things you said when you were drunk + predatorship
send me a ship and one of these and i’ll write a mini fic
Yuri watched on in utter amusement as Serena, face pressed firmly into the table in an attempt to fuse with it, groaned lowly. It was pathetic to the point of hilarity.
“Why did you let me drink?” she demanded, voice gruff. Her head throbbed from her efforts and she winced. Pressing her forehead even harder against the table in the hopes of stemming the ache, Serena continued, “What did you even give me??”
“Why do you think?” God, Serena could hear the smug laughter just oozing from his voice. Yes, oozing. Gross. “Honestly, I didn’t think you were so weak a simple cocktail would knock you out of your senses.”
“I will murder you. I know where you sleep.”
Yuri tutted lightly, mockingly, and a hand tugged on her ribbon. Serena swatted blindly at him, but slender fingers simply twined with hers, halting her weak attempts.
“How rude. Even though you were so sweet to me last night.”
Her head shot up and she turned to glare at him, disregarding the pain blooming as white spots in her vision. “What?”
Yuri hummed, tapping along the knuckles of their joined hands with a finger. “You’re such an honest drunk. You were telling me all sorts of things. Things like how you think my eyes are pretty, or that you always want to comb your fingers through my hair.”
A growl escaped clenched teeth as a flustered red burned across Serena’s cheeks. She tugged uselessly at her captured hand, the other shooting forward to either cover Yuri’s mouth or punch him. Anything to shut him up!
He caught that hand, too, smoothly controlling the uncoordinated movement by her wrist until he could bite at her pinky punishingly. A taunting smirk met her scowl.
“Things like how you like the way I laugh and how you like my wit.”
Yuri must have read her intent to try to headbutt him next, because the next thing she knew he was in her face. She blinked, lips tingling, and she flushed angrily as she realized what that light brush had been.
“It’s a pity you forgot that you said you like me, because I remember very much saying that I like you, too.”
Fandom: Arc V
Ship: Zarc/Ray
Rating: T (for language)
Genre: Humor
Ray has terrible friends and would very much like to murder at least one.
-
Hands pinned her in place, grip on her wrists firm and unyielding. He was close, so close. Surely he could hear the pounding of her heart. Unease squirmed, low in the pit of her belly, and yet excitement had her blood racing through her veins as she watched him lean in to claim her lips—
“Ray Akaba!”
Ray jolted, quickly snapping to attention.
“T-The answer is forty-two!” she yelped. Laughter exploded and she blinked in confusion. What happened?
“Oh my god!” Grace laughed, hooting and tooting in a way that was more fit for a raucous sailor. “I can’t believe Miss Straight-A Student got the answer right even when her brain was a thousand miles away!”
“Quite,” Gloria said, giving her sister an exasperated look. Ray flinched, however, when that same look was turned on her. “I know you already know all of this, but if you could refrain from fantasizing about your boytoy when we’re supposed to be studying, it would be much appreciated.”
“B-Boytoy?!” Ray felt like she was about to combust on the spot, blushing from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. “I— I wasn’t—!”
“Boytoy!” Grace parroted gleefully. Her voice was loud enough that several other students on the far side of the quad glanced over at them. Ray quickly grabbed the loudmouth, jamming both hands over her cackling maw.
“There’s no boytoy and I was not fantasizing!” she hissed furiously.
“Oh really.” Gloria’s voice was so dry, it might as well be the Sahara desert. “Then, you weren’t drooling either.”
At that, Ray quickly wiped at her mouth, horrified. Unfortunately, that gave Grace enough room to break free.
“I was kidding,” Gloria said blandly, not at all minding as her twin playfully took refuge behind her. “Your actions do tell, though. So, let’s agree that you were fantasizing about Zarc—”
“Wha—”
“—and that you’ll stop so that we can study for our final properly.”
“Now wait just one sec!” Ray sputtered indignantly. “I’m not agreeing to anything! Because I was not fantasizing and Zarc is not my—!”
“Boytoy!”
“He is not!” She threw her hands in the air, thoroughly flustered. “Goddammit, Grace—”
“What did she just call me?”
Ray squeaked, whirling around to come face-to-face with—oh, the pleasure and the horror—a bemused Zarc. Distantly aware of the gleeful giggling behind her, she swore that she would one day murder her good friend and make Gloria an only-child.
“Z-Zarc,” she stuttered, flushing a bright red. Oh, gods, please don’t let him have heard about the fantasizing and the boytoy comments.
“Ray,” he greeted back, still looking faintly bewildered. However, like the good boyfriend he was, he let it go and gave her a crooked grin. The one that made her eyes immediately zoom in on the curve of his lips. With the urge to kinda, sorta, definitely kiss them.
Frankly, it was pathetic.
Zarc moved to place a paper bag on the table, the thing rather bulky. “I brought you guys snacks for your study sesh. Muffins and stuff.”
“Yeah, since it’s your favorite. Poppyseed for Gloria and chocolate for Ray, too.” He glanced bashfully in Ray’s direction, eyes clearly hopeful. Did I do good?
Oh, yes, Ray’s terrible, dirty mind went. So good.
“Goo’ hoff, b’rch’r!” the bane of Ray’s existence chirped. Thankfully, she had stuffed her mouth just enough that Zarc only looked confused.
“Alright, that’s enough,” Gloria sighed. Hand pulling Grace by the back of her neck with practiced ease, the blonde started walking for another table. “We’ll give you two a bit of privacy. Don’t take long, though, this final is forty percent of our grade.”
Grace cheerfully waved at them, bag of baked goods tucked firmly in her other arm.
There was a pause, just enough for Ray to suffer and bemoan her choice of friends in peace. Then, Zarc’s innocent expression melted into an evil—evil!—smirk.
“So, boytoy, huh?”
“Oh, fuck me,” she groaned, grinding the heels of her hands into her eyes. Her boyfriend’s next words, though, were what nearly killed her.
Fandom: Arc V
Ship: Zarc/Ray
Rating: T
Genre: Humor
This is not the situation Zarc had been hoping for.
-
When Ray had suggested that they watch a horror movie that night, he had thought, okay. This will probably involve a lot of jump scares and stupid scenes that aren’t all that scary. But Ray would cling to him and he’d comfort her. There’d maybe be some kissing, heavy petting, or even more if he were lucky enough.
At least, that’s what he had hoped.
But instead, he got…this. Zarc flinched violently as the villain appeared in the background, shrinking into the couch at the freakishly fake, practiced smile on their face. He had not signed up for this scarily realistic, psychological bullshit!
What was worse was that Ray didn’t seem even the slightest bit phased by what was on the screen. She gave an occasional hum of interest, munching idly on her chips, but that was all. How could she not be affected by any of it?!
Zarc shifted uneasily, refraining from hiding his face in his hands out of sheer, terrified willpower. Unfortunately, said willpower didn’t last for long as the villain cheerfully murdered one of the side characters, that same, fake smile still painted on their lips. He squeaked, jumping at the horrific cracking sound of a snapped neck, and Ray turned to him with a raised brow.
“Zarc?” she asked, bemused. He groaned, a hint of humiliation shining through the terror, and sank down low in his spot on the couch. Ray scooted closer too peer at his disgruntled, scared expression. “Are you actually scared?”
“No,” he tried to deny vehemently. Unfortunately, his voice cracked, an octave too high, and he finally gave in and hid his face in his hands. “Ugh. Maybe.”
“Aw,” Ray cooed at him. Since he was trying to smother himself with his own hands, he didn’t see the glint of amusement in her eyes. Smothering the laughter in her voice, she tugged his hands away by the wrists so that she could lean in and nuzzle against his cheek. “My poor baby. Do you want to watch something else?”
“…No.” He wasn’t about to chicken out. He will finish the movie, if only to see the villain get what’s coming to them. “No, let’s just… Let’s just finish the damn movie first.”
Her brave man, she thought fondly. “Okay,” she hummed, giving him a kiss. “Then why don’t we cuddle? It’s getting a little chilly.” It wasn’t. “And after the movie’s over, I’ll give you a reward.”
Zarc brightened at that, instantly interested. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Ray chuckled. Her boyfriend was predictable as always. Cheered up by the promise of a reward, Zarc turned his attention back to the movie with a determined, letting Ray drape his arm around her shoulders as she snuggled against his side. He was going to finish this movie, dammit.
Unbeknownst to him, Ray smirked victoriously as she rested her head on his shoulder. It looked like her plan was a success after all.
Fandom: Arc V
Ship: Zarc/Ray
Rating: M (kinda not really)
Genre: Humor
Icy patches can only lead to disaster.
-
Ray shivered violently as the cold winds passed over her, huddling deeper into her jacket. Why was it so cold?! Yeah, it was winter and all, and the weather was abysmal to be out in the shopping district, but this was just plain ridiculous.
“I did warn you,” Reiji mumbled, face hidden behind his scarf. She would have scoffed, considering how ridiculous he looked bundled up in what looked like fifty layers of clothes. But he looked so goddamn toasty that all she could do was glower at him balefully.
“Since you’re so concerned, lend me one of your twelve jackets, then,” she growled. The look she got in return, the bland, are-you-seriously-this-stupid-how-are-we-related look, made her want to smack him upside the head.
So she did.
“Child abuse,” her brother grumbled, straightening his glasses which had been knocked crooked.
“Discipline,” Ray corrected. “Discipline of my insolent baby brother who will lend me his jacket.”
Despite the fact that Reiji was three years younger than her, he was about two inches taller. Meaning that his clothes were big enough for her. She was completely serious, too, so she started wrestling Reiji out of his outermost jacket. It was the biggest one, and she really hadn’t been kidding about the number of layers he was wearing. Much. Okay, so he was only wearing three, but her point still stands.
“Don’t strip me,” he protested, jerking out of her grasp. Unfortunately, this pulled Ray just so, her foot landing on a patch of ice she could have sworn wasn’t there a second ago. Ray yelped in surprise as the limb practically flew out from underneath her, letting go of Reiji.
She did, however, manage to snag someone on her way down, dragging that person down with her.
A swift moment later, Ray groaned painfully where she laid. Luckily for her, she had landed on something that cushioned her from the hard ground. That something being, of course, the other person.
“Ugh…”
Ray blinked, gathering her bearings before lifting her head to look for the source of the sound. What she found made her freeze even more than the cold weather did.
Of all the people she had managed to grab, Zarc, the champion duelist, was groaning underneath her! And what was even worse, she realized with increasingly mortified horror, was how she was actually straddling him, thighs on either side of his hips with their groins perfectly aligned as she was completely plastered against his chest.
I want to die! she screamed internally. Of all the scandalous positions and of all the people she could have ended up in said position with— This was not happening!
“…Miss Akaba…?” Zarc blinked, realizing who was on top of him. Her heart skipped a beat at hearing her name from his lips. But of course he knew her. Not only was she the daughter of the man who perfected solid vision with mass, she was also a top-tier duelist in her own right. “Hey, are you okay?”
Ray stuttered incoherently, unable to string her thoughts together. This close, she could actually count each individual eyelash. Said lashes fluttered with every blink, leading to the thought that woah, that’s a really pretty yellow right there.
Zarc frowned, lifting a hand up to gently cradle her cheek. While it was totally possible that she might have gotten a concussion, she also looked like she might have a fever with how red she was. “Are you hurt? Do you feel okay?”
The squeak that escaped her lips only had him looking more concerned. And while it was nice that he was worried for her, it only made him look more attractive and therefore made the situation more awkward for her because she was straddling an attractive man in a pose that wouldn’t have been out of place in the bedroom.
Click
They both paused before turning as one to look at the source. Reiji took another picture with his phone, looking for all the world like this was an everyday occurrence. “Don’t mind me,” he said, tapping away on his phone. “I just thought I’d post this online to commemorate your meeting your possible paramour.”
Ray quickly sat up, causing Zarc to grunt in surprise at the sudden shift in weight, burning determination on her face.
“I’m going to make you eat that phone,” she hissed, “and then I’m going to kill you.”
“Child abuse.”
“Discipline!”
Fandom: Arc V
Ship: Zarc/Ray
Rating: T
Genre: Supernatural/Horror
Warning: Character Deaths
A siren AU.
-
If it had been one of those cliché stories, it would have been a dark and stormy night when it happened. But no, it had been bright, with clear skies and a fair breeze. The fine weather had been the reason Ray had agreed to go on the boat, in fact; a lovely day to spend outdoors. Too bad that was what lead to her fate.
It had been broad daylight when Roger drowned her. Hit her over the head and bound her limbs. He had his goons toss her overboard, concussed and unable to swim.
Desperation and frustration had flooded her veins, much like how the water flooded her lungs. It had hurt. It hurt and burned and all she could do was let out silent, helpless screams. Then, nothing.
Why had she been killed? She hadn’t done anything to be killed by Roger, not that she knew of. The man had been a good employee to her father and there had been no sign that he was capable of such a thing. Did he only kill her? What about her family? Would he hurt them, too?
Would they join her?
It was quite lonely by herself.
Ray’s consciousness had roused with those thoughts. It was much like surfacing from a thick, stifling darkness. It wouldn’t let go. Kept dragging her down. It was hard, at first. How could she think something like that? They were her family, how could she wish for them to join her in these cold waters, trapped in this suffering?
But that little light of her previous life faded over time. Days, months, years. It was hard to tell time, here in this dark, dark place. She was lonely, she thought. It hurt. It burned.
Was it possible to feel thirst when she was drowning? Her throat worked, an involuntary and entirely unnecessary movement. What was the point of swallowing, of trying to whet her thirst, when the water never left her throat?
Days, months, years. Time continued to pass. No one ever passed by, oddly enough. No travelers. No strangers. No one. So lonely.
But then, there was one. Out of the blue, a sound slipped through the water. A boat? It was a boat. A small one, nothing like the grand cruise ship she had been thrown from. And from that boat, even underwater, she could hear it. A voice, a song, and she longed to hear it closer.
So she crept closer. Just a little bit. It wouldn’t do to be seen, she knew, not with how she was now. But soon, much too soon, the boat left. Took the voice with it. And she was left with the ashen taste of disappointment on her tongue.
Days, months, years. She couldn’t tell time down here, but the time between the first and the next visit was anywhere between thankfully short to agonizingly long. But the boat came back, and the voice with it. Something about it was alluring, beckoning her closer. So closer she went. But the boat left and she was left waiting once again.
Again and again and again, in a repetitive cycle. It came, she went, it left. She fell in love with that voice. That voice that sang in tones both happy and sad.
She wanted to know that voice. Keep it with her. Swallow it between her lips and keep it safe in her core.
One day, she was close enough to look the voice’s owner right in the eyes. Close enough to count every individual eyelash. What a pretty yellow, she thought. Yellow eyes, wide in surprise soon replaced with fascination and awe. Pretty eyes set in a pretty face framed by pretty, starlight hair. A young man, no older than what she had once been.
Her lips moved instinctively, granting the other a beautiful smile. He was charmed, that much was obvious. That was fine, she was charmed, too.
But not yet, her mind whispered. He won’t come with her yet.
Days. It was easier to track the days now that he visited so often. He would sing and she would come, that little boat their precious meeting place. Zarc, he said his name was. He talked about himself, about the world, asked questions she never answered.
Day after day, he came. Before she knew it, he was ready. His songs had grown sadder and sadder, and the time he spent with her longer and longer. Until one day, he didn’t sing for her. She went to check on him, lightly petting his hair and his sad, sad face. He couldn’t do it anymore, he said. It was too much. He couldn’t do it.
That was okay. She could sing for him instead.
And so she did, beckoning him with crooning tones she knew instinctively would suit his taste best. Sang of joyous times spent together, of reprieve from the things that saddened him so. Of love and triumph and how she would never leave his side if he would only let her.
With each word, each lyric, she drew him closer and closer, luring him over the edge. Then, he was in the water, out of the boat and in her arms.
She stroked Zarc’s hair as they sank deeper into the grasping darkness. Their lips brushed, gentle, before turning heated as she slipped her tongue in. How warm, she delighted. His warmth slowly overrode the burning pain that had long become her constant companion and she pressed closer for more.
Nibbling on his tongue, she explored his mouth thoroughly. Nipped his lips, licked his palate. She drank it all in, stealing first his warmth, then his sounds, and even his breath. Until finally, she took what she wanted most.
Days, months, years. What was once a pretty face was long gone, replaced with a white, white treasure stripped clean by the water’s dwellers. That little light, his very soul, was settled comfortably in her belly, reminding her of times filled with warmth and song. She hummed in content.
The thirst was gone, for now.
Fandom: Arc V
Ship: Zarc/Ray
Rating: K-T
Genre: Fantasy
The village sees a monster, but Ray sees them wrong.
-
“…isn’t natural.”
“Silver hair like that…”
“…golden eyes…”
“…s like a cat…”
“…a monster?”
“…monster…”
Whispers followed behind Ray, faster then her quickening footsteps. Villagers, she scoffed to herself, were such superstitious folk. Really, a monster? Him? What proof did they have?
She pushed open the door of the old hut, quickly snapping it shut behind her. Granted, the windows were open, so privacy was but an illusion. At least the action was enough to vent off just enough anger before the rest was blown away by the golden eyes that turned to her.
“…Ray,” he rasped, lips quirking into a smile. Ray softened at the sight, a gentle smile returning the gesture. Really, what about him was monster-like? Soft, starlight hair, mussed and streaked with green as if he had taken a tumble in a field of grass. And those amber-colored eyes, almost like liquid gold, with laugh lines that hinted at joy and mischief.
Rather than monstrous, he was ethereal.
“Zarc,” she greeted. Quickly taking a seat at his bedside, she grasped his proffered hand and gave it a light squeeze. Zarc, in turn, twined his fingers with hers in a gesture that had quickly become so familiar.
It had only been ten short days since they had found him, scratched up and bruised mere meters from the village outskirts. The man had been in a daze at first, making little struggle to shake off her father’s grasp in a bid for the nearby forest. Luckily, Leo didn’t need all that much strength to carry him off to the medical hut.
The villagers hadn’t been happy. Whispers of how the stranger didn’t seem natural, didn’t seem human, spread amongst the adults. Soon, even the children caught on, jeering at the dazed man who stared longingly out the window for the first few nights.
But Leo had stood firm. No, they were not going to kick a concussed man out of the village. To throw him to the wolves, who would be the monsters then? That had quietened the outcry, but the dissent…
The dissent continued to stir like a disturbed hive, waiting to strike.
“How are you feeling?” Her free hand lightly brushed aside his hair, careful to not touch the bandages wrapped around his head, before moving down to stroke his cheek. Zarc leaned into the gesture, eyes half-lidded in content.
It was strange; they had only known each other for nine days at best and yet they had grown so close. At first, it had been a bit awkward, considering how she was the only one available and willing to nurse the stranger and how he barely responded to anything. And now…
“I’m fine,” he assured. His hand came up to cup hers, holding it where it was. His eyes closed, almost as if to focus on her warmth. “The haze… It’s gone now.”
“That’s good,” Ray murmured. Something in her heart panged, however. Now that his concussion was gone, perhaps he would want to leave. Surely he had a home somewhere.
With his concussion gone, she wouldn’t have his health as a reason to make him stay. Not for long.
Silvery lashes fluttered, revealing that liquid gold. For a moment, it looked as if they were shining with a light from within. “Soon,” he murmured. “He’s coming.”
What? Lips parting to ask just that, Ray’s breath hitched in surprise as screams broke out, mixed in with the screeching howl that rent the air. Ray jumped to her feet, missing the relieved look on Zarc’s face.
“Zarc, stay here!” she ordered, already running out of the hut. What was that sound? What was happening in her village? She ran as fast as she could, heart pounding away. A crowd of men soon came into view. Spears flashed in the air, positioned to threaten and keep at bay.
And high above them, the head of a dragon thrashed about, sounding out another haunting screech.
Calling, she realized. She didn’t know how, but she knew it with conviction. It was calling for someone.
“Monster!” villagers cried. Screams and shouts filled the area, anger and fear thick enough it was palpable. “Kill it! Before it kills us!”
“What is it even doing here!”
“It’s going to kill us!”
“It has to be because of the other monster!”
More voices joined the last outcry. It was because of that monster they had picked up! It had called others of its kind. Others to raze the village and devour them all!
“H-Hey—!” Ray stepped forward, voice raised in an attempt to stop them, but something brushed past her. Attempt halted, all she could do was watch as Zarc walked through the crowd, looking nearly untouchable.
Almost like a spirit.
Voices went silent the moment they noticed him, the villagers parting instinctively to make a path to the dragon. The creature stilled, its wails trailing off into a low, crooning whine.
The man stopped directly in front of the dragon. Twin looks of relief and joy seemed to reflect in the eyes of man and beast.
“Odd-Eyes,” Zarc breathed. Odd-Eyes rumbled and lowered his head to press lightly against Zarc’s forehead. He pressed back, eyes slipping closed in content. “Let’s go home.”
No! Ray wanted to cry out in denial, something thick and ugly welling up in her throat. She might not have known him long, but she… She liked Zarc. And something in her didn’t want to let him go.
But… Seeing the content look on his face, so similar to the one he wore around her… She couldn’t bring herself to deny him what he wanted. So she waited. Waited for the inevitable sight of him walking away from the village.
“Ray.”
A gentle smile and eyes full of laughter, cajoling and beckoning at her. A hand was held out, an offering for her to take as always.
“Ray,” he laughed. “Let’s go.”
It felt like the wind filled her ears, cutting off everything but that voice. In the distance, she could see her father pushing through the crowd, mouth calling but voice lost to her. In a motion so familiar, she found herself grasping his hand with a squeeze, fingers interlocked tightly.
Fandom: Arc V
Ship: Zarc/Ray
Rating: K-T
Genre: Humor
Ray thinks Zarc is being ridiculous, but Zarc is definitely not buying it.
-
“Road rage is a myth.”
Ray, sitting with all poise and seriousness, stared deep into Zarc’s eyes. The man blinked back at her, expression bland as he continued with his food. There was a long pause, only broken by the slight clinking of Zarc’s fork, before she cleared her throat and tried again.
“L-Like I said, road rage is a myth. It’s just propaganda that media would like you to believe in. After all, it’s natural to drive at high speeds, and to become excited when moving at high speeds, and, and to yell when you’re excited. Here, these are ten articles among the ones I’ve found stating that road rage is a—”
“You mean there were only ten links you found on google,” Zarc interrupted. He took another bite of his pancakes and raised an eyebrow at her sputtering. “Nice try. But I’m not letting you drive the car.”
“Oh, come on!” Ray’s brows furrowed in outrage and exasperation. “You’re being ridiculous! You’ve banned me from even going anywhere near the driver’s side of the car for two months already. I mean, yeah, I might’ve put a little dent in the side, but—”
“You essentially body-checked the other car because the driver wouldn’t let you switch lanes.”
“Because they were being a bit—!”
“You took out another car’s side mirror because you didn’t care that mine wouldn’t be able to squeeze past it, no matter how many times I told you.”
“Well, if they left more space for me to get into the turn lane—”
“And the last time we were on the freeway stuck behind a car that just happened to be moving slower than how you wanted, you veered onto the shoulder, sped past them, and brake-checked them so hard that we all came to a complete stop. You completely stopped traffic on the freeway, Ray.”
“They were going 65mph in the fast lane!” She threw her hands up in frustration. It wasn’t that bad, why did Zarc insist on bringing up every incident where she had a minor accident? None of it would’ve happened if all those other drivers followed driving etiquette! “Okay, yeah, I might’ve gone a little overboard, but they needed to know that going that slow in the fast lane obstructs the flow of traffic—”
“You got out of the car to cuss at the man. Honestly, I was surprised his ears weren’t bleeding. He was a cop, Ray!”
“All the more reason for him to know that going that slow is a crime!”
The two glowered at each other, one nearly growling, before Zarc firmly put his foot down. “No, Ray. You’ve already made my insurance rates sky-rocket and I’m not about to let you total my car. I swear, road rage runs in your family. The next time Reiji needs a driving lesson, I’m teaching him.”
Ray’s wordless howl of aggravation had the neighbors calling the police in worry that someone was going to be murdered.
Fandom: Arc V
Ship: Zarc/Ray
Rating: T
Genre: General
Ray knows well what she’s doing and Zarc’s getting played.
-
What did I do to deserve this kind of torture, he wondered, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight. Ray continued talking, gesticulating as she went, and it was all Zarc could do to give absent, non-committal sounds of interest. Sure, Ray was always interesting, but just this once he was less focused on her misadventure with her brother and a tube of superglue and more on her…
Well.
But really, it wasn’t like the color was an odd one. In fact, it was a pretty pink, maybe peach actually. He couldn’t quite place his finger on it. But putting that color on something he was already quite interested in, plus that slight sheen of gloss, and he was struggling to keep his mind set firmly in reality.
“Zarc, are you listening?”
“Bwuh?” Zarc straightened, guiltily turning his attention back to Ray herself. What had she been talking about? “Uh, yeah, of course. Uh-huh.”
“Sure,” she drawled, twenty pages of sarcasm behind that one word. Zarc did love how she could do that. Just. Not as much when it was turned on him. “But really, what’s got you thinking so hard?”
“It’s nothing,” he mumbled, eyes flicking downward. Ray, being an observant girl, saw the motion, of course. It didn’t help that Zarc was currently being as subtle as a bull in a room full of china. “It’s just…”
He didn’t notice Ray’s brow raising in knowing amusement. “Just?”
“Did…” Zarc couldn’t stop looking, every movement drawing him in. “Did you get new lip gloss?”
Ray’s mouth curved into a mischievous smirk that had his knees going weak. Reaching up to fiddle with the collar of his jacket, she gave him a coy, half-lidded look and purred, “The color’s called sunset. Do you like it?”
Oh. Oh, he’s in trouble.
“Yeah,” Zarc said breathlessly. Sunset. If that, combined with the shape of her lips, didn’t lead to thoughts of nighttime activities.
“Good.” Ray grinned and tugged him forward into a heated kiss. He groaned, heart skipping a beat when she nibbled his lower lip before soothing the sting with her tongue. Whatever mood Ray was in today, he definitely wouldn’t complain if she was in it more often.
After what felt long enough to be an eternity but couldn’t have been more than mere minutes, Ray pulled back with a wet smack. Taking in his ruffled appearance, she gave a satisfied hum and gave him one more peck.
“I like it, too,” she murmured contently. Goal accomplished, Ray practically bounced away. “See you after work!”
“See you,” he replied dazedly. Zarc’s day passed in a blur and it wasn’t until Edo asked about it hours later that he realized his lips were the same sunset color as Ray’s.
