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ffluerdelune · 3 months ago

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WHUMPTOBER 2024: PROMPTS LIST

Welcome to Whumptober 2024 — Seventh Time's a Charm!

Please make sure to read the Event Info and FAQ below carefully, as most of your questions will be answered there already. For everything else, you are welcome to come to our ask box or ask questions in our Discord server here.

This year’s AO3 Collection can be found here.

This year's playlist can be found here.

The 'Anatomy of a Whumptober Prompt' post can be found here.

And our 'Resources for Writing Sensitive Topics' post is here.

We’re very excited to see the community come together for another year of Whumptober! Go wild with the prompts, and support your fellow creators - we wish you all the fun!

Best of luck and happy whumping,

Mods Vanne, Yenn, Kitty and Surro

(Text versions of the prompts, as well as event information, rules and FAQ are posted below the cut!)

Whumptober 2024 Prompt List

No. 1: RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK

Search Party | Panic Attack | "If only we could hold on.” (Icysami x Renegaderr, Strangers.)

No. 2: TRUST ISSUES

Amusement Park | Role Reversal | “You got away with the crime while the knife's in my back.” (Charlotte Sands, Rollercoaster)

No. 3: SET UP FOR FAILURE

Fingerprints | Wrongfully Arrested | "I warned you."

No. 4: HALLUCINATIONS

Hypnosis | Sensory Deprivation | “You're still alive in my head.” (Billy Lockett, More)

No. 5: SUNBURN

Healing Salve | Heatstroke | "If my pain will stretch that far." (Lottery Winners, Burning House)

No. 6: NOT REALISING THEY'RE INJURED

Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms | Healed Wrong | "It's not my blood."

No. 7: ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES

Unconventional Weapon | Magic with a Cost | "It's us or them."

No. 8: SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Isolation Chamber | Forced to Stay Awake | "Leave the lights on." (Coldplay, Midnight)

No. 9: OBSESSION

Broken Window | Bruises | “Frame me up on the wall, just to keep me out of trouble.” (Fall Out Boy, Irresistible)

No. 10: BLOW TO THE HEAD

Slurred Words | Passing Out from Pain | "I can't think straight."

No. 11: SEEING DOUBLE

Convenience Store | Loneliness | “Leave no trace behind, like you don't even exist.” (Taylor Swift, Illicit Affairs)

No. 12: STARVATION

Underground Caverns | Cannibalism | "Just a little more."

No. 13: TEAM AS A FAMILY

Familial Curse | Multiple Whumpees | "Death will do us part." (Set It Off, Partner's In Crime)

No. 14: LEFT FOR DEAD

Hunting Gear | Blackmail | “Because I want you to know what it feels like to be haunted” (tiLLie, kooL aiD mAn)

No. 15: CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

Painful Hug | Moment of Clarity | "I did good, right?"

No. 16: NECROSIS

Swamp | Wound Cleaning | "No, I can't feel anything."

No. 17: NOWHERE ELSE TO GO

Ruined Map | Shipwrecked | "We had a good run."

No. 18: REVENGE

Unreliable Narrator | Loss of Identity | “I see what's mine and take it.” (Panic! at the Disco, Emperor's New Clothes)

No. 19: BLOOD TRAIL

Abandoned Cabin | One Way Out | "Is there anybody alive out there?" (Bruce Springsteen, Radio Nowhere)

No. 20: EMOTIONAL ANGST

Shoulder to Cry On | Giving Permission to Die | "It's not your fault."

No. 21: BODY HORROR

Body Horror | Tattoo Gun | Spirit Possession | “Let the bedsheet soak up the tears.” (Apparat feat. Soap & Skin, Goodbye)

No. 22: BLEEDING THROUGH BANDAGES

Tourniquet | Reopening Wounds | "Oh that's not good."

No. 23: FORCED CHOICE

Public Display | Broken Pedestal | "I'm doing this for you."

No. 24: RADIATION POISONING

Collapsed Building | Equipment Failure | “I never knew daylight could be so violent.” (Florence + The Machine, No Light, No Light)

No. 25: SURGERY

Stitches | Being Monitored | "It's for your own good."

No. 26: NIGHTMARES

Breakfast Table | Parting Words of Regret | “I'm haunted by the lies that I have loved, the actions I have hated.” (Poe, Haunted)

No. 27: VOICELESS

Laboratory | Muzzled | “I have no mouth and I must scream.”

No. 28: DENIAL

CCTV | Exposure | "They caught me red handed."

No. 29: FATIGUE

Labyrinth | Burnout | "Who said you could rest?"

No. 30: RECOVERY

Hospital Bed | Holding Back Tears | "What have I done?"

No. 31: ASKING FOR HELP

Therapy | Making Amends | "I'm alive, I'm just not well." (Elliot Lee, Alive, Not Well.)

Alternatives List:

Body Swap

Communication Barrier

Finding Old Messages

Forgotten

Friendly Fire

Motion Sickness

No-Holds-Barred Beatdown

Regret

Secrets Revealed

Shivering

Survivor's Guilt

Time Loop

Used As Bait

Venom

Vermin

Event Info & Rules

WHUMPTOBER is a month-long, prompt-based creation challenge (think: Inktober, but whumpier). There are 31 official themes this year - one for each day of the month - which can be used, skipped, or combined in any way you’d like. They are meant to serve as inspiration without being taken literally (e.g. you don’t have to include the exact wording of prompts into your work). Feel free to run rampant on interpretation. For example, if the prompt is “flame", you could create something with reference to a candle/campfire, your character could have suffered a burn, or the flame could be a reference to an ‘old flame’ - an old relationship. It’s truly down to you!

In total, there are 4 prompts for each day. These are optional suggestions and can be used in conjunction with the theme, or as options/alternatives. We want to give everyone as much creative freedom as possible, as well as increase event accessibility for folks with triggers and squicks. There is also a list of 15 alternative prompts that can be subbed in for any day, again to give participants as much creative freedom as possible.

Creators can PRODUCE work in any media they choose, including but not limited to: writing, visual artwork, photo/video/audio edits, paper crafts and elaborate recommendation lists (not just a list of links). Creators can PARTICIPATE as much or as little as they want (i.e. you don’t have to do ALL the prompts if you don’t want to) and prompts can be used in any order. They are also free to use even after the event ends.

When uploading Whumptober content to your blog, be sure to tag it with:

#whumptober2024 …..(the event tag)

#no.1, #no.2, #no.3, …..(theme number)

#bruises, #stabbing, …..(the theme or specific prompt you chose)

#altprompt …..(if you use an altprompt, tag the post with the number of the prompt you replace)

#fandom or #OC, …..(ironman, original content, oc, etc.)

#medium …..(gifs, fic, podcast, art, etc.)

#teeth, #etc …..(trigger warnings & any additional tags. Keep in mind not to add “tw” in front but only use the word/trigger itself)

#nsfwhump …..(only for nsfw content)

#your own tags go here

PLEASE BE DILIGENT WITH YOUR TAGGING. Only properly tagged posts are considered for archiving on the official @whumptober-archive blog. They must be tagged in the order above. An elaborate post about our tagging system can be found [here]

Unfortunately, due to the sheer number of participants in recent years, we cannot guarantee your work will be archived. A random selection of properly tagged posts from all genres will be reblogged each day.

Whumpers who produce content for 31 total theme days are considered event completionists and will be tagged in a masterpost at the end of the month. A form will be published at the beginning of November asking you to tell us if you completed. This is based on trust and we will not check this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read this before you send an ask!

TIMELINE

July: Trope voting form released. Late August: Prompt list is released for at least four weeks of preparation time. Tropes cannot be posted earlier than August 25th because of Moderator obligations in real life. (But, you know, go ahead and start writing/drawing, and add the themes in later, if you want!) September: Do as much or as little on your works as you want. You can prepare everything in advance or let September go by with vibes and start working in October. It’s up to you. October 1st: Challenge begins! A storm of whump breaks upon us all! During this time, some posts will be reblogged to the whumptober archive blog. We open the yearly AO3 collection for posting (optional). November 1st: The challenge is officially over! Completionist form opens for those who want to be included in the hall-of-fame. Early November: We release completionist and participant badges, solicit feedback, and post a hall-of-fame list of completionists by the 10th.

PARTICIPATION AND COMPLETION

Q: What counts as participation? Create or continue at least one work inspired by one of this year’s prompts. Q: What counts as completion? Creating work(s) inspired by at least one prompt from each day (or alts), for a total of 31 unique prompts. Q: Do I need to create 31 works? No. You can, if you want. Or you can create one work that you add to every day with a new prompt. Or several works that combine prompts. You can also update an existing work by adding new material with the current prompts. Q: Do I need to post my works somewhere to be a completionist or a participant? No. Q: How do you know I actually completed the challenge? We’ll take your word for it! Q: Do I have to finish my work(s) to be a completionist? No, you can post WIPs. And you’re not obligated to finish them in October, but if you want it to count towards being a completionist, you must have completed 31 prompts by the end of the month. So for example, if you’re writing a long fic and you fit 31 different prompts into the writing you did in October, it’s okay if that fic isn’t finished by the time October ends, you’ll still be a completionist. Q: Is co-writing/illustrating allowed? Yes, absolutely, and it would count towards being a completionist for both/all of you. Q: Is there a min/max limit on word count for written works? No. Q: Is there a min/max limit of quality for art? No. Q: Do I have to do something each day to be a completionist? No. You can skip days whenever you want, and as long as 31 daily prompts (or alts) are in your works done in October, you can be a completionist. For example, if you wrote a 1000-word ficlet that covers prompts in days 2, 3, and 17, you can check all three days off your list even though it’s only one work. Q: Is this challenge just for fics? No! Artworks, GIFsets, headcannons, rec lists, poetry, moodboards, or any other creative work is encouraged. Q: Can I combine Whumptober with other creation challenges? Absolutely, as long as the other challenges allow it too.

PROMPTS

Q: How do the prompts work? There are FOUR prompts per day: a theme and three ideas. You can use one, two, three, or all four prompts for each day. If you don’t like any of the daily prompts, you can substitute one of the ALT prompts instead. Q: How strictly/literally should we interpret the prompts? As literally or as figuratively as you want. For example, if the theme is WATER, that could mean drowning, waterboarding, raining, swimming, take place underwater, be lost at sea, construct a metaphor about a character’s mood that changes like a flowing river, crying, or whatever else you can think of that fits that theme. Q: Can I combine prompts? Is there a limit on how many? No limit and combine as many as you’d like. If you create a work that checks off multiple prompts, that work will count for a fill of multiple prompts. You need to address 31 different prompts to be an official completionist, but you don’t have to produce 31 separate works.

WORKS

Q: What’s whump? Hurting a character, whether that’s physically, emotionally, intellectually, psychologically, or any other way you can think of. Comfort afterwards is optional. Angst is emotional whump, so it counts. Q: How do I know if it’s whumpy enough? If your character is just mildly inconvenienced, it probably needs more whump. However, no participant has to prove whumpiness to the mods. Whatever you write is up to you. Q: What kind of characters can I create for? Anything. Generic “whumpee,” OC, PC, NPC, major characters, minor characters, or whatever you want. There are no limits. Q: Does it have to take place in a specific fandom? No, you can create works for your own worlds or for fandoms or for both. You can also create more generic or pan-fandom works. You can do cross-overs or use OCs, whatever you want. Q: Can I create AI-created works? We will not reblog or promote any works we know to be generative AI-created. Q: Is there anything we’re not allowed to write? As long as it contains whump and is based on our prompts, it’s fine. Please courtesy tag your works if you post them so people who follow the #whumptober2024 tag can filter according to their preferences. Q: What about sex, minor characters, and potentially disturbing content? You can create whatever works are legal in your country and post them accordingly. Please courtesy tag anything you think might be objectionable if you post to Tumblr so people who follow the #whumptober2024 tag can filter according to their preferences.

POSTING

Q: Where can I post my work? Post where and how you want. You don’t even have to (cross)post it to Tumblr. Just keep in mind if it’s not on Tumblr we will not be able to add it to the blog archive. There is an AO3 archive for Whumptober 2024, as well as the parent collection for works completed outside of the event. Q: Can I start posting early? You can, but this is an October event and wouldn’t it be more fun with everyone doing it at the same time? We won’t be reblogging any work predating October 1st. Q: Can I post late? Yes. For the sake of our hardworking Post Fairies, only a day’s themes will be reblogged to @whumptober-archive each day of October. But you can post whenever. Some of us are still working on and posting Whumptober fics from years ago. Q: Do I have to use your tags? Only on Tumblr and only if you want us to reblog your work on @whumptober-archive. Q: How do I have my works reblogged to the archive? Properly tagged posts will be reblogged to @whumptober-archive. If you want the official archive blog to reblog you, post on Tumblr and tag correctly (see this FAQ link for more info on tagging). Please note not all posts will be reblogged each day. Q: Can we @ you? For questions and comments, of course. We’ll be getting a flood of notifications, so if you really want us to see something send an ask. Q: Can I cross post on other blogs? Yes, multiple platforms and blogs are perfectly acceptable, as long as they allow cross-posting (to us). You can also post different works to different accounts under different names, without posting them everywhere at once. If you post some works under your main and others under an alt blog, that’s fine for completionist purposes. Q: Can I upload/repost my Whumptober content to other social media platforms? Of course! We’ve created an AO3 Collection to archive any fics posted there, which can be found here. The blog is the official archive, so please respect the personal boundaries of any whumpers in your social circle (don’t out anyone as a participant who would prefer not to be outed).

Most importantly, have fun, create, and enjoy all the whump posted this October!

9K notes · View notes

ffluerdelune · 7 months ago

Text

Say Don't Go

It was supposed to be a simple job. Keep some rich asshole betting until they’d swindled good money out of him before he realized that Valentino was counting cards. Something they’d done a million times with no trouble. Tonight shouldn’t have been any trouble either not when the glittering skin-tight yellow dress Valentino wore seemed to be distracting their client just fine. It should have been a lucky evening.

But Valentino never seemed to have much in the luck department.

Val had perched himself on Akriel’s lap for the sake of getting a better look at the reason their client was adjusting his pants so often. They had done this a million times, more often than not someone was stupid enough to sneak a weapon in, thinking if they threatened Remo Scavo’s most prized property they could get something out of it.

And then the guy just had to open his mouth.

“Oh, so you’re a daddy’s boy and a whore huh? The rumors about you being easy true then?”

Valentino could feel Akriel’s snarl before he saw it. Akriel never had a poker face he could pride himself on. His grip on Valentino’s hip tightened, a low rumble filling the room.

It was sweet, how protective Akriel got sometimes like Valentino is something delicate and worth handling with care. Not to mention that low growl did something to Valentino’s insides leaving him weak in the knees. Any other day he’d let Akriel go nuts, teach that asshole a lesson and give Valentino some material for his late-night dreams.

But this was his job.

Besides, sometimes a whore wanted some fun too.

“Down,” Valentino murmured placing a hand on Akriel’s chest. “Be a good boy and stay right here ‘kay? Momma’s got this one.”

Akriel’s eyes widened, and if Valentino didn’t know any better he'd say his face was flushed. “But Val-“

“Are you talking back to me?”

It came out harsher than he intended it to, and maybe he’d apologize for it later. But, right now he had a role to play and he was about to play the hell out of it. He leaned down and whispered, “Trust me amore mio, I got this, just enjoy the show.” He pushed back taking in Akriel’s face.

Akriel had a habit of looking at Valentino like he was something to worship. His eyes would glaze over and he’d just stare as if looking at Valentino was something he needed as badly as he needed to breathe. He was looking at him like this now, silently nodding and loosening his grip on Valentino’s side, allowing him to ever so hesitantly remove himself from the comfort of Akriel’s arms.

Valentino took a deep breath, sauntering over to the orcish man making sure his long legs escaped the slit in his dress as much as possible. “That depends,” he said breathlessly dropping down to his knees in front of the man and letting his fingers dance on his knees. “That a gun in there or are ya just happy to see me mista?”

The man smirked deviously his hand snaking to Valentino’s hair, gripping it too tightly for Val’s comfort. “Right in front of your boy toy huh? You’ve got no shame.”

Valentino giggled, it was high-pitched and so clearly fake to anyone who spent any time with him but this guy seemed to like them ditzy. When you’re pretty everyone seemed to think you were stupid. “He doesn’t mind, he likes watching. Dontcha zucchero?”

Akriel didn’t say anything in response. But he silently nodded, his eyes whispering to Valentino all the words he couldn’t say. That he trusted him. Believed in him. And would rip this guy to shreds if need be because no one would lay a finger on Valentino like that and get away with it.

But the client wasn’t privy to the code they’d taken years to learn. When Valentino looked back at him he was none the wiser. “Ya wanna know how I got that reputation dontcha?” Valentino grinned nuzzling the side of his face into the client’s thigh for just a ghost of a second. It had the desired effect because he was staring down at Valentino like he was downright edible.

What a fucking idiot, Valentino thought smugly. He looked back up at the man batting his eyelashes. “I’ve never had a bad review. In fact,” he dug his nails ever so slightly into the client’s calf, “I’ve been told ya can still feel me for months after.”

Only Akriel could see what Valentino was reaching for behind his back. Strapped safely onto his thigh, hidden perfectly beneath that dress.

“Oh yeah?” The client challenged, his eyes following Valentino’s face as he rose to his feet, his hip jutting out ever so slightly.

“Yeah,” Valentino replied, with that same breathy, ridiculously seductive voice as he drove the dagger deep into the client’s gut and twisted it, just for the effect. “And baby I think you’ll be feeling me for even longer.”

Valentino grinned wildly hearing the gushing sound of flesh being ripped apart and the melodic chorus of choked wheezes the client was pathetically letting out. He could feel the warm, thick blood running down the front of his dress and his thigh. That only made him grin wider.

“Still think I’m easy?” Valentino whispered, stepping back only to rip the dagger out of the client's stomach, flinging a piece of his skin across the room from the sheer force used. Where there was once a pristine white button-up shirt there was now a gaping mouth of pinkish, putrid meat wailing up at Valentino. “Don’t worry cutie,” he taunted, waving the bloodied dagger at him like he was teasing a baby with a lollipop, “you’ll still get part of ya in my mouth tonight.”

He took great pride in the look of terror flashing through this man’s face. Call him sadistic, but god it felt so good to be on this side of the terror for once. Valentino brought the blade up to his lips taking a slow, sensual lick up the flat side of the blade, never breaking eye contact with the bleeding man before him.

He’d tasted blood before, mostly his own after he’d fuck up a job and his father would give him a talking to. But the strange pool of adrenaline he’d feel in his stomach after that first hint of the metallic substance never failed to make him shiver. Maybe it was some strange deep-rooted goblin instinct that left him wanting to lean in close and rip this man’s arteries out with his teeth, but that wasn’t something he was willing to unpack tonight.

Instead, Valentino leaned forward, gripping the man’s face so hard his nails sunk into the pathetic flesh of his cheeks. He wanted him to feel as humiliated as Valentino had to feel every time he had to listen to whispers of his reputation when he’d walk down the street. As naked and vulnerable as Valentino had felt when the client had stared him down like a meek bunny marked as prey. Valentino wanted to feel like the predator even if only for a fleeting moment.

He gathered the blood that was still resting on his tongue and spat it back out in the man’s face. “And if ya manage to drag ya sorry ass outta here without bleeding to death on all the nice carpet, I hope ya let everyone know exactly which crackwhore did this to ya,” his grip on the man’s face tightened, “cuz if I hear that ya going around saying anyone else did this? I will gut ya like fucking pig and wear ya pathetic intestines like a goddamn anklet. And I’ll look hot doing it.”

There was no response. Likely because of blood clots clogging his throat. But the desperate eyes pleading with him for mercy was all he needed. He’d gotten his message across. He reached behind him slipping the dagger back into the strap on his thigh. He turned, his chest rising and falling in an uneven, stuttering rhythm.

Akriel had been good, just like he’d so sweetly requested of him. He hadn’t moved an inch. His eyes, while wide and full of questions, were unwavering. They did not spare the dying man even a pity glance. His focus seemed to be taken up by searching the labyrinth that was Valentino’s blood-soaked body like he would find the slain minotaur there. His chest rose and fell almost as rapidly as Val’s was, and his fists balled so tightly Val was worried his knuckles might give out.

Valentino could feel that same vulnerable feeling creeping into his chest, threatening to grip his heart until it burst out of the cracks in his fingers. But this time it didn’t feel wrong.

Valentino’s breath hitched in his throat when Akriel finally met his eyes and the same low growl reached his ears. He could hear the chilling sound of a death rattle echoing behind him, but that growl was the only thing he could bring himself to worry about. The twinge of anger lacing the vibrations made his stomach do flips.

Amongst the myriad of other questions floating in his eyes, Valentino was able to pick out a silent plea. Begging to be let up, freed from the prison of inaction he had been forced into. Valentino couldn’t help but smile. Not one filled with that bloodlust that had been driving him to act earlier, but an unconscious one born from the blooming adoration he always felt whenever Akriel would look at him like that.

Valentino stumbled forward, no longer concerning himself with being graceful, Akriel never seemed to mind it much when he’d tripped, perching himself back on Akriel’s lap, almost as if he’d never left to begin with.

“Ya still with me big guy?” Val questioned quietly, bringing his hands up to cup at Akriel’s cheeks so gently, as if those same hands weren’t stained with the blood they’d forced out of another’s flesh. “Ya lookin’ a little floaty there.”

“You were way too nice to him,” Akriel spat, not answering Valentino’s question. Though Val suspected that wasn’t on purpose. “He shouldn’t be allowed to look at you like that, let alone talk to you like that.”

Valentino wanted to kiss Akriel’s face numb at that. The prospect that even glancing at Valentino the wrong way warranted a punishment crueler than a stab to the gut warmed his heart like nothing had before. But, entertaining that idea was dangerous and Valentino knew better. “Akriel, we’ve talked about this.” He warned.

“Yes, I’m painfully aware. I can’t go white knighting every time some idiot slings around the playground taunts at you, it’s just…” Akriel paused, face flushing almost in a form of realization. His ears seemed to flatten and he looked away.

He’s embarrassed. Valentino had to stifle a chuckle.

Gentle, yet firm, a space Valentino always found himself falling into habitually with Akriel, he guided the half-orc’s face back up to look at him. “Nuh uh, none of that. Ya know better. It’s just what?” No answer. “Akriel. Amore mio, ya know ya gotta talk to me. I can’t help if ya don’t tell me what’s eatin’ at ya.”

Akriel inhaled deeply, eyes closed. His nose, whether he realized it or not, had angled itself down at Valentino’s chest. Valentino couldn’t stop the full-body shiver that went through his body when Akriel’s hand started to toy with the strap of his dress. “He got blood all over you.” He finally admitted. His eyes were still closed but he still managed to wince like the confession had physically pained him.

Valentino glanced down at his dress, a frown overtaking his face without him even realizing it. “Does- Does it look that bad?” He questioned before he could stop himself. “It’s washable.” He probably looked repulsive and that’s why Akriel wouldn’t even open his eyes to look at him.

“Val, please.” Akriel stopped him, his eyes snapping open and his hand gripping the strap of the dress. “It’s got nothing to do with how you look. Trust me doll, you look… fucking perfect,” he gritted out. “The problem is you don’t smell right.”

Carefully, like he was peeling apart a perfectly wrapped present, he lowered the strap from Valentino’s shoulder pulling him forward and inhaling the scent of Val’s skin so deeply Valentino thought he might disappear.

Valentino snaked a hand up, burying it into the back of Akriel’s hair, a low, breathy laugh clawing its way from his throat. This wasn’t the first time Akriel complained about him smelling wrong. Valentino often had the scent of booze and other men’s sweat clinging to him. And every time without fail he’d always hear Akriel grumbling obscenities under his breath when he thought Valentino couldn’t hear him.

“Don’t smell right huh?” Valentino scratched at the back of Akriel’s head tilting his head to the side allowing easier access to his neck, trying so desperately to keep his breathing even. Akriel laughed against his skin, nuzzling into the junction where Val’s neck met his shoulder. “Yeah, I can smell him on you.” He confirmed, dragging the tip of his nose up towards Valentino’s jaw and back down with so much deliberate care it sent full-body shivers through Val. He continued the motion, pressing in a little more every time like he was trying to bury himself beneath Valentino’s skin.

Valentino gazed off to the side, a second hand burying itself and tightening into Akriel’s hair. He closed his trying to commit the moment to memory. The drag of Akriel’s holy skin against his tainted skin. Almost like trying to wash away the sins.

No.

Valentino couldn’t stop the soft gasp that left him when he realized what Akriel was doing. He was trying to wash away the scent, replacing it with his own. He was scenting him, marking a territory. He was staking a claim, telling everyone who Valentino really belonged to.

God, why did that make Valentino’s heart jump?

Maybe because he knew, at the end of the day, Akriel would belong to him just as much as Valentino belonged to Akriel.

And he really did belong to him. Without even realizing it Akriel had taken ownership of his soul, one Valentino would willingly offer on a silvered platter for as long as he still had air time in his lungs. He wished he had tried being this in love before he had tried cocaine. Ten months into sobriety and he’d never felt this high in his life.

“Well, who knew a little violence and bossing around is all it takes to get you going.” Valentino stammered out, desperately trying to regain that confidence he’d had earlier. Which was difficult when Akriel was practically drinking him in like ambrosia.

Akriel snorted against his neck, pulling away to look at Valentino. He brushed the unruly curls away rewarding him with a better view of Valentino’s flushed face. Most guys didn’t bother to look at his face let alone appreciate it like a sunset. “Maybe I just like seeing you dish it out instead of taking it for once.”

Akriel zeroed in on Valentino’s discarded dress strap. He cleared his throat and ever the gentleman looked away as he lifted it back over Valentino’s shoulder. “Sorry about that. I think it was uh..”

“An orcish thing?” Valentino offered.

“Yeah, let’s go with that,” Akriel fiddled with the buttons of his suit jacket, fumbling awkwardly to get it off. He draped it over Valentino’s shoulders, his hands lingering so casually and cruelly before retracting away like Valentino would burn him. “We.. should get you home. We’re gonna have fun trying to explain this one to your dad.”

Valentino had to school his face to mask how intensely he was wilting under Akriel’s words. Right. It was just a job. Just an orcish thing, it didn’t mean anything. “We’ll be fine,” Valentino replied, hopping off and praying his voice wasn’t actually as icy cold as it sounded to him.

“What do you mea-“

Valentino cut him off, leaning down to yank a .44 special out of the client’s pants. Without looking down at his hands he unloaded the gun a familiar sound of unused casing hitting the floor. “He wasn’t happy to see me.”

—

“Do you want me to walk you in?”

Akriel had asked when Valentino had stopped almost a block away from his house. The walk there had been excruciating, Valentino had gone quiet and the only thing Akriel could use to distract himself from the destination was their uneven footsteps moving tandem and the wispy remnants of the sun flowery fragrance Val had applied before they left.

He wanted to match the color of his dress, Akriel thought fondly. Valentino’s attention to detail never ceased to amaze him, the little things about his appearance Val would put so much care into made Akriel’s swell. Had he ever called attention to it? Told Valentino how much he adored that little quirk of his.

“Uhm..” Akriel was snapped out of his thought process when Valentino’s feeble voice wobbled out. Valentino looked up at Akriel. His hair fell away from his face naturally. “You… could not walk me in. If you wanted… to not take me home.”

Valentino posed it as a hypothetical, but his eyes betrayed him. Akriel had never seen so much pleading in those beautiful sunshiney eyes. Valentino was standing here in front of Akriel begging him, praying that he would take this risk and whisk Valentino away to the safety of his and Johnny’s haven.

And how badly Akriel wanted- no- needed that. He craved so desperately to have that power. The power to rip away every chain binding Valentino and cradle him in his arms every night until Val could finally sleep peacefully.

But Akriel wasn’t powerful. He was just himself.

And he was, at his core, a coward.

“Sunshine, it’s been a long night I think.. you’re done for tonight.” Akriel looked away, trying to get some reprieve from the fucking eyes. “Besides you probably want to get clean and I don’t have anything you could wear, it's just…”

“Do you not want me?”

It wasn’t the words that made his body run cold, it was the sound. A strangled sob had clawed its way out of Valentino’s throat and when Akriel finally looked up that perfect face was contorted in pain, fresh tears covering what had once been cheeks. Akriel couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard Valentino cry. But he was hearing it now and it was the gut-twisting sound he’d ever heard.

And it was his fault. He’d made Valentino cry, really cry.

“Val- No it’s not that-“ He started, but was swiftly cut off by the jacket that had once been draped over his flower’s shoulders being shoved at his chest.

“I don’t know if I can keep doing this Akriel,” he sputtered. That mischievous high-pitched edge was lost from his voice, replaced with a venomous edge. “Ya fucking scented me back there and now ya just.. what?! Letting me go? What the FUCK am I supposed to do with that? If ya don’t want me then STOP toying with me and say so, so I can try to put my pride back together.”

Valentino didn’t give Akriel any opportunity to answer, not that he would’ve said anything anyway, before he was shoving the half-ofc out of his way, starting that torturous walk back into the hell he was forced to call home.

“Goodnight, Akriel,” Valentino called out, without looking back.

And Akriel didn’t look back either. Instead, he leaned against the window of the gold-lit shop the pair had once been stood in front of. He knew this wasn’t fair to Valentino. It wasn’t like he was trying to lead him on, but he wasn’t the risk-taker between the two.

But, Valentino had taken so many risks for this, without Akriel having to practically beg it out of him. His mind drifted to the many nights Valentino had laid dry heaving in his arms, the pains of withdrawal gripping his small body. All of that pain just to get to where he was now. 10 months sober, so much fuller and brighter.

Something he had shyly admitted one night, that he had done it all for Akriel. All because he hated seeing Akriel’s pain while Valentino slowly destroyed himself.

There was nothing Akriel could give that would even come close to what Valentino had for him. They both knew the risks.

He let his eyes drift into the window, a flash of red and gold jewels catching his eyes.

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