayne singing would continue to float around for many Christmas’s to come.
Summary: Visiting Sylus, he notices a change in my scent. The repercussions of it leave me both happy yet scared.
Tags: Suggestive themes; but no smut, Pregnancy, slight angst.
A/N: I was gonna make this longer but I felt like if I kept writing I would go off the rails. But ever since seeing the trailer for Sylus myth, my head was spinning with HC that we are fr Luke and Kieran’s family. Doubt this is canon but this came to mind so I wrote it down. Please enjoy!
Being in Taurus and falling in love with the dragon who protected it, wasn’t exactly my plan in life.
I had been exiled from my tribe for refusing to marry a man I didn’t love. In order to be accepted back, I had to venture to find a rare protocore to earn my place. I stumbled upon a cave filled with endless treasure, and the dragon who guarded it took one whiff of my scent and claimed me as his own.
I had become his beloved, his wife, and everything in between as soon as he scented me. His fangs would sink into my neck and in some cosmic way; I knew that we belonged to one another.
However, I didn’t understand dragons, every couple months he had me practically bound into the bed as we did nothing but cuddle and make love. He claimed it was his animalistic nature to go into heat, but to me Sylus was human despite his otherworldly appearance. His heart and love were purer than the winter snow. Every word from his lips sang my praises, and at times he would refuse to let me return back to the tribe.
But I managed to escape his protective grasp to maintain some semblance of a human life to see my grandmother. In the meantime Sylus promised to dispel any of my “silly” desires of a human life, and promised he was going to build me a house surrounded by our favorite flowers.
Things remained as a normal courtship between us. It wasn’t till one day he noticed a change in me that I hadn't myself.
I hadn’t seen him in a few days, so I had been excited to spend more time with him. When I returned to his abode deep within the mountains, he immediately buried his nose against the crook against my neck as he breathed in, he pulled away with his red eyes blown wide with surprise.
“What? Is something wrong? I know I’ve been busy with dealing with my Tribe I haven’t had time to bathe-“ I try and make up an excuse as he pulls away with a shake of his head.
“No. No sweetness it isn’t that…” he pants in my ear and then chuckles, “Your scent….It’s different.” He pants out and starts nipping his fangs at my neck.
“Like a good difference or a bad difference ?” I say confused.
“My love,” he laughs full of pride and joy as he pulls away from my neck to press a soft kiss against my lips, “You’re pregnant.”
I freeze, “Excuse me?” Are the only words to leave my lips.
“You’re with my children,” he growls as he bends his face down to continue to kiss on my neck and collar bones.
“I don’t think I’m late on my period? How do you know for sure?” I try and grasp at his silver locks to pull away and explain himself to me.
“Your scent is giving off a pheromone to me that is screaming that you’re pregnant….I cant describe it, but it’s a sickly sweet smell that makes me want to worship you…Carrying my Babies…”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, I don’t feel any different,” she rolls her shoulders back, “I think maybe I’m just ovulating?”
He shakes his head no, “No I can tell….You’re pregnant.” He chuckles darkly, “Bless the gods, the mother of my children…I could only be so lucky.”
“Sylus…” I mentally try to deny his thoughts again and he just shushes me and places a fiery kiss to my lips.
“Mine forever,” his claws rake down my small form, stopping to caress my stomach. “A living part of me to be with you always.”
I let out a shaky breath and stare up at him in fear, “What am I….What are we to do?”
He quirks his head at me, “Is this not good news? A cause for celebration? Do humans not enjoy the idea of bringing life with their beloveds into the world?”
I shake my head, “It usually is, but Sy….Think of the complications. I’m a human. If my tribe finds out I’m carrying a dragons baby….” A shiver of fear went down my spine.
“You’re not to return,” he growls out as a command, “Your life is with me now. Under no circumstances will you even be let out of my sight while carrying my children,” his tail wraps around my middle. He isn’t applying any pressure to my body with it, but the visual is enough to send a message.
“But Sy my family-“
“We’re going to be a family,” his eyes flash an emotion of hurt as he hisses at me, “I will protect you and our babies till the ends of the earth. This family will never cast you out. I don’t want you to return to the tribe ever again. It’s dangerous.”
I shake my head, “They might come looking for me… What would they think of finding me in your treasure nest heavy with a baby…Sylus, we can’t do this…”
It was as if I had struck him, his face sinks and his red eyes glisten with tears as he walks closer and embraces me in his claws, “Beloved…What do I have to do? Do you not want this? Want me?” His deep voice cracks with hurt, his pride now wounded at my lack of joy.
I look up at him, both of our vulnerable expressions mirroring one another’s, my mouth opens and closes as I try and muster the words to say, “I don’t know much about your kind…I don’t know if our child will be a human, a dragon, or something in between….While I don’t know much I do know that we are bound to one another. You are mine. I am yours…”
A silent moment passes between us as he holds me in his arms and his eyes desperately scan my face, “I want this…I want you….But,” I look away, “I need to be sure that the life we have here in Taurus is safe enough for a child. And for me to even deliver one…”
Sylus closes his eyes and nods his head as he hears my words and my concerns, “I will find a way to prove and provide for you two…This isn’t the first instance of a hybrid child. I will find a nest of my people and do whatever it takes to let us have this…”
I take a step back out of his arms, “Until then I think I need to stay in the village…They won’t know for a while that I’m with child and I should build strength there until we can start a life out here…Besides I think if I have to leave my family there forever, I should at least say goodbye…”
He curls his claws around my waist and brings me closer, “Don’t leave me yet…Just….Let me have you for a while.”
Sylus curls his head into the nape of my neck and inhales with such a shaky breath his whole body shudders, “Gods your scent….It’s driving me crazy than usual…”
“Are you in heat?” I run my fingers down his back and caress the spot where his wings sprout out of his body.
“No…It’s not that it’s just…Knowing that you smell like this because of me,” he stands up straighter and runs a claw through my hair, “It makes me want to keep you this way. Hoard you here like my most prized treasure…”
“Sylus,” I whisper as I stare at his lips, “I want you.”
His tail happily swooshes at my words and he bends down to lift me up by my butt as he carries me to head out of his cave and into our spot full of flowers.
He lays me out on the field of green grass and wine colored flowers. The sun shines on my face making me feel warmer than usual with Sylus’ body heat leaning over me.
He undresses me slowly, unwrapping me both physically and mentally with his eyes. As I’m bare before him he leans his head down to my stomach and rests his cheek against my belly and closes his eyes.
A kitten-like purr escapes him and his body vibrates with the soothing joy.
“Twins,” he smiles as he keeps nuzzling his cheek against me.
“Twins?!?” I say more alarmed. “H-How are you-“
“I can hear their hearts…They love you already,” his red eyes flick open and meet mine. The tenderness in Sylus’ voice, this overwhelming news, and the truth my heart feels at his words break me and I feel tears stream down my face.
Sylus lifts himself up and curls his body over mine, to hide me away from the world, to make me weep with joy in his warmth.
“We’ll protect them my beloved…The four of us,” he chuckles, “We’re home now.”
Summary: You've been slowly falling in love with Sylus, a strange outsider who joined your tribe some time ago. You haven't been able to pluck up the courage to say anything. However, when you are caught alone in the fiercest blizzard anyone can remember, it might not be up to you anymore.
AO3
CW: AFAB reader, no use of y/n, pet names (sweetie, little huntress), blizzard, hypothermia, hunting, nude spooning, 90% fluff by volume, sexual themes (but no sex), not proofread, melodrama (god so much melodrama).
Word count: 8k
Notes: poor Luke and Kieran have to be dogs in this AU.
“Don’t be stupid,” you scoff, “how can lemmings foretell the weather? Their brains are the size of grass seeds!” The bay mare you’re sitting astride shakes her head, before pawing through the watery, heavy snow on the ground to reach the hidden grasses underneath.
Today, as with most days, you are minding the herds with your friend Cota. The two of you are practically sisters, as her family had raised you after your parents perished when you were a young child.
“I’m not the one who said it!” She protests, leaning back to aim a kick at your foot succeeding at knocking it out of your stirrup. “I’m just telling you what Elder Shikigur said, and he said, ‘There’s too many lemmings moving, there will be a large storm coming.’”
You groan. Blizzards are a continual hazard of grassland winters. Harsh winds are able to scream across the treeless landscape with terrifying fury, tearing through even thick winter deels, and whirling snow into a blinding haze. Preparing for one means rounding up the flocks, reinforcing yurts to hold against wind and snowfall, and digging out of the yurts once the storm is through. They’re critical jobs that need to be done. That is, when the weather actually calls for it.
“It’s practically spring!” You argue, gesturing wildly to the half-melted pasture around the two of you, “It’s so damn warm, that I couldn’t even wear my thickest deel today! I would’ve been covered in sweat!”
Cota shrugs, “I’m just telling you what the elders were gossiping about.”
“Well, regardless of what they say, I’m not taking out my winter deel again until next winter.”
“I bet you would if Sylus asked you to.”
You feel the color rise in your cheeks at the sing-song tease, and the mention of his name.
You aim a return kick at Cota’s leg, but she reins her mare to the side in time to evade you. “I would not! And besides, he’s out with some of the others hunting pheasant, anyway.”
Cota’s smile grows wider, “Oh ho, so you’ve been keeping track of which hunting parties he goes with, huh?”
An irritated groan leaves your throat as your friend laughs. “Aren't you supposed to be heading back about now? I'll tell the elders you've been slacking to sit around and gossip.”
“Aw, don't pout! It's cute, all your pining. You're going to have to do something soon though, otherwise some other girl is going to catch his eye at a festival, and then what will you do?”
“I’m pretty sure you're supposed to be helping with cooking right now, aren't you?”
Cota makes her own irritated groan, “No one likes when I cook anyway!”
“Better that than you sitting here and teasing me.”
She makes a rude gesture at you, and you return it.
"Fine,” she grumbles, “but keep an eye on the weather, okay?”
“Of course, I'll let you know if the lemmings are oracles or not.”
Cota rolls her eyes with a scoff, before reining her horse around and trotting back to the village. It’s good timing, you notice the right side of the herd has started to splinter a bit, and needs to be rounded back in.
As you go about your job, you can’t stop your mind from pondering over your relationship with the strange man.
Sylus had come to the tribe as an outsider a few years ago. Strong and skilled in both riding and archery, he’d been welcomed into the fold immediately, seemingly to his own surprise. His striking appearance had immediately caught many eyes; tall, broad and strong in the chest, with eyes the color of freshly-spilled blood set in a devastatingly handsome face. The one criticism you heard of him was of his curt, reticent nature, that meant he constantly had a severe expression on his face.
Well, almost-constantly.
Within a month after joining the tribe, there had begun to be problems with a particular wolf picking off sheep in the night. It had always seemed to know where to attack, far enough away from any of the herders that it was impossible to reach him in time. It even managed to evade the vigilant Bankhar dogs, who kept constant watch on their flock, and rarely let a wolf’s presence go unpunished. The predator managed to evade everyone. Everyone except Sylus.
It had only taken two nights of Sylus on guard, before he returned in the early morning light, with the giant, tawny corpse of the wolf thrown over one shoulder. He’d managed to kill it, in the dark, with a single arrow to its skull. The entire tribe had celebrated that night; an end to the nights of doubled watches in the dark and lost sheep. Wine and kumis had run freely that night, along with music and dancing in the center of the temporary village.
The wolf’s body had been set aside, to be skinned for the fur and used as linings and blankets to guard against the frigid winter months. Even in death, it still looked fierce, its fur sleek and body corded with lean muscle that reminded you of its killer. You had bent down to examine the bared teeth, sharp and white against the pale flesh of the gums. You reached out to draw your finger over one of the fangs, curious to see if it would be sharp like a knife, or blunt like one of the Bankhar dogs.
“Disturbing the dead?”
The deep voice, close enough to feel against the back of your neck, had you stumbling backwards, and gracelessly falling on your ass. A throaty chuckle came from above your head, and you had looked up to see Sylus, his face smug and scarlet eyes dancing with laughter.
“It doesn’t count if it’s a wolf,” You grumbled, pulling yourself off the ground, “ass.”
His head was cocked to the side as you rose, finger tapping his cheek in mock-thought, “I thought a wolf was supposed to be the father of the first herdsmen? Wouldn’t that make this creature here your cousin?”
“That’s an old story, no one believes that.”
His answering smile was sharp, eyes darkening into a sneer. “Is that so?” He drew closer, close enough that you could feel his breath on your face, and feel the fabric of his deel brushing against yours. The gaze he cast down made you realize what a cornered sheep must feel like in the moments before jaws close around its throat. “I think there’s more of wolves in people than you realize.” His growl was just as deep as the dogs when they scented a threat.
A part of you wanted to shrink down in your boots, make your excuses, and flee. But, a much larger, louder part of you was indignant. How dare this man sneak up on you in the dark, make you fall over in surprise, then have the audacity to growl at you like a beast?
So you had tipped your chin up defiantly, “Better be careful. Apparently even the cleverest wolves get arrows in their heads.”
He had stared at you for a moment. Made a single blink. Then a strange, amused smile curled across his face. “Are you going to be the one to fire it, little huntress?”
“If you don’t back up, maybe I will.”
Sylus chuckled then, backing up a few steps. You released a breath you didn’t know you’d been holding, body thrumming with… anxiety? Excitement? Both? You couldn’t tell. To distract yourself, you turned your attention back to the kill.
“It’s kind of a shame, really. It’s a pretty creature.”
His head cocked to the side again, though the curiosity in his eyes seemed to be genuine this time. “Feeling bad for the predator?”
“He was just trying to live.”
He huffs a small laugh through his nose. “You’re cute.”
“Excuse me?” You look at him, deeply irritated at his patronizing tone.
“Most animals that steal livestock are weak. They’re sick, or injured. Otherwise it just isn’t worth risking the tangle with dogs or people. This one,” he gives the corpse a nudge, “was perfectly healthy. Strong. But instead of using its smarts to take on saiga, or capercaille, it decided to take the easy way out. It never would have stopped, once it knew that it could fool the shepherds.”
You had sighed a little, knowing that in this instance, he was right. “I know. It still seems like a shame. But at least we’ll stop losing so many sheep.”
You had looked up then to find Sylus staring at you with such intensity that you had taken a step backwards. “What?”
He blinked, the intensity dissipating as quickly as a strike of lightning. “Nothing, sweetie.”
“Sweetie?” Your nose wrinkled at the childish nickname.
He gave a small laugh, a mischievous glint coming to his blood red eye, “You feel pity for a predator that would have snapped you up in an instant. It’s very sweet, if maybe a bit naïve.”
“It sounds like something you’d call a toddler.”
“I suppose it does,” the glint was quickly accompanied by an equally mischievous curl to his smirk, “I suppose I’ll have to call you that when you’re acting like a toddler, sweetie.”
“Ugh. Ass.” You’d turned on your heel to return to the fire, trailed by the sound of deep, smug chuckling.
Since then, Sylus always seemed to show up near you, whether you wanted him there or not. And, at least at first, you certainly leaned more towards the former. He had a talent for approaching silently, getting that smugly pleased look from startling you into stumbling or squeaking. He also began to challenge you, goading you into contests or archery, or riding, or throwing knuckle bones. He was nearly impossible to beat, and even on the rare occasions that you won, he had the gall to look completely unbothered by your triumph.
Really, after a few months, you should have hated him.
But in between all of the needling and teasing and challenges, you began to learn more about Sylus. You learned that he enjoyed being out hunting or riding far more than he enjoyed being surrounded by people, even if they were praising him. You learned the long-limbed black stallion he rode when he first encountered your tribe had been declared untamable before Sylus had taken him. When one of the livestock dogs died shortly after having two pups, you even learned that (if he wanted to be) he could be downright gentle. He’d done so well in helping care for the pair, that as they grew, they followed him everywhere and obeyed his every command. All of this new familiarity, so at odds with your first impression of him, had cultivated a quiet companionship between the two of you.
Even more surprising were the moments of softness, startlingly close to affection. When Sylus had sat drinking kumis with you on the new year, and you’d excitedly shared your hopes for what was to come, he listened with a quiet smile. He’d brought you the furs from the wolf he’d killed when you caught a particularly nasty winter cold, and had even insisted you keep it after you recovered. When you met other tribes for trade, he often found you afterwards, giving you some ornament or silk from beyond the grasslands. Despite the fact he’d never admitted to it, you knew that when his two dogs accompanied you out into the grasses to watch the flocks, he’d commanded them to do so.
Maybe most importantly, he’d specifically sought you out to show you a den where wolf cubs were playing in the summer, knowing you’d like to see them tussle.
They’d been adorable, large paws and ears far too big for their fluffy bodies. The two of you had left your horses some yards away and sat down a bit distant from the pups, down wind and silent so as not to give your presence away. For a while you couldn't take your eyes off their energetic forms, tussling in the dust in front of the den, chewing on each others’ ears, yelping and licking when it became too rough. Eventually you'd looked to Sylus to ask him something, but your eyes had fallen on the short, recurve bow at his side.
“You're not going to kill them, are you?” You'd whispered
He raised an eyebrow at you in a wordless question.
You checked quickly to make sure the pups hadn't heard you. Fortunately, they still seemed to be involved in their own games.
“I mean. I know they're wolves. They might eat our flocks when they get older. But, they're just babies.”
He blinked at you, with an odd, expression you couldn't place. He rose soon after, walking silently away from the den. You'd followed him, confused.
“Hey,” you hissed, “What are you doing now?”
“Leaving. One parent or the other would've been back soon to feed them. Then I would've actually had to use this.” He tapped the bow that was now slung over his shoulder.
“Oh.” You murmured, realization dawning, “Is that what you brought it for? If one of the parents came back?”
“I certainly wouldn't have needed it to kill a fragile little pup.” He scoffed. “Besides, there's no use in killing something weak and defenseless. Though it's nice to know just how highly you think of me, sweetie.”
“That's not-” a frustrated noise had escaped you as you struggled for words, “I don't think that of you. It just… others would have done that. To make sure they didn't grow up to prey on our animals.”
He turned to you then, with a gaze that seemed to be searching you, trying to find the truth of something. “And I'm ‘others’ to you?”
“Of course not!”
He arched an eyebrow for the second time that day at the vehemence in your voice.
"You're the strongest warrior we have. And an infuriating opponent. But you're also the person who protects orphaned dogs. And brings me extra furs when I'm sick. And-” you stopped yourself before you could incriminate yourself further, taking a small breath to collect yourself. “You're Sylus. Not… Others.”
There was a small silence between the two of you for a moment, as you walked over the flowing grasses together. The only sound was the occasional waves of wind across the landscape.
It was broken, only slightly, by Sylus repeating those words. “Not others.” He said them quietly, slowly, as though testing out strange words in a new language. When you turned to look at him, you caught a glimpse of a small, soft smile on his face. A look so deeply genuine, and beautifully content, it made your breath catch in your chest.
Things had begun to change after the day with the wolves. You were beginning to come familiar with the slight curve of his smile, his real smile. Instead of your usual irritation, the glint that so often came to his eye when he was planning mischief fanned a wave of warmth in you. You began craving the slight huff of breath he gave when amused with something you’d done. The deep chuckle he sometimes gave when his body drew close to yours made something strange and molten coil in your gut. When he was out hunting saiga, you found yourself unusually sullen and snappish. And when you heard people whooping and clamoring at the return of the hunting parties, you’d be jostling to the front of the small crowd to see him.
You’d started to notice things though, in this time. The gossip among the elders as they cooked about when Sylus would marry, and whose granddaughter would be the lucky catch. The gaggles of women that followed him when he’d practice archery or spectate his races, giggling and blushing. Some of the bolder women would even bring him wine at the fireside and try to curl against him (you wished sometimes that he’d respond with more than amused chuckles at their ridiculousness, though it did produce a gratifying amount of insult in the rejected ladies). Last year at the games, you noticed he’d received pouches from women of every tribe. The smug look he gave you when he’d noticed you glaring at them had been insufferable, and you couldn’t quite force yourself to congratulate him on the numerous offers.
And yet, Sylus remained alone. You didn’t even notice other women entering his yurt (though you’d die before you admitted to watching for such). You didn’t know what you’d do if he did take an interest in someone. The thought of someone else being transfixed by that soft smile in the quiet hours of the night made bile rise in your throat. But there was always the chance that he simply valued his freedom; and being rejected in favor of an ideal you could never match seemed just as nauseating.
You mull over these thoughts as you and your mare round the goats back to the group. Or, at least, attempt to. One of the damn things stubbornly refuses to rejoin the group. You can swear you see defiance in its eyes when it looks at you. Challenging you. Mocking, even. Every time you have it going the right direction, it turns and bolts in a random direction, leaving you and your bay sliding in the slush. You then have to catch back up to it, and start herding it back once more.
You’re an excellent shepherdess, with a keen eye and a skilled hand with a bow. You've rarely lost an animal on your watch, and certainly never on purpose. But at this point, even you are beginning to think that losing one goat would really not be all that bad if it means this one wouldn’t be part of the herd anymore. Besides, a wind is beginning to rise, a cold one that cuts through the previously-warm day like a freshly-sharpened knife. You’re beginning to wonder if maybe the lemmings were smarter than you’d thought.
After one more, particularly long chase, you give in.
“Fine then!” You yell at the animal, which stood watching you with unaffected eyes as it chewed grass, “you want to deal with a blizzard alone? Go ahead! I’ll laugh when you end up as a goat-cicle! Laugh!”
With a huff, you turn your horse about, ready to gallop back to the herd, and start moving them to a more sheltered part of the pasture. The animals, however, have moved further away on their own. You can see the large dark mass of them in the distance, and you feel a slight unease in your gut. You're not sure how much you believe about oracle lemmings, but you know livestock well; They instinctively group up close when bad weather is imminent, and it seems that they are bracing for a storm now.
Even more worrying is the wall of iron-gray clouds you see blowing in. They're advancing rapidly, overtaking the sky at a pace you've rarely seen before. The wind, too, is beginning to blow so furiously it all but screams, whipping any unmelted snow up into the air.
You again feel that unease in your gut. The village is even further than the herd from where you are at the moment. Thanks to the previously warm weather, you're woefully unprepared to weather a blizzard alone. But both your other options are bleak; either try to make it to the village and hope there's not enough falling snow to make you lose your way, or try your luck with the herd and hope their bodies keep you warm enough to make it through. At least if you make it to the village, your survival is guaranteed. The same can't be said of the herd.
You rein your mare toward the direction of the village, just as the first volley of fresh snowflakes batter your face and hands. And despite your own dire situation, you can't help but think of Sylus, out with the other hunters. They may have arrived home already, and even if they haven’t, their chances are good; the men should be able to find protection from the wind and cold in a group. Nevertheless, your gut twists with anxiety. Hunters rarely stay completely together. And even in the few minutes you’ve been galloping towards the village, visibility is worsening. The gusts of wind have turned into blasts, ripping through your deel and chilling you to your bones. The blasts are also heaving the already-fallen snowflakes up to rejoin the fresh ones in the air, and creating moments where the landscape is inscrutable.
Between the moments of furious wind, you can see the outline of the village. Even as your heart pounds with hope at the sight, a needling numbness begins to take hold in your hands, making it difficult to keep hold of the reins. You try to switch hands; tucking one into the overlapping fold of your deel in an effort to keep it warm, before switching to the other. The biting wind, though, is so vicious and unforgiving, that it takes a mere few seconds for whatever warmth one hand has gained to be lost. At the same time, the numbness has taken hold in your feet, making it impossible to distribute your weight properly. The violent shivers as your body tries to warm itself are a further complication.
It only takes one misstep from your mare. One hoof landing on some uneven ground, causing her to stumble. And despite the high-backed saddle, and your best efforts, it’s impossible to keep your seat. You land hard in the snow. It’s soft enough, at least, that you’re pretty sure nothing is broken. Not that it matters much. Lost and alone in the screaming wind, and featureless white storm, you are as good as dead.
It feels like an eternity that you lie there in the snow, body wracked by violent shivers in a last-ditch attempt to survive. Logically you know it can’t have been more than a handful of minutes, since you are still alive and conscious, but time loses its meaning in a situation like this. Everything ceases to exist, save for the horrible wind and the bone-deep, soul-leaching cold. The snow is falling fast, fast enough that it’s already covered you as you try to huddle for a semblance of warmth. You’ve been buried alive, waiting to die as the world around you slowly quiets and darkens.
A morbid part of you wonders if the tribe will find you, once the snow begins to melt. You imagine Cota will insist they stay long enough to find your remains. You hope she doesn’t feel guilty; neither of you could’ve known the storm would come on so fast. Your mind wanders to Sylus, too. Did the hunters make it back home before the storm hit? You pray they did; or at least they were together when the snow began to fall. The thought of Sylus in the same situation as yourself seems impossible. You have to believe it’s impossible. Entertaining any other idea strikes a dread into your heart as cold as your little tomb. You pray instead that he’s made it back, that he is safe, and warm. And, if you’re able to be a little idealistic, perhaps wondering where you are.
Quite suddenly, a sound shatters your quiet morbidity. Stark against the background of shrieking wind, there is a deep bark. Then another, closer. Soon, there is a constant barrage of the noises.
Hope burns bright in your heart. Maybe, just maybe, all is not yet lost.
You try to shift under the snow, trying to claw your way out of your icy grave. But your limbs are trembling so hard, so frequently, that controlling them is near impossible. Worse, your muscles are becoming weak. Soon they’ll be too exhausted to even shiver, much less move the heavy snow that entombs you. Nevertheless, you have to try. You must try. Because if you don’t, your last hope of warmth will move on, and then you will truly be as good as dead.
Your efforts come to a halt when a startlingly loud crunching begins in the snow above and around you. It doesn’t take long before the blanket of snow is lifted from your head, and a warm puff of air greets your face.
You open your eyes. And instead of a blinding white storm, your vision is filled with deep brown eyes set in a furry face as black as night. The same face that Sylus has sent to accompany you on night watches and sunny days alike. You smile at the familiar creature, despite the chattering of your teeth.
“H-hey, boy.” You whisper, your numb hand reaching up to sink into the dog’s deep fur. You can still hear his brother nearby, barking furiously above the wind.
Though Sylus knows them at a glance, you've never been particularly good at telling the two dogs apart by looks. They're both black, with intelligent eyes and powerful frames. In behavior though, they are slightly different. Gerel is louder, and more playful. Khar, though quieter, is definitely the smarter of the two. He's likely the one blocking your body from the worst of the wind, now.
You try to call Gerel over as his brother curls himself around your quivering body, but it’s too hard to draw a deep breath. Instead, you lean against the one lying on you, burying your face and hands against the one reprieve from the cold. You can think of nothing else but how good the slight amount of warmth feels, even as your fingers begin to burn slightly from the frostbite. It is a promising pain, one that feels of returning life rather than looming nothingness. You doubt it will be enough to truly save you, but at least you have some source of comfort now.
Eventually Gerel goes quiet, and you begin to worry he's become lost in the storm as well. You lift your face from Khar's fur, and try again to call his brother, but fail. Khar perks up, though, his massive tail wagging a fan-shaped dent in the snow. Perhaps he can smell his brother on the fierce wind?
A few moments later, you hear it. A deep, commanding voice that cuts through the shrieking wind like a blade, calling your name.
Sylus.
You don’t know why he’s here, or if he’s even real. It may be an illusion conjured by your failing mind and body. It does not matter. Real or not, you must go to him.
You try to draw yourself up, try to call his name, but Khar remains a dead weight on you. You try to shove him, but your muscles are still shaking uncontrollably, making any efforts to dislodge Khar useless.
Please, you think desperately, please, I need to go to him. I need him, I need Sylus.
In the midst of your struggle with the animal laying on you, you very nearly miss the crunching of snow approaching you. Gerel soon appears, fur nearly white with the coating of heavy, wet snow that clings to him. And directly behind him is a sight that would make you weep if you had the breath for it.
It's Sylus. He's battered by the wind and ice as he wades through the fresh snow, only a step behind Gerel. His face bears a sharp, unwavering determination and ferocity that puts even this storm to shame as he wades through the drifts. His eyes, bright scarlet amidst the daunting white, lock onto yours. Only when his master is a single step away from you does Khar finally wiggle himself off of you. The wind immediately rips away all the warmth the dog has lent you. But you feel the loss only for a moment, as in the next breath, Sylus has yanked you bodily out of the snow and crushed you against himself.
“Found you,” his deep voice is quiet, heavy with an emotion you can’t name. And oh, oh, even if this is a dream sent to ease your last moments, you do not care. There is no one you’d rather imagine at your side right now.
He releases you, only slightly, to tug off his own gloves and put them on your trembling hands. The heat that envelopes them makes your skin burn, and a whine that is half-choked by shivers bubble out of your throat.
“Bear with it,” he murmurs, wrapping a thicker, warm deel over your current one, “You won’t be able to beat me at archery if you lose your fingers, little huntress.”
Normally, you would call him an ass, berate him for worrying about losing his archery competitor as he gave you a smug smile for taking his bait. But you can’t. Your mind is foggy, and all you can do is curl into him as he sweeps you up into his arms. You notice briefly that his eyes have narrowed again. He looks… irritated maybe? Angry? You aren’t sure. Before you can think about it for very long, though, you are distracted by a sharp whistle from Sylus, shrill and sharp even over the unending wind. It’s followed by a whinny, as his tall, powerful horse wades through the snow with a determination identical to his master’s.
Sylus walks to meet the horse halfway. He says something, and then suddenly his arm drops out from under your legs. You stumble slightly, knees buckling under your own weight as your boots drop through the knee-high snow. You are strangely surprised when you don't hit the ground, and it takes you a moment to realize that Sylus has a hold on your waist, steadying you.
Oh. He was going to set you down. That's what he had said. Of course.
You look up at him, and find a hard expression on his face. Why does he look angry now? You don’t understand.
His bright eyes bore into your own, cutting through the confusion for a moment. When his voice comes, it is a command, not a request.
“Stay with me.”
You're not sure why he's saying this. It's not like you're going anywhere. All you want right now is to just curl up and sleep, back in his arms, if possible. But you nod anyway.
Sylus swings himself up onto his horse, settling himself behind the canticle. This again confuses you. You're supposed to sit on the seat. Not behind it. But before you can continue puzzling over this, Sylus has bent half-over, wrapped an arm around you once more, and hauled you up against the side of the horse. The pressure of it is uncomfortable, and you try to squirm out of the grasp. Sylus's hold is sure, though, and before you can break it, he's hooked the other arm under your knee, and lifted you up into the seat of the saddle.
You try to brace your legs, to keep your seat as the stallion begins to move beneath you, but your vicious shivers make it difficult to control your limbs, even for an action as instinctive to you as walking. Before you can falter though, Sylus’s arm wraps around you, holding you safe and steady against him.
You do your best to keep your eyes open against the biting wind and freezing snow. But the scant amount of warmth you can feel through the thickness of both your clothes, paired with the movements of the stallion slowed by the snow, is almost hypnotic. And you are tired, oh, so tired.
“You lost this game,” he says, in that damn smug voice that always makes you want to punch his arm.
“Game?”
He gives an affirmative hum. “Hide and seek. I found you, didn't I? That's another victory for me.”
You give a grunt of disgust, still not sure what he's talking about, but irritated by the condescension in his voice all the same.
“Don't be such a sore loser, sweetie.”
You don't know why you're even sitting on the same horse as him.
“A-ass,” you hiss around the waves of shivers. “Sh-should. P-push off.”
The dark chuckle behind you is as alluring as it is infuriating. “I'd love to see you try.”
You do try, for a moment, pushing against his hold. But you are soon frustrated by how clumsy your movements are, and exhausted by the effort. Sylus's tight grip is immovable anyway.
“Seems I'm still on the horse, sweetie.” Comes the singsong mocking from behind you.
You give a grunt in response. You can't be bothered to be angry. All you can feel is the heavy tiredness dulling all your senses.
Sylus says your name, sharply. There's an odd tone to it. You don't care enough to think about why.
You're vaguely aware of being jostled. And then, for a while, you are senseless.
The damn shivering is what wakes you. It's so violent and pervasive that it drives the breath from your lungs, leaving you gasping between the waves of trembling to try and regain it. On instinct, you try to curl into yourself, but are unable to. In fact, apart from the tremors, you can’t move your body at all. You seem to be surrounded by some sort of heavy mass, pressing on every inch of you. You struggle, pushing against the weight near your face to get some breathing room. The mass grunts, then moves away for a moment, freeing your head and upper body. You have only a moment of reprieve from the claustrophobia before…
Something warm, wet, and slimy drags across your face.
“Ur-rgh!” You bring a quivering arm up to rub away the slime.
A deep chuckle rumbles behind you, the breath of it close enough to make warmth fan across the back of your skull, “Is that how you thank Khar for helping to save your life, sweetie?”
Your eyes snap open at the familiar voice; although instead of the carmine eyes and seductive smirk you expect, your vision is filled (for the second time today) by pitch-dark fur and smiling brown eyes set in a distinctly canine face. Right as that same face applies another sloppy lick to yours.
“Kh-khar!” You squeak, bringing your now-free arms up to protect your face from the onslaught of affection. “Th-thanks, but s-stop!”
Khar obediently jumps down from where you’re laying, though he gives you a pathetic whine. A further weight is removed from your lower half when Gerel reluctantly hefts himself off of you to join his brother on the floor, giving you a similarly dejected look.
Without Khar laying on you, you can see more of your surroundings. It’s clear that you’re in a yurt, one that is unfamiliar to you. The only light source is the barely-visible fire crackling complacently in the small stove at the center, leaving much of the place in shadow. Is it night, then? Why are you here? And why do your hands and feet feel like they are burning?
You flex your hands between shivers in an attempt to stop the strange, tingling heat. If anything, that seems to make the feeling sharper, more biting in its ferocity. Shifting them out from underneath a heavy woolen blanket and furs to inspect them gives no answers, given the dim light.
“Can you still feel them?” Sylus’s voice, humorless this time, cuts through the slowly-lifting fog of unconsciousness and confusion.
“H-hurts.”
“Good, that means there’s still life in them. Better than losing such pretty fingers to frostbite.” Memories come to you at the word ‘frostbite’. They are hazy, as though recalling a dream several hours after waking; the dogs finding you in the snow, warming you and guiding Sylus to you through the blinding storm, Sylus carrying you in his arms, and keeping you upright in the saddle before you drifted into unconsciousness.
“Syl-” Your words are cut short. In trying to turn to face him, you realize that his powerful arm is curled around your waist.
Your naked waist. And at your back, you do not feel the rough texture of clothes; but instead the heated, sticky kind of softness of skin on bare skin.
Your body stills in shock; suddenly, you are horribly, wonderfully conscious of every inch Sylus has pressed against you: The firmness of his chest, the sharp jut of his hips, the tangle of his legs around and between yours, and (both the most enticing and mortifying of all) the warm, heavy weight of what must be his cock nestled against your ass.
That damned smug chuckle comes again, “I was wondering how long it would take you to notice. It took you a while; maybe I should be more worried about your head than your fingers, hm?”
You stutter a few times, as your mind comes to terms with your situation, before blurting in a rush, “Where are my clothes, Sylus!? Where are yours!?”
“Ah, you mean our freezing, sopping wet clothes?” His tone is almost sing-song in its blithe news, and bereft of any shame, “I took the liberty of removing them so that you didn't continue freezing to death.”
Somehow, his complete lack of any embarrassment heightens your own, as though your mind has determined to make up the difference between the pair of you. The heated panic in combination with exhaustion, confusion, and desire collide in a nerve-wracking swirl. You scramble wildly to get up, get away from this source of searing, tumultuous emotions. But the movement of your hands makes them burn as you try to gain purchase In the blankets and furs, and his arm around you is immovable as stone. “You- I- Couldn’t you have just thrown a blanket on me or- or something!? Gods, let go!”
He gives a derisive snort. “You would have just frozen to death under a blanket instead of snow. You didn’t have any heat left to trap, so I lent you some of mine. And no.”
“No what?”
“I just risked my life in a blizzard hunting for you, and I’m not about to let all my effort go to waste when I’ve already caught my prize. So, no, I will not be letting you go.”
“This isn’t- Can’t you just put on some damned pants, at least?”
“Hm, I could… but are you sure you want me to?”
“Sylus!!”
He gives a full laugh at your flustered squeak, “Once I’m sure that you’ve completely warmed up, I will. Until then, I suggest you stay still. Unless you’d like me to warm you up a different way. But I’d suggest waiting until your hands have healed.”
He must be teasing, surely. Delighting in your embarrassment as always. Still, a tiny, idiotically hopeful part of you can’t help but wonder… if you were able to see his face right now, would you see a small glimmer of want for you underneath the inscrutable mask? You dismiss the thought quickly. Even if you were able to see his face, you’d only see that damn self-satisfied smirk that makes your stomach twist.
“The elders are going to be insufferable about this,” You mutter, desperate you lay those thoughts to rest. Well, as best as you can, considering Sylus is curled around you.
“So what? Let them talk.”
“Easy for you to say. They won’t say anything to you; you’re the one half of them are looking to marry their daughters off to.” You’re only aware of the venom in your last few words after they’ve already left your mouth. You pray Sylus doesn’t notice.
But of course he does.
“Jealous, little huntress?” You can hear the smile in his voice
“You’re an ass, do you know that?”
“I’m hurt sweetie. I run out into a storm to find my poor, lost huntress, and in return she calls me an ass.”
He gives a mock-sigh, but something in his words raises a question in your mind. Sylus had been out with the other hunters just before the storm hit. You hadn’t even been sure he would make it back to the village in time, but somehow he managed to find you?
“How did you even know I was out there?”
Sylus pauses for a moment. His voice, once he does speak, is startlingly somber. “Some of the hunting group saw the cloud wall rolling in. We rode back as fast as possible. Even so, if we’d had further to go, the wind would’ve outpaced us. I’ve never seen clouds that heavy and fast, outside of summer storms.”
“I tried to ride back too, when I saw them. But with the cold, I couldn’t feel my hands, and the rough ground…” You trail off, fully prepared to be teased about your riding skills. Instead, you feel an ever-so-slight tightening of his arm around you. You wonder if he’s even aware of his own movement.
Sylus continues, “When we arrived, people came out to greet us and help get everything secured before the worst of the storm. I didn’t see you throwing people out of the way like usual.”
“I do not throw people out of the way,” You mutter.
“If you say so, little huntress.” You can hear the smile in his voice for a moment, though it disappears when he continues, “I found Cota, and asked where you were. When she said you were out shepherding, I knew you wouldn’t make it back before the snow came. So, I took Khar and Gerel, and had them track you.”
“Was anyone else missing?”
“We’ll find out after the storm.”
The two of you are quiet for a moment, as you process his response. He didn’t notice anyone else was gone. He didn’t ask to see if any others were lost. He didn’t bother to try and search for anyone else in the snow.
He noticed you were missing.
He asked where you were.
He went into the storm for you.
“You… Sylus, were you out in that storm, just to find me?”
A small, humorless huff of laughter fans across the back of your skull again. “I wasn’t out there just taking a stroll, sweetie.”
“You could’ve lost Gerel and Khar. And your horse. And your life.”
“Worried about me, hm?”
Of course you were. Sylus is a strong, clever man. Perhaps the greatest warrior and hunter your tribe has known; but even the greatest of mortals are brought to their knees by the forces of nature and the whims of chance. You want to tell him all this, tell him that the thought of him standing alone amidst the howling winds, searching for the path to safety… even just thinking about it makes your chest feel as empty and cold as the storm still raging outside. Your breath catches, and you cannot force the words, glutted with feelings as they are, out of your throat.
So instead you reply, “It’s a big risk to take.”
“Maybe.” His tone is nonchalant, as though he is talking about what he’d brought home from hunting, rather than the act of risking his dearest possessions and life trying to save you in near-hopeless conditions. “But I don’t gamble unless the prize is worth the risk.”
It takes you a moment to digest the words, heart caught in your throat, hardly daring to believe that you’ve understood him correctly. A fragile but brilliant hope lights in your chest. You had been aware of the friendship that had begun to form between you and Sylus, and you had been aware of your desire to be something more to him, to be someone he wanted. But you hadn’t dared to imagine occupying a position of such value to him.
“You think I’m worth all that…?”
You don’t mean to say the words aloud, but the exhaustion loosens your lips just enough for them to spill out. Immediately your stomach lurches at a strange, shifting fear. Perhaps speaking the thought aloud has crossed some sort of line, daring the universe to snuff out your hope just as it had been lit.
A soft, teasing lilt returns to his voice as he speaks, “I believe that’s what I just said, little huntress. Hm, maybe I should be more concerned about your head.” The hand that isn’t curled around your middle gives the top of your head a soft tap, tap, tap.
A small, breathless laugh bubbles up out of your chest, the hope within you flaring bright and making your heart race. You don’t know how he manages to do it; to convey something as heartfelt as ‘you are worth risking my life and all I hold dear’, while simultaneously sounding like it’s the most simple thing in the world. Something that should be obvious even to a small child.
It’s a special talent you’ve noticed in Sylus ever since that day with the wolf pups; he makes you want to throttle him one moment, and in the next breath he’ll speak with such sincere simplicity that it utterly disarms you. He somehow manages to walk that fine line between keeping you on your toes with bantering, and keeping you grounded with his forthrightness. It's addictive. It's comforting. You're not even sure if it's something he tries to do, or if his natural state of being is just something that draws your soul in effortlessly.
You need to face him.
You turn in his grasp to look at him, trying to ignore the burst of prickling heat in your hands. It's worth the pain. Sylus is a striking picture in the low light; all silvery tousled hair, gold skin, and sanguine eyes, graced by a rare look of surprise for just a moment.
And then his face relaxes into a soft look, one you've started to see more and more, but never fails to make your heart race faster than a horse galloping over the grass sea.
“There you are,” he murmurs, voice rough and low. And you simply cannot help it. Frostbite be damned. You might die if you don't kiss him, and you've come close enough to that today already. You have to kiss him.
The press of your lips against his is insistent, but chaste. At least, at first. Sylus takes in a sharp breath, and for a fraction of a second you wonder if you've misread, if you've pushed too far. And then, his mouth becomes soft, and pliant, and something in your chest melts when the arm he has around you slides up your spine to press at the nape of your neck, leaving gooseflesh in its wake. A pleased sigh escapes you, unbidden. Before you are quite aware of your own movements, your hand is at his jaw, cupping his face, trying to pull him closer.
A new flare of pain sears your hand at the pressure, and you reflexively pull away with a hiss.
You open your eyes (when did they close?) to see Sylus, pupils blown wide, looking at you with that same sort of ferocity and determination you saw in him earlier, when your eyes met his in the storm. And for a moment, caught in that unwavering intensity, you swear your heart forgets how to beat.
His eyes remain fixed on your own as he takes your wrist and gently (too gently) moves it away from his face, which has settled back into its usual near-arrogant smirk. Reality crashes in on you then. You are in Sylus's yurt, kissing him, sharing a bed, naked. The realization is followed by a disorienting mix of embarrassment, pride, shame, and excitement. You've just kissed him for the first time, and you know if it weren't for the pain in your hands you would have taken as much as he would give you. Begged for it, maybe. What does he think of you now? How much would he let you take? What would you tell everyone once you left here?
But as usual, when your mind threatens to whirl itself into chaos, Sylus cuts through it.
“I'll have to collect on that part of my prize later, little huntress,” He murmurs, and you wonder if it is merely your imagination, or if he is actually as breathless as you are. His thumb strokes across the soft skin at the underside of your wrist, across the vein where your pulse is thrumming like a caught hare's. “I want to see what those pretty hands can do to me when they're all healed.”
Hearing him say it out loud makes the embarrassment resurface with a vengeance, and the barely-leashed heat in Sylus's gaze makes it unbearable. Breaking the stare, you take your hand back and shuffle under the blankets once more, until the hem falls across your cheek.
Sylus's amused chuckle earns him a glare from you, but your indignation is quickly soothed over as he drags his fingers through your hair, across your scalp, gently untangling the strands. After a few minutes, the gentle scratching opens the door for a wave of exhaustion, heightened by the warm darkness and the muffled howling of the winter winds outside.
You wonder, vaguely, if the touch was meant in apology, or to make you drowsy. You're not sure it matters. Sylus is here, looking at you with that affectionate, soft smile, as your lips begin to flutter.
“Sleep, shevonica,” is the last thing you hear before drifting into unconsciousness. This time, in the safety and warmth of Sylus’s hold.
Summary: When Thomas decides to stick you and Rafayel in a cheesy themed mermaid suite, he thinks he’s getting revenge on Rafayel. Little did he know the room came with a water bed, and Rafayel is very good at controlling the tides.
Tags: Smut, water bed sex, NSFW, porn with very little plot
A/N: Sooo, this might not be my best work but I needed some practice to get over my writers block, so bam. Water bed sex. Read at your own risk, but MDNI! Enjoy all you Raf girlyss~
Rafayel had invited me on an impromptu trip to his latest art gallery. He was very insistent on it since he claimed the city where the gala was being held had the most beautiful beaches. I needed a break from the insane influx of wanderers, so I agreed. It would take us two days to get to the city we needed to be in since we had a late layover flight.
Thomas was usually in charge of all of Rafayel’s travel plans, I guess he was frantic when Raf demanded last minute that I be added as a plus one. I feel bad for Thomas sometimes, since Rafayel can be very demanding, but I know the bickering between the two in a way, feels almost familial. Though, little did we anticipate, Thomas had a small version of revenge up his sleeve.
Me and Rafayel were a bit exhausted from our long flight and were sluggish in the hotel lobby. However, as soon as we reached our room, we were jolted with surprise.
The neon moodlighting reflected off the clear plastic of fake bubbles along the walls, there were fishnets and various aquatic themed posters also on the walls. It was a mermaid themed room.
“Now this is just offensive,” Rafayel’s face contourted in disgust at the kitsch decor of the room.
I felt a burst of laughter erupt from my chest at this ordeal, “I guess this is what you get for giving Thomas gray hairs.” I set my bags down and began to take a look at all the cute mermaid and fish themed nicknacks that had adorned the dresser below the tv.
With a drained sigh he walks over to the bed that has a giant seashell headboard, he stares at it and reaches out to poke it, “A water bed really? That’s so outdated.” Rafayel rolls his eyes and scoffs at the bed as if it personally offended him.
I turn with wide eyes, “Really? I’ve never slept on a water bed before.”
Rafayel chuckles, “It’s not exactly practical cutie.” He then pauses briefly as his eyes catch something on the dresser.
I quirk my head at his sudden peak of interest as he walks over and grabs an iridescent blue vase, it almost looks like an antique perfume bottle. Rafayel inspects it by trying to swish it around and determine if there’s liquid inside.
“What is it?” I ask.
“It couldn’t possibly be what I think it is, there’s no way a cheap hotel like this would have Lumerian scents…” He popped the topper off the vase and inhaled. Suddenly, it was like a switch had been flipped.
Rafayel immediately started panting and groaning.
“Raf? Are you okay?” I touched his shoulder to check on him and he tried to push me off with a slight hiss.
“This is…” he gasped as one of his hands clasped at the front of his shirt, “It’s…Lumerian…It’s a pheromone…One a bride would typically use on her wedding.”
He seemed in agony as he closed the vase and fell to his knees on the floor. His purple-pinkish eyes nearly looked black as he looked up at me with nothing but desperation painted across his face as he whimpered my name.
“Help….I…I can't, I need you right now….” He gasped and raised his torso to hug my legs and nuzzle into them with desperation.
I was at a loss of words at this sudden shift, but with the tight grip he had on the back of my thigh and the look in his eye, I let out a shaky breath and nodded, “I’m not sure what happened to you, but whatever you need. I’m yours…”
As soon as the words left my mouth, Rafayel stood and lifted me by my hips as he threw my back against the bed. As I fell back, the plop of water sloshing resounded in my ear as the next thing I knew Rafayel’s lips were on my neck as his hands lifted up my legs.
“Raf-“ I gasped at his boldness, his actions were hurried and desperate as he tried to hold on to my body desperately as if I would drift off like the waves of the water beneath us.
“Shhh, I need this right now or I’ll go crazy…Let me take care of you my beloved bride,” he groans as he slides off my leggings and panties all at once.
He lets out a shaky breath at my exposed form and I start to feel dizzy as Rafayel then begins to drool on my bare sex and licks his lips as he brings his face down to give an experimental lick. I arch my body up and close my thighs around his head, trapping his face to my hole.
He doesn’t move as he just sensually licks and sucks at me like he’s savoring his favorite ice cream. My moans are drowned out in my own ears as I can hear nothing but the water in the bed slosh around. It felt like I had laid back in the bathtub and could hear only sounds of water moving with my body, except, unlike the bathtub, the only thing wet was the mixture of slick and saliva as Rafayel ate me out.
My thighs gripped his face harder as he purposely sucked my sensitive bud, “C-Close…I’m close,” I gasped.
I received nothing but a happy humm in response, the vibrations of his voice sending me over the edge as I moaned with fervor at my release.
“Rafa….” I gapped as I opened my thighs to release his face. He pulled back and stared at me with those dark eyes as he undid his belt. His cheeks and ears were a bit tinged in a blush as his purple fluffy hair was now disheveled and his lower lips covered in my essence.
Never breaking eye contact, he ripped his high waisted black pants down and his usual low cut white shirt was gone in an instant as he crawled on top of my body. The motion of him climbing on top of me caused the water to propel me even closer to him as my bare cunt brushed against his still covered lower half.
As I could feel his hard length against me, I was taken aback as he laughed deeply in my ear. The reveberations of his laughter caused the waterbed to shake abit and I was moving up and down like I was floating in a lazy river. “What’s so funny?” I asked as he looked down at me with a bright and cheeky smirk, his usual teasing pink coloring returning to his eyes.
“You should see how you look right now, like a birdy drowning in the sea with how much you keep moving back and forth.”
“Well, I’m being swallowed by the motion of the water, what else am I supposed to do? How are you so composed on this thing?”
He sat up as he began to take off his boxers, a confident and arrogant expression painting his face, “Me and the waters are one and the same,” after he finished undressing and I can see his dripping length standing straight as he comes closer to whisper in my ear once more, “We’re both unpredictable and all encompassing.”
With that his hands slide down my torso to then lift up my shirt and push it over my head, his mouth meeting the pebbles of my now erect nipples. I let out a small moan at the sensation and desperation of his suckling mouth on my chest.
With a pop his mouth leaves my nipple as he laughs while moving his hips to make the water shake me, I’m at a loss as the waves make my body move sporadically. I try and sit up to have a similar vantage as Rafayel, but he meets my lips in a passionate kiss as I lay flat against my back.
“Are you ready for me my bride?” His voice is almost unfamiliar as its deep purr resounds into my very core and I shiver.
I let out a shaky yes and suddenly I gasp as he slams a knee into the bed and suddenly the motion of my body slides to connect him and me in one swift motion. “N-no fair! That was sneaky!”
“Shhh, you know you love it cutie,” he laughs as both of his hands grip the sides of my hips. Rafayel’s lips trail into the crook of my neck as his hips send crashing waves into the bed as he thrusts in and out of me with a smooth rhythm.
“I must say, this is actually fulfilling some fantasies of mine.”
I whine as he hits a sensitive spot within me and bites down on my neck, “Raf-Please.” I feel breathless as my body is floating in pleasure with every crash of our hips. The water surrounding us in this cheap mattress make me feel as if I’m drowning in an endless ocean of pleasure. I was drowning in Rafayel’s very being, and I never wanted to come up for air.
“Please,” he mocks me in a deep voice, “I should make you beg more for the way you’re driving me wild.” He removes his face from my neck and meets my lips to force them to open for him. With a moan he sucks on my tongue and his hips speed up.
The wetness of our bodies and groans of exctasy mix with the sounds of splashing waves of the bed below us. My nails find their way to Rafayels back and I drag them down as I feel my crescendo reaching.
I pull away from his lips and lean my back and yell out his name. “Rafayel!”
He lets out a shaky breath as he continues at a relentless pace, “Not yet, just a bit more cutie.” Rafayel grunts as he presses me deeper into the sinking bed. I clench around him unable to control my own bodily reactions.
“I can’t! Rafayel please,” I can feel tears welling in the corner of my eyes from trying my best to hold off my orgasm, but finally as his hips slam even deeper within me, I lose myself.
“Come for me, my beloved bride,” he pants as he keeps the same rhythm.
I feel weightless as my legs shake from intense pleasure and the rest of my body goes slack as Rafayel keeps chasing his high. I lightly drag my fingers up from the scratched I made on his back to reach up into the hair at the nape of his neck.
I dig my fingers in a bit gently and pull as my eyes meet his intense purple gaze, “Let go Rafayel…”
His face contorts into an almost melancholic pout as he scrunches his eyes closed and with a final thrust that resounds a smack throughout the cheesy themed room, I feel the warmth of his spend drip into me.
Rafayel pants and collapses ontop of me as he hums with pleasure in his voice as his body is still painting my insides.
“Well that certainly is one for the books for me,” my voice is a bit gravelly and hoarse as I laugh at the absurdity of our situation.
“I actually think I might have to thank Thomas instead of yelling at him,” Rafayel grumbles into my chest.
“And here I thought you didn’t like water beds,” I started to run my hands through his hair as I teased him.
“You know I think I might buy a couple for my studio now,” he props his chin up on my chest and looks at me with a cheeky smirk, “Only if you test them out with me.”
“While this was fun, I don’t know how fun sleeping on this will actually be.”
He reached a hand out to touch my cheek, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on them, “Who said anything about sleeping?”
After a few spent moments of us basking in the after glow, we got up and cleaned ourselves off to actually get some needed sleep. As I glanced back at that blue bottle on the counter, I couldn’t help my curiosity.
“Rafayel, what is that pheromone that made you crazy? You said something about Lumeria, right?”
He crosses his arm and stares at me with a pout, “Well, I’m not sure you need to know what it is, just know that I’ll be taking that stuff with me to use at a further date. So prepare yourself miss bodyguard, because next time you won’t walk away so easily from me.”
“Is that a threat?” I laugh as he lays down next to me and captures me in his arms. He once again manipulates the unease of the waters below us to push my body as close as possible to his.
“Oh cutie, it’s a promise.” He kisses the crown of my head as the waves and the warmth of his arms help me drift off to a peaceful slumber.
That night I dream of a life underseas and a purpled haired merman worshiping my body with the waves surrounding us.
