Note: Some of these may change slightly as I write them.
P.S: I grossly over estimated how much I would write and forgot I would be writing exams during October, so not all fics will be posted as scheduled. They will all be written at some point, but not on time.
Strike through means it is finished/will be posted as scheduled.
Day 1 : Frayed restraint - Wing play - Sub!Azriel {Female Reader}
Azriel's mate has worked him up and now has him on all fours begging for release.
Day 2: Take the reins - Shibari - Sub!Bodhi {Male Reader}
Bodhi has been really stressed, so many responsibilities weighing him down, he just needs someone else to take control.
Day 3: To no end - Shadow play - Azriel {Female reader}
The shadows love Y/n, and she loves them. She wonders what it would be like if they took control, what do they fantasise about? Problem is... they don't know when to stop.
Day 4: Busted - Caught Masturbating - Sawyer {Female Reader}
Ridoc drunkenly challenges Sawyer to participate in NNN (No Nut November), whoever lasts longest, wins. What happens when it gets too much for Sawyer, and he just needs a little release, no big deal...
Day 5: Nom nom - Biting - Eris (Vampire AU {Female Reader})
Reader is a witch making a potion for the local village, but she needs an ingredient from her boyfriend, Eris. She offers him a little incentive to say yes.
Day 6: Milking it - Lactation - Rhysand {Female Reader}
Rhysand and reader have recently had a baby, earlier in their relationship, Rhysand mentioned that he'd always wanted to try drinking from his partner. After a long, exhausting day as High Lord, Reader surprises him with just that.
Day 7: Unexpected entanglement - Double penetration - Ridoc/Reader/Sawyer {Female Reader}
Reader is moved into the Iron squad and can't help but hear both Ridoc and Sawyer's constant flow of thoughts about... her. Some of them are not family friendly. She gets sick of hearing about it and tells them to act on them.
Day 8: Building bridges - Threesome - Lucien/Reader/Ridoc {Female Reader}
(Set after the war) Lucien is in Tyrrendor as an ambassador for Prythian to establish connections and assist in their recovery. Lucien and Ridoc become quick friends, and Reader decides to eavesdrop on them to make sure Ridoc doesn't say anything too stupid. The conversation she overhears leads to an interesting evening of discovery.
Day 9: Feeling worthless - Body worship - Garrick {Female Reader}
After RSC training, Garrick lost a lot of muscle mass and gained a lot more scars. He feels unlovable. Reader shows him how wrong he is.
Day 10: Y/n's secret - Lingerie - Aaric {Female Reader}
(Set after the war) Aaric comes back from a meeting and almost immediately someone notifies him that his wife went on a massive shopping spree.
Day 11: Show me - Bondage - Sub!Tarquin {Female Reader}
Reader has always wanted to try bondage, but Tarquin really doesn't want to hurt her. He proposes that she should show him what she wants him to do.
Day 12: Regretted teachings - Nudes - Bodhi {Female Reader}
Reader has always struggled with her body image but she's also an artist. When Bodhi encouraged her to draw herself so she could see her own beauty, this isn't what he meant...
Day 13: Class in session - Toys - Azriel {Female Reader}
Azriel is trying to teach his spy in training that one should always remain focused, no matter the situation.
Day 14: Neither the time nor place - Sexting - Liam (College AU{Male Reader})
Liam is working at his part time job in the animal shelter, but reader is missing him, and decides to let him know.
Day 15: Birthday breakfast - Oral fixation(F rec) - Eris {Female Reader}
It's his birthday and reader is the only present he wants
Day 16: Two-player game - 69 - Lucien {Female Reader}
Reader gives Lucien a reminder that he isn't the only one who knows how to play
Day 17: Drunk words are sober thoughts - Pegging - Ridoc {Female Reader}
After a night in Chantara, reader has a little too much to drink, confessing things she never would have. Ridoc is more than willing to go the extra mile for her to get what she wants
Day 18: Maybe the books are right - Somno - Garrick {Male Reader}
When Reader goes to take a shower, Garrick takes a peak at what he's reading, Reader shows him exactly what's so great about it.
Day 19: Flooded - Cock warming - Xaden {Female Reader}
Xaden is flooded with paperwork, and while Reader doesn't know how to help the Duke, she can help her boyfriend.
Day 20: Teach me - Anal - Bodoc
Bodhi has never gotten to this level of intimacy with a man before, Ridoc talks him through it.
Day 21: Missing you - Edging - Azris
Azriel just came back from a mission, desperate for his mate who is in a meeting.
Day 22: Revenge - Overstimulation - Azris
After Azriel teases Eris during a meeting, he gets revenge on his little bat (Part 2 to Missing You, but can be read alone)
Day 23: In the air - Breath play - Liam {Female Reader}
Reader is a 3rd year who helps Liam with his flight maneuvers. Things get intense when Liam tries to tease her, and isn't expecting her to bite back.
Day 24: Taste - Food play - Aaric {Male Reader}
Aaric has fancied his guard since he was assigned to him. When the relief falls ill and reader has to take a double-shift with no break, Aaric capitalises on this unique set of circumstances, and invites him inside his room for some food.
Day 25: Offerings - Face riding - Lucien {Female Reader}
While Lucien goes out to get dinner, Reader takes a little nap, but her subconscious mind gets her hot and bothered. Lucien is more than happy to help.
Day 26: "Studying" - Oral fixation (M rec) - Aaric {Male Reader}
Reader has an interesting study method that he swears by, and who is Aaric to argue with him?
Day 27: Take control - Sensory deprivation - Sub!Xaden {Female Reader}
Xaden has been stressed, as usual, and Reader is tired of him not letting her help.
Day 28: Lazy days - Thigh riding - Tarquin {Female Reader}
Tarquin is just being the absolute sweetheart that he is and Reader is understandably turned on by it.
Day 29: Patience is a virtue - Brat taming - Eris {Male Reader}
Reader is unbelievably horny for his mate. Unfortunately, his mate is also a High Lord, and has other responsibilities. Not that Reader cares, of course.
Day 30: Sex on the beach - Exhibitionism - Tarquin {Female Reader}
...Kinda feel like the title is self explanatory
Day 31: The Plan - Voyeurism - Azris/Reader {Female Reader}
Reader is completely fed up with Azriel and Eris's constant fighting. She gives them an ultimatum, either work out their differences, or she leaves.
___________________________
If you would like to be on the taglist for Kinktober, a specific character, or even a specific fic, just drop a comment! :)
Please read individual post warnings before reading the fic, some contain triggering content not relating to smut
Summary: How would our Fourth Wing men react to walking in on their girl pleasuring themselves? Let's find out.
Warnings: 18+. Minors DNI. Masturbation. Use of pet names. Signet Use - Shadowplay. Voyeurism. Teasing/Stimulation. Oral (F receiving). Insinuated P in V unprotected Sex. Very very slight Onyx Storm spoiler (use of a line a character says).
Masterlist | Links
Garrick
This man would just walk into your room without even knocking, catching you in the act. At first you wouldn’t even notice he was there, too caught up in what you we’re doing. Eyes closed as you pleasure yourself, your brain thinking of how good Garrick had looked earlier in challenges.
Garrick would close the door behind him quietly, his eyes completely focused on you and what you’re doing. His eyes watching every move you make, listening to the little moans and gasps coming from your lips. He’d be content on watching till just the right moment to make his presence known. Which is when his name falls from your lips.
He walks over to your bed, quietly removing his shirt and boots so he doesn’t alert you to his presence, before kneeling next your bed and pulling you towards him. Garrick chuckles as you shriek with surprise before trying to scramble away and cover yourself.
He’d tighten his grasp on your hips before standing up and leaning over you, pinning your wrists above your head as he looks down at your. “Where do you think you’re going sweetheart? You can’t moan my name like that and not expect me to do something about it.”
Before you can respond Garrick kneels back down and continues what you’d stopped, his fingers and mouth having you moaning and gasping before coming all over them multiple times.
Bodhi
He’d also just walk in, but unlike Garrick he would not be as subtle about it. He’d walk in, look over at your bed, eyes going wide as he scrambles to shut the door behind him with a loud bang which startles you.
Bodhi just stares at you with his hand still on the door he’s slammed shut. Torn between shocked and turned on at what he’s walked in on you doing, which causes you to giggle at him as you get up and walk over to him.
His eyes trailing over your naked body as you walk over to him, still unsure how to react to what he saw. He’s also a little hurt you had resorted to pleasuring yourself. But he was meant to be gone on a supply run till tomorrow.
Just as you get to him he’d snap out of it, grabbing your arm before he spins you both around, pinning you to the door before he kneels in front of you. Smirking up at you as he hooks one of your legs over his shoulder, exposing you to him.
“Don’t worry darling, I’m here to take care of you now.” He tells you before devouring you.
Xaden
He’d know what you were up to before he even walked in to the door. He’d sneak in so he wouldn’t disturb you, leaning up against the door as he watches you pleasure yourself. Listening to the little noises you’d make while you pleasure yourself.
He wouldn’t walk over to you, instead he’d try something a little different. He’d control his shadows, slowly creeping them towards you so you wouldn’t be alerted to their presence and therefore his. Slowly they’d caress your body, adding to what you’re doing.
After a while Xaden wouldn’t be able to help himself and would make his presence known. His shadows no longer being soft and gentle. Instead they would wrap around your wrists, pulling them above your head as your eyes snap open and meet Xaden’s onyx eyes as he leans over you.
“So desperate. Not even a night and you’re already pleasuring yourself.” He’d teases as his shadows caress your body, causing you to tug at the one’s holding your wrists captive before you throw your head back and moan as they caress between your legs. “Now let me show you how it’s actually done.”
Liam
He’d close the door behind him lean up against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and smirk at the sight before him.
“Well, what do we have here?” He’d tease, not even trying to hide the fact he’s walked in on you.
You go to cover yourself up at the shock of Liam walking in on you, but he rushes forward and stops you, a soft smile on his lips as he looks down at you, his blonde hair flopping into his eyes.
“Don’t stop on my behalf love.” He’d say softly before kneeling between your legs, shrugging off his jacket and shirt. “We’re just getting started.”
He’d pull you back down the bed towards him as you yelp and giggle at his actions, before leaning in and placing soft kisses on your inner thigh before continuing what you’d started.
Dain
He’d be about to walk in, hand on the door handle when he’d hear you cry out. He’d mistake it for you being in pain and rush in ready to help you, but stop mid stride as your eyes snap open and meet his while you’re fingers are still inside you.
“Close the door!” You’d shriek at him, grabbing a pillow to throw at him before he quickly shuts the door, even though it’s later at night and no one is out in the halls. “I thought you were on patrol tonight?”
That was the only reason you’d chosen to do what you were doing. You were needy, had been craving him after watching him win his challenge with ease. But he’d been assigned patrol tonight, and you knew he wouldn’t drop it for the fact you were horny and desperate for him. So you’d done what you always did when he had a late night patrol.
“They had too many people on so they gave me the night off.” He tells you as he walks over to you. He reaches out and cups your cheek, not intending to read your thoughts, but because he’s so tired his shields aren’t as strong as they usually were. And he gets an insight to your thoughts. And he see’s this is not the first time you’ve done this.
“Do you do this every time I have patrol?” He says with shock, not expecting this to be a regular occurrence.
You bite your lip and nod as you aver your eyes from his, not sure if he’s angry that you do this regularly. It’s not your fault he looks so good taking on his opponents during challenges and always has patrols the same night.
“Eyes on me.” He tells you as he grips your chin and turns your head back towards him, causing your breath to catch in your throat. “Let’s get you taken care of.”
Brennan
He’d walk in as per normal, completely run down and tired from a day dealing with the assembly, shrugging out of his clothes. He’d look up, seeing your bed empty. You’d clearly been here though, the sheets messed up as if you’d gone to lie down.
Then he hears it. Your soft moans echoing from the bathroom door that’s open ever so slightly. The sound already having him hard and wanting you even with how tired and drained he is.
He pushes open the door to see you sat in the bathtub facing away from him, head thrown back over the edge with your eyes shut as you moan and shiver.
As he gets closer he can hear the water running, but the bath sounds suspiciously empty. And that’s when he see’s why you’re sat the way you are. The water is on, but it’s purpose is not to fill the bath. It’s to pleasure you, while you pump your fingers in and out. He can’t deny he’s not impressed by your creativeness.
He leans over the bathtub, being careful not to touch you as he turns the water off. Your eyes fly open, meeting Brennan’s amber eyes as he braces himself on the edge of the bathtub and looks down at you.
“Look at you being creative in my absence.” He teases as he reaches out and caresses your cheek, his thumb running over your swollen lip where you’ve tugged and dragged it though your teeth. “Now lets get you dried off so I can finish what you’ve started.”
Aaric
He would not be subtle about walking in on you. You wouldn’t hear him walk in, but he’d make his presence known. He’d stand there, arms crossed over his chest as he looks at you.
“Well, what do we have here.” He’d tease, a smirk pulling at the edge of his lips as you startle at his words, sitting upright as you scurry back on your bed clutching your chest till you realise it’s Aaric in your room.
He’d walk over to your bed, slowly taking off his boots, jacket and shirt before slowly undoing the ties of his pants and pushing them down his legs, watching as you squirm under his gaze before he kneels on your bed.
He’d grasp your ankles, pulling you towards him as you yelp in surprise. He’d push your legs apart before positioning himself between them and leaning over you as he braces himself on your bed with a hand either side your head.
He’d rock back and forth, the head of his dick slowly back and forth, teasing you as you squirm beneath him. “Someone’s needy tonight.” He’d murmur against your lips.
“P-please Aaric.” You’d beg as he continues to slowly rock back and forth, sometimes pushing the tip in just a little bit before pulling back out and going back to what he was doing.
“Please what? Use your words sweetheart.” He’d tell you, wanting you to beg for him. He might despise his father and everything his family stands for. But he can’t help but crave the way you beg and plead for him to please you.
And finally you do, begging him to fuck you, to ruin you. To give you what you’d been imagining in your mind before he walked in. “Good girl.”
🏷️: one business year later, we continue! our sweet prince is the best teacher slash personal trainer ever <3, no spoilers in this one, dain cameo, a lot of the girlfriends like subdueing challenge opponents with knives because I’m bad at writing fight scenes and know nothing about hand fighting at all lol
You are absolutely going to lose this challenge match. There is no other possible outcome than you getting your shit kicked, even with the week’s worth of extra training you’ve gotten from Aaric.
He’s been endlessly patient, holding his tongue when he realized you didn’t know some of the most basic things about hand combat, being gentle with his critique and careful not to startle you with any physical contact he needs to correct your form.
Like he knows.
No, if he knew, he wouldn’t spend so much time on keeping you alive and afloat in class, and would have decided weeks ago that you were hopeless, and weren’t worth the effort.
He’d put you through the paces yesterday, in the hopes of you not being stomped on the mat today, and asked you at the end of your lesson — “So, what are you going to do tomorrow?”
“I don’t know,” you’d panted from where you laid flat on your back on the gross floor of the training room.
“Then use what you do know.”
Well… It might not be allowed, but you could plead ignorance afterward; you still haven’t made it to the halfway point of the Codex they’d given you. Your days are hard enough without a mental workout on top of everything you’re already struggling with so desperately. Any free time that isn’t spent working with Aaric is spent asleep.
But... fuck it. What do you have to lose, except your life, which isn’t even really yours?
This girl likes to fight at close range, and she doesn’t seem as poised and as sharp as Aaric, not by a long shot. She probably wouldn’t notice. Especially if you can time things right, get a good hit in somewhere.
She lacks something else Aaric has, too — tact. It’s widely known that you suck, and she’s eager to be seen taking someone down. That’s probably why she comes in swinging as soon as Emeterrio gives the go-ahead.
If she had done any research, she would have known that the one thing you’re good at is dodging. And not to throw her entire weight into a blow like that, because if it doesn’t land, she’ll trip.
She also should have taken off her knives before she got on the mat, because this is supposed to be a test of hand combat, not weaponry.
Her loss, literally. She’s too busy regaining her balance to notice the weight disappear.
You fall into a pattern of trading hits, just like you would with Aaric, only hers actually land instead of falling an inch from your skin. And she’s getting two or three for your one. But these matches are timed, and you’ve managed to add a good thirty seconds to your defeat time each round.
And taking longer to be “killed” is good. If an enemy would tire themself out by fighting you, then at least your squad will have a better chance at survival, more time to rest or to run or to come save your sorry ass.
It’s unclear what the consequence of failing every week is, but it probably isn’t good. And how will you figure out what works if you don’t fuck around a little and take a few risks?
There had been one thing Aaric mentioned offhandedly, but unable to demonstrate it to you without hurting you or another squad member -- but if you dig your thumb into the skin below her collarbone hard enough, in just the right spot…
Yep.
Her knees hit the floor with a scream that has even the third-years looking your way. You release the pressure near immediately, but keep her in place with your newest acquisition — that she finally realizes isn’t yours.
She pushes your arm away easily, going after the professor instead. “She cheated!”
He looks completely unfazed. “She clearly had full control of you, and a knife to your throat. That’s where it ends, because that’s where your life could have ended.”
“But she didn’t — it’s not hers!”
“Professor, you said if we strip them off an opponent in a fight, they’re ours to keep, right?” Sloane adds for you, looking innocent.
“That is correct.”
“Sucks to be you, then,” Dain says dryly, before turning to you. “Sleep with one eye open, kid. Though I guess you have the advantage over her with those.”
You fight a smile as you see it dawn on her — Dain said those, plural. She had a second knife, too, that is now tucked into the waistband of your pants. Thankfully she decides to quit while she’s behind, storming off to pout with her squad.
“That was pretty sick,” Ridoc says, grinning ear to ear on your behalf.
Aaric hands you back your original knife and your necklace, giving you a curt nod of approval before his focus returns to the new match that is about to start.
———
“You feeling okay?” He asks as he slides into his seat in the lecture hall with his usual grace and ease.
“Mm. Just tired. The reading took me forever,” you explain through a yawn. “I didn’t get to sleep until late.”
“It was only ten pages,” Sloane says, cocking her head to the side.
“Oh,” you manage. “I must have read more than one chapter then. Guess I’ll be ahead for next week.”
As if. The idea of you being ahead in anything academic is laughable. You’d only managed to keep up because winning your match yesterday earned you a night off from extra sparring with Aaric.
Thankfully she doesn’t think much of your excuse, settling into the seat beside you and getting out her notebook as Kaori starts his lesson. Hearing it discussed aloud, the reading makes more sense. No wonder everyone else considered it easy — it was.
It should have been, at least.
How do you even spell Gormfil— whatever he just said? It definitely isn’t Krovlish. Maybe not even the common language. But then again, you aren’t the gold standard for vocabulary around here.
A quick look around shows that everyone else is still writing, following along easily, their eyes still on the professor. No looks of confusion anywhere.
But if you spend too long puzzling this out, you’ll miss more information.
Aaric underlines the word on his own page with a quick scratch of his quill, and you copy it down before he notices, committing the proper spelling to memory.
This isn’t technically cheating, right? It’s not a test or anything, just a lecture. And if Kaori had written that on the board when he first mentioned it, you wouldn’t have needed to copy Aaric, anyway.
The guilty feeling is replaced with more scrambling to keep up, to glean every bit of information you can from this lecture so you can squeak by with only half the reading.
Aaric hears the scratching of your quill stop again, sees the tip hovering over the page in hesitation.
He underlines another word, this time scooting the notebook over toward you ever so slightly. All of the letters on his page are immaculate, the lines of text perfectly straight and structured, organized — unlike your sprawling web of arrows, with circles around things you’d deemed important.
Most of the points on your page have circles around them. And most of said circles have been smudged before they could dry. How his page and his hand is perfectly clean is beyond you.
———
You don’t want to know how long you’ve been sitting in this damn chair. But the bell tower tells you anyway, with its quarterly chiming, that it’s approaching eight. You’d settled here after sunset, when you were required to go back to the dorms, and thankfully very few people decided to use the rest of the night to study, as you three — as Aaric, really — had.
“I’m calling it,” Sloane announces, stacking up her books and papers. “I’m going to bed. If I know it, I know it; if I don’t, I don’t.”
“Fair enough,” you reply, equally exhausted, but you’re nowhere near done with your review. “Do you want me to walk back with you?”
“I’ll be fine,” she says with a wave of her hand, holding up her textbook. “If anyone tries anything, I’ll just swing this at them.”
You manage a laugh. “Sounds like a plan. Goodnight.”
“Night.”
There’s a moment of quiet after Sloane’s footsteps recede. You shake your head to clear it, looking back at the page in front of you. You can do this. Just work through it and get it done so you can get some sleep. How hard can it be?
Hard. Very hard, actually.
Aaric chooses his words carefully. “It’s not the subject that’s hard for you, it’s the reading, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” you admit quietly, still focusing your gaze on the textbook, the blurring wall of words that takes up the whole page. “I didn’t spend a lot of time in school as a child.”
He doesn’t ask why, nor dig any deeper. “Would it help if I read it to you?”
It would be so easy to say yes, so you can get this over with and go to bed, but he’s already helped you so much… and he won’t always be there to hold your hand. You can’t get used to relying on him for everything — you need to soldier up and figure this out yourself.
“I can do it,” you answer. “I just need time.”
“I know you can do it. I asked if it would help.”
You chew your lip for a moment, your resolve crumbling. “It would.”
“Okay,” he says simply, sliding the book toward him and starting to read aloud from where you’d left off.
You focus on his voice, closing your eyes and imagining the words as musical notes, working together to create phrases and verse.
It all starts to make sense.
You reach for your notebook, scribbling rapidly, not concerning yourself with the spelling, just the facts and the formulas, and the way things are connected.
“That’s the end of it. Do you want me to read any of it again?”
“I think I got it, thank you,” you say softly. “That really helped.”
He gives you a soft smile. “Of course.”
Something about Aaric is just different. Attention from him feels warm and fluttery, unlike the unsettling, sticky feeling of the men in Calldyr City. His smiles are warm and genuine, not creepy, and he’s always been gentle, aware of the strength of his hands — the one time he’d caused you pain, he’d noticed, and withdrawn immediately, going so far as to apologize.
These are all works that I have enjoyed! I will link each of them and also (obviously) tag the creators of each of these amazing works. I am literally doing this off the top of my head, more will be added when I remember. Some of these are completed, some are ongoing.
For authors: If you wish for me to take anything down, just let me know :) this is simply to show my appreciation for your work and (hopefully) get more people to read it! No malicious intent ❤️
Call Of Duty:
Simon:
Protein Bars - @rawme-price
Accidental Pregnancy - @call-me-kat-astrophe
Traitors Among Us - @dawnwriterimagines
you + Simon + your daughter - @cyberdrream
Untitled - @sheepispink
Price:
Gaz:
Soap:
Konig:
Tf141:
Traitor (series)- @pythonmoth
Cherry Red, Crimson Blood - @soaps-mohawk
Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves - @nerdygirlramblings
The Fox and The Farm Dogs - @dvg-tvgs
A Court Of Thorns And Roses:
Rhysand:
The Ruin - @idkyetxoxo
Bound in Silence - @moonlitstoriess
Cassian:
Eclipsed - @idkyetxoxo
Eris:
Fire and Ice - @idkyetxoxo
Azriel:
Mine to hate, mine to love - @moonlitstoriess
Why Search? - @lunarxcity
Batboys:
Forbidden Fruit - @dee-writes-angst
Offside Hearts - @idkyetxoxo
Fourth Wing:
Xaden:
SECOND WIND - @mae-gi-writes
No Need - @quietstormxr
Cloak of Shadows - @dumbkiri
Dark Phoenix - @dumbkiri
Liam:
Garrick:
First try - @cadetriorgail
Bodhi:
Calm the Tides - @fantasticfourthwingimagines
Aaric:
Never Alone - @saintsanddevils
Dain:
Dain Aetos x RiorsonSister!Reader Masterlist - @fantasticfourthwingimagines
Ridoc:
Ridoc Gamlyn x Reader Masterlist - @fantasticfourthwingimagines
DC:
Clark Kent:
clingy clark - @plaidcowboy
not tonight, baby - @satellite-evans
No Sex until Friday - @heavenlybodies333
Dripping like honey - @moonlight-prose
Richard Grayson:
ANNIVERSARY - @killerplink
Jason Todd:
FRENZY - @killerplink
Jason Todd - Who goes all soft anf clingy at home with his girlfriend - @moviecritc
Marvel:
Steve Rogers:
A second chance is a better chance - @mrs-barnes-rogers-writes
When Did You Get Hot? - @epiphanyrogers
Bucky Barnes:
A second chance is a better chance - @mrs-barnes-rogers-writes
Summary: Tension runs high with you and Aaric having to deal with mated dragons.
Warnings: ‼️18+ (MDNI) explicit content‼️, slight smut👀, angst, reader is in denial, Aaric is suffering, slow burn is finally burning
Word Count: 5.8K
Part Four | Part Six
Masterlist
————
-Bound-
(Aaric POV)
“Cam,” she moans against the skin of his collarbone.
Aaric thrusts forward, bottoming out inside of her. He throws his head back in rapture. She’s tight, so tight. It feels incredible. He needs more.
“Hold on, love.”
He pulls out only to slam back into her. She gasps, clawing at his back.
“Please,” she cries out as he does it again. And again. And again.
Aaric bends forward, nipping at her ear as he whispers, “Please, what? Tell me what to do, Y/N. I’ll do anything you want.”
Her breath hitches, as he pumps faster and faster, feeling how soaked she’s getting with each thrust.
His fingers find her clit, circling and teasing as her breaths pick up speed. He feels her racing pulse against his lips as he kisses down her sweat-slicked skin.
“Keep doing that,” she pants, her voice hoarse. “Keep touching me.”
Aaric smirks against her neck. “Anything for you, love.”
When he syncs his fingers with his thrusts, he feels her pussy beginning to tighten around his cock. He closes his eyes at the glorious feel of her coming close to the edge. With the mounting pressure at the base of his spine, he can tell he’s almost there, reaching his peak.
“Cam,” she gasps and moans, her eyes fluttering to meet his. Something shines in her eyes as she stares up at him.
A flood of adoration fills him as he gazes down at her. She’s so beautiful. And right now, she’s all his.
“Cam, I love—“
A loud crash has Aaric shooting up from his bed, panting. The darkness of his room greets him as his pulse races loudly in his ears. He looks around in a panic before he sees he’s entirely alone.
Y/N isn’t here.
It was a dream.
“Fuck,” Aaric groans, throwing himself back onto the mattress. His pillows had fallen off the bed while he tossed and turned. One of them colliding with the clock next to his bedside, causing it to crash to the floor.
Frustration and guilt gnaw at him as the dream still clings to his thoughts. The way she moaned and sighed his name. Her cheeks flushed. Her skin as soft as he imagines it to be.
The straining of his cock in his briefs has him shifting, adjusting to make it less uncomfortable. But the dream won’t let him go so easily. He’s incredibly hard, almost to the point of pain. He knows this will be a problem later on if he doesn’t deal with it soon.
Glancing at the darkened windows, he knows he has plenty of time before he’s expected to get up.
The whisper of Y/N’s moans echoes in his mind like a siren call as he slides his hand into his briefs. Gripping himself, he focuses on the dream, trying to imagine it’s real. The way her back arched. How her mouth gaped and widened. Her pupils dilating as he circled her clit. Her nipples turning into sharp peaks in the soft lighting of his dream.
Aaric groans, his hand sliding up and down his shaft, remembering how real it felt to be inside of her. How she fluttered around him, tightening and releasing him just so.
It’s agonizing remembering the dream so vividly and not feeling her this very moment. Not being able to kiss the skin of her collarbone before finding his way to her breasts. Sucking, licking, biting. His imagination of her body and what he would do to please her has run wild for so long, his hunger for her has become ravenous.
Aaric’s movements become frantic, chasing that high as a bead of precum spills from his tip. Her name chants in his mind as he imagines the feel of her lips against his. Would she be soft, like her skin? Or rough and passionate from wanting him for so long? He knows he’d take his time. He’d memorize every curve, dip, and valley of her body. Every sound she makes when she—
Her name flows from his lips like a prayer as he spills onto the sheets. Moans fill his room as he finishes.
When his cock softens and the throbbing dissipates, an ache settles in his chest. The familiar taste of guilt floods him as he slowly comes back to the present.
This isn’t the first time this has happened. And deep in his bones, he knows it won’t be the last. His body and mind both yearn for her. Being close to her, staying friends, it’s not enough for him.
Frustration racks up his spine as he shifts to stand, tearing the sheets from his bed as he goes. He’s folding the linens when that familiar, deep rumbling presence enters his mind.
Oh fuck. Not now.
“Will this be a common occurrence that will wake me from my slumber?” Molvic grumbles, his voice full of obvious annoyance. “I would prefer not to be present during such private…mortal weaknesses.”
Aaric winces, embarrassment flooding him. I didn’t mean to wake you—
“I know. That is obvious, Princeling.”
Aaric takes deep breaths as he throws the dirty sheets into a basket before grabbing new ones and making his bed.
As much as Aaric hopes he’ll sever their connection, Molvic stays.
“Your frustration with your mate is exhausting. If you wish to be with her, be with her. This is trivial.”
Aaric tenses. Like I’ve said before, she’s not my mate.
A pause. “Your emotions tell me otherwise.”
That doesn’t mean she’s my mate.
It’s as if he can feel the dragon roll his eyes while he quickly dresses into his loose training gear. There’s no way he’ll be able to sleep after that dream. Especially not after Molvic’s chastising.
If he can’t get any sleep, he’s going to take this time to burn off the excess energy in his body to forget everything that just happened.
If Molvic will even let him.
“Human mates are strange. You never communicate. It’s truly unnecessary.” A deep sigh rattles through his mind. “You make this more difficult for yourself.”
Irritation begins to bloom inside of Aaric as he bends to tie his boots. She is my friend, Molvic. Nothing more.
“Then move on.”
Aaric freezes, his laces gripped tightly in his fingers. A flash of her smile, her laughter, chokes him. He recalls the many times he watched her over the pages of a book while she thought he was busy reading. The way the sunlight would catch her skin, gilding her. How her eyes would sparkle as she absorbed whatever story she was consumed by. Her cheeks flushing as she bit her lip to stifle a laugh.
The ache in his chest is consuming now. An emptiness hollowing him at the thought of never being able to love her.
Because Aaric does. He loves her. He loves her with every breath of his lungs. Every fiber of his being, every beat of his heart, yearns for her to be his.
He’s never known when he fell for her, only that it was gradual and permanent. Something that settled in him like knowing the sky is blue and that she’s the epitome of love.
Aaric has always loved her and he always will.
With a sigh of defeat, he confesses, I can’t move on. I don’t think I ever will.
“Then stop denying yourself.” What sounds like a yawn fills his head as Molvic’s voice begins to slowly fade. “It only burdens you.”
Aaric stares at the wood of his door, his hand gripping the brass handle. This morning wasn’t the only time he’s thought of her in his bed, under his skin. The dreams have gotten worse since she forgave him for being overprotective months ago. Having her here, so close to him, makes it all the more painful to keep his feelings at bay.
So, he dreams. He hopes. He imagines what life would be like if they were together. If they weren’t thrown into the middle of a war. If they lived at the end of all this.
If she was mine.
It’s an intoxicating thought, but he can’t help himself. If she were his, he’d never let her go.
————
(Reader POV)
Where the hell is she?
My legs ache from pacing back and forth in the quadrant’s library. Violet is thirty minutes late, and I feel like I’m going to go crazy if she doesn’t show up any second.
Dim, morning light filters through the tall, arched windows, casting hazy shadows across the stone floor. The windows overlook the valley below Basgiath, where two weeks ago, I was fighting for my life to bond with a dragon. The branches are full of golden and red-hued leaves. This morning is beautiful, peaceful. Especially since a sudden frost settled over the valley during the night. It coats the windows, causing me to shiver, my skin prickling.
The beauty rivals my tempestuous emotions. It’s been over two weeks since Kesi and I bonded. The bond itself warms my being, but it’s the mating bond that has me pacing.
Two weeks ago, while everyone who bonded a dragon was celebrating after Threshing, I stole away to find Violet. Once I tracked her down, I found her talking with Rhiannon.
“Hey Vi,” I slipped into their conversation, not even caring I’d interrupted. “I need to talk to you.”
Concern etched itself across her features as she turned to me. “Is everything alright?” She lowered her voice, whispering, “Is it something to do with Aaric?”
“Yes and no,” I winced.
Understanding had lit her eyes as she turned to Rhiannon. “I promise I’ll find you later, okay?”
My squad leader nodded before disappearing down the hall.
Once she was out of sight, Violet stepped closer. “Did he find out how you feel about him? How you’re in lo—“
“No!” I rushed, terror striking me. “No, he doesn’t…” I breathed deeply as I tried to calm my racing heart. “It’s not about that.”
Violet’s brows furrowed as she shook her head. “I’m sorry for assuming. I just thought after all this time—“
“Our dragons are mates.”
Violet’s jaw dropped as silence encased our corner of the empty hall. Distantly, I could hear music and voices still celebrating.
”Holy shit,” Violet stared at me. “Mates?”
I nodded. “I need to know what to expect, Vi. I’ve heard it can be…difficult.”
Violet winced. “It can be, at least parts of it.” She sighed. “I can tell you what to expect, but I’m worried—“
Xaden Riorson appeared over her shoulder. As if sensing him, Violet turned around, her features softening.
“Excuse me,” Xaden spoke to me, but his eyes were on Violet. “But Violet, I need you to see this,” his face was grave as he quickly took Violet by the hand, guiding her down the hall.
She had turned back to me, an apology in her eyes as she followed. It wasn’t until later that she sent me a letter informing me she wanted to talk as soon as possible. Alone.
Well, the time finally came. It took weeks, but now, I’ll get my answers. If Violet ever shows up.
As if I summoned her with my thoughts, she appears, rounding the side of a bookcase.
“Y/N,” Violet rushes to hug me, slightly out of breath. “I’m sorry, life’s been so busy lately. I wanted to talk to you as soon as possible.”
Relief washes over me from the sight of her. I quickly motion for her to sit down at a table with me. “I get it, you’re a second year. You have better things to do than worry about a first-year problem.”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m happy to help. Especially when it comes to this.”
Violet throws her pack on the table, taking out a leather-bound tome that’s definitely from the archives.
“I grabbed this to help you with anything you don’t understand. It helped me a lot last year when I found out about Tairn and Sgaeyl.” She places the tome on the table before turning to me. “Have you talked to Kesi about it?”
A rumbling huff sounds in my mind, announcing Kesi’s presence.
“You need not worry about this.”
I clench my hands into fists. Nothing you’ve said has been reassuring.
“Molvic is my mate. This should not be a problem for you.”
Deflating, I soften my tone. It’s not a problem. I just want to understand how this affects me and Aaric. No one has told me what to expect.
“I have told you all I can.”
Ignoring her, I nod to Violet. “She’s not told me enough to reassure me.”
Violet grips my hand, her fingers soft and familiar. I smile at the gesture, missing having my friend around more often.
“I get it, trust me,” she huffs a laugh. Squeezing my hand, her hazel eyes meet mine. “First thing you need to know, the bond you have with Kesi? It now extends to Molvic and Aaric. You can communicate with them like you can communicate with Kesi. It’s…strange, at first,” a blush rises to her cheeks that has me raising a brow. “But you’ll adjust to it. You can easily shut them out the more you learn to shield.”
I nod, remembering all the lessons over the last two weeks on shielding. Picturing the library in the palace has helped me visualize my bond with Kesi. It’s the one place I’ve felt completely at home and comfortable, with Aaric at my side. The image of the marble pillars, towering white bookcases, the painted fresco of the gods and dragons decorating the ceiling, rows and rows of rare tomes— it settles the roaring thoughts of my racing mind.
I sit there, closing my eyes, and search my palace library, finding a solid door near Kesi’s. Hers is encased in light, warming me to the bone when I touch its surface. While this one is cold and burning, a blue haze covers the surface when I near it. This is definitely Molvic’s connection to me. I hope I never have to use it.
When I search my library again, I find another door. This one, unlike the dragon’s doors with obvious traces of imposing power, is simple, familiar. Its wooden frame is carved with images of a cabin and lake. It’s the one place Aaric and I would escape to during the winter to be away from court. This is definitely Aaric’s connection to me.
I open my eyes, finding Violet watching me with that scribe-like curiosity. “So, I can communicate with Aaric? Mind to mind?”
Violet nods. “It’s honestly more helpful than you think, but he won’t always be in your head.”
The thought of him even being there briefly has me slightly panicking. What if he sees or hears something he shouldn’t?
An even worse thought comes to me. What if he hears my unfiltered thoughts about my feelings for him? Would he hear every dirty thought I have when I watch him shirtless on the mat? How his straining, sweat-slicked muscles have me clenching my legs together, imagining him holding me down in his bed? Or how I wake most mornings, aching to be in his arms, wanting him inside of me?
A blush rises to my cheeks. Gods, this is awful.
“You’re being dramatic.”
I ignore Kesi, moving on. “Okay, so I can talk to him and Molvic. Got it. Is there anything else I should know or be aware of?”
Violet’s blush reaches up her neck, causing alarm to rise inside of me.
“Well, it can get…complicated,” she winces. “I mean, when Kesi and Molvic are together, it can lead you and Aaric to become…overwhelmed.”
I furrow my brows. “Overwhelmed?”
She slowly nods before scooting closer to whisper, “I know you care for him, but however you feel strongly for Cam, it’ll be incredibly heightened when Kesi and Molvic can’t shut you out during their own heightened emotions.”
I blanch. “You mean when they mate, I’ll want to jump Aaric’s bones?”
Violet squeezes my hand again, trying to reassure me. “I’ve known you for too long to lie to you. It’s going to be really hard to hide how you feel from him. I’m doing this to warn you of what will come.”
Truly, I appreciate what she’s doing. She went through it herself with Xaden, and now look at them, they’re inseparable and incredibly in love. I can picture them having a future together with how happy he makes her.
“Thanks, Vi,” I squeeze her hand. “You’d think after all these years, I’d let go of my feelings for him and move on,” I laugh bitterly.
Violet shakes her head. “Maybe this is a sign that you should tell him. Your dragons being mates feels like this was meant to be. Maybe it’ll work out.”
“And if I lose his friendship and he pushes me away? What then?” I stare out the frosted windows, an ache creeping up my limbs and burrowing in my chest. “I’d rather he be my friend than ruin anything between us.”
Burning fills my eyes as the overwhelming sense of loss fills me. If I can’t have Aaric for my own, I still want him in my life. No matter how much it hurts.
“Thanks for your help,” I try to smile, but the aching in my chest is hollowing me out. I’ll start crying if I don’t get out of here soon enough.
Violet stops me as I try to get up. “One more thing,” her face is gravely serious as she meets my eye. The soft encouragement from before is gone. “Did Kesi happen to tell you the consequences of a mating bond with two bonded riders?”
I slowly shake my head no.
She closes her eyes before breathing deeply. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this, but you and Aaric are bound now.”
“Bound?”
Her hazel eyes open, burning into mine. “If somehow, someway, he dies, then you die. If you die,” she swallows. “He dies, too.”
“Y/N!”
I shoot out of my chair, stumbling to my feet at the sound of Kesi’s ringing shout.
“Hey, you alright?” Violet reaches out, but my head is pounding hard, heart beating rapidly. I feel a surge of panic crash through me, and it’s startling.
What’s wrong?
“Get to the gymnasium. Now.”
The gym? What?
Did something—
“Your foolish prince is trying to get himself killed.”
————
I burst through the gym doors, breaths sawing through me from running down the many flights of stairs to get here. A crowd is gathered around the mats, sounds of yelling filling the cavernous hall. Violet sticks close behind me as I shove my way forward.
“If he dies, you die. If you die, he dies.”
Violet’s words vibrate through me as I move through the crowd.
Please be alive, please be alive, please—
When we finally reach the front, my stomach drops. Aaric is lying on the mat looking half dead. Blood drips down his face from a cut on his forehead. Sweat soaks his shirt as he stumbles to his feet.
Swaying, he stares down his opponent. I’ve never seen this guy before, but he’s huge. Larger than Aaric, and he looks incredibly pissed off. His knuckles are cracked and bleeding, his lip swollen as bruising lines his jaw.
But Aaric looks far worse. It’s this fact that has me panicking. Aaric’s losing this fight. He doesn’t lose unless he wants to.
“AARIC!”
My shout is lost in the commotion of the crowd as Aaric bounces on his toes, swinging at the other man. He easily evades it before punching Aaric in the stomach. The prince stumbles before spitting blood on the mat. His smile is all bloody teeth as he lunges forward.
Dain comes into view, his face pale as he watches with everyone else.
I run to him, panic lacing my voice as I shout, “Do something!”
Dain shakes his head. “I tried. I really did. He only tried to fight me, but I wouldn’t do it.” He turns his head and I can see slight bruising lining his cheekbone.
“Something’s very wrong,” I whisper, mostly to myself.
Dain nods. “He’s either drunk or super pissed off.”
I shake my head. No, Aaric isn’t like that. He’s logical, first and foremost. Everything he does is within reason. He’s calculated and cautious. He would never do this to bring attention to himself. He’s been trying to lay low for months.
So, what set him off?
My gaze returns to Aaric, who’s caught around his middle and thrown to the mat. His opponent straddles him and begins punching his face. Aaric doesn’t even protect himself. He just lays there…almost like he wants it to happen.
If he won’t end it, I will.
I clench my fists, grinding my teeth as I surge forward. Dain’s arm shoots out to grab me, but I step out of his reach.
Running onto the mat, I use all my strength as I collide with the brute on top of Aaric. The momentum throws him off of Aaric’s bruised and bleeding body, crashing to the mat with me on top of him. He looks up, stunned. When his eyes narrow, I roll off of him and stand with my feet apart and fists raised.
I hear Aaric cough my name, but I don’t turn around.
“He’s done,” I say, my voice lethal and cold. “You should be done, too.”
The guy hacks a wad of spit onto the mat inches from my boots. “He’s done when I say he’s done.”
Fury courses through my veins like a cold fire, an icy pull to kill, eliminate, and protect pulling me under. But I don’t give in. I can tell this is part of Kesi’s emotions bleeding into my own. But I tap into it, using it as a weapon.
“This is how this is going to go,” I growl. “You’re going to let me take him to a healer. And you’re going to stay the fuck away from him. Got it?”
His eyes furrow as he appraises me from head to toe. “I don’t need to take orders from his girlfriend.”
“I’m not asking.”
A strange surge of control comes over me. I’m highly aware of every part of my body, every movement of my chest as my breathing slows. I stare down at him, standing in front of Aaric.
It feels like lightning courses through my veins as I command, “Leave. Now.”
Without a second thought, he pulls himself to his feet, glancing at Aaric before turning around and forcing his way through the crowd.
The burning in my body fades just as soon as it arrives. My energy is draining as a pounding headache replaces that surge of calculated fury. I try to shake it off, turning to Aaric. He’s coughing and wheezing as I fall to my knees.
“Cam?” I whisper, my hand lightly touching his bruising cheek.
He turns into the touch, eyes closed as a groan escapes him. “Y/N?” His skin feels feverish and sticky as he moans into my hand, “I missed you.”
He’s delirious, that’s for certain, but his words set off butterflies in my stomach, warmth spreading through me. My eyes burn as I survey his swollen, bleeding face.
Violet is there, kneeling beside me. “We need to get him to a healer.”
I nod as Dain begins shouting to get everyone else to leave. He’s suddenly beside us, kneeling to pick up Aaric.
“Can you walk?” He asks.
Aaric’s head rolls as he looks up at him, blood dripping from his mouth onto the mat. “Oh hi, Dain.”
Dain swears under his breath before standing with Aaric. “I think he has a bad concussion.”
Aaric’s head swerves and finds me, a smile breaking out across his face. “Hey there, gorgeous.”
I would’ve laughed if his eyes didn’t immediately close after speaking. Dain slaps him across the face. It jolts him awake, his swollen eyes wide with alarm.
“What the fuck?!”
Dain huffs as he carries him from the gym. “You need to stay awake, you bastard, or I’m dropping you down the stairs. Gods, you’re heavy.”
Aaric glares at him before his eyes meet mine over Dain’s shoulder. Blood drips down the side of his head as he stares at me. I reach out and smooth back his hair before it gets more blood in it.
“You fucking idiot,” I whisper as tears threaten to fall. “We’re taking you to the healers. If you didn’t break anything, I’m breaking your jaw later for this.”
Aaric coughs a laugh before groaning as his body shifts in Dain’s arms once we’re in the hall.
“Don’t let my father find out,” he hisses to Dain.
He scoffs. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Cam.”
————
(Aaric POV)
When Aaric wakes, he finds Y/N sitting next to his bed, biting her lip as she grips his hand. Sheets tuck him into the bed as the sun sets, streaming fractures of light across the room through the arched windows.
A headache pounds against his head as he slowly shifts. On instinct, he tightens his fingers around hers, causing her to jump in her seat.
Her eyes whip to his, wide and tear-stained. “You’re awake.”
It must’ve been hours since Dain dragged Aaric into the healer’s room. Halfway up the stairs, he practically threw the prince to the stone before making him walk. Sienna had yelled at Dain for being a prick and at Aaric for being a moron for getting himself into this mess. They both hooked themselves beneath his shoulders and helped carry him the rest of the way up the stairs.
He barely remembers any of it. Only the feel of stiff sheets beneath him and the smell of something acidic and medicinal before blacking out.
“Hi,” he rasps, voice scratchy from disuse. Sharp pain lingers around his ribs, making him wince. “How long was I out?”
Y/N tightens her grip on his hand. “Almost ten hours, give or take?”
He huffs a laugh before immediately coughing. She’s there with water in her hands, helping him drink. The cool liquid wakes him further, clearing his mind.
“Fuck,” he winces as he tries to shift in bed to sit up. “Everything hurts.”
She rolls her eyes. “I wonder why.”
He scowls at the ceiling before attempting to raise himself again, breathing heavily from the movement.
“Stop that or you’ll make everything worse,” she scolds him, moving to stand.
Aaric rolls his eyes. “I’m fine. There’s enough drugs in my system to keep the pain at bay,” he hisses as sharp pain hits him again in the ribs. “Or at least I think so.”
She glowers down at him. “You’re such an idiot. What were you thinking earlier? Were you trying to get yourself killed?”
He tenses. That morning, after he tried to run off all the pent-up energy and desire he felt upon waking earlier, guilt still gnawed at him. He couldn’t believe how horrible of a friend he was for imagining her like that. She didn’t want that. She deserved better than that from such a close friend.
His head was so caught up in this that while he was swinging at a punching bag, he felt someone approach him from behind. They tried to taunt him, test him, get him riled up. Without thinking, with frustration rising inside of him, he turned and threw a punch at the guy. It quickly turned out to be a mistake, but when he got caught up in a fight with the brutish cadet, it felt liberating. Something he could control. And as each punch landed on his body, he knew he deserved it. He allowed it to happen.
Jaw clenched, Aaric doesn’t say anything as his best friend continues to fume. What can he say to her? “Hey, I’m sick and tired of being your friend and it’s slowly eating me alive?”
No. He couldn’t say that.
“Look,” Y/N sighs. “I know you. I know how you fight and what happened earlier was you punishing yourself for something.”
His fists clench, eyes trying not to meet hers as he feels her sympathetic gaze.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“What happened earlier is not nothing. You had broken ribs and a shattered cheekbone. Not even to mention your concussion! It took hours for them to heal you, and I never left, so don’t you get to say it’s nothing when it obviously wasn’t.”
Her voice breaks as she speaks, and Aaric finally looks at her. Tears brim her eyes. Fear and worry lining her features. His heart softens and aches at the sight.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “You’re right. It wasn’t nothing.” He sighs. “I…I was frustrated and angry. He just happened to be there. I needed to blow off some steam. That’s all.”
She doesn’t buy it, he can tell, but her shoulders loosen. “I’m getting real sick of these suicidal heroic tendencies of yours.”
He snorts. “Yeah, me too.”
This cracks her. She smiles gently. Aaric smiles back, only for his head to sting, causing him to wince.
She surges forward. “Shit, your stitches.”
She picks up a cloth lying on the bedside table before moving towards him. Her fingers are gentle, careful, as she smooths the cloth over his forehead. She’s close enough to breathe in the scent of her. Aaric can’t resist. He closes his eyes, breathing deeply. Lilac and citrus.
Memories of home rise to the forefront of his mind. Laughter ringing out over a pan of burned muffins. Shared smiles as his older brother, Halden, stomps off to sulk. Fingers tangled together as both Y/N and himself ready to jump into a pond brimming with water lilies and cattails.
Nostalgia grips him by the throat, and he tries to swallow it down. Everything about her, all that she is, is home for him.
Looking up at her, watching as she concentrates on her task, he feels a wave of affection crash over him.
Later, he’ll blame the drugs flowing through his system, numbing his usual restraint. But for now, he allows his hands to slide across her waist, pulling her closer.
Her breath catches, hand freezing on his forehead as her eyes meet his. He sees a question in her gaze, and something lighter. Something that must be reflected in his own as his fingers slowly pull up the material of her shirt. Just enough for his fingers to settle upon her skin, thumbs caressing her waist in slow circles.
Her pupils dilate as she holds his stare, breath increasing. He can feel her pulse through her skin, racing as fast as his own as he stares up at her through his lashes.
“Is this okay?” His voice is husky, full of need.
She swallows, his eyes tracking the movement, suddenly enraptured by the exposed skin of her neck.
“Y-yes,” she stammers. “It’s okay.”
He leans closer, her lips inches from his as he breathes her in. His fingers move to wrap around her back, caressing the base of her spine as he continues to draw slow, methodical circles into her skin.
“Is this?”
She nods, her eyes fluttering as his fingers softly trace the curves of her skin. Cloth forgotten, she allows it to fall to the bed, her hands tangling in his waves. The way she softly pulls on his hair has a moan rising from his mouth. The movement causes their lower lips to brush, lightning coursing through his veins at the sensation. A gasp falls from her mouth at the contact, her fingers pulling him closer.
“Cam,” she breathes, her voice full of want.
Flashes to this morning, to how he woke without her in his bed, makes him ache to take her there now. To show her exactly what he’s wanted to do to her for years.
Fuck, I want to kiss you so badly.
Y/N freezes. Her eyes widening before she pulls back from him. He starts to tug her back to him, not wanting to let her go, when she stops him with a hand on his bare chest.
“I heard you.”
Aaric furrows his brows, his entire being focused on the shape of her lips. “What?”
“Aaric,” she insists. She forces him to look at her, and her eyes soften for a moment. She sighs before closing her eyes, as if she’s concentrating.
“I want to kiss you, too.”
Her voice suddenly rings loud and clear in his head, startling him. His jaw hangs open as he stares.
Holy shit.
She smirks. “Violet told me about how the mating bond connects us. And I think because of your…lowered inhibitions,” her eyes sparkle as she leans closer. “Your shields let me in, allowing me to hear your thoughts just now.”
Well, fuck.
Y/N laughs, the sound lighting every nerve in his body. “It’s freaky, right?”
Aaric shakes his head. “What if I like hearing your voice in my head?”
She bites her lip, a flush rising to her cheeks. Gods, he wants her. He wants to kiss the hell out of that mouth, taste every bit of her. He wants to take his time before he moves his lips down her neck, taunting her, as he opens the buttons on her shirt, exposing her skin—
“Graycastle,” a voice startles them both, forcing Y/N to spring away from him. They both turn to find an aged healer standing there with a firm expression. “This is not the time or place for such fraternizing. Please refrain yourselves as you are not the only ones in the room.”
Aaric’s pulse races in his ears as he turns back to his best friend, whose face is bright red, eyes bulging as she stares at the floor, her mouth pinched to keep herself from smiling. He can’t help his own from spreading across his face. A strange giddiness fills him as her eyes slowly meet his.
She wants to kiss me.
The thought emboldens him, even as the healer shoos Y/N away from his cot. He catches her stare as she leaves.
Will you be back?
She tucks a piece of hair behind her ears before giving him a small smile at the doorway. “Is this a stupid question, or are you still concussed?”
Aaric’s smile is still wide even after Y/N disappears. Long after the healer checks his bandages and leaves. When the lights go out for curfew, he notices the lingering scent of her, clinging to the air around him. Lilac and citrus.
Just as he succumbs to sleep, he swears he overhears Molvic grumble in his mind. One word. “Finally.”
Aaric Greycastle x Reader “ Take What You Want” (NSFW / SMUT)
Word Count: 1.7k
Warnings: 18+ mdni!
A/n: Aaric/cam has a chokehold on me recently, so enjoy this its basically porn with no plot, sorry
You kept telling yourself you shouldn’t be anywhere near Aaric Greycastle’s, especially alone.
But the doors to the training room were open, torches burning, and the echo of steel on steel pulled you in like gravity itself. You stopped just inside the threshold, breath catching.
Aaric was alone—training shirtless, body slick with sweat, muscles shifting like carved marble with each swing of his blade. His hair was damp, jaw clenched with focus, the scar across his abdomen catching the light every time he pivoted.
You must’ve made a sound, because the next swing slowed… then stopped.
His eyes—those startling winter-blue eyes—lifted to you.
And the whole room felt smaller.
“Little mouse,” he murmured, lowering his sword. “You’re out past curfew.”
Your throat went dry. “I… heard someone training.”
“You heard me.” He smirked, stepping forward, each footfall slow and deliberate. “And you came running?”
Heat crawled up your neck. “Maybe.”
He circled you once—like a predator taking measure—before stopping behind you. His breath brushed your hair.
“You watching me swing a sword… or hoping I’d pin you against a wall?”
You inhale sharply.
He chuckled darkly.
“Thought so.”
His fingers brushed down your spine, barely there, but enough to make your knees threaten betrayal.
You turned to face him, chin lifted. “And if I was hoping for the second option?”
Aaric’s expression snapped from amused to ravenous in a heartbeat.
He seized your waist, pulling you into him so hard your breath punched out. “Then you should’ve said so sooner.”
His mouth claimed yours—hot, demanding, unforgiving. You gasped and he used it to deepen the kiss, one hand fisting your hair, the other gripping your hip possessively.
You barely registered being pushed back until your shoulders hit the wall.
His tongue tangled with yours, slow at first, then hungry—like he’d been waiting far too long to touch you.
“Fuck,” he muttered against your lips, breathing hard. “You taste like trouble.”
Your fingers dragged down his chest, tracing the lines of muscle until he shuddered.
“And you,” you whispered, “look like a bad decision I want to make twice.”
His laugh was low, dangerous.
“Get on the sparring mat.”
You blinked—heat pooling low in your belly. “Aaric—”
“Now.”
Your legs carried you before your mind caught up. You sank onto the mat, heart pounding. Aaric stalked toward you, sweat still dripping from his hairline, his abs tight with each breath.
He dropped to his knees in front of you, hands sliding up your thighs.
“Tell me you want this.”
“I want you,” you breathed.
Something snapped in him.
He lunged forward, capturing your mouth again, but this time one of his hands pushed between your thighs, urging them apart. The other braced behind your back as he lowered you onto the mat.
His lips mapped down your throat, biting softly at the sensitive spot under your jaw.
Your hips arched into him instinctively.
“Needy little thing,” he murmured against your skin. “I barely touched you.”
“You’re driving me insane.”
His smirk was sinful.
“Good.”
He slid his hand between your legs, knuckles brushing you through your clothes. Even that light touch made you gasp.
“Fuck, you’re already warm.”
His voice dropped lower.
“Let me hear you.”
You did.
The first real stroke had your back arching, your fingers gripping his shoulders so hard he groaned from the pressure.
He worked you slowly at first—precise, teasing, dragging you toward the edge with infuriating control.
Your breath turned ragged.
“Aaric—please…”
His pupils blew wide.
“Say my name like that again.”
“Aaric.”
“Fuck.”
He tugged your clothes aside and lowered his mouth to you, tongue tracing a hot, devastating line up your core.
Your cry echoed in the arena.
He devoured you like a man starved—slow licks, messy kisses, firm pressure exactly where you needed it most. His hands held your thighs apart, thumbs stroking your skin as he groaned against you.
Every sound he made sent shockwaves through you.
You threaded your fingers into his hair, hips bucking helplessly.
“A—Aaric—I’m—”
He looked up at you through his lashes, mouth glistening, voice rough:
“Let go for me.”
You shattered.
The climax ripped through you, your thighs trembling around his head. Aaric rode it out, licking you through every wave until you were whimpering for breath.
He finally pulled back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, eyes burning.
“Get on your knees.”
Your body obeyed before your mind processed the command.
He stood, pulling you up with him, guiding you down in front of him with surprising gentleness given the fire in his eyes.
When you touched him, he hissed sharply.
“Careful,” he warned, voice strained. “I’m already close from tasting you.”
You looked up at him, lips brushing the tip of him, and he braced one hand against the wall, jaw clenched so tight a vein stood out in his neck.
“Fuck—just like that—”
Every sound he made was raw, unrestrained. His thighs trembled, abs tightening beneath your hands.
You hollowed your cheeks, taking him deeper.
A strangled groan tore out of him.
His hand found your hair—not forcing, just holding—like he needed the anchor.
“I’m not… I can’t—”
You dragged your nails lightly up the backs of his thighs.
His control snapped.
He spilled hard, with a low, broken moan that echoed around the room, his whole body shaking as you swallowed every shudder of him.
When he finally steadied, he pulled you up into his arms, kissing you breathlessly, almost desperately.
“You’re mine now.”
He whispered it against your mouth like a promise.
“And I’m nowhere near finished with you.”
The training arena was empty again the next night, but you weren’t expecting Aaric.
You stepped inside, heart skipping when you saw him leaning against the far wall—arms crossed, hair messy, that unreadable expression pinned on you.
“You came back,” he said quietly.
You swallowed. “You asked for me.”
His jaw tightened. “I didn’t ask.” He pushed off the wall and walked toward you, slow and deliberate.
“I told you I wasn’t finished with you.”
Your breath trembled. He stopped in front of you, close enough that you could feel the heat radiating off his skin.
His fingers grazed your cheek… gentle. Tender, even.
Then he grabbed the back of your neck and pulled you into a brutal kiss.
His mouth was fire, consuming, taking. You gasped and he swallowed the sound, tongue sliding against yours, hand tightening in your hair until your knees nearly buckled.
“Been thinking about you all damn day,” he growled against your lips.
“Couldn’t focus. Couldn’t train.”
“Aaric—”
He kissed you again, harder, pinning you against the wall so fast the breath left your lungs. His thigh pressed between yours, forcing them apart.
“I want you exactly like this,” he murmured, voice rough.
“Shaking. Breathless. Ruined.”
Your body lit up under him.
His hands traveled down your sides, gripping your hips possessively before lifting you onto the storage table behind you. The wood creaked beneath the weight, but Aaric didn’t care. He stepped between your knees, dragging you to the edge.
His forehead rested against yours for a moment, breath hot.
And then—softly, unexpectedly—he whispered:
“Tell me if I’m too much.”
The contrast punched something warm and tender through your chest.
“I don’t want less,” you said.
“I want you.”
His eyes darkened dangerously.
“Good.”
His mouth trailed down your neck, kissing you slow—too slow—before biting down hard enough to make you gasp. He soothed the bite with another soft kiss, lips brushing your pulse.
Your head tipped back helplessly.
He slid his hand between your thighs, fingers stroking you with devastating purpose. It was rough, deliberate, but every few seconds he’d soften his touch, caress gently, like he was worshipping you.
The mixture left you shaking.
“Aaric—please—”
He hooked a finger under your chin, forcing your gaze to meet his.
“Use your words,” he growled softly.
“Tell me what you need.”
“You,” you whispered.
“I need you inside me.”
His breath hitched—barely—but you felt the shift in him. Something snapping. Something hungry.
He lifted your hips and entered you in a single, slow, merciless thrust.
The gasp that tore out of you was sharp enough to echo.
Aaric’s jaw clenched. His hands trembled where they held your waist.
“Fuck… you feel—”
He cut himself off with a groan.
He pulled back almost all the way, teasing your edge with agonizing slowness—then slammed back into you hard enough to knock a moan out of your throat.
Your nails dug into his shoulders.
He set a rhythm that was brutal and deep, each thrust sharp enough to make your breath stutter. But every time he noticed your wince, your gasp, the way you curled toward him—his thumb stroked your hip, soothing, grounding.
Rough.
Soft.
Rough again.
You were melting under it.
“Look at me,” he ordered, voice gravel.
You lifted your eyes.
He groaned like the sight alone undone him.
“Beautiful. Gods, you’re so f*cking beautiful like this.”
His forehead pressed to yours again as he drove into you, swallowing every moan you made. He kissed you between thrusts—slow, tender—contrasting the way he was absolutely wrecking you.
You shattered first.
The orgasm ripped through you so violently you choked on a cry, your body clenching around him. Aaric swore viciously, his rhythm faltering as he held you through the shaking.
He didn’t pull out.
He held you tight against him, thrusting slow, deep, desperate as he chased his own climax.
His breath grew ragged.
His grip tightened.
He kissed your shoulder, soft, trembling.
Then he came, burying his face in your neck with a broken groan, his entire body shuddering as he spilled inside you.
For a long moment, neither of you moved.
Then Aaric pulled back just enough to cup your face, thumb brushing your cheek.
“Did I hurt you?”
His voice was soft. Careful.
You shook your head breathlessly. “No. It was perfect.”
He exhaled shakily, relief softening his features.
He kissed your forehead. Then your cheek. Then your mouth—slow, sweet.
He slid his hands down your sides, grounding you as your body still trembled.
“Come here,” he murmured, lifting you off the table effortlessly.
He carried you to the padded mat, laying down with you on his chest, stroking your back softly.
“Stay with me a while.”
He pressed another gentle kiss to your hair.
“I like feeling you close.”
Your chest tightened in a way that had nothing to do with sex.
You curled into him, and he held you like he was afraid you might disappear.
No Strings Attached - Aaric Graycastle / Cam Tauri
⸻ image credits to artbycassmira & etherealbookart ⸻
summary: Y/N and Aaric share a complicated, no-strings-attached arrangement that mostly works—until it doesn't.
pairing: aaric graycastle x fem!reader
warnings: smut, MDNI, unprotected p in v, air play, edging
word count: 4.1k
Request by anon! I hope you like it. 💙
⸻⸻⸻✦ ♡ ✦⸻⸻⸻
Their arrangement was simple. It had been from the beginning—no strings, no expectations, just a mutually beneficial agreement between two people who had too much tension and too little patience to pretend otherwise. It worked. Most of the time. Right now, though, Aaric was testing her patience on purpose.
Y/N let out a sharp breath, pressing her forehead against the cool stone wall of his room, her arms braced against it to hold herself up. She should have known he’d do this. Aaric wasn’t rushed. Wasn’t desperate. He took his time, drawing it out, dragging his hands down her sides in slow, lazy strokes that sent heat pooling deep in her stomach.
"You're doing that thing again," she bit out, voice uneven. Behind her, she felt more than saw his smirk. "What thing?" "You know exactly what thing," she gritted, trying to shift back against him, wordlessly demanding more. A low chuckle against her skin. "Patience, sweetheart." She cursed under her breath. He was doing it on purpose. That slow, infuriating control.
Aaric was a strategist. On and off the battlefield. He knew exactly how to play her, how to keep her on edge, how to make her fall apart. And he enjoyed it—far too much. Y/N hated and loved him for it all at once. But two could play that game. Pushing back against him just enough to throw him off balance, she turned, gripping his jaw and dragging his mouth to hers.
Aaric let out a low groan, his hands instantly tightening on her waist. She knew that sound. Knew what it meant. She was getting to him. "Problem?" she murmured against his lips, smirking. He growled, flipping their positions in one smooth movement, pressing her back against the wall. His green, piercing eyes locked onto hers, amusement flickering in them.
"You want it your way? Fine, I’ll give you what you want." he said, voice smooth and sharp, like a blade waiting to press against skin. Y/N’s eyes rolled into the back of her head, a moan left her lips. "Please." His smirk was slow, lethal. "Good girl." he murmured, before making her regret every bit of her smugness.
Later, as she lay sprawled on his bed, the room still heavy with warmth, Aaric stretched beside her, one arm lazily draped over his stomach. He was too smug, and she had half a mind to smack him for it. Instead, she rolled onto her side, propping herself up on her elbow. "You looked very pleased with yourself back there." "Shouldn't I be?" He turned his head slightly to smirk at her, hair a tousled mess. Unfairly good-looking even in exhaustion. "You challenged me, and I won."
"You cheated," she muttered, shoving at his shoulder. His chest shook with laughter. "You call that cheating? I call that strategy." She narrowed her eyes. "I call it a massive ego." Aaric simply grinned. "You wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have one." She had no retort for that. Because it was true. There was something about the way he carried himself, about that mix of confidence and careful restraint, about how he never let anyone get too close, except for her.
But only like this. Only in the dark, in stolen moments, in an agreement that wasn’t supposed to mean anything. Y/N forced herself to shove the thought away before it could dig in too deep. Aaric let out a long breath, stretching again before rolling onto his side to face her. "You hungry?" She blinked. "What?"
He nodded toward his door. "The kitchen should still be open. We could grab something before the upper-years steal everything." Y/N stared at him, thrown off by the casualness of it. Because this wasn’t part of their deal. They trained together. Slept together. But they didn’t do things like—this.
She studied his expression, looking for some kind of hidden motive. But Aaric just stared back, bored, unbothered, like he wasn’t aware he’d just thrown the entire foundation of their arrangement off-balance. "You coming or not?" She should say no. But instead, she found herself following him out the door.
⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻
Aaric led her through the winding rows of ancient tomes and dust-covered archives like he had done this a hundred times before. His stride was easy, unhurried, his fingers trailing over old bindings as if this place was as familiar to him as the battlefield. "How do you even know your way around here?" Y/N whispered, half-expecting a scribe to shush them despite the emptiness.
Aaric didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stopped in front of a hidden alcove, shielded behind one of the grander bookshelves, where a narrow wooden table sat tucked against the wall, illuminated by the soft glow of a single enchanted lamp. It was perfect. Private. Isolated. Like something out of a dream-a place she would love to read her favourite book in silence in. Y/N turned to him, eyes narrowed. "You’ve been keeping this a secret, haven’t you?"
Aaric smirked, leaning against the bookshelf with an infuriatingly casual air. "Maybe." "You ass," she muttered, stepping inside anyway. "You let me suffer at those overcrowded tables for weeks, and you had this the whole time?" His smirk deepened. "I was waiting for the right moment." "To what? Taunt me?" His gaze flickered over her, amused. Something else, something unreadable, lingered beneath it. "To bring you here."
That shut her up. She swallowed, suddenly too aware of how intimate this space was. The alcove was small—too small. When he followed her in, his body brushed against hers, his warmth seeping through his shirt. He acted like he didn’t notice. But she did. Y/N cleared her throat, dropping into the chair and pulling out her notes. Focus. They were here to study.
Aaric, however, had other plans. At first, it was subtle. Sitting too close. Passing her books without looking, their fingers brushing for too long. Then, there was the way he watched her. Y/N could feel his gaze on her every time she got frustrated, could hear the quiet amusement in his exaggerated sighs whenever she muttered a curse under her breath.
When she finally looked up, exasperated, Aaric had the nerve to smirk. "Something wrong, sweetheart?" "You’re staring." "Am I?" He leaned back, utterly unapologetic. "Maybe you’re just distracted." "By what?" she shot back, crossing her arms. Aaric tilted his head, eyes flickering over her, slow and assessing. "Wouldn’t you like to know?" She hated him. And she hated even more that he was right.
Because now she was distracted—especially when he stretched, casually draping an arm over the back of her chair, fingers nearly brushing her shoulder. Y/N forced herself to focus. She wasn’t going to let him win. But Aaric wasn’t done playing. A moment later, his lips were on her neck. It wasn’t much—just a graze, a whisper of warmth, but it was enough.
Her breath hitched. "Aaric—" "Mm?" His voice was pure sin, his mouth still hovering near her skin, so close, too close. "We’re supposed to be studying," she said, though it came out weaker than intended. "Are we?" His hand slid up, fingers ghosting over her thigh. "Because I distinctly remember you calling me a distraction just now."
Y/N clenched her jaw, willing herself not to react. But when his teeth scraped just barely along the curve of her throat—deliberate, teasing, testing—her resolve shattered. She turned in her chair, grabbed the front of his shirt, and yanked him down to kiss him. Aaric let out a quiet, pleased sound, his hands immediately finding her waist. His lips curled into a smirk against hers, like he had won. And maybe he had. Again.
⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻
The training grounds were mostly empty this late in the afternoon—perfect for a fight. Y/N had purposefully avoided sparring with Aaric for the last few days. She told herself it was because she needed a break from his cocky smirks and infuriatingly smooth voice. The truth? She was still thinking about that damned study session. The way he had kissed her neck, the way he had looked at her, the way he had smirked against her lips like he knew exactly what he was doing to her.
It had taken everything in her not to drag him straight to bed afterward. And now? Now she was going to beat the shit out of him for it. Aaric was already waiting for her when she arrived at the training mats, rolling his shoulders in a way that made his too-fitted shirt stretch over his arms. Smug as ever. "Thought you’d run off," he teased, spinning a practice blade between his fingers. "Can’t say I’d blame you."
Y/N raised a brow, pulling her own dagger from its sheath. "Big words for someone who got his ass handed to him last time." His grin sharpened. "Is that how you remember it?" "That’s how it happened." He hummed, stepping into the circle, casual but coiled with tension. "Then prove it." Oh, she would. They circled each other, slow and deliberate, watching, waiting. Aaric always fought lazy, like it was a game, like he already knew he would win. And that only made Y/N more determined.
She moved first. A quick lunge, aiming for his ribs—but Aaric was faster. He dodged with ease, just barely, the air shifting as her dagger sliced past him. Instead of countering, he stepped into her space, too close, forcing her to adjust. "Sloppy," he murmured, voice dripping with amusement. "Eat shit," she muttered, shoving him back and twisting into another strike. This time, he blocked her, their arms locking together. His body pressed against hers for a second too long, heat radiating through their clothes.
Y/N refused to let it distract her. She shifted, trying to hook his leg and knock him off balance—but he saw it coming. Before she could blink, Aaric flipped her, twisting their bodies mid-air so that when they hit the ground, he landed on top, pinning her with his full weight. Gods. His knees trapped her thighs, his hands braced on either side of her head, and his chest—broad, solid, annoyingly warm—pressed into hers.
Y/N hated how good it felt. Aaric smirked down at her, breathing only slightly uneven. "That was rude." Y/N scowled. "You’re rude." He laughed, the sound low, easy, too damn attractive. "And yet, here you are. Flat on your back beneath me." Bastard. She tried to buck him off, but he only pressed his weight down harder, making very clear that she wasn’t going anywhere. "Give up?" he asked, lips hovering far too close to hers.
Y/N swallowed. Her heart was racing—not just from the fight, but from him. The way he was looking at her, lingering, waiting. Like he wanted something. And she almost—almost—let him have it. But then she remembered his smirk. That damned, arrogant smirk. So instead of surrendering, she feigned a sigh, went slack beneath him—and then drove her knee straight into his gut.
Aaric let out a strangled oof, rolling off her just long enough for her to scramble back up and press her blade to his throat. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, to her absolute horror, Aaric grinned. A full, delighted, almost proud grin. "That," he murmured, "was dirty." Y/N, still breathless, narrowed her eyes. "You fight dirty all the time." "Exactly." His grin turned downright wicked. "Means you’re finally learning."
She huffed, stepping back and sheathing her dagger. "You’re impossible." Aaric pushed himself up with ease, brushing dust from his shirt. His gaze never left hers, dark with something she couldn’t quite name. "So, you wanna go back to my room?" he murmured, voice almost too soft. Y/N didn’t respond. Because the truth? She did-all the freaking time and never wanted to leave. And that was becoming a very, very big problem.
⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻
The music was loud, the air thick with heat and laughter. The kind of night that should have felt easy, effortless, fun. And for a while, it did. Y/N had walked in with her friends, feeling good. Dressed in something that made her feel confident, smiling at the familiar buzz of voices, the golden glow of lanterns casting shadows across the walls. Sloane shoved a drink into her hand, and she let herself relax.
She deserved this. After an exhausting week of training and avoiding the very obvious problem that was Aaric Graycastle, she deserved a night where she wasn’t thinking about him. And then—She saw him. Across the room, leaning against the bar, posture too casual, too familiar. That stupid lazy smirk curving his mouth.
The same smirk he gave her when he whispered dirty things in her ear, when he pinned her against the training mat, when he pulled her into dark corners between squad meetings just to press his lips to her neck, to murmur how badly he wanted her. Only now—now, he wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at someone else.
Some girl she didn’t recognize, tall, pretty, laughing at something he said. Y/N froze, drink half-raised to her lips. The air in the room shifted, her chest tightening, stomach lurching like she’d been punched. He was so close to her. Leaning in, tilting his head like he was listening so intently, like he actually gave a damn about whatever vapid thing she was saying. Y/N’s grip tightened around her glass.
She should look away. She should leave before she did something reckless, something she couldn’t take back. But she couldn’t. Not when the girl reached out and touched his arm, fingers brushing against his skin. Not when Aaric let her. A sound built in Y/N’s throat—something raw, unfamiliar. Rage. Jealousy. But worse than all of that—hurt. Because for the first time, she wondered—Had she imagined it? All of it?
The way he lingered, the way he touched her even when they weren’t in bed, the way he showed her parts of himself he never showed anyone else. The smirk in the library, the smirk in the sparring ring, the smirk that made her feel like she was something different, something special. Had she been stupid enough to believe she was actually more than just the convenient, no-strings-attached arrangement they had?
The memory of his voice, low, teasing, full of promise, slid through her mind: "You still like sparring with me." Like it was a game. Like he already knew he had won. Maybe he had. Maybe she had always been the one who was going to lose. She downed the rest of her drink and left. Didn’t tell her friends, didn’t look back. Because if she had—if she had let herself keep watching—she didn’t know what she would have done.
⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻
It started subtly. Skipping the gym when she knew he’d be there. Arriving to squad meetings just on time instead of early—no more lingering, no more playful back-and-forth as they walked out together. Then it became deliberate. The first time Aaric walked into a room and she walked out, his brows had knitted together in mild confusion. The second time, his smirk slipped. The third time, when he had caught her wrist in passing and she shook him off without even looking at him—He knew.
Something was wrong. But Y/N told herself it was fine. This was what they agreed on. Just sex. Just convenience. No promises, no strings, no expectations. So why did it feel like she was carving out a part of herself every time she turned her back on him? Why did it feel like she was losing something that had never even been hers to begin with?
She kept her head high, kept moving, ignored the way her stomach knotted when she felt his eyes on her. Because if she stopped—if she let herself falter, if she let herself look at him—She didn’t know if she’d be able to walk away again.
⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻
At first, Aaric told himself it was nothing. She was just busy. She had other things going on. But then—Then he realized it was only him. She still trained with the squad, still laughed with their friends, still lingered in all the same places—She just wouldn’t look at him. And that drove him fucking insane.
The first time it happened, he brushed it off. The second time, a flicker of irritation. The third time? That was when he started watching. She still laughed when Bodhi teased her, still rolled her eyes at Ridoc’s nonsense, still shared those knowing looks with Violet. But when Aaric stepped into the room?
She closed off. Her shoulders stiffened. Her expression shut down. And she walked away. Every. Single. Time. Aaric didn’t consider himself the obsessive type. He didn’t chase. Didn’t need to. But this? This was different. This was her slipping through his fingers, and the worst part? He didn’t know why. So he started pressing. He cornered Bodhi first—leaned against a table, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
“What did I do?” Bodhi just shrugged. “You tell me.” Unhelpful. He tried Ridoc next. No luck. Even Violet, who normally saw too much, just gave him a knowing look and said, “Figure it out yourself.” And that was the moment Aaric realized—They all knew. And they weren’t telling him. The frustration boiled. Turned into something sharp. Something obsessive.
And the moment he saw her at training, saw the way she caught sight of him and immediately moved to leave—Something inside him snapped. No. No. She did not get to do this. She did not get to pull away, to pretend he didn’t exist, to act like he was just some passing thing she could erase from her life. If she wanted to leave—if she wanted to end whatever this was—Then she was going to have to look him in the fucking eyes and say it.
⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻
Aaric had been patient. Or at least, he’d told himself he had. He let her ignore him for days. Let her pretend he didn’t exist. Let her walk out of rooms the second he stepped into them. But patience wasn’t his virtue, and restraint had never been his strong suit—especially when it came to her. So when he saw her after class, lingering behind while everyone else filtered out, he didn’t think. He moved.
The door slammed behind them as he pulled her into an old, abandoned classroom, pressing her back against the wall before she had a chance to escape. His hands braced on either side of her head, caging her in. Her eyes flashed with fury. "What the hell—" "Tell me why you're avoiding me," he cut her off, voice low and demanding. She glared. Crossed her arms. "I don’t owe you an explanation."
Aaric exhaled sharply through his nose, his patience hanging by a thread. "You’re going to ignore me forever, then?" He leaned in, forcing her to either meet his gaze or look away in cowardice. "That’s the plan?" She stayed silent. That pissed him off even more. He tilted his head, eyes dark and sharp as he studied her. "You don’t get to do this," he murmured, voice quieter now, but no less intense. "You don’t get to act like we’re nothing."
That was what broke her. Her chin lifted, eyes blazing. "You broke our agreement first." Aaric scoffed, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "This is about that girl from the party, isn’t it?" His lip curled. "I only entertained her because I saw you with Bodhi." He stepped closer, the heat between them almost unbearable. "Because I was jealous." Another step. His breath fanned against her lips, soft but heavy with intent. "Because I want you to be mine."
She swallowed hard, her resolve wavering for a brief moment before she caught herself. "You don’t get to say that. Not after—" But she never got to finish. Aaric’s mouth crashed onto hers, hard, desperate. As if he’d been starving for her, as if the dam holding him back had finally shattered. She gasped against his lips, and he seized the opportunity, his tongue sweeping in to claim her.
Her fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt, nails scraping against his skin, and, fuck, he needed her closer. He lifted her with ease, placing her on the desk behind them without breaking the kiss. His hands slid under her shirt, finding the hot, bare skin of her waist, and she shivered at the contact. "You drive me fucking insane," he muttered against her lips, his fingers pressing into her hips. She let out a breathless laugh, eyes dazed and pupils blown wide. "Right back at you."
That was all the permission he needed. Their clothes came off in a flurry, discarded onto the dusty floor in haste. His mouth found the curve of her neck, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses that made her head fall back, a soft moan escaping her lips. "Still mad at me?" he murmured, nipping at the tender spot beneath her jaw. She barely managed to shake her head. Aaric grinned, wicked and triumphant, before slipping inside her, making her moan loud enough to echo through the room. "Aaric—oh gods," she gasped, her body pressed up against his as her arms instinctively wrapped around his shoulders for support.
His thrusts were hard, relentless, hitting that sweet spot inside her. Aaric’s hand found the soft skin of her neck, wrapping around it possessively, squeezing just enough to send a jolt of sensation through her. Her hands gripped his, her eyes wide and lost in the heat of the moment as she met his gaze. With a swift motion, he pushed her back onto the desk, changing their angle so deep, so perfect, that she could hardly breathe.
Her moans grew louder, and he tightened his hold, restricting her airflow just enough to heighten the sensation even more. She bit her lip, her teeth sinking into it as she gasped, “Fuck, Aaric. Feels so good.” He smirked, sweat building on his forehead and abs, his thrusts growing deeper, harder. "I love seeing you like this," he groaned. "You’re so fucking sexy, sweetheart." Her walls fluttered around him, and he knew she was close. But just as she was on the edge, he stopped, holding himself inside her, perfectly still.
“What are you doing?” she groaned, trying to shift her hips, desperate for more friction. He clicked his tongue in disapproval. "I want you to say it. Tell me I’m the only one for you." His gaze was intense as his fingers tightened around her neck again, waiting. Her eyes fluttered shut, a whimper escaping her as she let out a breathless plea, “Please, Aaric, I need to come.”
He murmured softly, “Wrong answer, baby.” But despite his words, his hips shifted again, and his other hand moved to lift her leg over his shoulder, deepening their connection, making her moan even louder. “Oh, yes,” she moaned, her hands cupping his face, trying to pull him into a kiss, but he refused, his eyes locked onto hers as he thrust faster, harder.
The pressure built once again, and she thought she was finally going to fall over the edge. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, drawing blood as she neared her release. But then, just like before, he pulled out of her, stopping everything. “No, no, no, no, please Aaric. Please,” she begged, her body arching toward him, desperate to pull him back in.
He raised an eyebrow, unmoved. "It’s you. It’s always been you," she gasped, grabbing his hands, pulling him against her. She pressed her forehead to his, her breath fast, ragged. But he didn’t move, didn’t respond. Her heart pounded, and then, in a whisper, she admitted it: “I love you.”
And with that, all his restraint shattered. With one swift motion, he was inside her again, railing into her, driving her into the old desk. The force of his thrusts had her seeing stars. "Fuck, sweetheart," Aaric groaned, the intensity of their pleasure growing with each passing second, both of them on the verge of breaking. And then they came together, a tidal wave of sensation crashing over them, moaning each other’s names as their bodies shuddered in sync.
When they finally collapsed together, skin slick and hearts still racing, he cupped her face, tilting her chin up so she had no choice but to look at him. His forehead rested against hers, their breaths mingling in the space between them. "So..." His voice was softer now, vulnerable in a way she hadn’t expected. "Can I be yours?"
Silence stretched between them, heavy with the weight of everything they had just done. The unspoken truth settled in the air. Then, she exhaled, her breath shaky. She nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Yeah," she whispered. "Yeah, you can.” And in that moment, with everything finally laid bare, he smiled, his heart full. "I love you, too."
You barely had time to gasp before Aaric shoved you back against the wall, his mouth crashing into yours. Gone was the careful prince, the measured cadet who always played by the rules. What pressed into you now was pure hunger.
“Do you know how fucking long I’ve wanted this?” he growled against your lips, his hands already tearing at your clothes, pushing fabric down just enough to get where he wanted. His fingers dug into your thighs, hauling you up so your legs locked around his waist.
The rough stone bit into your back as he thrust into you in one brutal stroke, filling you to the hilt. You cried out, nails raking his shoulders, but he only groaned and slammed his hips again.
“That’s it,” he snarled, teeth grazing your throat before he bit hard enough to make you gasp. “Gods, you feel so fucking good.”
The pace was relentless, his cock driving into you over and over, each thrust pinning you harder against the wall. The slap of skin, the rasp of his groans, the sting of his teeth on your neck — it was all filth and fury, the kind of desperation that didn’t leave room for gentleness.
“You’re mine,” he panted, his grip bruising on your ass as he fucked you harder. “Not theirs. Not anyone’s. Say it.”
“I’m yours,” you gasped, the words torn from you as pleasure coiled sharp and hot.
“Louder.” He slammed into you so deep you saw stars. “Say it so everyone in this godsdamned school knows who fucks you like this.”
“Aaric!”
Your orgasm ripped through you, your body clenching around him so tight he cursed, his rhythm stuttering. He groaned your name like a prayer, burying himself deep as he spilled inside you, his forehead pressed to yours, sweat dripping down his temple.
When your legs finally slid down, shaky, he caught you against him, his voice rough and wrecked. “Gods help me,” he muttered, kissing you hard. “I’ll never stop wanting you like this.”
