People like to go on about how dangerous it is to date a werewolf, and how brave Tobias must be to trust one enough to let him that close. Tobias doesn’t see it as bravery, though. He loves Liam, and there are so many good things about having a werewolf for a boyfriend.
There’s the times when Liam gets so protective and clingy, holding onto him and keeping him close, lavishing him with affection and snuggles and making sure that Tobias is covered liberally in his scent.
There are the times when he’s a wolf, too, of course, and it’s like having an overgrown puppy in the house. Tobias feeds him and pets him and makes sure he can get out when he wants to run, and it all very adorable, even if other people do think it’s terrifying.
And then, of course, there are the nights like this one. Close to the full moon, with the call of it under Liam’s skin. He always gets just a touch more feral, a bit rougher around the edges when the sky looks like it does tonight, and Tobias loves it.
He loves those hands on him, holding him down and opening him up, making him take all that Liam has to give him.
And it’s always a lot.
On nights like this, it’s like Liam can’t get enough of him. Fingers wrapped around Tobias’ wrists tight, holding him down so he can eat him out until Tobias is shaking and on the verge of tears. His soft thighs are bruised from Liam’s fingers and teeth, lingering marks that will remind him of this in the morning.
When Liam lifts his head, he’s grinning, lips shiny with how wet Tobias is for him. “You taste so good, baby,” he says, and his voice is low with power.
He’s hard, cock flushed and jutting out proudly, and Tobias’ mouth waters at the sight of it. As much as he loves to receive, giving is just as good. “Lemme take care of you,” he practically slurs, orgasm drunk and still coming down from the high of it all.
Liam’s eyes flash, and in an instant he’s pulling Tobias off the bed and pushing him down to his knees. “You want my cock, babe?” he asks, looking down at him. And even though Tobias is the one about to have his mouth full, Liam looks like he could devour him instantly.
Tobias nods. “Yeah,” he rasps. “Please, Liam?” He bats his eyes up at Liam, enjoying how it makes him growl.
It’s like he’s the sheep and Liam is the Big Bad Wolf, and it’s really hot.
Rough fingers come up and cup his face, thumbing at his bottom lip until Tobias opens his mouth. It takes no time at all for Liam to push his cock into the wet heat of it, and before Tobias can start bobbing his head, Liam’s fingers fist in his hair, holding him in place.
And he’s caught, staring up at Liam with big grey-blue eyes, mouth stretched wide around his cock. He wiggles a bit, and Liam’s grip just firms up. “You’re mine,” he growls. “This pretty little mouth is all mine, isn’t it?”
All he can do is nod in response to that.
Liam grins and then starts moving.
He fills Tobias’ mouth over and over again, shallowly at first, letting him get used to it before he starts pressing down Tobias’ throat.
Tobias gags at first, and Liam pulls out, letting him get a breath of air before pressing right back in.
Even with how many times he’s already come, Tobias can feel himself getting wet again.
There’s just something about Liam like this, demanding and insistent, practically using Tobias however he wants. At the same time, of course, Tobias knows that the instant he wants to stop, Liam will back off, and there’s something comforting in that. In knowing he’s safe but will get wrecked all the same.
“Fuck,” Liam groans, and his pelvis is flush with Tobias’ lips now. Tobias swallows around the intrusion and moans, the vibrations translating through to Liam’s cock. “You’re so good, baby. So good for me. Fuck.”
He draws back and then starts fucking Tobias’ throat in earnest, long, smooth strokes that have precum and saliva bubbling out of Tobias’ mouth. Tobias breathes when he can, gasping for air before being choked with cock again. His eyes are wet, his cunt is wet, his thighs are wet, and he loves this so so much.
Liam cums down his throat in the end. Most of it is swallowed, but some spills out as Liam pulls back, leaving Tobias a mess. And Liam is still hard. Werewolf stamina is incredible, and Tobias spreads his legs, already wanting more. He aches, right at his core, and he needs it.
“Don’t know which of us is more insatiable during these times,” Liam teases, and he kneels down to kiss Tobias right on his flushed mouth, fingers dipping low to tease at his wet hole.
“Please,” Tobias begs, hips canting forward.
“Need something in this pretty cunt, baby?” Liam asks. “Ask for what you want.”
“Please fuck me. Pleeeeeeeaaase.”
Apparently that’s good enough, because Liam is pushing him forward, right there on the floor, maneuvering them so that Tobias is on his knees, chest on the carpet, ass in the air.
Liam’s cock slides in so smooth. Tobias is dripping he’s so wet, and it feels so good.
It’s easy enough to spend the evening like this, and Tobias knows that when they’re finally spent, Liam will want to keep him close. Not exactly a hardship when Tobias will be limp from coming so much anyway.
Tobias always loves his werewolf boyfriend, no matter what time of the month it is, but on nights like this, he thinks he’s all the more lucky.
[ comfort ] your muse pulling mine into a reassuring hug .
Tobias doesn’t remember what woke him up until he realizes he’s in bed alone. He blinks and rubs at his eyes, trying to pin down the hazy memories. Eventually he remembers the bed shaking and Liam making a pained noise, and then presumably leaving the bed.
Another nightmare, then.
It’s been over a week since Liam’s had a full night’s sleep, and Tobias worries for him. He’s also angry that Liam was experimented on like some kind of animal, but that’s all in the past. All Tobias can do for him now is take care of him. He’s working on a potion to help Liam sleep through the night, but it’ll be awhile before that’s ready.
For now, he slides out of bed and pads to the living room where Liam is sitting in his nest on the floor, staring at nothing.
“Hey,” Tobias says softly, not wanting to startle him.
“Hi,” Liam replies, voice raspy. “Sorry.”
“For what?”
“Waking you up.”
“Don’t be sorry. You know I’d rather be up with you than have you out here alone.”
“But you need to sleep.”
Tobias huffs. “So do you. Can I sit with you?”
For a moment it looks like Liam is going to say no, but then he nods and makes room.
Instead of sitting down next to him, Tobias climbs right into Liam’s lap. “Is this okay?”
Liam nods again. “Yeah. I’m sorry.”
“Shhh,” Tobias soothes. “It’s really okay.” He wraps his arms around him and holds him, trying to convey love and comfort and acceptance with just his touch. “Everything’s okay.”
He’s not sure if Liam believes him or not, but his arms come up and wrap around him in return. Liam snuffles at Tobias’ curls and releases a sigh that sounds like something approaching contentment, and that will have to be good enough for the moment.
Tobias props his hands on his hips, amused. It’s funny that Liam intimidates so many people when he’s such a big dork, honestly. They’ve docked on one of the supply moons of Manahala, and there’s a lot to take back to the shuttle.
“What is this, a tax for helping me carry stuff?” he asks, even though he’s definitely not opposed to paying it.
“Yep,” Liam replies, grinning. “One kiss per box.”
“That’s a pretty hefty tax. Can I put half down now and pay the rest later?”
“I’ll have to charge you interest.”
Tobias smirks. “Fine with me.”
“Then we’ve got a deal.” Liam leans down and Tobias meets him in the middle, kissing him good right there in the loading bay. It’s a lingering kind of kiss, and Tobias needs a second when Liam pulls back.
That’s fine, though, because it gives him a chance to watch his boyfriend lift a heavy box, which is never going to be a bad sight.
Tobias has no idea how to do things like this. Should he play it cool and say that he did make them for Liam but it’s no big deal because he makes cupcakes for everyone (which isn’t even a lie because he actually does make cupcakes for all of his friends, and his roommate definitely counts as a friend, right???)? Or should he admit the truth, which is that he texted Arkiem to ask Liam’s favorite flavors and then went to the store to get ingredients and made a dozen cupcakes just because wanted to make Liam smile?
Does that sound too clingy and weird?
How do people do this even???
“Um,” he says, realizing that yes, Liam is still waiting for an answer. “Yes, I did. I heard these were your favorite, and I had the afternoon off, so...” Tobias shrugs, hoping he’s hitting some mixture of smooth and sincere that makes him seem attractive and desirable or whatever.
Probably he’s failing miserably.
“Well, thanks,” Liam replies, grinning. “Perfect thing to come home to after a long day.” He reaches out and ruffles Tobias’s curls. “You’re awesome, did you know that?”
And yep. This is how Tobias dies. With Liam’s hand in his hair, and his own heart in his throat, and the crush he’s been trying so desperately to keep under control threatening to spill out all over the place just because his incredibly hot roommate thinks he’s awesome.
“Never,” Tobias says firmly, the word bursting out of him with a vehemence that surprises even him. “Liam, never.”
He’s frustrated, and it’s clear to see on his face. Liam has this idea that he’s not good enough, that he’s every inch the monster they created him to be, and even though it’s been months, Tobias still doesn’t know how to show him that he’s so much more than that.
On the one hand, Liam actually asking him to stay is better than all the times Liam’s gone on about how Tobias deserves better, but the almost...broken and defeated way the plea came out breaks Tobias’ heart.
He’s not a violent person, for all he’s a powerful witch, but he wants to hurt everyone who did this to Liam. He wants to burn down everything they have so they can’t do it to anyone else.
Instead, he kneels down next to him in the nest and cups his face, stroking his cheekbones until Liam looks up at him.
“I’m never leaving you,” Tobias says. “I promise. And I’ll never send you away, either. I’m with you, no matter what, okay? You’re mine, and I’m yours, and that’s just how it is.”
[vday day 4] Tobias is frosting cupcakes when Liam slips his arms around him from behind. He leans down to press a kiss to his neck before watching him frost the cupcakes, arms still around his waist. "I just got us a reservation at that new Italian place that just opened up downtown for Valentine's day," he tells him. "The reviews started coming in and it sounds really good, so. Hope you were planning on being my valentine" he jokes
Tobias leans back against Liam instinctively, smiling warmly.
“I hadn’t decided yet,” he teases, frosting the last cupcake and then turning around in Liam’s arms. “But Italian food does sound good.” He leans up and kisses Liam softly. “It’s a date.”
It’s a bad night to be out in it, and Tobias sits on the bed, Sorrel in his lap, the pair of them watching as Liam gets ready for the night as rain lashes at the darkened windows. Lightning flashes, thunder crashes, and Tobias worries.
He knows that Liam’s good at his job. You don’t get a nickname like The Reaper by being an amateur, after all, but Tobias worries.
It’s a bad night for being anywhere other than inside, curled up by a fire, and Tobias has a bad feeling. Witches have all manner of superstitions, but he keeps all of them to himself. If he says something, it might cause it to come true. Self fulfilling prophecies and all that.
“Tobias,” Liam says, pulling his gloves on. “It’s going to be fine.”
“What?”
“I can practically hear you worrying, and Sorrel’s giving me that look.”
“What look?”
“The look he gives me when you’re distressed and he thinks it’s my fault.”
Tobias looks down at the cat draped over his lap, and large grey-blue eyes blink placidly back at him. “I’m not distressed,” Tobias says to the cat. He looks up at Liam for good measure. “I’m not.”
“Good. Because there’s no reason to worry. This will be an easy job. I’ll be back in the morning.”
Lightning flashes again outside, punctuating the statement, and Tobias tries very hard not to see it as an omen. “Promise?” he asks, letting his voice be very small for just a moment.
Liam looks at him and then crosses the room in two long strides to cup Tobias’ face in his gloved hands. “I promise,” he says in a rough whisper. “Nothing will keep me from you.” He seals that promise with a kiss, deep and lingering, and Tobias kisses back, clinging to him for just a moment.
It’s been a long time since he’s been afraid of storms or the dark, but he has so much more to lose now, and bad things lurk in the night. Of course, The Reaper is one of those so called bad things, and he’s never broken a promise before.
“Mrs. Hartley,” Tobias said, chiding in his tone. “That cough won’t go away if you don’t stay out of the cold and the wet.”
His patient, a portly woman of about forty, sat on the stool in front of him, looking unrepentant. “I know, I know,” she said, voice scratchy from the cough she hadn’t been able to shake for weeks. “But the chickens needed feeding, and there was no one else to feed them.”
“That’s what your husband is for. He doesn’t have a chest infection.” Tobias pressed his hand to her chest, and a soft, pale blue glow swelled around it, turning a sickly green when his magic found the infection in the woman. “I can give you more syrup for your throat and something to burn the infection out, but you’re going to have to rest if you want this to get better.”
“Aren’t you meant to be a healer?” she asked, eyebrow arched.
“There’s only so much magic can do,” Tobias retorted. “As I’m sure I’ve told you before.”
He turned from the woman to scan the shelf behind him, looking for the syrup he prescribed for coughs and sore throats. Magic was all well and good, but sometimes there was nothing better than a well made concoction of herbs.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs that led down to the shop from the living space above it, and Tobias smiled as Liam came striding in. He was dressed for work, all dark clothes and soft leather gloves, and Tobias had to remind himself that he was currently working and in the presence of a patient to keep himself from staring too hard.
It was hardly his fault that Liam looked so attractive like this, but he was a professional.
“Heading out?” Tobias asked, smiling at him.
“No rest for the wicked,” Liam replied, giving him a crooked grin in return. He stepped closer to Tobias and used two leather clad fingers to tip his face up, thumb caressing his cheek. “Be good. I’ll be back tonight.”
Tobias rolled his eyes, but pushed up to close the distance between them in a kiss. “You be good,” he shot back. “And be careful.”
“Always, baby.” He winked, nodded at Mrs. Hartley, and then was gone.
Shaking himself, Tobias went back to his work. He set the syrup aside and went looking for the potion he wanted, brow furrowed.
“I don’t see how you do that,” Mrs. Hartley said from behind him.
“Do what?” Tobias asked.
“Let him touch you.”
He let out a slow breath and turned around to face her. It wasn’t the first time, of course, that someone had said something like this to him. The ‘well meaning’ older people he tended to had spent the first few months of his relationship with The Reaper trying to warn him away. It was unheard of for the town healer, affectionately called The Angel of Dawn Street, to have taken up with the most notorious assassin in the whole kingdom, but there it was.
The gossip had mostly settled down, now that most people were used to seeing Liam in the shop, but there were still some people who apparently had an issue with it.
Sometimes it bothered him that people only saw that one side of Liam. The Reaper was dangerous and deadly, yes, but he was also kind and loving and gentle, and Tobias loved every side of him and knew he was loved in return.
“Why wouldn’t I let him touch me?” Tobias asked, keeping his tone neutral and light. “He’s my...he’s mine.”
“He’s a murderer,” she snapped back. “He has blood on his hands, and you let him touch you with them. You’re meant to be a healer.”
It was a struggle not to roll his eyes at that. “I can assure you, Mrs. Hartley, that my relationship with Liam doesn’t make it any harder for me to heal. But if you’d rather not use my services anymore, that’s fine.”
She averted her gaze a bit and then coughed wetly. “I...I didn’t say that,” she rasped once she was done.
Tobias smiled thinly and gathered the bottles he needed. “Take a teaspoon of the syrup whenever your throat is irritated, but not more than twice an hour. Mix the potion with your tea in the morning, and use it until the bottle’s done.”
“Thank you, Tobias,” Mrs. Hartley said, and at least she had the good grace to look sheepish.
“Of course,” Tobias replied. “I am always here to help.”
“You’re a good boy,” she said. “We only want good things for you. You do so much for us, and we want you to be happy.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” He was going to tend to his patients and then walk down to the market to get things for dinner, which he would share with Liam when he got back. Tobias smiled. “I am very happy.”
